Dear Students, Parents & Carers

The following GoDrive video is an excellent educational resource for young drivers. It covers key elements of learning to drive and how to behave once young drivers have their driving licence. I encourage you to watch the videos and look at the magazines as road safety is of vital importance to all of us, but it’s particularly important to young drivers. When I was at VI Form / University, my local community lost two young drivers and a passenger in two accidents and another friend suffered life changing injuries in another accident. I hope you never have to experience anything like this.

GoDrive – without captions     GoDrive – with captions

The two digital magazines available:

For young drivers    For parents of young drivers

Congratulations to the Chemists and Biologists who participated in the Chemistry & Biology Olympiad! This is run by the Royal Societies of Biology & Chemistry and consists of 2 x 45 minute exams that test biological core principles, intuition and problem solving. Over 13 000 students from 800 schools worldwide took part in this year’s competition. Anya achieved a Gold, putting her in the top 5% of the participants and many other students achieved silver, bronze awards.

Details of the revision sessions that are being held over the Easter term break can be found here. Please remember that revision support is also available after school as advertised on the Student Services hub. As I have said many times before both Year 12 & 13 should be planning to finish revision materials by the end of Easter at the latest to allow time to build in the repeat, repeat, repeat that burns the knowledge into your long term memory.

Have a good weekend.

Dear Students, Parents & Carers

Our Library is going to be refurbished and upgraded, with work starting on Monday. We will be adding more computers in on the left hand side and making the right hand side more of a classroom / conference room. Building work has to start before the end of term, so that the spaces are ready for the exam season that is fast approaching. Sorry for any inconvenience caused in the short term, no teaching will be impacted.

We are holding a virtual Year 12 Parents’ evening on Thursday 30 March, all appointments are booked online and details will be shared on Monday. Please follow the instructions in the email. Some Year 13 parents will receive an invitation to book appointments if their child is studying a combination of Year 12 and Year 13 classes.

30 students and 3 members of staff have been away this week in Athens, I’m sure they have a wonderful trip and we will hear more about it once they return.

GKN Aerospace are giving a talk to interested Year 13 students on Tuesday 21 March about post A Level opportunities and apprenticeships that they have coming up, full details and the sign up form are on the Student Services Hub.

We will soon be advertising revision sessions that are running over the Easter break, remember revision resources (flash cards etc.) are available from reception and Student services. Staff are also running revision support after school and again details are on Student Services Hub. Statements of entry for the summer examinations are available from Student services, please check these carefully – the details must be correct.

Remember that we recommend that the creation of your revision materials should be completed by the end of the Easter break, so that you can repeatedly go over these resources and burn the knowledge into your long term memory, no one can do this for you.

Have a nice weekend.

Dear Students, Parents and Carers

I held two year group briefings this week to remind students about key dates and to start ramping up the revision expectations. Remember, if you are struggling or finding anything hard, please come and speak to us.

Art based exams start (Yr13) – 17/04/23
Main exams start (Yr13) – 22/05/23
Exam finish (Yr13) – 27/06/23
Trial exams (Yr12) – 29/06/23
A Level Results Day – 17/08/23 (Remember your ID)

It is each students’ responsibility to produce their own revision materials. We recommend that these are completed by the end of Easter. This then allows you plenty of time to: repeat, repeat, repeat. Burning the knowledge into your long term memory.

What we can do is help you if you don’t understand something. Ask your teacher to go over a topic or area, we are here to help you. Together we help with exam technique to unlock knowledge, so that you can present your work in the way the exam board wants it.

Remember that no-one can do this for you! We are here to help and support, but you have to put the work in. “Hard work pays off” is written around the building for a reason.

We will be advertising through the “Student Services Hub” revision support sessions run by staff, either subject specific or generic support. Plus, we are also supplying revision materials e.g. highlighters, flashcards etc. if you need them. Ask at reception or help yourself (within reason) from the supplies in the library.

And finally, Year 12 please remember to keep building your Career capital: Problem solving, Work ethic, Verbal communication, Written communication, Resilience, Leadership and Teamwork skills / qualities. You can do this by signing up for the various activities we offer eg DofE and the EPQ projects you saw Year 13 finishing this week.

Dear Students, Parents and Carers

Short update this week, but with a bit of homework to watch.

The examination season is fast approaching, as I have been saying over the past few weeks / months.  All your hard work and revision,  completing revision notes by Easter and then repetitively going through them, can all come undone if you don’t follow the exams rules.

Please watch the attached video so that you get the grades that your hard work deserves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sifbrx9_do4

Best wishes and have a nice weekend.

Dear Students, Parents & Carers,

Welcome back, I hope you had a productive half term and have produced high quality revision materials for yourself. By the time you read this there will be 5 weeks of this term and 2 weeks of Easter to finish creating your revision notes. Therefore leaving you 5 weeks to start going over them again and again to burn that information into your long term memory.

This is your job to do and no-one else can do this for you. If you have found something you don’t understand, ask your teachers for help and support, that is something we can help with.

We are about to start advertising revision workshops that will be accessible to all students. If you are struggling or need some support, look out for the advert on the Student Services Hub google classroom.

Year 12 students: EPQ (Extended Project Qualification)

Are you interested in taking another subject which accounts for half an A Level, on a subject of your own personal choice? The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is recognised by universities and employers for helping students to become great project managers.

How does it do this? You choose the topic, you complete research, you use that research to either write a report or create an artefact which answers your chosen topic question. Of course, taught sessions on project management will help you on your way.

