6th December 2024

Welcome to our weekly bulletin,

As a valued member of our school community we will send you an update every Friday afternoon.

The end of the Autumn term is always a busy one with trips, rewards and lots to organise by many different members of staff. They do this on top of their normal workload and inevitably get to the end of term absolutely exhausted! We want every single student at Durham Academy to experience the very best and our parent and student voice this week tells us that this is very much appreciated.

We have seen even more STAR students, magic moments and faculty awards being issued and if that wasn't enough, we have also been...

Getting ready to share the offical plans!

Final surveys and checks are being carried out in preparation for the official meetings to share new build plans with parents/carers and other members of the community.

The provisional date for these meetings is January the 21st and when this is confirmed, you will recieve an invitation to attend.

Developing a Wellbeing Network Group

Our Year 9 students have had their first online training session before they embark on a project to promote inclusivity and wellbeing. Lily in Year 9 said, "Five other students and I have formed the Durham Academy Belonging Network Group. Our mission is to make our school as inclusive and enjoyable as possible for everyone. We're doing this by making links with other schools, including two primary schools in the area that we are promoting our school to. We want to go forward with a wellbeing room with monthly activities and we want ideas from the general public of the school. We're in the process of making a presentation about our school and our mission and there's an assembly to follow."

Thank you to Mrs Ball for organising this. She said the students were a credit to our community.

Celebrating being recognised for great progress by the Department of Education

This morning we were told that out of 3255 secondary schools across the country, Durham Academy Maths results for last year's Year 11 were 106th in the country and in the top 3.3% for most improved progress!

A huge congratulations to the Maths department for all their hard work. Improvements like this don't happen accidently and can only be achieved by having a meticulously planned curriculum, well delivered lessons, great relationships with students, accurate assessment and timely intervention.

Well done everyone!

Baking beautiful bread

Year 8 students have filled the creative block with the delicious smell of fruit bread. The Christmas scented loaves were a delight to behold as they cooled in the food technology room. Parents and carers will hopefully got to taste the yummy offerings though we would be surprised if the students didn't eat them on the way home!

Thank you to Mr McDonald for sharing his plaiting expertise. Great British Bake Off here we come...

Making money grow

In partnership with Virgin Money our Year 8 students have been developing their enterprise skills this week.

By learning about money now, students become more financially aware and therefore more successful at money management in later life.

The project includes creating a business plan and requesting a £5 load to invest in their business. Students then have to make the business a success!

We can't wait to see the millions roll in.

Visiting Newcastle University (again)

Our second group of Year 8 students visited Newcastle University to explore the wonderful campus and took part in a series of challenges including using their engineering skills to design a boat that held the most treasure and to using their maths skills to solve the murder mystery. They saw chemistry in action by seeing how elephant toothpaste and smoke is made for movie sets.

The students had a fabulous time. Thank you to Newcastle University and Dr Atwal.

Generating genius

For the past four years we have worked with Generating Genius who are dedicated to developing talented young people for the future of STEM. They work with universities and businesses to diversify their communities and ensure that students from across the country have access to high profile opportunities such as visiting the House of Lords. Three students in Year 11 have been selected and are now working on a plan to use AI to increase the productivity of a particular industry. If they are successful they will travel to London to share their work further! We are very proud of Josh, Linda and Summer and can't wait to share further updates with you.

Catching up on flu vaccinations

Students who missed the first round of vaccinations have been visited by the NHS team which helps us to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.

If your child missed their vaccination, the team will be back in school on 10th of December and after this date you can still contact your GP and request another appointment.

Rewarding good behaviour

The number of R3's and R4's has decreased again this week with fewer detentions being issued.

This shows how many STAR students we have in school. Our expectations are simple:

Reminding everyone about the importance of good attendance

Mrs Lister's class has the had the best attendance this week. Well done everyone!

Durham Academy recognises the vital role good attendance plays in a student’s school life and academic achievement. We expect all students to attend school regularly and punctually in order to take advantage of the educational opportunities available to them. The continuity of regular attendance will enable a student to progress in a structured and progressive manner and to achieve their individual goals.

