Letters to Parents

13 November 2006

Dear Parents

COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS

At Doha College we are very aware that the community we serve places a high value on the importance of learning, and as a result the learning ethos is strong in our students and throughout the community.

Educational success for each student depends, at least in some part, on the involvement of their parents.  If a student sees that his/her parents are enthusiastic about education, they are far more likely to be well motivated and more interested and committed to learning.

For these reasons we consider our parents at Doha College to be vital partners in the education of all our students.  Our challenge as a College is to make sure that we engage and work, as effectively as possible, with parents as the foundation for our relationship, thereby securing a successful education for each student. “Excellence for All, Excellence from All” begins with the way we work together for the benefit of your child.

This is clearly laid out in the Home School Agreement which is currently included in all Secondary School Student Organisers. The parental entitlement and our expectations from parents are laid out below and would apply to all parents in Primary and Secondary.

Parents are entitled to expect:

·            that the school provides a happy, safe and caring environment conducive to good learning

·            teaching of a high standard

·            a courteous and sympathetic reception and hearing

·            that problems will be addressed and resolved quickly

·            to be consulted and involved

·            that confidentiality will be respected

that they will get information on:

·            how the school functions

·            how courses are structured

·            what homework to expect

·            extra-curricular activities

·            the annual calendar

·            who to contact if they are concerned or wish to make a complaint

·            their child’s academic achievement, progress and effort, personal development, conduct, attendance and punctuality

·            any cause for concern regarding their child

·            the school’s expectations

·            the functioning of the governing body

The school is entitled to expect that parents will:

·            help their child to achieve his or her potential by ensuring that homework is done to a good level;  that bags and books are organised and that they get a good nights sleep

·            support the school in its pursuit of excellence

·            keep us informed about matters affecting their son or daughter’s attendance, well-being, progress and happiness

·            share any matters of concerns openly with us

·            respond to our concern in a spirit of co-operation and understanding

·            ensure that their son or daughter attends school everyday on time

·            encourage their son or daughter to adhere to school’s code of conduct

We know that individual student’s progress is a key concern of parents. It is, therefore, essential that parents are aware that they need not wait for a scheduled Parents’ Evening or Report if they are concerned. Please contact us if you have any questions about your child’s progress; we will be delighted to help.

Ø          MONITORING DAYS

These are currently used in the Secondary section of the school, however in the future we are looking towards extending this system to the Primary.  The purpose of monitoring days is for the student, parents and form tutor to meet and discuss target grades that have been set and progress that the individual is making towards these targets. Additionally, broader issues would be discussed and it is an opportunity to highlight and discuss any general problems that the student might be experiencing so we can work towards strategies for resolving any issues.  Already we have amended timings to ensure that parents can attend, and we are improving the notice we give parents of appointment times.  Our target is 100 % parental attendance.

Ø          PARENTS’ EVENINGS

Parents’ evenings in Secondary are opportunities to meet individual subject teachers to discuss progress in relation to the target grades and discuss in detail any subject specific problems.

In Primary parents’ evenings are opportunities to meet with the class teacher and discuss targets, progress towards them and any broader issues.

In both Primary and Secondary Parents’ Evenings are planned to take place at the best time educationally for each year group.  For September 2007 we are planning start-of-the-year-meet-the-tutor sessions for year groups in the Secondary section.

Ø          INTERIM REPORTS

Interim reports are currently issued once per year in the Secondary school and consist of effort, attainment and target grades from subject teachers in addition to an overall tutor comment. Interim reports are issued prior to the monitoring days.

Ø          FULL WRITTEN REPORTS

These are issued towards the end of the academic year and are a summative record of progress over the year. In Secondary they include full written comments from subject teachers and the tutor.  In Primary the bulk of the reports will be written by the class teacher with some comments from subject specialists in areas such as Music, ICT and French.

Ø          CALLING HOME

In the Secondary school the rewards and sanctions policy has been updated to reflect the focus on high standards delivered through the 4 As.  The full policy is included in all Student Organisers but our standard policy is for the Assistant Principal with responsibility for Student Services to telephone every parent when their son/daughter receives a detention in relation to work or behaviour and thus keep them fully informed.  Calls can also be made to acknowledge when a student has done something positive or special, and inform parents.

Ø          CALLING SCHOOL

We welcome telephone calls from parents regarding any issues.  A personal phone call is most appreciated and a very effective method of communicating with regard to individual issues.

Unless it is a major issue it is best to communicate first with the subject or class teacher, but if you feel the situation is still not resolved or it is a more significant problem then it is better to communicate with the Subject or Key Stage Leader or the Assistant Principal – Student Services or the Assistant Principal – Primary.

If you are still unhappy with the situation or it is a major issue then we would expect you to communicate with the Vice Principal – Head of School or, in the final instance, with the Principal.

We can assure you that all phone calls will be taken seriously and responded to within a reasonable period of time.  If this is not the case then it is important you report your concerns so we can improve our service.

Ø          THE STUDENT ORGANISER AND STUDENT DIARY

The student organiser is given to all students in Secondary.  In addition to containing some essential information it also has a section every week for parent/teacher communications.  This offers an opportunity for a teacher to raise any issues, positive or negative, and for the parent to communicate in writing with the form tutor or subject teacher.

In Primary, teachers and parents communicate regularly with each other in a variety of ways.  In Early Years, a new Parents’ Communication Book has been recently introduced.  This book enables teachers or parents to make contact with each other without meeting each other face to face to raise any concerns or comments.

In Key Stage 1, a Reading Diary is sent home each day for parents to read and make comments.  This Diary is used by both teachers and parents as an effective communication tool to keep abreast of any issues relating to reading and any other general concerns they may have.

In Key Stage 2, Homework Diaries are sent home each day and parents are encouraged to read and sign each day. This diary is also used to inform parents of specialist lessons, individual targets for Core Subjects and any other issues relating to their child’s progress.

Ø          THE INDIVIDUAL REPORT

Sometimes there are issues with individual students where it is felt appropriate to place the student on a daily report or produce an interim written report for the parents.  This is usually the case where there are fairly serious academic or behavioural concerns and the intention is to keep the parents fully informed.

Ø          THE INDIVIDUAL MEETING

Difficult issues are often best discussed on a face to face basis and in many cases where more serious concerns have been identified we would arrange a meeting with the relevant people to try and resolve the problem as soon as possible.

Ø          E-MAIL

Individual staff contact details are available through the website and staff, particularly those in senior positions, can be e-mailed directly with any concerns or issues you wish to raise.  However, in the age of electronic communication it is probably best to remember that more difficult and sensitive issues are still best handled by word of mouth rather than through the electronic medium where the message can become blurred and misunderstanding can quickly arise.

Ø          SMS MESSAGING

You will have just received forms asking for any changes to your personal information.  Once all this information is on our management information system we will be able to send out blanket SMS messages to all parents if there are vital reminders or messages to communicate.

In large organisations communication is an area that is often criticised and we accept there are always ways that we can improve.  This letter sets out our communication procedures in a formal document and a copy of this will also be posted on our website so you can refer back to it in the future.

As this is such a key issue we would appreciate you completing the reply slip below and also adding any comments or suggestions as to how we can further improve.

Yours sincerely

John Lawson                                      David Greetham

Principal                                            Vice Principal – Head of School

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Name of Student: ……………………………………………………………    Form: ……………..

Parental Signature: …………………………………………………………

Comments/Suggestions as how we can further improve communication