Teaching, Learning and the Curriculum 2

►Examinations

►The Importance of Regular Attendance to Examination Success

►Progress File

►Complaints about the Curriculum

►Citizenship

►Physical Education

►Examinations

It is the policy of the school that al  pupils be entered for appropriate examinations - GCSE, Applied GCSE, BTEC, Key Skills and ASDAN Cope Award in all their courses.

 

 

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 are respectfully asked to make every effort to avoid taking family holidays during term time, and especially in Years 9, 10 and 11, when coursework contributes heavily to final examination grades.

Back to top

►Progress File

Year 11 pupils leave Willowgarth High School with a complete record of their achievements. In addition to  examination certificates, the record will include evidence of special talents, good citizenship, work experience, community experience, personal and social development and contributions to the extra-curricular life of the school.

The Progress Files is crucial for Year 11 pupils attending interviews for jobs, training or further education, as evidence of all-round development is often valued at least as highly as academic ability.

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.If informal attempts to settle the complaint are unsuccessful, the Headteacher will provide the complainant with a copy of the LA's procedures for making a formal complaint together with the names and addresses of the Chairman of Governors and the LA's designated officer. According to the nature of the complaint, it may then be considered either by the Governors or the LA. The Governors have established a sub-committee of six members to consider such formal complaints referred to them. Back to top

►Citizenship

The requirements of good citizenship permeate all of Willowgarth's activities - in the classroom, on the sports field, in the community, in our extra-curricular activities etc. However, since September 2002, we have also delivered a separate Citizenship course, which has developed out of our former Personal and Social Education Programme. Through Years 7 to 11 pupils progressively learn about what good citizenship means - in terms of self, of others, of the school, of the community and of our obligations to our planet and its future inhabitants. The overriding aim is to produce healthy, well-rounded, self-confident young people, aware of both the rights and the responsibilities that underpin democracy. This programme is examined in Year 10 and so far has yielded excellent examination results.

Back to top

►Physical Education

It is the school's policy to give pupils the opportunity to become aware of and to enjoy developing their physical potential, both individually and in groups. To this end we seek continually not only to add to the school's PE resource, but also to develop partnerships with other agencies. As explained elsewhere, physical activities feature prominently in our extra-curricular programmes. Owing to our success in this area, the school has been awarded the prestigious Sports Mark.

 

Back to top

Prospectus Index