Year 10 Update - Spring 2
As we reach the end of the Spring Term, I want to take a moment to express how incredibly proud I am of Year 10. This half term has been eventful, demanding, and filled with successes. From mock exams to our crucial Parents' Evening, our students have continued to demonstrate our school's CORE values in every aspect of school life. Their resilience, commitment, and positive attitude have been a real highlight of this term.
This term has been full of memorable whole-school events. We celebrated Red Nose Day with a bake sale, raising funds for vital charities – so many wonderful cakes were made and shared; well done to all!
We also held a highly engaging ‘Chat and Learn’ session on World Epilepsy Day on 26 March, which was very well attended. Additionally, from 16 to 27 March, we celebrated Autism Awareness, exploring the importance of neurodiversity and understanding that everyone’s brain works differently. These events have not only educated our students but have also helped foster a caring and inclusive school community.
Our Celebration for World Book Day was a huge success, with staff going all out to bring stories to life—especially favourites like Treasure Island and The Hunger Games—creating a truly exciting and memorable experience for our students!
The release of Data 2 has provided us with an insightful overview of our students' progress, and I am delighted to report that a significant number of Year 10 students are exceeding their target grades. This is a testament to their work ethic, maturity, and commitment to their subjects. Year 10 continues to be a year group with high aspirations, determined to reach their future destinations. Their dedication to academic success is truly commendable, and I encourage all students to maintain this momentum as we move forward.
We celebrated with the 30 students in Year 10 with the most reward point at our Reward Event on Monday when we marked their amazing achievements with freshly baked cupcakes—huge congratulations to each of them!
Tutor Time Curriculum
Our tutor curriculum has remained varied and purposeful this term. We have had college assemblies and focused sessions on revision strategies, including spaced learning, interleaving, and the use of flashcards – excellent preparation as we approach the GCSE RE exams in May and June. Students have also taken part in two Career Curriculum sessions and PSHE sessions, covering Drugs and Crime Risk as well as Peer Pressure.
Next term in tutor time, we will focus on developing effective revision strategies that work best for each student, alongside exploring PSHE topics on drugs and crime, including vaping, drug misuse, knife crime, and county lines.
College Assemblies and Attendance Challenge
When students returned from half term, we were straight into College Assemblies and of course another iteration of our College Attendance Challenge. As one of the College Leaders, I always enjoy these assemblies immensely, and it is wonderful to see just how closely the Park students know each other and feel like a team, despite being in different year groups. On this occasion, it was Binswood who claimed the title of Attendance Champions, with Park a close second! Congratulations to all the students involved, we know how hard everyone is working to attend school every day.
Rewards
I am delighted to share that Year 10 has achieved an enormous amount of reward points this term, exceeding 27,000 points. This outstanding achievement highlights the positive behaviour, effort, and dedication of our students across all areas of school life. Reward points are earned for a wide range of positive behaviours, from academic excellence and participation in extracurricular activities to demonstrating respect and kindness towards others.
Year 10 Top Reward Winners from Spring Term
| Student | Rewards |
|---|---|
| Aarav P | 232 |
| Mali P | 209 |
| Lucas H | 199 |
| Emanuele G | 198 |
| Rocco K | 197 |
| Jake M | 194 |
| Shiuli P | 192 |
| Annabelle DLPW | 186 |
| James M | 186 |
| Molly L | 185 |
Top two students from each College who have been given the highest number of rewards:
| College | Student | Student |
|---|---|---|
| Binswood | Annabelle DLPW | Emanuele G |
| Blackdown | Mali P | Rishika N |
| Croft | James M | Ella- Mae H |
| Manor | Arava P | Rocco K |
| Park | Lucas H | Robert P |
Year 10 Achievement
These are the two students from each college who have made the most amount of progress compared to their targets:
| College | Student | Student |
|---|---|---|
| Binswood | Rebekah T | Lilly S |
| Blackdown | Ally L | Rishika N |
| Croft | Lily S | Katie B |
| Manor | Luigi V | Ellie B |
| Park | Lily H | Aninu BD |
Year 10 Attainment
These are the students from each college who have attained the highest grades in our second round of assessments:
| College | Student | Student |
|---|---|---|
| Binswood | Harriet V | Annabelle DLPW |
| Blackdown | Niamh T | Lottie B |
| Croft | Martha W | Ellie PA |
| Manor | Shiuli P | Aarav P |
| Park | Hector T | Blessyl- Grace |
Year 10 Tutor Contribution
| Student | Tutor Group |
|---|---|
| Harriet V | 10BW01 |
| Skylar C | 10BW02 |
| Natan S | 10BD01 |
| Aimee SC | 10BD02 |
| Katie B | 10CT01 |
| Ella- Mae H | 10CT02 |
| Aarav P | 10MR01 |
| Ed D | 10MR02 |
| Wilbur P | 10PK01 |
| Luke S | 10PK02 |
Online Safety
A reminder our website contains a variety of online safety information within the Safeguarding tab, we added the March Online Safety Newsletter which contains information on mobile phones, VPNs and social media algorithms. March Online Safety Newsletter
Next term
Looking ahead to next half term, we have some exciting and important events coming up. The first being our Revision Evening on 15 April. This event will allow parents to hear from our Senior Assistant Headteacher, Mr Atkins, along with the Heads of English, Maths, Science and RE on how best to support your children with revision at this crucial time.
There will also be Work Experience in the week commencing 8 June, progression exams at the end of June, and further engaging curriculum activities. These experiences will continue to support students in developing the skills and knowledge necessary for their academic and personal growth.
I know our students will be gearing up for the three GCSE RE examinations in May and June; revision sessions will continue as usual, and I strongly urge as many students as possible to make the most of the support offered—good luck to them all.
As we move towards the Summer Term, I encourage all Year 10 students to continue demonstrating the dedication, perseverance, and enthusiasm they have shown so far. The hard work they put in now will undoubtedly pay off as they prepare for their upcoming exams and the transition into Year 11. Thank you once again to parents and carers for your unwavering support and partnership in your child’s education. I wish you all a restful and enjoyable break, and I look forward to seeing Year 10 return refreshed and ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
As Year Lead, I am immensely proud of everything Year 10 has achieved this term. This final term of Year 10 is crucial in setting the foundations for GCSE success, and I have every confidence that our students will continue to rise to the challenge with determination and pride.
With best wishes always,
Mr Boyes
Year 10 Lead