Weekly Bulletin
Module 6: Week 6 - 14th July 2023
Be Inquisitive - Be Resilient - Be Respectful - Be Kind
Principal's Message
Mr Jon Richardson - Principal
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we move into the final week of the academic year, we start to reflect upon the progress that we've made since the start of module 5. We have achieved so much in such little time, but also ensuring that we are prepared and ready to welcome our pupils back in the academy come September.
In September we are having a staggered start to ensure all pupils are ready and prepared for the new academic year.
- Year 7 and Year 12 will return to the academy on Friday 1st September
- With Year 11 and Year 13 returning to the academy on Monday 4th September
- Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10 will return to the academy on Tuesday 5th September
- All pupils are expected to be on the academy site by 8:30 at the very latest.
INSET days:
- Next year the academy will only be closed for three INSET days, these are the following days:
- 30th and 31st August 2023
- 2nd January 2024
- Friday 9th February 2024 will now be a teaching day and this will be the final day of term 3.
Throughout the past two modules we have had so many highlights, including the following:
- Reward trips to Thorpe Park
- Trips to Kingswood
- Trip to the Etihad Stadium to watch Manchester City lift the Premier League trophy
- A ski trip
- LAT sports days
- Medway sports day
- Our very own sports day
- Geography field trips
- Year 11 guard of honour
- Year 11 prom
And many more....
Later this week you will receive a Strood Academy summer newsletter sharing further excellent and exciting news with all the goings on from around the academy.
May I take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and welcome to Strood Academy over the past modules.
I will write to you later this week to close the academic year.
Regards,
Jon Richardson
Principal
Staff Shoutout!
To the PE Department planning and preparing sports day The hard work and commitment in the planning and preparation is only measured by the pure joy on pupils faces as they competed in a range of activities.
Keep an eye out on our social media for announcements of winners and points!
Student Council
The student council met with Mr Richardson this term to discuss agenda items raised by the student body. Students were keen to discuss upcoming events such as sports day and contributions as to what students had enjoyed in previous years to ensure that sports day is the best one yet. Students were also keen to discuss suggestions for future school trips which will be taken forward for the next academic year. The students have also been busy being part of the student panel to assist with recruitment for teaching staff for the next academic year.
The Student Council worked to analyse suggestions from their peers on the recent pupil survey. They discussed concerns/comments raised and worked to create solutions on these issues.
This year’s Student Council has shown high levels of dedication to wanting the best for their peers and their school community. They have been a real credit to themselves, their families and their school.
Elections for the academic year 2023/24 will take place in term 1!
Shine Media Awards
The Shine School Media Awards is a national competition rewarding UK secondary schools who produce an outstanding newspaper, magazine, podcast or website. Sascha wrote an article for the school newspaper The Perspective in which he described the challenges he has faced as a hearing child with deaf parents entitled ‘Freedom of Speech’. Sascha won a Highly Commended certificate and attended the awards in London on 3rd July with the Editor of The Perspective, year 13 student Y. Ermis.
ADT
ADT has had an exciting year consisting of an array of practical, research and problem solving skills throughout the different disciplines.
In KS3, Art students have been working particularly hard exploring and using a range of different lines to produce visually exciting Art pieces.
KS3 has also seen a good array of food practical outcomes. Our students have enjoyed the expert teaching from the Food team, ranging from Rock cakes to Couscous. We have found students to be excited yet skillful in our kitchen. In KS4 our students have worked very hard and been rewarded with a visit to the school Restaurant. Scott and Julia took time in showing our year 10 Hospitality and Catering students around a working, professional kitchen. It was a fantastic opportunity to experience first hand the workings of a professional kitchen which we have studied in lessons and also to be inspired by your role and career pathway, as the students begin to plan ahead for their future working careers. It was totally inspirational to be able to talk to the area Executive Head Chef and Head Chef who runs the kitchen day to day.
Within ADT mock exams products have been coming together very nicely. Using woods and plastics, we are very proud of our Year 10s and for their efforts this year. It is incredible that they have completed finished practicals in such a short space of time and we are very pleased with how the materials have been utilised in such creative ways.
science
Year 7 Science students learned about human digestive, respiratory, and reproductive systems and how bad drugs, alcohol, and tobacco are for us. They also learned about plant reproduction and the importance of pollinators.
