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Key contacts

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Diary dates

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Assessment and reporting guidance Y10 & 11

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Attendance guidance

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Behaviour guidance

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2019-20 Information Booklet

YEAR 10

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Key Contacts – Year 10

Main college switchboard

0161 661 3947

General email

info@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

Principal Ruth Bradbury ruth.bradbury@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

Academic Queries

Vice Principal, Progress & Operations

Jane Wood-Greaves jane.woodgreaves@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

Head of English Amy Stelfox amy.stelfox@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

Head of Maths Costas Mapana costas.mapana@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

Head of Science and Computer Science

Lucie Golton lucie.golton@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

Head of BTEC Level 2 Lauren Burgess lauren.burgess@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

Head of Graphics and Photography

Ian Bradbury Ian.bradbury@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

Head of Modern Foreign Languages

Sylvain Lerebours sylvain.lerebours@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

Behaviour and welfare queries

Vice Principal, Behaviour and Welfare

Carl Heatley carl.heatley@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

Year 10 Pastoral Manager

Sharon Vardar sharon.vardar@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

Pastoral Manager - Safeguarding

Nicky Hill nicky.hill@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

mailto:ruth.bradbury@utcmediacityuk.org.ukmailto:jane.woodgreaves@utcmediacityuk.org.ukmailto:amy.stelfox@utcmediacityuk.org.ukmailto:costas.mapana@utcmediacityuk.org.ukmailto:lucie.golton@utcmediacityuk.org.ukmailto:lauren.burgess@utcmediacityuk.org.ukmailto:Ian.bradbury@utcmediacityuk.org.ukmailto:sylvain.lerebours@utcmediacityuk.org.ukmailto:carl.heatley@utcmediacityuk.org.ukmailto:sharon.vardar@utcmediacityuk.org.ukmailto:nicky.hill@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

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2019-20 Year 10 Diary Dates Wednesday 4th Sep 2019

Induction meetings with form tutors

Thursday 5th Sep 2019

First full day of term

Thursday 26th Sep 2019

Open Evening for 2020 entry

Thursday 10th Oct 2019

Y10 settling-in evening

Friday 18th Oct 2019

Staff training day (closed to students)

Monday 21st – Friday 25th Oct 2019

Half term break

Friday 20th Dec 2019

Last day of term – lunch time finish

Monday 23rd Dec 2019-Friday 3rd Jan 2020

Christmas break

Monday 6th Jan 2020

First day of Spring term

Monday 13th Jan – Friday 24th Jan 2020 Year 10 mock examinations

Thursday 23rd Jan 2020

Open Evening for 2020 entry

Week beginning Monday 10th February 2020 Year 10 Progress Reports issued

Monday 17th – Friday 21st Feb 2020

Half term break

Thursday 27th February 2020

Year 10 Progress Evening

Thursday 5th March 2020 World Book Day

Monday 30th Mar- Monday 13th April 2020

Easter break

Tuesday 14th Apr 2020

First day of summer term

Thursday 23rd April 2020 Open Evening for 2020 entry

Friday 8th May 2020 Early May bank holiday

Monday 25th May-Friday 29th May 2020

Half term break

Monday 22nd Jun – Friday 3rd Jul 2020

Y10 mock examinations

Monday 6th – Friday 10th Jul 2020

Y10 work experience (provisional)

Week beginning Monday 13th July 2020

Y10 reports issued

Friday 17th July 2020

Last day of term – lunch time finish

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Assessment, Recording and Reporting at Key Stage 4 Guidance for Parents/Carers and Students – 2019-20

1. Baseline assessments

All students who join the UTC in Year 10 will sit baseline assessments, either on the summer induction day, or in the first week of the autumn term. These assessments are carried out on a computer, and will generate predicted GCSE grades for the end of Year 11 in each subject.

2. Setting targets All students will have personal targets in each subject. These will take into

account the final GCSE grade suggested by their Year 6 SATS scores and the final GCSE grade suggested by baseline assessment. More information on the rationale used is provided in the additional guidance at the end of this document.

