SLT Update
It is with great pleasure that I write to you this morning as Acting Head of School and SENCO, to welcome all of our students back to Charles Read Academy and offer a warm welcome to our new Year 7 students.
We also welcome our new staff to our Academy, these include:
- Miss Djemil - Intervention Practioner
- Mr Cantrell - Teacher of Science
- Mrs Graham - Teacher of Art and History
- Mr Williams - Teacher of PE
Although I have only been with the Academy a few days, already I have been impressed by the way the students at Charles Read Academy conduct themselves and demonstrate their understanding of our Core Values of:
- Be Safe
- Be Ready
- Be Respectful
I would like to take this opportunity to encourage the new Year 7 students to become familiar with our Learning TRAITS and remind all our students that everyone is entitled to Disruptive Free Learning at Charles Read Academy.
If I could remind all parents to look at the link attached to this Newsletter as there is new guidance on attendance, fixed penalty notices and leave of absence requests. At Charles Read Academy good attendance means being in school at least 95% of the time.
We have an academic year full of exciting opportunities for students to involve themselves in House activities and competitions and I look forward to following the progress each of our Houses make as these are rolled out.
I look forward to getting to know all our students and families in the following weeks.
Mrs Le Caplain - Acting Head of School
Music Department
We have today been presented with a cheque from the Grantham Rotary Club from funds raised by the Swimarathon. This is an event held at the Meres Leisure Centre every February where teams of swimmers swim in relay for 55 minutes and get sponsored to raise funds for deserving charities/settings in the Grantham area. Our cheque is going to go towards purchasing some drums for the music department. We are very grateful and it will benefit many of our students.
Many thanks to Roger, Paul and Glenyis, the Grantham Rotary club representatives, for presenting the cheque to us.
Exam Success
We were thrilled to achieve another great set of results this summer. The progress our students made was above average and they and the staff are to be congratulated for their determination, hard work and perseverance.
Some key individual results are shared below. It is also lovely to see the variety of next steps that our now ex-CRA students are taking.
- Isaac Kingham eight grade 7s and a distinction star in Sport. Isaac is going to do a Level 3 BTEC in Sport at Grantham college. He is currently ranked number 2 in the UK for under 17's table tennis, with his future goal to represent team GB as a future Olympics.
- Jonas Cady Two eights, five 7s and two 6s. Jonas is going to Peterborough college pursuing an Electrician apprenticeship with Cady Maintenance
- Ethan Burrows Two 8s, two 7s, five 6s. Ethan is going to complete a T level in electrical engineering at Stamford college.
- Evelyn Whitelocks Two 8s, four 7s, one 6, one 5 and two 4s. Evelyn is going to study A levels in English, Psychology and History at Stamford College
- Sebastian Clarke one 7, five 6s, one 5, one 4 and distinction star in Sport. Seb will be studying three A levels in Biology, Geography and Sport ay Priory Ruskin Academy.
Prep Homework
Prep homework commenced on Monday 9th September for students in Years 8, 9, 10 and 11. For students in Year 7 prep homework will commence from Monday 16th September.
During CRA Reads students were issued with new prep books, task sheets and knowledge organisers and a plastic wallet to keep their prep homework clean and dry. These should be kept in the students CRA bag. Checks of prep homework will take place during each Roll Call and more in depth checks and guidance given during tutor sessions.
The completion of prep homework is really important to students' ability to memorise core knowledge as set by their subject teachers. The prep homework allows for students confidence to grow as they become more familiar with key terms and concepts taught in the lesson. This style of homework is an evidence informed practice that can support students to make more progress in their final examinations.
If a student fails to meet the expectations and frequency of prep homework they will be issued with 5 lunchtime interventions.
Additional support for prep homework is provided each lunchtime during homework club.
CRA Character
As soon as I joined the Academy I was struck with how far the Academy has a clear vision of how to develop our CRA Character. This image is at the very heart of all that we are at Charles Read Academy and it shows the steps the students can make to achieve the success that we believe they can all aspire to achieve.
Mrs Le Caplain - Acting Head of School
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 - 16th September 2024 - Times table is 8
Accelerated Reading
Week beginning - 16th September 2024 - Period 3
Teen Support..
Returning to School
We all know that the first few days of returning to school after the summer holidays can cause some worries and anxiety for young people as they deal with fresh challenges of the year ahead.
