Weekly Bulletin
Module 5: Week 6 - 26th May 2023
Be Inquisitive - Be Resilient - Be Respectful - Be Kind
Principal's Message
Mr Jon Richardson - Principal
Dear parents/carers,
Thank you all for your support during module 5. We have had an incredibly busy module within the academy, from trips, to the start of external examinations, work experience opportunities and continuing to ensure the most effective lessons are delivered daily to your children.
We take a moment to thank our staff and wish them a restful and enjoyable break. Since joining the academy it has been immense to witness the excellent work that takes place daily to support children across the school. Our staff really do go the extra mile.
We also take this opportunity to thank our pupils, they continue to demonstrate excellence daily, both within their academic studies but also with their resilience, communication and personal qualities as they continue to progress into highly skilled young adults.
Yesterday, we issued a reminder of our academy expectations in relation to uniform and behaviour, please do share with your child at home and continue to support the academy as we strive for excellence. Please also read the changes in relation to our processes and systems of our behaviour for learning room as we commence into our brand new Lodge provision, finer details can be found within the letter.
The end of module 5 marks the departure of our Assistant Principal of inclusion and SEND. Mrs Pritchard will be leaving the academy and venturing into a new position within an inner London secondary, we wish her all the best within her new venture. We also thank Mrs Pritchard for her dedication and determined efforts in leading SEND and inclusion. Replacing Mrs Pritchard will be Mrs Keetch who has joined the academy on Monday 22nd May as SENDCO and will be continuing the excellent work that Mrs Pritchard has led on.
To conclude, I thank you as parents and carers in ensuring we can continue to work together on this journey of excellence. Please ensure your child enjoys a restful and safe May half term break and we look forward to seeing all pupils back within the academy on Monday 5th June at 8:35am.
Mr J Richardson
Principal
Sign up to the next Meet The SLT Event
We value the opinion of all our stakeholders and if you want your opinion heard please come in and meet the team.
At this meeting we will be discussing a range of key points, your input in each area will shape how the academy moves forwards and develops over time.
Agenda items for discussion
What is excellence at Strood Academy
Toilet areas within the academy
Communication - What does the parent want/need? How would they like to receive that information?
My Child at School app.
If you would like to join our next event please sign up using the link below.
Click here: Meet the SLT 20.06.23 (09.00-10.00)
Staff Shoutout!
Thank you to Mr B. Lembo for going the extra mile as a form tutor and working with his tutees to develop and overcome their behavioural, social and emotional needs.
Thank you to all year 11 teachers who have been putting on extra revision sessions within the finishing timetable and providing students with additional hours of learning and support in preparation for their exams.
Keeping safe Online
Here is some advice on how parents can keep their children safe at home.
Understand the algorithm
Avoid the main feeds
Discuss what they have seen
Learn how to hide content
Set daily limits
Monitor their activity
Turn off push notifications
Use devices together
Encourage other activities
Talk about peer pressure
Year 11
Last week was a tough but productive week with students attending their exams and revision sessions as part of the timetable. We are incredibly proud of them. They displayed true resilience and left the exams feeling positive and accomplished. Please find below information pertaining to the final weeks of the timetable beginning on their return from the half term break.
When students are not in an exam or a revision session, they must attend their normal lessons. It is important that your child takes advantage of every opportunity afforded to them. Departments are working hard to ensure a targeted and bespoke revision programme. SLT will be visiting these sessions throughout the day to support and motivate year 11 as we continue to push them right to the end.
Year 11 students have been working hard following the Finishing Timetable over the last 2 weeks and have 2 more exams weeks to go. To reward their attendance, effort and resilience with their revision and exams, we are having a Super Voucher Giveaway!
Click below to see the Finishing Timetable for the remaining 2 weeks.
Finishing timetable
Year 11 Super Voucher Giveaway
During form time on Tuesday morning, students will be informed of the voucher giveaway at Prom. They will be told that in order to win a raffle ticket they need to:
Have 100% attendance to every exam and revision session over the next 3 weeks.
Be on time every day.
Not receive any negative points between now and the end of the Finishing Timetable.
