Dear Parent/Carer

Exciting changes to the way we assess and report your child’s progress

In previous years we reported on your child’s progress at school at 3 points in the year. In the autumn and spring terms we provided a data report sheet at a meeting with Form Tutors on Target Review Days and in the summer term we provided a written report.

This summer we are introducing a new system of live reporting using an on-line tool called Sims Learning Gateway (SLG), which we think will provide you with more up to date and useful information.

You will be able to log in to SLG and check your child’s attendance, behaviour, rewards and achievement points as well as our latest teacher assessments and progress grades as many times as you like, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In order to show you how this system works and make sure we have the email address needed to set you up with a password, we are going to run an extra Target Review Day on Wednesday 6 July 2016. At this meeting we will:

  • give you a clear picture of progress this year;
  • set up to four realistic achievable targets, which will be reviewed at the next Target Review Day;
  • show you how to access your child’s data on SLG;
  • explain the new 9-1 grading system for GCSEs, which replaces the old A*-G system in English & Maths from 2017 and in almost all subjects from 2018;
  • for parents of students in Y7 and Y8 we will also share with you our plans for a new assessment system for Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 & 9) called The Shirebrook Standard, which will replace the now abolished National Curriculum levels from September.

As you will be meeting your child’s Form Tutor on this day we will not be providing a written report as well. In future years there will be no written reports but we will hold 3 Target Review Days, one per term, and you will be able to access details of your child’s progress at any time in between those days and contact us if you have any concerns.

For anyone who is unable to access the internet we can still provide print outs of the data reports.

Continued over page……………………

Organisation of Target Review Day Wednesday 6 July 2016

As detailed above, you are invited to the Academy to discuss your son/daughter’s progress with his/her Form Tutor. Our last target review day had 98% of our parents/carers participating. We want to continue to build upon this success and hope to see everyone on 6 July.

The Academy will be closed for normal lessons but all students will be expected to work at home, except when they are attending their interview. The interview with the Form Tutor will last for fifteen minutes and students are expected to attend with their parents/carers. If you are unable to attend personally, we still expect the student to attend with another responsible adult or family member if possible.

To enable as many parents/carers as possible to attend the Target Review Day, we will be running interview sessions from 8:00am until 6:30pm. I would be grateful if you could complete and return the attached slip to your child’s Form Tutor indicating which time would suit you best.

Please also indicate if you have more than one child in school so that interviews can be arranged at convenient times. Form Tutors will then let you know the actual appointment time for your interview. If you are unable to attend please contact your son/daughter’s Form Tutor so that alternative arrangements can be made.

Yours sincerely

Mark Cottingham

Principal
Please complete and return to your child’s Form Tutor:

Target Review Day

Wednesday 6 July 2016

Student’s name: ……………………………………………….. Form: …………..

I will be able to attend an interview on Target Review Day between the following times:

8:00am to 10:30am  10:30am to 12:30pm 

1:30pm to 3:00pm  3:00pm to 5:00pm 

5:00pm to 6:30pm  (please tick more than one box if possible)

Please state the name and form group of any siblings at Shirebrook Academy:

1. Name…………………………...... Form…………..

2. Name………………………………...... Form…......

3. Name………………………………………………………….. Form…………..

SIMS Learning Gateway

Future Target Review reports will be available electronically via the secure on-line system

SIMS Learning Gateway. Please provide your email address below in readiness for this on-line

facility.

Parent/Carer’s name 1……………………………………….. Relationship to student……………………

Parent/Carer’s name 2 ……………………………………….. Relationship to student……………………

□please tick the box if do not have an email address

Parent/Carer signature……………………………………… Date…………………

Print name………………………………………………………

(Form Tutors – please pass the SIMS Gateway section to student reception)