Teaching, Learning and the Curriculum 2
►Examinations
►The Importance of Regular Attendance to Examination Success
►Record of Achievement
►Complaints about the Curriculum
►PHSE/Careers Guidance
►PE Sporting Aims and Ambitions
►Examinations
All pupils will be given every encouragement to achieve accreditation in certain nationally recognised (prescribed) examinations, including GCSE, GNVQ and Youth Award (Bronze and Silver Levels). Entry fees for such examinations will be met out of the school budget. However, charges will be levied in cases where pupils fail to attend examinations for which their parents have agreed to their being entered.To enhance their overall achievement, with their parents' consent, pupils may occasionally be entered for other examinations, for which there will also be charges. Back to top
►The Importance of Regular Attendance to Examination Success
Most courses include a substantial amount of compulsory coursework. Some subjects, such as Art, rely entirely on coursework, having no final, formal examination. It is important, therefore, that pupils attend regularly. Deadlines for course work are set by the examination boards. If a particular piece of work is missed, it may not always be possible to 'catch up', and the final grade may be affected, even to the extent of failure. In cases of unavoidable absence, please contact school with a view to making arrangements to minimise the loss of coursework.N.B.: Parents should make every effort to avoid taking family holidays during term time. It should also be noted that examination boards do not make special arrangements for pupils who miss public examinations owing to family holidays. Back to top
►Record of Achievement
Year 11 pupils leave Willowgarth High School with a complete record of their achievements. Although the record includes examination certificates, its overriding intention is to give a full and rounded picture of the pupil. For example, work experience, community experience, personal and social development, contributions to the extracurricular life of the school and representative experience are all given prominence.Consultation between the pupil and appropriate tutors ensures that the Record of Achievement is complete, accurate and fair.
The Record of Achievement is crucial for Year 11 pupils attending interviews for jobs, training or further education. Back to top
►Complaints about the Curriculum
Parents with complaints about the school's curriculum are invited to raise them in the first instance with the Headteacher who will investigate and try to resolve them to the satisfaction of all concerned.If informal attempts to settle the complaint are unsuccessful, the Headteacher will provide the complainant with a copy of the LEA's procedures for making a formal complaint together with the names and addresses of the Chairman of Governors and the LEA's designated officer. According to the nature of the complaint, it may then be considered either by the Governors or the LEA. The Governors have established a sub-committee of six members to consider such formal complaints referred to them. Back to top
►PHSE/Careers Guidance
PHSE is a compulsory subject taught to pupils from Years 7 to 11. It is a life-skills course, which aims to provide pupils with those qualities necessary to both academic and social development. In Lower School pupils follow the Asdan Key Steps Programme and are able to gain accreditation for work completed.The subject is taught in an active way and makes full use of outside agencies offering a wide variety of information and support. The programme seeks to develop pupils' self-confidence and self-esteem. It gives them the opportunity to voice their opinions and to listen to and develop respect for the views of others.
PHSE culminates in Year 11 with a comprehensive, impartial and forward-looking careers programme, which prepares pupils for the challenge of adulthood.
We have strong links with Barnsley College and have the added advantage of the Careers Service. The school is one of two in Barnsley to have gained four out of five quality assurance awards. Speakers from college and the employment sector regularly visit school to widen students' perspectives of the opportunities available at 16+.
The school also provides all students with the opportunity of a two-week work experience organised by Project Trident.
Work experience, combined with the personal challenge and some community work, creates the opportunity for students to achieve a 'Trident Gold' certificate for their Record of Achievement. Back to top
►PE Sporting Aims and Ambitions
The School's sporting aims are to:► provide opportunities for young people to take part in sporting
activities of the highest quality;
► ensure that the sporting opportunities offered to young people are appropriate to their needs;
► ensure that the opportunities provided enhance and enrich the requirements of the National Curriculum, whether in curricular or extracurricular time;
► create working partnerships with agencies or individual providers.
Provision of sport and physical education is two hours per week in Years 7 & 8 and three hours per fortnight in 10 and 11.
Within the Core Curriculum the department offers a wide variety of individual and team activities. Dance is offered in KS3 through the Expressive Arts Department.
There are school teams across the age range for netball, rounders, soccer and athletics.
In addition to the team training sessions, currently there are clubs running on four lunchtimes per week and 2/3 evenings per week. Fixtures are arranged for the remaining evenings. Back to top
