Perspective

I look forward to welcoming you to the Middle School at Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School. I am Head of Middle School, working in tandem with a strong team of Form Tutors; together we take an integrated approach to pastoral and academic care, through which we provide scaffolded support so that we can create an overview of your academic and personal development. We want to empower you to mature and grow in independence while also ensuring that we offer a healthy framework to support you during your GCSEs.

Your Form Tutor is the linchpin and should be the first point of contact for you and / or your parents in the event of enquiries or issues arising. I oversee the Form Tutor team and I am, in turn, responsible to Mr Yates, Assistant Head, Pastoral and Mr Williams Head of Boys' School.

Self-motivation and resilience are important aspects of learning at GCSE level. At the start of Year 10, an afternoon session with a prominent revision and study skills specialist organisation will begin to emphasise the importance of independent learning in the quest for excellence at GCSE. We understand the benefits of self-motivation and so you will be asked to undertake further reflection about your expectations and ways in which you can set some realistic goals.

Setting the goals is the easy part; putting a system in place to support you in those is where our experienced tutor team steps in. Form Tutors will closely monitor achievement and effort and offer strategies to support you in getting the most out of the education you are offered at Merchant Taylors’. You will be able to discuss our expectations of you and your reflection, with me and with senior academic staff.

We will guide you in terms of study skills and support you to ensure that you put in maximum effort. You are welcome to attend all clinics and work sessions and are reminded that the Library is also open until 5.30pm every evening; this is a quiet space, conducive to work and staffed at all times.

Linear examinations have now replaced the modular courses, and this has an impact on the way you will need to approach the course; students can no longer ‘chunk learn’. You will now face the pressure that arises from sitting terminal examinations – in other words, you will be assessed at the end of the two-year course rather than in modular units along the way. The impact of this is huge and means that your ability to be driven and be organised is crucial.

Rest assured, as in Lower School, your academic progress is recorded and reported on by subject teachers; in the Middle School, you will receive Anticipated Attainment Grades half-termly from the end of the Winter Term in Year 10 These attainments grades will be presented in terms of GCSE grading (9-1 for most subjects). As an indication of how you are working and of the learning habits you are developing, you will continue to receive Attitude to Learning grades on the half-termly grade card. This system enables effective monitoring of academic standards in order that intervention strategies can be adopted when we notice issues arising. This can be stressful, but it is the purpose of the Middle School team to ensure that you feel supported through a potentially stressful period in your education.

A full mock programme is offered in the Spring Term of Year 11 which replicates the situation you will find during public examinations. Comprehensive feedback is provided by subject teachers and your overall profile is analysed by me – follow up meetings take place in the week after half term, where necessary. It is our aim to enable you to achieve the best grades you are capable of and we are experienced in identifying areas of weakness and supporting you through that.

There continues to be a strong focus on PHSE; the topics are relevant to young men in the 21st Century and include the dangers of substance abuse, the perils of social media and study skills for linear examinations.

Above all, we want you to feel comfortable approaching us with any issues you may have and we are also keen to celebrate your successes, academic or otherwise. Please do let us know of extra-curricular achievements that we may not otherwise be aware of

We do have high expectations of our Middle School pupils and we expect adherence to our code of conduct, which is found in the pupil handbook, but we also understand that this is a challenging time in your lives and we want you to feel safe to approach us with anything you wish to discuss. I look forward to getting to know you all and wish you a fulfilling and fruitful time in Middle School.

Mr R. Fawcett, Head of Middle School

r.fawcett@merchanttaylors.com