Headmaster's End of Spring Term Letter

27th March 2009


Dear Parents

Spring Term News-Update

Parent / Pupil Survey
Parents and pupils will recall completing a questionnaire back in January to enable us to judge how well the school is performing and to what degree we are providing a good quality of education for our children. We have just received the results from Kirkland Rowell, the agency tasked with compiling the data. The results themselves run to four volumes, each an inch thick, consequently at this stage I can really only provide you with a summary of your responses. We shall be working on the data over the Easter holidays and will publish more thorough details of the survey to parents and pupils in the Summer term as well as make the information available via the school intranet and at the “Headmaster’s Question Time” session on Wednesday, 17th June.

With regard to academic subjects
Senior parents are most happy with ICT, CCF and Maths. They are least happy with Geography, History and DT.

Junior (& KG) parents are most happy with French, Music and ICT. They are least happy with Art, English-reading & English speaking & listening.

Pupils said they are making good progress in English, Maths and ICT. Least progress in French, RE and Music.

I must point out at this stage that it is probably unfair to identify and single out academic subjects and suggest that they are not doing a good job. All of this data needs to be taken in context. The actual scores show that there are parents and pupils who feel that all of our subjects perform very well. If I use the Senior school as an example: we see that DT has the lowest “satisfaction” rating: with 68% of parents who believe that DT is “very good or good” and only 16% “very poor or poor”. Viewed in isolation; a rating of 68% very good/good tells us that the DT department does a very good job compared with other schools. Indeed, its examination record is second to none and consistently gets the best performing GCSE records in the school.

The figures for Geography (72% good vs. 10% poor) and History (75%good vs. 10% poor) are similar. The top subject was English (83% good vs. 2% poor). There is only a 14% difference between DT and English but as with any race someone has to come first and last even if all of the competitors are Olympic standard athletes. It doesn’t mean that any of the competitors are poor at what they do!

When we are able to publish the actual “tables” and data on the Intranet hopefully parents, pupils and staff will be able to read the data in more detail and have a better understanding of what the data means.

With regard to non-academic areas
Senior parents are most happy with school discipline, community spirit and developing moral values. They are least happy with choice of subjects, school facilities and availability of resources. Top priority for improvement is choice of subjects.

Junior (& KG) parents are most happy with class sizes, developing confidence, and out-of-school activities. They are least happy with library facilities, school facilities and social, health education. Top priority for improvement is school facilities.

Pupils are most happy with computer access, careers advice, and school communication. They are least happy with choice of subjects, happiness of the child and exam results. Top priority for improvement is choice of subjects.

Staff are most happy with school discipline, community spirit and truancy control. Staff are least happy with choice of subjects, school facilities and social, health education. Top priority for improvement is school facilities.

When asked “what are your core priorities for the school”

3 most important
priorities 3 least important
priorities
Senior parents School discipline
Teaching quality
Happiness of child
Truancy control
Social, health education
Community spirit
Junior (& KG) parents Happiness of child
School discipline
Teaching quality
Library
Social health education
Exams & tests
Pupils Happiness of child
Control of bullying
School discipline
Truancy control
Developing moral values
Community spirit
Staff School discipline
Happiness of child
Teaching quality
Truancy control
Careers advice
Social, health education

While this summary is only a small part of the data and results available it still allows us to see that there are common factors that are important to nearly all of us particularly ensuring our children are happy. Part of that process is a fair and stable disciplinary regime. We can also identify common areas for improvement. The demand for better facilities and resources will hopefully be met by the new school which we hope to begin building later this year. We are already working on various models to enable better subject choice at GCSE and hope to introduce more choice within the next few years.

In the meantime I would like to thank everyone who responded to the questionnaires. I appreciate that they are a bit time-consuming but they are important as they enable us to know how parents, pupils and staff feel we are doing in our efforts to provide a good quality of education. By learning what we do well we can hopefully carry on doing so. And by learning what we need to do better we can put plans in place to improve our overall level of service.

It also allows parents to see what everyone else thinks of the school. Occasionally individual parents may hold very strong views on a particular topic, be quite vocal about it, and may think that their views are shared by others. They can often then show frustration when the school is disinclined to share their views or to act upon them. Surveys, such as this, help to establish, with a degree of accuracy, what is going on and also people’s views over a range of topics. This helps us all to better understand the situation and to see whether our views are shared by others. Everyone has their own views on a topic, and not everyone will necessarily agree with these views. From the school’s point of view it is impractical for us to try and meet everyone’s individual needs and demands. Fortunately, most people understand this.

