Dear parent/carer
We are pleased to be able to confirm that we will be holding our Year 9 Parent/Carer Consultation Evening on Wednesday 24th February 2021 between 4pm and 7:30pm. Due to the ongoing restrictions in place due the COVID 19 pandemic, we will again be using video appointments through the School Cloud online system. This platform has been used successfully to hold our recent Year 11 Parents /Carers Evening but also by a number of local schools, at both primary and secondary phase within the local area. We are confident the system provides an appropriate and secure platform for such an important evening, allowing staff, students and parents to discuss current progress effectively.
Year 9 Option process
We understand that choosing suitable and appropriate GCSE subject options is crucial to the ongoing success of all our Year 9 students. Alongside the Year 9 tracking point reports that are being issued to parents and students today, the discussions held at the forthcoming Parents / Carers Evening are a vital element of the ongoing option process. This evening is for teachers and parents/ carers and students to discuss progress within specific subjects that their child is currently studying. Please note that you must not make appointments with other subjects currently not being studied to discuss potential suitability for option choices. Appointments with designated senior staff can be made to discuss general enquiries regarding the option process with either Mrs Allison, Mr Woodcock or Mr Fuller. If you would like to book a short personalised discussion, please select only one of the Option Managers appointments when making subject appointments.
Students are expected to be present and take an active part in the appointment and subsequent discussions.
School Cloud – Key information for parents
- On the evening of Thursday 4 February 2021, the booking system will open at 7pm for parents and carers to begin making appointments and it will remain open until 7pm Monday 22 February at midday
- Parents / carers should use their child’s preferred Christian name and surname and date of birth to login to the following website to book appointments. The link to the website is here: https://durringtonhighschool.schoolcloud.co.uk/
- Each appointment will start exactly at the allocated time and will be 5 minutes long, ending promptly at the end of the 5 minute session. There is a countdown timer on screen to alert you to the remaining time; teachers do not have control over this/can’t extend or pause the timer. There is a short break between appointments to prepare for the next consultation.
- There is a function to allow parents to raise any particular points with staff, they can be shared in advance of the appointment with the teacher to maximise the available time for discussion.
- Parents and carers are able to access the same appointments from separate locations using separate devices if needed. This is a benefit as it means more parents/carers can be directly involved in this important evening.
To enable as many parents/carers as possible to access appointments, the initial release will allow parents/carers to make a maximum of 5 subject appointments; we will release a further tranche of appointments on Wednesday 10 February 2021 at 7pm. Please be assured that if you can’t get all the appointments you want (for example because a number of staff teach two or more full subject classes) you will be able to email the specific members of staff to request a call-back. Please click on the link below for a guide on how to make appointments using School Cloud
Parent / Carers’ guide to using School Cloud
The School Cloud platform requires few system requirements, explained in the Parent/Carer’s guide, and we are confident that you will find the system efficient and effective. Crucially, the platform allows us to hold such an important evening despite the current lockdown restrictions. If you experience any issues accessing the School Cloud website or require additional guidance booking a parents evening appointment, please contact the schools IT support team on support@itservices.dmat.education.
If you do not have access to the internet, please could you contact the school on 01903 244957. Please leave a message outlining your child’s name, tutor group, contact number and a list of the 5 subject teachers that you wish to speak with.
We remain fully committed to supporting each and every member of our Year 9 community and are all working together to minimise the impact of the current restrictions and looking forward to this key event for our students and families.
Yours sincerely
Mr J Fuller
Deputy Headteacher
