hans price academy newsletter no. 3
HANS PRICE ACADEMY NEWSLETTER NO. 3 February 2014 Hello and welcome to another Newsletter. We’re halfway through the year already - and that was the long half. This term has seen the launch of a few exciting initiatives, ranging from Mr Esch and his ‘Coding’ Challenge to the launch of SAS – our Student Advice Service to teachers. Ms Warden has been working with a group of students to train them in classroom observation techniques. They can now offer a service for their teachers (which is voluntary on the part of the teacher) where they give feedback on aspects of the lesson from a student perspective. As part of our drive towards giving every student a role in the Academy, this role sits alongside some of the other major roles we have developed this year, such as our Restorative Justice Champions, our ICT Champions and our Student Council reps. All of these roles are playing a crucial part in taking Hans Price to the next level and I have to thank students for their commitment to this. Priorities for the remainder of the year There are a number of things we are now focusing on between now and the end of the year: Move into Building - As mentioned in a letter I sent home a few weeks ago, we are moving into the new build straight after the May holiday. Students will return to school on the 4th June, whilst staff return on the 2nd June to prepare their teaching areas. We are working quite
the move. This includes the development of our curriculum and staff training with regards to using the new spaces effectively. Ethos in new building – We are about to begin working with students with regards to the ethos and behaviour we will expect in the new building. As we’ve said all along this is like a £14 million gift to the community. We hope you will be able to benefit from the premises almost as much as the students and so it is vital that we work together to ensure everyone looks after the building and all the new resources inside it. The opening will also be a good time to raise uniform standards so that everyone looks and feels as smart as their new environment. Year 11 – As always we are now moving into a vital time for Year 11. On a daily basis we are reminding students it is still not too late to raise their predicted grades by at least one more grade. We are putting on quite a few study sessions during the February break and timetables for these have been given out. We will also be holding revision sessions at Easter. In addition every student has been given a list of revision sessions after school. During the move, exams and revisions will carry on as normal. The only difference being that before the May holiday exams will be in the sports hall and after the holiday they will be in our new main hall. If you have any questions with regards to Year 11 progress, please contact Mr Holland ([email protected])
Armando Di-Finizio Principal
intensively at the moment in our preparations for
Page 2
Parents’ Newsletter
Over the last few months in the PE department, we have had an increasing number of students coming to lessons with piercings. We always ensure that we give a very strong message when students start at Hans Price Academy about the necessity for removing all piercings, and continue this throughout the year, but realise that this message may not be shared as strongly with parents. In all aspects of PE we try to be guided by the Association of Physical Education guidelines which states: “Watches, rings, chains, bracelets and other adornments should all be removed before the physical education lesson and a system instituted where this becomes part of the regular routine for changing and the registration of attendance”. We hope by sharing this, parents and students will understand our professional positions and we can continue to be consistent and objective with all students, whilst keeping them safe in our lessons.
INFORMING THE SCHOOL WHEN YOUR CHILD IS ABSENT Please ensure that your child has suitable outdoor clothing or an umbrella to protect them on cold or wet
Every day there are approximately 30 students for whom we do not receive an explanation for absence.
We will not authorise absences where a student does not come to school because they were not properly
In order to ensure the safety of your children, please remember to contact school whenever your child is absent and provide your up-to-date contact telephone numbers.
days.
TERM 4 ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE ! MONDAY 24 FEBRUARY TO FRIDAY 4 APRIL PRIZES FOR THE LEARNING FAMILY WITH THE BEST ATTENDANCE IN EACH YEAR GROUP BE IN TO WIN!
We are legally required to record all reasons for absence and a huge amount of time is spent chasing reasons when parents do not inform us. It is your responsibility to inform us each day that your child is not attending school. You can ring the Academy at any time; if no-one is available to take your call, you can leave a message on the answer-phone. Please try, if possible, to ring before 9.30 am. The school telephone number is 629307 If you do receive a text message or a letter informing you of an unexplained absence please take the time to reply. You will be helping us to record your child’s absences correctly and this will avoid any further unnecessary action.
