At New Rickstones Academy we care for each individual student, helping them to achieve their potential in all areas of academy life. We want them to feel happy and secure in an ordered, caring and safe environment that encourages and celebrates success.
How we group our students:
Each year group from Year 7 to 11 is divided into form groups, containing boys and girls of all social and ability levels and from various partner primary schools. At the end of Year 6 all parents are offered a meeting with a senior member of staff from the academy to discuss their child's experience from the primary school activities they do both in and out of school, personal information and friendship groups to enable the academy to settle the children as quickly as possible into their new life at New Rickstones Academy.
In Year 7, where possible, new students are placed with other students from their primary schools to give them confident while they make new friends. New students in other years are placed in form groups as best they can be taking into some consideration their needs.
The Form Tutor will get to know their students closely and will move through the academy with the students, know each student as an individual, be the first point of contact for referral or praise, monitor progress inside and outside the classroom, including homework, deliver the tutorial programme.
The Heads of Year and the Head of Sixth Form have responsibility for overseeing the monitoring of academic progress of all students within their year groups. Each has specific responsibilities for their year groups, which will also including monitoring attendance, lateness, and the welfare of each student as well as overseeing the tutorial programme for their year group.
There is a member of the SLT allocated to have overall responsibility for the students at the Academy.
Attendance Matters :
Students who maintain good records of attendance will be both recognised and rewarded.
All students are expected to achieve an attendance rate of a minimum of 96%. If you are unwell and unable to attend the Academy for the day, please make sure your parent/carer contacts Mrs Bryan, Attendance Officer by 8.30am at the latest, on that day and on any subsequent days that you may be unwell and unable to attend.
Period 1 starts at 8.30am and finishes at 9.35am. Any student who fails to get a mark, and for whom we have no explanation for absence, will trigger a text alert to parents that will require a response. Therefore, in order to prevent this, please ensure that you are in school, on time, every day. Holidays in term time will not be authorised unless there are exceptional circumstances.
The Academy Day:
The academy follows a 5 period day with a mid-morning and lunch break. The academy has a two week timetable: Week A, Week B. Lessons are 65 minutes long.
Assemblies:
Assemblies are held for every year group including Sixth Form each week. Themes covered link directly into the academy's SMSC and tutorial programmes including creativity, anti-bullying, e-safety, aspirations, British values, PREVENT and making a difference.