SLT Update
It has been a busy couple of weeks in the Academy with house competitions and the start of a new football coaching programme. We are really excited to welcome experienced football coach Louie Bland to Charles Read. Louie will be working with us on a Thursday and the after school club that began last night was incredibly well attended, despite the very windy conditions! It has been really pleasing to celebrate some great tutor group attendances this week, including Aqua 7 who had 95% attendance. Please do remember that 90% attendance equates to missing four school weeks over the academic year which is 100 lessons. It is so important that our pupils are in school every day, and we appreciate the support that you are giving them to help this happen.
I hope that you have a good weekend.
Miss Milligan, Principal
Above and Beyond
Every week a certificate is issued for a deserving student who demonstrates CRA values. Please see below this weeks students and the reason they have been awarded.
Caeli - Daisy D for Resilience Daisy puts up with a lot of teasing from me! Daisy does this with good grace and a smile (and maybe an eye-roll, which is (mostly) justified... I hope Daisy knows I do this because she is a model student who works very hard to make her work the very best it can be. She also works very hard to make good choices outside of the classroom. This makes her a respected and popular member of her tutor group. She is taking Key Stage 4 seriously, and I am thrilled to see her flourishing this year! Terra - Lexi D for Ambition Excellent display of focus, ambition and resilience in completing her food exam this week. Aqua - Louie C for Confidence Day in and day out he respects all the CRA values, but his confidence in who he is and how he impacts others creates a standard that we could all look up to.
Table Talk
Please take a moment to read and reflect on the thoughts below and discuss any concerns your son/daughter may have in relation to conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. You will have noticed the growing news coverage about the escalating conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. While much of the reporting is complex and fast-moving, it is very likely that children and young people will hear snippets of conversations, headlines, or social media content without fully understanding what is happening.
When young people are exposed to fragments of distressing news, it can lead to confusion, worry, and fear. Without context or reassurance, they may imagine scenarios that feel far more immediate or threatening than they are. Even when events are geographically distant, the emotional impact can still be very real for children who are trying to make sense of the world around them.
Recent reporting has highlighted the serious humanitarian impact of the escalating conflict across the region, with children among those affected by the violence and instability. This kind of news can be particularly distressing when young people encounter it without supportive discussion or safe opportunities to ask questions. Schools and parents play a vital role in helping children feel safe, grounded, and supported when global events dominate the news cycle. Some students may raise questions directly, while others may show their worries through changes in behaviour, heightened emotions, or difficulty concentrating. Simple approaches such as:
- allowing space for questions
- acknowledging feelings without overwhelming them with detail
- reassuring children about their safety
- maintaining familiar routines
can help provide stability and reassurance during uncertain times.
Sparx Stars
Each week, our students at CRA, complete maths and reading for their homework on Sparx. Some students answer additional questions, further increasing their knowledge. We do this as there are online resources to help and guide students if they are struggling with a question. You might like to ask them to show you what they typically do on a weekly basis.
Our Sparx stars this week are
READER
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 16 March 2026 - 9
Accelerated Reading
Week beginning 16 March 2026 - Period 4
Voluntary Police Cadets
The Volunteer Police Cadets is a nationally recognised, police uniformed youth group, open to teenagers from all backgrounds aged between 13 and 18. It aims to promote a practical understanding of policing, to encourage the spirit of adventure and good citizenship and to inspire young people to participate positively in their communities. In Lincolnshire our cadets are supported by police officers, police staff, and adult volunteers who give their time to share their knowledge and expertise of policing and their local communities. Cadet sessions are run every Wednesday evening during school term times at the following police stations across Lincolnshire: Lincoln, Boston, Bourne, Spalding, Grantham and Skegness. Please find enclosed a leaflet to promote our upcoming recruitment campaign which opens April 1st and closes on May 13th, 2026.
Attendance.
Why is attendance so important?