Parents’ Newsletter
Page 3
Vaccinations The School Nursing Team will be visiting school during the Spring term to deliver the TdIPV (School Lever booster) vaccination to students in Year 10 and the TdIPV (School Leaver booster which protect your child against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio). This vaccine will also be given to students in Year 9 along with the Meningitis C vaccination. This is in line with recent recommendations that a booster dose of MenC vaccine should be given at the same time as the TdIPV booster. In subsequent years both vaccines will continue to be given in Year 9. Current Year 10 students should access the MenC booster via their GP. A consent form will be sent home via school after the half term break for parents to sign consenting to these immunisations. It is important that students receive these immunisations in order to boost the immunity they will have acquired from their pre-school immunisations. For more information visit www.nhs.uk and search for “childhood vaccinations” or telephone Helen Court, Immunisation Coordinator, on 07713 088264
Year 10 WORK EXPERIENCE Wed 15th Oct – Tues 21st Oct 2014 Letters to prospective Employers should now have been written. Students who have not received replies please follow-up letters with a telephone call or actually pop-in to introduce yourself! If placements have been confirmed please bring completed WEX 1 form to Mrs Main in Reception.
REMEMBER – YOU CAN ONLY ATTEND A PLACEMENT ONCE A HEALTH & SAFETY CHECK HAS BEEN COMPLETED!
Page 4
Parents’ Newsletter
La Galette des rois ……. is a cake that is traditionally eaten in France from the Epiphany or Twelfth Night until the end of January. In keeping with tradition, some students have taken the opportunity to visit Mme Vicarage’s room this January to taste the Galette. The cake has a charm inside and the crown is worn by whoever finds the charm in their slice. Finding the charm brings you luck for the coming year. Well done to the lucky winners! For those of you that missed out, you will have to wait until next January to try a piece and maybe get the charm! Mme Vicarage
All 28 students have now been trained to become fully fledged cybermentors. After our initial training all the students have now signed up and have used the beatbullying website. This website is closely monitored by p r o f e s s i o n a l s a n d a l l o ws teenagers from around the country to communicate with our students about issues or problems online. Many of our cybermentors at Hans Price Academy have already c om m u n ic at e d wi t h o t h er teenagers who have been in situations where they have needed some form of help. This sometimes involves just having a conversation and being supportive or may mean that the problem may be more serious and the students will make the decision to pass this on to a counsellor who can then offer some advice or support. The cybermentors will be meeting every week so that future plans can be discussed. Some of the ideas planned are wanting to raise money for awareness of the beatbullying charity through organising fundraising, another idea being discussed is an area where students can come and talk face to face, and finally students would like to visit local primary schools so that they can tell younger students about how to stay safe online. Sharad Obhan Cybermentor Co-ordinator
Parents’ Newsletter
Page 5
We have started training for Ten Tors 2014, ten tors is a walking event where students will walk 35 miles across Dartmoor covering 10 tors in 2 days unassisted. To prepare the students for the event they will take part in several training walks including overnight expeditions, as well as after school training sessions. We currently have 20 students competing to get one of the 6 team places. We have completed our first ten tor training walk on the Mendip hills. Students showed great resilience against the wet and windy conditions, they pulled together to work as a team to complete a successful first day and developed basic navigation skills. Our next two training walks take place over the next couple of weeks where we will be heading off for a day on the Quantock hills and a two day expedition on Exmoor. Let's hope for some improvement in the weather!!
Year 11 GCSE Art Exam Preparation All Year 11 students are working hard in Art in order to produce a sketchbook full of research, experimentation with materials, refinement of ideas and records of drawings and photographs. There is a lot of pressure regarding the tight turn around of the project and with the students being independent in their approach to their studies. They have got off to a great start and are producing fantastic work. Here is Daniel working hard on his Artist Research. Art Club is on Wednesday afternoon and if they bring their revision cards a session can be signed off. Well Done Year 11
Page 6
Parents’ Newsletter
Space Odyssey Stargazing Sessions
Friday 7 March 2014 Hutton Village Hall, Main Rd, Hutton, Weston-super-Mare BS24 9SR Join astronomer Simon Ould for a fascinating evening stargazing. Organised by the Mendip Hills AONB Unit, each session includes a 45-minute tour of the night skies and planets inside the high tech Space Odyssey mobile planetarium. This will be followed, weather permitting, by guided stargazing outside. The 3 sessions are: 5.30pm – 6.45pm - Ideal for families with young children (minimum age 4 years old) 7.00pm – 8.15pm 8.30pm – 9.45pm Tickets for each session cost £10.00 for adults and £7.50 for children. All proceeds from the evening will go to the Mendip Hills Fund which supports projects that bring environmental, social and economic benefits to the Mendip Hills. For details and booking form see: http://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/category/events/ Or telephone: 01761 462338
Parents’ Newsletter
Page 7
Public exams this summer will take place between Thursday 8th May and Tuesday 24th June. The dates of these exams cannot be rearranged for a different day. Therefore, please note that: Exams will take place as timetabled, including on any days when the school is closed to students due to the move into the new building. Candidates should come in at the time stated on the timetable, and will not be required to wear uniform. When making any summer holiday plans, please bear in mind that it is essential that Year 11 students are available until 25th June. The exam timetable is on the academy website, at http://www.hansprice.org.uk/exam-calendar/ The Summer GCSE Results Day is Thursday 21st August, 2014.
