SLT Update
This week it was wonderful to witness the school coming together for the House Rowing competition. We are 3 houses but we are 1 community and events like this show what a wonderful community we are. Due to the weather the students have had to spend some breaks and lunches inside and the vast majority have conducted themselves well. Unfortunately, some students have let us down. We want to focus as a school on having pride and respect for our school and everyone in it. Please do take the time to talk to your child about the role they play in showing respect from their interactions with staff and their peers, putting their rubbish in the bin and not drawing on their work or around the academy, keeping our environment nice for everyone to enjoy.
Miss King, Head of School
CRA Character
This week students had a whole school assembly about the COP29 conference currently being held in Baku and which is discussing who has economic responsibility for combatting climate change. Students were challenged to think about one simple lifestyle change they could make to reduce their own carbon footprint such as following Meat Free Monday, or shopping on Vinted instead of buying disposable fashion from fast fashion websites.
Why We Do What We Do
Why are coats not allowed indoors?
Coats are not permitted on grounds of equality and safety. Safety because we are an older building with narrow corridors, and with young adults moving around the building, if we double the size of those young adults by putting big coats on them, it makes the space congested and dangerous. Equality because a school uniform partly exists to ensure that regardless of background and income, all our students are equally presented. Coats are often branded and therefore introduce a hierarchy of wealth that is at odds with the equal community we aspire for CRA. Coats also lower the high standards of uniform we expect of our students.
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 beginning - 25 November 2024 - Times table is 12
Accelerated Reading
Week beginning - 25 November 2024 - Period 2
Attendance......
Attendance – Term 2, Week 4.
Year 8 have ended the week in first place for overall attendance, well done year 8. Year 9 finish in 5th place.
The boys have had another great week beating the girls to 1st place beating the girls by a huge 6.5%.
Caeli have finished first with the highest overall attendance this week, beating Terra by 2.2%, well-done Caeli, second week running! Special mention for Caeli 7 who have achieved 95.7%, excellent effort.
Tuesday has seen our highest percentage of absence this week, please let me know if you begin to see a pattern in your child’s attendance. Missing just one day can have an impact on students learning experiences and outcomes.
Please may we remind you that absences for increment weather will not be authorised.
Whilst there has been a large increase of absences due to tummy upset, headaches and sore throats, please remind students the importance of hand washing and the following precautions as we are now spending more time indoors in smaller spaces with winter illnesses.
As many of you will be aware from publicity in the press, and letters we have sent out previously, the government have significantly toughened the law in relation to school attendance and have now published revised guidance which has become mandatory from September 2024.
From September 2024, schools have to consider a penalty notice if a pupil misses 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. Half of a day (am or pm) is considered as a ‘session’. The threshold of 10 sessions can be met with any combination of unauthorised absence, for example, eight sessions of unauthorised holidays in term time and two sessions for other unauthorised reasons would trigger a penalty notice.
The ten school week period may span different terms or school years, for example: 2 sessions of unauthorised absence in the summer term and a further 8 in the autumn term.
National Framework for Attendance Penalty Notices (fines)
The new penalty notice regulations are:
- Each parent will be issued a separate penalty notice, for each child who is absent. For example, 2 parents and 3 children, each parent will receive 3 penalty notices for £160 each, with a family total of £960 in fines.
- The fine amount will be £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days, reduced to £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days.
- The first penalty notice will be considered your first offence.
- The next time an offence occurs, within 3 years of the date the first penalty notice is issued, the fine amount will be £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days, with no reduction.
- The third time an offence occurs this will be presented to Magistrate’s court for prosecution.
Where a child is absent, and it is believed they are absent without valid reason, we will carry out a home visit and see the child on or before the third school day of absence. If the absence meets the thresholds explained above, you will be issued fixed penalty notices as detailed above.
Please review any holiday plans you have for term time this year to ensure you are not issued with a penalty fine or prosecuted in the Magistrates’ court.
The above rules also apply to punctuality as registers must close at the end of our tutor period. Arriving to school after this time will result in an unauthorised absence. To enable our morning registration (AM) to begin promptly, we require all students to be on site for 8.40 a.m. This is the time your child must be in school, ready to be marked into registers (punctuality due to late buses will be coded accordingly). Therefore, we ask that you ensure your child arrives at 8.40 a.m. and they are with their tutor by 8.50 a.m. at the latest.
Your child must register with their tutor and attend P1 to ensure their ‘present’ marks are captured within the AM registration period. Your child must attend afternoon registration and P5 to ensure their ‘present’ marks are captured within the PM registration period. Even if your child is on site they will not be registered unless they are in their tutor room and classrooms and an unauthorised mark will be given. Ten unauthorised sessions in a ten school week period will result in a fixed penalty notice.
Pupils who attend school regularly will achieve higher grades than those pupils who don’t. In the summer of 2024 pupils at Charles Read Academy who had above 90% attendance achieved a grade and a half higher than those who are below this.
If you require any support or advice, please get in touch via email us on enquiries@charlesreadacademy.co.uk
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!
