Mr Atkinson's Friday Update 20.12 23

Dear Parent/Carers, 

Firstly my apologies for not giving the two weekly updates this half term, this has been due to my absence, good order will be resumed in the New Year! With this in mind today it is rather a large update due to the changes we are putting into place in the New Year. 

Update on Absence Reporting 

In September 2023 we wrote to you regarding reporting student absence through the Class Charts App. We have seen a positive response to this and we will now be moving towards this being the sole way to report day to day absence from the 3rd January 2024. We will still need the absences reported by 7.45am. 

From this,  it will then allow us to call back key families that we feel may need further support or where there may be a longer term absence due to medical needs. 

Should you encounter any difficulties or have questions regarding the app, please contact examinations@bingleygrammar.org. Your cooperation and understanding during this transition are greatly appreciated, and we are confident that this updated system will contribute to a more efficient and effective school-parent partnership. 

Additionally, the app offers a range of features that will empower you to stay more informed about your child's school life. Beyond reporting absences, the Class Charts App provides real-time visibility into attendance records, behaviour updates (both positive and negative) and homework assignments. This comprehensive platform serves as a valuable tool for maintaining open lines of communication between the school and parents. 

Update on the Behaviour System 

We have made some changes based on staff, student and parent feedback. For the majority, this will not affect you as they concern sanctions. See below for an outline: 

Uniform and Equipment 

Thank you for your support in this area, we have seen improvements this term. Based on parent and student feedback, students from January will initially receive a warning for lack of equipment and uniform (This will be logged on Class Charts), if this occurs again they will then receive a detention. 

There will be daily checks during form time to support this. 

Class Teacher Detentions 

Currently we do not have Class Teacher Detentions each evening. This means a sanction cannot be served immediately therefore for some losing its meaning.  We have now made changes to this and these detentions will run on each weekday evening. 

Missing Detentions 

If your child misses a detention it will escalate to a Friday Leadership C Detention which finishes at 16:45. If they miss the Friday Leadership C Detention you will be called on the Friday evening by the Senior Team and a meeting will be booked for the Monday to address this together with your child allowing us to work together quickly to ensure this does not happen again plus get to the root cause of this behaviour. 

Questioning Detentions 

We have seen an increase in parents/carers questioning why a detention has been set. Details referring to detentions are on the Class Charts activity feed. If the details are not there the best approach is to email the class teacher who will respond to you when they have the opportunity to do so. Staff are not able to take calls during the school day regarding this and it can take a number of days for a phone call to be returned as teachers are in lessons. 

Unfortunately at times the tone of these phone calls or emails to question detentions has been aggressive or rude. As a school we will not tolerate this and with this in mind staff will end a call or email conversation if they deem the approach to be aggressive or rude and the matter will be forwarded to the Senior Team. 

Making students aware 

To help support this all students will be made aware in their face to face assemblies on their first day back in January. We will also be focusing again on British Values and linking this to Belong, Grow, Succeed, with a large part of this being linked to respect for staff, students and parents and carers. 

Finally 

We understand that changes in systems can sometimes be challenging, but we believe that this transition will bring about positive improvements in how we handle attendance, behaviour and communication. To facilitate a smooth shift to the new system, we encourage all parents to familiarise themselves with the Class Charts App during the upcoming holidays. Once again if you need support with this please do contact us. 

We will also be giving all students a ‘fresh start’ in the New Year giving them the opportunity to build another fully green wheel. 

Thank you for your continued support as we work together to provide the best educational experience for your child. Also please do not forget that it is non uniform next Wednesday plus we are asking for donations to the local Food Banks (if you wish to) which can be dropped off at the Bus Turnaround or N6 by your child. Please refer to the earlier end of term communication regarding the items that the food banks are in need of. 

Wishing you a wonderful holiday and a happy new year on behalf of all the staff at Bingley Grammar School. 

Matthew Atkinson

Deputy Headteacher/Designated Safeguarding Lead

David Griffiths

Associate Assistant Headteacher - Attendance Lead

Bingley Grammar School