Front Page News

Talk of public sector spending cuts and cost of living crises is everywhere.

The Chancellor will give his Autumn Statement in the House of Commons tomorrow and we appear to be heading for territory many have not experienced before.

While we have seen periods of downturn and recession in recent times, as well as a pandemic, this feels different.

For some in our community, the difficulties have arrived quickly. Some have been made redundant, others have lost businesses or face crippling rises in mortgage payments.

These issues come on top of the rising costs of food, energy and other bills.

Some are in worrying situations and, as a community, we understand what people are facing.

You will also be aware a significant number of professions and industries are seeing employees being asked their opinions about striking.

Nurses, railway staff, postal workers, civil servants, junior doctors, hospital staff, university lecturers, airline ground staff, and ambulance crews are in disputes over pay, among others.

The teaching profession is also balloting members.

The pay awards to staff will be higher than previous ones and in excess of what we have budgeted for.

On top of this, our Academy has seen gas prices increase by 400% and electricity by 250%.

It is important that parents / carers note school budgets have not increased to cover these increased costs, nor is additional money expected.

As a school which receives public money, there are a number of areas we have been forced into looking at to ensure we continue to remain financially viable and well run, as we have been since we became an Academy.

I want to stress we are still committed to offering the same education as we have offered in recent years, but we will be working behind the scenes so that we can carefully negotiate financial realities.

Given the attention in the media and social media, I do think it is important to raise the situation.

There are all sorts of scare stories out there. It is important that we, as an Academy, are communicating what is factual, truthful and accurate.

We will continue to fund, support and run programmes, opportunities and strategies focused on what is best for our students.

An example is the Combined Cadet Force which I mentioned here recently. On the first day we communicated to students about the programme, we had 68 indicate their interest in joining.

The programme is a significant contribution in terms of finances and staff commitment. But we are fully committed to ensuring it is well run and funded.

The deadline for any further students expressing an interest is Friday.

The new library’s another commitment we are determined to see through. In fact, we have had confirmation of funding and work is expected to start within days and be completed before Christmas.

I am really proud we have a whole number of events taking place in the Academy this week: Anti-Bullying Week, Inter Faith Week, Odd Socks Day and dress down for BBC Children in Need.

For those who have not contributed to the latter as yet, they can do so through Parent Pay .

It is a fantastic charity. The stories around it are inspirational but it will focus minds further on those less fortunate and struggling in these tough times.

Please click on the link below to donate to Children in Need:

Our ‘Class of 2022’ achieved amazing results, especially after what had been a very difficult and challenging two years in education. I am delighted to welcome you back to the academy on Monday 28th November between 4.00pm – 5.30pm for an opportunity to collect your GCSE certificates, meet up with friends and share some time with the staff who taught you.

Examination certificates are very important for you to collect and keep safe as many future providers require evidence of these.

Please be aware that by law, your certificates can only be given to you. You will also be able to collect any art, photography and design work which you submitted for your final examinations. However, if you are unable to attend you may authorise someone else to collect them on your behalf. They will need to have a letter signed by you together with identification.

We look forward to seeing you and would be grateful if you can return the form below to confirm your attendance.

Yours faithfully

Miss Walker

Achievement Team Leader

GCSE Results Certificate Form

November 2022

Children and Young People’s Lives Survey 2022

Dear Parent/Carer,

During the second half of the autumn term students from each of North Lincolnshire’s secondary schools will be invited to take part in a Lifestyle Survey. These surveys take place every three years, and in 2019 more than 6000 students took part, with representation from every school in the authority. This will be the seventh time schools have participated since the surveys began in 2003. 

It is an important survey created jointly by headteachers, and senior officers from North Lincolnshire Council and NHS North Lincolnshire. The findings will be used by us and other agencies to help improve services for our students and to monitor how well we are doing to improve the health and wellbeing of all North Lincolnshire students. 

