Principal's Update
We are very conscious that there has been an increase in mental health issues in schools across the country and CRA is no exception. We have a very dedicated pastoral team and a staff who are always on the look out for a change in student behaviour aware of the potential for poor mental health. As part of our work in this area we have written a mental health intent and would be interested to get any feedback on the draft statement. Please see the link below. The document was also sent out via MCAS.
It was lovely today to see the students and staff supporting their houses in the House indoor rowing competition. Students and staff alike were motivating one another and Aqua were the victors.
We have "I’m a Teacher Get Me Out of Here" to look forward to next week and this is a favourite with the students. I think they enjoy seeing the staff having to ingest unpleasant drinks and food!
We have had a number of staff and students absent with COVID over the last two weeks but are hopefully seeing an end to the recent bout at CRA. We are still encouraging students to wear their masks in the corridors and were pleased to see a large number of students take up the offer of a vaccination.
I hope you have a restful weekend,
Mrs Jones - Principal
Work with us?
The academy are currently recruiting for zero hours staff to support our Data & Exams Officers with the invigilation of school exams.
If you would like to apply for one of these roles, or read a little more about it, please click on the link below.
The closing date for applications is December 12th 2021.
Catering
In out first half term we hope your children have enjoyed the range of new dishes on offer in the newly branded canteen. The menu remains in place for the next half term and then renewed after Christmas. A link to the menu can be found below.
If you have any questions or suggestions about the catering service at the Academy please dont hesitate to contact us so we can discuss with Caterlink.
Parent Pay
If you need a Parent Pay login so your child can add monies to the payment facility, please contact the office for a username, then follow the notes in the attachment below
Mr Linforth - Academy Operations Manager
Calling All Year 7 Parents
We are making a final call to the parents of year 7 students who would like to join us on the Nottingham University trip on December 2nd 2021.
We require your consent by completing the Google form in the link below
Unfortunately anyone we do not have consent completed for, prior to the event, will not be able to attend.
Teacher Training Opportunities
At Charles Read Academy, we are pleased to be the lead school of the East Midlands Hub of National Mathematics and Physics SCITT and the East Midlands and South Yorkshire Hub for National Modern Languages SCITT. (School-centre Initial Teacher Training)
We want to share this with our school community, so that you and your wider networks can be aware of the opportunities to train to teach as Mathematics, Physics or Modern Languages Teachers with our hub.
Please click on the link below for further details on how to register your interest.
Home Lateral Flow Testing
When you complete lateral flow tests at home on a Sunday and Wednesday evening, please report the results via these links to both the NHS and also CRA.
If you require further kits, students can collect these from reception.
Did you know that parents and support bubbles of school children, as well as anyone who has to leave home to go to work, can now get rapid Covid-19 tests twice a week. Order yours now here.
Further guidance from the Government and Department of Education in respect of home testing can be found below:
A copy of the risk assessment and privacy policy relating to Lateral Flow Testing can be found on the CRA website.
Mr Linforth - Academy Operations Manager
Homework
Frequency of homework
On Monday staff will be checking that the homework from Friday, Saturday and Sunday has been completed.
A short video on homework expectations can be found on the CRA website or by clicking below:
Please talk to your child about this new approach to homework and the consequences if they don’t complete it or don’t complete it to a satisfactory standard.
Mrs Cooper - Whole School Teaching & Learning Lead
CRA Values
This week we have been focusing again on the positives. Lots of our students have been joining lessons from home, due to self-isolating and during these times we have to show a great amount of resilience to carry on and make the most out of our learning.
Our students need to have the courage and confidence to contact their staff for support if needed and the ambition ensure they are getting the most out of their online learning. We look forward to welcoming all our students in their online lessons and back into the academy very soon.
Uniform expectations
It is vital that we ensure everyone is adhering to the Academy Uniform Policy - details of which can be found here.
Students without a medical note will go into IE for incorrect uniform.
Outdoor coats
Outdoor coats can be worn during breaks and before and after school, but should not be worn when walking inside the academy. May we also remind you that hoodies are not appropriate, and shouldn’t be worn as a replacement for an outdoor coat.
Face Masks
Masks are recommended to be worn on all school transport, during transitions between lessons and in communal indoor spaces. Please ensure you have a spare mask just in case it requires changing throughout the day. We appreciate that communication whilst wearing a mask can be tricky, so please see the poster below for tips on effective communication whilst wearing a mask.
Masks should be blue or black and plain and worn at all times whilst inside the school buildings.
Careers' Corner
Careers Fair – Thursday 2nd December
We are extremely excited to share with you, information about our annual Careers Fair, being held in school, on Thursday 2nd December.
The fair will run throughout the day, with opportunities for students to meet and discuss with employers, colleges, and apprenticeship providers on the range of options that are available to them.