3. Progress Checkpoints There are two Progress Checkpoints in each academic year, which then feed into

the reporting cycle to parents. These are largely full mock examinations, with some adjustments in Year 10 to allow for content that has not yet been covered in class. The dates for these are as follows:-

Year 10 Assessment dates Reports issued Progress evening

Progress checkpoint 1

13th – 24th Jan 2020 Week commencing 10th February 2020

27th February 2020 18.30-20.30

Progress checkpoint 2

22nd June – 3rd July 2020 Week commencing 13th July 2020

N/A

Year 11 Assessment dates Reports issued Progress evening

Progress checkpoint 1

18th – 29th November 2019

Week commencing 16th December 2020

16th January 2020

Progress checkpoint 2

2nd – 13th March 2020 Week commencing 23rd March 2020

16th April 2020

4. Reports

We will issue reports to parents on or soon after the dates detailed in the above table. Reports will include the following for each student in each subject:-

Final grade suggested by Key Stage 2 SATs results.* Final grade suggested by baseline assessment.* Personal target grade.* Most recent assessment grade.

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Predicted final grade, based on a combination of assessment grade and teacher professional judgement.

Behaviour for learning grade as follows:- o 1 – outstanding o 2 – good o 3 – requires improvement o 4 – inadequate Priorities / next steps for improvement, including question level analysis of

mock exam results.

Reports will also provide attendance and punctuality data.

* For explanations of these, please see guidance note at the end of this document. 5. Progress Evenings

Year 10 have one progress evening after the first set of mock examinations. This is in addition to the settling-in evening on 10th October 2019.

Year 11 have two progress evenings, one after each set of mock examinations.

Parents/carers are strongly encouraged to attend progress evenings, as they provide an opportunity to meet with subject teachers. Pastoral Managers and members of the Senior Leadership Team will also be present to respond to any concerns or queries you may have. Appointments with individual teachers can be booked online.

If you are unable to attend a progress evening, then please do contact us to arrange a separate meeting with key staff and/or a telephone update.

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Additional guidance: understanding targets

In performance tables and other school data, the government calculates the progress made by students over five years, from the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6 SATS) to the end of Key Stage 4 (GCSEs taken at the end of Year 11). They do this by comparing individual student GCSE points to the GCSE grades achieved by all students with the same average reading and maths SATS scores. To ensure that students are on target to achieve their potential, therefore, most secondary schools will link target grades in each GCSE subject to each student’s SATS performance. For example, a student who took their SATS in 2013 and achieved a fine level average of 4.7 across reading and maths would have been expected to achieve Grade 4 or higher in all subjects, with an average grade across eight subjects of 4.26. Whilst this method makes sense for schools where students join in Year 7, it is more challenging for schools/colleges such as the UTC where students do not join until Year 10. A lot can change in years 7 to 9, and we need to take account of this when setting GCSE targets. At the same time, however, we should not lose sight of the potential demonstrated by SATS scores. To allow for this, all of our subject and whole-college data has three elements as follows:- a) The final GCSE grade suggested by SATs performance. b) The final GCSE grade suggested by baseline assessment on entry to the UTC (see

Section 1 above). c) The student’s personal target, which is worked out after considering (a) and (b)

alongside the subject teacher’s professional judgement. The grades for (a) and (b) are fixed, and will not change over the two years. However, the personal target may change depending upon performance, although it is very unlikely that a personal target will ever be lower than that suggested by the baseline assessment (b).

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Student Attendance Guidance for Parents/Carers and Students – 2019-20

1. The importance of attendance

Good attendance at college is important for a number of reasons, including:-

It is a legal requirement for children to receive an education. Statistics show a direct link between under-achievement and attendance

below 95%. Regular attenders make better progress, both socially and academically. Regular attenders find school routines, school work and friendships easier to

cope with. Regular attenders find learning more satisfying. Regular attenders are more successful in transferring to higher education,

employment or training.

2. Encouraging good attendance

The UTC employs a range of strategies to promote and reward good attendance, including prizes and reward trips.

In cases where attendance gives cause for concern, the UTC can enlist the support of other agencies, including the Local Authority.

3. Reasons for absence from college

You can only allow your child to miss college if either:

They are too ill to attend. You have requested, and received, advance permission from the college.

Some of the more common reasons for absence other than illness are listed below, together with the usual response of the UTC to requests.

Non-urgent medical and dental appointments

Wherever possible, these should be booked outside of the college day. However, we appreciate that this is not always possible, and we will assess each request individually.

Religious observance Granted in line with the policy of Salford Local Authority.

Family holidays Not normally approved during term time.

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4. Reporting absences

Parents / carers must report student absences to the main college reception before 8.00 am, either by telephone on 0161 661 3947, or via email to attendance@utcmediacityuk.org.uk.

Unless a student has a doctor’s note for a particular period of time, parents/carers should contact the college on each day of the absence.

5. Unexplained absences

If a child is absent from school without notification from parents/carers, it is considered a safeguarding matter. This is why information about the cause of any absence is always required.

