Facilities and Support
Jump to: facilities, supporting the curriculum or supporting your child.
The school has extensive facilities based in six buildings. In 2003/4 a new dining hall was added which more than doubled the capacity of the previous facility. Each subject has its own suite of teaching rooms, and the science department has 14 well-equipped laboratories.
A large art and design block houses specialist accommodation for art and technology, including food technology rooms, a kiln and a photographic dark room.
Sports facilities are of the highest quality. On site, these include a large sports hall, weights room, rugby and football pitches, a well-equipped gymnasium, floodlit tennis courts, and an artificial cricket wicket. The school also has use of a synthetic athletics track and all-weather hockey pitch at the nearby Outdoor Centre, plus the swimming pool at the Leisure Centre. By arrangement with the local authority, the school can use these facilities until 5.00pm, after which they are available for community use.
Performing arts are well provided for, with a purpose-built drama studio in the Leisure Centre, and a music suite including practice rooms and a performance space. A scene from the 2003 school production, A Midsummer Night's Dream, is shown to the left.
The Resource Centre is open daily from 8.00am until 3.50pm and welcomes students throughout the day and after school. Students will find a bright, spacious area where they can do research, complete coursework and homework, borrow and return resources. The Resource Centre is much more than just a library, with over 11,000 items, including books, audio and video tapes and DVDs available to borrow plus a reference section. There are 16 computers with flat screen monitors that can be used by students during lesson times, break and lunchtimes and before and after school. All the applications on the school network are available in the Resource Centre including the school's intranet, known as the 'Learning Zone' and the Internet. Students can use the designated computer to search SEARCHSTAR, the database of all items held in the Resource Centre. The Resource Centre�s own intranet page is developing all the time and provides links to websites covering numerous topics plus important information.
Information and communication technology (ICT) facilities are developing all the time. The whole-school PC network, shared with Adult and Community Education, can be accessed from 10 ICT suites as well as the Resource Centre. Many departments also have laptops and other computers in their teaching areas. Items of ICT equipment, including interactive whiteboards, digital cameras and multimedia projectors, are available for use throughout the school to enhance teaching and learning, including some public areas such as the main hall.
Information and Communications Technology
All students are allocated individual user
names and passwords to allow access to a range of applications, including the
Microsoft Office and Macromedia suites, photo and graphic manipulation
software, department specific software, as well as the school Intranet and the
world wide web. They have their own area for storing work, as well as an
individual school email address through a �Digital Brain� account. Access to
curriculum resources is through the school �Learning Zone� - an internal
web-based section of the intranet. Resources are also available through the
school�s "Extranet"
-
click here.
Computers are available for use at breaks, lunchtime and after school in the
Resource Centre and through a number of clubs.
The Resource Centre
Year 7
students are introduced to the
Resource Centre at the beginning of Year 7, with one of the many
resource-based learning projects that they will be involved in
throughout their time at school. Projects encourage students to use a
wide variety of resources such as encyclopaedias, the Internet, CD-ROMs
and books. Students are taught the independent research skills that
help in lifelong learning.
The Resource Centre is open for parents to
visit as part of the Year 6 into 7 Evening in July. Parents/carers can look at
newly purchased resources and see examples of the information skills materials
that will be used with Year 7.
Parents are encouraged to take an active part in supporting their
children�s learning and homework. The Resource Centre, along with many
out-of-school-hours clubs and activities, shows how the school supports
children and parents.
Supporting your child
You will want to ensure that your child
makes a good start to their secondary education and that this continues
throughout their time at St Ivo. Ways that you can do
this include: Providing them with a
place at home to do their homework and to keep their books
Helping them make sure they bring
everything they need for their lessons each day
Taking an interest in what they have done,
and in their homework
Helping them to use their planner well
Each child is provided with a St Ivo
planner in which to record their homework. Students are also encouraged
to use their planners to note in any achievements (in or out of school),
and to write down anything they need to remember. There is also a
section for them to write any comments on each week, and to set
themselves targets. The targets do not need to be huge: examples might
include remembering PE kit, asking for help with something they have
found difficult, learning a few spellings, putting their hand up at
least twice in class discussion, or making a special effort with a
particular homework. This planner is a three-way process; student
co-operation, parental supervision and the tutor overseeing this by
signing the planner weekly. It is important that this system is
maintained to keep the whole process running smoothly and any problems
can then be spotted quickly.
If you have concerns about your child or their work, their form tutor is usually
the most appropriate person to contact, either via the planner, or by leaving a
telephone message. Your child�s form tutor sees them every day, and will be
looking at planners regularly. For serious or urgent matters, it is usually
best to contact the Head of Year or Assistant Head of Year. When telephoning
the school, it is helpful if you can say what tutor group your child is in.
Assessment
Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning, and students' work will
be regularly assessed, informally and formally. Students of all abilities have
a range of opportunities to show what they can do. We aim to involve students
in their own assessment, by making them aware of the criteria by which their
work will be assessed. Books are marked regularly, and oral or written feedback
is designed to be helpful and constructive. In Key Stage 3, each department
will have identified points in the year when students are encouraged to reflect
upon their progress, often following
completion of a major piece of work.
Records of
Progress
Please note that Records of Progress are being reviewed - more information to
follow.
Students will have a Record of Progress
to bring home to their parents/carers once during each year. This is to give a
full picture of each student's current strengths and future needs. For each
subject, the teacher will write about what has been achieved, and
three overall targets
will be set to improve future
performance. At the end of Key Stage 3, the Record of
Progress will
give parents/carers the levels achieved in
National Curriculum core and
foundation subjects. At the end of Key Stage
4, each student receives a Progress
File which shows the achievements of the student during their five years at St
Ivo.
Parents and carers are asked to discuss their child's Record of
Progress with them, and can respond on
the sheet provided if they wish. The targets are designed to be specific things
so that the student can improve their
performance. Students should be
encouraged to follow the targets up over a
period of time.
Parents/Carers Evenings
At least one evening is held for each year group, when students book
appointments for their parents/carers to see their subject teachers. In
addition, there is an opportunity in the first term of Year 7 for parents/carers
to see their child's form teacher to discuss how their child is settling in.
There is also a curriculum evening for parents/carers of Year 9 students, where
GCSE courses are described and explained, an open evening for students
considering continuing into the Sixth Form, and a higher education evening for
Sixth Formers. In addition a "Parents/Carers as Tutors" evening is held during
the October of Year 10 to help parents/carers understand what they can do to
support their child's Year 10 studies. In June, parents/carers of Year 6
students who will be joining St Ivo's Year 7, are invited to an evening at the
school to find out how they can work together with the school staff to enable
their children to make a smooth transition into secondary education.
Websites
The school recommends the following websites for both pupils and parents:
S-Cool (revision website)
Top Marks (revision website)
Childnet "Know IT All" - a guide for parents'/carers' to getting the most out of the internet and keeping children safe online.
"A Guide to Rough Times" - a guide for young people on looking after emotional well-being when times are difficult (PDF document).