The survey is web based and should take students no more than 40 minutes to complete and is anonymous. It will be completed during lesson time and covers issues such as healthy lifestyles, use of the internet, bullying, emotional wellbeing, safety and aspirations for the future.  For older pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11 there are some additional questions on sexual health. These questions are not being asked of students in Years 7 and 8.  All of these issues are routinely covered in PSHE and other activities.        

The information from the survey will be collated for each school by the researchers and a local authority level report will be produced. The main results of the survey will also be shared with students.

If you have any queries regarding the survey please contact the school directly in the first instance. The school will have available a copy of the survey questionnaire if you would like to see it. May we take this opportunity to thank you in anticipation of your support for this important survey.

Yours sincerely,

Ryan Oates

Personal Development Lead

Talk of counting down to Christmas is very premature – and the example being set by Year 11s in the hall every day is evidence.

While sitting exams brings its pressures, they are generating a feel good factor and adding to the positive learning environment.

Daily, our younger students are passing by the Atrium, where they see how to properly prepare for exams and what that looks like.

Each morning, over this two-week period, Year 11s are turning up for 8am, when we are providing breakfast and a hot drink.

Out come the revision notes and the highlighter pens, as informal sessions take place with staff before the exams start.

It is a brilliant atmosphere, in front of the other children arriving for lessons. They are seeing the investment of time and effort needed to be successful.

Year 11 have been fabulous and displayed a brilliant attitude to learning.

It is because of their impressive work ethic and how they have conducted themselves we have organised a trip to the Town’s Vue Cinema to see a film. It is a treat to Year 11 to say thank you.

We have done so because they deserve it; the morning will be a nice way to finish an exam period; and it’s great to work in partnership with our friends at The Vue.

A community partnership such as this benefits all parties.

The next significant date on the Year 11 calendar is Tuesday, 6th December, between 4pm and 6.30pm when the Academy hosts the annual Evening of Ingredients.

Each Year 11 receives their exam results in a sealed envelope and can meet, along with their parents / carers, every class teacher to discuss how they might do better in the summer.

Those discussions are in one half of the Academy. The other half is dedicated to what their next step might look like.

We are grateful to more than 25 organisations, partners and businesses who have already said they would be attending.

There will be careers advisers, colleges, advice teams and firms on hand to advise our Year 11s. It already looks like being a really successful event. Every Year 11 is urged to attend.

We have lots of events coming up and another I wanted to highlight was the dress down day for the BBC’s Children in Need Appeal on Friday, 18th November.

Contributions are being taken through Parent Pay to enable the children to participate. (No log on is required). We appreciate times are hard but please give what you can.

Students should dress sensibly please. It is not a fashion parade and that’s why we’ve called it dress down day.

A huge variety of activities will take place as we do our bit for the charity.

Elsewhere, we have a vacancy for a parent representative on our governing body. More information for anybody interested in standing is here.

Finally, we are working with North Lincolnshire Council, and in particular Wendy Holmes, to provide meals for families struggling at Christmas. We do understand the difficulties being faced.

Frozen chickens will be included and we will work alongside the authority to help in their distribution. 

More details about our campaign will be released in due course but it is another reflection of how working together benefits all.

But it is not part of any countdown to Christmas. That can wait for a while yet!

Dear Parent/guardian

I am pleased to inform you that we will be taking all Year 7 students to the Baths Hall on Thursday 15th of December this year to see the Pantomime Cinderella.

We will be leaving the academy at 1pm to walk to the Baths Hall to take our seats ready for the performance which starts at 1.30pm.  The performance will finish at approximately 3.30pm.  

Students will be released from Baths Hall once the pantomime has finished at 3:30pm and make their way home from there. 

There is no cost for this wonderful experience and I am sure all students will have a thoroughly enjoyable learning experience.  We do expect good behaviour on this trip, therefore we reserve the right to deny this experience to any student who  breaks our expectations of being safe, ready and respectful between now and the trip.

