Principal's Update

I hope you all had a great holiday and that your child is feeling rested and ready for Autumn term 2.

As referenced in the last newsletter the whole academy is entering an assessment period. Please remember that you can find Curriculum Maps for all subjects on our website. These maps tell you the topics to be studied throughout the academic year. We then break that down further into a curriculum outline for each year group. This gives you more detail about what is studied each term.

In addition to this the knowledge organisers that accompany the various topics are also available and your child has copies of each of these in their homework folders. In years 7-9 students will be tested on the knowledge in these organisers and on the content covered in lessons in autumn term one.

Whilst staff will not set homework this week, it is expected that students revise from these knowledge organisers and any resources staff have given them. Year 10 may have knowledge organisers or revision guides; it will vary from subject to subject, depending on which resources the Head of Department feels is most appropriate.

Year 11 begin their mock exams at the start of the second week back and like year 10 will have revision guides, and in some subjects, knowledge organisers to supplement this. Please support your child to revise thoroughly for their mock exams. They are not just a practice for the real exam series but an opportunity for students to secure more knowledge in their long-term memory so there is less work to do in May and June.

We know some students will feel anxious about these mocks and the exams in June but taking time to prepare well now will stand them in good stead when they come to sit the real qualifications. The mocks also provide the teachers with a clear picture about what the students still need to continue to work on and the staff then adjust their planning accordingly.

If students are unsure about anything please ask them to come and speak to a member of staff so we can support.

It was lovely to see students from Corby Glen Primary in school on Monday to judge the Pumpkin carving contest and to decorate Halloween biscuits.

I hope you have a lovely weekend,

Mrs Jones - Principal

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

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

CRA Values

At CRA we are keen to support your child's wider personal development. We do this on a daily basis through our house system which promotes our CRA Values - Courage, Respect, Ambition, Confidence, Resilience, Aspiration as well as through our assembly programme which on a weekly basis involves one whole school assembly addressing key themes for the week, items of local/national/international news or interest and supporting all students to look at their own attitudes to school and life, in support of their personal development.

All students also have a house assembly every week in which they come together as a community and celebrate the successes of their house, discuss future challenges and areas for improvement, focus on our CRA values and develop their character and moral compass through looking at key aspects of character, such as our 7 C's of Resilience.

As you are aware, our CRA enrichment programme which runs every Monday and Tuesday afternoon seeks to broaden the horizons of our students, encouraging academic excellence and transferrable life skills enabling them to be successful citizens in our 21st century society. Students have the opportunity to opt on one of the days for either sport, art and craft or musical theatre, building this year to a performance of the musical 'Oliver'.

During their other enrichment period students will spend a term completing a subject linked house activity, where pupils will develop their cultural capital outside of curriculum constraints and work in teams to achieve a goal. During one of the science enrichments for example, students explore the concept of being stranded on a desert island and use science to develop effective survival strategies.

The opportunities for wider personal development at CRA are not limited to those we can offer within the confines of the building, or indeed, even locally. Every year students take part in expeditions and educational visits which encompass opportunities to work on our core values: We offer all students the opportunity to experience life and University with trips to The University of Nottingham. Year 9 students visit the Houses of Parliament and debate topical issues in conference with their local MP, students can take part in an outward-bound trip and students studying a foreign language have an opportunity to venture across the channel, develop their language skills and experience the rich culture of the capital city.

We believe these experiences offer opportunities to develop young people's cultural awareness and independence so that skills encouraged within CRA can be applied and improved outside their normal environment to impact on their wider personal development.

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.

Mrs Dexter - Careers Support

Please visit the Careers' page on the CRA website for this weeks update and details of previous publications.

Attendance

This week we have been celebrating some excellent attendance from some of our tutor groups. Year 8 have achieved 96.54% attendance this week followed closely by Year 7 at 93.42%. However it is Terra who are holding the lead for Term 1 attendance so a big well done to all the Terra students who have been present every day and maximising their learning and enrichment time. Year 7 & 8 Terra students have 100% attendance which is fantastic! 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

At Charles Read we are proud to provide an accessible and enjoyable House System which boasts a whole school participation of 91% who represented their house team in at least one competition last year. This year promises to be even bigger, with the introduction of a number of new house competitions.

