Senior Leadership Team Update
It was wonderful to have all the students back in the academy this week following the half term. The Humanities team lead the whole school assembly on Monday, talking about the transferrable skills in their subjects such as critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and strong analytical skills. We want our students to understand the skills for life they are developing in all their subjects and have been running a suite of assemblies focusing on transferrable skills across the curriculum. Next week Year 9 start their option process with assemblies from all option subjects to support their decision making. This is followed on 5th March 6:30pm by an Options Evening at CRA and 13th March by a Year 9 Parents' Evening on Teams.
Important dates to remember
- 26th February 2024 - Year 11 mock exams begin
- 5th March 2024 - Year 9 Options Evening
- 13th March 2024 - Year 9 Parents Evening
- 19th/20th March 2024 - Matilda Performance
- 20th March 2024 - Year 7 trip to Nottingham university
- 28th March 2024 - Break up for Easter holidays
- 15th April 2024 -All students return for term 5
- 18th April 2024 - London trip to Swan Lake
Feeling ill at school
To support our students not missing their valuable learning time, we have introduced a new system for monitoring a student if they feel unwell. This does not include if they are injured at school and require first aid.
If a student informs a teacher that they are not feeling well, their teacher will monitor them for 10 minutes and check they have had some water, eaten etc. After 10 minutes, if they are still feeling poorly, they will be sent to reception where their symptoms and details will be logged in our comfort book. At this point they can take some paracetamol if they have some in school. They will then be issued with a monitoring card and sent back to lessons. They will give this to their teacher who will continue to monitor them and sign the card at the end of the lesson. The student will then go to their next lesson and give their monitoring card to their next teacher. They will continue to be monitored and if there is no improvement throughout the day after a break and an opportunity to get some food and some fresh air, they will go to reception to check back in and a decision will be made by key staff including the attendance team and SLT, as to whether they need to be sent home. This will hopefully reduce students going home if they are just feeling a little under the weather and build their resilience, one of our CRA values that is so important for life beyond CRA as well.
Uniform
Please see our uniform page on the CRA website which states:
- No more than one small stud in the lobe of an ear may be worn. No tragus piercings
- No ear stretchers are acceptable. Putting ‘spacers’ in or plasters over piercing is not acceptable. If you have a piercing – nose, eyebrow, lip etc. the stud must be removed.
- No more than two small finger rings are allowed. No bracelets or other jewellery should be visible
- No other jewellery or piercings anywhere on the face are permitted. Plastic wristbands should not be worn.
Year 11 Focus
From next week, all Year 11 students will begin their final mock exam window before the formal Summer series. This will run until March 13th. It is important that students are preparing effectively from home with their revision to ensure these are as purposeful and successful as they can be.
Students were reminded this week to make use of their revision strategies booklet when revising at home that includes a lot of the information that has been shared both in assemblies and on the revision information evening. This includes steps to success in implementing each revision strategy as well useful guidance on tips to avoid exam stress/anxiety. It is a valuable booklet that I ask you to speak with your child about and make use of.
It is vital that students remember the information that was shared by Mrs Thorpe regarding malpractice. This includes ensuring all mobile phones, watches and any other prohibited items are away in students bags and not in their possession during any exams.
Year 9 - GCSE Options Evening
We look forward to welcoming you all to the Year 9 Options Evening on Tuesday 5th March from 6:00-7:30pm. Attendance at this event is important for all students and parents so that the best possible choices can be made for the next step in your child's educational journey. Please bring the GCSE options booklet that your child would have received prior to this with you on the evening to support your understanding of options subjects and discussions with Heads of Departments.
Students will be receiving their GCSE options form on Friday 22nd March for them to select their option choices. This form will be emailed to their CRA student email account so please ensure your child can access this.
Prep Homework
Spring Term 4 homework will commence from CRA Reads on Monday 19th February when all students in Years 7, 8, 9 10 and 11 will be issued with new packs of knowledge organisers and task sheets. Student must organise their folders at home and ensure they keep each terms homework safe in their folders ready for end of year assessments.
Where a student has an assessment week they will be given time away from prep homework to complete revision. For example:
- Yr7, 8 and 9 will have no prep homework w/c 19th February for one week, so will begin their prep homework from w/c 26th February
- Yr11 will have no prep homework w/c 19th February for three weeks, so will begin their prep homework from w/c 11th March
If you have any questions or concerns regarding Prep homework please contact your child's personal tutor in the first instance.
Why We Do What We Do
Over the next 6 weeks we will be sharing different aspects of our Houseopoly boards which feature in all our tutor rooms.
Week 2
On the Houseopoly board we like to share all our key messages. You can see highlight the CRA values. We have a Character plan which we develop each year but our six values remain the bedrock of that work. We use the language of the values in everything we do.
Duke Of Edinburgh
Duke Of Edinburgh award has now been launched to our year 9 students we have already had some students sign up and many more students interested. We have managed to obtain funding towards the enrollment fee, reducing the cost to £10. if your child is really interested in taking part in this amazing scheme and there is an issue with raising the funds for your child to take part please contact Mr Rollin, the DofE manager as there is funding available so everyone that is eligible can take part.
CRA Character
On 20th March it will be our second enrichment drop down day. Year 7 will be going to the University of Nottingham for a day focused on Aspiration and Year 9/10 will take part in a carousel of sessions delivered by Lincolnshire Stay Safe Partnership. Year 8 will be involved in a day focusing on developing the 7 C's of Resilience - Coping, Character, Connection, Competence, Choice not Chance, Confidence. This will be an interactive day for all students and support them developing their own resilience, by being able to apply the skills they have practiced to every day situations.
