Key Stage 3

1. Bronze, Silver or Gold. 

Your daughter will have been placed in one of the following bands based on her academic performance. As you will be aware the first five years of your daughter’s schooling leads  to GCSE examinations.  It is helpful for parents to have an idea of the sort of grades that a student is on track for and so we have put together this system to help you and your daughter stay on track and to be successful.  Please note, these bands are not set in stone and will be reviewed at the end of each year.

 

Bronze	They are  aiming for GCSE grades 3-5 in this subject.
Silver	They are  aiming for  GCSE grades 5-7 in this subject.
Gold	They are  aiming for GCSE  grades 7-9 in this subject.

 

2. Within the Bronze Silver or Gold bands your daughter’s academic progress will be graded.

 

Above Expected	They are working at the top end of the grade range.
Expected	They are working within this grade range
Below Expected	They are working below this grade range.
Cause for Concern	There are serious concerns about their progress in this subject.

 

3. They will also continue to receive an Attitude to Learning grade.

 

Outstanding	They are well prepared for lessons, always do their  homework, and are committed and ready to learn.  They also sometimes do ‘extra’ that really improves their work.
Good	They are well prepared for lessons, always do their homework, and are committed and ready to learn.
Needs improvement	There are aspects of their attitude that need improvement.
Cause for Concern	There are serious concerns about their readiness to learn.

 

4.  A Target for Improvement. 

This target for each subject will help your daughter focus on what it is she needs to improve upon to make more progress in the next academic year. This will be on the end of year report only.

Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9)

When you will get the report	What will be on the report
End of Christmas Term	Bronze Sliver Gold/ ATL / Progress
End of Spring term	ATL/ Progress
End of the Academic Year	ATL Progress Target Y7 and 8 Exam % and class average

 

For Subjects on a carousel the students will get a ATL and Progress score for the subject they have studied that term.  There won’t be a Target for these subjects as this will be on Google Classroom. 

 

Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)

At the start of Key Stage 4 your daughter will be given a target grade in each of her subjects.  

She will be given Attitude to Learning grades in the same way as KS3 and Working at and Predicted Grades will all be GCSE grades 1-9.

When you will get the report	What will be on the report
End of Christmas Term in Year 10	Target grades/Attitude to Learning/Working at Grade/Predicted GCSE Grade
End of Spring Term in Year 10	Target grades/Attitude to Learning/Working at Grade/Predicted GCSE Grade
May half term	Y 10 Exam Grades
End of Summer Term in Year 10	Target grades/Attitude to Learning/Working at Grade/Predicted GCSE Grade Target for Improvement from each subject.
December	Y 11 Mock grades
End of Christmas Term in Year 11	Target grades/Attitude to Learning/Working at Grade/Predicted GCSE Grade
End of Spring Term in Year 11	Target grades/Attitude to Learning/Working at Grade/Predicted GCSE Grade

Key Stage 5 (Years 12-13)

At the start of Key Stage 5 your daughter will be given a Target grade called Alps.  She will also be given an ATL which is slightly different to KS3 and 4.  Her Predicted Grade will be grades A*-E.

‘Academic concern’ tells us if we are concerned that she will not make her target grade.

When you will get the report	Year	What will be on the report
October half term	12	Alps ATL
	13	ATL PG
End of Christmas Term	12	ATL Academic concern,WA
	13	ATL PG (carried over)
March	12	ATL Academic concern
	13	ATL Mock grades PG
May	12	ATL Academic concern
June	12	ATL Mock grades PG

FAQs

Can my daughter achieve higher levels than her Bronze or Silver targets?

Yes! If she consistently exceeds progress expectations, her target can be raised to keep her motivated and challenged.

My daughter is on a Bronze, does this mean low expectations?

Definitely not! Progress takes time and some students develop higher academic skills as they enter puberty. Their targets are based on their KS2 scores and CATS. At Holy Cross our students consistently achieve higher than national data so we will challenge and encourage her to aspire as high as she can.

Should I be concerned if my daughter does well in one report but not so well in the next one?

Not always. Sometimes a student will perform less well in one assessment than another. Please contact her teacher to find out why there was a dip. If there is a pattern of Below Expected Progress in a number of subjects, please contact your daughter’s tutor to arrange for intervention.

Why do we have Attitude to Learning as well as progress on reports?

Attitude to learning is an indicator of the level of your daughter’s commitment to learning. It includes their focus and contributions in lessons, their willingness to respond to feedback about their learning, and the effort evident in their classwork and homework.

What happens if her progress is good but her Attitude to Learning is not Good or Outstanding?

If a student receives 3 or more “Needs improvement” or ‘Cause for Concern’ on her report then she will automatically go on Tutor Report and her Attitude to Learning will be reviewed at the next report point. If her ATL does not improve she will then be escalated to Director of Year intervention.

What can I do as a parent to support?

Parental support has a strong influence. We recommend that you sit down with your daughter and look at her books with her. Ask her to explain what she has learnt in her assessments and what she finds difficult. Try to create a quiet place where she can study, and make sure she gets down to work as soon as possible when she comes home in the afternoons. Check her homework planner regularly to see if she is doing her homework. Make sure she revises the work done in class – it is important to read again or make study notes on what she has learnt in order to consolidate it in her memory. Ensure that her phone is not in use when she is doing homework. If you have any concerns at all, either contact her tutor if it is a general worry or the relevant Head of Department or subject teacher if it is more specific.