#ThisWeekatSAW – 16th September 2022

[16 Sep 2022]

Message from the Head of School:

Hello,

It has been a great start to the academic year and has been fantastic to welcome students back into the building. There is a positive atmosphere around the Academy with the students are displaying an excellent attitude to learning.  We have welcomed into the Academy our new Year 7 students and their seamless start is no doubt linked to the transition activities pre-summer and during the summer period.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank parents and carers for supporting the Academy and its Uniform Policy – the students look incredible.  As an Academy we will work hard to maintain this high standard of uniform that being set in the first week back and I thank you for your on-going support with this.

The impact of attendance on students’ learning and their outcomes is clear. Our results showed that students with attendance above 92% achieved more than a grade higher than students with attendance below 92%. National data shows that students who are not in school cannot access the curriculum fully and cannot achieve their full potential. It is critically important you support your child’s learning by ensuring they attend every lesson every day.

All students in the Academy receive weekly homework. Please support the Academy and the academic progress of your child by ensuring this is completed every week and on time. You may have noticed your child has been provided with a reading book. All students read every day in the Academy as part of our curriculum, please encourage your child to continue their reading at home.

With the sombre news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II the Academy will be closed to all students and staff on Monday 19th 2022 as this is the day of the Queen’s funeral.

Kind regards,

Gemma Ransom (Head of School)

 

RESPECT for Community- General Academy news

Breakfast Club

Students are welcome into the Academy for breakfast club between 7:40am-8:10am. Students must enter through the Main Doors. Items in breakfast club range from a hot breakfast priced at £1.50 to individual hot items priced at 20p.

As an Academy we also engage with the National Schools Breakfast Programme. This sees us offer free breakfast food in the form of bagels and cereals to all students. Again, these are served during Breakfast Club time.

Parent / Carer Parking

Can all parents / carers be aware that vehicles should not be coming onto the Academy site at drop-off and pick-up time unless agreed with staff that access is needed? We have over 1400 students on our site as well as Ganton School who do need specialist transport access for their students. We have a duty to keep our students safe and we would appreciate your support with this. This includes not using Pickering Road entrance in a morning to drop students off.

Personal Development – Student Opportunities

Thank you to those staff that continue to provide opportunities, outside of their normal lessons, for our students. Analysis of the data last year showed that, on average, every student accessed nearly 10 different opportunities. Over 13000 in total.

Examples in Half-Term 6 included supporting with Primary School visits, masterclass sessions with World Thai Boxing champions, published articles in our very own anthology, Pride celebrations and activities, Talent Show auditions, a Year 7 Disco, weekly Maths Challenges, careers visits and interviews, individual Year Group Sports Days, and continued sport success. Lots!

We are now ready to start again this year. The extra-curricular timetable is available for everybody and has been launched with students. DGO will be in assemblies next week to promote the Personal Development Pathway and our Pledges. This will include our new Showcase Shed in the Heartspace and our termly Department Challenges. Available for students and parents.

Congratulations to Reuben B (Y8), Reuben W (Y9), Evita C (Y10) and Jagoda M (Y10). Winners of our Personal Development Pathway last year. The students have been rewarded with vouchers of their choice. These include tickets to watch the Lion King in London, admission to Water Parks and Theme Parks, and entry to the National History Museum. Remember all completed pledges can be recorded in students’ individual planners.

Attendance – Attendance Leagues

Congratulations to all staff, students, and parents and carers, which have contributed to the successful return of our students after the summer break. Attendance has been very strong and reflects the positive attitude our students have shown in the academy. Respect!

This week our Attendance Leagues have started. All Lesson One groups are in a battle with the other groups in their Year Group to achieve the most points until Christmas. The winning Lesson One group in each Year Group will then have the opportunity to go on a trip. Good luck!

Seven Lesson One groups with perfect attendance from WK1. 100%. No absences. Well-done to 7-B (MEN), 7-E (MNH), 7-I (LSI and DGA), 8-G (JET), 8-K (CRO and ALB), 10-K (JCR and LST) and 11-H (NBH and GHU). Early favourites for the Attendance League competition and our Tutor of the Month for September.

 

RESPECT for Education – Weekly Focus

This week the students have completed the following tasks in their Period 6 lessons. Please discuss with them as we continue to develop the knowledge of our students:

GCSE Science Pod

All year 11 and year 11 should now have received their first Science GCSE pod homework online. An App is also downloadable. Please can students speak to their Science teacher ASAP if they are experiencing log in difficulties?

Year 11 Calendar

All Y11 trips/events will be found on this calendar, and will be updated regularly? Your child has to logon to their account, to view the calendar.

https://siriusacademy.sharepoint.com/Lists/Year11/calendar.aspx

Any questions or suggestions, please contact Miss Abedin at [email protected].

 

RESPECT for Education – Lesson 1 Content

Votes for Schools Topic (Key Stage 3 students only)

This week the students discussed the topic of ‘Is this a good time to become new Prime Minister?’

Character Education

This week the students have all participated in an assembly led by Kevin Mincher from the Unstoppable Teen organisation.

Furthermore in their time-tabled Character Education lesson, students have explored:

Year 7 students- The five strands of the Character Education curriculum, which are:

1. Learning and thinking skills
2. Interpersonal communication and leadership skills
3. Financial literacy and employability
4. Emotional well-being and mental health
5. Physical well-being and energy

Year 8, 9 and 10 students have started their module entitled ‘no limits’. This will focus on them setting appropriate challenging goals for the upcoming year.

Year 11 students have looked at success stories of previous Sirius Academy West alumni and what their key drivers were to succeed in their important year.

RESPECT for Education- Curriculum Area ‘Students of the Week’

Each Curriculum Area will nominate a student each week who has shown through their lessons that they have met the RESPECT values of the Academy. The reason for the selection is highlighted below:

 

Final thought

“A fresh start is not a new place. It is a new mind-set”

The next parental bulletin will go live on Friday 23^rd September 2022; enjoy the weekend.

Mr A Kay (Assistant Head Teacher- Pastoral and Attitudes to Learning)