Word of the week
Bi: two (Latin word root)
- Binary relating to, composed of, or involving two things.
- Binoculars an optical instrument with a lens for each eye, used for viewing distant objects
- Bisexual sexually attracted not exclusively to people of one particular gender; attracted to both men and women.
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 26th February 2024 - 8
Accelerated Reading
Week commencing 26th February 2024 - Period 3
Table Talk
Teenagers often suffer with low self esteem. If a teen is demonstrating low self-esteem, it could mean that they’re dealing with depression. Research shows that low teen self-esteem is the strongest predictor of depression in adolescents. Poor self-esteem is an underlying issue in most mental health and co-occurring disorders, including PTSD, anxiety, substance abuse, and eating disorders
Early help assessments
Many families and parents experience difficulties at some stage while our children are growing up. As a school we have a responsibility to try to support families and children as best we can. We have a thorough pastoral system and house system designed to provide the most comprehensive support we can as a school to you and your children. On occasions it is necessary to ask for additional support, and one way we may do this is through an early help assessment (EHA). “These services are part of a “continuum of support” and provide help to families who do not, or no longer, meet the threshold for a statutory intervention.” (NSPCC) NSPCC go on to say that through there research “Providing timely support is vital. Identifying and addressing a child or family's needs early on can increase protective factors that positively influence a child’s wellbeing, and decrease risk factors that may be impacting a child’s life negatively.” Research suggests that early help and intervention can: protect children from harm improve children's long-term outcomes improve children’s home and family life support children to develop strengths and skills to prepare them for adult life. These interventions are designed to support parents who are fulfilling the parenting role and providing protective measures who need support while children push against the boundaries set.
When families require this support we would encourage them to take advantage of this service More information can be found at the link below. https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/safeguarding/lscp/11
Attendance..
Attendance – Term 4, Week 1
Year 8 have achieved 1st place with a top attendance score beating all the other year groups, well done Year 8, great effort.
The boys have smashed their attendance this week beating the girls to 1st place by a fantastic 3%.
Terra have finished first with the highest overall attendance this week, just beating Caeli and Aqua, well-done Terra! Special mention for Terra 8 who have achieved 99%.
Thursday has seen our highest percentage of absence this week, missing just one day can have an impact on students learning experiences and outcomes.
Well done to the following students with how they have shown great resilience with their attendance.
If your child is absent from school, please ensure you contact school daily either by email/MCAS or by telephoning the attendance line 01476 550333 ext 502. It is vital we are notified everyday of any absence for safeguarding reasons, unless previously authorised. A reason for illness will always be requested, this is to observe attendance patterns and outbreaks of illness amongst students.
Please do not hesitate to contact myself kcoleman@charlesreadacademy.co.uk on 01476 550333 ext 515 or tsandison@charlesreadacademy.co.uk ext 502 to discuss ways to support your child's attendance.
CRA - Lets work together to make every day count!
Mrs Coleman - Attendance Manager
House News
Terra Crowned New Year Cup Champions
Congratulations to Terra who have been crowned 2024 House New Year Cup champions.
Following an action packed term of New Year Cup entries it was Terra who dominated the competition. Terra house submitted a huge 350+ entries from the 719 total entries received to comfortably win the cup by over 1,400km.
As an academy we covered a combined distance of 5,330km with 100 participants (students, staff and wider families) playing their part. We easily reached our initial target of 3,940km by completing the virtual tour of route 66, the equivalent distance of Chicago to LA.
Thank you to everyone who took part in the competition.
House Photography Competition
We are excited to share details of this years House Photography Competition. The theme this year is ‘Nature’ with the competition open to all students, staff and wider families.
Each person is able to send in a maximum of five photos.
Photos to be sent to housechampionship@charlesreadacademy.co.uk
The deadline for entries is Friday 12th April.
Totaliser & Term 4 Competitions
Terra extend their lead at the top of the House Championship. It was also a profitable term for Aqua who closed the gap on Caeli in 2nd place and put themselves back in contention in the race for the 2024 House Championship.
Term 4 offers an array of different house competitions to get involved in. 2000 points will be available throughout the term with competitions including Gardening, Photography, Table Tennis, Wii Sports and Bullseye Quiz. We will also be revealing this terms Mystery House Competition next week which promises to be popular. This terms academic competition, worth 500 points is the house most improved attitude to learning (ATL).
The Sporting Post
Please can all students be collected from the BACK of the school when being picked up from after school clubs and fixtures.
Sports Kit
Please can any borrowed sports kit be returned as soon as possible. We have trainers, hoodies, netball dresses and football kit (shirts, shorts and socks) that have not been returned. This means that students are unable to also borrow these items for fixtures and limits teams when wanting to wear a full, matching kit.
After School Academy Masterclass
Venue : Colsterworth Village Hall, Old Post Lane, Colsterworth NG33 5PG
- Course 1: 21st February - 27th March - Weekly Wednesday
- Course 2: 17th April - 5th June - Weekly Wednesday
- Each course is 6 weeks long
Time:
- 17.00 - 18.00 for ages 6-12
- 18.15 - 19.15 for ages 13-18
Opro Mouth Guards provided | Trainers for indoor sessions
https://www.tuilagirugbyskills.com/lessons
Term Dates
Please see the latest term dates for 2022-23.
A list of diary events can also be found on the CRA Website by clicking here