This week the Colleges’ radiowaves reporters, Harvey, Rohan, Georgia and Anni, supported by Beth Smith, our librarian were invited to attend the national schools network conference in Birmingham to interview delegates and key speakers. The key interviews  were with Lord Puttnam and Michael Gove, the secretary of state for education, asking some particularly probing questions of the latter. It was to their credit they raised two issues critical to the future of this college, the idea of a 16-19 free school specialising in mathematics and connected to that the prospect of post-16 provision at Catmose College; something which is now within the power of Michael Gove to grant. It is well worth listening to his response to these questions.

Lord Puttnam, always a keen supporter of education spoke well about what inspired him to create the national teaching awards which are aimed to recognise the best practice of teachers nationally.

Tuesday was our annual opening of Catmose Primary, our partner school. It proved to be a wonderful celebration of the work of the federation and the benefits it has brought to both our schools. My presentation above gives a colourful demonstration of how the two schools are now working together, benefiting from shared services such as in ICT and our new mini bus whilst maintaining our own distinctive ethos. The choir sang wonderfully, we were welcomed by children playing guitars and in each classroom there were activities taking place. I was also very grateful for the PTA’s who as always provided friendly advice and much-needed refreshments for parents and staff alike. Kelly Jackson, the school’s Vice Principal completed the evening with a presentation which demonstrated how a small school is able to retain its friendly, family appeal whilst working so effectively with Catmose College.

The move into our new building has given staff and students at the College the opportunity to really develop the way in which we teach and learn here and at home. This is most evident by the sheer number and the ease in which we can access computers, which are located across the College in open study areas, our library and most notably in Babbage which has over 100. It is perhaps less evident but perhaps more significant that we also have access to digital cameras, mp3 recorders, visualisers, lap tops and iPads; these are not hidden away, we actively encourage staff and students to use them throughout the day and at home in order to enhance and improve the learning experience. If students wish to use a piece of technology, they simply do so, there are no locked doors here at the College and we wish to see all of our equipment used to its full extent. If they wish to borrow an item then they simply use their id card to book it out of the library, returning it at the end of the day or later by agreement.

VLE example: Physics

We have continued to develop our ‘virtual’ learning environment over the course of this year, all homework is now set using the VLE, with many teachers also sharing resources with students via it including video clips, specifications, lesson plans and other resources. This allows students to access the full range of learning resources whenever and wherever they wish to. It is intended during the course of the year to give parent access to the ‘VLE’ which will also allow access to check HW set and support their child in making better progress.

My own personal favourite website at the moment for teaching is youtube which gives access to millions of short video clips which really help explain what are at times difficult topics. The ease at which you can create a play list of appropriate video for a particular topic is quite astonishing: my forces playlist can be viewed here. This is such a powerful way in which to share videos with students as it allows them to view when they need to for example as part of their revision or if they have found a particular topic difficult.

Youtube Play list

The most significant change for the College however in respect of using new technology, has been the way in which students have adopted it as a way in which to complete assignments, particularly through the use of our radiowaves site. This site is in effect the College’s own youtube page which allows students to safely upload videos, mp3 files and blogs regarding anything they are particularly interested in; we currently have over 1000 stories written by 200 students on a diverse range of topics from asking Mr Gove, the education secretary a question, to why slavery was abolished and whether it is a blessing or a curse to have ‘ginger’ hair! The success of our work in this are has been recognised nationally and our students are regularly invited to national conferences to speak and report; only this week we were invited to submit a video to be considered for showing at the olympic games in London next summer. I was fortunate to be forwarded by Mrs Green, a homework assignment that Georgia Farr, one of our students had completed using radiowaves; it is well worth five minutes of your time and can be accessed here.

Catmose Radiowaves

We take a similar approach in the way in which we manage internet access for students at the College; we give students as open access to the internet and the range of sites such as facebook and twitter as we reasonably can. Our internet is filtered but only to ensure that inappropriate or illegal content cannot be accessed. In this way we ensure that our students are fully prepared and are able to exploit the latest development in new technologies including the use of social networking sites such as facebook and twitter. The College has its own facebook page, which has proven a highly effective way in whcih to communicate with our students, parents and our wider community who find it a convenient way in whcih to keep up-to-date with the College. You will find on it a range of photographs, video clips, events and news items which are all designed to keep people informed. It does not replace our college website but provides another way in which we communicate college news. We currently have over 1200 active users of this page and if you would like to know more please ‘like’ us by clicking here.

We were also pleased to be selected to be a case study for radiowaves and the way we are exploiting this technology; it is only a short article but better explains how the site can transform teaching and learning, it can be accessed here.

We are still developing our use of these technologies, looking at trying new ideas and are always welcome to ideas from others that will help us improve even more. We recently decided to pilot the use of the Amazon Kindle which we believe may be a way in which all students could have a personal device to use at College, we will keep you posted on this development at a later date.