If your child is absent without explanation, we will telephone or text parents/carers as soon as possible after the morning registers close.

If we are unable to contact parents/carers and the college has cause for concern about the safety or wellbeing of the student, then we may need to contact external agencies such as the Local Authority or the police.

6. Monitoring, recording and reporting attendance

The pastoral team regularly monitor attendance at school, year group and individual student level. Attendance data is shared with the Local Authority and the Department for Education, and with any other agencies who are working with individual students or families as appropriate. Percentage attendance by term and year to date is also included in student reports sent home to parents.

7. Attendance concerns

The college is likely to contact parents/carers if one of more of the following applies to their child:-

An unexplained decline in attendance. Cumulative attendance below 95% without sufficient reason or

explanation.

The government classes attendance below 90% as persistent absence. If your child falls into this category without adequate reason, then we may employ one or more of the following strategies:-

Parental meeting. Attendance action plan. Referral to the Local Authority for a Fixed Penalty Notice. Referral to other agencies as appropriate.

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Ethos, Behaviour, Rewards and Sanctions

Guidance for Parents/Carers and Students – 2019-20

OUR STUDENTS will achieve the highest standards of academic,

personal and professional skills, and become the next generation of fearless digital media

professionals. They will leave the UTC fully prepared for the next stage of their lives, be that employment or continuing education. They will

have the qualifications they need to succeed, and they will also have exemplary social, personal and employability skills which set them apart from their peers. They will not be afraid to be

different, and they will NEVER be afraid to be excellent.

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1. Ethos and Principles

UTC@MediaCityUK prepares young people for a professional career in the digital media sector. We also prepare our students to become active citizens, to promote fundamental British values, and to become role models for others. To support this, we expect all staff, students, parents, governors and other stakeholders to :-

Behave in a professional and courteous manner at all times. Promote self-esteem, self-discipline, proper regard for authority, and positive

relationships based on mutual respect. Follow, promote and reinforce established policies, procedures and rules. Ensure consistency and fairness in the design and application of policies, procedures

and rules, including rewards and sanctions. Treat all those within the whole UTC as individuals with their own particular

abilities, beliefs, challenges, attitudes, background and experiences. Offer every member of the UTC community fair and equal opportunities to

develop their full potential with positive regard to gender, ability, ethnicity, cultural and religious background and sexuality.

Contribute to, promote, and reinforce a safe working environment free from disruption, violence, bullying and any forms of harassment.

2. Workplace behaviours

Our standards for presentation and behaviour reflect those expected of employees in the modern digital workplace as follows.

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In demonstrating these standards, we therefore expect all students to:- Give 100% at all times. Arrive in good time, ready to learn, and with all required equipment and stationery. Comply with the UTC dress code, including wearing lanyards and ID badges at all

times. Remove coats and hoods on entering the building. Move calmly and with purpose around the building. Follow the instructions of staff. Follow class seating plans. Participate fully in lessons and activities. Follow the instructions of staff. Be punctual to lessons and be supervised at all times. Use language appropriate to a professional workplace. Eat only in designated cafeterias. Keep mobile phones out of sight and switched off. They may only be used during

break and lunch times in designated areas.

3. Rewards

The college has a highly visible system of reward tokens. There are six token colours, each representing one of the Aldridge Attributes, which are common to all Aldridge Education academies. These are:- Problem-solving: the ability to express and interpret challenges,

concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts and opinions.

Creativity: the ability to look at things in a new way, and seek

different solutions.

Risk-taking: not being afraid to try something new or do

something differently.

Determination: the movement towards a goal, and resilience to

difficulties along the way.

Passion: the drive to achieve and succeed.

Team-work: a co-ordinated effort on the part of a team or in the interests of a common cause

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Staff can award tokens for outstanding work, for positive contributions to learning and/or the UTC community, and for any other appropriate achievement. Students will be given the colour of token that the member of staff believes most accurately reflects the nature of their achievement.

Tokens are stored in individually-named tubes in the UTC reception area. Each half term, they are counted and the totals are entered onto the college MIS system. The totals for that half term are then netted off against consequence points for the period (see 5 below), and the three students with the highest overall scores in each year group will receive a prize.

Token tubes are emptied after each count, and scores re-set to zero. However, a record is kept of overall totals, and students with the highest scores for the full academic year will receive an additional prizes.

The UTC will operate additional rewards systems in addition to the token counts, for example in relation to attendance, punctuality or specific initiatives. These will be notified separately and/or covered by separate procedures and policies.