Unauthorised Absence - Fines and Prosecutions Please be aware, we are unable to authorise holiday absence in term time. From September 2013 the Government has prohibited Head Teachers from authorising leave of absence in term time unless there are exceptional circumstances so please consider very carefully if a term time holiday is absolutely necessary. If you decide to withdraw your child from school, you should first request permission from the Principal. Whilst it is unlikely to be authorised, it will enable us to accurately record the reason for your child’s absence. Students who leave the country for extended periods of time, will be taken off roll and parents will have to reapply to the Academy on their return. If significant family circumstances require a student to be out of the local area for more than one week, as much notice as possible should be given to the Academy in order that school work may be provided. Parents may also be required to seek a temporary place at another school whilst the student is away. If an illness or injury prevents a child from attending school for more than 3 days, a home visit may be carried out to assess if work can be provided to support the student during the absence. An unauthorised absence of more than 5 days may result in a Penalty Notice (fine) being issued by the Local Authority. A Penalty Notice may also be issued where a student has 10 or more separate sessions of unauthorised absence (including late arrival). The fines are £60 per parent per child if paid within 21 days and £120 per parent per child if paid after 21 days but before 28 days. If payment is not received within 28 days, parents/carers may be prosecuted for the offence and could be subject to a fine of up to £1000. Please provide us with an explanation whenever your child is absent from school. Mrs Staines Attendance Improvement Co-ordinator
Page 8
Parents’ Newsletter
Important Dates For your diary: February - May 2014 Term 4 - Students attend: Monday 24 February to Friday 4 April Thursday 13 & Friday 14 March: INSET DAYS Term 5 - Students attend: Tuesday 22 April to Friday 23 May 2014 Bank Holiday Monday 5 May 2014
Forthcoming Dates Thursday 27 February
- Year 11 Parents Evening
Thursday 20 March
- Year 10 students TdIPV Booster Vaccinations
Thursday 27 March
- Year 10 Parents Evening
Wednesday 30 April
- Year 9 students TdIPV Boosters and Meningitis C Vaccinations
Thursday 1 May 2014
- Year 7 Parents Evening
the move. This includes the development of our curriculum and staff training with regards to using the new spaces effectively. Ethos in new building – We are about to begin working with students with regards to the ethos and behaviour we will expect in the new building. As we’ve said all along this is like a £14 million gift to the community. We hope you will be able to benefit from the premises almost as much as the students and so it is vital that we work together to ensure everyone looks after the building and all the new resources inside it. The opening will also be a good time to raise uniform standards so that everyone looks and feels as smart as their new environment. Year 11 – As always we are now moving into a vital time for Year 11. On a daily basis we are reminding students it is still not too late to raise their predicted grades by at least one more grade. We are putting on quite a few study sessions during the February break and timetables for these have been given out. We will also be holding revision sessions at Easter. In addition every student has been given a list of revision sessions after school. During the move, exams and revisions will carry on as normal. The only difference being that before the May holiday exams will be in the sports hall and after the holiday they will be in our new main hall. If you have any questions with regards to Year 11 progress, please contact Mr Holland ([email protected])
Armando Di-Finizio Principal
intensively at the moment in our preparations for
Page 2
Parents’ Newsletter
Over the last few months in the PE department, we have had an increasing number of students coming to lessons with piercings. We always ensure that we give a very strong message when students start at Hans Price Academy about the necessity for removing all piercings, and continue this throughout the year, but realise that this message may not be shared as strongly with parents. In all aspects of PE we try to be guided by the Association of Physical Education guidelines which states: “Watches, rings, chains, bracelets and other adornments should all be removed before the physical education lesson and a system instituted where this becomes part of the regular routine for changing and the registration of attendance”. We hope by sharing this, parents and students will understand our professional positions and we can continue to be consistent and objective with all students, whilst keeping them safe in our lessons.