The school day begins at 8.30 am and finishes at 3pm

Punctuality is vitally important if students are to succeed. Punctual students are happier and more successful in their education. They are laying the foundations for success and happiness in the future. Parents and carers are responsible for ensuring that their children arrive in school every day and on time. Students need to be in class ready to learn by 8.30am and so should arrive on site by 8.25am. Students arriving after 8.30am will incur an after school detention.

We understand that, on occasions, there may be unavoidable reasons for your child's absence. You should notify the school by 8.30 a.m. on each day of your child's absence. You can leave a message regarding absence by telephoning the main school number 0191 3730336.

Contact should be made to school each morning of absence by 8.30am by telephone.

Rewarding work of the week

Wan, Leo, April, Alisha and Nicole were nominated in Art this week and gave a fantastic explanation of the life and works of Joseph Cornell. They talked passionately about his life experiences and the metaphor for being caged within his childhood. Year 9 will now create their own 'bird boxes' using Joseph's inspiration. Fabulous work Year 9!

Ria, Lily, Isla and Zoe were also nominated for excellence in Maths and we are proud of them all.

Scheduling SEN reviews

Our SEN team will be contacting parents/carers if your child has not already had a review this term.

These reviews are really important and they are carried out best if both children and parents/cares attend them. You know your child best and so your feedback is vital to getting their support plans right.

In addition to discussing individual needs and support on a one-to one basis, our SEN team also run a fortnightly coffee afternoon (on a Thursday) and schedule professionals to attend who may be able to offer additional advice and guidance. Our last professional visitor was an Occupational Therapist who is supporting our handwriting interventions in school and was able to advise parents/carers on strategies for home.

Our next SEN coffee afternoon is next Thursday (12th December at 2pm) and everyone is welcome to attend. Next week's drop in has a focus on supporting students at home during a time where sensory overload can be at its highest and will include helpful strategies and tips to take away.

Launching our online revison access

If your child is in Year 10 or 11 they will soon be given access to an online revision portal. During PSHCE they will create their revision timetables and because we provide all students with a Chromebook, they will have access to all revision materials including revision guides and flashcards at home. This means you won't need to purchase a physical book (unless you want to).

Your child will be given full access to this prior to their January exams (Year 11 only in January but Year 10 should be revising too). They should be completing short bursts of revision every night and at the weekend to ensure they transfer short term memory to long term knowledge.

Competing in an Athletics Championship

Students travelled to Maiden Castle to compete in the indoor Sports Hall Athletics competition for the Durham and Chester-Le-Street district schools.

All pupils were excellent representatives of the school, behaving perfectly and cheered each other on.

We are still awaiting the final results but we are already celebrating the excellent efforts from our ambitious students.

Enjoying our 5 a day

Thursday Tutor time is our whole school reading time and as of this week, all students will also be given a piece of fruit to enjoy while they are reading, courtesy of our Tesco Fresh Start Grant. This is in addition to the free breakfast we offer all students every morning and means we can guarantee their brains are fuelled for learning.

Eating the right food is so important when it comes to being able to learn and we see a direct relationship between student behaviour and student eating habits. If your child is reluctant to have breakfast before they leave the house please ensure that they don't replace this with biscuits or energy drinks purchased on the way to school. They have free access to cereals and bagels every day from 8.15am until 8.30am so no student should be unable to focus in lessons because they are hungry. By adding this additional piece of fruit we want to top up their 5 a day because vitamins and immunity from illness are very closely linked and at this time of year we all need a boost!

Thank you to Mrs Robins for organising this.

Carrying out random acts of kindness

Assembly this week has focused on being kind and sometimes it is the little things that make a difference.

Students have been challenged to help people out and show their respect for others. Those who have made someone else smile have been rewarded with an early lunch today.

We are not promising that you child will suddenly start doing the dishes without being asked but we hope they have been reflecting on the difference small actions can make.

Want to know more?

Telephone: 0191 3730336

Email: contact@durhamacademy.org.uk

For the most up to date information about what is going on in our school, please visit our website at:

https://durhamacademy.org.uk

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Durham Academy Weekly Bulletin