Each exhibitor will have their own stand, which will contain videos, testimonials, job vacancies and apprenticeship opportunities.
Employers will be able to promote current vacancies, raise awareness of careers and training opportunities and talk directly to students and parents.
Parents and carers will be invited to attend from 3.15pm.
Apprenticeships
As it is now compulsory for students to stay in education or training until they are 18, apprenticeships are becoming a lot more desirable and sought after. With businesses understanding and valuing the idea of training and shaping a young mind from scratch, and with learning and development opportunities for young people, it is clear to see how apprenticeships are appealing. Continuing studying at school or moving onto university aren’t the only paths, so what is an apprenticeship?
A job, a qualification, a future
Apprenticeships give young people the opportunity to work for an employer, earn a salary and gain a qualification whilst gaining valuable workplace skills and experience.
Anyone living in England, over 16 years old and not in full-time education can apply to be an apprentice.
Earn while you learn
All apprentices aged under 19 must receive the appropriate national minimum wage of £4.15 per hour (April 2020)
A job
All apprentices should work for at least 30 hours a week, apart from in exceptional circumstances. Over 150,000 employers are offering apprenticeships in more than 200,000 locations. Apprenticeships are available at Intermediate, Advanced and Higher (degree) level, covering more than 170 industries and 1500 job roles, from advertising to youth work via environmental engineering and nuclear decommissioning.
A qualification
Quality is key to apprenticeships. All apprenticeships must be at least 12 months long and lead to a national qualification that is respected by employers around the world.
A real future
After finishing, the majority of apprentices (85%) will stay in employment, with two-thirds (64%) staying with the same employer. A third (32%) of all former apprentices had received a promotion within 12 months of finishing and, of those in work, three quarters (75%) reported taking on more responsibility in their job. Employers think that qualified apprentices are 15% more employable than those with other qualifications. Apprenticeships combine practical training in a job with study.
As an apprentice you will:
- work alongside experienced staff
- gain job-specific skills
- earn a wage and receive holiday pay
- study towards a related qualification (usually one day a week)
- Apprenticeships take 1 to 4 years to complete depending on their level.
Levels of Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships have equivalent educational levels, see below for details:
Here are some links to websites that can provide more details on apprenticeships:
Please visit the Careers' page on the CRA website for this weeks update and details of previous publications.
Mrs Dexter - Career's Support
Thinking Ahead – My Future, My Choice
Attention Year 8 & Year 9!
- What are your future plans & career possibilities?
- What plans to do you have after you have completed your GCSEs?
- Do you plan to go on to further/higher education? If so what courses might you study?
- What career ideas do you have for the future at the moment?
In year 7, 8 and 9 you will be learning new skills and knowledge that will give you the confidence to help you plan your next steps. This process starts with your careers education in school which will encourage you to think about your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. You will also start to make some important decisions that could influence your future career path as you will be choosing your subjects to study for GCSE. This process will begin for all Year 9 students early next year.
Each week we will show you examples of the various careers linked to the subject you are studying. This week’s career idea is ‘Jobs related to English"
Mr Otchere - Career's Lead
Attendance
This week we have been celebrating some excellent attendance from some of our tutor groups. Year 11 have achieved 91.84% attendance this week followed closely by Year 8 at 91.09%. However it is Caeli once againwho are holding the lead for this weeks attendance so a big well done to all the Caeli students who have been present every day and maximising their learning and enrichment time. Remember our school target is 96%. Please ensure you have conversations at home about attendance.
This week we have seen an increase in the number of students off ill due to colds. We know during the winter months students are more likely to have a cold or a sniffle but please encourage your child to come to school so they are not missing out. They can always complete a lateral flow test within school and we can manage medications to support your child’s recovery.
Please do not hesitate to contact me on 01476 550333 ext 502 or kcoleman@charlesreadacademy.co.uk to discuss ways to support your child's attendance at
CRA - Lets work together to make every day count!
Mrs Coleman - Attendance Manager
House News
House Indoor Rowing Competition
Today, Friday 26th November, 60 plus students across all year groups went head to head in the house indoor rowing competition. Linking to the DRET wide ‘Rowvember’ initiative Aqua, Caeli and Terra took each other on in a series of relay races. Each tutor group had 4 students representing their respective houses in year group relay races. The overall winning house were awarded 125 house points, followed by 75 house points for 2nd place and 50 house points for 3rd place. Results will be announced next week
House Christmas Party
Party Tickets AVAILABLE NOW
On Monday this week we released details of the upcoming House Christmas Party, which will take place on Thursday 16th November.
Due to the relaxation of COVID rules we are delighted to be able to revert back to a wider Christmas Lunch offer, including a full traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. We will also be offering a vegan and vegetarian option plus a variety of desserts. Information for this has been sent out on MCAS to all parents.
