Dear Students, Parents & Carers,

We are completing exam entries for Year 13 students this week: another sure sign that time is flying. This only leaves 9 school weeks for arts-based subjects and 15 school weeks for other subjects until the exams start. I know this will start to put pressure on students and I’m encouraging staff to ramp up their expectations over the coming weeks. I’m also challenging students by focusing attention on attendance. Unauthorised absence is unacceptable at The Island VI Form.

We are always here to help and support if you are struggling. Come in and talk to your Mentor, Teachers or Student Services.

Be prepared and make sure that revision resources are created well in advance. Make time for the hard work of burning those resources into your long term memory by going over them and over them. We recommend that this is done by the end of the Easter break. Materials to create your revision resources (flash cards/pens/highlighters etc) are available for all students from Main Reception.

Create a revision schedule: plans and systems always outperform good intentions. We are running sessions after school to help with this and we will also be running subject revision sessions over the Easter term break.

Students who receive Bursary will be given textbooks and resources over the coming week. Make sure that you are reading your emails and collect your books from Main Reception.

Finally, look after yourself with: regular breaks, hobbies, exercise and eating well.

Have a nice weekend – hopefully a little warmer in the coming days.

Mr Mumford

Head of School – The Island VI Form

Dear Students, Parents and Carers

I am writing with an update regarding student attendance and to thank you for the efforts you have made reporting illness and following-up on unauthorised absence. I will continue to let students know if they are classed as Persistently Absent (below 90%) and continue to challenge unauthorised absence as it is unacceptable at The Island VI Form.

The national evidence on the importance of attendance is clear. Students whose attendance falls below 95% have significantly poorer outcomes than other students. Those who attend above 95% attain two grades higher at A level than those of similar ability whose attendance is 85%. In terms of the options that students have when they finish their courses with us, this could potentially be a life-changing difference. 

Too many of you are in danger of under performing due to absence.

• 95% attendance is the national target for all students.
• 90% attendance equals a day off a fortnight.
• 80% attendance equals a day off a week.

I hope I can count on your ongoing support in challenging any unauthorised absence going forward. Your support really does make a difference. 

Mr Mumford

Head of School – The Island VI Form

Welcome back and Happy New Year to you all.

This week we launched UCAS and work planning for our Year 12 Students. It may have only been two 1/2 terms since they joined us, but time goes very fast at VI Form and Year 12 should be starting to research their destinations post 18.

Building up Career Capital (leadership, teamwork, resilience, independence…) is needed for work or University. For University you use all of these skills in your personal statement and for work you use them for your covering letter and CV. Make sure you take up opportunities that will enable you to shine at an interview or in an application.

Year 13 UCAS internal deadline was the 1 December. If you missed that date, we will still support you, but the later you leave it, the greater the risk of not submitting the highest possible quality application. This is now an urgent job to prioritise.

As mentioned earlier, time flies at VI Form: 12 school weeks until Year 13 exams for Arts based subjects, 16 school weeks until the main written exams start. Are you on top of your revision? We are here to help and support if needed, you just need to ask.

Enjoy your weekend,

Mr Mumford

Head of School – The Island VI Form

Congratulations to the legal Mock Trial team who had a fantastic time at the Newport Crown Court last Saturday. They excelled at being organised, arguing their cases and public speaking. They won the whole competition held between all of the schools across the Island. Great work, we are very proud of you!

Have a great break, make sure that you get the balance right between relaxing and having fun, as well as making sure that you are fully prepared for the exams that will soon be upon us. If you strip out the holidays, the first exams are only 12 weeks away!

Good systems (revision schedule and planning) always out perform good intentions.

Wishing you all a peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year. See you on 2 January. 

Mr Mumford

Head of School – The Island VI Form

One more week to go. We have three trips out next week: Fashion students are visiting Independent Arts, Art students are off to the Tate Modern and Humanities students are spending the day at the Houses of Parliament. I’m sure they will all have a wonderful time. Also next week, Drama students are performing in their Christmas Cracker show. If you would like to attend this, it is taking place in the Drama Studio at Medina College at 5.30 pm on Monday. Lessons continue as normal up to Friday 15 December at 3.15 pm and we will return on Tuesday 2 January at 8.50 am. 

If you are able to contribute to the food bank donations that are under the tree in Reception, it would be lovely and very much appreciated. Our Student Voice are selling raffle tickets in aid of ‘Gift to Nature’ with the draw happening during our Christmas Lunch on Thursday 14. The top prize is a £30 Amazon voucher and there are lots of other fantastic prizes to choose from.

This week we sent out a letter and leaflet about the potential risks associated with the underage use of vapes (also known as e-cigarettes). In that letter, it outlined the actions the Council is taking to help tackle this issue, and the support we want to provide to parents and carers to help them talk with their children about this topic. I know that some of you aren’t underage but the message still applies: “Vapes should not be used by children or adults who do not currently smoke. People who currently smoke are encouraged to swap to vapes. Vapes are a quitting aid that reduces the harms of tobacco smoking.”

