Ofsted Inspection Report

DNA/JAW

17 January 2013

Dear Parents/Carers,

You may remember that in the week before our recent holiday we were inspected by Ofsted. Although there were just a few days left towards the end of a very long term, the inspection was a very positive experience. The pupils; your children; were as always, very respectful, courteous and talked with great pride about their school.

The inspection team judged Oakwood High School to be at least Good in every aspect of its work, with Outstanding Leadership and Management.

As Headteacher at Oakwood High School, I am extremely proud of our pupils, of all the staff and thank you for your support for your children and the school. We, as staff, have worked extremely hard to improve expectations and standards within the school. We continue to expect the very best from all associated with Oakwood High School.

Please find below a copy of the inspection report. Despite the increasingly rigorous inspection framework, you will see this is a tremendously positive report on the school, its staff, pupils and the community that supports the school. We should all feel very pleased of all that we have achieved, but remain committed to further success in the coming months and years.

Importantly, the inspection team recognised that the school knows itself very well. In recognising our successes the report highlights:

• "They have raised expectations ..."
• "... results have risen over three years"
• "... teaching is now consistently at least good"
• "students value their education and take pride in their achievements and in their school".
• "Students feel safe in an environment where everyone is respected and valued".
• Students are ... "excellent role models"
• "Governors are striving to provide an outstanding education".

We are in no way complacent. We are clearly amongst the best schools in this region. Increasingly other schools are looking to us for advice and support, on how to improve. We will be using this very positive ratification of our work to strive to improve ourselves and others even further.

Please take time to read the report, share and celebrate with your children.

Thank you for your continued support.

Yours faithfully,

David Naisbitt
Headteacher

Attachments:

Ofsted Report Jan 2013.pdf

[ ]

106 Kb

Letter Home 2012-10

DNA/JAW
18 October 2012

Dear Parents

Thank you! The start to the new year has been very positive.  Yet again your children have responded exceptionally well to the high expectations we have placed upon them, particularly in light of the changes to the uniform and Early Transition.  We continue in our pursuit of excellence.

You can be confident that we will continue to challenge pupils who arrive without the correct and full uniform.  We will contact you should electronic equipment disrupt learning.  We will check that pupils attend with the correct equipment for learning.  We will continue to expect all pupils to attend punctually each and every day.  We will give all pupils the opportunities to get the very best out of their time at Oakwood High School.

Academic Achievement

I am proud and delighted to report the highlights of this year’s examination results.  The pupils achieved the best ever set of results.  We can now confirm that 68% of pupils gained 5A*-C inc. English and maths (up from 50% in 2011) and 86% of pupils gained 5A*-C.  Yet again Oakwood underlined its inclusive approach with 100% of pupils gaining at least one nationally recognised qualification; including GCSE. These results represent five years of hard work by the pupils, staff and parents alike.  I congratulate you all! We will be celebrating their achievements with a special Presentation Evening (26^th November 2012).

Those results set the bar very high for the coming years but you can be assured that we will leave no stone un-turned in our pursuit of excellence with, and for, all our pupils.

Uniform

The new school uniform looks fantastic and has had a considerable impact in school and in the community. We will continue to follow up on uniform issues over the coming months.  Please do make contact with us if there are any questions or issues.  Just to remind parents: coats are allowed to and from school, we just ask that the children take them off once they get into the building, skirts need to a modest length and we ask that children wear plain black shoes (no boots please – if in doubt just ask your child’s Head of House).

Attendance

We have set very challenging attendance targets for all our pupils.  This is because we firmly believe that pupils can only achieve their potential if they are in school day in day out.

I remind you that if your child's attendance falls below the set target in any particular half term the school must inform you of this and you will receive a letter. If your child's attendance falls into this category you may be asked to come into school for a meeting to discuss how we can support you and your child.

How can you help?

• Ensure that your child(ren) attend each and every day.
• Do not take holidays during term time.
• Contact Mrs Duke or Mrs Marshall if there are any issues or questions about your child’s attendance and punctuality. All students are expected to be in school by 8.30 am and in tutor rooms or assembly by 8.40 am.

Eid Mubarak!

Many pupils may want to celebrate Eid on Friday 26^th October but, as always, we look forward to seeing as many pupils as possible in school on the day.  Should parents wish to take their children out of school for the day then they are to let the attendance team know and ensure that all children catch up on missing work. 