Regards,

Stuart Williams

swilliams@catmosecollege.com

@spwilliams13

Boys' uniform

At Catmose we believe wearing a college uniform marks you out as someone who is proud to be a member of our community.  Our uniform, with its prominent badge and distinctive tie ensures that our students are immediately recognisable when representing the College or going to and from school. The fact it is so distinctive means that our students are remembered and the reputation of the College is enhanced by the way in which they go about their business. The College is rightly judged by the actions of the people who represent it and we all benefit from such a positive reputation; the next time you apply for a job or for a sixth form, being a member of Catmose College will be an advantage because of the positive efforts of so many students in the past. We have significant numbers of students who volunteer in the local community or represent the College at sporting, music, performance and academic competitions; each time they do so in their uniform the reputation of everybody else at the College is enhanced.

What you wear is an important first impression when meeting someone for the first time, whether a visitor to the College or someone who is interviewing you for a job or a place at their sixth form; a uniform worn with pride makes a very positive first impression and gives you an advantage over other candidates.

The College uniform is also a preparation for later working life; it is a very rare job where a dress code is not expected, it may be the dark suit I wear each day or a military uniform or the overalls within a workshop but inevitably your employer will have expectations about what you wear and how you wear it. When you put on your college uniform you clearly do not change as a person but it is a helpful way to prepare yourself for study and in your own mind create a clear line between you as a private individual and that of you as a student at the College. A smart appearance demonstrates a pride in your appearance and self-discipline which is important for success at college.

Girls' uniform

Our uniform policy is designed to be affordable, smart and comfortable whilst allowing a degree of choice which allows students to demonstrate their individuality. We worked very closely with students and their parents when we chose it to ensure it was something that the majority would welcome. It is not, however, designed to be fashionable and short skirts, makeup, dyed hair and excessive jewellery are all unacceptable. We advise parents that if they are unsure about a particular item of clothing to consult our uniform policy or contact client services for advice before purchasing it.

We know how much parents also value our uniform policy and appreciate the support they offer the College in ensuring it is followed. We will keep parents informed if we have concerns about a student’s dress and may ask a student to go home if is safe to do so and the problem can be rectified quickly. We may also withdraw students from lessons if their dress or appearance is inappropriate and will work with parents to ensure the issue is rectified quickly.

Stuart Williams

swilliams@catmosecollege.com

Head Girl, Becky Bond, Catmose College

I look forward each year to our annual open evening as it is a time to both celebrate the last twelve months and to reflect on what makes our college so uniquely attractive to so many parents and their children. This year was our busiest ever, we estimate around 600 people attended last night and both of my speeches were full with the demand from parents being greater than we could accommodate. We will therefore be offering another opportunity for parents to meet with myself on Wednesday 12 October at 5:00 pm or by appointment which can be arranged by contacting my assistant, Shirley Wright at the College. The slide from the presentation can also be seen here:  Open Evening Sep 2011.

My presentation is also available from our award winning radio waves station, which can be accessed here.

We are very lucky in having just moved into a building which is a bespoke designed to match our ethos; one in which students can enjoy a calm, purposeful and happy learning environment. The building and our approach to working with students is one centred around trust, there are no locked doors at the College, students are able to enjoy all of our facilities from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm and need not ask for permission to do so; this is their school. Students are able to borrow iPads, cameras and laptops from the library when they need them, they are also able to use facilities such as the music practice rooms and recording studios throughout their lunch time and break. The facilities of the College are here for students to use whenever they need them.

We chose not to have a staff room in the new building because we believe by students and staff working and eating together we will promote a very positive, calm environment based around mutual respect. We take a very individual approach to working with students, shaping our curriculum and the support they need in a very bespoke way. The curriculum we offer is broad and balanced offering opportunities only normally found in public schools; for example, Physics, Chemistry and Biology are all successfully offered as separate subjects. We are also extremely well equipped in Technology offering the latest computer aided design and manufacturing equipment.

With rights, we believe,  also come responsibilities, we expect all our students to behave well, do their best and to take an active role in the life of the College community. We offer an extensive range of opportunities for students through the Arts, Sport, Performance and the electives programme. There is quite literally an activity available every evening at the College for students who wish to challenge themselves and extend their range of interests. http://www.catmosecollege.com/?view=events

At the heart of what we do are our positive relationships with students, this college has a family feel to it centred around mutual respect and a committment to each student in order that they can reach their potential.

The test of this approach can be seen in our outcomes; our examination results are amongst the highest in Leicestershire and Rutland, Parental Survey Sep 2011 is very positive and the way in which our students are able to demonstrate key skills was no better demonstrated than by our head students who delivered a very powerful speech to an audience of 400 parents and their children.