Surveys such as this allow us to identify the strength of feeling on a particular topic and to take action where a significant proportion of parents or pupils hold such a view. For example; I get many people complaining about homework. However, I get as many who complain that we set too much as I get complaints that we don’t set enough! The result is we are probably getting it about right although clearly not everyone is satisfied. If a majority of people were complaining of too much (or too little) homework then we would then have an obvious mandate to do something about it and take action. So please bear this in mind. If you are unhappy with part of our service please let us know and, if we can we will put it right. Sometimes though, our views may differ and we can’t always meet everyone’s individual needs especially, when they conflict with the needs of the majority of other parents and pupils.

School Fees
Attached with this letter is a document setting out the tuition fees and other expenses for the next academic year. In setting the fees for next year the Governors are mindful of the current economic situation and have introduced the lowest fee increase for nine years with an average increase of 5.5%.

It is important that we continue to develop and improve the facilities, resources and the quality of everything here. The education of our children is very important and I’m sure that parents do not wish their children’s progress to suffer or for their education to be restricted for the duration of any economic recession. A year or two is a long time in a child’s development and it is important that we do not cut back or restrict anything which helps our children learn effectively.

Development Plan
In our development plan for 2009–10 we shall be introducing a number of improvements to the school. There will be further expansion of ICT as a teaching resource throughout the school. This will mean a better Intranet and network access from home as well as at school. A new, wired, network and junior school ICT suite. We shall also be looking at other ways of stretching the achievements of all of our pupils. We are beginning the planning process for a new language lab to improve our teaching of French in the future. We will also be exploring in more detail; other ways to improve subject choice options at GCSE. We are already committed to expanding Art into the Senior school from September.

Development Expenditure
In the meantime, we are also aware, in setting our fees for this year, of the need to continue the development of the new school which, all being well, should begin construction later this year. We have always tried to ensure that existing parents don’t have to pay excessively for the new school. By this we mean that we don’t expect or intend to impose burdensome fee increases much over and above the operating costs of the school.

I’m sure everyone understands that the school has to pay for the new school over time from its income. Just as a family will pay the cost of their house through a monthly mortgage payment. At Gad’s our income is derived solely from school fees and existing parents and pupils are benefitting from the existing school facilities, which were paid for by parents whose children have long since left the school.

As an example; all pupils who are at school now; benefit from the use of the Hewlett Pavilion. This relatively new building, which contains our ICT suites, Design & Technology workshop, design studio and one of our science laboratories, was built in 2003-04. It was paid for from the tuition fees paid by parents whose children attended the school at that time. I dare say some of those parents would argue that they paid for something that their children didn’t use. Although, I’m sure that their children benefited from some part of the school which was paid for by a previous generation of pupils and their parents.

The point is that all independent schools include, within their tuition fees, a degree of provision for future developments and Gad’s is no exception. We have to take the long view and to plan for the future as well as look after our current generation of pupils. No organisation survives by standing still! We must always strive for better!

Save Money on School Fees
There is one way in which parents can save a substantial amount of money on school fees. This option has become more common-place during the economic downturn and more and more parents are taking advantage of it.

People with savings are realising that having money in the bank and only earning 1% interest (or worse!) is hardly worth doing. If you want to use any surplus cash such as this and make it work better for you then you might want to consider using it to pay off future school fees and immune yourself to future fee increases. If you pay up-front you pay at the tuition fee rate in force at that time.

For example: A parent with two children in year 7 and with five years left to complete their education at Gad’s can pay off all five years at today’s fee rate. This means that if future fees rise at (say) 5% per annum they would save £6666.36 over the five years. The table below (based on 2009 – 10 fees) explains in more detail.


Total if fees
paid each term
(assumes 5% fee increase / yr) Total if fees
paid in advance
Saving
One child: Yr7 – Yr11
(5 years at school)
£43,050 £ 39,717 £ 3,333.
One child: KR – Yr11
(12 years at school)
£ 114,508 £ 90,807 £ 23, 701

Obviously each parent’s circumstances are different and the example is only an illustration. However, the Bursary are happy to provide individual quotes should anyone wish. The advantage for the school is that it has cash in the bank which helps our cash flow and the school can also benefit from more generous commercial interest rates than most individuals. If you’d like more information give the Bursary a call.

New School
As I have mentioned earlier in this letter plans are still in place for construction of the new school to commence late in 2009. We clearly wish to avoid any disruption to the function of the school and need to give some thought to things like the car park, entry and exit and safety. As such we shall arrange nearer the time an exhibition to explain whatever arrangements will be put in place during the construction phase to keep us all safe and the school operating as usual.

Contactpoint/Child Database
Legislation has been passed requiring Local Authorities to set up and run a nationwide database which will contain basic details about every child and young person under the age of 18. This database is to be known as ContactPoint. Alongside the child’s demographic information, it will contain the name and contact details of professionals working with them, creating in effect each child’s personal “telephone directory”. The purpose of the database is said to be to enable practitioners working with children to find out quickly who is working with the same child. This is with a view to saving many wasted hours of practitioner time which can then be better spent in service delivery.

