Student Support

Year Progress Leaders

INTENT

In accordance with the mission of Cardinal Hume Catholic School, a range of intervention strategies and character opportunities exist to support students in reaching their full academic potential, maintaining their wellbeing and strongly promoting their personal development. The principles of ‘Fide, Labore, Caritate: With Faith, Hard Work and Kindness’ underpin this crucial aspect of our school’s work to ensure that pupils of all abilities and economic backgrounds are equipped with the academic success, love of lifelong learning, personal character skills and cultural capital to flourish in society.

In order to support pupils to reach their academic potential, systems of regular communication between the Intervention Leader and department teams exists in order to flag concerns regarding study skills which are disseminated to Year Progress Leaders who seek to navigate pupils towards success through a range of academic intervention and co-curricular strategies. Achieving secure and smooth transitions is a crucial aspect of the Year Progress Leader role and meticulous record keeping enables the production of a detailed Transition Handover report which identifies pupils most in need at crucial transitional points. Liaising with the Pastoral and Welfare teams is equally crucial, and the Year Progress Leaders encourage strong attendance across their year groups through rewards, whilst placing a stronger focus on monitoring and supporting those whose attendance must improve. Year Progress Leaders are expected to submit information pertaining to progress to LAC pupils’ Personal Education Plans when required.

As part of our commitment to building character, developing quest and promoting social mobility, the Year Progress Leaders will engage pupils in developing their awareness and appreciation of culture. Through assemblies, IAG group activities and co-curricular experiences, pupils will develop their cultural capital and appreciation of cultures different to their own and insights into the ways in which rapidly developing science, technology and constantly evolving attitudes are shaping their futures. Opportunities are sought to equip pupils with an understanding of how culture shapes individuals, communities and society locally, nationally and globally. The team are committed to the promotion of respectful attitudes towards cultural diversity and an understanding of Britain as an inclusive society that is part of a global community. Year Progress Leaders endeavour to provide opportunities for pupils to be exposed to future career and academic paths through exposure to a network of professionals from a range of careers and Newcastle, Durham and Oxbridge university liaison. As a World Class School, pupils are also encouraged to access resources and nominate themselves for the award of World Class Schools ‘Student of the Month’ for character and community endeavours.

The fundamental principles of the Year Progress Leaders role are based on respectful support and care for all pupils. Regular assemblies, underpinned by our faith, and guided by the liturgical calendar, seek to share pride in the growth of the year group community spiritually and academically. Assemblies are a special time of togetherness, where year group and individual successes are celebrated in the light of our Catholic faith.

IMPLEMENTATION

The success of the Year Progress Leaders team is due to the dynamic use of pastoral time to engage with tutor groups in order to monitor pupils’ readiness to learn and strong attendance and punctuality. Year Progress Leaders regularly monitor quantitative and qualitative data to intervene at timely points to direct pupils on the course to progress. This approach is crucial in our endeavour to promote educational equity for all regardless of academic starting point, the effects of pandemic disruption and economic backgrounds. Reviewing subject feedback, monitoring independent study skills weekly and modular assessment data enables Year Progress Leaders to plan tiered support for pupils. Objectives of all co-curricular and academic intervention strategies are rooted in progress, of acquisition of both academic and character skills, and success is evaluated with the inclusion of pupil voice. Year Progress Leaders seek to underpin successful learning through co-curricular activities, often engaging external providers such as local university mentoring schemes, youth investment charities, character building activities providers and by utilising our carefully constructed network of inspirational professionals.

Early in the summer term, all Year Progress Leaders produce a Transition Handover Report highlighting successes and ongoing concerns which is utilised in the first half term by the subsequent Year Progress Leader. This report identifies trends across the year group, the characteristics of key pupils and an evaluation of the impact of interventions and co-curricular activities. Systems of primary school liaison are well established and enable the Year 7 Progress Leader to plan for their successful and secure start to their secondary schooling. Maintaining robust records is a crucial aspect of the role of the Year Progress Leader; the Provision Map contains an overview of the whole year group, and separate registers of discrete key groups. Within their map, Year Progress Leaders indicate tiered provision which has been planned for key pupils and record evaluations of outcomes. The ongoing use of the Provision Map ensures that the Transition Handover Report is as informative as possible and contributes to seamless progression for pupils.

Year Progress Leaders ensure that an annual audit of remote and home independent learning provision is carried out which enables timely ICT equipment to be provided in times of necessary home learning. Year Progress Leaders have been equipped with the requisite training to ensure that their role in the support of pupils who are working remotely is efficient and effective.

Crucially, and in accordance with the mission of Cardinal Hume Catholic School, the Year Progress Leaders will celebrate pupils’ character and academic achievements. Academic success is celebrated via our Subject Achievement Medals postcard reward scheme and character success is celebrated via achievement themed assemblies, rewards and articles published in the Cardinal’s Virtues. In order to facilitate personal development, the Year Progress Leaders actively seek out character, co-curricular and cultural opportunities for groups of pupils in their year groups to participate. Concurrently, Year Progress Leaders seek to promote strong study skills amongst their year groups, tailoring provision for all abilities and needs. Pupils who require academic and co-curricular support are carefully monitored according to their needs, whilst the most able are stretched with opportunities to build on their progress.

EXTERNAL LINKS: Wider Opportunities

Year 7

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/

https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/

https://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/

Year 8

http://rockingurteens.com/

https://www.speakersforschools.org/

http://www.crestawards.org

Year 9

https://futureme.ac.uk/

https://www.unifrog.org/