Dear Families,

Happy New Year. It has been wonderful to welcome our students back to school after the Christmas break. Thank you for your continued commitment to ensuring that they arrive in the correct uniform, with the required equipment and on time. We have had Year assemblies this week reflecting on what we are all going to do differently in 2025 and this has provoked some excellent conversations with students.

We wish our Year 11 and 13 good luck in their forthcoming mock examinations. 

Enrichment Clubs Continue

A reminder that we have over 100 activities after school each week, available at no cost to families. You can find out about our current offer on our website at www.tgschool.net/enrichment This current programme runs until Friday 31 January.

The co-curricular sessions, to support students in their subjects, also continue after school until 31 January.

Termly Competitions

A reminder to check the Termly Competitions page to see what ones are running - remember all entries count towards the House Cup - www.tgschool.net/competitions

Careers 

Please don’t miss all the latest apprenticeship adverts along with careers events, competitions and more in this week’s Careers Newsletter . Next week we have Atwells Solicitors visiting to talk about how the company and the law apprenticeships they are offering at the local law firm. Please sign up via your tutor or by emailing kosborne@tgschool.net.

Online Safety Newsletter - January 2025

This month's Online Safety newsletter is available on our website at www.tgschool.net/news/tgs-online-safety-newsletter-january-2025

It is particularly pertinent to families of children who received new electronic devices over the festive period. There are important reminders of age limits for popular applications as well as details about Monkey, a new chatroom type application.

Suffolk Parent Carer Forum - Monday 20 January

We have been asked to share information about the next online meeting of the SPCF on Monday 20th January. Contact details are on our website at www.tgschool.net/news/suffolk-parent-carer-forum-monday-20th-january 

Year 9 MenACWY/DTP Vaccinations

The school nursing team will be at TGS on Thursday 13th February to administer the MenACWY/DTP to Year 9 students - to give or refuse consent - please go to the link in this news article - www.tgschool.net/news/menacwy-dtp-vaccinations-year-9

Year 9 Spring Dates for Options Choices

Dear families of students in Year 9. This week in assembly we shared with students the timings for this terms consideration of option subject choices for Year 10. Our process has changed very little from last year, so you will find useful information at www.tgschool.net/KS4-options.

We will contact you before each event with more details, but you may wish to keep the following dates, which we shared at the start of year, available:

Y9 Subject Teacher Evening, 4:30 - 7:30

Weds 15 Jan

KS3 Family Forum: Options & Careers, 6pm

Tues 11 March

Y9 Assembly

Weds 12 March

Y9 Options Evening, 5-8pm

Thurs 20 March

Options Forms Submitted

Weds 2 April

Option choices confirmed

June

Year 9 progress checks give you an indication of which subjects students are doing particularly well in, and approaching most positively. The assembly also gave students the challenge to use this term well to consider carefully which subjects may bes support their future ambitions and current strengths. For this process tutors are your best point of contact for any questions.

Year 9 Subject Teacher Evening

Thank you to all of you who responded to our form to confirm your availability for our next subject teacher evening. We have made appointments for those of you who responded, and have started phoning parents of students where teachers fell that a conversation would be particularly helpful.

On Monday, once we have completed these phone calls, the booking system will be open from 6pm for you to make additional appointments with the staff who still have times available. The booking system will close again on Wednesday morning at 9AM so we can complete our plans for the evening. The booking system is http://tgschool.schoolcloud.co.uk 

If you would like any help in making appointments please contact Mrs Buckle by email to kbuckle@tgschool.net or call the school on 01787 375232.

These meetings can be a helpful part of the options process to hear about strengths from your child’s current teachers.

If you have any questions at anytime, please remember that teachers will respond to your emails.

Year 10 Predicted Grades & Agreed Personal Targets & Subject Teacher Evening

Year 10 students received their latest progress check today, following an assembly on Thursday. This assembly talked to them about the difference between a prediction from their teachers (which is based on assessments and work in lessons so far) and the agreed personal target which they will discuss and agree with teachers this term.

If you are new to GCSE gradings, a reminder that a grade 7 is broadly equivalent to a grade A at GCSE, and a grade 5 is almost a grade B, and a grade 4 is a grade C and is often valued by employers and colleges.

As well as information on students progress check you can find out more about predicted grades and agreed targets on our website at www.tgschool.net/assessment-ks4 

The Year 10 subject teacher evening on Thursday 30 January will be a useful event for you to meet some teachers face to face to talk about progress and suitable targets for your child, there will also be brief presentations and Q&A with staff in the main hall if you have any questions. Please keep this date available.

Year 10 Mock Interviews

Now that Year 10 students have received their GCSE predicted grades on Go4schools, and in a report today, please ensure your young person has revisited the google classroom (link to classroom emailed  to students today) to update their CV with the predicted grades and complete any outstanding work needed on their CV and cover letter. All documents need to be completed by February half term ahead of their mock interviews next term.  They have had at least two full lessons during IT lessons in Year 9 to compose their first draft copies. A homework task has been set for the year group on Go4schools.

Year 11 Mock Exams Reminders

Students in Year 11 were reminded about arrangements for their mock exams which start on Monday.

You are able to support your child by checking that they have the correct equipment, and a great start to each day. All students need at least a black pen, and benefit from bringing their own claculator and equipment in a clear pencil case.

Water can be brought into exams but must be in a clear bottle without any writing on. Our usual behaviour and uniform expectations apply to exams, and lessons continue as usual to support final preparations.

The list of exam times and days is on our website at https://tgschool.net/files/resources/2025-january-exams-plan.pdf 

We have reassured students that we do everything we can to ensure the best conditions for these important exams. This includes additional heaters in the hall for days which may be particularly cold.

We have also reminded them not to come across to the exam hall more than 5 minutes before the exam starts at 9:00 and 1pm. If they do feel the cold they are encouraged to consider a warm, but not visible, layer under their usual school uniform, as other items such as gloves and hoodies can not be worn in the exam hall. Blazers can then be removed and placed on chairs if they do feel too warm. If on any day we feel that the conditions are not suitable for an exam we will make arrangements to complete the exams in a different location or on a different day.

Students register with tutors as normal before coming to their exams at 9AM. At lunch students with a 1PM exam are able to leave lessons at 12:15 to have their lunch early in the Lightwell.

If your child is uwell please follow the usual systems in contating our attendance office by phone or email to attendance@tgschool.net - if students would still like to attend their exam, even if a little under the weather please also email our exams team exams@tgschool.net to let us know.

We wish all our year 11 students well as they make the final preparations to show all the progress they have made since the summer. Final revision resources and information is available at www.tgschool.net/revision with specific tasks also on Go4Schools.

Community Events

Finally, have been asked to share the following with you. Helen Rollason Cancer Charity is organising its annual Ride for Helen cycling event. It is a great family event with a range of route distances to suit all levels.  The money raised will go to support the provision of services to those living with cancer and further details of our charity can be found on our website www.helenrollason.org.uk or www.tgschool.net/news/ride-for-helen-2025-sunday-11th-may