Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope this update finds you and your families well and that you had a wonderful half term break complete with Jubilee celebrations. As Year 11 and 13 pass the halfway mark in their public exams we see a quieter and emptier looking academy which brings with it new opportunities. The end of year assessments and exams take place for all other years shortly and they have been busy preparing in their lessons this week. We wish them all the best of luck, if parents/carers wish to help to support and are unsure, the first place to go would always be the knowledge organisers. Asking, quizzing and questioning your son/daughter on that content helps them to practice retrieval from their long term memories and will always benefit them.
Piano Recital
This week we had the privilege of attending our first ever piano recital at Mascalls with over 20 performers, many for the first time in front of an audience. All of the students did exceptionally well, the evening was an absolute success and we look forward to more events moving forward. Our thanks go to all the performers, their parents and carers and of course Miss Couch and Miss Hannigan for not just the performance but in supporting the hours of rehearsal in the lead up.
Ready to Learn Gate
This week the students have responded very well to the ready to learn gate in the mornings and as a result we have seen a really calm and settled approach to this final half term. The aim of the gate is to place responsibility to arrive at the academy ready to learn, in correct uniform and with correct equipment firmly on the students themselves (and indirectly the parents and carers). Where students have arrived without equipment and some items of uniform we have been able to provide pencil cases and other equipment in many cases but most importantly support. Our pastoral team meets the students who are not quite ready to learn for any reason first thing in the morning and then monitor and support where necessary. This means that once on site we can further strengthen relationships with staff members because those needs have been met before they even enter a classroom. We know relationships are strong because of direct observation, the number of positive logs (particularly when compared to the converse) and most importantly students are engaged, happy and continuing to make progress in lessons.
Single Breaks and Lunches
Students have also responded well to the single breaks and lunches this week, we even had Year 11 join after an exam and everyone was still able to move through the canteen smoothly. The result of the single lunches means that we can now manage lunchtimes activities and the increasingly popular Astroturf which previously would have had lessons during the split lunch and therefore would not have been in use. Expect to see an increase in lunchtime clubs and activities added to the rapidly expanding co-curriculum so that students can experience even more of what Mascalls has to offer. For those who are not yet aware of the co-curricular offer, please log into your SOCs account where you can see it all, don’t forget to check back regularly. If you need any help with your SOCs login please contact reception.
Natwest Careersense
This week Year 10 completed the NatWest CareerSense Workshop. They have engaged with a NatWest ambassador in lessons working through tasks to draw out key capabilities for the workplace. Students were very responsive and asked some great questions when thinking about their futures and their own strengths and weaknesses.
To continue with our career focus for Year 10 this month students will also be taking part in the GT Scholars x Brit Insurance Digital Challenge 2022. These challenges have been designed to build your child’s employability skills and gain online work experience. Students signed up in advisory this week and you can sign up here: https://britchallenge.gtscholars.org
As part of these challenges, young people will:
- Be introduced to various roles within the insurance industry
- Have the opportunity to solve real-life challenges led by industry experts
- Build their research skills, presentation skills, analytical skills and other employability skills
- Have a chance to pitch a strategic business improvement idea to the CEO of Brit Insurance
Finally, from me as always, my thanks go to those parents/carers who continue to support the academy, recognising the many things we do and opportunities we offer our wonderful young people. They are indeed a credit to you and a credit to our academy.
Yours sincerely,
Mr W Monk
Principal
