Year 10

Welcome to Year 10

This year the focus is for your children to settle into the subject choices they made in year 9 and start working towards achieving their GCSE qualifications.

In order to achieve outstanding grades, students need to embed mature attitudes and commitment towards their new courses. Students will follow a linear assessment schedule which means their GCSE exams will take place in the summer of 2024. English and Mathematics will continue to be a key feature across all your children’s GCSE subjects. Year 10 is an exciting time in your children’s academic journey; a time for them to develop their learning from key stage three and progress towards their aspirations and future successes. We expect students to develop independence and resilience in their learning. It is essential that students maintain outstanding attendance, punctuality and work in lessons.  All homework tasks must be completed on time and to the best of the students’ abilities.

Gaynes School aims to support all students’ learning and to ensure that they all reach their full potential. Form tutors will monitor how students use their planners and advise them on areas concerning personal organisation and academic progress.

Students must actively take ownership of the final phase of their compulsory schooling, producing their best work at all times.  We will also ask parents to support the school and their child by:

• Making sure that your child maintains outstanding attendance and punctuality
• Checking your child’s homework diary every day
• Checking your child’s exercise book to make sure that they have completed their classwork and homework
• Discussing their work with them, always encouraging them to produce their best
• Signing the student planner every week to show that you are happy with their work
• Supporting our code of conduct and our positive “can do” ethos
• Staying in contact with us whenever you have any concerns that you would like to discuss.

If we have any concerns about your child’s progress, we will contact you either by phone or letter.  We like to keep parents as involved in their child’s education as possible, so a phone call does not necessarily mean that there is a major issue, just that we would like to discuss something with you.  We will also phone or write to you to congratulate your child when they have done something well. 

In school, we aim to nurture students towards success and support them at every opportunity to enhance their learning. We instil British values during PSCHE and assemblies to prepare them for life in modern Britain and for careers beyond their time as a student.  There will be events throughout the year which aim to develop students’ understanding of the choices that they should make for life after school.  Our extracurricular programme allows students to be involved in activities outside of their academic subjects such as sports, arts, sciences, drama and musical clubs. Students’ will also be given the opportunity to attend useful revision classes leading up to their GCSE examinations. 

All students must follow the school Code of Conduct and be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing to ensure that they maximise their opportunities to succeed. Sanctions are used if students do not meet our high standards and parents are asked to support us in the application of these sanctions.

Your child should expect to be set homework on a weekly basis; this should be completed without exception. As parents and carers, it is important to provide children with a quiet and safe environment in which this can be done.

Gaynes School is proud of its substantial improvement in GCSE results over the past few years, since it became part of the Loxford Schools Trust.  We look forward to your year group taking our results even higher.

Mr. D Turner-Monk

Deputy Headteacher