Head Office: 01234 838754 Head of Services: Jan Grayson jan@ ontrackeducation.com Website: www. ontrackeducation services. co.uk Email: info@ ontrackeducation. com Mildenhall 01638 715555 DfE: 935/6083 Centre Manager: Ruth Durrant Totnes: 01803 866462 DfE: 878/6060 Centre Manager: Jane Cox Wisbech: 01945 580898 DfE: 873/6041 Centre Manager: Sharon Claydon Silsoe: 01525 864961 DfE: 821/6005 Centre Manager: Andy Ahmad-Cooke Westbury: 01373 859803 DfE: 865/6043 Centre Manager: Jo Holden Northampton: 01604 645934 DfE: 928/6073 Centre Manager: Sally O’Connor LiveSchool: E-Learning provision Charlotte Edwards
[email protected] Directors: Jan Grayson (MD) Jane Cox (SEN) Penny Harris (HR) Ruth Durrant (Safeguarding) Ian Craigs (Exams) Dave Marchant (Finance)
Issue 24: Summer Term 2013
ON TRACK EDUCATION SERVICES LTD Not for profit company established 2005
On Track Newsletter Totnes, Devon Ofsted Inspection Our Totnes centre is the first On Track school to be inspected under the new Ofsted inspection framework which now has a more critical emphasis on teaching and learning and has introduced a new judgement on management and leadership. The inspection was conducted following a half days’ notice by one inspector, over three days. We are pleased to say that the inspection went extremely well, with all judgements made as solid ‘good’ with some excellent comments. “Student’s achievement is good. Lesson observations and student record’s show that most make good progress in their lessons. Sometimes progress is excellent and where this happens it is a reflection of the finely tuned curriculum and high quality of teaching.” “There are excellent relationships between students and staff and behaviour is well managed in the school.” “The flexibility of the provision and the involvement of the students in the planning of it result in increased attendance, enjoyment and achievement” “Staff work as a harmonious team with a shared passion and drive to provide the very best education for all the students who are taught at the school.”
Free School Applications On Track’s 6 applications to convert our existing special independent schools to Alternative Provision (AP) Free Schools were favourably received by the Secretary of State following a day long interview at the DfE in London in March. We were advised a couple of days before the Free schools announcements on 22nd May that we ourselves should select the first On Track school to go through to the pre-opening stage for September 2014. It was decided that our centre in Silsoe, Bedfordshire should pioneer the way for the other five. Congratulations to all our schools and staff teams, we wish Silsoe well as it converts to On Track Chiltern.
Silsoe (Bedfordshire)
Year 10 science
Driving range
Cup cakes
As part of our PHSE course the centre invited in a local councilor to talk about the role of local government and citizenship issues with our KS3 students last term. The visit was a great success with students asking questions and developing their speaking and listening skills. The centre is extending its range of extra -curricular trips over the summer term. Already we have year 10 booked in at Anglian Water sewage centre for a tour and talk. It is hoped this will boost their knowledge of Science, a public health module taught in History and make them more water conscious. Year 10 are heading off to Woburn Safari Park on a day which will aid their work in Art and Science. The group will get to take part in a ‘furs and feathers session’ specially tailored for students with SEN. The entire centre will be visiting the East of England show in July. Year 11 students are on final preparations for exams. We are delighted at how many of them have been successful in gaining offers on college courses of their choosing for next year. Part of this success could well be down to the addition of the Preparation for Working Life course introduced at Level 1 this News and pictures year. Four of our Year 11 students have also successfully from our other completed week long work experience placements.
