Weekly information - Wednesday 8th May
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All - Well-being and Body Image Project
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All - PTA Request for Wine Glass Donations
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Y13 - Sixth Form Ball
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Y13 - University and Finance Applications - important information
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Y13 - Supporting your Child with Exam Stress
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Y12 - Important Information about the Summer Term
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Y11+Y12 - Bus travel to/from school
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Y11 - English Revision Timetable
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Y10,11,12,13 - Student Guide - Coping with Exam Pressure
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Y7-10 - £100 Golf Scholarship
The school will be working with staff at Nottingham Trent University to examine the impact of Instagram and social media use on young people’s well-being and body image. We would like as many pupils as possible to take part in the project but we need parental permission for this.
If you have not already done so, would you please read the following letter and click on the link on the second page to give permission for your son/daughter to be involved. The deadline is May 22nd.
Thank you.
Do you have any spare wine glasses?
The PTA are requesting donations of wine glasses to top up their existing stock. They are getting short due to breakages and they cost approximately 50p each to buy. Any donations would be very welcome. Thank you.
The Sixth Form Ball this year is on Friday, 5th July at Pride Park Stadium, Derby.
Tickets (£40) are available via
- ParentPay
- Cash
- Cheque payable to John Taylor High School
Students have already received an email about this and how to select their menu choices. The deadline for payment is Friday 17th May.
Student Finance application deadline 24th May 2019
The deadline to make sure that students receive their money in time for the start of their course is 24th May 2019. If their finance application is late, their money might be too. It’s quick and easy to apply online www.gov.uk/studentfinance. Students don’t need to have a confirmed place at university – they can use their preferred choice of course and change it later if they need to.
University Applications: Direct Contact Service and Clearing:
Over 80% of our students have applied to university this year and the majority of students have received conditional offers. Therefore, they are under even more pressure to achieve the best A level results they can. We strongly recommend that students sign up to the Direct Contact Service available at UCAS. This service gives the universities permission to contact students directly if they have places available on their courses. Please follow https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/results-confirmation-and-clearing/direct-contact-service for further advice about what students should do if they do not receive the results they need, as well as how to track their offers etc.
University Applications: Adjustment
Students can also perform better than expected. If this is the case, then they can decide to enter into Adjustment. This service allows the students to keep their conditional offer whilst searching for a place at a different university. The student then has 5 days to decide which university/course they would like to take. For further advice please follow the link below: Adjustment https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/apply-and-track/results/ucas-adjustment-if-youve-done-better-expected
All students who haven’t applied to university have been offered a careers interview with a specialist advisor from Entrust. However, if you feel that they need further support please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Spencer or Mrs Sharp.
Supporting your child with exam stress:
As parents you will be fully aware of the impact of exams on your son/daughter. Everyone is different and therefore reacts differently to the additional pressure that external exams can present. We have been working with some individuals to equip them with additional techniques to help them channel their anxiety in a positive way. Students have told us that they have found the use of a meditation app very effective. They have reported that it has improved the quality of their sleep before an exam and has helped them to focus more.
We have directed students to the app called Headspace. It is free and can be downloaded from the AppStore or Googleplay. Even if a student is sceptical, I would encourage them to use the app for a couple of nights before they go to sleep to review whether it helps before they disregard it. This could be something that you might want to try with your son/daughter.
For further information please watch to this short video: Headspace video
or visit www.headspace.com.
“Meditation has been shown to help people stress less, focus more and even sleep better. Headspace is meditation made simple. We'll teach you the life-changing skills of meditation and mindfulness in just a few minutes a day”. (www.headspace.com).
Year 12 study leave will end on Thursday 9th May. All Year 12 students will be expected to resume normal lessons on Friday 10th May and maintain an excellent attendance record for the remainder of this academic year. Results of ‘Year 12 End of Year’ exams will be published to parents via Go4Schools on Thursday 7th June. This will allow students to experience a results day on Wednesday 6th June, during Tutor period. During lessons, Year 2 content of the A Level course will be delivered and BTEC coursework will continue.
The main aim of the tutor programme, during the summer term, is to prepare students for ‘life after JTHS’. In order to support this process students will be provided with a range of activities, as outlined below. We also recognise that, as parents, you will want to support your child when making these pivotal decisions. We have included below links to a UCAS Parent Guide and Apprenticeships. These provide information about the process involved in applying to university, as well as alternative options, including apprenticeships. You may also want to explore www.which.co.uk/university . This website is independent, takes no advertising, and brings together all the official facts and statistics about degree courses, combined with unbiased expert advice and analysis.
Key dates for support activities:
May 15th: Young Professionals Day at John Taylor Free School, Tatenhill, Wednesday 15th May. Please pay £5 on Parent Pay. This event will provide an opportunity for students to engage with a range of businesses. Previous events have included support from employers such as Rolls-Royce, Barclays, Derby County, IBM, Experian and the NHS. Throughout the day, the students will listen to a number of keynote speeches from top business professionals and will have the opportunity to take part in some practical workshops that are industry-led. In the afternoon, the students will have the opportunity to network, as the day concludes with a question and answer session.
May 22rd Students will explore factors to consider when choosing an institution or course. Students will register and complete their UCAS form or register for alerts on the Government Apprenticeship site.
Half Term
June 5th – Yr 12 End of Year Exam results. Students will also have access to computers to research apprenticeship opportunities and university courses using Unifrog.
June 12th onwards Tutor Programme: Students will select subject specific groups to join so that they can receive specialist advice and support. There will be a specialist group for those students wishing to pursue an apprenticeship or employment route. Students will be able to move groups as they conduct further research and their focus changes.
June 19th Elaine Tomlinson: Skills and Employability from Entrust will deliver a tutorial session for all students who decide that university is not the route for them. This will include an introduction into the sources of advice that are available and she will identify students who are in need of further specialist careers guidance. These students will then be offered either a further group session or an individual meeting dependent on needs.
June 26th All Year 12 students will experience a mock interview. The interviewer will have experience of working in industry and will provide feedback on interview technique to support the development of this employability skill.
3rd July All students will have access to a computer room during tutor period. Students will be supported and guided in completing their UCAS form, CVs and letters of application. Students will also have the opportunity to listen to the experiences of ex students who have successfully pursued an apprenticeship route.
July 8th -12th Work Experience week: This opportunity has been provided to enable students to pursue work experience which is directly related to their future career/course. Students who have not secured a work experience placement will be allocated a role within the school environment.
July 17thReflection week
Please support students over the summer break to draft out their Personal Statements and ensure that their UCAS form is completed.
Year 11 - If your son/daughter uses school transport to get to and from school and is returning to VIth form, you will now need to apply for a vacant seat as your son/daughter is no longer eligible for free travel. A letter is being sent home this week with full details.
All the information that you need is available on the Staffordshire County Council website.
Year 12 - Students will need to reapply for their seats.
The lunch time revision sessions are being received well. Click on the link below for details.
After May half-term, students are only required to attend school for their exams. To support their revision of English Language, drop in sessions are available on Monday 3rd June and Thursday 6th June.
Please could you encourage your son/daughter to attend these sessions.
Kind regards, English Department
This is a very useful guide for students currently taking exams.
Branston Golf Club have given the PE Department forms to apply for the above scholarship, for any boy or girl under 16 who does not have a golf handicap. The application form needs to be completed and sent off as soon as possible. If any student is interested in applying for this funding from Branston for the driving range, towards golf lessons or golf equipment they should pick up a form from the PE corridor in the sports hall.