INFORMING THE SCHOOL WHEN YOUR CHILD IS ABSENT Please ensure that your child has suitable outdoor clothing or an umbrella to protect them on cold or wet
Every day there are approximately 30 students for whom we do not receive an explanation for absence.
We will not authorise absences where a student does not come to school because they were not properly
In order to ensure the safety of your children, please remember to contact school whenever your child is absent and provide your up-to-date contact telephone numbers.
days.
TERM 4 ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE ! MONDAY 24 FEBRUARY TO FRIDAY 4 APRIL PRIZES FOR THE LEARNING FAMILY WITH THE BEST ATTENDANCE IN EACH YEAR GROUP BE IN TO WIN!
We are legally required to record all reasons for absence and a huge amount of time is spent chasing reasons when parents do not inform us. It is your responsibility to inform us each day that your child is not attending school. You can ring the Academy at any time; if no-one is available to take your call, you can leave a message on the answer-phone. Please try, if possible, to ring before 9.30 am. The school telephone number is 629307 If you do receive a text message or a letter informing you of an unexplained absence please take the time to reply. You will be helping us to record your child’s absences correctly and this will avoid any further unnecessary action.
Parents’ Newsletter
Page 3
Vaccinations The School Nursing Team will be visiting school during the Spring term to deliver the TdIPV (School Lever booster) vaccination to students in Year 10 and the TdIPV (School Leaver booster which protect your child against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio). This vaccine will also be given to students in Year 9 along with the Meningitis C vaccination. This is in line with recent recommendations that a booster dose of MenC vaccine should be given at the same time as the TdIPV booster. In subsequent years both vaccines will continue to be given in Year 9. Current Year 10 students should access the MenC booster via their GP. A consent form will be sent home via school after the half term break for parents to sign consenting to these immunisations. It is important that students receive these immunisations in order to boost the immunity they will have acquired from their pre-school immunisations. For more information visit www.nhs.uk and search for “childhood vaccinations” or telephone Helen Court, Immunisation Coordinator, on 07713 088264
Year 10 WORK EXPERIENCE Wed 15th Oct – Tues 21st Oct 2014 Letters to prospective Employers should now have been written. Students who have not received replies please follow-up letters with a telephone call or actually pop-in to introduce yourself! If placements have been confirmed please bring completed WEX 1 form to Mrs Main in Reception.
REMEMBER – YOU CAN ONLY ATTEND A PLACEMENT ONCE A HEALTH & SAFETY CHECK HAS BEEN COMPLETED!
Page 4
Parents’ Newsletter
La Galette des rois ……. is a cake that is traditionally eaten in France from the Epiphany or Twelfth Night until the end of January. In keeping with tradition, some students have taken the opportunity to visit Mme Vicarage’s room this January to taste the Galette. The cake has a charm inside and the crown is worn by whoever finds the charm in their slice. Finding the charm brings you luck for the coming year. Well done to the lucky winners! For those of you that missed out, you will have to wait until next January to try a piece and maybe get the charm! Mme Vicarage
All 28 students have now been trained to become fully fledged cybermentors. After our initial training all the students have now signed up and have used the beatbullying website. This website is closely monitored by p r o f e s s i o n a l s a n d a l l o ws teenagers from around the country to communicate with our students about issues or problems online. Many of our cybermentors at Hans Price Academy have already c om m u n ic at e d wi t h o t h er teenagers who have been in situations where they have needed some form of help. This sometimes involves just having a conversation and being supportive or may mean that the problem may be more serious and the students will make the decision to pass this on to a counsellor who can then offer some advice or support. The cybermentors will be meeting every week so that future plans can be discussed. Some of the ideas planned are wanting to raise money for awareness of the beatbullying charity through organising fundraising, another idea being discussed is an area where students can come and talk face to face, and finally students would like to visit local primary schools so that they can tell younger students about how to stay safe online. Sharad Obhan Cybermentor Co-ordinator
Parents’ Newsletter
Page 5
We have started training for Ten Tors 2014, ten tors is a walking event where students will walk 35 miles across Dartmoor covering 10 tors in 2 days unassisted. To prepare the students for the event they will take part in several training walks including overnight expeditions, as well as after school training sessions. We currently have 20 students competing to get one of the 6 team places. We have completed our first ten tor training walk on the Mendip hills. Students showed great resilience against the wet and windy conditions, they pulled together to work as a team to complete a successful first day and developed basic navigation skills. Our next two training walks take place over the next couple of weeks where we will be heading off for a day on the Quantock hills and a two day expedition on Exmoor. Let's hope for some improvement in the weather!!
