12 January 2018
Secondary Newsletter
12 January 2018 Secondary Newsletter
1
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) Jo Spencer Vice Principal Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) Tam Broadway Primary Headteacher Leanne Abbott-Jones Assistant Principal Designated Child Protection Officers Sugra Alibhai Gabriel Ayerh Patrick Ball Pardeep Chaggar
Jody Lapish Gareth Marshall-Jones Mariam Mayet Jag Singh
You can find the INA Safeguarding policy, Child Protection policy and other related policies and procedures on the Academy’s website.
2 Secondary Newsletter
12 January 2018
Dear Parents and Carers, Welcome back and a Happy New Year! I hope that 2018 is a good one for you and your family. I am writing to inform you that at the end of this term I shall be leaving Isaac Newton Academy to take on a new post as Director of Education Services in Hertfordshire. This has been a difficult decision for me to take as INA has been a huge part of my life since I was appointed to be the school’s founding Principal in the spring of 2011. The past six and a half years have been, without doubt, the most exciting and rewarding of my career. I feel immensely proud of what we all, as the INA community, have achieved together. The school is supporting young people to achieve exceptional educational outcomes but, more importantly, to be strong and independent learners with moral integrity and admirable character. There is perhaps never an ideal time to leave a school, but I know that I am moving on at a time when the leadership at all levels of the school is stronger than it has ever been. I am delighted that our founding Vice Principal, Jo Spencer, has agreed to become Interim Principal from Easter. Ms Spencer is a hugely experienced and skilled leader. She has been a senior leader for 19 years in three different schools. She opened the school with me in September 2012. Together we appointed all the staff, wrote the key policies, conducted all the home visits and inducted our first staff and students. She has run the school expertly whenever I have been off site over the last 5 years. I shall write to you in more detail towards the end of the term, but should like to take this opportunity to thank you for your unfailing commitment to the school and the encouragement and support that you have given to me. It has been an honour to serve you and all the INA families. With very best wishes, as always.
Rachel Macfarlane 12 January 2018 Secondary Newsletter
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BRIDGES Mentoring Wednesday 17th January The first BRIDGES mentoring session takes place on Wednesday 17th January from 1:45-4:30pm. All students will be given a fifteen minute 1:1 coaching session with their BRIDGES mentor. This is an important opportunity for KS3 students to reflect on how they have developed or strengthened their BRIDGES dispositions, to discuss the dispositions they consider to be their strengths and the ones they need to work on further. Year 10 students will be engaging in a mock interview focusing on their preparedness for GCSEs and work experience and how they are further strengthening their BRIDGES dispositions to achieve success in both. Year 11 students will be engaged in one to one coaching focusing on well-being and managing workload. Arrangements All students will complete lessons p1 – 4 (Year 10 students will complete lesson 4 as per KS3 timings). Period 4 will end at slightly earlier at 12.50pm to allow time for all students to make their way home for lunch before returning to school for their allotted mentoring session. Students who are eligible for Free School Meals who request lunch in advance (via form tutors) can collect a lunch bag from the student reception as they leave. Students are expected to go directly home and return between 1.45-4.30pm for a fifteen minute 1:1 coaching session with their BRIDGES mentor. Appointment times will be issued to students at the start of the new term. Students must attend their session on time. Failure to attend the mentoring session will lead to an unauthorised absence. KS3 students must wear full school uniform. KS4 students may wear either school uniform or professional work wear. We are unable to supervise any students as all staff are BRIDGES mentors and will be engaged in mentoring session throughout the afternoon. Parents are not required at the sessions but will be given feedback on how their son or daughter’s BRIDGES skills are progressing later in the year. Please note that enrichment will be cancelled on this day. Ms J Spencer, Vice Prinicpal
4 Secondary Newsletter
12 January 2018
Year 11 Progress Meeting Tuesday 23rd January 2018 2:30 – 6:30pm ✧✧ Year 11 Progress Meeting is calendared for Tuesday 23rd January 2018 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 will return to tutor groups from 1:05-1:15pm. ✧✧ 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. ✧✧ Year 11 students will 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 10 from 1:15pm. ✧✧ Enrichments and detentions will not take place. Mr M Crowther-Green Assistant Principal 12 January 2018 Secondary Newsletter
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Revision Techniques You have probably been told time and time again that revising your learning over a long period is more effective than cramming the night before an exam. It’s true. The science department is delighted to present to you six revision techniques to help you review your learning and boost your attainment in all subjects. In each video, your science teachers explain how you can use a specific revision technique.
