Heads of Year

There are seven Heads of Year at Didcot Girls’ School. Their role is to ensure that the School’s values and standards are promoted and maintained throughout every aspect of the school day.

The Heads of Year monitor the progress of each student in their year group and work closely with families to support students throughout their school life. Mr Tamplin (Assistant Headteacher, Standards & Culture) overviews the work of the Heads of Years in Years 7-9 and Mrs Hodkinson (Assistant Headteacher, Standards & Culture) oversees this in Years 10 & 11. Their role is to promote and uphold excellent standards of behaviour and attendance across their respective cohorts. Dr Naylor (Assistant Headteacher, Raising Standards Lead) carries overall responsibility for standards of achievement in Years 10 & 11. Mr Cross is Director of the Didcot Sixth Form and overviews the work of the Heads of Years 12 and 13 at both Didcot Girls' School and St Birinus School.

The Heads of Year lead a team of tutors who meet with their tutor groups for thirty minutes every morning. During this time, students undertake private study, reading for pleasure and ethos activities whilst tutors are able to spend time with individuals and groups of students to monitor their academic progress and well being. Any additional intervention needed by individual students also takes during this period of daily tutor time.

The main work of the Heads of Year, with the support of tutors and our excellent Student Managers and Deputy Heads of Year, is to monitor the academic progress and pastoral well being of each student. Through this support team, students will be guided appropriately through the key stages of their time with us – for example, transition from Primary School, choosing GCSE Options, advice on work experience placements and post-16 possibilities. Heads of Year and tutors will move up the school with their tutor groups, becoming experts in the needs of each particular year, and thus able to offer high quality advice and guidance to each student.

Teaching Heads of Year are supported by full-time non-teaching Student Managers. Contact details for each can be found below.