Leave of absence request
A Principal can only authorise a leave of absence in exceptional circumstances. We will take into account the Government guidance when considering what the exceptional circumstances are- all applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. You may be able to take your child out of school in exceptional circumstances, providing an application is made in advance by the parent/carer, this request complies with Government guidance and the leave is deemed to be ‘exceptional’ by the Principal.
If you take a leave of absence without our permission or if your child fails to return by the agreed date if permission was granted, then this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence and noted in your child’s record. You might also be issued with a fixed penalty notice for this absence. If your child has not returned within 10 days of the expected date of return then, after consultation with the Local Authority, we may take your child off our school roll.
As examples, the following reasons are not considered to be exceptional circumstances:
- availability of cheap holidays
- periods overlapping with beginning or end of term
- visits to family
- renewing passports
Requests for leave of absence will only be considered if made in writing. Please ensure you use the leave of absence request form to do this.
To request a leave of absence, please use this form.
Mrs Coleman - Attendance Manager
House News.
Terra Triumph in House Indoor Rowing
This week at Charles Read Academy staff and students went head to head in a number of Individual sprint and house team relay races in the House Indoor Rowing competition. The competition was closely contested throughout and following an afternoon of competitive racing it was Terra who earned the most points to be crowned 2024 indoor rowing champions. Caeli and Aqua were very close behind in 2nd and 3rd respectively with the difference of a single race victory separating 1st and 2nd place. The atmosphere was great in the hall as participants raced in front of a full audience, with their virtual boats racing across the big screen. The competition ended wit a hugely exciting race as staff took to the rowing machines to represent their house teams, much to the excitement of students cheering them on. Well done to everyone who took part.
I’m a Teacher Get Me Out of Here
The much anticipated I’m a Teacher Get Me Out of Here house competition returns to CRA on Monday, as staff take on a host of bush tucker style challenges in return for house points. The competition will be taking place on the main stage in the hall throughout lunchtime on Monday 25TH November – make sure you grab you lunch and take your seats early to avoid missing out on the action unfolding.
Once again this year we are delighted to be able to offer students with the opportunity to take part in the competition. Students can represent their house in either of the ‘Critter Cracker’ or ‘Animal Encounters’ challenges. Limited spaces are available with names being drawn out.
House Christmas Party
Its almost that time of year again… This years House Christmas party will be taking place on Wednesday 11th December. Tickets are on sale NOW through the office with a deadline of Friday 6th December.
Tickets cost £5 which includes a full Christmas dinner and access to a number of Christmas party games and prize draws.
Students will be able to wear a Christmas jumper in addition to their normal uniform (over the top of their tie and school shirt).
Tutor groups will also receive their miniature Christmas trees to decorate and bring down to the party for the chance of picking up some additional house points.
CRA Santa Fun Run 2024
The Santa Run also returns to CRA this year, on the same day as the house Christmas Party (Wednesday 11th December). This will be taking place throughout Period 1 on that day with participants completing a 20 minute fun walk, run or jog around over very own ‘Santa Run’ course.
Sponsorship forms are available from the office but all students should have now received one to take home. For those students wishing to take part, a minimum of £1 must be raised.
Participants who raise £1 of more will receive a Santa run medal. For students who raise £9 or more they will receive the medal plus either a Santa/Reindeer t-shirt and hat/antlers. Students who raise £20 or more will receive all those items plus a FREE TICKET to the House Christmas Party.
Last year CRA were one of the to fundraising schools across the trust, raising an incredible £2,000+ for the inspiration Fund, with over 130 students taking part in the Santa Fun Run. It would be amazing if we could raise similar numbers once again this year.
DEADLINE FOR SPONSORSHIP FORMS IS NEXT WEDNESDAY (27TH NOVEMBER 2024). Any sponsorship forms after this date can still take part but are not guaranteed to receive a medal or t-shirt.
Thank you in advance for your continued support and generosity to all of our community events.
Terra Top House Totaliser
Terra house have extended their lead at the top of the CRA House Championship this week with victory in the house rowing competition. The gap has now increased to 60 house points from Caeli in 2nd place and Aqua in 3rd.
The Sporting Post.
Rowvember 2024
PE kit reminder - 2024/2025
The standard PE kit is as follows:
- CRA House PE top (compulsory)
- CRA PE shorts or skorts (compulsory)
- CRA PE Hoodie (compulsory)
- Black socks. These can be purchased from any provider.
- PE track pants / leggings / skins - optional - must be plain navy or black. These can be worn under the CRA PE top, shorts or skorts. These items should have no logos/writing/labels. These can be purchased from any provider.
Sports trainers- These can be purchased from any provider. No fashion trainers.
Girls will take part in hockey and boys will take part in rugby during PE lessons. Gumshields and shinpads are recommended for their safety.
Shinpads will also be needed for girls' and boys' football.
Moulded football boots are also recommended as students can wear these on the 3G artificial surface and grass field.
Please can all students be collected from the BACK of the school when being picked up from after school clubs and fixtures.
Term Dates
Please see the latest term dates for 2024-25
A list of diary events can also be found on the CRA Website by clicking here
Credits:
Created with images by Uuganbayar - "Wooden blocks with words 'Follow The Rules'." • Naypong Studio - "Sports Equipment on white background" • tatomm - "close up of calendar on the yellow table background, planning for business meeting or travel planning concept"