Find these exciting resources on Fronter now! Ms K Bihi (KS3 Science Co-ordinator)
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Secondary Newsletter
12 January 2018
YEAR 11 NEWS GCSE revision pack This week Year 11 students received a revision pack to support their continued preparation for GCSE exams. Each student received the items below to enable them to organise their revision materials: • highlighters • sticky notes • and dividers. Thank you for your continued support in preparing INA students for their GCSE exams. Mr M Crowther-Green
the study of people! Years 7 - 11 Do you want to know why people do the things they do? If your answer is yes, sign-up outside of Ms Epler’s room, F52, for an exciting session run by a university student from London School of Economics.
Space is limited, so make sure to sign up as soon as possible! 12 January 2018 Secondary Newsletter
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Praise and Recognition
At INA, we aim to provide a stimulating, challenging and rewarding learning environment which supports learning, celebrates achievement and encourages everyone. Awarding merits, informal praise in class and the end of term awards assemblies are all part of this. Please speak to your child/children on a regular basis to see how many merits they have and how they are working towards the different awards at school.
Merits It is the start of another year, so we are re- starting the Form Merit competition. Each merit you gain will increase your individual total and also your form’s overall total. So make sure you are keeping up the fantastic work to gain merits! Also if you are owed a merit go and collect it and make sure it gets recorded on your form’s spreadsheet! YEAR 7
TOTAL
YEAR 8
TOTAL
YEAR 9
I N C A W S E
793 786 692 666 642 582 550
A E S W N I C
578 473 381 350 328 311 255
T I W E N S A
256 247 244 189 189 153 119
C
82
8
TOTAL YEAR 10 TOTAL YEAR 11 TOTAL
Secondary Newsletter
N C A E T S I
206 162 160 157 147 113 107
W E T N I S A
151 134 132 109 95 62 6
12 January 2018
Ahmed Al-Khafaji Award
(Peer Commendation Award)
Ahmed was well known for being kind, for helping others and for being extremely polite. He was also someone known for his hard work and absorption; the idea, therefore, is that the winner should be someone that encapsulated one of these qualities in that week. Year 7: Zayaan Aziz Ahmed 7N Year 8: Rafe Dean 8N Year 9: Jahiem Chambers 9W Year 10: Abdur Razzaque Miah 10N Year 11: Taner Mustafa 11N Year 12: Avishaka Ramesh 12M
Good Deed Feed
Every week we ask teachers to nominate students who have been role models by carrying out good deeds for others and the INA community. A big well done for those who have been nominated this week! Ms Verhasselt: Zainab Ale 11E– Who kindly escorted Hussain Umerji (currently on crutches) back to his class from medical. Your act of kindness was much appreciated by the KS3 receptionist. Mr Ball: Samara Anwar, Eashar Rihal, Shaya Puaar, Sumandeep Kaur – all 8N These four students are so helpful in every way possible. I would like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you for the countless times you have volunteered to help organise and plan something for Year 8. Mr Crowther-Green: These students have helped in the Year 9 Progress Meeting this week by serving refreshments to teachers. Thank you very much for your help: Zahra Sagir 7S, Manmeet Singh 7S, Hamzah Sillah 7S, Kholoud Neikilli 7A, Aayan Choudry 7C. 12 January 2018 Secondary Newsletter
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What is Rea
Being able to think process of forming inferences from fac arguments, eviden
Behaviours
Calling up your logi work things out me constructing good a flaws in others’.
Charles Babbage (1791-1871)
Charles Babbage is widely regarded as the first computer pioneer and the great ancestral figure in the history of computing. Babbage excelled in a variety of scientific and philosophical subjects. He had highly developed reasoning skills he put these skills to use when creating his Analytical Engine. Conceived in 1834, it is one of the startling intellectual feats of the nineteenth century. The design of this machine possesses all the essential logical features of the modern general purpose computer. Babbage’s brain is displayed in halves in two museums; the Hunterian Museum in the Royal College of Surgeons in London and in the Science Museum, London.
