SLT Update
Next week is our last full week of Year 11 exams before they finish. The majority of students have coped excellently through this difficult time and shown CRA resilience and courage. We look forward to their leavers assembly 18th June where we will celebrate them and reflect on their journey at CRA.
Unfortunately, we had an incident of homophobic abuse towards a member of staff this week. This is not representative of our school cohort and we feel very disappointed and upset about this. Students involved have been sanctioned but we wanted to raise your attention to it so that at home, you can discuss what your child should do if they are a bystander to this form of abuse. We want our students to have the courage to say something, react and call out this despicable behaviour, not remain silent and not say anything. We will be talking to all students more about this in the coming weeks also.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
Miss King, Head of School
New Staff
We are pleased to have a new member of staff join us at the Academy whose role is Attendance and Welfare Co-Ordinator.
Hello, everyone my name is Mrs Carlick and I am the new Attendance and welfare co-ordinator. I have previously worked for the NHS as a senior counsellor and worked in mainly schools throughout Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. I am very excited to be working at Charles Read Academy and look forward to working with you all.
Language Department
The Language and Culture Enrichment group had an "Italian fiesta" this week celebrating our progress in Italian. Each term we look at a different country, learn key phrases from the language and investigate the culture behind it. Using our newly learned Italian phrases students imagined they were at a cafe and ordered a variety of items from the menu to try. Some funny faces were pulled when trying the gorgonzola cheese but a lot happier ones appeared when munching on biscotti!
Year 11
PROM
PROM will be held on the 27th June 2025 from 6.45pm-10.30pm at the Academy. A letter has been sent to all year 11 parents via MCAS today. Tickets are £20 and can be purchased from the office.
Revision
Please follow this link to a revision letter from Miss Brealey to support our year 11 students.
Maths Department
Each week, our students at CRA, complete maths questions for their homework on Sparx. Some students answer additional questions, further increasing their mathematical 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.
This weeks Sparx Stars are
- Harvey J - Year 10
- Owen C - Year 7
- Jemma HG - Year 8
Why We Do What We Do
Acronyms
At CRA we use a number of acronyms to help students remember information. We tell the students that an acronym is ‘an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word’.
Over the next few weeks, we will explain our acronyms and why we use them.
This week we will look at NEST. Nest is an acronym that we use to help students get their books revision ready so when they come to revise for assessments or their final exams they have a well-ordered book that they can rely on for quality revision.
- Notes
- Example
- Summary
- Task
Students put the relevant word in the margin to help them know whether the information is notes their teacher had given them, an example that they can use to help them, a summary of a verbal discussion, something they have looked at in class or a summary of the learning gained from the lesson. They put Task in the margin to show that this is work that they have done.
Table Talk
Whilst we have less bullying at CRA than in most secondary schools we know it still goes on. We take a lot of time to talk to students about how to report it and who to report it to, who can support you and what is not okay when it comes to relationships and interactions.
There are some strategies below to consider. Please take the time, at the dinner table, to discuss what bullying is and if your child has ever been bullied and talk through these strategies. If any issues arise from your conversations please let us know so that we can deal with them.
Bullying is an issue that affects millions of students worldwide.
Whether it's name-calling, spreading rumours, exclusion, or physical harm, bullying can leave lasting emotional scars.
The good news? You’re not powerless. You have tools and strategies to stand up for yourself and others.
Here's how students can support themselves if they are facing bullying:
- Know That You’re Not Alone The first thing to remember is this: being bullied is never your fault. It's important to talk to someone you trust—whether it’s a parent, teacher, counsellor, or friend. You don’t have to face it alone, and there’s no shame in asking for help. Tip: Keep a record of bullying incidents (dates, what happened, who was involved). It helps when reporting the issue.
