WELCOME

1. WELCOME

2. No need to take notes, you will be sent a Parent Handbook and a copy of the Attendance, Behaviour and Child Protection policies during the summer holidays which will include all the information you will receive tonight.

3. Academy Day Key Points • Pre School Clubs start from 7.45am. • Free Breakfast Club starts at 8.00am. • Students cannot enter the Academy after 8.15am. • The Academy then reopens at 8.35am to admit the rest of the students. • 2 split lunches of 30mins. Lunchtime is dictated by lesson 4 subject. • No students are allowed to leave the premises during the Academy day. Due to the short lunchtimes we do not allow students to go home. • 5 x 1hr lessons per day. • The Academy Day ends at 2.50pm except for Tuesdays when it will finish at 3.50pm after the enrichment hour.

5. Curriculum Key points • We run a very a curriculum that it tailored around every student right form year 7 through to hopefully year 13 and our new sixth form. • In years 7 and 8 we run a skills based curriculum where your son/daughter will study the curriculum through themes in all subject. e.g. The time machine. • As well as subject knowledge we try to promote and develop the skills they will need to be successful later on in school, college, university and get a job. • We are very keen to start letting students take qualifications when they are ready. Some students begin in years 8 and 9. You will get much more information about these, options and the sixth form at the relevant time in your child’s education. • We also believe in matching groups to each student’s ability. This allows us to ensure each students to achieve their potential. • We are also a School of Creativity, one of only 56 in the Country. This means that our curriculum is made even more relevant and exciting through the involvement of a range of creative practitioners from artist and sculptors to film makers and professional sports stars. • The Academy runs a full Nurture provision for vulnerable students. The Nurture students are identified on transition and the Academy will work with Parents during the selection process. • We have 6 collapsed Curriculum Days which are themed around the Every Child Matters headings and Citizenship. E.g. Be safe, Be Healthy.

6. Homework • Homework plays an important part in your child’s learning, reinforcing what has been learnt in school as well as developing their independent learning skills. In Year 7 your child will receive : • At the start of each of the half term, your child be given a homework booklet outlining all of the required home works for the half term. Your child will be expected to produce 100 points worth of homework per subject. All of the home works are linked to the scheme of work for the particular term. You can access this booklet online. • They will also be set a 6 hour Project Based Extended homework based around our SPORT Skills competencies and our Citizenship and Every Child Matters curriculum. The 6hr project is handed into and marked by the College tutor.

7. Rewards • Students are awarded Merits which are given under the Skills competency headings: • S – Skills for thing e.g. Creativity • P – Personal Qualities e.g. self Management • O – Opportunities to Develop e.g. Leadership • R – Relationships e.g. Supporting others • T – Team Work e.g. Co-operation. • Merits are collected in the Student Planner and can be traded in for reward gifts, the longer you save the better the prize !!!

8. Enrichment • Your child will have an extended day every Tuesday until 3.50pm. During this hour they will take part in an enrichment activity. The activity could be …. • Sport, Cookery, ICT, Music, Drama, Riding, Climbing, D of E, Mandarin, skiing, Art club, Enterprise activities. • The Academy also encourages students to take part in activities which raise aspirations, examples this year include : • University Visits. • Trips to China, Spain and London. • PGL and Edge Camp. • Visits to Art Galleries, Theatres, Museums • National Competitions including the National Spelling Bee, Uk Maths Challenge.

9. Academy College Structure Zeus College - Sport / Science Directorate AthenaCollege -Creative Arts / Technology Directorate Caerus College - Maths / ICT/ Business Studies Directorate Metis College - Communication Directorate

10. College System • Inter College Activity Programme. • Inter College Attendance Leagues. • Inter College Merit Challenge. • College Charity. • College Council Structure – Academy Council.

11. College Structure • Example Athena College • Director of College – Monitors attainment, attendance and behaviour. • Pastoral Manager – Provides support for students who have additional needs including, mentoring, counselling, referral to multi agencies and other specialists within the Academy. • 9 vertical College groups. Between 4-6 students in each year group per college group. • The College tutor is from the Creative Arts / Technology Directorate. • Each College group also has an associate tutor. • Every fortnight your child will have a year group tutorial with the tutor or associate tutor. The tutorial tracks all areas of Academy progress including attendance, merits, interim reports and Every Child Matters Curricular days. It also gives the Academy an opportunity to gain Student feedback on Academy developments. • 2 Assemblies per week.

12. Uniform – Key Points • You are required to wear Academy uniform at all times (unless told otherwise e.g. non-uniform days / activity days out of Academy) • Black tailored trousers / skirt ( one with no side slits and no more than • 3cm from top of knee ). • White blouse / shirt - to be worn tucked in, top button fastened. • Academy College tie. • Academy sweatshirt. • The Navy Academy Jacket must be the outer jacket, fleeces may be worn underneath. • Plain black shoes (no coloured markings/coloured laces) - trainers / pumps and boots are NOT allowed. • Bag, with correct equipment for lessons. • Muslim students are permitted to wear a plain black hijab. • Full Academy PE Kit must be worn. It can not be substituted with non logo kit. • Trainers for PE must be substantial and not flimsy pumps.

