Head Teachers Blog
Before I ‘Round up’ our year I would like to offer some important thank-yous.
Firstly to all our parents and carers, I would like to thank you for sending your children to our school and trusting us with them everyday. I especially want to thank you for supporting and encouraging them to achieve their personal best and for the support you offer us as a school.
Thank you to all those parents/carers who have sent messages of thanks for our teachers and support staff. It was my privilege to be able to read these to our staff at our end of year celebration on Friday evening. Your words mean everything to us. We know how important our responsibility is to educate and take care of your daughters and sons. Thank you also to our fabulous PTA – I hope you can join us for their quiz night next termThey are a tremendous support to the school.
Secondly I would like to offer my own personal thanks to our staff. Thomas Alleyne’s runs smoothly because of the teamwork between a huge group of dedicated people and I appreciate all of their work. Our site staff and their team of cleaners ensure the buildings and grounds are safe and the right environment for our young people; the ICT team continually look for new solutions to improve our communications and systems; our administrative team manage everything from first aid through to exams, our budget, attendance and the members of this team are often the first people you speak to when you phone our school. In addition to these teams I would like to thank our teaching assistants, curriculum area supervisors, and one-to-one tutors who provide such important support to our students. Finally to our teachers who have worked tirelessly this year to ensure they learn new specifications to ensure they can place your sons and daughters in the strongest possible position. They have also offered wider opportunities such as World Challenge, Duke of Edinburgh, Agricultural shows, Art Competitions and visits, House Music, House Drama, House chess, Maths challenges, Reading weeks and World Book Day, Public Speaking training, Coaching for Success and an incredible range of sports.
I would also like to thank our governing body led by Mrs Alison Trenery. We are fortunate to have such a strong and experienced governing body who continually reflect and challenge the school to ensure that we provide the best we can for our students. I appreciate both the challenge and support they offer the school.
This year we became one of the founder members of the Uttoxeter Learning Trust and now work under the leadership of Mike Osborne-Town – our CEO and the Trust Board chaired by Sid Slater. We are looking forward to other schools joining our trust and feel fortunate to have such expertise at CEO and Trust level to support us in continuing to improve our school.
Finally to our students.
When we ran our celebration assemblies today we shared with your sons and daughters how proud we are of the way in which they take care of each other and of their aspirations and determination to be the best they can be. To all our student leaders across the school thank you for all the work you have done supporting others this year.
We look forward to seeing Year 8 for our Summer school next week, Year 13 on the 17th August (from 7.30am) for their A level results and then Year 11 on the 24th August (from 9.00am). GCSE pod is always there for students who want to get ahead for next year as we have purchased a license for every student in the school.
If during the break you have any questions or concerns please email headteacher@tahs.org.uk.
We hope you have a wonderful Summer and look forward to seeing everyone back on Tuesday 5th September for our next academic year.
House Competition 2017
Peer Learning
This week in year 12 Ethics students have been leading the learning of their peers, delivering content on modern ethics through a range of activities. It is great to see this preparation and participation.
Year 10 District Rounders Winners
The girls rounders team won the district rounders league without dropping a point. Victories came against Granville, John Port, Abbot Beyne, John Taylor, Deferrers, Paget, Pingle, Robert Sutton, Paget & William Allit. Well done to all of the girls involved, Emelia Lowe, Jaz Sutton, Sophie Howe, Freya Barkas, Belle Hancox, Abby Chilvers, Elsie Howell, Lillian Ford, Heidi Woodward, Tilly Edwards, Abigail Walters, Sophie Lomas, Emily Barton & Kim Burgess.
GCSE and Post 16 Exam Results Days August 2017
Please note the following dates and times for the collection of results:
Post-16 Thursday 17th August
Students can collect results from 7:30am
GCSE Thursday 24th August
Students can collect results from 9am
Any student who is unable to collect their results in person may send a nominated person to collect on their behalf. The nominated person must bring with them a written letter of permission from the student and photo ID.
Alternatively, a stamp addressed envelope can be left at the school office.
We are unable to give results over the telephone.
Teachers will be on hand to support on the day. Alongside the results sheet, forms will be placed in all envelopes should any student wish to discuss an exam paper review of marking.
Post-16 priority appeals will be discussed on Post-16 Results Day.
Due to the amount of students collecting results on GCSE Results Day, Mrs Harris will be available on Friday 25th July between 8am and 12pm to collect marking review paperwork/payment. This will be in the theatre and on a first come first served basis.
Future Olympians?
Business Enterprise Challenge
Congratulations to all the Year 12s who took part in the Business Enterprise Challenge at ‘Indulgence’ last week. The students all presented their unique business ideas and plans to judges David Hunter and Dawn Shirley. The ideas were all excellent ranging from Luxury Popcorn bars to Infant Sports clubs to an employment app for young people. Will Cooper, Alex Hayes and Johnathan Duckworth impressed the judges with their idea to create a youth employment app to match up Businesses with potential employees. Their prize, an opportunity to network at the Uttoxeter Business Breakfast club and some chocolate!
