Weekly Information - Friday 24th March 2023

Wink is an app that connects with Snapchat. It brands itself as an app to help people connect and make friendships, however there have been some unfortunate experiences for some young people who have been using this app.

The age guidance is 12+ for this app, however with many features behaving like a dating platform this app should be used with great caution, if used at all by our young people. 

Once details of Snapchat have been exchanged the rest of the conversation takes place in Snapchat. Teens earn points for logging into Wink daily, sharing their Snaps, verifying their account with a phone number and following Wink on Instagram. All of this can lead to a large amount of personal data being shared, leaving young people vulnerable. 

There are many profiles that are honest and appropriate however the Protect Young Eyes website has highlighted that some profiles promote drugs, alcohol and provocative profile images. 

There are issues with user security as there are very limited ways to protect your identity and personal data, as well as limited ways in which you can prevent people from following you or engaging with you. 

Unfortunately, there have been reports of young people be followed on this app by unknown adults. 

For this reason, we would recommend that our young people don't utilise this platform and we ask parents to check mobile devices for safety reasons. 

More information can be at www.protectyoungeyes.com/apps/wink-parent 

We have recently reinforced the importance of attendance and punctuality through an assembly shown to all students in years 7 to 11. It highlights the potential impact of low attendance using research conducted by the Department for Education.The basic slides used can be seen on the link below:

Year 7 – 11 = 94.2%

Year 7 = 95.1%                                             

Year 8 = 94.7%                                             

Year 9 = 93.8%

Year 10 = 93.5%

Year 11 = 93.8%

Sixth form = 92.5%

Year 12 = 94.7%

Year 13 = 90.1%

We would encourage you to check Go4Schools in order to see up to date attendance data for your child and thank you in advance for supporting their attendance at school. If you are not sure how to access Go4Schools please see the links below:

How to access Go4Schools

NEW Leave of Absence request form

If you do need to apply for a leave of absence then we have a new form which must be completed, ideally at least 2 weeks before the absence in question. This is part of new MAT guidance in response to national updates and as such, these requests cannot be considered unless this form is used:

Year 7 – 11 Leave of Absence request form.

Sixth form Leave of Absence request form.

Absences from school

Should your child be absent from school, we request that the absence line – 01283 247853 is contacted each day to give a reason for your child’s absence. For instances of prolonged absences of over 5 days, it is the MAT policy to request further medical documentation to support the ongoing need for absence from school.

Lateness

Please could we remind all our parents about the importance of students arriving to school on time. We ask that all our students are on school site be 8.55am for registration which begins at 9am. Remember – ‘be on time, its 5 to 9.’

At any point, should you wish to discuss your child’s attendance or punctuality at school, please feel free to contact their form tutor or our Attendance Intervention Manager.

The following students celebrate their achievements with Mrs Cochrane this week, congratulations to them all!

As we near the summer exam period, please consider reviewing the follow information that has been produced by Ofqual specifically for students. It explains in clear terms how exams in 2023 will run including scheduling, marking (including grade boudaries) and dates of the results days. It can be viewed on this link:

Ofqual Student Guide 2023

Exam contingency days

Ofqual’s Student Guide 2023 (above) reminds students that all GCSE, A level and VTQ candidates sitting exams this summer must keep the following contingency days available, in case exams have to be moved nationally:

• 8 June (pm)
• 15 June (pm)
• 28 June (am and pm).

Students should be reminded not to book holidays before the final contingency day.

JTHS Exams information

The school website has a dedicated exams section which includes all of our exams information including policies and procedures. It will contain most information that students and parents will need with regards to exams here at John Taylor.

JTHS Exams information

?Calling all year 12 and 13 students…. Applications are now open for our Grant Thornton UK LLP work experience programme? 

Join us for a four-day work experience programme in person at our Birmingham office from Tuesday 30th May - Friday 2nd June 2023 (May half-term), where you will hear from business leaders, recruitment experts and those currently on our trainee programs. This is an exciting opportunity to learn more about a career in professional services and experience what it's like to work in Audit, Tax and Advisory. 

The office is situated on the 17th floor of the iconic Colmore row building in the heart of the city, which offers stunning 360 panoramic views and a range of high quality facilities which you will be able to take advantage of too. 

Our programme is designed for students in year 12 or 13 (as of September 2022) who also reach one of the following criteria: 

✅ Attend a state school or college and are, or have been eligible for free school meals ✅ Or attend a school that has a higher-than-average number of students eligible for free school meals ✅ Or would be the first member of their immediate family to attend university. 

Grant Thornton operates in over 130 countries, employs over 56,000 personnel and has a combined global revenue of 6+ billion. Making Grant Thornton one of the biggest firms in the world. So as you can imagine this programme will offer an exceptional platform to help kickstart your career. 

If you want to be part of this experience, then please click below to apply: 

https://lnkd.in/eaQxQhU4

Rolls-Royce apprenticeships are full of big opportunities. 

As well as a competitive salary, our Advanced Apprenticeships offer the chance to study for fully sponsored qualifications. Plus, all the support, training, and practical skills students need to grow an exciting engineering career. 

Applications for a full range of roles are open until 31 March 2023. Our film tells you more about what they are. 

Watch the video https://youtu.be/5ANnqmRBVFY 

Take a look, share it with your students, and encourage them to explore the huge world of opportunities they’ll find at Rolls-Royce. 

Go to careers.rolls-royce.com to discover more. 

Work Experience 

We have opened up work experience for 1 week in April or June- details on the link. 

WEX Derby https://rollsroyce.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/WorkExperience/job/Derby/Rolls-Royce-Work-Experience---Derby--UK--1-week-in-April-or-June-_JR6105382

Good morning,

I’m writing to warmly invite your students interested in law to the Get Into Law conference on Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd April (9:30am - 2pm). This conference is the perfect opportunity for your students to learn everything they need to know about pursuing a career in the legal profession.

Registration Link: https://lawmentor.org.uk/product/get-into-law-conference/

At our conference, I will provide my insight as a judge into life within the legal industry. For just £15 entry, I will offer advice on:

- Life as a law student and a solicitor or barrister (realistic insight into law)
- Legal myth-busting and empowering you to achieve your dream!
- How competitive is it to ‘get into law’?
- What really makes you stand out from the crowd?
- Your application timeline (compartmentalising and working SMART)
- CV, extracurricular activities and transferable skills for law
- The UCAS form – key components to be aware of
- The personal statement (and the academic reference)
- Interviews (basics, deeper insights and how to shine)
- Entrance exams: LNAT, Cambridge/Oxford Law Exam and their significance.

The conference will give students insight into what a legal career entails and will provide the building blocks needed to be successful in their application to university. By sharing our expert knowledge about the UCAS application process for law, your students will be provided with all the resources and guidance they need to succeed in their law school applications.

Get into Law registration form: https://lawmentor.org.uk/product/get-into-law-conference/
*The cost per entry is £15, which covers administrative and technological costs.

Attending this conference is the perfect opportunity to delve further into the law profession and help students learn about the different paths available to them, so they can make an informed decision about their future career.

I look forward to meeting your students soon.

Warmest wishes,

Judge Emma Serrano
Chief Law Mentor