15 November 2019
Secondary Newsletter
Southern Entrance
We would like to remind parents and carers that the gate at the southern entrance will be locked at 08:23 each morning. Students arriving after this time should enter via the main entrance in Cricklefield Place.
Safeguarding The welfare and safety of our students is our priority. We do everything possible to ensure our students’ safety, both within the school community and outside of school, including working with relevant agencies to address any issues related to child protection. Students are informed of who they should go to should they have a concern about their own safety or the safety of others. At INA, all staff have regular safeguarding training to ensure that they are able to meet their statutory responsibilities. We also have a number of staff who are designated to respond to any child protection concerns and to liaise with social services: Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Leanne Abbott-Jones Assistant Principal Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) Tam Broadway Primary Headteacher Sugra Alibhai Head of Sixth Form Designated Child Protection Officers Patrick Ball (Online safety) Amreen Patel Pardeep Chaggar Jag Singh Gareth Marshall-Jones David Wilson Mariam Mayet You can find the INA Safeguarding policy, Child Protection policy and other related policies and procedures on the Academy’s website.
2
Secondary Newsletter
15 November 2019
Dear Parents and Carers, Thank you to Mr Crowther-Green for organising the Skills London trip, the UK’s biggest jobs and careers event, which took place this Friday. The event was split into zones, including science, technology, engineering and manufacturing, public services, health and care, and business and finance. The trip provided students with a great opportunity to discover a vast range of careers through interactive activities and demonstrations, and hopefully helped them visually bridge the gap between the subjects they are currently studying and what they could potentially do as a career. We have some key events coming up in the next few weeks. Ahmed Al-Khafaji day takes place on Wednesday 20th November. On this day we encourage everyone in the INA community, staff and students, to get engrossed in learning about something that really excites and engages them. For some this will involve a trip to a museum or gallery, for others curling up and reading some books related to a course they are studying or watching documentaries or films related to course material. Some students spend the day making music with friends or practising a sport. Some staff members visit other schools to learn from best practice or carry out research or further reading. We all learn off-site on this day. Our first IL Day of the year on Tuesday 26th November. On this day, school is closed to students, whilst teachers are engaged in assessing and moderating assessments. Students will be provided with learning for each of their subjects on the day and should have at least five hours of learning. All learning will be available on the school website. This is also a perfect opportunity for Year 11 students to focus on revision and digging deeper into some of the GCSE topics they are studying. On this day we also hold our Year 11 Next Steps interviews when all Year 11 students had a 1:1 with a member of the senior team to explore their future career aspirations, their current thinking around KS5 courses and degree courses. Year 11 Progress meetings take place on Wednesday 27th November from 2.30-6.30pm. We look forward to seeing the parents of every Year 11 student on this afternoon where we will be sharing Autumn mock data and discussing what each individual student needs to do in each of his/her subjects to ensure that they achieve their target grades in the GCSE exams.