Year 8 Science students discovered why we can see the lightning before we hear the thunder and how we are all responsible for climate change.
Year 9 Science students are getting ready for Key Stage 4. They performed practicals that are required for GCSE and practised answering exam questions. Our students also enriched their knowledge of laws of Physics.
KS4
Year 10's had their first mock exams this term, marking a significant milestone in their academic journey. These exams served as their first formal assessment, and we are proud to say that our students demonstrated remarkable resilience throughout the process.
KS5
Year 12 Biology students participated in the Intermediate Biology Olympiad 2023, Over 14000 students from 700 schools worldwide participated in this competition. Sofia and Carolina were commended for their efforts.
Year 12 Chemistry students have been learning about Optical isomerism where they learn about different properties of drugs.
Geography
This year our Year 7’s have been leading the way on helping their environment and have been reviewing the importance of our local River Medway
The importance of the River Medway as an ecosystem
Consequences of flooding and impacts in Strood
Encouraging the local community to conserve and support the River
Importance of the River as a site of commerce and tourism
In addition our Year 8’s have been understanding the complexity of our physical environment and have recently completed a project on Tourism in Kenya and the importance of EcoTourism in saving Sea Turtles from poaching. Many students may be considering careers in the retail and tourism industries and they have been looking at impacts in the community.
Our Year 9’s have been building on their knowledge of human and physical Geography to look at Climate Change and Natural Hazards and impacts on communities across the world. This has culminated in a project designed to link the physical environment with that of human activity and our responsibility to manage these changes to leave a legacy for future generations.
Our Year 10s completed their Urban and Physical Coursework unit by visiting Reculver and Herne Bay in Kent on July 3rd, 4th and 7th; they conducted studies of the Coastal defences and visited the highstreet and looked at the environment; this was linked to careers in City Planning and place design to make locations more welcoming to tourists and residents.
Year 12 Field Trip - London Docklands
Students have been visiting London Docklands as part of their urban case study on Monday 10th July. They visited Woolwich Arsenal, Woolwich Dockside and reviewed sustainable development and transport. Students used the newly opened Elizabeth Line to visit the London Assembly building before a visit to Canary Wharf and the London Docklands Museum.
MFL
With Strood Academy being part of the MYP programme our students have the great advantage of being taught a rich and diverse approach to learning about cultures.
In our Language Acquisition lessons we have enjoyed learning about hispanic cultures from the Mexican celebrations of Day of the Dead in Coco to the enchanted Columbian world of Encanto.
In French, pupils have been reflecting upon the French way of life with the adventures of Le Petit Nicolas.
Newspaper Team
The aim of this newspaper is as a creative platform for students to not only voice their opinions on topics that matter the most to them but also to develop writing skills in order to articulate their thoughts and emotions. This newspaper would not be made possible without the sixth form editorial team and the many students across key stage 3 and 4 who have volunteered their time and hard work to make this newspaper possible.
Digital Strategy
At Strood Academy, online safety is a priority. We want to make sure all of our pupils are safe online. It is important that you are also aware of how to be safe online. You can support your child by completing the online courses that the school has paid for. Please follow this link and sign in: https://nationalonlinesafety.com/enrol/strood-academy
You will need to select the course that states: Annual Certificate in online Safety for Parents and Carers. We want all of our parents to be certificated.
ESPORTS
We are developing our new online gaming suite. Further information will be coming out so please watch this space. 2023-24 we will be offering ESPORTS as an extracurricular activity. THis message is to tantalise the taste buds. Mr Minshull wants to know who is a gamer. Please see how ESPORTS can have a positive effect on all! We will be sharing pictures, plans and successes. But our aim is for Strood to have a team in the nationals by 2024!
Attendance
Thank you to all parents and carers who have supported the school through making sure students are attending school every day and on time.
Attendance is really important for the well being and progress of all. It is imperative that all students attend school every day to give them the best opportunity to be successful. If students are feeling slightly unwell, please make the effort to attend school. When students attend school they normally find that they feel better, if students do not improve we will assess the student and if we feel there is a need we will call home.
If there is an absence please contact attendance@Stroodacademy.org and attach your medical evidence.
