Headteacher’s Welcome to the New Academic Year

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome back to the new academic year. I hope your child has settled well into the new term and is enjoying school; their learning in lessons, enrichment and extracurricular activities.  I would like to extend a warm welcome in particular to our new students and their families in Years 7 and 12. As it is the start of a new academic year, and as newly appointed Headteacher, I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some of our successes from last year and also our focus for the coming year.

Results August 2018

Students and staff always work very hard and have again secured excellent GCSE and A Level exam results.

  • 25% of all A Level grades were A*- A, with 55% A*- B.
  • GCSE results were well ahead of students nationally with 36% of results at grades 9 – 7 and 88% of results at grade 4 or above.
  • In 2017 we achieved a progress 8 of 0.81, putting KNGS in the top 2% of all non-selective schools nationally; we are expecting progress outcomes to be similar for 2018.

Enrichment and Extra-curricular Activities

We pride ourselves not just on our academic results but on developing the whole person. In 2017-18 students participated in 75 extra-curricular clubs and took part in 98 educational visits, including trips to Germany, France and Spain.  We welcomed visiting artists, authors and employers from many industries to work with students and developed our links with Lloyds Banking Group and Purity Soft Drinks.  Students raised money for charity and contributed to the local community through work experience, our Year 9 community outreach programme and working in partnership with pupils from our local primary schools across a range of subjects.

OFSTED

As you are aware OFSTED visited in July for a short inspection. You may have read the letter following the inspection however, I would like to share a few of the comments from our OFSTED inspectors that made me really proud of our students and staff:-

  • “Pupils make substantial and sustained progress.” and “Teachers challenge pupils with effective questioning, which pushes pupils to apply their knowledge and understanding effectively.”
  • “Behaviour is impeccable.” and “Pupils are articulate and polite.”
  • “Pupils are proud to attend this school. They say that teachers teach them well and always challenge them in lessons.”
  • “You have created a superb culture of high aspirations in which pupils can flourish.” and “You are uncompromising in your ambition for them to achieve.”
  • “Pupils crave excellence and are determined to do well.”
  • “Pupils are full of praise for the variety of opportunities that teachers provide to improve their progress.”

OFSTED very much complimented the support students give each other through vertical tutoring and the student companions. We look forward to welcoming OFSTED for a full section 5 inspection in the near future.

Our Focus for 2018-19

So what next? We are a fantastic school but certainly not complacent about our achievements and progress. I want students and staff to enjoy and be proud of being part of the Kings Norton Girls’ School and Sixth Form community; supporting each other and developing the student’s skills to be articulate, tolerant, resilient and caring young people who will go into the world beyond Kings Norton Girls’ School and Sixth Form as lifelong learners, capable of achieving great things and making a difference.

As staff and students we are committed to be the best we can be. In my first assembly this year, I have asked students to work their very hardest in lessons, keeping their books organised so they can go back and learn from them, to ensure their homework is completed,  make sure they arrive at school punctually every day,  being ready to learn and take part in the many opportunities that are available to them both in and outside of lessons. I have asked them to set their expectations and aspiration high and work hard to achieve them; staff will support them to achieve their best.

I look forward to working with you over the coming years to support your children to achieve their potential.

Yours sincerely

Mrs Nicola Raggett

Headteacher