With all best wishes,
Jo Spencer
Cover Photo: The courtyard in autumn 15 November 2019
Secondary Newsletter
3
Isaac Newton Academy's
Christmas Party 2019 Tuesday 10 December 3pm - 4:30pm We are delighted to announce this year’s Christmas Community Party on Tuesday 10th December 2019. Every year, we host a Christmas themed afternoon team for older members of our local community, governors and VIP guests. As part of our charitable endeavours and our commitment to community spirit, we ask each form group to donate two Christmas gifts to present to our guests. Please encourage your son or daughter to contribute. Due to the Christmas Community Party, there will be an early closure for secondary students; unless a student is involved in supporting the Community Party, the school day will end at 1.15pm. There will be no after school enrichments or interventions on that day and there will be no lunch for students, other than students who return consent slips as a helper for the party. Students eligible for free school meals will be given a packed lunch on request. KS3 & Y13
KS4 & Y12
8.25am to 12.15pm
Normal school day
Normal school day
12.15pm to 1.10pm
Normal 4a lesson
4b lesson during 4a slot
1.10pm to 1.15pm
Registration & dismissal
Registration & dismissal
3pm to 4.30pm
All students off site unless a performer or helper Community Party (only student performers and helpers remain on site)
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support with our charitable endeavours and for your generosity in giving to our community party guests. It is always highly appreciated by our guests. Ms McEvoy, Assistant Principal & Deputy Head of Sixth
4 4
Secondary Secondary Newsletter Newsletter
15 November 2019
Independent Learning day Tuesday 26th November 2019 This day is designated as an independent learning day and students will need to complete the learning for the subjects they have on that day at home. This is an excellent opportunity for students to develop their independence and prepare for the skills required at university and beyod. Learning will be given to students prior to the day which they should complete and hand in the next day to their teachers. A link to their learning can be found on our website at the following location: https://isaacnewtonacademy.org/ secondary/independent-learning-day-26november-2019 Mr A-Clift-Matthews Assistant Principal
15 November 2019
Secondary Newsletter
5
Year 11 Next Steps Interviews In order to support students with making informed decisions about their post 16 choices each student will have a 1-to-1 interview with a member of SLT or the Pastoral Team. Interviews will take place on Tuesday 26th November on the Independent Learning day. Each meeting will be approximately 20 minutes. Students will be advised of the time of their interviews by letter and parents will be informed that the letter has been issued by text. The interviews will only involve the student and the member of staff. This is to support the students in transitioning into being fully independent learners. As we are sure you can appreciate; logistically arranging the meetings for all of Year 11 is a large and complex operation. Therefore it will not be possible to amend the meeting times. The discussion at the interviews will centre on the following questions: • What university courses or equivalent are you considering? Will this impact on your current career aspirations? • What courses have you considered studying at KS5? Why? What research have you completed around other possible choices? • Are you intending to stay at INA? Have you submitted an application? • What is your plan for KS5 if your ideal situation does not occur? What steps have you taken to research your secondary plan? • Are you considering the EPQ? Why? If yes, what would your area of research be? We trust that parents and carers will support students by ensuring that they are fully prepared for these important meetings by discussing the above questions with them in advance of the meeting. To support with research we would recommend the following websites: http://russellgroup.ac.uk/media/5320/informedchoices.pdf https://www.ucas.com/?schemes=Undergraduate&theme=all_ stages&tile=tile-276 https://www.unifrog.org/student https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/ http://www.plotr.co.uk/ http://www.bestcourse4me.com We hope that this meeting will be a great opportunity for our Year 11 students to feel excited about their future decisions and we look forward to supporting them during this time. Ms Alibhai & Mr Crowther- Green
6
Secondary Newsletter
15 November 2019
Year 11 Progress Meeting Wednesday 27th November 2019 2:30 – 6:30pm Year 11 Progress Meeting is calendared for Wednesday 27th November 2019 from 2:30-6:30pm. All students will complete lessons P1 – 4a (Year 10 and Year 11 students will complete lesson 4a as per KS3 timings). P4a will finish for all students at 1:05pm. Students who are eligible for Free School Meals who request lunch in advance (via form tutors) can collect a lunch bag from the KS3 desk area as they leave. Tutors will escort students to the KS3 gate at 1:15pm where students are expected to go directly home and return between 2:30-6:30pm with parents/carers. Students are expected to attend with an adult family member in full school uniform. The last appointment is 6:25pm for a 6:30pm finish. Staff will set Independent Learning for Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 in advance for P5 and 6. The school will be closed to Years 7, 8, 9 and 11 from 1:15pm. Enrichments and detentions will not take place. Mr M Crowther-Green Assistant Principal
15 November 2019
Secondary Newsletter
7
What is Pla
Working learning ou you are going, the a and resources you w encounter. Giving p situation and break
What is Pr
Being able to order
TOP TIPS: Students
Jan Gehl In all aspects of our life planning and prioritising is crucial. For some careers, planning is the main disposition that is used. This is true for urban planners (people who design and plan towns and cities). One of the most successful urban planners is Jan Gehl. Gehl’s approach to urban planning stems from his prioritising – he decided early on his career that people, not vehicles, should be the most important consideration when designing a city. He has implemented this “Cities for People” method on cities around the world, including London, New York, Auckland and Copenhagen. Copenhagen is considered to be one of the most pedestrian-friendly cities in the world! You could also opt for a career in urban planning. Imagine the excitement of imagining an end goal and thinking through the steps to make that vision a reality!