- Practice Confidence, Even if You Don’t Feel It Bullies often target those they believe won’t fight back. Practicing assertive body language—like standing tall, making eye contact, and speaking in a calm, firm voice—can discourage bullies from continuing. Try This: Practice saying things like “That’s not okay” or “I don’t like what you’re doing. Stop.” in the mirror or with a friend.
- Use the Power of Your Circle Friends can be your greatest support system. Spend time with people who make you feel good about yourself. If you see someone else being bullied, your support can make a huge difference—just sitting next to them or including them in activities helps them feel less alone. Pro Tip: Being a friend to someone who’s bullied is a form of courage.
- Set Digital Boundaries Cyberbullying can feel especially invasive because it happens even when you're at home. Be mindful of who you allow in your digital space. Don’t be afraid to block, report, or mute people who are harassing you online. Reminder: Save screenshots or messages that show evidence of online bullying.
- Know When to Get Adults Involved Sometimes, students hesitate to report bullying because they fear it will make things worse. But adults in your life can take steps you can’t—especially if things escalate. Reporting is not "snitching." It's about keeping yourself and others safe. Remember: Speaking up is a sign of strength, not weakness.
- Take Care of Your Mental Health Bullying can take a toll on your emotional well-being. It’s okay to feel upset. What matters is how you take care of yourself. Try journaling, talking to someone, meditating, or engaging in activities you love to build resilience and boost self-worth.
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 - 9 June 25 - Times table is 8
Accelerated Reading
Week beginning - 9 June 2025 - Period 3
Attendance.
Please may we remind you that absences for increment weather will not be authorised, unless the school is closed.
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 Talent Show – Monday 23rd June
We are extremely excited for the upcoming CRA House Talent Show, taking place during Enrichment on Monday 23rd June. Each house team can select up to three performances to represent their house in this years Talent Show.
Participants can perform as a solo act or part of a group performance. In previous years students and staff in the same house have come together to perform.
With just under 2 weeks to go, rehearsals should be well underway. Speak to your Head of House if you wish to take part in this years event.
House Bottle Rockets – Tuesday 17th June
The annual House Bottle Rockets competition is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 17th June. In teams of four students will showcase their physics knowledge by working out the required water and air pressure to effectively fire their chosen bottle rocket as far as possible.
Each team will have three attempts at firing their rocket, with the opportunity to adjust water and air pressure if required.
If you are interested in taking part in this competition make sure that you register your interest as soon as possible.
CRA Sports Day – Tuesday 8th July
The final house competition of the year will see House teams go head to head in an action packed day of athletics Track and Field. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of events throughout the day including 100m, 200m, 800m, relay, long jump, high jump, javelin, Discus and Shot Put. In line with tradition their will also be a house head to head Tug of War event in the afternoon. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for more information.
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.
Table Tennis
Congratulations to Ryan Holland who has been selected to represent England at the forthcoming Home Country Schools International event in Jersey, this is Ryan's first England selection and comes as a result of his bronze medal in the recent English Schools U16 boy's event.
Congratulations also to Abraham Sellado and Ella Pashley who have been named in the England European Youth Championship squad, these championships are taking place in Czechia in July.
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 Mehak - "welcome to the team text in an office environment with warm lighting" • Michael Möller - " 9. July 2025" • nito - "question parli italiano? do you speak Italian?" • Philip - "Class of 2025, word lettering script banner. Congrats Graduation lettering with academic cap. Template for design party high school or college, graduate invitations." • patpitchaya - "Mathematics" • SecondSide - "acronym - word from wooden blocks with letters, use of acronyms in the modern world abbreviation concept, random letters around, top view on wooden background" • Artur - "Handwriting text writing Let S Is Talk. Conceptual photo suggesting in the beginning of a conversation on the topic Stationary placed next to a cup of black coffee above the wooden table" • Naypong Studio - "Sports Equipment on white background" • Dusan Kostic - "Ping pong rackets and balls on a blue table with net." • tatomm - "close up of calendar on the yellow table background, planning for business meeting or travel planning concept"