At Severn Vale we have for a number of years been running intervention programmes to support our students. This has been funded out of existing budgets but with the extra funding via Catch Up premium, we can expand further our provision.

How progress is established

All students begin life at Severn Vale with various levels of skill and knowledge. Our job is to provide opportunities for students to progress empowering all to achieve their potential. This is going to be achieved by us establishing early on the current level of ability of students in both English and maths. Nearly all students will have some data to support our decision regarding ability. Ideally students will have CATs, SATs, Reading Ages and GL Assessment data for us to draw comparisons for our students.

Throughout Years 7, 8 and 9 students sit Order exams and assessments in English, maths and science. We use this information to establish progress from where they began the year. As a standard all students will have their progress measured 3 times during the year in the core subjects English, maths and science. However, there will be continuous assessment going in within teachers’ classes within departments.

Opportunities to extend own learning

• Getting Ready : Years 7-11           (8:00 am to 8:40 am Mon to Fri)
• Getting It Done : Years 7-9        (3:15 pm to 4:30 pm Mon to Thurs)
• Study Hall: Years 10-11                  (3:15 pm to 4:30 Mon to Thurs)
• Online Self study

We will have dedicated supervised IT facilities at the beginning and end of the school day. This will allow students the opportunity to print out homework, timetables and also speak with a member of staff regarding lack of equipment. We want this to be an opportunity for every student to get ready for the day ahead.

Study Hall is designed to aid year 10 and 11 students' revision. All revision materials such as past papers, flash cards, folders are available free of charge.

We would strongly recommend students use time to supplement their learning on available self-study websites. These include Oak Academy, BBC Bitesize, Corbett Maths.

They are easy to navigate, and we will be directing some students to attend after-school sessions to enable them to make use of these websites.

 

                               

Intervention

A substantial amount of the Catch-Up funding will be placed into intervention programmes for the students. We identify students in most need from their Order Exams, estimated grades and feedback from staff.

Intervention is not just about targeting low progress. It is also about consolidating knowledge. We have lots of programmes running simultaneously and expect that students will be offered and directed to some form of intervention at some stage across the ability range.  Please do not be concerned if we contact you or your child about intervention. If we had serious concerns this would have been communicated with you. We strongly believe that early intervention will halt future low performance.

There are several programmes running which include:

Subject Support Programmes (9:00 am — 9:20 am Mon to Fri)

English, Maths, Science and Modern Foreign Languages have developed support programmes to move students back on track in those areas. A dedicated member of each department delivers a 10-week programme which enables students to develop and iron out areas of weakness. There are 3 cycles in the year. Alongside the Academic Mentor, students are tracked and monitored to ensure that they are receiving appropriate support. Groups are to remain as small as possible. Departments devise their own programme of study.

 

Close to 1,000 places are available across the school during the academic year.

 

Academic Mentoring Programme (9:00 am — 9:20 am Mon to Fri)

Launched September 2019, the Academic Mentoring Programme is a bespoke support programme at Severn Vale designed to move students back on track. A dedicated Academic Mentor works closely with students to ensure that their academic behaviour is as high as possible and to remove any potential barriers to learning. There is close liaison with the pastoral team in order to establish effective communication to meet the needs of the students. 

 

Around 180 places are available for Years 7, 8 and 9.

 

Tutoring (3:15 pm — 4:15 pm Mon, Tues and Thur)

Tutoring enables our students to receive intervention with a member of staff currently employed by the school. It will take place after school and most likely in teachers' classrooms. Staff will follow a schedule of content devised by departments. This intervention is typically used to target academic excellence so is not an indication that the students is underperforming.

 

Around 100 places for Year 11 this year.

 

 

 Firgun Online Tutoring (3:15 pm — 4:15 pm Mon, Tues and Thur)

We have invested in a tutoring partner, Firgun Education, which is delivered by professionals online on a ratio of max 8:1. This enables us to facilitate some targeted English tutoring.

Around 24 places for Year 11.

The backbone of Axiom’s approach is maths circles. These are small groups of pupils who meet weekly to tackle a curriculum of challenging maths problems. It’s an approach that’s worked successfully in other countries, and which Axiom is bringing to the UK. The beauty of maths circles is that they’re about the relationships as much as the maths.

In maths circles, pupils:

• Work through a structured curriculum of challenging problems. They’re exposed to mathematics from beyond the National Curriculum, that takes them deep into stretching and satisfying topics they wouldn’t normally encounter at school
• Get stuck, and then unstuck. They get used to encountering problems that they don’t get right first time—and so the satisfaction of solving them is even greater
• Find themselves in a sense of flow. In maths circles there’s no pressure, no test. You get lost in the maths
• Join a community that values maths. In a culture that doesn’t always prize maths in the way it should, Axiom pupils join a social group that values and respects their talent

Pupils on the Axiom Maths programme attend maths circles once a week during term time. These are run by a combination of school and Axiom staff.

Around 12 places for year 7 and 8.