10 Secondary Newsletter
Students w
Jameelah Cho 9I
And, of course
12 January 2018
REASONING
asoning?
k and draw conclusions. The g conclusions, judgments, or cts or evidence. The reasons, nce resulting from this process.
s
ical and rational skills to ethodically and rigorously; arguments, and spotting the
TOP TIPS: Students • Think and consider all available evidence before drawing a logical conclusion. • Play puzzles and games that encourage the development of problem-solving skills. • Make use of Venn diagrams as a tool to show the links and relationships between things. • Engage in meaningful discussion to enhance your verbal reasoning.
Parents • Engage in critical thinking exercises as a family and spend time discussing issues from different perspectives. • Discuss a controversial issue in the news with your son/daughter and consider the issue from different perspectives, exploring the reasons behind different views.
who have shown great Reasoning skills in their learning: Aqsa shows logic in Applied Maths lessons, for example by using her reasoning skills to devise some effective counter examples to prove/ disprove a statement.
Jameelah can adapt to different learning situations and has excellent reasoning skills.
oudhury
Aqsa Rafiq 12 Manchester
e, all of our maths teachers also have highly developed reasoning skills!
12 January 2018 Secondary Newsletter
INA BRIDGES
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12 Secondary Newsletter
12 January 2018
Attendance and Punctuality At Isaac Newton Academy every student is expected to maintain 100% attendance. Each form group across each year is competing to ensure they are top of the attendance league table for their year. Please ensure your child catches up with missed learning. Our pastoral and teaching staff are working hard to ensure their students are taking responsibility for going to collect missed learning from their classroom teachers. 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 8.20am. The form with the highest attendance at the end of every term is awarded the attendance trophy. Each week we will update you with the year to date attendance figures as seen below. Year group and form attendance for week beginning 18th December 2017 Tutor
Week
Tutor
Week
Tutor
Week
Tutor
Week
Tutor
Week
7A
93.3
8A
88.0
9A
95.7
10A
96.2
11A
90.0
7C
91.0
8C
94.9
9C
92.8
10C
93.1
11E
96.2
7E
92.0
8E
97.4
9E
93.3
10E
90.4
11I
89.5
7I
82.7
8I
88.9
9I
97.9
10I
92.9
11N
89.9
7N
95.1
8N
88.3
9N
92.9
10N
87.3
11S
97.9
7S
92.9
8S
90.7
9S
91.3
10S
87.3
11T
88.7
7W
96.2
8W
92.3
9T
92.8
10T
94.2
11W
92.0
Total
91.9
Total
91.5
9W
97.2
Total
91.7
Total
92.0
Total
94.3
If you have any attendance related concerns please do not hesitate to contact myself or your child’s Pastoral Leader to discuss. Ms Lapish Lead Pastoral Leader 12 January 2018 Secondary Newsletter
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14 Secondary Newsletter
12 January 2018
12 January 2018 Secondary Newsletter
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Key Dates for the Spring Term 2018 Wednesday 3rd January – Thursday 29th March Half Term: Monday 12th – Friday 16th February INSET Days: Wednesday 28th February, Friday 16th March Independent Learning Day: Monday 19th February Wednesday 17th January Thursday 18th January Tuesday 23rd January Wednesday 24th January Thursday 25th January Friday 26th January Friday 26th January Monday 29th January Wednesday 31st January Wednesday 7th February Monday 19th February Friday 23rd February Monday 26th February — Friday 2nd March Thursday 8th March Wednesday 14th March Thursday 15th March Thursday 15th March Monday 19th March Thursday 22nd March Monday 26th March Monday 26th March Tuesday 27th March Wednesday 28th March Thursday 29th March
BRIDGES Mentoring (pm) Sixth Form Recruitment Event 6pm Year 11 Progress Meetings 2.30 - 6.30 pm Bugsy Malone – dress rehearsal Bugsy Malone Bugsy Malone Sixth Form Application Deadline Options Interviews start Year 12 Progress Meetings 4 -7pm Year 8 Progress Meetings 2.30 – 6.30pm Sixth Form Interviews End of Options Interviews Family Week (No events after school) Year 10 Progress Meetings 2.30 – 6.30pm Med Experience Year 9 & 10 BBC News School Report Year 8 Big Band concert Science Challenge Week Year 12 Finance Parent Meeting Year 7 Awards Assembly Year 7 Progress Meetings 2.30 – 6.30pm Year 11 Parent and students meeting re: exams Spring Concert Awards Assemblies for Years 8 -11
16 Secondary Newsletter
12 January 2018