4. Supporting Positive Behaviour

The UTC employs a number of strategies to support students to manage their own behaviour. These include:-

Report cards. Pastoral Support Plans. Mentoring and support from the pastoral team. Referral to external professionals and agencies.

5. Sanctions

If a student does not meet the expectations outlined in sections 1 & 2 above, then consequence points will be recorded on the college system, and sanctions will be applied.

The main sanctions employed by the college are as follows:- Break or lunchtime detentions. After college detentions – 30 to 60 minutes from 15.30. Parental phone calls Parental meetings Withdrawal from lessons Short-term placement at a partner school (1-5 days) Fixed term exclusion Permanent exclusion

Whilst it is not practical to capture every possible circumstance in a guidance note, examples of the most common behaviour issues and the corresponding consequence points and sanctions are provided below.

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Consequence points / behaviour category

Examples Possible sanction(s)

C1 Isolated minor issues, rectified quickly when challenged.

• Low-level disruption, e.g. talking in class.

• Initial refusal to follow instructions. • Poor effort in class work.

• Verbal warning • Reposition in class • Parental contact at discretion of UTC

staff

C2

Persistent low-level disruption that continues despite challenge.

• Persistent disruption that adversely affects the progress of other students.

• Continued refusal to follow instructions.

• Mobile phone out in class. • Sustained poor effort in work.

• Move to another classroom for the lesson in question.

• Parental contact at discretion of UTC staff.

• Confiscation of mobile phone until 4.00 pm.

C3 Persistent unacceptable behaviour and/or disruption.

• Inappropriate/aggressive behaviour towards staff or students

• Damage to property • Truancy • Repeated C1/C2 issues

• Parental contact • On call removal to quiet room or

SLT office. • College detention minimum 30

minutes from 3.30pm

C4

Entrenched disruption; anti-social and/or dangerous behaviour.

• Persistent C3 behaviours that do not respond to support or sanctions.

• Discriminatory behaviour. • Threatening behaviour. • Health & safety concern.

• Parental meeting • On call removal • College detention 60 minutes • Quiet room for one or more days,

including break and lunch • Placement at another local school

for 2-5 days. • Fixed term exclusion. • Permanent exclusion.

1. Ethos and PrinciplesUTC@MediaCityUK prepares young people for a professional career in the digital media sector. We also prepare our students to become active citizens, to promote fundamental British values, and to become role models for others. To support this, we exp... Behave in a professional and courteous manner at all times. Follow, promote and reinforce established policies, procedures and rules. Ensure consistency and fairness in the design and application of policies, procedures and rules, including rewards and sanctions. Treat all those within the whole UTC as individuals with their own particular abilities, beliefs, challenges, attitudes, background and experiences. Offer every member of the UTC community fair and equal opportunities to develop their full potential with positive regard to gender, ability, ethnicity, cultural and religious background and sexuality.2. Workplace behavioursOur standards for presentation and behaviour reflect those expected of employees in the modern digital workplace as follows.In demonstrating these standards, we therefore expect all students to:- Give 100% at all times. Arrive in good time, ready to learn, and with all required equipment and stationery. Comply with the UTC dress code, including wearing lanyards and ID badges at all times. Remove coats and hoods on entering the building. Move calmly and with purpose around the building. Follow the instructions of staff. Follow class seating plans. Participate fully in lessons and activities. Follow the instructions of staff. Be punctual to lessons and be supervised at all times. Use language appropriate to a professional workplace. Eat only in designated cafeterias. Keep mobile phones out of sight and switched off. They may only be used during break and lunch times in designated areas.3. RewardsThe college has a highly visible system of reward tokens. There are six token colours, each representing one of the Aldridge Attributes, which are common to all Aldridge Education academies. These are:-4. Supporting Positive BehaviourThe UTC employs a number of strategies to support students to manage their own behaviour. These include:- Report cards. Pastoral Support Plans. Mentoring and support from the pastoral team. Referral to external professionals and agencies.5. SanctionsIf a student does not meet the expectations outlined in sections 1 & 2 above, then consequence points will be recorded on the college system, and sanctions will be applied.The main sanctions employed by the college are as follows:- Break or lunchtime detentions. After college detentions – 30 to 60 minutes from 15.30. Parental phone calls Parental meetings Withdrawal from lessons Short-term placement at a partner school (1-5 days) Fixed term exclusion Permanent exclusionWhilst it is not practical to capture every possible circumstance in a guidance note, examples of the most common behaviour issues and the corresponding consequence points and sanctions are provided below.