Year 11 GCSE Art Exam Preparation All Year 11 students are working hard in Art in order to produce a sketchbook full of research, experimentation with materials, refinement of ideas and records of drawings and photographs. There is a lot of pressure regarding the tight turn around of the project and with the students being independent in their approach to their studies. They have got off to a great start and are producing fantastic work. Here is Daniel working hard on his Artist Research. Art Club is on Wednesday afternoon and if they bring their revision cards a session can be signed off. Well Done Year 11
Page 6
Parents’ Newsletter
Space Odyssey Stargazing Sessions
Friday 7 March 2014 Hutton Village Hall, Main Rd, Hutton, Weston-super-Mare BS24 9SR Join astronomer Simon Ould for a fascinating evening stargazing. Organised by the Mendip Hills AONB Unit, each session includes a 45-minute tour of the night skies and planets inside the high tech Space Odyssey mobile planetarium. This will be followed, weather permitting, by guided stargazing outside. The 3 sessions are: 5.30pm – 6.45pm - Ideal for families with young children (minimum age 4 years old) 7.00pm – 8.15pm 8.30pm – 9.45pm Tickets for each session cost £10.00 for adults and £7.50 for children. All proceeds from the evening will go to the Mendip Hills Fund which supports projects that bring environmental, social and economic benefits to the Mendip Hills. For details and booking form see: http://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/category/events/ Or telephone: 01761 462338
Parents’ Newsletter
Page 7
Public exams this summer will take place between Thursday 8th May and Tuesday 24th June. The dates of these exams cannot be rearranged for a different day. Therefore, please note that: Exams will take place as timetabled, including on any days when the school is closed to students due to the move into the new building. Candidates should come in at the time stated on the timetable, and will not be required to wear uniform. When making any summer holiday plans, please bear in mind that it is essential that Year 11 students are available until 25th June. The exam timetable is on the academy website, at http://www.hansprice.org.uk/exam-calendar/ The Summer GCSE Results Day is Thursday 21st August, 2014.
Unauthorised Absence - Fines and Prosecutions Please be aware, we are unable to authorise holiday absence in term time. From September 2013 the Government has prohibited Head Teachers from authorising leave of absence in term time unless there are exceptional circumstances so please consider very carefully if a term time holiday is absolutely necessary. If you decide to withdraw your child from school, you should first request permission from the Principal. Whilst it is unlikely to be authorised, it will enable us to accurately record the reason for your child’s absence. Students who leave the country for extended periods of time, will be taken off roll and parents will have to reapply to the Academy on their return. If significant family circumstances require a student to be out of the local area for more than one week, as much notice as possible should be given to the Academy in order that school work may be provided. Parents may also be required to seek a temporary place at another school whilst the student is away. If an illness or injury prevents a child from attending school for more than 3 days, a home visit may be carried out to assess if work can be provided to support the student during the absence. An unauthorised absence of more than 5 days may result in a Penalty Notice (fine) being issued by the Local Authority. A Penalty Notice may also be issued where a student has 10 or more separate sessions of unauthorised absence (including late arrival). The fines are £60 per parent per child if paid within 21 days and £120 per parent per child if paid after 21 days but before 28 days. If payment is not received within 28 days, parents/carers may be prosecuted for the offence and could be subject to a fine of up to £1000. Please provide us with an explanation whenever your child is absent from school. Mrs Staines Attendance Improvement Co-ordinator
Page 8
Parents’ Newsletter
Important Dates For your diary: February - May 2014 Term 4 - Students attend: Monday 24 February to Friday 4 April Thursday 13 & Friday 14 March: INSET DAYS Term 5 - Students attend: Tuesday 22 April to Friday 23 May 2014 Bank Holiday Monday 5 May 2014
Forthcoming Dates Thursday 27 February
- Year 11 Parents Evening
Thursday 20 March
- Year 10 students TdIPV Booster Vaccinations
Thursday 27 March
- Year 10 Parents Evening
Wednesday 30 April
- Year 9 students TdIPV Boosters and Meningitis C Vaccinations
Thursday 1 May 2014
- Year 7 Parents Evening
