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A High Performing Specialist Academy for Technology & Applied Learning

24 March 2021

5000 Onsite Lateral Flow Tests Completed!

We were pleased that the arrangements for over 5000 onsite lateral flow tests went very smoothly and we finished them last Thursday without one positive test outcome!  The very mature and co-operative attitude from all the students involved was very impressive and the external agency staff remarked on this consistently over the three weeks of testing.  We will now regularly distribute the home testing kits as part of our continuing efforts to break the lines of transmission of the virus and to keep continuity of learning going for all.

Easter Power Up Days 2021

This year we are offering students Easter Power Up Days which will be held on Tuesday 6 April, Wednesday 7 April and Thursday 8 April.  All sessions will run in the mornings from 9am to 1pm at a cost of £1!

The Power Up Days are for students in Years 10 and 11 who are being awarded a Teacher Assessed Grade (TAG) this summer due to the cancellation of exams.  They will cover the core areas of each subject and our aims are:

  • To review and refine the students’ assessment and revision techniques
  • Help the students prepare for their mini assessments
  • Offer a different perspective on the subject
  • To build the students’ confidence in readiness for the ‘mini’ assessments using exam board materials

We are delighted to be able to subsidise these sessions from the government ‘catch-up’ funding to support our students with their preparation for the mini assessments in May.  Further correspondence from Mr Andrews, KS4 and Mr Webster, KS5 will follow this week with all the details.

Engagement Report Figures

We have evaluated the success of our remote learning procedures during the latest lockdown period and I thought you would be interested in seeing the engagement figures for students, which were:

 

Year 7 

Year 8 

Year 9 

Year 10 

Year 11

Platinum 

80%

245

68%

199

77%

249

74%

198

71%

218

Green 

14%

42

18%

51

13%

42

16%

43

15%

46

Amber 

4%

12

10%

30

6%

20

6%

15

4%

11

Red 

3%

8

4%

11

4%

13

5%

13

10%

31

No Data

 

 

 

 

0

1

 

 

1%

3

Totals 

 

307

 

291

 

325

 

269

 

30

 

 

 

 

 

71% (33% July 20) of students gained a Platinum award. 
89% (71% July 20) of students gained a Platinum or Green award
95% (98% July 20) of students gained at least an Amber award. 

These figures show a higher level of engagement for the majority of students in the most recent lockdown compared to the first one although there was a small, but significant number, who did not engage in any activities despite repeated communications and help from the College and parental support to get them to participate.  These students have obviously featured prominently in our strategies for catch-up/recovery work since we have returned to College.  Notwithstanding our concerns regarding this group, I am pleased that 95% of all students did engage well with the provision provided.

Please Be Considerate to our Neighbours

Could I please ask you to show consideration to local residents when parking in Gibbet Lane and Larchwood Glade.  We have recently received a number of complaints from residents about parents parking on double yellow lines and going the wrong way along Gibbet Lane.  I would also ask for you not to park in the emergency service exit at Camberley Fire Station.  The Fire Station is fully operational and instant access is essential for this emergency service.  I would be very grateful for your co-operation on this matter - thank you in advance.

College Detentions

For some time, we have been concerned about the current time-consuming system of notifying you of detentions for your son or daughter.  I am pleased to inform you that after the Easter holidays we will be changing our procedures to use the facility available on our Edulink system.  This is much simpler and more time efficient for staff and is another step in making Edulink the main ‘one-stop-shop’ for the majority of communications and information.  The vast majority of parents are now using this system and the feedback has been universally positive.  If you are not yet a user can I ask that you register over the holidays so that you can start accessing the valuable information available.  Please contact the College if you have mislaid or not received your login details and would like them to be resent.

Next week

A reminder that next week we have our Academic Review day on Wednesday and an INSET day on Thursday.

Mr Tanner - Principal

Curriculum Information