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CRA Newsletter 06.05.2022 Half Term 5 - 6th May 2022

Principal's Update

You will have received a letter from me today regarding Pupil Premium funding.

At Charles Read Academy we firmly believe in offering all our students the right provisions in order to achieve their potential. Some of our students are entitled to additional funding due to their demographic profile. If your child meets specific criteria, they may qualify for additional funding to support their learning.

The Pupil Premium is grant funding is allocated to:

  • Children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM)
  • Children who have claimed FSM in the past 6 years
  • Children of current Regular Armed Services Personnel
  • Children designated as ‘Looked After’ or adopted from care
  • Formally ‘Looked After’ children or adopted who reside with family/others

Looked after Children (LAC) are children in the care of the Council, through a Care Order made by a court or voluntary agreement with their parent(s) to accommodate them. They may be looked after in a children’s home, by foster carers, or other family members. All unaccompanied asylum seeking children are also Children Looked After.

The funding is directed specifically at the students in receipt of this funding and could be used for items such as 1:1 support; providing small, focussed group based intervention; access to engagement programmes to improve self-esteem, motivation and attendance; additional teaching and learning opportunities provided through trained teacher assistants or external agencies and the acquisition of effective materials aimed at raising standards, particularly in reading and mathematics.

Pupil Premium funding is totally discreet, students who benefit from this funding are not singled out in any way or their identity made aware to anyone other than members of Charles Read staff and the local authority. However, the additional funding may improve the progress of your child’s learning.

If you think you may be eligible for free school meals, please read the details in the letter and follow the link to the government page to see how to apply.

On Monday years 7-10 had an assembly on cybercrime which was very informative and pitched well for our young people. With a constantly changing world in relation to online activity, it is vital we keep revisiting topics such as these.

Our GCSE window begins next week with a Travel and Tourism exam and the following week the exams begin in earnest with a GCSE Biology paper on Tuesday 17th May. As a school we have been doing all we can to support the students to achieve their target grades. Intervention classes and support sessions are run every Monday and Tuesday as part of the extended day, and in addition to this there are 20 minute daily interventions, where students are supported as part of a group of approximately 15, or in even smaller withdrawal groups of 3 or 4. All these sessions are led by subject experts.

Mr Lovatt, the Assistant Principal for outcomes, has worked with the year 11 students raising their awareness of study skills and revision timetables. There is a detailed revision timetable on the website. Unfortunately, this has only been accessed by a small number of students. The timetable will be sent out again via MCAS to all parents and remains available on the website. We will be colour coding the revision boxes on the website to guide students’ revision depending on the exams that are coming up the following week. Please could you look at the timetable and discuss revision with your son or daughter. It is important that they are managing their time well and feel prepared so that when the results arrive in August they know they did everything they could to secure the best set of qualifications possible.

It was a pleasure to judge the Signs of Spring photography competition last week and it looks like we have some good weather on the way.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Mrs Jones - Principal

Aqua Fundraise for ‘Ukraine Crisis Appeal’

We are delighted to reveal that the CRA community raised £545.33 for the British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal.

Aqua house organised a ‘Teacher Forfeits’ fundraising event where a number of staff volunteered to take part in a variety of forfeits as donation targets were met.

Donation targets ranged from £1 up to the top target of £500 which would saw Mr Thornton have his head shaved - as an added incentive those who donated £10 or more were entered in to a draw to be the person who shaved his head!

Other forfeits included Mrs Warren eating a whole lemon (she dislikes lemons very much!), Miss King & Mrs Harvey performing the Gangnam Style dance on stage, Mrs Brealey being dunked in slime, Mrs Miller-Brown & Mrs Rathbone consuming one of CRA’s infamous ‘dreaded smoothies’, Mrs Elsby receiving a pie to the face and Mr Webb having his leg waxed – all of which was carried out in front of the school during assembly.

The generosity of the CRA community will go to support many people in need, in particular those affected by food, water, first aid, medicines, warm clothes and shelter:

  • £10 could provide a hygiene kit to a family of five, giving them supplies to stay healthy for a month
  • £20 could provide five blankets to families taking shelter
  • £30 could provide 3,600 chlorine tablets to ensure that families have access to clean, safe water
  • £100 could provide sleeping mats for 66 people who have been forced from their homes
  • £210 could provide a fully equipped first aid kit, including supplies, to a first aider treating those wounded

A huge thank you goes to Aqua 10 students, Isabella and Cali who were earlier in the year selected to be ‘Charity leaders’ and it was their hard work and commitment to the cause which led to a very successful fundraising event. Both students spent every day in the build up to the event seeking donations from their peers, staff and the wider community.