The following article outlines some common difficulties and ways in which these can be addressed:
https://tomakeprogress.co.uk/the-struggles-of-returning-to-school-after-the-summer-holiday/
Youth Council
We are currently looking for new members for our Youth Council.
Here’s the application form - https://forms.office.com/e/06DiqYdm8i
The Youth Council meets every two months in the Council Chamber in Grantham. The meetings usually take place after school hours (4:30 – 6:30pm). The group lead the agenda but are currently focusing on three core priorities – Entrepreneurship, Mental Health and Climate Change. The next meeting is 17th September.
Why we do what we do
Every year we ask students to apply to be Head boy and Girl. It is always a pleasure to speak one to one with the candidates and hear about their aspirations and the qualities they believe a Head boy or girl should possess. This year was no exception. I am so proud of our year 11 students. They had to speak in assembly about their aspirations for the future and how they would support their peers at CRA.
Table Talk
At CRA we talk a lot about the 7Cs of resilience. Over the next 7 weeks we will write about each element. This week we are introducing them all.
Reflecting on how developed each of your son/daughter's Cs are can give you and them an insight into where they might need to do work on. For example, they might need to develop better coping strategies, or rebuild important personal connections that have slipped over time.
The 7 Cs of resilience
Originally developed for children and teenagers by US-based paediatrician Kenneth Ginsberg (2014), the 7 Cs of resilience can also be used in an adult context. They are:
- 1. Competence – knowing how to handle situations effectively.
- 2. Confidence – knowing you are competent.
- 3. Connection – having close ties to family, friends and community.
- 4. Character – having a fundamental sense of right and wrong.
- 5. Contribution – contributing to your community, which can bring a sense of purpose.
- 6. Coping – learning to cope with stress.
- 7. Control – understanding that you can control the outcomes of your decisions.
The Resilience doughnut
Lyn Worsley (2006) has developed a model for personal resilience that illustrates different factors of internal and external support using a clear and colourful image.
This model covers three internal and seven external factors. The internal factors are: I have (resources), I am (self-esteem) and I can (self-efficacy). The external factors focus on support from parents, skills acquired, family networks, education and relationships with teachers, peer friendships, community links and money, i.e. economic stability.
By identifying our strongest positive factors and reconnecting with those in times of crisis, the support and encouragement we receive can help us to be more resilient, providing a sense of purpose to help us recover, sustain and grow through a crisis.
Worsley goes on to suggest that resilient adults will have identified at least three strong factors which they can reconnect with during times of stress or crisis, enabling them to survive and thrive.
Attendance......
Attendance – Term 1, Week 2.
Year 8 & 10 have ended the week in first place for overall attendance, well done years 8 & 10. Year 9 finish in 5th place.
The boys have had a great end to the year in 1st place beating the girls by 3%.
Terra have finished first with the highest overall attendance this week, beating Aqua by 2.7%, well-done Terra! Special mention for Terra 8 who have achieved 1%, excellent effort.
Tuesday has seen our highest percentage of absence this week. Missing just one day can have an impact on students learning experiences and outcomes.
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.
2024/25 CRA House Championship
Welcome back, we hope you had a great Summer holiday! Congratulations once again to Caeli for their house championship title win last year. We hope you are looking forward to another exciting house championship race, with the first competition taking place next week.
We are extremely excited for another action-packed series of house competitions at CRA this year. With another 30 plus competitions, featuring some brand-new competitions as well as some old favourites, this year promises to be really exciting. There are lots of opportunities throughout the year to get involved in.
CRA House Fantasy Premier League
Fantasy Premier League is underway at CRA with students, staff and family members battling it out for house points. The virtual game involves participants creating a fantasy team of premier league players, who they will manage on a weekly basis in line with the weekly Premier League fixtures.
It has been an exciting start to the competition and after 3 game weeks it is Mr Fountain who is top of the league, followed by Ruby and Mr Webb in 2nd and 3rd place respectively - if you play Fantasy Premier League but have not yet joined, there is still time! Enter the code in the image and join in the fun.
Table Tennis
The CRA TTPC welcomes a new scholar to the programme this year, Diego Alarcon who is from IES Liceo Caracense Guadalajara High School, near Madrid in Spain.
Diego has joined us on a cultural exchange for 6 months which will enable him to experience life in England, alongside developing both his language and table tennis skills.
We are looking forward to another fantastic year ahead for all scholars and students involved in this program.
The Sporting Post.
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