Year 8 Pastoral Information

We are pleased to welcome everyone back for their second year at Queen Elizabeth’s School. We hope that boys have enjoyed their first year with us and that parents have found our feedback, written and verbal, informative.

The Year 8 curriculum information available in each department's area of this website will tell you what has been planned, in each subject, for Year 8. It also tells you something about the homework you might expect to see and about how parents can continue to play an active role in their son’s education. We expect parents to be vigilant in monitoring progress; the School aims to work in partnership with you in order to achieve optimum success for your son.

In Year 8 your son will follow broadly the same curriculum as in Year 7; one obvious difference will be the study of a second foreign language in the form of German. He will also find that the tasks he carries out will be increasingly focused towards the Key Stage 3 examinations that he will take in Year 9. More responsibility will be given to him in terms of his own studies and also in terms of his wider involvement in the School. The range of extra-curricular activities widens as boys progress through the School; we actively encourage them to involve themselves and at the same time to enhance their own records of achievement. In assembly, we regularly celebrate the success of those who have achieved certificates for activities such as public speaking, for the U.K. maths challenge or to acknowledge commendations for School activities. We praise those who have represented the School on the sports field, in playing chess or as a member of a musical ensemble. The boys are rewarded for their efforts through the merit system which culminates in boys achieving bronze, silver and gold certificates. It is the responsibility of your son to ensure that he is involved and that he makes the most of these opportunities.

In addition there is an extensive Personal Social Health Education programme which is continued throughout the year. It is vital that the boys gain a sense of their moral role within the School community and beyond. This PSHE programme will include a range of speakers and programmes which will deal with health and puberty issues and an understanding of the political system. This will culminate in a mock election towards the end of the year.

I am sure that you will find the Year 8 curriculum information a useful point of reference throughout the year. Should you need more information about anything that appears on this website relating to Year 8, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Mrs J. Thompson
Head of Year 8

Classwork and homework

Having successfully coped with all the anxieties involved in being a new boy, we hope that everyone is ready to take on the challenges of hissecond year at Queen Elizabeth’s School. For some, the work load will increase as they begin a second language but we hope that the second year will be stimulating and rewarding for all and will help to build a firm foundation for Key Stage 3 examinations in May 2008.

Organisation is essential:

Boys should pack their bags the evening before School, going through the following day's timetable to ensure that all necessary books and equipment are in place. They should also take at least one reading book to School each day.

Equipment needed by each boy will include pens, pencils, rulers, coloured pencils, a calculator and other mathematical instruments, his rough workbook and organiser. If physical education, art or design is on the following day's timetable then additional equipment may be required.
Boys must not bring to School: knives, electronic games, radios,cassette players or correcting fluid.

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The homework diary:

• As in Year 7, each boy will be issued with a diary to record his homework tasks, marks and record of achievement. Once again this will be critically important in helping him to be organised.
• Knowing his homework timetable, the diary can be set out at the beginning of the week and the tasks, together with the date on which they should be completed, entered as the week progresses.
• The date should be entered at the top of each page and there is space to record any merits or commendations earned during the week. On the rare occasion that no homework is set, that fact should be entered in the diary, rather than simply leaving a gap. When work has been marked and returned, the grade obtained should be entered in the appropriate place.
• There is space to record test marks and also a boy’s record of achievement. Boys may use the additional space for personal notes, to record appointments, sports fixtures, club meetings etc.
• From time to time a subject teacher or House tutor may write a comment in the diary. For this reason, House tutors check the diaries on a regular basis, and parents are expected to do the same.
• Each week parents are asked to sign the completed page to confirm that they have seen the diary and are satisfied with it and to confirm that the homework has been completed to their satisfaction. To help your son I suggest that you check both his work and diary every day. This encouragement will ensure that your son knows that both home and School are working in a partnership.
• It goes without saying that your son should organise himself well; he should plan the amount of time spent on homework and ensure that his work is completed in advance of the due date rather than the night before.

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How to get further help:

If more substantial help is needed, or if the matter is not urgent, subject-specific clinics operate throughout the week. Staff and senior pupils are on hand to provide help with specific problems as well as general advice about how to improve performance. The timetable for these clinics is published at the beginning of the year.

The bespoke tutoring system operating this year is also designed to provide boys with substantial support, and if the House tutor is unable to help personally, he will direct the boy towards the person most able to help him.

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Rewards

The merits system is a small reward for effort or attainment either in academic or extra-curricular activities. It is a valuable addition to a boy’s own record of achievement, as well as a means of helping his House towards success in the weekly competition. Each member of staff, using a sticker, will transfer the merit on to a card. There will be a different sticker for each department, allowing tutors and parents to identify that a pupil is doing particularly well and to encourage him to gain more stickers from other departments. There will also be a ‘citizenship’ sticker and ‘prefects’ sticker.

Ultimately the boys will receive awards for their efforts. On reaching the first milestone (100 merits) a pupil will be sent to His Head of Year from whom he will receive a bronze certificate. Silver awards (200 merits) will be given out in the assembly by the Head of Year, and Gold (250 merits) by the Headmaster.

Besides these tangible rewards, boys will also know when their performance has been acknowledged, by the conferral of some post of responsibility. This may be small at first but may culminate in the position of Form Captain for those who best show the qualities of leadership associated with that post.

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Bespoke tutoring:

During their second year boys will begin a system of “bespoke tutoring”. They will meet with their House tutor, either individually or in a small group, once each half-term. The tutor will review their performance and academic progress and will agree targets for the next half-term. Parents will play an important part in this. They will need to be aware of the targets and will want to encourage boys to meet these targets. Your son is responsible for setting himself targets, which must be followed through. You can assist him in setting these targets:

• Targets can be constructed by reading a teacher’s feedback in a book, by looking at comments made on a profile or a review or by working on verbal advice
• Targets should be realistic and achievable. The final target should include an analysis of what your son must actually do to achieve it.
• When your son works, in class or at home, he should consider the targets which he has set for himself before completing a piece of work.
• Your son’s aims should be constructed in line with the marks that he has been receiving.

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Mentors:

Some pupils need assistance which goes beyond the normal commitment of a tutor or subject tutor. The need may be an academic or a personal one; it may be a short-term or a long-term issue. In such an instance, the School will provide the individual with a staff mentor. This person will work with the pupil on a one-to-one basis, meeting regularly and working to ensure success through attainable goals. Mentoring is a positive way in which we can ensure that difficulties are resolved in partnership between School, pupil and parents.

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Important Dates 2008-2009

Read Home - School Agreement

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