Bootcamp

Closely related to the above: We have a series of exams in early November and an element of our strategy for supporting pupils is our Bootcamp.  These are intensive days of study in English, maths and Science. As a consequence of the nationally set exam, we have unavoidably scheduled a Bootcamp for Friday 26^th October.  We would appreciate it if parents could support the school by insisting that all Y11 pupils come into school on that day, rather than be absent (despite the Eid celebrations).  I understand that this may be a challenge for some families but I do know that you and your children appreciate that hard work that all the staff at the school devotes to ensuring all children reach their potential in those upcoming national exams.

Lawton Lane and Moorgate

As we move into the autumn and winter months I understand that more pupils will be brought to school by car.  Can I remind parents and carers not to use Lawton Lane and ask that students are dropped off safely on Moorgate?  We do have a lot of pupils using the lane and the front of the school and we must ensure they are safe as they arrive and leave.  Around the entrance to Lawton Lane, Moorgate Road does have a stretch of zigzag and double yellow lines; these are for the safety of all children, please park legally and with care.  Your understanding is greatly appreciated.

End of half term

We finish for the half term at 3.10 pm on Friday 26^th October (an early printing of the pupil planner had this day as an INSET day), this has changed and was communicated to parents and pupils some time ago.  We all return to school Monday 5^th November, for an 8.30 am start.

Many thanks again for your support.

Yours faithfully

David Naisbitt
Headteacher

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Attachments:

Extra Curricular Activities	[ ]	21 Kb
Homework Timetable	[ ]	17 Kb

Review Day and Parents Evening

RMT/JAW

November 2012


Dear Parent/Carer

REVIEW DAY MONDAY 10 DECEMBER 2012/PARENTS' EVENING MONDAY 17 DECEMBER 2012

We are holding our first Review Day this year on Monday 10 December 2012 from 12.00-6.30 pm.  

Please bring your child’s most recent school reports with you for the meeting with your child’s tutor.  Your appointment for the Review Day will be sent home shortly with your child.  If this time is not suitable please call the school to rearrange on 01709 512222 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  

The review meeting is expected to last about 15 minutes and the discussion will focus on your child’s progress.  As you will appreciate these meetings are important, therefore we expect that every pupil attends with a parent/carer or family member.  Your child should bring their planner and a pen to this meeting in order to record any target actions that are needed.  Pupils do not need to wear school uniform.  If you do not attend on Review Day, your child will be marked as absent for that day.  Please contact the school if you have any questions about this.

The week after Review Day we will be running a subject parents’ evening on Monday 17 December 2012 from 4.00-7.00 pm.  This is your opportunity to meet with individual subject staff, should you wish to, or if there are any particular questions or issues.  Requests for appointment times are to be made by parents, in the foyer on Review Day, and by teachers as required.
 
Please note that there will be no lessons on Review Day.  School will be open for individual review meetings only.  We expect children to work at home on homework, revision and coursework.  There are also a wide range of resources available on the Frog learning platform.  

We look forward to seeing you and working with you on Review Day.  Remember to bring your child’s report and planner with you when you attend.  

Yours faithfully,


Richard Townsend
Assistant Headteacher

Box Tops for Books - FREE Books for Schools

05 October 2012

Dear Parents and Carers,

We would like to take this opportunity to let you know about the Box Tops for Books scheme, which we are participating in this year. It is an initiative from Nestlé offering a wide range of new books from the leading children’s publisher Dorling Kindersley in exchange for tokens from the top of Nestlé cereal boxes.

Box Tops for Books supports the teaching of literacy, for example through the National Curriculum or the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland, by providing a broad selection of books that inspire, teach, amuse and challenge. The scheme can help children to develop their powers of imagination and critical awareness and to develop their speaking and listening skills. Many of the books on offer also relate to a wide range of other subjects such as history, geography and science, so will contribute to learning across the curriculum.

It takes as little as 10 tokens to get one book, so the more tokens we collect the more books we can receive for our library. This is where we need your help and support to make the most of the scheme. If your family eats Nestlé cereals, please remember to tear off the token on the top of the box and bring it into school.

Many thanks for your support.

Yours faithfully,

David Naisbitt
Headteacher