Although this was an Aqua charity event the success would not have been possible without the support of both Caeli and Terra – reinforcing the importance and strength of the CRA community as one.

CRA Values

On Monday we welcomed two officers from Lincolnshire Police Cybercrime unity to talk to our students about cybercrime and how to protect themselves online. It was an extended assembly and an interesting session supporting our students (and staff!) in ensuring they are being safe online in the information they share, the passwords they choose and the emails they receive; recognising scams and protecting themselves from hackers. The assembly supported our students in being responsible for their own actions online, showing Respect for themselves, for others and their actions.

Neville Holt Opera

Following the success of a ‘ free tickets for under 18’s’ scheme at the Neville Holt Opera in 2021, we are delighted to be able to confirm that they are continuing with it this year.

Please click on the link below to see how to secure a place.

Homework

Students in Yr8-11 have all received their Summer Term prep homework packs which included knowledge organisers and timetables. On Wednesday Yr7 received theirs. Students in Yr10 and Yr11 may also be required to use their revision guides for Prep and/ or KS4 additional homework.

These packs remain with students so that they are easily accessible at home for students to use and should families wish to support their child. Additionally, the timetables and knowledge organisers are all available on the website.

Homework Club runs every lunchtime in G7 where students have access to laptops and a teacher for additional support. This is voluntary and students can bring their friends and eat their lunch. Homework Club is also used for those students who fall behind with homework and as such those who receive 3 or more Prep detentions in one week will attend Homework Club for 5 lunchtimes to get back on track.

We thank you for your continued support.

Mrs Cooper - Whole School Teaching & Learning Lead

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 Sport & Leisure'

Mr Rees - Careers' Support

Attendance

This week we have been celebrating some excellent attendance at the Academy.

Terra are leading the attendance percentage overall this week with a huge 96.8%, narrowly beating Caeli, well done Terra. Year 10 have had a good week, the highest year group attendance with 94.6%, closely followed by Year 8 with 93.9%.

Well done to all the tutor groups who have had 100% tutor group attendance this week, fantastic!

Look out for some attendance competitions and incentives, Mrs Coleman is keen to set targets and work with students who may struggle on certain days, currently Fridays are our highest % absence, let’s work together to recognise any patterns or avoidance to attend school.

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.

CRA - Lets work together to make every day count!

Mrs Coleman - Attendance Manager

House News

Portrait Artist – Queens Platinum Jubilee

This terms subject house competition is Art (125 House Points) and we are excited to share the competition details with you.

As we lead up to the Queens Platinum Jubilee next month we are challenging students, staff and wider families to create a Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. You can be as creative as you like with the portrait however it must be a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at some point during her reign.

Mr Parker has very kindly made the art room available during Art club during lunchtimes as a space for students to complete their portraits.

There are 125 house points available with the deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday 27th May - Results to follow over Half Term.

Photography Competition – Results

We are delighted to share with you the results of the house photography competition which took place over the course of last term.

We received over 130 photograph entries for this competition which made judging very difficult. There were so many excellent entries, highlighting how much thought and effort went in to this competition from those who entered.

Before judging took place all entries were anonymously placed into a folder.

Jonas' winning entry
  • 1st Place – Jonas in (Terra 9) – 125 points
  • 2nd Place – Miss King (Aqua) – 75 points
  • 3rd Place – Cali (Aqua 10) – 50 points

Well done to everyone who took time to enter – you will be able to view all of the entries via the TV screens in the HUB.

Term 5 Competitions

This terms House competitions get underway next week as students go head to head in Rounders. Competitions this term include a mixture of new and old favourites; Gardening, Portrait Artist, Rounders, Bottle Rockets and Deal or No Deal worth a total of 1,500 house points. Additional house points will be awarded for Attitude to Learning, Attendance, Enrichment Projects with further bonus points awarded through the Houseopoly Boards.

Competition details will be released in the lead up to the respective competitions. Ask your Heads of House, Tutor or Games Master for how to get involved.

Please keep an eye on our social media platforms (Twitter and Instagram) - for updates @CRA_HouseChamp

Mr Webb - Games Master

Table Talk

At CRA, we focus on character in everything we do. We want students to develop their good character and our responsibility is to support them with positioning their moral compass.

We would love you to have a chat over the dinner table as a family about the difference between character and reputation and which is more important to you.