Students receive negative points for obtaining sanctions. Infractions such as receiving suspensions, being removed from class, being late, having mobile phones and or AirPods visible at school etc.
Those who make it to the end of the Finishing Timetable and receive a raffle ticket will get the chance to win a variety of vouchers.
Prizes are below:
Mega Prize - £100 Voucher - 1 available
Second Prize - £50 Voucher - 2 available
Third Prize - £25 Voucher - 3 available
Fourth Prize - £10 Voucher - 5 available
Plus lots of other prizes to be won!!
Apply for our 6th form here
May Intervention
Manchester City v Chelsea Trip
45 students took the long drive up north to see Manchester City v Chelsea in the final home game of the season at the Etihad Stadium. Students watched the premier league fixture and got to witness Manchester City lift the premier league trophy for the third successive season.
A fantastic experience for the students and a memory that will stay with them for many years.
Attendence
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 feel better 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.
Whole School
Congratulations to year 8 for having the highest attendance overall for this year so far and the highest attendance this term, keep it up and let's see if we can push this attendance up to 95% to achieve close to our target.
Year 10 and 11 need to make sure attendance increases as you have exams and pre public exams coming up.
Congratulations to 7V2, 8T1, 9H3, 10H1, 11H2/11T2 for achieving the highest attendance in their respective year groups.
A special congratulations goes to 7V2 for achieving 98%.
College
Congratulations to Victory college for having the highest attendance this year so far, followed closely by Hercules and then Trafalgar.
Congratulations to year 7 Victory, year 8 Trafalgar and year 8 Hercules for achieving the highest attendance in their respective colleges
A special congratulations goes to year 8 Trafalgar for achieving the highest attendance within the colleges.
Year 10 Mock Examinations
As we approach the end of the academic year, I would like to inform you that Year 10 students will undertake ‘Mock Exams’ across the curriculum subjects. The Mock Examinations will take place in Module 6 between the 20th & 30th June. The Mock Examinations will be conducted in the exam hall and are designed to further prepare all students for their GCSE examinations. Please take a moment to review the Mock Examination Timetable below. Students will be issued with their own versions closer to the Mock Examination Series.
Our students will experience examinations as close to the real experience as possible. Students will receive an assembly prior to the exams which will outline the expectations. Examination papers will then be marked, moderated and the scores collated. The Mock Results will then be shared with students and parents in our reports on the 14th July. The results will provide students with a clear indication of their examination grades. The mock data will then be used to set target grades and plan the Year 11 curriculum with opportunities to exceed these targets. The current grades can also be used to inform POST-16 decisions as students begin the application process for 6th Form, College courses and Apprenticeship placements.
Hercules
POINTS
5633
Attendance
90.24%
Trafalgar
POINTS
4590
Attendance
90.55%
Victory
POINTS
5160
Victory let's be Victorious
Attendance
89.92%
Key Stage 5 Update
The 6th form team said their final goodbyes to the year 13 students on Friday 19th May with a celebratory assembly - the 6th form team are incredibly proud of all the hard work completed by the year 13s and the resilience they have shown during the exam season so far. Most students have completed their coursework and are now taking their final exams, with the last formal exam being the 23rd June. As a team, we will continue to support the year 13s and wish them all the best for the remaining exams.
Year 12 have returned after a week of work experience and are now preparing for their upcoming mocks, which begin on Monday 5th June. Communication has been sent home to parents with the full mock timetable and students have been informed by their teachers what topics they need to revise.
Mindfulness Mornings
Our wellbeing manager, Tash Thomas, is offering mindfulness every morning for our year 13s to help them focus for any upcoming exams.
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.
Behaviour expectations and relocation of the behaviour for learning room
"The Lodge"
At Strood Academy, we are focused on ensuring that all students have lessons that are free from disruption. We realise that creating a positive climate for learning is a responsibility shared by leaders, teachers, parents and pupils’. We have a consistent approach to managing disruptive students so that we as staff and you as parents can reinforce expectations successfully. It is imperative that all students have access to disruption free learning. Our behaviour protocols for managing behaviour are there for a very small minority of students who may cause disruption. We want to reiterate that the majority of our students do work extremely hard in lessons and want to be successful.