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Wisbech (Cambridgeshire)
Mildenhall (Suffolk)
The Wisbech Centre has had a very busy start to the summer term! With students in every year group and new referrals arriving, the staff team have been kept on their toes and are even more pleased with the new layout of the building and the extra space that this provides. Every student aged 14 or over was entered for exams this year, and the majority of these have now taken place. Students sat Entry Level Certificates in English, Maths and ICT, the Year 10s are completing their BTEC Level 1 in Home Cooking Skills, whilst the Year 11s, 12s and 13s are completing their BTEC Level 2 in Home Cooking Skills, and have just completed their Entry Level Certificates in PE. The Year 11s have completed their GCSE in Art and Design and have also sat their Functional Skills exams in Literacy, Numeracy and ICT. BTEC Vocational Studies are also taking place for students aged 14 and over, and units for this are being completed in woodwork and mechanics lessons. During these sessions the students have helped to design and construct a new shelter, which has been moved from the workshops to the front of the school, with the help of Travis Perkins and a fork lift truck.
This term is always very busy with our KS4 students engaged in the final preparation for Entry Levels, Functional Skills and GCSEs in English, Maths, Science, Art and General Studies. All now know their post 16 courses and this is helping the exam period to be less stressful. Year 11 have continued to engage with the Suffolk Young Infolink volunteer programme which is allowing us to strengthen our links to the community. In March, we all enjoyed participating in Red Nose day, with staff and students dressing in onesies and selling cakes to our local businesses. A grand total of £89.90 was raised, so well done to all students. Our ever growing KS3 group continue to gain accreditation through the AQA unit award scheme, not only in their academic lessons, but also during practical and offsite activities. The arrival of spring We have also has meant more recently introduced opportunities to go therapeutic horse fishing. riding.
. During the exam period, we will be taking the younger students further afield and are planning trips to a working quarry, Caithness Crystal, Duxford and Hunstanton. We may even get to the zoo to support our work on living things within science. After all this hard work a number of trips have been planned. Plans are afoot to develop a specific nurture group within Key Stage 4 students are being taken to London for an Art trip the Centre for September. and day out in the big city. Whilst in London they will visit the Lichtenstein Retrospective Exhibition at the Tate Modern Northampton gallery and then head over to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Latest news in the Northampton centre is that they have Park for the UEFA Champions festival. Key Stage 3 students collected the keys for their new building (next door to are going to visit the EcoTec Centre in Swaffham. Whilst there current premises) to expand into with some exciting they will have the opportunity to climb the 300+ steps up a vocational opportunities in the form of bricklaying, plastering and plumbing to run alongside current vocational wind turbine, to reach the viewing platform at the very top! studies including woodwork, engineering, mechanics, Westbury (Wiltshire) cooking and horticulture. The Westbury centre continues to grow. Students have Students are currently putting the finishing work to their achieved many qualifications ranging from Entry level to Level qualifications in their vocational areas and they will be 2 with GCSE results still to come. obtaining the Jamie Oliver BTEC Home Cooking award, Level Students studying Science enjoyed trips to Bristol Zoo and a 1 in Engineering, AQA entry level Physical Education visit from Pets at Home, the English GCSE group went to see a certificates as well as unit awards in Woodwork. The production of Macbeth at Frome Theatre and the whole school Horticulture sessions are going from strength to strength enjoyed a visit to Bath University to welcome home our with the courtyard looking excellent and an area on site has Olympians. now been prepared to grow fresh produce. We have enjoyed various competitions throughout the year Year 11 students have started to sit their GCSE exams and all with a Year 11 learner winning the On Track Design a staff would like to wish them all the best of luck with them. Christmas Card Competition. The students embraced the They have started this week with their ART GCSE exams. charity Operation Christmas child sending shoe boxes and Expectations this year are extremely high and we are looking working at the distribution warehouse for a day: interest forward to all students achieving great results. continues with students raising money for the Turn on the Tap Next week six KS3 and KS4 students are due to take part in a campaign. six week virtual babies project. They will cover a range of We have expanded our sports curriculum this year to include areas including self-esteem, unwanted pregnancies, and Personal Fitness and Training. Students attended a Judo relationships. At the end of the six weeks they will have the session with a British International Athlete organized through opportunity to put into practice what they have learnt and Sky Sports – we hope to continue with this partnership. take home a virtual baby for the weekend. Congratulations to Vocational Skills Manager Mark Pittam th who on May 4 successfully led a team around the 12 mile Special Forces designed, Tough Mudder UK assault course in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital.
