Dear Parents & Carers
I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to take the opportunity to write to you with some useful information and updates on events which have taken place and those which are upcoming.
Report Cards and Progress Monitoring
The Summer Report Card will be published for Year 1 students on Monday 2 June, on MyVarndean for students and through the Parent Portal. If parents have yet to register for the parent portal, then please do so via our website. The report card will include an "end of year grade", which for A-level students will be the result of the Year 1 practice exam and for Vocational students will be the culmination of the external assessments that have taken place during the year. Please find some FAQs that we have put together regarding the end-of-year grades.
All Year 1 students will then have a one-to-one Progress Review Meeting with all their teachers, which will take place in lessons during the week beginning 10 June. Teachers will be discussing progress over the year and supporting students to set targets to complete in readiness for progression into Year 2.
Progression to Year 2
For the overwhelming majority, we are expecting students to progress into Year 2 on their current programme of study. However, for some, the Summer Report card may highlight that their current programme is not meeting a student's needs and requires a review. These students will be invited to an additional review meeting with their Head of School, where they will explore what adjustments may be needed to ensure a successful Year 2. Students who need to attend an additional meeting with their Head of School will receive both an email and a text message with the date and location of the meeting. It should be noted that students who are invited to a review must attend before they can progress into Year 2.
Tutorial and Progression
Year 1 students must attend their Tutorial sessions this term. These sessions provide crucial support and guidance as students consider their individual progression routes whether towards higher education, employment, or apprenticeships. The process of planning for the future can feel overwhelming for some young people, and our resources are designed to ensure students understand the full range of options available to them.
Students will be encouraged to explore their progression plans independently and proactively, including engaging in discussions with their subject teachers, Personal Tutor, and the College Careers Team. They can also seek support by making appointments with the Careers Team via the 'Careers' tab on My Varndean.
Tutorial sessions will cover:
- Higher education - UCAS application planning
- Registering on the UCAS hub
- Preparing personal statements
- Access to employment and apprenticeships
- Preparing CVs and letters of application
Progression Advice & Guidance
All Year 1 students will take part in a university visit on Tuesday 24 June, attending either the University of Sussex or the University of Brighton. They will participate in a subject taster of their choice and receive valuable information about applying to and studying at university.
Progression Week runs from Monday 30 June to Friday 4 July, during which all Year 1 students are expected to complete a Work Experience placement. Students must record their in-person placement on the Unifrog Placement Tool.
In the final week of teaching, students will reflect on their progression plans and be encouraged to set meaningful targets to work on over the summer in preparation for their future.
Parent/Carer Consultation
Parent/Carer consultations for our Year 1 students take place on Tuesday 17 June from 5.00pm-8.00pm. Appointment slots of 10 minutes are available online via Google Meet. They will be available for all academic subjects. Appointments can be booked from Monday 9 June and instructions on how to book can be found here. These consultations will be an opportunity to discuss the end-of-year grades, as well as to discuss progression options.
I hope you will find the online Parents Consultation and the report cards useful, providing an opportunity to discuss academic progress as students look to enter their second year and start to focus more on their next steps. If you experience any technical issues then please contact our IT Support team here, and we will do our best to help.
Library access over Half Term
Our library is open during half-term week from 10.30am to 4.30pm, Tuesday to Friday for all students to study in.
Student Union Elections
This term, we welcomed our new Student Union with the largest ever number of students competing to be elected. Well done to all who took part in our two hustings events. Congratulations go to the union, made up of:
- Presidents: Toby Douglass, Jolanta Young
- Communications Officer: Callum Shuttlewood
- Democracy Officer: Arun Webb
- Wellbeing & Welfare Officer: Hattie Harrington
- Events & Marketing Officer: Jovana Geris
- EDI Officer: Connie Stanley
- Environmental Officer: Ziggy Guldhoj
- Charity Officer: Luca Demetriou-McCallum
- Enrichment Officer: Vondra Osaretin
I would also like to thank the outgoing Student Union team for their hard work and contributions over the past academic year.
Trips & Events
As always, there have been a plethora of College trips and events this half term, including a Chichester Harbour field trip, Bethlem: The Museum of the Mind, Gatwick Airport, and Sussex Police HQ.
Thank you to all of you who came to watch our annual Dance show, Breaking Boundaries, at The Old Market, Hove.
The Student Union and Student Wellbeing Ambassadors celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week with a student and staff community lunch.
Varndean's annual 'Upwards Through Business Awards' also took place in April with a number of Business Studies students winning awards for academic performance, attitude to learning and engagement, organisation and contribution to class. These awards reflect our students' commitment and progress in the subject, and the positive impact they have on the classes they are part of. Well done to all those who received awards.
We are wishing our Gold DofE students good luck and good weather with their expedition this half term.
This coming half term is looking to be just as energising with the following upcoming events, starting with the Creative Arts Showcase Evening on Thursday 5 June from 6.00pm to 8.30pm, all very warmly welcome. It really is a wonderful opportunity to see the talent and dedication of our creative students studying Art, Dance, Drama, Film, Gaming, Graphics Design, Media, Music, Performing Arts, Photography, Textiles and 3D Design.
This will be followed by a Visual Arts Exhibition open to the public from 10.00am-4.00pm on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 June.
Wishing you and your loved ones a very good bank holiday weekend.
Best wishes
Donna-Marie Janson
Principal