In striving towards excellence, we will be making some changes to our behaviour protocols in term 6. Below is an outline of these changes that will begin on Monday 5th June, straight after the half term break:
The behaviour for learning room(BFL), will be renamed the “Lodge” and is relocating to the house at the bottom of the school drive. In any further communication with parents/carers it will be called the Lodge provision. Therefore any student that is placed in the Lodge as a sanction to poor behaviour will attend this provision. If your child is issued with a Lodge sanction, they will attend from 8.15am to 4.00pm.
If your child receives a Lodge sanction, they will not be permitted in the academy building, for the duration of their sanction. They will be met at the front gate at 8.15am and will be escorted to the Lodge.
The Lodge provision will always be for a minimum duration of 1 day and other students will not be transferred in and out of this provision during the day.
If a student fails their time in the lodge then they will be sanctioned with an off site provision at another school or a suspension(dependent on the behaviours displayed) On their return they will be expected to complete a successful day in the Lodge before returning to mainstream lessons.
Removal from lessons (students are placed in the internal engagement room).
As you are aware we have the three R approach to behaviour in lessons: Remind, Reinforce and Remove. Students are given the opportunity to correct their behaviours before they are removed from the lesson. To continue with consistency and to ensure that all students are receiving the same sanction for a removal, we will be making a few changes :
Students will complete a full day within the internal engagement room if they are removed from a lesson e.g if students are transferred to the internal engagement room Period 4, they remain until lunchtime the following day and receive a 1 hour detention on the day of the removal.
If they are removed period 2 they remain until breaktime the following day, completing a 1 hour detention on the day of the removal.
A period 5 removal will mean that students will remain in the internal engagement room until the end of that lesson and complete a full day, the next day, including a 1 hour detention at the end of the day.
The only exit times from this room are at break, lunch, the end of the school day and at 4:20pm.
If your son / daughter is removed from a lesson you will receive an automatic text message informing you of the removal and the detention that day.
If your child is removed from period 5, the detention will be the following day.
Following the removal, the class teacher will contact you within 24 hours to discuss the reason for the removal and work with you to discuss the removal.
Thank you for your continued support.
Send Update
The SEND team have been running at full speed for this last term, supporting 102 of our wonderful Yr 11s with their access arrangements during their examinations, organising visits to 41 primary schools for Yr 6 transitions, referring and seeking support from external services and assisting our school gardening club overhaul the wellbeing garden - all whilst continuing the support of our fantastic, resilient, kind and supportive students here at Strood. Well done to Ben, Sam, Harley and Josh, we can't wait to see the sensory garden planted!
I want to say how proud I am of our fabulous students, I've really enjoyed seeing their progress over the last eighteen months. Watching them grow into well rounded and grounded individuals has been a true privilege. I move on to a new school at the end of this half term and I will miss this wonderful Strood Academy school community.
Great things lie ahead for our SEND provision. A much increased capacity within the team with new staff joining over the next few months will only serve our students well and make the SEND support the outstanding provision they deserve.
Ms Harriet Carter will be our school's new Assistant Principal - Inclusion Lead, from September.
Already here is Mrs Keetch, our new mainstream SENCO, a very experienced and joyful person who has worked in Medway for many years and who some of our students have already recognised from their primary education.
Formally starting in July will be Mrs Pearce, our new Head of ASC Provision. Some of you will know Mrs Pearce already as she has worked in Strood for several years, we are very pleased to welcome her back into the SEND team.
Finally thank you all for your wonderful support and encouragement during my time here, I move to be closer to home but I will continue to have fond and happy memories of Strood for many years to come.
Key dates
Week Beginning 05.06.23 - Year 12 Mock
Week Beginning 12.06.23 - Thorpe Park Trips
20th June to 30th June 2023 - Year 10 Mock Examinations
26th June 2023 - Meet the SLT
Week Beginning 03.07.23 - Year 6 Transition
Week Beginning 03.07.23 - Geography Field Trip
Week Beginning 10.07.23 - LAT Sports Day
13th July 2023 - Strood Academy Sports Day
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
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.
