Friday 8th December 2023
Dear Parents and Carers,
We have enjoyed two very busy weeks at the Academy as we run up to the end of Term 2 and 2023.
Year 11 and Year 13 completed their first round of mocks, and feedback has begun. There was a real positive atmosphere as the students entered the exams, and this experience will support their success as we move through the year towards their final exams.
The Senior Citizens afternoon tea party was a lovely event on Wednesday evening. The students (and staff) who were supporting were an absolute credit to the school. It was also very nice to see all the parent ambassadors helping out and supporting as well.
Last night, we were entertained at the Night of the Musicals. The performances by students and staff were spectacular. Thank you to the parents/carers who came to the event. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
The What’s On? table continues to be a real hit on a Wednesday lunchtime. Something for the students, very much by the students. The student leadership team are also writing their very own newsletter which will be coming out shortly.
Thank you to the Year 11 parents/carers of students with SEND who came along to our coffee morning. The feedback we have received was that this was very useful, with lots of information.
We still have ‘A Christmas Carol’, Staff Quiz, and Year 7 Disco to look forward to. Also, as part of our commitment to social action and to celebrate and reward our students for being determined, respectful, tolerant, and ambitious, on the 20th of December, 2023, we will be having our annual Winter Fayre. Students can dress in Mufti, and we ask for £1 as a donation. This year, we will raise funds for three local and national charities.
Next term, we have the following Parents’ Evenings:
- Year 11 - Tuesday 9th January
- Year 13 – Thursday 25th January
- Year 9 – Wednesday 7th February
- Year 12 – Thursday 15th February
- Year 8 – Thursday 7th March
- Year 10 – Thursday 21st March
- Year 7 – Term 4 – Wednesday 24th April
At all of the Parents’ Evenings, free food will be served for families to enjoy from 4.00 pm – 6.30 pm in our canteen, and our Uniform Swap or Shop will also be available.
Next term, we will be launching a new Parent App. We know that a lot of information is sent to our parents/carers, and we aim to streamline our communications home. Watch this space!
Careers
Year 11 drop-in sessions occur in the Careers office every Monday lunch. This is a great opportunity if your child needs support with college or sixth-form applications. Year 12s - the next breakfast with a professional session takes place on Thursday 14th Dec and will be delivered by Sheffield University focusing on alternatives to medicine, please encourage participation if this is a potential pathway for your child. Finally, some labour market information for the Southeast Midlands area. I will highlight a desired skill/shortage each fortnight, and this time the focus is on 'Construction skills gap shortages'. Please follow this link for more information: https://www.semlep.com/modules/downloads/download.php?file_name=1830
Carbon Neutral
Our drive to reduce energy consumption around the school continues to go from strength to strength. In November, we were 17% below our targeted usage for gas compared to last November and 10.9% below our targeted usage for Electricity. This is phenomenal, considering the winter months are settling.
Praise
As we approach the end of term and draw nearer to our prize-giving ceremony, it is worth noting to you all how fantastic the students have been this term in class and outside lessons and this is reflected in all the praise that has been given. So far this term 85,000 praise points have been awarded to students and still have 2/3 of the year left.
Sixth Form
Nearly every single student in Year 13 has sent their UCAS application. We have had many interviews for medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, and Oxford and Cambridge. The Year 13s have also just finished their mock exams, and the reports and outcomes of these will be shared with students and parents in January.
Next term is also when Sixth Form have their parents' evening. Please can you ensure you keep these evenings free so you are able to meet your child's teachers and discuss their mock exams/progress in lessons:
- Year 13 - 25th January
- Year 12 - 15th February
Year 12 also have their mock exams start W/C: 8th January, which is the first full teaching week back. They should be regularly revising between now and over the Christmas period.
Monday 11th December sees the Sixth Form reward trip to Oxford and will be followed by a visit from an alumni student, who will support students in lessons and give advice on how to get the most out of Sixth Form.
Character
Character is everything, not just another thing, which means that our Character Programme permeates all the facets of the academy. The fulcrum of our Character Programme are our core virtues - Respect, Ambition, Determination, Integrity, and Tolerance. We believe that if these virtues are taught, caught and sought by our students, then they become successful learners, responsible citizens, and confident individuals. We expect all our stakeholders (staff, students and parents) to model the virtues in school, at home and in the wider community.
As parents/carers, your role in reinforcing the Academy virtues is crucial and we would like to encourage you to continue to be your child’s greatest supporter by helping them to capitalise on the virtues we are modelling at school. As we enter the festive season, we would like to encourage you to continue our focus on Integrity, which is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. This is important because integrity is one of the most character-defining qualities. It defines who you are and what you stand for but most importantly it is a positive part of your personality that makes you feel authentic.
In closing
I want to say one final big thank you to all parents and carers. Your support these first two terms has been gratefully appreciated by all my staff and myself.
I wish our community a wonderful and restful break. If you celebrate Christmas, ‘Happy Christmas’ to you also. Please enjoy spending time as a family; we look forward to seeing the students return in 2024.
Kind regards,
Owen Jones
Associate Principal
Diary Dates
- A Christmas Carol Wednesday 13th & Thursday 14th December
- Year 7 Disco Tuesday 19th December
- Winter Fair and last day of term Wednesday 20th December
- Teacher Training Days Thursday 4th January & Friday 5th January 2024
- Students return for Term 3 Monday 8th January 2024