Have a peaceful weekend.

Mr Mumford

Head of School – The Island VI Form

Thank you to staff and students for welcoming 270 Year 11 students from Carisbrooke College, Medina College, The Bay Secondary School and The Island Free School. Feedback has been very positive about how much they enjoyed the teaching, being treated like an adult and having a dedicated site to study at.

Year 13 exams have two more days to go and then we return to normal lessons until the end of term on Friday 15 December.

We are, once again, supporting the Food Bank in the run up to Christmas, so if you are able to bring in a tin, a packet or other non-perishable item and put it under the tree at reception, it would be much appreciated. We will be delivering to the food bank on Thursday 14 December.

Finally, we will be holding our Christmas dinner at lunchtime on Thursday 14 December. Tickets for this have to be bought in advance and will cost £3.00 – an absolute bargain price for the traditional or vegetarian full Christmas dinner, a pudding and a soft drink! The deadline to order is midday on Friday 8 December. Christmas jumpers are encouraged and a collection for The Wight Brainy Bunch will be held, so please bring a few coins if you would like to donate.

Have a lovely weekend – keep warm!

Mr Mumford

Head of School – The Island VI Form

Good luck to Year 13 as they start their trial exams, I’m sure all of your hard work and revision over the last few months will support you. You will need your lanyard as ID and will also need to follow all of the exam rules e.g. phone off and in bag, no watches…etc.

Exams can be stressful, so make sure you are looking after yourself:

– Sleep: have a regular and not too late bedtime, allow your brain to relax by giving your phone a rest.
– Diet: make sure you are eating well e.g. fresh food rather than processed.
– Exercise: set yourself a target, 5K steps, 10K steps, 30 minute cycle
– Connections: speak to friends and family.
– Mindful time: do things to help you relax, meditate, walk the dog, read.
– Journalling: write down how you are feeling / how your day went.
– Creativity: keep or start a new hobby.

You don’t need to do all of these, but it is good, sensible advice to aim towards.

Next week we are offering a day of taster lessons to Year 11 students on Thursday 30 November. Please make them feel welcome and make sure you are wearing your lanyard.

Have a restful weekend,

Mr Mumford
Head of School – The Island VI Form

We had a great event on Thursday, welcoming over 350 prospective students and parents at our Open evening. Thank you so much for braving the weather and thank you to staff and students for helping and advising future students about the VI Form.

The Open Evening marks the start of the admissions process for joining us in September 2024, the application form is at the back of the new prospectus and also available to download from our website here. I look forward to meeting you individually at the interviews in the New Year.

Our next open event will be for the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design on 30 November. Please see below for more details.

Geology students have also been braving the weather in the Lake District this week. Welcome back and I hope you dry out soon!

Have an enjoyable weekend. 

Mr Mumford
Head of School – The Island VI Form

Welcome back after half term.

We have only been back a few days, but we have already had GCSE retake exams for English and maths, the Year 13 Parents’ Evening and exam stress busting workshops. Next week we are holding our Open Evening, when prospective Year 11 students and parents are able to tour our site, talk to students and staff and find out about the courses on offer. Thank you in advance if you are helping out during the evening, prospective students really value feedback from current students, and it builds up your career capital for your CV.

Year 13 trial exams and the UCAS internal deadline are at the end of the month. Make sure you are fully prepared and don’t leave things to the last minute. There are revision workshops and UCAS support available if you are struggling.

I would like to give a reminder to everyone about attendance. The more you are here, the more you can learn and the better your results are likely to be. Currently there are too many students with attendance at or below 90%. In a test, 90% is amazing; for attendance it is poor. 90% means you have half a day off a week or a whole day off a fortnight. Try and be in every day and definitely let us know if you are absent. Adults must let their employer know if they are off from work because they are unwell and we expect the same communication from you. If you want to be treated as an adult – phone up or email if you are absent. I’m going to be more challenging on attendance going forward.

Finally, we have been asked to share a letter regarding Operation Sceptre, a knife crime awareness campaign running over the course of the next week. Please follow this link for the letter: https://www.iwef.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Knife-Crime-Awareness-Letter-09.11.2023.pdf

Have a lovely weekend,

Mr Mumford

Head of School – The Island VI Form

Have a great half term, get the balance right between; supporting your education by catching up, completing work or revising; as well as looking after yourself and relaxing. 

Year 13, your balance should be skewed towards preparing for your trial exams that start on November 27 (you will be on study leave during this period – vocational / art based subjects – please speak to your teachers for their expectations).

Year 12, it’s never too early to start preparing for your exams. It’s one half term down and 9 to go before your first possible exams (even earlier if you do BTEC / modular courses).

We return to lessons at 8.50am on Monday 6 November. 

Stay safe, 

Mr Mumford
Head of School – The Island VI Form