Year 9

The Year 9 team is led Mr McDonald (Raising Standard Lead) and Mrs Bayar (Assistant Principal).  The year group is divided into eight mixed ability Tutor Groups, each one led by a Form Tutor. 

Form Tutors 

Caxton X      Mr Waghorn 

Caxton Y      Mrs Notton       

Chaucer X    Mr Blower

Chaucer Y    Mrs Amor and Mr Kirkpatrick

Cobham X    Mr Baston and Mrs Anand

Cobham Y    Mr Brown

Sidney X       Mrs Murphy 

Sidney Y       Mr Siddiqui

Every member of the team can be contacted via the main school office on 0208 300 5665. 

Support 

Staff at Hurstmere are here to support pupils as they make their way through the school. We offer a range of support from informal discussions with pupils to more structured interventions such as Peer Mentoring. We are eager to help our pupils and rely on open communications to ensure we can quickly deal with any issues that may arise. Please contact your son’s form tutor in the first instance if you have something you wish to discuss with us. 

Our Ethos 

At Hurstmere, we are a telling school and members of staff are only too willing to assist pupils in resolving any issues they have during their school day. Pupils can speak with their classroom teachers for issues that occur during lessons. During their 20 minute registration boys can also liaise with their form tutors and inform them of any issues they may have in the corridors, between lessons and to or from school. As teachers we can work with your son to get the best out of them, we ask that you support us in what we are trying to achieve and take an interest in what they are studying by assisting them in completing homework and resolving conflicts that may occur during the school year. 

Remember “if we don’t know about it, we can’t help you deal with it!” 

Extra-curricular Activities 

The school provides a wide range of activities outside of conventional classroom time and it is important that pupils make the most of the opportunities on offer. This helps pupils to settle in to the new school year, make new friends and develop their social skills. Most departments in the school have additional sessions that further engage pupils and developing their knowledge and understanding. These are a great way to learn more in a specific area and make new friends with similar interests. Activities take place at lunchtimes and after school, and timetables are available in every classroom. It is recommended that all pupils take part in some form of extra-curricular activity to help them feel part of their school. 

Achievement and Rewards 

Pupil achievements are recognised and rewarded in several ways in Year9. In order to consistently reward pupils, we use SIMS to reward pupils with ‘House Points' for excellent effort and work. Each week the top ten pupils will receive a reward postcard from the Raising Standards Lead as recognition of their hard work. Pupils who perform consistently throughout each term will be invited to take part in reward trips. Pupils can also receive points towards the annual House competition. Be sure to look out for opportunities throughout the year to contribute to the success of your House. Pupils in Year 9 can also receive letters and praise postcards from teachers and form tutors for their efforts 

Homework

Your son will receive homework from his subject teachers, and this should be recorded in his planner. To support the boys, teachers will also place details of homework onto O365 TEAMS. As a parent/guardian, we advise that you refer to his planner on a regular basis which will allow you to able to support your son(s) with their homework and organisation.

Home and School Contact 

Every pupil is issued with a school planner at the start of the academic year which becomes their responsibility. This is an excellent resource for pupils to keep themselves organised. It also is a useful vehicle for maintaining close contact between home and school. Teachers may use the planner to communicate with you and you are of course welcome to do the same. Please ensure you check your son’s planner EVERY DAY and that you sign your son’s planner every week. All members of staff can of course be contacted on the main school number. 

GCSE OPTIONS 

Year 9 pupils will be selecting their GCSE Options which is decision that the pupils need to make with maturity and reasoning. Prior to pupils selecting their options they will be receiving a wide range of information that will assist them in making informed decisions about their future at Hurstmere school. This is an opportunity for pupils to take more ownership and responsibility as the decisions they will make will have a direct impact on them.