I’d like to start by introducing myself. I’m Mrs Godfrey, the new Head of Year 9. I have been enjoying getting to know many of the students in our year group and have been really impressed with how they have been conducting themselves around the school. 

As a year team, we are keen for students to be in lessons and on time. Therefore, students are not permitted to attend the year office during lesson time, unless there is a significant need. We have an open door during break and lunch for students to come and talk to the year team about any issues or concerns. 

I would like to reiterate that the school starts with the warning bell for registration at 8.15 am, students must arrive on time so they can prepare for the day and ensure they are updated with all information which is shared during registration. 

I look forward to the next few months getting to know more of the students.

It is always nice to start the newsletter entry with some praise! We have been so impressed with how the vast majority of the year group has completed the latest set of mocks. The individual preparation before the mock examinations has certainly helped to increase confidence when completing exam papers, this has also had a positive impact on managing stress and developing resilience. 

Now that the Year 11 students have had the opportunity to try different revision strategies and create revision timetables, they should be in a position to use the strategies that have worked and shown the most impact when preparing for the GCSE examinations. Once the mock papers have been returned, students will have the opportunity to act on the feedback, fill any gaps in their learning and understand more about structuring answers and including the content that will help to maximise marks. 

To develop new and existing strategies that many of our students have been using in the build-up to exams and to support our students in developing essential life skills, we have organised a day of workshops that will be led by an external organisation. NCS (National Citizen Service) / Hear 2 Listen will be running five different workshops with our students – Modern Problem Solving Skills, Stress Management, Exam Readiness, Developing Resilience, and Ambitions. For all Year 11 students to access this opportunity, we have split the year into populations. 

Within the population, students will be split into their English groups. Each group will rotate around the workshops following the timings of our normal school day. Below are the dates:

• Tuesday 12th March 2024, Population PR

• Friday 15th March 2024, Population UV

• Monday 25th March 2024, Population ST

Form tutors have shared the relevant information with their tutor groups. Students should speak to their tutor in the first instance if they have any questions regarding the workshops. More information on the organisation can be found on the link below:

https://www.hear2listen.org.uk/

The yearbook is always a popular item and we aim to ensure that this year is no different. We have been working hard to ensure that the year group can take this away with them to remind them of their time at Samuel Whitbread Academy. Both staff and students are contributing to the book, ensuring it is a great keepsake. It is a nice memento for students to look back on in years to come. The cost of the yearbook is £7. Please look out for a separate communication regarding this. 

Just a reminder that we have the yearbook photos taking place on Wednesday 13th March. Each form group will come down and have a professional photograph taken (form tutors will share the timetable with the students). The photos will be used in the yearbook and to create our year group photo. 

Thank you for your continued support with our Year 11 students. We understand that this is a stressful time but the year group really is developing the strategies to cope with stressful situations. Building resilience will support our students as they enter the next stage of learning.