Term 1, Week 2 Update – Sept 2022

Dear Parents/Carers

There have been mixed emotions at the Academy this week as we continue to mourn the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II but also explore ways to celebrate her life and service. Students have shown remarkable resilience and also demonstrated a huge amount of kindness and respect as we continue to support each other through this period. The Academy will be closed on Monday 19th September for the Bank Holiday but we look forward to seeing all students bright and early on Tuesday morning. 

I also wanted to thank you on behalf of the Academy for your support, feedback and challenge which has contributed to a strong start to the term. It takes a whole community of people to educate students and I am proud to be a part of this one.  

The purpose of this letter is to update you on: 

• Attendance and the need for students to be in the Academy every day 
• Enrichment opportunities 
• Reminder of expectations relating to Uniform and Academy rules 

Attendance and the Need for Students to be in the Academy Every Day 

Students have made a strong start to the academic year with a large majority currently sitting on 100% attendance – thank you for your support in getting your child into the Academy on time. Every lesson counts so please continue to encourage your child to attend the Academy every day. If your child is feeling a little under the weather, it’s still important they attend the Academy as we can make some reasonable adjustments to make them feel comfortable so that they don’t miss out on learning. 

If you have any questions or queries regarding attendance, please contact your child’s Pastoral Leader:

Enrichment Opportunities

Our Enrichment timetable started this week. This is a great opportunity for students to get involved in new activities and develop their character. Colleagues at the Academy invest a lot of time in providing these great opportunities and we encourage as many students as possible to take up this wonderful offer. If you have any questions or queries regarding Enrichment, please contact Mrs Hurrell: [email protected]

Reminder of Expectations Relating to Uniform and Academy Rules

We expect students to be in full Academy uniform every day. This is an important part of our Academy identity and helps to develop a safe, positive and respectful culture within the Academy. As per previous letters on the 21^st July and 31^st August, from Tuesday 20^th September, if a student arrives at the Academy in the incorrect uniform the following process will be followed:

A reminder of our Academy Uniform:

Please note the following items which are not allowed:

• Jeans (defined as having back pockets and jean-like material) or leggings
• Trousers with zip pockets
• Tube skirts/tight stretchy material for skirts-skirts must be to the knee
• Hoodies or zip up hoodies
• Trainers

We would also like to remind you of the rules around jewellery. The only jewellery that is allowed is a single nose stud and 1 pair of small stud earrings. Please note that all jewellery should be removed for PE. Plastic retainers for piercings are not permitted. All uniform guidelines apply to all students in Years 7-11-there are no exceptions made for Year 11 students.

We have very high standards in everything we do, and we want your child to look as smart as possible at all times. Wearing smart uniform helps to create the right conditions for learning and enables students to take pride in belonging to our community. We are very proud of our students and the high standards of their uniform, and we know that you are too! If you require further clarity or support to ensure your child is in the correct uniform, please get in contact.

Academy Rules

We have spent time this week clarifying some of our Academy rules so that we can continue to develop a safe, respectful and positive learning environment which enables students to enjoy their time at the Academy. Here are some key rules that we have re-communicated to students this week:

• No mobile phones
  • Mobile phones should be off and in bags when students arrive at the Academy gates in the morning. If they are seen or heard during the Academy day, the phone will be confiscated and placed securely in reception. The student will be issued with a 45 minute after Academy detention and the phone can be collected at 15:45.
• No swearing
  • If a student is heard casually swearing around the Academy, they will be issued with a 45 minute after Academy detention. We expect students to be polite and respectful.
• No ‘hands on’ (pushing and shoving / playfighting)
  • If a student is seen pushing and shoving other students or playfighting, they will be issued with a 45 minute after Academy detention. We expect students to respect the personal space of others and conduct themselves in a safe manner around the Academy site.

Thank you for your continued support of the Academy as work together to give people the best chance of success.

Dream BIG // Work Hard // Be Kind

Mr O’Callaghan | Principal