8
Secondary Newsletter
• Use your organis information such instrument prac • Plan significant p starting them. • Make lists of tas complete them i • Create and use a meet or exceed • Use a calendar t as controlled ass forward plan you • With your daily a important and u
Students w
Samirah 10E
15 November 2019
PLANNING & PRIORITISING
anning?
Behaviours
ut in advance. Thinking about where actions you are going to take, the time will need, and the obstacles you may prior thought to the best strategy for a king it down into a sequence of actions.
Showing an awareness of the goal or target and knowing what steps to take to get there, thinking into the future to foresee the difficult steps, using a mind map and notes to ensure your end product contains all the details, working to a deadline, estimating times to complete certain tasks, learning from your experience, constantly redrafting and modifying learning, acting on feedback from yourself and others.
rioritising?
r things to achieve your goal.
Parents
ser to record I/L and other key h as meetings, rehearsals, reading, ctice, notes etc. pieces of IL and class learning before
sks which need to be done and in a targeted order. a revision timetable to ensure that you your targets. to record key upcoming events such sessments, tests and mock exams and ur time. activities, consider which is the most urgent and do that first.
• Continue to check your son/daughter’s organiser every week to ensure I/L and tasks they set themselves are completed. • Explain your own methods of planning and prioritising to your son/daughter. • Encourage your son/daughter to plan an event at home, at school or in the local community.
who have shown great Planning and Prioritising sklills at INA Samirah has shown great forward planning as she has started her GCSEs. This has included staying after school to complete IL well in advance of deadlines.
15 November 2019
Saarah 11S
Saarah demonstrates great prioritising through her logical approach to sequencing revision. Just one element of this is how she plans her revision so that she begins with the topic areas that will need most focus.
Secondary Newsletter
INA BRIDGES
9
Creative Writing Trip On Monday 11th November, 26 students were taken to the Wallace Collection Museum which holds an extensive antique collection of paintings, furniture and sculptures collected for generations by the Wallace Family. The students were taken round by a Travel Writer who encouraged them to find inspiration from these artefacts to help write a creative writing piece. All students were able to produce fantastic imaginative short writing pieces. A prime example would be a piece written by Lucy Jacobson who wrote about a painting by Canaletto titled The Bacino di San Marco. Lucy wrote: As I listened to the rippling waters below I stared wistfully out towards the dock. It was packed with tourists, dressed in silks and velvets, carrying little umbrellas above their heads. I longed to enjoy myself like that, but a paupers wage would simply not allow it. At least I was not the helpless blind beggar that sat day by day along the docks, weeping and having only a dog for company. The well dressed, rich merchants haggled the price of the sweet scented spices and the satin dresses imported from abroad. I was lost in this busy, colourful picture for a few moments until I heard the slight slapping against the wooden floor of my precious gondola. I turned round and saw the fish I just captured wriggling desperately in an attempt to escape their death, the fresh smell of seawater lingering on their scales. I collected them up quickly. The students had an enjoyable experience providing very positive feedback many saying that they found the trip to be engaging and informative: I enjoyed it because I learnt about a pedestal clock and saw amazing artefacts. Faim
10
Secondary Newsletter
15 November 2019
I enjoyed it as it was something new for me, I feel it would help children learn about their past and culture. Eshal I enjoyed it because it was informative, I got to find out about history back then and what life was like. We got to see ancient artefacts which were made from gold and experienced a new place. I liked the grand stairway and when we learnt about what they would pack when travelling to places. Puneet I found the trip engaging and informative and when participating I became empathetic realising reason and perspective on travel. I enjoyed learning how society has changed in what they would take on holiday. Sagar I enjoyed the trip because I’ve never done it before and it was a nice experience. I enjoyed the paintings and learning about different things. Silvia Overall, the staff at the Wallace Collection Museum were impressed with the way the students conducted themselves and tried to engage with the activities. Thank you to the Year 7 and Year 9 students who came- your behaviour was exemplary!
