Senior Leadership Team Update
Our CRA students studying GCSE Spanish and some students from Colegio San Jaime in Spain met each other thanks to a video call on Tuesday. The link between the schools exists because Pablo in Year 10 has been a visiting table tennis scholar this academic year. Pablo sadly leaves us at the end of this term, but during his time he has not only improved his English level but also his skill playing table tennis. The programme has afforded him an opportunity to experience living in a different country and finding out about British culture. We will miss Pablo when he returns to Spain as he has brought a lot of positives to our CRA community and adopted our CRA values.
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
We have seen a few students return from the holiday with nose piercings. 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
This week in assembly Year 11 students were spoken to by Mrs Thorpe, our Exams Officer, about the different regulations and policies related to their formal GCSE exams and coursework to ensure they are fully compliant. These policies cover all aspects of exams, including plagiarism and conduct in the exam room. Mrs Thorpe has outlined all of these regulations and policies into a booklet which was distributed to each student, of which they signed to acknowledge they had received it. Please do encourage your child to ensure they have read it to avoid breaching any of these policies between now and the end of the formal exams in the Summer.
Students will soon be entering their final mock exam series, this will take place from Monday 26th February - Wednesday 13th March. Next week they will be given their exam timetable for this to allow them to structure their revision and preparation appropriately. They will also be completing a revision timetable in Reads next week to support their revision from home. Please do make sure your child is placing their revision timetable somewhere visible where you can also access it to be reminding them of their revision from home.
CRA Character
We have spoken to our students in different guises this week about the language they use in school and in society and ensuring they are showing CRA Respect at all times. We have had some instances of racist language being used towards a supply teacher and some misogynist conversations happening with our male older students about women. We know that you will support us fully in ensuring that you speak with your child at home about the power of words. Mrs Brealey did an excellent assembly on this topic on Monday and Mrs Rathbone also spoke to our year 11 boys. Please do speak with your child about what they learnt from these interventions and about the importance of speaking out if they hear something that they feel is not acceptable/not right. Thank you for your support.
Word of the week
Ann, enn: year, yearly (Latin word root)
- Annual occurring once every year.
- Millennium a period of a thousand years, especially when calculated from the traditional date of the birth of Christ.
- Perennial lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring.
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 5th February 2024 - 6
Accelerated Reading
Week commencing 5th February 2024 - Period 1
Teen Support..
NSPCC FREE workshop for Parents and Carers about keeping children safe when gaming 7th February 7-8pm
This year, the NSPCC launches its first Game Safe Festival. As part of the upcoming NSPCC Game Safe Festival, there will be a free online webinar for carers, parents and those working with families about online gaming and how they can help keep their children safe. The webinar will be open to parents and carers from across the UK. We're bringing together key players to make sure children have positive gaming experiences. And we're helping the adults in their lives have the knowledge, confidence and tools they need to help keep children safe when they game. The free workshop will take place on Zoom on Wednesday 7 February 2024, 7-8pm. Poster attached with details on how to register.
Table Talk
The Top 10 Red Flags in Teenage Behaviour: What Parents Should Look For
Over the next 10 weeks we will be sharing 10 of the most common signs that a young adult is struggling with a mental health challenge
10: 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.
Attendance..
Attendance – Term 3, Week 4
Year 7 have achieved 1st place with a top attendance score beating all the other year groups, well done Year 7, great effort.
The boys have smashed their attendance this week beating the girls to 1st place by a fantastic 5.4%.
Terra have finished first with the highest overall attendance this week, just beating Caeli and Aqua, well done Terra! Special mention for Terra 9 who have achieved 97%.
Friday 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 how 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
Term 3 Competitions
Route 66 Challenge Complete
We have done it… Well done to everyone who played their part in this year’s Route 66 challenge. We have absolutely smashed our target of 3,940km to complete our virtual tour of Route 66, from Chicago to LA in just 4 weeks.
Over 100 participants have taken part so far, submitting over 640 entries across the 4 weeks. The collective effort from students, staff and wider families has been amazing.
The House New Year Cup still remains open for a further week, so please continue to submit your distances from now till Friday February 9th. Reminder that 250 house points will be awarded to 1st place, 150 points to 2nd place and 100 points to 3rd place. Bonus points will be awarded to the top student, staff and family points scorers.
If you still wish to add to your house totals simply record the distance from your daily walk, jog, or cycle. Daily totals do not count
submit your entries to housechampionship@charlesreadacademy.co.uk
Aqua lead Ultimate Frisbee
Term 3 Mystery house competition got underway this week as house teams went head to head in Ultimate Frisbee. Tutor groups in KS3 and KS4 combined for this competition.
The competition kicked off with KS3 round of matches on Thursday where Aqua came out on top, winning both of their matches. Today will see KS4 matches take place with 70 points going to the winning team. Results to follow next week.
Flags of the World House Quiz
Throughout last week students across the academy took part in the annual Flags of the World house quiz. Students were allocated 5 minutes to try and name 20 flags of the world, with the quiz designed around the humanities curriculum.
With over 200 entries the competition was extremely tough.
Well done to Zach in Aqua 9 who is this year’s winner, with a full house 20/20, earning 70 house points for Aqua. Alfie F in Caeli 7 finished runner up with 19/20 and Alex B in Terra 7 finished 3rd with 17/20.
The Sporting Post
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