Tickets to attend the House Christmas Party cost £5 and are available now from the School office and/or Head Boy and Girl at break and lunch times. Tickets includes a full Christmas Lunch and dessert, opportunity to wear a Christmas Jumper with £1 donation going to ‘Save The Children’ charity, entry into our Christmas Prize Draw, Bingo tickets, our very own Christmas Games and more. FSM student tickets cost £2.
There is only 10 days left to purchase your tickets with the deadline for Christmas party tickets on Monday 6th December.
Santa Run
Charles Read Academy are extremely delighted to be taking part in the annual DRET Santa Run once again this year, in support of the Inspiration Fund. Join over 2000 staff and students across the trust in a fun filled 20 minute run or walk in our very own Santa Run, a course set out through the grounds at Charles Read Academy. To take part in this event all you need to do is raise a minimum of £1.
If you raise £1 you will receive a Santa hat to run in and a medal. £8 or over will earn you a Santa T-Shirt plus the hat and medal. If you raise £20 or more this will earn you a Santa T-Shirt, Santa Hat, Medal AND a FREE TICKET to the house Christmas Party.
The Santa Run and House Christmas Party are both taking place on Thursday 16th December with all sponsorship forms and money required to be paid by Monday 6th December. Forms are available from the school office.
Over 230 students joined us for the house Christmas party last year and we promise this year will be even more exciting. Keep an eye out for the information.
"Im a Teacher Get Me Out of Here"
It’s that time of year again… 10 members of staff will go head to head on Monday 29th November in a series of bush tucker trials to win house points for their respective houses.
In front of a packed hall of excited students, staff will have to showcase Courage and Resilience to overcome 4 trials; Jacobs Critters, Bush Banquet, It’s a Matter of Slime and the dreaded CRA Shake. The staff line up for this year’s competition has been released (see image). Make sure you arrive early to secure your seats.
Community Litter Pick
Follow us on the House social media platforms, Twitter and Instagram, for all the latest news and results from each event including action shots from the competitions - @CRA_HouseChamp
Mr Webb - Games Master
Table Talk
In whole school assembly this week, we had KOOTH present to us.
Please see link to what this agency do to support our young people.
We would like you to discuss as a family over the dinner table about why it is good to talk and who each of you in your support networks should you need/want to talk.
Maths Department Update
Sparx Year 7 Maths
In Maths: year 7 are being set up on Sparx a online learning platform. They are being logged on for the first time in lesson and then after they can access Sparx from home.
From now year 7 have the option to complete the work on Sparx for their Maths Prep work, questions and answers need to be done in their Prep book. If pupils are struggling to complete Sparx work they can complete Maths Prep work as normal.
An automatic email is sent to parents 3 days before the task closes (Sunday) I am looking into changing when the email is sent out. To log in, pupils need to use their name and date of birth, they will then set a password, if they need their password resetting then they can request a new password on the log in screen.
To find out more please click here.
Years 8-11 are still using Hegarty Maths.
Mr Branch-Evans - Head of Maths Faculty
SEN Corner
This week was our first Parent Coffee morning - thank so much to the staff, and most importantly the parents, who were able to make this possible. Due to COVID and adapting to a ‘new normal’ this was the first opportunity I have had to meet many of you face to face and it was great to be able to put names to faces.
We appreciate that timings of the school day are not always the easiest for parents to arrange to come in, and so we have made the presentation and information available online for your convenience.
Thank you again for your ongoing commitment and involvement in our school
Miss Canny - SENDCO
Vapes
We have unfortunately had a succession of students who have been found to have vapes on their person, having been using them at the bus stop and on the school transport.
Clearly it is illegal to purchase vapes or smoking paraphernalia under the age of 18, but aside from this, is it against our school rules. Anything connected to smoking is a banned item and students found with any paraphernalia will receive a fixed term exclusion.
We do this for the safety of all concerned. I hope you can support us in talking to your child about this matter.
Word of the Week
Mech: machine(Greek word root)
- Mechanistic determined by physical processes alone.
- Mechanism a system of parts working together in a machine; a piece of machinery.
- Mechanise introduce machines or automatic devices into (a process or place).
This video is a short introduction to farm mechanization.
Miss Brealey - Head of English Faculty
Year 11 Focus
Mytutor sessions have begun this week, all students that were in the academy took part in either a 3-1 session with two other students or a 1-1 session with a tutor.
The feedback from pupils has been very positive and I am sure this will only continue to be beneficial as students get more used to using the online system and develop a rapport with the tutors.
This is an incredible opportunity for our students to develop in specific areas of need receiving support above and beyond that which they receive in the classroom. With this is mind it is important to know that these sessions can be accessed at home should students not be in the academy.