If you’re interested, come along to the Year 13 Presentation Exhibition of their EPQ projects on Thursday 9th March from 2-4pm in the Main Hall, attend the Project Information Meetings and email jo.gardner@iwef.org.uk.

Best wishes

Dear Students, Parents and Carers

Have a great break! You notice I say break rather than holiday? You need to be building up your revision (Year 12 and 13). As I have said before, for your own success, health, wellbeing and possible stress levels; you need to start early. Revision materials should be created and finished by Easter so that you can repeat, repeat, repeat going over them so that information burns into your long term memory.

Our canteen has updated its pricing structure, this will take effect from 20 February. The new price list will be displayed in the canteen

See you back after half term on Monday 20 February.

Dear Students, Parents & Carers

Attendance at schools post-pandemic across the country is well below the pre-pandemic levels. The VI Form is no exception to this,our attendance is lower than it should be. Statistics prove that for every 10% absence your grade falls by a grade, so if your attendance is 78%, you will probably perform 2 grades lower than your full potential. Try to be in school as often as possible, every little bit helps and if you are feeling better as the day goes on, get in for your afternoon lessons.

Thank you for getting better at informing us about any absences, but we are not perfect yet. If you don’t let us know, it creates additional work for Student Services. In the adult world of work you can’t just not turn up, you have to inform your employer and in my case, provide cover work and then have a return to work interview on the first day back. All we are asking you to do is call or email in.

Safer internet day is next week. Try and apply the basic information we have shared over the last few weeks, we are available to offer help and support. https://www.internetmatters.org/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/Internet-Matters-Age-Guide-14plus-Jan23.pdf

I have started the interview process with current Year 11’s from across the Island. Just to remind future students that we make decisions about how many sets are needed, which mix of subjects will be offered etc at Easter. Please submit your applications to us as soon as possible so that we can make decisions based on the correct data. You will still be able to change your mind about subject choices till September. Once we fix our option combinations after Easter, you have to fit in around them, rather than us changing the options to make them work for you. You can apply all year, but it helps us if you can apply before Easter. Thank you in advance.

Have a safe weekend.

Dear students, parents and carers

Safer Internet Day 2023 will take place across the UK on Tuesday 7 of February. I would like to think that VI Form students are safe from the risk of: Online bullying, Coerced online abuse, Sexting etc. but if you need advice and support please speak to your Teachers or Student Services, there is also online support available for parents and students:
https://saferinternet.org.uk/ guide-and-resource/parents- and-carers https://saferinternet.org.uk/ guide-and-resource/young- people.

Remember that future employers may check your social media, so be careful what you post. Recruitment firm Reed states that 43% of recruiters check digital profiles, 80% checking online presence. There have been a number of high profile examples of this over the last few years. Again I would like to think that the VI Form community is very tolerant, accepting and caring and would never make sexist, racist or offensive comments in person or on social media. https://www.bbc.co.uk/ news/business-42621920

There has been a letter shared with you about the proposed upcoming strike action, as you may have seen via social media and local news, we will be open. Students should attend as normal and check Google Classroom for information.

One of our new weekly features in this newsletter will be #feelgoodfriday, which will actively promote strategies and practical help to support good mental health and wellbeing across our Federation. Launching today with Five Ways to Wellbeing, please see the details below.

Can I finally remind students (and/or their parents) to let us know if you are not going to be in. We want to treat students like adults, so please communicate with us and let us know if you aren’t in – just like all adults have to with their employer.

Have a safe weekend.

Dear Students, Parents & Carers,

Time is starting to fly at VI Form and the full exam season will be with us very quickly.

UCAS deadline 25.01.23

Art based A level exams (Y13) 17.04.23

Main A level exams start 15.05.23

Exams finished 28.06.23

Year 12 trial exams 29.07.23

Results day 17.08.23 (Remember your ID!)

If you look at this as a number of weeks, the main A levels start in 17 weeks or 14 weeks of school (with holidays removed). The best thing you can do is be prepared, complete revision material creation by Easter, leaving you 6 weeks to repeat, repeat, repeat. It is the repetition that burns it into your long term memory.

There will be a separate letter shared with you about the proposed strike action, as you may have seen via social media and local news, we will be open.

Can I finally remind students (and / or their parents) to let us know if you are not going to be in. We want to treat students like adults, so please communicate with us and let us know if you aren’t in – just like all adults have to with their employer.

Have a safe weekend,

Mr Mumford

Dear Students, Parents & Carers,

Congratulations to the high number of students who have now achieved a grade 4 or higher in the English and Maths GCSE retakes that were sat back in November.

The UCAS deadline for 2023 is 25 January. Over 130 applications have been sent by The Island VI Form, if you are still intending to apply you need to hurry up! This will be your final reminder as it is your application. Applications sent after the deadline may be considered by Universities but their course may be full. Hit the deadline to maximise your options.

Year 12 students are therefore one year away from submitting their applications. Do you need to work on evidence/examples of: Leadership, teamwork, resilience, independent work, initiative etc? If you do, it’s not too late to: sign up for the Duke of Edinburgh award; become a reading mentor; start volunteering; gain some work experience or anything else we offer. All of these opportunities are offered to help you build evidence of how good you are to future universities or employers.

Now is also the time to start looking at University open days and Summer Schools that will be coming up later in the year.

Time goes very quickly at VI Form, students completed their real exams and controlled assessments this week in Criminology, Travel & Tourism, Sport, Health & Social Care and Child Development. The main bulk of exams are only 16 weeks away. Make sure you are well prepared to avoid possible additional stress.

Have a nice weekend.