Year 9

Personal development

Year 9 is considered to be an important time as it is when all students begin to develop and express their personal opinions on a wide variety of moral, political and social issues. Personal development is covered during PSHE lessons and in form time. The PSHE syllabus covers personal strengths and skills and how to utilise these abilities. Equally importantly, students are encouraged to think about the skills that they may need to acquire for certain jobs and occupations when they leave Stanley.

All students take part in ‘The Real Game’ in PSHE lessons which is a careers based programme. The programme focuses upon real life scenarios surrounding income, paying tax, job loss, transferable skills and what employers expect of their employees. It can be quite an eye-opener!

For the second half of the PSHE syllabus students look at relationships and sex education. Topics covered include contraception, STi’s, how to manage relationships and consent. Please do contact the school should you have any queries about this aspect of PSHE.

Form time takes place four mornings per week with the fifth morning being devoted to a year group assembly. During form time students carry out many activities, for example, they might watch the news and discuss the issues raised. Students have their planners signed once a week which enables form tutors to check for any issues that might be concerning you. Students are told the number of merit and behaviour points that they have. Quiz mornings and silent reading sessions also take place.

Safeguarding and Wellbeing

At Stanley, we expect students to have a minimum of 95% attendance. This is in line with the national average for school attendance in the country. Should your child fall below this then the form tutor will intervene in the first instance. Should attendance not improve then the head of year and pastoral staff will become involved.

Punctuality is also considered to be extremely important. The school gates close at 8:40, after which a student is late. When a student is late they receive a lunchtime detention. If they choose not to attend that detention then an hour detention is issued for that night after school. You will be invited into school for meetings with the head of year should attendance and punctuality be causing concern.

All of the above link in with the school’s attendance, punctuality, anti-bullying and safeguarding policies which can be found on the school website.

As a school, we value the wellbeing of our students immensely. We have a school counsellor who comes in once a week to meet with students whose parents have requested this intervention. Parents and students are encouraged to contact the student’s form tutor, the pastoral support team member or their head of year when problems arise. Students have mental health awareness days, assemblies and PSHE lessons on the importance of mental health. Many staff have been trained as Young Minds counsellors.

Behaviour and attitude

We are extremely proud of our students here at Stanley High School. Students turn up to school on time, dressed in full school uniforms and are a pleasure to teach. Merit badges for 100, 200 and 300 merits in a school year are given out in assemblies. At the end of each full term there is a praise and reward assembly where students are publically praised and rewarded for their punctuality, attendance and fabulous work in and out of lessons.

We have very high expectations of our students. This involves not only during the school day but before and after school when students represent us in the local community. We expect students to treat the local residents and the environment with absolute respect.

Where behaviour is not as we would wish a student is placed onto report for two weeks, initially with their form tutor. Should this two week period not see an improvement in behaviour then the student reports to the head of year for another two weeks. The head of year will also contact you to set up a meeting so that the issues can be discussed. Your child may be isolated for a short period of time. Work will be set, with the isolation helping the student to think about their behaviour.

If behaviour problems continue then the Leadership Team will become involved. You will be invited into school for a discussion. There may be further spells of isolation and, possibly, exclusions.

Stanley High School has a zero policy towards bullying: we believe that every child has the right to feel safe within school and on their way to and from school. Bullying is an extremely rare occurrence at our school but it is not tolerated. Our students always report feeling safe and cared for in surveys which are undertaken. This is a source of great pride to us.

Extended opportunities

We believe that school should set up students for life. To that end, students are encouraged to take part in the many opportunities offered to them. All students take part in a form assembly once a year. There are many clubs that students can join, from juggling club to Interact! Year 9 students start the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme which involves volunteering and navigational skills. Trips go out throughout the year and include a visit to London, a visit to the Cathedrals and Synagogue in Liverpool and an end of year trip.

All students take part in an enterprise day where they design objects for sale at the Christmas Fair. We always have a few budding Alan Sugar’s in the room. All money raised goes to charities that the students choose themselves.

Year 9 students are heavily involved in sporting activities, with many sports leaders helping out with primary tournaments. There is also a wide variety of sports teams that students can join. Many Year 9 students also assist primary school students when they visit us for enrichment activities.