Stuart Williams

swilliams@catmosecollege.com

We are very much looking forward to welcoming prospective parents, existing parents and our wider community to the College during the week of the 3 October. This is an opportunity to experience the College during a normal working week, to see our new facilities and to meet the staff and students work here. Tours will last for about 45 minutes and will be conducted by our prefect team, this is the first time we have opened the College to the wider community in this way and we are very excited to hear what you think.

There is also the opportunity to come along for an evening on the 5 October when I will deliver a presentation to prospective parents regarding our vision and ethos here at the College. This is a free but  ticketed event as in previous years demand has been very high, you can either book a ticket in advance or pick one up on the evening itself.

We have also just published a new prospectus which can also be picked up from the College or by clicking the link: Catmose College Prospectus 2011. If you would like any further information please don’t hesitate to contact me at the College.

Regards,

Stuart Williams
swilliams@catmosecollege.com

It was very encouraging to see students return to the College so well prepared for the new year both in terms of their uniform but more importantly in respect to how prepared they were for the challenges of the new academic year. The new year 7 have done a fantastic job of finding their way round the building and making such an excellent transition to a college environment.

My assembly is attached to this post and was an opportunity to reflect on last years successes, the move into the new build, our conversion to academy status, the continued success of the electives and of course another hugely successful set of examination results. The College has never been just about excellent results but they are an important aspect of our work which will have a profound impact on our students future life chances. The stark difference between average salary  depending on qualifications are a reminder of the importance of working hard and achieving  the best you possible can. Our results continue to compare well against other good schools in the area and show how effective our unique ethos is in helping students make excellent progress.

We discussed the importance of the summer holidays to relax and spend time with our family after working so hard during term time.

A key to our success at Catmose is the way in which staff, students and parents work as a team to ensure that every student is successful and the last slide of my presentation was a reminder of this approach to the College’s development. We have identified three particular areas we wish to focus on over the course of this year following feedback from staff, students and parents. Please click on the following link to access the presentation: Student Assembly Welcome Sep 2011

In the summer term of each year we ask our parents to comment on how well the College is doing in key areas of our work and to suggest ways in which we could improve further. Our target is for at least 80% of parents to agree or strongly with the questions we ask. We then use this information along with the student and staff survey to inform our improvement work over the following twelve months. This year I am pleased to report that the views of parents regarding the service we offer has continued to improve with all but one area being rated at 80% or higher. We were particularly pleased to hear that parents continue to value the electives, the individual approach we take to students and the range of opportunities we have on offer at the College.

We are not complacent however and will work on those areas that parents have also commented that we could improve further, in particular, how we engage with parents in supporting their child’s learning, the organisation of parents evening and of sports activities.

We value the time parents take in feeding back to use and find this an invaluable tool in ensuring that the service we offer is of the highest possible standard. I have attached a full analysis of the results of this survey and would welcome any further feedback. Please click here to access the full analysis.

Stuart Williams

swilliams@catmosecollege.com

A video article, well worth 15 minutes of your time which gives a great insight into the importance of encouraging creativity in our education system. I was also interested to see this article from the BBC which explores how Oxford uses open-ended questions to interview candidates and explore their creativity.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11575163

We introduced our electives programme at the beginning of this academic year, convinced of how important offering a wide range of activities is to ensuring that all students benefit from the sort of curriculum normally reserved for students attending public schools. The activities on offer included skiing, water sports, ice skating, psychology, pottery wheel work, circus skills and Japanese culture; over 90 in total and each lasting around six weeks. In contrast to the rest of the timetable students ‘elect’ which courses they wish to follow, up-to six different ones over the year.

There have been a number of notable achievements as a result of the electives programme; a student taking the judo elective for the first time was talent spotted and is now a full-time member of the club, another took the cycling course and recently completed the 100k cycle race around Melton, we have had students perform at our Christmas concert and in our musical Annie who would never have thought it possible before the electives programme.

We have also asked for feedback from parents, staff and students; of all the changes we have made over the last two years the electives is the one rated as having the most positive impact. It has allowed staff to teach something other than their subject area for which they have a real passion, it has helped staff and students build very positive relationships outside of the academic courses and allowed students to access courses they could only normally do at the end of the College day or at a weekend.

Last Wednesday I was invited to the gallery to hear a reading of original poetry and a song written and performed by students as part of their creative writing elective. It is fair to say that both pieces were of an exceptional high quality. In the theatre, shortly afterwards, I was privileged to be given a preview performance by our performing arts troupe who were rehearsing for their tour of Salzburg. I have uploaded video clips of these performances, which can be accessed below (please forgive the quality of the video, it was recorded on my phone!).

I would welcome feedback on the electives programme, what you like and how you think we could improve it further. The latest programme can be accessed here.