House Charity Leaders

We are excited to be extending the Charles Read Academy student leadership team by offering 2 'Charity Leader' positions in each house. Students are required to complete an application form via this link

Within the application students are required to nominate 3 charities; 1 Local, 1 National and 1 International charity before stating why they would like to fundraise for each one.

Aqua, Caeli and Terra will each then 2 students to fill the roles of house charity leaders who will select the house charity, before working closely with their respective Heads of House and Games Master to plan, publicise and deliver a whole school fundraising event next year.

We welcome applications from students in all year groups. Deadline for applications is 5pm on Wednesday 10th November.

Halloween House Results

Over half term students and staff at Charles Read Academy took part in a series of Halloween themed house competitions, including Pumpkin Carving, best Halloween costume and a family quiz. There were a number of fantastic entries across all 3 houses which made judging extremely difficult.

Pumpkin Carving

It was great to invite pupils from Corby Glen Primary School to judge the pumpkin carving entries on Monday where they also took part in an afternoon of Halloween themed biscuit decoration with our food teacher Mrs Moore.

Pupils were provided with a voting card and were required to select their favourite pumpkin carving from each house. Once the top entry from each house was selected the children then voted on 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

The judging was really close with the top 3 narrowed down to entries from Beth (Aqua 11), Millie (Caeli 10) and Charlie (Terra 7) and after a final round of voting Charlies ‘Pennywise’ pumpkin carving was voted as the winner for Terra.

Special mention to Mrs Garton (Caeli) who was the winner of the staff category with her Harry Potter themed design, earning 20 house points for Caeli.

Best Halloween Costume

There were some fantastic Halloween costumes on display this year as students and staff got in the spirit to dress up. Despite tougher competition it was Phoebe (Terra 8) who for the second year running claimed victory with her ‘Nun’ inspired costume (see image).

Phoebe went all out for the full effect by finding the perfect location to complete her costume entry. Well done to Michelle (Caeli 8) who finished runner up and Nichola, Cara and Star (all in Aqua 9) who finished 3rd with their joint entry.

Special mention to Mrs Dexter (Terra) who was the winner of the staff category, earning 10 house points for Terra.

*Please note that results for the Halloween Quiz are being marked and will be released as soon as possible*

Term 2 House Competitions

We have another action packed and exciting term of House Competitions lined up at Charles Read Academy, once again this term, with the return of some firm favourites. Competitions this term include 2 sporting competitions; Indoor Rowing and Dodgeball, each worth 250 house points each, Flags of the World quiz worth 125 points and the return of Im a Teacher Get Me Out of Here which will see 9 staff complete a series of bush tucker trials. The term will finish with the House Christmas party in the last week of term where tutor groups will display their tutor Christmas trees for judging before sitting down for Christmas lunch and a host of party games.

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

This week in whole school assembly we launched our new student leadership role of 'Charity Leaders' where students who are in this role will lead on planning a house charity event to support a charity decided by their house.

We would like you to discuss around the dinner table what you do as a family to support charities and those in need, giving to others and why it is important.

Year 11 Focus

Ideas on their own are difficult to remember. If you have a good example of how an idea is applied, it is much easier then to remember the idea itself.

Concrete examples: how do I do it?

Keep note of examples of concepts, ideas, and theories provided in class, either by your teacher or in textbooks or other resources. Also, try to think of examples for yourself. For example, if I am trying to remember the idea that repetition is an important rhetorical device used in public speaking, it’s much easier if I think about Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech which repeats “I have a dream” eight times and “let freedom ring” ten times. In this case, the speech is a concrete example of the effective use of repetition in public speaking. If I remember the speech, I remember the idea of repetition as a rhetorical device.

Concrete examples: next steps

Checking that the examples you are using are accurate is really important. If you can create your own examples it’s a sign that you have fully understood a concept or idea. And don’t assume that examples you find on the internet are necessarily correct – always double check with a reliable source. Check your examples with your teachers just to make sure.

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 8th November - 6 times table

Accelerated Reader

Week commencing 8th November during period 4

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.