Question 1

How will I know who to contact when I want to talk to someone about my child and his/her progress at school?

Accepted Answer

When your child starts at TTA, he/she will join a house and tutor group. You will meet your child’s tutor and Director of Learning when your child joins the school; all members of staff can be contacted on the phone or via email - staff email addresses are on our website.
Your child will have tutor time every morning from 8.40-9.15am. As their dedicated pastoral contact, your child’s tutor is on hand each day to answer any questions or concerns they may have.
We have Parents’ Evenings every year as well as other events such as Information Evenings. If, however, you would like to speak to someone at another time, we are always happy to organise a meeting or call.

Question 2

What GCSEs do you offer?

Accepted Answer

We offer a range of GCSEs at TTA and details of the curriculum and subjects on offer can be found here. For more information, speak to your child’s tutor or teachers. We run an Options Evening in Year 9 to give parents all the information they need before students select their GCSE Options. We also run several information evenings during Years 10 and 11. We encourage you to discuss subjects, the curriculum and learning with your child and contact us if you have any questions.

Question 3

Do you have a Sixth Form?

Accepted Answer

Yes - we have a wonderful new Sixth Form which opened in September 2020! More information can be found on our Sixth Form page and if you want to get in touch about applying or if you have any questions please contact sixthform@tta.org.uk

Question 4

What extra-curricular activities and trips do you offer?

Accepted Answer

As part of our commitment to delivering an Education with Character for all of our students, we offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities. The timetable for this term can be found on our Enrichment page here. We run several trips throughout the year across all year groups, such as the Mersea Residential, Accenture Business Trip, Skiing Trip as well as a range of external visits linking to specific curriculum subjects. Click here for news and pictures of our latest trips.

Question 5

If there is a bullying issue at TTA, how is it handled?

Accepted Answer

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive and friendly school. We have a zero tolerance policy on bullying and, although bullying incidences are rare, we take any issue very seriously. We encourage students to speak up if they are experiencing or witnessing any such behaviour. We address these issues during tutor time and in assemblies and nurture a culture of tolerance, respect and compassion. Please contact the school immediately if you have any concerns about bullying.

Question 6

How much homework are the students expected to do?

Accepted Answer

Students are given homework on a weekly basis in most subjects, the aim of which is to reinforce classroom learning, encourage independent study and increase students’ depth of knowledge and understanding over a topic. Students record homework in their planners and teachers also outline homework tasks, with all relevant details, on Show My Homework.

Question 7

How many students are at the school and how many students are in each class?

Accepted Answer

We currently have 1014 students at the school. We have grown rapidly in popularity, reflecting the significant progress we continue to make as a school. Our students thrive in this close-knit, friendly and supportive environment as all students are known by all members of staff. There are also wonderful friendships within and between year groups so students feel known and valued, with older year groups acting as excellent role models to their younger peers. There are opportunities throughout the year for students to spend time with different year groups, such as through extracurricular clubs and activities, where we nurture these links. Class sizes are on average 27-30 students; some groups are much smaller if students would benefit from smaller groups. At GCSE and A-Levels, classes range from approximately 10 to 30 students.

Question 8

What are your academic results like?

Accepted Answer

We are thrilled with the improvements in our academic results across all year groups. Our GCSE results have improved significantly and all details can be found here. We also have the privilege of being part of United Learning so that we can track KS3 progress across a wide network of schools and compare students’ progress to their peers around the country.

Question 9

How will my child be assessed and graded?

Accepted Answer

Your child will be assessed regularly in lessons to see how they are progressing and to ensure that they get the right support and challenge to succeed in their learning. Teachers will discuss this with you at Parents’ Evening and contact home if there are ever any particularly impressive achievements or potential areas of weakness. We send a report home twice a year so that you and your child can track their progress in all subjects. For each subject that your child studies, you will be given the following:
Your Score – this is the percentage (score out of 100) your child achieved in their end of term assessment for that subject.
Your Grade – this is an age-appropriate grade reflecting the assessment score. It shows what your child is likely to achieve in their GCSEs if they continue to progress at the same rate.
Average student score – this is the average score achieved in that assessment by all students who took the assessment.
Top student score – this is the top mark achieved by any student who took the assessment.
Engagement and Quality of Homework – this is the teacher’s comment on your child’s attitude to learning and classroom engagement in that subject, and how well they have worked independently on homework through the year. Teachers are given four possible options: Excellent; Good; Disappointing; and Unacceptable.

Question 10

Where can I read your recent excellent Ofsted report?

Accepted Answer

You can read our November 2024 Ofsted report by clicking HERE

FAQs