Careers Education and Work Experience
All pupils at St Paul's receive Careers Education guidance through Personal and Social Education. Our aim is to make pupils aware of their talents and interests, to develop decision-making skills and to widen their aspirations and horizons.
In addition to this, visiting industrialists, careers visits and interviews with Careers Consultants from Buckinghamshire Careers Service will help to inform the pupils about suitable opportunities in further education or the world of work.
A period of work experience will be arranged for all pupils in Year 10 or 11. Placements are negotiated through Trident and the progress of pupils is monitored carefully and both preparation work and evaluation is carried out. A certificate of work experience forms a valued part of each pupil's Record of Achievement.
At St Paul's homework is compulsory and seen as a necessary part of the education that we provide. It trains pupils to work on their own and encourages them to develop the research and study skills that, in our experience, lead to high academic standards.
Homework is set
for all pupils for each weekday evening. A homework timetable is provided
for pupils and parents at the beginning of the school year, and we ask pupils
to record carefully any homework set in a homework planner. The use of the
planner is monitored by the Form Tutor and senior staff in the school.
Parental support is absolutely essential and we ask parents to take an interest
in the work set and check the planner daily.
In Years 8 and 9 between one and one and a half hours should be spent on homework each evening, increasing to two hours or more in Years 10 and 11.
School based assessment is aimed at finding out how well pupils are learning and is done in four main ways:
Reporting will take the form of:
Where parents/guardians are invited to discuss their child's progress with subject teachers.
Parents will be invited to make a fifteen minute appointment with their child’s mentor in order to discuss academic progress and related matters. As a result of this consultation, targets will be agreed and reviewed with parents on the next Mentoring Day.
Reports include written evaluations from subject teachers and an overall evaluation from pupils outlining the achievements the pupil has made and National Curriculum levels of attainment and examination results where appropriate. In most years these are prepared towards the end of the Summer term and pupils are encouraged to look forward and set targets for the following academic year.
The Progress File is a nationally recognised document which details all aspects of the pupil's achievements made during his/her time at St Paul's. The process of recording achievements begins when the pupils join the school and continues throughout their time here.
Parents and staff need to work together to ensure that every child gets the maximum benefit from his/her time at school therefore it is essential to work in close partnership.
Successful co-operation depends on clear communication between school and home. Parents must feel that they are getting all of the information from us and in turn, must know who to get in touch with at school should the need arise.
| Parents' Newsletters Arrive home approximately every half term. They contain important dates and general school information |
Reports Will be issued annually and will give information about the child's progress in school. |
Mentoring and
Study Days |
Invitations Will be sent for a wide variety of school events eg music concerts, school productions, art exhibitions, so that parents can celebrate your child's achievements. |
| Letters of Praise/Achievement
Slips Will be sent praising a child's behaviour, attitude to work, performance, or in recognition of a special achievement. |
Letters of Concern Expressing worry about behaviour, attitude to work or performance and suggesting strategies to put things right. |
| Individual Progress
Reports Arranged by the Year Leader and one of our strategies for assessing pupils' performance across the curriculum and communicating this to parents. |
Homework Planners Issued to all pupils with space at the bottom of every double page for notes from home or school. The planner is checked weekly by the Form Tutor for messages. |
There will be times when the form tutor or other members of staff need to contact parents and it is vital that our records are up to date. We ask for the following information:
• Address.
• Telephone number.
• Emergency contact numbers.
All new pupils will be asked to complete a form giving these details when
they join the school, but we ask all our parents to notify us of any changes
as soon as these changes take effect.
If a pupil is unwell and needs to go home, parents will be contacted by the School Nurse or a senior member of staff. Pupils should not contact their parents direct.
A medical information sheet will be sent to all parents for completion before a child starts at the school. If tablets or medicines need to be taken during the school day, these must be passed to the School Nurse for safe-keeping with clear written instructions for their use.
Asthmatic pupils should carry their inhalers with them in school. Each inhaler should be clearly marked with the pupil's name and a spare inhaler may be left with the School Nurse.
All pupils will be expected to take part in PE and Games and will only be excused on production of a parent's/guardian's note or suitable medical evidence of the condition preventing their participation.
We recognise achievement in Years 8 and 9 through a system of credit marks, which are recorded in the back of the pupil's homework diary. When the pupil has amassed 25, 75 or 125 credit marks, a certificate is presented (bronze, silver or gold respectively) to the pupil in recognition of their consistent achievements. A pupil who acquires 150 credit marks will be presented with a special award.
In Years 10 and 11 pupils are rewarded with achievement slips which are given for particular successes in curricular areas.
A Catholic school cannot improve on the command of Christ to "love God and love your neighbour". Our intention is to reward positive achievement. Sanctions will in the main consist of withdrawal of reward, although we recognise that specific sanctions such as detention or, ultimately, suspension from school must be held in reserve. As many pupils will be dependent upon buses for their journey home at the end of the school, detentions will usually take place at break or lunchtime. Parents will be given 24 hours notice if their child is given a detention after school. It is our expectation that parents who send their children to St Paul's will be supportive of the disciplinary measures we take to ensure good order among the student body.
Parents who wish to raise matters of concern may make use of the agreed procedure through the Governors and the Local Education Authority. Where difficulties occur parents are invited to contact the Headteacher directly.
St Paul's has developed a strong parent/teacher liaison. There is an active and supportive PTA which makes an invaluable contribution to the school. All parents and guardians are automatically members of the Association. The Annual General Meeting is held each September when the PTA Committee for the school year is elected.
Documents Relating to Educational Provision
By arrangement with the office any documents relating to the educational provision of the school may be seen.
There are no charges for activities essential to the school curriculum. On occasions there may be activities for which a voluntary contribution is sought. Inability to provide a voluntary contribution will not bar your child from taking part, though if the level of contributions were not sufficient to sustain the activity then it would not take place. We should make it clear that no pupil at the school will be treated any differently according to whether or not his/her parent has made a contribution.
Our chapel was dedicated on the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul 1994.
Worship is an integral part of the life of St Paul's and we were very happy to set aside a space within the school where we could join together for lunchtime celebrations of the Eucharist, reconciliation services, prayer and for periods of quiet reflection during the hustle and bustle of the school day. We encourage pupils to visit the chapel during breaks and lunchtimes.