National data
The data shows that the attendance rate across the academic year to date was 92.6%. The absence rate was, therefore, 7.4% across all schools.
We are sitting slightly below this and require a big push in the final weeks of term to achieve the national attendance rate. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-attendance-in-schools
Holidays in term time
You have to get permission from the head teacher if you want to take your child out of school during term time. You can only do this if:
you make an application to the head teacher in advance (as a parent the child normally lives with)
there are exceptional circumstances
It’s up to the head teacher how many days your child can be away from school if leave is granted.
Important information
Reminder you can be fined for taking your child on holiday during term time without the school’s permission.
Important Fact
90% attendance means that your child is absent from lessons for the equivalent of one half day every week. Over five years this is the equivalent of about one half of a school year.
Hercules
POINTS
3161
Attendance
89%
Trafalgar
POINTS
2975
Attendance
88%
Victory
POINTS
2480
Victory let's be Victorious
Attendance
88%
Key dates
Return for year 7 and 12 - 1st September 2023
Return for Year 11 and 13 - 4th September 2023
Whole School - 5th September 2023
National Online Safety
Students in this current time are much more exposed to technology than previous generations, both inside of the classroom and outside of the classroom. The Leigh Academies Trust has subscribed to the National Online Safety platform in order to empower all members of the community with the knowledge to keep our children safe, including staff, students and parents and carers.
We would like to take this opportunity to let you know that all parents of students at the academy are welcome to create their own parent account and access a wide range of resources and information around supporting our young people with staying safe online.
Please go to https://nationalonlinesafety.com/enrol/strood-academy and register here.
I would particularly like to promote the two courses below (depending on the age of your child), however there is a wealth of information for you to engage with as you choose. Annual Certificate in Online Safety for Parents & Carers of Children aged 14-18 Annual Certificate in Online Safety for Parents & Carers of Children aged 11-14 If you have any questions around this please do contact the academy and we will be happy to assist you.
School Uniform Shop
Summer ordering deadline for parents to receive their uniform order is fast approaching!
Please can we remind all parents to place their orders as soon as possible - the shop is expecting to be incredibly busy this summer and will not be able to facilitate any late orders. To avoid all disappoint please order quickly.
BRIGADE CLOTHING
PARENT DIRECT DEADLINE: 22ND JULY 2023 AT THE LATEST
DON’T DELAY – ORDER NOW TO ALLOW TIME TO TRY THE UNIFORM BEFORE SEPTEMBER
Click here to see Strood Academy Uniform
timings of the day 2023/2024
From September 2023 we will be introducing a new school day, the start and finish times will remain the same. Pupils will be expected to arrive at the academy by 8:30 and will be dismissed at 3:20 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) and 2:00 on Wednesday. The timings of the day will be altered to maximise learning and embed stronger routines for our children. We have taken on feedback from our staff and pupils and agreed with the below timings. We will be moving to a whole academy lunch, to support this our Year 7 and Year 8 pupils will be dismissed earlier to ensure they can access the lunch in the Restaurant first. To support our longer lunch break we will be holding a number of enrichment clubs but also opening up a range of other facilities for pupils including our astro turf pitch. Our new academy day also enables us to teach a lesson of personal development for all pupils and year groups taking place on a Wednesday during period 5. You can also see below that we are replacing 'tutor time' with 'period 1' where we will be completing our morning line up and assemblies as well as other curriculum related aspects.
Line Ups - Routine 1 @ Strood Academy
As mentioned in last week's bulletin, we have introduced a morning college line up to support students in being prepared for their learning, making their time in school feel safe, calm and predictable. We thank parents for their continued support and pupils for their positive engagement. Our pupils have once again shown when we raise our expectations of them and what they can achieve they rise to the challenge each and every time.
It has been brilliant to see students beam with pride as they're celebrated and congratulated by their entire college as they collect their college badges for rewards achieved, fantastic attendance or general recognition/shout outs.
Below are some clear and concise reminders for parents and pupils to ensure you are prepared for school each and every day.
Uniform expectations
All pupils are required to wear a suitable school bag which can accommodate their chromebook and other A4 class books containing all essential items.
Coats are not allowed to be worn in the school building.
Hoodies are banned from the site and will also be confiscated from pupils if worn.