13. Continued …. Make-up: No make-up is allowed. Jewellery: One plain stud in each ear lobe ONLY is allowed— no other piercings Hairstyles: The following are not acceptable: Wholly or partly shaven heads. Unusually coloured hair – bright / strips. Patterns, lines or ridges cut into the hair. Any hair ornaments (e.g. hair bands / bobbles) must be black. In the rare event that students are unable to wear school shoes due to an injury, requests to wear alternative footwear must be accompanied by a relevant doctor’s / hospital note. If you are in doubt whether a hairstyle or clothing is acceptable in the Academy then please discuss the matter with your child’s College Director or Pastoral Manager before having a change of style.

14. Mobile Phones / MP3 • Although the Academy appreciates that Mobile phones are a useful item regarding safety, we have strict rules surrounding their use/need within the Academy. • Mobile phones / MP3’s must remain off and out of site on Academy Grounds – inside and out. • If mobile phones / MP3’s are seen by a member of staff regardless of whether they are in use they will be confiscated. We will not accept parents ringing the academy with excuses for their child’s conduct. • 1st Offence - Items will be held by the Academy for at least 3 full days and will only be returned at 3.00pm on a Friday by the Vice Principal e.g. if a phone is confiscated on a Wednesday they will be returned on the following Friday. • 2nd Offence – The items are kept for 8 days and will only be returned at 3.00pm on a Friday by the Vice Principal. • 3rd Offence – Parents have to make an appointment with the Vice Principal to discuss the matter.

15. Academy Support The Academy has a strong support system for both Students and their families. If issues are arising at home which you feel will affect your child then please contact your child’s Director of College / Pastoral Manager as soon as possible. We can directly help or contact our multi agency partners who will liaise with the Academy and yourselves to support you. A list of our Multi Agency partners and support available in the Academy will be in the Parent Handbook.

16. Attendance – Key Points • If you wish to seek permission to take your child out of school during term time then you must request it at least 6 weeks in advance on the Academy request form. • Holidays will not be authorised unless your child has an attendance percentage of at least 98%. (equates to 4 days absence in one school year). • If a holiday is authorised then your Child will be expected to completed a holiday catch up course when they return to school. This will equate to the number of hours missed. The required amount of catch up will be stated on the authorisation letter. • If you take an unauthorised holiday then the Academy will apply for the County Court to issue a fixed penalty notice, which results in a fine. • The Academy has a supportive attitude to attendance difficulties but also has a strict policy on tackling unauthorised or unsupportive absence from school. We will apply for full prosecution of parents who condone low attendance. The Attendance Policy outlines the definition of unauthorised / unsupportive absence. • If your child is feeling unwell and cannot make it through the day we will send them home, so if in doubt, send them !! • If your child is off school then please contact the Academy on the first day of absence.

17. B4L – Behaviour for Learning – Key Points • We expect all parents to support the Academy Sanction structure • Behaviour 4 Learning – Any disruptive behaviour that affects the learning of students In the classroom carries the following sanctions : • Verbal warning. • 2nd Verbal warning. • 10 min break /lunch/Aft Sch detention. C2 • 30 mins Aft Sch detention - Tues or Weds C3 • SLT On Call summoned, Student removed C4 • from class and spoken to. Student returned • to class - 1 hour Aft Sch detention -Thursday • Taken to the Focus Room for the remainder C5 • of the lesson. 90min Aft Sch detention - Friday.

18. Behaviour 4 Learning – Around the Academy - C1 • Running / shouting in the academy building or disruptive behaviour in the corridor. • Wearing a coat/hat/hood/cap in the Academy • Eating or drinking in the wrong place. • Being out of lessons without written permission or a pass. • Swearing in the hearing of a member of staff. • Play fighting or inappropriate physical contact. • Talking in assembly. • Not using the bins for all rubbish/unwanted food. • Throwing food. • All of the above are logged as a C1 but the sanction for these misdemeanours • ranges from a verbal warning through the C2-C5 sanctions and ultimately a DATE • or Exclusion. • DATE – Direct alternative to exclusion is the Academies own exclusion provision. • It runs from 11am – 4.15pm. Students are taught, fed and taught separately • to main school but follow their curriculum timetable. Provision can be for 1-45 days.

19. You have been given a lot of information tonight. We now require you to sign the Academy Agreement. The Agreement is a joint contract between the Academy / student / Parent or Guardian. It is a signature of support by all of us.

20. What next ….. If you place your uniform order with us tonight and pay for it either tonight or by the end of term you will receive the Academy Outer Jacket, free of charge (£22.50 saving). Please stay have something to eat and ask either staff or members of our present Yr7 about life at the Academy. Key Dates 1st July – Student Induction day. Your child needs to be at the Academy by 8.45am in Primary school uniform with a packed lunch or money to buy food at break / lunch. Children who have free school meals will be catered for. Uniform will be available for collection from the 12th July and during the Summer holidays. Due to the completion of building works at the end of the holiday, the final day for collecting uniform will be the 27th August.