Students are welcome to bring a small amount of money to purchase a drink or ice cream at the interval or to bring their own drinks and snacks.

Kind regards

Wendy Letherland

WLetherland

Curriculum & Progress Leader for Creative

Dear Parent/Carer 

Year 10 Consultation Evening – Thursday 1st December 2022 – 4.00pm-6:30pm

On Thursday 1st December 2022 at 4pm you and your child are invited to our Year 10 Consultation Evening, firstly to collect their report and secondly to meet all their subject teachers. This is your first opportunity to discuss your child’s progress in key stage 4. It will also allow you to identify what needs to be done to maximise their potential for achieving success in the future. We would appreciate your support and attendance for the evening.  Please confirm your attendance using the attached link.

Please sign in on arrival  and then proceed directly to the classrooms of the subjects studied by your child, to meet with your child’s teachers.  There is no individual subject appointment system so you are able to arrive at a time to suit you between 4.00pm to 6.00pm.  Prefects will be outside classrooms to facilitate your time with the teacher. The evening will finish at 6.30pm.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely 

S Walker 

Miss S Walker 

Achievement Team Leader

D Ellerby

Mr D Ellerby 

Deputy Headteacher for Learning and Progress

Time is something that’s been brought into focus this week.

We welcomed everyone to the Academy after the half term break and the clocks going back.

That switch brings with it darkness and cold – I am not a big fan – and is one of the reasons the second part of this half term is loaded with positive events.

We were very mindful the change in time created a potential issue for a significant proportion of our Muslim students who wished to pray due to Jumnah. They normally do so at 1.15pm in the Mosque.

We wanted to accommodate those committed to prayer and are able to do so as soon as the Academy day finishes on a Friday in the dance studio.

I am indebted to Mr Hassan for ensuring the end of British Summer Time does not mean students cannot fulfil their responsibilities to pray. It is really important to them and that makes it important to us.

They are welcome to bring their own prayer mat.

We are proud of these efforts and the time invested in diversity.

Data from the summer’s exams was published by the Department for Education last week and can be found here.

Of course, it is difficult to compare past years because of the pandemic but, while there is always room for improvement, our results stand up well to scrutiny and we are pleased with the progress.

Year 11 parents know interventions are already underway to help and support their children achieve the best outcomes possible, with additional time spent with them by staff during the week.

Their widely advertised, two-week exam period starts on Monday. Students are working really hard to prepare for them. Keep it up.

Monday saw time run out for parents to choose secondary destinations for their Year 6 children.

We appear to have had a really good response from those in the community wanting their child to come here next September. Thank you for that.

It will soon be time for our Combined Cadet Force (CCF) to launch. This will happen in January when we become the only school to be running the programme in the area.

There will be an opportunity for 90 young people to be its first recruits.

The CCF has nothing to do with a student thinking about a career in the Armed Forces.

What it will offer is for them to experience a real sense of belonging, to understand collective responsibility, to improve their resilience, give a chance of further qualifications, and provide a structure that can help them become even better people than they are now.

Fully funded by the Ministry of Defence, cadets will be able to take advantage of free trips and experiences. A display board in school highlights some of what is in store.

Staff are really excited about the opportunities the programme will offer and a number are in training in their own time to deliver it.

The process – it has taken a year to get to this stage – has been driven by Head of English Donna McDonald – who has had years of experience in a CCF at a previous school – and Laurence Fox, who’s in his second year of teaching having been in the Military Police.

We could not have two more skilled nor committed individuals leading the programme and I’m grateful to them and other members of the staff team undertaking the training.

There is so much coming up on the horizon, including national campaigns such as Anti Bullying Week, Inter Faith Week, Odd Socks Day and BBC Children in Need.

Various parents’ evenings will take place when reports will be issued, with children assessed on their progress in class.

Time might have altered, and the clocks gone backwards – but we are looking forwards with great anticipation.