V Final

Dear Parents, It gives me much pleasure to welcome you as Form V parents to the academic year 2021/22. We hope that the year ahead will enable us all to have a return to some sort of post-Covid normality.

We believe that the close link between school and home is of vital importance in ensuring the progress of your daughter during her time with us. At Queen’s Gate we pride ourselves on developing life-long learners. Of particular importance is learning how to embrace the academic and social challenges with which our girls meet on their school journeys. By fostering determination and resilience we believe that, at Queen’s Gate, we equip your daughter with the skills to enable her to succeed not just at school but also for the rest of her life.

This booklet is designed to provide you with as much information as possible so that you have a sound understanding of what goes on during the school day and can support us in providing your daughter with the highest standard of education.

General information about the School is followed by details of the curriculum which your daughter will follow during this academic year.

As you are aware in Form V, your daughter will begin her GCSE course in each of her chosen subjects. It is important for her to establish an effective work routine right from the start, as time slips away all too quickly. In a number of subjects, she will be required to complete some coursework early in the Course and these will contribute to her final GCSE grade. Effective organisation of work and other activities becomes increasingly important and we expect girls to be able to adhere to deadlines set by their teachers for submission of work and other assignments.

During the year also, Form V will be involved in Careers tests which will help to provide guidance for her choice of A Levels and beyond. Towards the end of Form V, we hold sessions to introduce girls to our Sixth Form. These will be followed up at the beginning of the UV with a comprehensive programme of further guidance about our Sixth Form provision.

Form V obviously brings increased academic demands, but I believe that at the same time, it is essential for your daughter to maintain an active programme of activities both in and out of School. This is particularly important following the self isolation and Remote Learning last year, when it was more challenging to become fully involved.

We continue to offer a range of lunchtime clubs, as well as many opportunities in Sport, Music and Drama. The Duke of Edinburgh Award is also on offer and is a very popular activity which provides many opportunities for personal growth as well as development of leadership and team working skills. It is important for your daughter to learn to juggle her academic and other commitments, ensuring that she has adequate time for both.

We do hope that your daughter will have a successful and enjoyable year in Form V, but please do not hesitate to contact either me, Mrs Sexon, Head of the Upper School, Mr Cohen, Head of Form V, or the Director of Pastoral Care, should you have any queries or concerns.

With all best wishes Mrs R M Kamaryc Principal