Pupils should only wear one pair of small gold or silver studded earrings to school, no facial piercings such as nose studs (including clear nose studs), bracelets or necklaces. Please see an example here of acceptable earrings.
Extreme haircuts (Principal’s discretion) and body piercings are prohibited.
Fake tan is prohibited.
False nails and painted nails are prohibited.
Female pupils have the option of wearing either:
a black pleated skirt and black tights,
or a black pleated skirt and black ankle socks,
or black trousers.
No skirts should be rolled up, and should be at a suitable length around the knee.
Knee length socks are not permitted as part of the uniform policy.
We also do not allow any form of eyelash extensions or fake eyelashes as part of our uniform policy.
Failure to adhere to the academy uniform expectations, pupil’s will be placed within the Internal Engagement Room for the duration of the academy day and dismissed at 4:20pm. Pupils will continue to receive their class work on their chromebook.
To support the warmer weather this module we have allowed pupils to leave blazers at home. The blazer isn’t a compulsory item of uniform for the duration of module 6. On the return to school in September as we commence module 1, all pupils will be required to wear a blazer at all times.
Have a great weekend.
Mr M Piggott
Vice Principal
Strood Academy - Key Priorities
The academy have set the following key priorities for module 5 and 6. This is to allow a clear strategic planning and implementation on improvement throughout the academy. These key priorities will be used to measure the progress within the academy and allow all stakeholders to be aware of what is happening within the academy.
The key priorities are as follows;
To provide stability to all stakeholders during a transition in leadership
To enable Year 11 pupils and Year 13 students to achieve excellent examination results
For all stakeholders to be involved in creating a new 5 year vision for Strood Academy
Improve culture for learning throughout the Academy
To provide our pupils transitioning between key stages the support and experiences to succeed
To relaunch our College systems providing pupils pastoral care through revised structures
Module 6 Uniform
Our uniform expectations for module 6 have been adapted. Blazers are optional due to the increased temperatures forecasted for June. However please ensure that all other uniform expectations are adhered to as we continue with our high expectations (please see uniform expectations below)
Uniform expectations
Blazers are optional for term 6 only.
Coats are not allowed to be worn in the school building.
Hoodies are banned from the site and will also be confiscated from students if worn.
Students should only wear one pair of small gold or silver studded earrings to school, no facial piercings such as nose studs, bracelets or necklaces.
Extreme haircuts and body piercings are prohibited.
Fake tan is prohibited
False nails and painted nails are prohibited.
Girls have the option of wearing either a Strood Academy skirt and black tights, a Strood Academy skirt and black ankle socks or Strood Academy trousers.
Knee length socks are not permitted as part of the uniform policy.
We also do not allow any form of eyelash extensions or fake eyelashes as part of our uniform policy.
If you would like a more detailed reminder of the uniform expectations please view them on the academy website.
Failure to follow the schools’ uniform rules and hand over any infringing items will result in a 30 minute same day detention.
Technology in school
All mobile phones and headphones must not been seen on school ground , these must remain out of sight and switched off. This decision was taken for a number of well-considered and well-researched reasons:
To improve our children’s health and wellbeing from the impact of social media
To protect them from the negative impact of cyber-bullying whilst they are in school
To protect our school community from phone cameras being used within the school environment
To improve educational standards by removing the constant distractions that mobile phones pose
To ensure that students are not distracted from key examinations that shape their future
We at the academy appreciate that communication with your child is important and therefore please be assured if you need to contact them urgently you can do so via the school main reception on 01634 717121 and the message will be passed through the pastoral team to your child.
Below are the key processes that have been shared with all pupils about the expectation and the consequences in relation to the use of technology in school.
Phones/Headphones MUST NOT be seen in school.
If Phones/Headphones are seen in school, they will be confiscated.
30 minute same day detention for mobile Phones/Headphones.
Collection of Phones/Headphones from reception (once 30 minute detention has been completed)
Phones/Headphones must not be used on school grounds.
If Headphones are being used, we will confiscate Headphones and the mobile phone that they are connected to.
Any student that refuses to hand over their Phones/Headphones will be placed in the behaviour for learning room and parents will be invited in to collect phones.
Phones/Headphones must be switched off and in bags or lockers.
