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Posted on December 5th 2014
Letter to parents from the Principal
5 December 2014
Dear Parent/Carer
As we approach the end of the Autumn Term, this letter seeks to update you on end of term arrangements and raise a few points of importance before we break up for the Christmas holiday.
Friday 12th December
It is Year 6 testing day for us on this date; however, the Academy IS open to the whole school and a range of very important activities will be running:
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Year 7 |
Those not on Wales trip will be going on a trip to the Science Museum |
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Year 8 |
Options taster day: the only chance your daughter will have to experience new subjects that she has not encountered before prior to the options day in January |
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Year 9 |
Dropdown day for whole year group |
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Year 10 |
Science ISAs and intervention – this ISA will not be repeated and Core Science cannot be entered without having completed it |
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Year 11 |
Intervention day for key option subjects along with mock exams in the Art department |
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Years 12 and 13 |
Home study day |
End of term events and arrangements
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Tuesday 16th December |
Awards Evening for those who have been invited to attend 6pm start |
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Wednesday 17th December |
School Christmas Dinner: please note that only Christmas dinner will be served on this day (at lunchtime) so anyone not wishing to eat a turkey meal/vegetarian alternative should bring their own lunch on that day Normal price tariff applies |
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Wednesday 17th December |
Christmas Concert The concert commences at 6:30pm; the doors will be open to parents and guests from 6:00pm only. Admission by ticket in advance only. |
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Friday 19th December |
Last day of term Students are invited to wear Christmas festive clothing on this day should they wish to do so and a donation of £1 will be taken on the gate for all wishing to do so – given straight to the charities we support as an Academy. The day will finish for students at 12:30 and no lunch will be available on that day except sandwich bags for any students receiving free school meals who have requested them (via coaching groups) in advance. |
Start of Term
The new term starts on Monday 5th January. We expect all students to be in the Academy for lessons on that day.
Admissions Consultation
The Governing Body is currently consulting on a proposed change to our admission arrangements. Consultation continues until the end of January.
The proposed change is that we move from admitting students by distance from the Academy to a lottery system for determining places here. The rationale for this, taken from the website, is as follows:
The governors are proposing this change because they feel it is fairer to give parents who wish their children to benefit from a single sex education in our academy an equal chance of a place through random allocation, rather than those who live closest being at an advantage. They do not feel those parents from further afield who want to make the commitment to get their children into our academy should be penalised by virtue of their address – or indeed have to consider moving closer in the upper primary years to get a place.
Please note that the rules relating to those with particular needs, who are looked after or who have siblings here remain the same.
On the website is a consultation form that can be completed and returned, along with a full copy of the proposed admissions arrangements. Please do feel free to complete this form and return it to us by the end of January 2015 to have your say on this proposed change.
Uniform
Thank you very much indeed for your ongoing support for our uniform policy and particularly, for your recent support for our reminder about coats. We appreciate your co-operation with this, thank you. Please do bear in mind that key policies such as uniform can always be found on our website to help you when you are preparing for a new school term/year in terms of clothing etc. Please do remember also that polo shirts are not a part of academy policy and have not been in the past; students should be wearing the shirt as required by the uniform policy.
Equipment
A reminder also that students should come to the Academy with all basic equipment on a daily basis. We do run a school shop in the dining room daily where students can purchase all basic equipment at a very good price, in an attempt to keep costs down.
The website lists what students need (found in the Uniform Policy):
1) Pencil case
2) Pens
3) pencils
4) Ruler
5) Eraser
6) Pencil sharpener
7) Coloured pencils
8) Scientific calculator
9) A reading book (which will be issued through library lessons – so not needed to purchase, but must have it with her at all times)
10) A black bag that is big enough to hold A4 books and files
Testing weeks
Please note that Year 10 tests are taking place in the week commencing 8th December and that Year 11 mock exams are in the week straight after Christmas.
Cyberbullying
I have included a government pamphlet for parents and carers relating to cyberbullying as part of our ongoing work to safeguard students and to support parents with information and guidance that may be useful to you. In a recent national survey, more than 70% of young people said that they had been bullied or abused through their mobile devices or through social networking sites. We would urge you therefore to take the time to read this pamphlet and to support your daughter in staying safe in her use of technology.
These tests are of paramount importance for us in making decisions about exam entries for both groups of students; please do discuss these with your daughter and support her in revising appropriately. These results will inform our decisions about intervention, support and exam entries.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this letter. I would like to wish you and your family a very happy Christmas holiday. Whether you celebrate the festival of Christmas or not, I wish you a very happy break as we reach the end of another year and trust that 2015 will be a healthy and happy year for you.
Yours sincerely
Jane Fletcher
Principal