Year 11 Focus

2022 Exam Series

This year's GCSE Examinations begin on Tuesday the 17th of May, students should be well underway with revision by now. Course content has been completed for most subjects in school and students are undertaking revision sessions in school. As we approach this critical time in your child's educational career I am writing to ask you to support them with their studies by guiding them towards the revision process.

It can be difficult for students to keep motivated and continue on with revision. Please speak to them regularly and check what they are doing in terms of revision. If you can create a quiet space for them to work where you can monitor them that would be really helpful for them. You have received a copy of your child's exam timetable via MCAS and students do have their own paper copy.

Each week we will be sending out the following weeks timetable so that you can keep track of what is upcoming and what needs to be revised for.

Mr Lovatt - Assistant Principal

Year 11 Work Experience Week

27th June until 30th June 2022

Finding a work experience placement can be challenging. Students were reminded before Easter to ask family and friends for ideas and advice. Making speculative enquiries in a professional manner to a business/organisation in person, or via social media, letter etc

It is important for students to have a clear idea (and confirmed by business/organisation) of where they intend to go for work experience very soon..

Mr Rees - Careers' Support

Caterlink Update

Welcome to the April edition of your marketing bulletin. we’re Caterlink, your school caterer. We want to let you know about the great offers, promotions, events and deals we have coming up this month - so, in April we have destination Jamaica, in season: carrot, world health day, and St George’s day! we have meal deals, loyalty cards and product promotions throughout the month.

New Menus

Please click on the link below to see the spring / summer menus for the new term from Caterlink.

What are Free School Meals (FSM) and how to apply

Please see the letter below explaining what FSM is and how to apply to see if you are eligible.

Teen Support

This week is sun awareness week. With the weather starting to improve, we wanted to raise awareness of how to look after yourself properly in the sun using this resource from the Teenage Cancer Trust.

How to stay safe in the sun | Teenage Cancer Trust

In the past 30 years, cases of skin cancer have risen faster than any other cancer in the UK. Skin cancer is the second most common cancer among young adults (aged 15-34) in the UK and getting painful sunburn just once every two years can triple your risk of skin cancer. More than two young adults ...

www.teenagecancertrust.org

Online Safety

A Date with Dan - 18th May 6:30pm-7:30pm FREE Online Safety Question and Answer event

Online safety can be a bit of a minefield and many of us have lots of questions on how we can not only keep our children and young people safe but also let them enjoy the benefits the online world brings.

Join LCC's resident Online Safety Officer, Dan Hawbrook, on the 18th May 2022 for a special Question and Answer session for parents and carers which will cover whatever YOU want to know – whether it's game ratings, parental controls, bullying or strangers – we will let you ask us those burning questions.

Sign up will be required to access this session. A Date with Dan Tickets, Wed 18 May 2022 at 18:30 using the Eventbrite booking system below.

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 9th May - 12 times table

Accelerated Reader

Week commencing 9th May during period 4

The Sporting Post

After school clubs in term 5

Our after school activities have changed for this term...please see below for details.

If students wish to stay on a Wednesday or Thursday students must report to the PE department at 3.15pm and get changed into their kit. They must then be collected by parents/carers at 4.15pm.

Students also have the opportunity to take part in sport at lunchtimes.

Mr Addlesee - Sports Enrichment Officer

Dates for your diary

Please click on the parent calendar to see the full list of upcoming events and activities at CRA

Credits:

Created with images by Kenishirotie - "Back to school" • adragan - "Charity. Glass jar with coins and an inscription charity. Man holds coin in his hand" • airdone - "Core Values, Business Ethics Motivational Inspirational Quotes" • moodboard - "Low angle view of a beautiful young woman in theatre box" • RomanR - "education word on chalkboard with school books on desk, education concept" • Rawpixel.com - "Talent Expertise Genius Skills Professional Concept" • MarekPhotoDesign.com - "timing is everything" • megaflopp - "Business people holding wooden gears in office top view" • Pixel-Shot - "Male student studying on color background" • THINK b - "worker working in factory" • vladimirnenezic - "Self service restaurant" • Artur - "Writing note showing Ask For Help. Business concept for Request to support assistance needed Professional advice woman laptop computer office supplies technological devices inside home" • putilov_denis - "Business, Technology, Internet and network concept. Technical support customer service." • Artur - "Writing note showing Read More. Business concept for Provide more time or thorough reading for a specific topic or item" • Naypong Studio - "Sports Equipment on white background" • Bits and Splits - "Calendar Page"