Considering a change to Vertical Tutoring This special edition of the newsletter is written to inform students and parents about the proposal to change our pastoral organisation to a House System and our tutoring system to vertical tutoring.
Over the last few months the Senior Leadership Team at school has been investigating a possible new system of tutoring. We are currently discussing the idea with governors, staff, students and parents. The governors will decide whether to proceed to the planning stage at the end of November 2009. If the idea is approved then we would aim to make the change to the new system in September 2010.
What is vertical tutoring? Vertical Tutoring (VT) is a radical new way of operating a secondary school. It has been introduced into several schools locally and lots more nationally and has transformed them to the benefit of everyone in those schools. Our present pastoral system is organised in Year groups. There are usually 8 tutor groups in each year group, all with students of roughly the same age. In a vertical tutoring system we would re-organise the pastoral system in Houses and the tutor groups would have students of all ages 11-18 years. Each tutor group would have about 24 students, 4 from each year. The vertical (mixed age) groups would meet for 20 minutes each day and learn to operate as a small, self-supporting group, rather like a family group. In vertical tutor groups students learn to work together with other young people, take responsibility and leadership roles. Despite only spending about 20 minutes each day in the mixed-age tutor group its transformational effect is school-wide, creating a more cohesive and happier place to live and to learn.
Mr Irons
Dates for your diary
Monday 16th November - Parent's forum for Vertical tutoring 6.30 pm Main Hall
Tuesday 17th November - Student's forum for vertical tutoring periods 3 & 4
 Vertical Tutoring Newsletter
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