2nd October2025

Welcome to our weekly bulletin,

Another week has flown by with so much to report. From virtual work experience opportunities to target setting for Year 7.

We have been very busy...

Removing rubble

Redgrave is gone!

The builders have continued to remove huge piles of rubble this week and we have had our first social value meeting of the year.

Our fabulous builders Willmott Dixon will not only be delivering a new building but they will also be offering students the opportunity to learn about the industry, develop employability skills and take part in a sustainability programme to ensure that our build is an environmentally friendly as possible.

Listening to you

Thank you for completing the parental voice form shared via the bulletin last week.

The responses were overwhelmingly positive and we have taken time to read your feedback in order to continuously improve.

When asked about the positives, parents said, " Variety of lessons. My son very enthusiastic about secondary school, I also enjoy the class charts app and seeing his positive points and what lesson he is in."

and "The school provides excellent opportunities to encourages self development. My daughter always feels noticed and acknowledged for her abilities which in turn spurs her on to achieve greater."

When asked what we could improve, our parents told us, "Continue good line of communication with parents" and "I haven't come across any negative observation as yet. My daughter is happy in school which is what matters. Hopefully this will continue to be the case."

That doesn't mean we think everything is prefect though and we are always looking to improve the way we operate so if you would like to be part of a parent/carer working party please contact reception to sign up. The meetings won't take long and won't be too frequent but they will give you direct input into new policies and developments.

Launching the school newspaper for 2025/26

One of our ACCESS clubs this year includes our School Newspaper. This is great opportunity for your child to learn on the job as there will be a student editor, reporters, photographers, IT team and many other real life roles to take part in.

Please encourage your child to speak to Mrs Anderson if they are interested.

Planning a trip for Year 8

As a result of all the fabulous work Dr Atwal does we have been given the opportunity to extend the invitation to more students in order for them to participate in STEM Fest.

Students in Year 8 will be taken to The Motor Arena next Thursday for an amazing careers focused day linked to science, engineering and maths.

The trip its self is free to students but we are requesting a donation of £3 to cover the cost of the buses.

If your child is in year 8 they will be given a letter about this trip. If you child was already attending the trip, the arrangements for them remain the same.

Sharing GCSE Pod with KS4 students

Students often say that they don't know how to revise and as parents/carers it is sometimes difficult to know how best to support them with specific information or knowledge.

We have invested in GCSE pod and our English department are the first to launch this with students in Years 10 and 11.

Each pod breaks down key information into manageable and engaging chunks which relate directly to GCSE exams.

We aren't the only school using this platform so please watch the video attached from Decon High School for more information.

Your child has been given a homework booklet to accompany this which directs them to specific pods.

Setting homework

"Have you got any homework?" is often answered with a very convincing, "no". However this is not true!

All students have homework every week as follows:

20 minutes of reading fiction or non-fiction a day- all students have access to library books and The Day (our online Newspaper) via the school landing page. The more students read the better their reading and vocabulary and spelling become.

Automatically set every week:

Tassomi Homework for English, Maths and Science in Years 7,8 and 9.

Tassomi Homework for Maths and Science in Years 10 & 11.

GCSE Pod homework for English in Years 10 & 11.

Specific homework tasks set by Geography, History, French, RS, PE, Creative and PSHCE as directed by the teacher for all year groups. These are set on paper or in Google Classroom are the deadlines are given on classcharts- your child should also record these in their planner.

All students have access to the library as a quiet working area and a study room at lunchtimes along with access to chromebooks at home and in school so no student should fail to complete homework on time. If they do and there is not a genuine reason, they will receive a lunchtime detention to complete it.

If a child has a genuine problem, they should speak to their class teacher before the deadline.

Asking for your support

Mr Heppell has officially launched the Race for the Kids via PE lessons and students from Durham Academy are confidently stepping up to take part in the “Race for Kids,” showing their ambitious spirit as they tackle a 3km course to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.

By participating in this event, they are not only challenging themselves but also demonstrating their respectful commitment to helping others.

This fantastic opportunity allows our students to embody the values of confidence, ambition and respect while making a real difference to the lives of children and families supported by Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Please follow this link to show us your support.

https://race.gosh.org/fundraisers/DurhamAcademy/race-for-the-kids-school

Warning you about social media

No child under 13 should be permitted to have social media.

Each social media app has specific guidelines about age appropriateness but risk always remains when giving a child access to unfiltered content.

We urge all year 7 parents to remove any access to apps that are 13+ because your child has not been taught to use them safely yet and they may be exposed to dangerous and damaging content.

Inappropriate use of technology in school will result in a consequence and any inappropriate use of technology outside of school which has an impact on members of our school community may result in police involvement.

Let's keep all of our children safe by controlling the access and removing the risk.