All the ideas were fantastic and the quality of Business plans produced by all the other groups was outstanding.
Thanks to David Hunter and Sue for hosting the event at Indulgence and thanks to Dawn Shirley for coming to be a judge.
Sports Day 2017
Once again sports day was a great success with Torrance emerging the overall winners. There were some fantastic performances and full list of the winners is below. Thanks to all the staff and competitors form making this such a great event.
Sports Day Results Certificates 2017
Science Transition Work at Windsor Park
As part of our continued commitment to provide students with a smooth transition, science staff from TAHS and Dr Jones, a senior lecturer in organic chemistry at Keele University, provided a work shop on molecules for yr7 pupils at Windsor Park Middle school. The ‘Make it Molecular’ activity involved the students learning the molecular structure of common substances such as caffeine, salbutamol and even skatole, the ‘smell of death’. The students had great fun building all of these molecules using the molymod kits and then learning about the similarities and difference between their different structures.
Coaching for Success
Last week twenty pupils from our current yr10 cohort successfully completed the ‘Coaching for Success’ programme. It was a challenging, but enjoyable two day course which took the students out of their comfort zones so that they could identify strategies that would enable them to improve their motivation, social skills and self confidence with a view to gaining higher exam results at the end of yr11. The programme empowers them to take increased responsibility for their learning and their school work. At the end of the two days each student was matched with a member of staff from school, who has also been trained as part of the programme, to coach them over the next year. Coaching will consist of regular meetings which will allow students to work towards goals that they have set themselves.
Network Upgrade
Due to a major network upgrade in school a Insight will be unavailable to all for up to the first three weeks of the holiday.
School Gateway App
Have you downloaded the school gateway App yet?
This is free app that is linked to our school communications system and has many benefits:
- The school can send you text messages for free via the app. You still get a notification on your phone.
- You can reply for free!
So download it now and save both of us money!
You will simply need your email and mobile phone number as held by the school to register on the app & it then sends you an access code. If you have issues logging in please email schoolcomms@tahs.org.uk stating:
- Your name & relationship to the child
- Child’s name
- Child’s tutor group
- Child’s DOB
- The email address and mobile number you wish to use
We will then update our records and the app will work.
Unused Uniform?
If you have any good quality uniform that you can donate to the school please ask your child to drop it into the student support base any morning next week.
As a thank you we will issue 5 credits per student in September.
Old Art/Photo work collection date –
Extra date added
Old year 13 Fine Art/Photography/Applied Art and year 11 GCSE work can be collected on Wednesday 11th October 2017 between 3:30-5:30pm as previously noted. Mr Robinson and Mrs Derby will be around to help
However, Old Y11 Art GCSE work can now ALSO be collected on TUEDAY 17th October 2017 3:30-5:30pm Mrs Cornell will be available.
If you cannot come in person to collect your work, please send a note with a family member or friend to collect on your behalf.
Please note that some work will be retained by the Art Department for the impressive displays in the art rooms and around school. Also the AQA exam board may have requested examples too.
Any work NOT collected or on display will be disposed of- Don’t miss out!
School Production 2017
December’s school production will be The Woman In Black!
Auditions will be advertised on Insight in the 1st week back. We will be looking for actors dancers and designers to be part of the show…
English News
It has been a busy year in the English Department. Teachers, students and pupils have worked hard to prepare for, and take, the new specification GCSE English Language, English Literature as well as A-level English Literature and A-level English Language. The positivity, endeavour and high-standards displayed by everybody involved were impressive from start to finish, and whatever outcomes pupils and students achieve, they can be proud of the way that they have conducted themselves. We wish them every success on results day, and for the future beyond.
Last week the whole of the school, both teachers and pupils, participated in Reading Week. During an extended form time of half-an-hour, pupils left their usual forms and joined reading groups comprising of pupils from all years and teachers. The purpose of the week is to raise the profile of reading for pleasure amongst the pupil body, and for them to see with their own eyes pupils of all ages and adults engaged in the activity. I would like to thank all of the pupils, students and staff who contributed to making the week a success.
Win £250
One of our students did last year – it could be you….
Careers
Don’t forget to check out the new careers page on tahsroundup.wordpress.com
New this week a link to a fantastic website all about the apprenticeship program.
Advice from Staffordshire Police
As we approach our summer break please be advised of this guidance from Staffordshire police about keeping children safe. Do please also access the website https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/ for all kinds of safeguarding advice for young people.
Staffs Police Parental Presentation
Uniform
Reminder to parents
In case of an emergency with your child, especially for our new school year
Attendance Update
Childline Advice App for Young People
Behaviour for Learning
Links
Follow the links to; School Website, Facebook, Twitter & our Online Shop
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