Academy Update – Term 2 – Week 6 – Working in Partnership

Dear Parents/Carers,

We really appreciate our relationship with you and know that in order to give students the best chance of success, we have to work in partnership. That partnership needs to be built upon a shared goal of providing students with an excellent educational experience and this goal can only be achieved through great communication. To improve communication further, an overview of the Academy communication channels can be found below:

Text Messages, Letters, Newsletters, Academy Website and Social Media

We aim to communicate with you on a regular basis to ensure you are kept informed and up to date with what’s going on in the Academy. This can take the form of:

• Text messages to alert you of published communications (such as letters), detentions and Academy reminders.
• Letters published on the Academy website (where more detailed information is required).
• Termly newsletters that provide an insight into Academy life and outline student achievements / events across the term.
• Social media posts via @HanhamWoods on X – daily insight into what is going on in the Academy focused on promoting events, student achievements, personal development and enrichment.
• The Academy website which holds all essential information relating to the Academy: http://hanhamwoodsacademy.clf.uk/

We would also encourage you to read all Academy communication to ensure you are kept up to date.

General enquires

If you have a non-urgent enquiry you can contact the Academy by either phoning Reception on 0117 440 8900 or emailing [email protected] and we will aim to respond within 24-48 hours.

More information about contacting the Academy can be found here: http://hanhamwoodsacademy.clf.uk/contact-us/

Safeguarding issues

If you wish to contact our Safeguarding Team (led by our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), Mrs Tushingham and Deputy DSL Mrs Dickson) you can do so by emailing: [email protected]

Academic or Pastoral Issues

If your query relates to a pastoral or academic issue, then you can contact the appropriate Year Team using the email addresses below. There is unlikely to be an immediate response due to the team being involved in the day to day running of the Academy, however we ask that you are patient, and the appropriate person will respond as soon as they can (non-urgent enquires will be within 24 – 48 hours).

Visiting the Academy Without an Appointment

As I’m sure you will appreciate, running the Academy is extremely busy and the focus for leaders across the Academy Day is ensuring students get a great educational experience. During the Academy Day from 07:45 until 15:30 staff will be involved in pre-planned work ensuring the Academy runs smoothly (for example: teaching, supporting students, duty, strategic planning meetings, line management, meeting with external agencies, etc.). If you arrive at the Academy without an appointment there may not be anyone immediately available to meet with you (unless it is a safeguarding emergency). To avoid disappointment, please make contact using the channels above to arrange a meeting for a specific time with the right person. Otherwise, Reception will take your contact details and arrange for a member of staff to contact you at an appropriate time.

Abuse Towards Staff

Everyone at the Academy is happy to work with you in partnership to support students. If you have a query / concern, please do get in contact using the channels outlined above. We will not tolerate violent, aggressive, threatening behaviour and/or abuse (verbal, physical or emotional) against any member of the Academy community, including staff, and we reserve the right to remove right of access to the Academy from any member of the community who does not behave in an appropriate manner (this includes use of social media). Any such incidents would be dealt with formally, through the correct official channels. All members of the Academy community have a right to expect that the Academy is a safe place in which to work and learn. If you are unhappy about something, please do get in contact so that we can discuss the issue and work together towards a solution.

How Parents/Carers can Support the Academy

It’s important that Parents/Carers read all the communication and support Academy policies so that we can work together to support students. If you require any clarification on any Academy policy (or wish to provide feedback), please do get in contact.

Thank you for taking the time to read this communication and I hope it provides some clarity on our approach to communicating clearly with you.

Dream BIG // Work Hard // Be Kind

Mr O’Callaghan | Academy Principal