Dear Parents and Carers of Year 9 Students,

As we enter this important phase of your childs education, Year 9, we are thrilled to begin the journey towards GCSEs! This is a time of both challenge and opportunity for your child, as they begin to explore subjects in greater depth and develop important skills for their future. GCSEs are an exciting step forward, allowing students to shape their academic paths and discover their passions.

Why This Year is Important:

In Year 9, students will begin their selected GCSE courses, which lay the foundation for their future studies and career aspirations. They will begin to experience a more focused curriculum, with opportunities to delve deeper into subjects they enjoy, while developing key skills such as independent learning, critical thinking, and time management.

Supporting Your Child:

As parents, your support is invaluable during this transition. Encouraging good study habits, balancing schoolwork with well-being, and keeping communication open with new subject teachers can make a big difference in your child’s success. We will also provide guidance through the GCSE process, as we begin our journey toward their final GCSE exams.

Attendance:

Parents can further support success by encouraging good attendance. Statistically, students with under 90% attendance are more likely to underperform by an average of one full grade per GCSE subject when compared to similar students with 100% attendance. Additionally, 90% attendance equals nearly 20 days of school absent within the school year, meaning missed opportunities to attend lessons, extra-curricular events and participate in wider aspects of school life. Therefore, promoting attendance to school every day is vital for securing lifelong success.

 

Key Dates for Your Diary:

Please note the following important dates as we move through this exciting time:

• Year 9 Information Evening: 17th March 2025
• An opportunity to hear from myself as Head of Year, and Mr Marshall as Deputy Head of Year on how best to support your child through the GCSE transition.

 

• Parents’ Evenings: A chance to discuss your child’s progress with their subject teachers and get further guidance on how to support them in their studies.
• 9A Parents Evening - 15th January 2025
• 9B Parents Evening - 22nd January 2025
• 9A Parents Evening - 14th May 2025
• 9B Parents Evening - 21st May 2025

 

• Exciting Events: We are thrilled to announce a Year Group trip to Calshot in Term 3 of this academic year (dates TBC). Further information to follow...watch this space!

 

We are excited to partner with you as your child embarks on this significant journey. If you have any questions or need further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Year 9 team:

Voyager 1 - Mrs S Charde (scharde@bhcs.sfet.org.uk)/Mrs G Rogers (grogers@sfet.org.uk)

Voyager 2 - Miss C Roberts (croberts@bhcs.sfet.org.uk)

Endeavour 1 - Mrs S Jha (sjha@bhcs.sfet.org.uk)

Endeavour 2 - Mrs L Rayden (lrayden@bhcs.sfet.org.uk)

Horizon 1 - Miss C Nicholson (cnicholson@bhcs.sfet.org.uk)

Horizon 2 - Mr T Marshall (DHoY) (tmarshall@bhcs.sfet.org.uk)

Pioneer 1 - Miss F Heath (fheath@bhcs.sfet.org.uk)

Pioneer 2 - Miss J Pitzek (jpitzek@bhcs.sfet.org.uk)

Head of Year - Miss K Richardson (krichardson@bhcs.sfet.org.uk)

 

Best regards,
The Year 9 Team