Preparing for ACCESS week

ACCESS week has started today with Year 10 students visiting the Metro Centre and taking part in a variety of in-school reward activities. Next week is full of exciting events and it is important to know what your child is doing, what they need to be wearing and where this is happening. 

Full attendance is vital in the last week and as you can see, it's going to be a fantastic end to the term. 

Please see the time table below for full details.

Sending Year 10 on work experience

Mr Talbot has had the mammoth task of organising work experience for all students in Year 10. 

Students have had all information given to them and have a Work Experience booklet to complete before, during and after which must be brought to school with them in September. 

Mr Talbot has also issued a letter to parents and carers outlining what to do in the event of an emergency. Please ensure your child has the school's phone number (01913730336) stored in their phone. 

Racing to the line

Year 7 took part in an engineering challenge to design the fastest kart. Students interacted in a full day of engineering sponsored by Hargreaves Services Plc to compete against and learn how to use engineering tools to make the lightest and most aerodynamic car. Well done Year 7! 

Signing an exciting agreement

Its official, Durham Academy has signed off their agreement to make their very own branded racing kart! 

Thank you to Virgin Monday and Alpine to make Durham Academy student ambition to engineer their own racing kart. 

We have signed off the agreement and now are in the process of selecting our chassis/framework colours.  

Collecting our 3D printing

Our KS3 students were learning how to code robots and design their very own keychains last week which have now been printed using 3D printers. Amazing work KS3!

Congratulating Mr Potts

Mr Potts is on a winning streak this week as not only did he represent England Masters at the Great North 10k in Newcastle, finishing in 34:50 and 63/10000, he also won an ALP employee of the Year Award in the category of Best Support Staff. 

Mr Potts is member of staff who is almost part of the brick work here. Always present, always positive and always encouraging young people to succeed, no matter what challenges they are faced with. 

We are hoping his makes it a hattrick of awards during the Durham 10K next week and we wish him lots of luck! 

Gaining employability skills

Y10 Students took part in a speed networking session with Durham Works this week. 

7 Ambassadors from different job sectors talked to our students about their roles and different employability skills needed for work. 

Students took notes about the ambassadors and then presented their findings in small groups.  Well done Year 10 and thank you to Durham Works and Mr Talbot. 

Sharing ideas for days out

We know if it is sometimes difficult to find free activities to do in the holidays and costs can mount up if you are entertaining multiple children so we have created this guide of low and no cost activities to help with six weeks away from school. 

The guides have been taken from https://www.thisisdurham.com/things-to-do/durham-attractions/free-attractions where many more activities can be found. 

Putting families first

The summer can also be a challenging time for feeding children. 

If you are worried about this please contact school as we still have several feeding families food boxes. 

They are waiting to be used so if you think you would benefit from one just give us a call. 

Planning for September

We shared this document for new parents and carers last week but it is also useful for current families too. 

It contains reminders about school systems and expectations which all students need to know and understand. 

School opens to all students on Wednesday 3rd of September and all students should be on the school site before 8.25am. 

Full school uniform must be worn by all students and we do not allow trainers, tight-fitting trousers or no school uniform items. Please check the uniform section on the handbook before purchasing items as students will be required to change them if they do not comply with policy. 

The summer holidays is an ideal time for piercings to heal and any piercings carried out over the holidays must be removed for school with the exception of a single pair of small studs. 

Only watches and small studs are allowed and any other jewellery will be confiscated so please check that your child has removed these items along with any false eyelashes or nails before the first day back. Hair must be of a natural colour. 

The summer holidays is an amazing time for most students who are ready to rest and relax after a very busy and demanding 39 weeks of school. For some students the return to routine after six weeks away can be daunting and so we are sharing a help guide for parents and carers to prepare your child for this. 

Additional resources can also be found at:

https://www.sleepfoundation.org

https://www.nutrition.org.uk

https://www.childmind.org

Keeping our children safe

We wish all of our families a safe and happy holiday but in the event that you need some help, we have included some important contact details below.

If you have concerns about the welfare of a child call First Contact.

First Contact Durham is a service that acts as a single point of contact for professionals and the public to raise concerns about a child's welfare in County Durham. You can reach them by phone at 03000 267 979 or by email at firstcontact@durham.gov.uk. First Contact is open Monday to Thursday, 8:30 AM–5 PM, and Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM. In emergencies, an on-duty officer is available outside of these hours.  

If you have concerns about your own or your child's mental health and reach a crisis point, contact CAMHs Crisis.

Call 111 and select Mental Health option 2. This is a 24 hour service. 

Need some help but it isn't an emergency? Contact a Durham Family Hub.

Family Hubs support all families from pregnancy right up until your child turns 19, or 25 if they have special educational needs and disabilities. The Family Hubs team includes people from the council, NHS, community organisations and more. They can support you with everything to do with family life, we're here to make a positive difference for all families.

You can Register for free with our Family Hubs and you can call them on 03000 261 111.