15 November 2019
Secondary Newsletter
11
Friday 7th February 2020 at the Apollo Theatre, London Students will leave school after line-up and will be back by 4:30 pm Students will hear talks aimed at GCSE students from these famous, well-renowned scientists.
Prof Helen Czerski
Prof Andrea Sella
Prof Alice Roberts
Prof Robert Winston
Improve your Science GCSE results with top tips on examination success from an experienced science examiner. The event costs ÂŁ19.00, to be uploaded to Wisepay by Friday 22nd November. Students are expected to catch up on any learning missed.
12
Secondary Newsletter
15 November 2019
Years 10 and 11 Be sure to purchase a GCSE Science revision guide and workbook Contains revision notes, exam practice Qs, glossary of key words and more
Combined Science students - ÂŁ9 Separate Science students - ÂŁ12
(for three books: Biology, Chemistry and Physics)
Collect books from Mr Golinski (T17) on Wednesdays/Fridays after school once purchased
15 November 2019
Secondary Newsletter
13
INA Attendance and Punctuality Regular attendance is a crucial factor in students’ educational development and success in achieving their full potential. Missing out on education and learning leaves students vulnerable to falling behind, putting them under unnecessary pressure. At Isaac Newton Academy every student is expected to maintain 100% attendance.
Punctuality
All students need to be present on site and ready for line up no later than 8.25am each day and as such we advise students to be through the school gates (side entrance and southern entrance) no later than 8.23am.
Reporting of child’s absence
In line with INA attendance policy it is the parent/ carer's responsibility to phone the school by 8.15am on each day of an absence. If you fail to contact the school to inform us of your child’s absence we may take the necessary steps to ensure your child is safe. Please take the time to familiarise yourself with the INA Attendance policy.
Year group and form attendance for last week
Tutor 7A 7C 7E 7I 7N 7S 7W Total
% Tutor % Tutor 93.5 8A 96.0 9A 99.1 8C 95.9 9C 97.2 8E 98.2 9E 93.0 8I 97.7 9I 96.3 8N 95.4 9N 98.7 8S 98.3 9S 99.2 8W 98.0 9W 96.6 Total 97.0 Total
% Tutor % Tutor % 95.4 10A 98.3 11A 96.0 95.1 10C 88.9 11C 95.5 99.6 10E 93.8 11I 89.4 94.8 10I 95.4 11N 97.2 96.9 10N 98.7 11S 98.3 96.8 10S 98.7 11T 92.1 98.0 10W 95.7 11W 99.1 96.6 Total 95.6 Total 95.4
Absences immediately before or after a school holiday If your child is absent before or after a school holiday we must see evidence for the absence. This may be medical evidence if your child is unwell, or evidence of flight delays or circumstances beyond your control. We cannot authorise any absences before or after a holiday without this evidence and you risk being issued with a penalty notice.
14
Secondary Newsletter
15 November 2019
Modern Foreign Languages
GCSE REVISION GUIDES
Purchase one or both of the following to support your learning.
Speak to Miss Coates if you are interested.
15 November 2019
Secondary Newsletter
15
Autumn Term 2019 Monday 2nd September - Friday 20th December 2019 Key Dates Tuesday 19th November
GCSE Music recital
Wednesday 20th November
Ahmed Al-Khafaji Day – No school for students
Monday 25th November
Year 7–10 Assessments end
Tuesday 26th November
IL Day – Students study at home Year 11 – Next steps interviews
Wednesday 27th November
Year 11 – Progress meetings 2.30-6.30pm
Wednesday 4th December
GCSE Presentation Evening
Tuesday 10th December
Community Party
Thursday 12th December
Christmas Lunch
Monday 16th December
Year 7 Awards Assembly
Thursday 19th December
Winter Concert
Friday 20th December
Year 8-11 - Awards Assemblies
16
Secondary Newsletter
15 November 2019