Does my attendance really matter? There is a strong link between attendance and academic achievements. If a student does not attend, they cannot get the best from their time at our academy. Central to raising standards in education and ensuring all pupils can fulfil their potential is an assumption so widely understood that it is insufficiently stated – pupils need to attend school regularly to benefit from their education. Missing out on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind. Children with poor attendance tend to achieve less in both primary and secondary school. 90% attendance = 1⁄2 day missed every week over a school year this is 4 weeks –100 lessons lost. Over 5 years at 90% this is half a year of education. 17 missed school days means that you could drop a whole GCSE grade in all subjects. If your attendance is above 96% then you have the best chance of success in your exams. If your attendance falls below 96% then you have less chance of success and are likely to average a 1 grade loss in exam performance. If your attendance falls below 90% then you have limited chance of success and are likely to fall short of your target grades. The greater the attendance the greater the achievement. It is therefore an expectation of Charles Read Academy that students arrive punctually every day and are properly equipped to carry out their studies. All students are required to be on site by 8.45am at the latest. Attendance forms an integral part of our pastoral structure. Daily tutor time with personal tutors enables the students to start the day in a structured way and feeling a sense of belonging. Students will feel supported from the start of their school day and any issues will be dealt with so the student can feel success for the rest of the day.
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 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.
House News.
CRA House Winter Games – FINAL RESULTS The CRA House Winter Games came to an end this week as students went head-to-head in the final event of the competition, Sportshall Athletics. A huge congratulations to Aqua who have been crowned House Winter Games Champions, despite Caeli winning the final event. Aqua accumulated the most points across the games to secure the win and a whopping 250 house points to their house points tally. Caeli’s success in the Sportshall Athletics competition was enough to pip Terra to second place overall in the medal table, to claim what could turn out to be a very important 150 house points. Terra picked up 100 house points in third place.
House Winter Games – Sportshall Athletics Results Congratulations to Caeli who clinched the final winter games Gold Medal following a dominant performance in the Sportshall Athletics competition earlier in the week. House teams competed in a series of races, including an obstacle relay, hurdle relay, tennis ball relay and team shuttle relay. Competition points were accumulated across each of the races and the house with the highest points tally were crowned Champions. Caeli won the event by an 8-point margin over both Aqua and Terra who tied on points before being awarded Bronze medals.
NOW Music House Quiz Calling all music lovers!! Next week at CRA the House Music quiz returns, with a brand-new set of questions. House teams will test their music knowledge on the stage across multiple rounds, including guess the artist and song title as well as completing the missing lyrics. The competition will be taking place during lunchtime on the stage in the main hall – Each team requires a students from each tutor group.
‘Reflections’ House Photography Competition This years House Photography competition is well underway and swe have received some great entries so far. Throughout this term and into the Easter Holidays we are looking for creative photos that captures this year’s theme, ‘Reflections’ – This is open to interpretation but could include creative skills using water, mirrors, shiny objects etc. The competition is open to all students, staff and wider family members. A maximum of 5 photos per person will be accepted. All photo entries must be sent to housechampionship@charlesreadacademy.co.uk including your name, year group and house team. Deadline is 5.00pm on Friday 17th April 2026.
CRA House ‘Dress to Impress’ Tutor groups have started to plan their costume for the BRAND NEW ‘Dress to Impress’ House Competition. Year groups have been set the following themes, with a student selected to model the outfit that has created by respective tutor groups.
- Year 7 – Disney or Pixar.
- Year 8 – Games or Movies.
- Year 9 – Superhero or Villian.
- Year 10 – Celebrity.
- ear 11 – Rupaul’s Drag Race.
We look forward to seeing the final costumes/characters.
The Sporting Post.
CRA Easter Sports Camp 2026 We are extremely excited to be delivering an Easter Sports Camp for all primary school aged children over the Easter holidays. This is a two-day sports camp and open to all primary school children of all abilities aged 4 to 11. Children who attend will have the opportunity to take part in two fun filled days across a wide range of sports. Spaces are limited and will book up fast – please complete the form using the QR Code as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. This year we have included a sibling ‘savings’ offer at a slightly reduced rate. CHARLES READ ACADEMY - 2026 EASTER SPORTS CAMP – Fill out form
PE kit reminder - 2025/2026
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 2025-2026
A list of diary events can also be found on the CRA Website by clicking here
Credits:
Created with images by sosiukin - "upcoming evente word written on wood block. upcoming evente text on table, concept" • Prostock-studio - "Group of happy teen high school students studying outdoors" • bbbar - "Acronym of AAB for Above and Beyond" • CrazyJuke - "Stay updated on global events with the latest breaking news on geopolitics.,Get insights and analysis on current affairs." • boivinnicolas - "Well Done 3D Paper Cut Text with Trophies on Yellow" • Gerisima - "Christmas star decoration of golden confetti stars against white" • petert2 - "Police officer wearing tactical vest writing notes on a pad" • 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"