The school is required to make certain information available to the Local Authority to enable this information to be loaded onto the database. At the time of writing we have not yet been approached by the local authority but I expect them to do so in the next few months. In the meantime, the school is obliged to provide parents with information about Contactpoint and this database. We are in receipt of a rather lengthy document which I have not enclosed, however, if parents wish to know more about “Contactpoint” you may view that document on the school’s website at www.gadshill.org.

Staff News
Mr Anthony Vaughan will be leaving us at the end of the Summer term for a new post in Hampshire, nearer to where he graduated. We wish him well. A replacement for the PE post will be made during the summer term.

We welcome Captain Nick Hill as our new CCF Contingent Commander. Capt Hill will take up his post on the 1st April having completed a six month tour of duty in Afghanistan. He has extensive knowledge and experience of training and organisation at various levels of education; he held the post of Assistant Chief Instructor at Frimley Cadet Training Centre. I am sure you will join me in welcoming Capt Hill to Gad’s Hill School.

Summer Uniform
The children must return to school on Monday 20th April in summer uniform. As a reminder:

All Kindergarten & Junior Girls wear summer dresses, blazer (+ cardigan, if cold), short white socks and boater.

All Kindergarten & Junior Boys wear shorts, beige short socks, short sleeved shirt, school tie, blazer (+ pullover if cold) and school cap.

There are fewer changes for the seniors with the girls wearing short white socks or plain, neutral tights. Both boys and girls wear short sleeve shirts in place of long sleeve shirts. Cardigans or pullovers may be worn if the weather is cold.

All pupils must continue to wear school blazers to and from school.

Pupils must continue to wear the school, colours, scholars or prefects tie. With the exception of girls in the Kindergarten & Juniors who will be wearing a summer dress.

Forthcoming Events
Please make a note in your diary. In most cases a letter giving more details of the event will circulate nearer the time for the parents of those children involved.
 Class Photographs Fri 15th May
 L5th Work Experience week w/c Mon 1st June
 Study leave (U5) From Mon 1st June
 CCF Field day (L4–L5) Wed 10th June
 KG Sports Day 2pm, Mon 22nd June
 Junior Sports Day 2pm, Tues 23rd June
 Senior Sports Day 2pm Wed 24th June
 CCF Camp Sun 28th June – Sat 4th July
 Induction Day Thurs 25th June
 Activity Days w/c Mon 6th July
 KG Prize Giving 2pm Thurs 9th July, School Hall
 Junior Prize Giving 6.30pm Thurs 9th July,
Royal Dockyard Church
 Senior School Prom 7-10pm Thurs 9th July
 KG Ball 4-6pm Fri 10th July
 Senior Prize Giving 7pm Fri 10th July, Royal Dockyard Church
 Junior School Ball 7-9pm Fri 10th July
 Summer Ball (Adults & Leavers) 7.30pm Sat 11h July

SOS Rugby Kit Aid - Boot Amnesty
The PE department are taking part in the SOS Rugby Kit Aid charity. This is a charity that aims to help develop rugby in developing and emerging nations by passing on old, outgrown or unwanted kit. This season the appeal is for boots. Many children learning the game in emerging Rugby Nations do not have access to boots and will have to play the game barefoot. The request is to donate any old, unwanted or spare boots that you may have lying around the house, in the garage or cluttering the attic. Mums, now is your chance to get rid of those old boots that sit by the back door or in the porch and just get in your way. All you have to do is bring them into school and hand them into the PE office and a representative of SOS Kit aid will collect them. The only condition is that the boots must be clean, for reasons of health and safety.

Congratulations
Omar Woodrow-Thorne, L4W who achieved first place at the National Swimming and Lifeguard Championships in Sheffield. There he came first, breaking the National U15 record in the process. As well as being the new National Champion Omar has been selected to commence training with the Great Britain team. The sport combines competitive swimming together with lifesaving. Competitors have to swim a certain distance at speed before diving, swimming submerged and recovering a mannequin before towing it to safety. The competition involves a number of lifesaving techniques as well as endurance swimming.

Claire Tottman, L5M and Kristy Deacon, U5J formed the first ever Gad’s show jumping team. Claire came first in her individual event with Kristy second place in her class.

Alex Relf, U5D on winning the 9th annual Spring Music Festival. Senior Best Girl went to Abigail Meade, U5D and Best Boy to Matthew Crane, U5D. Overall KG and Junior winner was Robert Hunt, J5. KG and Junior Best Girl went to Olivia Thompson, J5 and Best Boy Antony Cambridge, ReV. The trophies were kindly donated by Lord and Lady Brighouse and Mr and Mrs Hunt.

I trust you will all have a pleasant Easter holiday. I look forward to seeing all of our pupils again on Monday 20th April.

Yours sincerely

DGC