Dear Families,
I hope that the start to term has been as positive for you and your child as it has been across the academy. Following two days of focussed training for staff, our students have returned to school in good spirits, have embraced the changes we have made over summer and look ready to take on another year of development and growth. The staggered introduction has really helped those newest to our community find their feet and we’ve been so impressed by Year 7, for their ‘can do’ attitude, and students in other Year Groups for giving up their time to help our youngest students find their way. It has been a joy to witness and shows how inclusive and unique our community is.
I have a few notices for this week’s update which you can find below.
Warm Weather
Thank you for your understanding and flexibility with the higher than usual temperatures this week. Our students have coped incredibly well throughout and just gotten on with business as usual. We expect the temperatures to drop over the weekend and will revert back to normal uniform on Monday.
RAAC
You may have heard about Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete in the media this week. Thankfully we are unaffected and we have nothing to worry about. Our building was not constructed using this material and no action is required.
School Photographs
Students in Years 7, 9, 11 and 12 had their photographs taken today and should have come home with a flyer and QR code explaining how you can order a copy for yourself. If they do not have the code and you would like to purchase the photograph, please contact school through the info@ email address.
Year 11 update
Year 11 had an additional assembly this week with Ms Williams, Ms Wiltshire and a guest speak and former student Jack Simpson. The focus was on goal setting, dealing with set backs and being brave enough to be ambitious. It was lovely to hear Jack talk about his time at the academy and his journey to success as a football coach and referee. A number of students certainly drew inspiration from the assembly and could relate to the themes that were shared.
ID Badges
Students with up to date photographs have been issued with ID badges this week with Year 7, 9, 11 and 12 receiving theirs shortly. The ID badge is part of our safeguarding approach and becomes an essential part of students’ uniform going forward.
Class charts and Satchel
As mentioned earlier this week, class charts is an essential part of our home-school relationship. It is used throughout the school day and should provide you with up to date information about how your child is getting on. It is vital that families log on to this and use it in their end of day conversations with children. Staff have begun using the system this week and you should be able to see data on there from the past few days. We have not issued any corrections this week but will begin to generate these from Monday. Year 7 will have an extended grace period as they get to grips with our expectations but for other Year Groups, the Bs and Cs will now trigger corrections as they did last year.
Following parental feedback, we have now moved homework onto class charts so everything can be found on one app. Students have been given their codes for this and should have recorded them in their new planners. If you have any issues accessing classcharts, please contact the Year Team for assistance.
Uniform
You can find guidance about our uniform in your child’s planner (page 11) and on our website. If there are any particular challenges around purchasing items, please contact your child’s Year Manager in advance so we can support with issues.
Final Notes
Its good to be back. There is something really special about our school community and I feel honoured every year to welcome students and staff back to the academy after the summer break. The energy and community feel that everyone connected to the school generates is something totally unique and makes our school a joy to belong to. We have a really positive academic year ahead of us. Together We succeed.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Scott Doyle
Principal