To access the online lessons students need to follow this link and enter their log in details, all students have been emailed their login information by myself.
Should there be any issues students can email me and I can support.
slovatt1@charlesreadacademy.co.uk
Mr Lovatt - Assistant Principal
Times Tables
At the end of all lessons students stand behind their chairs in silence to prepare for themselves for the next lesson. From September, on a weekly rota, Years 7 and 8 will be reciting their timetables to help embed them in their long term memory.
Week commencing 29th November - 7 times table
Accelerated Reader
Week commencing 29th November during period 2
The Sporting Post
DRET Girls Football Cup
On Wednesday our Under 14 girls football team attended the DRET Girls Football Cup. All secondary academies part of the David Ross Education Trust attended this event. In the group stage our students found themselves up against some tough teams. Despite this they earned themselves a 2-0 win against King Edward VI Academy. Both of these goals were scored by Jasmine (Year 9).
After the group stages our students competed for the shield. In the second half of the tournament our team beat Charnwood College and drew against Humberston Academy. This means they finished 3rd overall in the shield competition. Throughout the day our students led by example on and off the pitch. They demonstrated many of our core values.
Lincolnshire Table Tennis Champions
On Monday our Under 16 boys table tennis team made up Adam, Joe, Nico and Vel competed in the Lincolnshire Table Tennis Championships. Their match was against Priory Ruskin Academy.
Our students played incredibly and put on a dominant display. All of the matches were best of 5. Each of our students won their matches 3-0. This meant we won 8-0 overall. This means our team is are county champions. Our team now is now working hard and looking forward to playing in the regional round in January. Congratulations to the students involved.
Netball
On Thursday CRA hosted its first interschool netball match against Bourne Academy. There were two teams: one with Year 7/8s and one with Year 9/10s. Despite the chilly weather the students showed all CRA traits.
For example, being resilient with their defending; being respectful to their teammates when communicating; being aspirational when having their group pep-talk; and being ambitious with their aims to get the ball to either the GA or GS.
It was great to see the students supporting each other and being reflective of their team members qualities; adapting defence, midfield, and attack. It was fantastic to see the girls in a real match applying the skills practised in Enrichment sessions.
Well done to all the students who took part!
Miss Pattinson
Afterschool Clubs
We are delighted to announce afterschool sports clubs are starting on 15th September. We will be offering a rugby, hockey, rowing and table tennis in addition to our enrichment afternoons on Monday and Tuesday.
Mr Addlesee - Sports Enrichment Officer
Updated Transport Policy
Transport provision for the academic year ahead is finalised in July.
Should a student move house that impacts on the transportation requirements (either to a DRET service from another DRET or LCC service) after the arrangements have been agreed between DRET and the transport providers; then places on a revised service will be subject to availability.
Should places not be available on the preferred service then either parents would make their own arrangements, or an alternative will be offered in the same town where possible, even though this may not offer the most convenient stops for the student.
At present we have a waiting list on one of the AC Williams Grantham services and are having to place students on the other Blands Grantham service
We appreciate this may cause some additional logistical issues for parents, but we cannot accommodate services that are not required at the time of the procurement of transport for the year ahead.
Mr Linforth - Academy Operations Manager
Admissions 2023-24 Consultation
Charles Read Academy is consulting on the Academy’s admission arrangements. These arrangements are for students who will be starting in September 2023.
The consultation is taking place for a period of six weeks, between Monday 1st November 2021 – Monday 13th December 2021.
Consultation will also be undertaken via Lincolnshire County Council’s (LCC) coordinated consultation process and will be on the LCC School Admissions Consultation website from the start of the consultation period.
Please see the consultation documents in the links below for further details.
Credits:
Created with images by stevepb - "school books apples" • Comfreak - "traffic information superhighway data" • Tumisu - "smileys customer satisfaction review" • dbreen - "vegetables fruits food" • Deedee86 - "shelf bookcase library" • Wokandapix - "teach education school" • distelAPPArath - "corona covid medicine" • Bru-nO - "time clock pointer" • Tumisu - "ethics right wrong" • Myriams-Fotos - "colorful pencils submerged" • geralt - "stairs stages feet" • geralt - "business the next step next" • Peggy_Marco - "thumb high thumbs up" • shameersrk - "hands soil plant" • TotalShape - "mental health mental wellness mind" • PublicDomainPictures - "albert einstein physics relativity" • Anemone123 - "team spirit teamwork community" • Shutterbug75 - "bad cancer care" • Wokandapix - "keywords letters scrabble word" • geralt - "students board drawing" • sasint - "sunset men silhouettes" • Kranich17 - "a book pages read" • mohamed_hassan - "winning success achievement" • oli2020 - "school safety signage" • geralt - "background bokeh light" • tigerlily713 - "calendar date time"