Summer break letter

23rd July 2014 Dear Parent/Carer, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you. My name is Mr Robin Grover and as of the 1st September this year I have the great privilege of leading the ACE Academy as its Head teacher. I have spent the last 6 weeks preparing for September and have been incredibly impressed with the students at the Academy and the potential that they exude. Whilst there is room for improvement at the Academy, there is a real feeling that we are now poised for making rapid and sustainable improvements that will result in a first class education for your child and many others that follow them. Simply put, our aim is to realise the potential of every student in the Academy so that they achieve above and beyond all realms of expectation. We will achieve this in partnership with parents, governors and our sponsors as part of Education Central Multi Academies Trust.

Tuesday September 2nd 2014 will be the start of the Autumn term and we expect all students in all Year groups to return to school at this point, fully equipped, ready to learn and in lessons by 845am. I would like to ask you for your support in ensuring that the following expectations are consistently met by your child and do not become an issue moving forward: Uniform expectations The Academy uniform has not been upheld rigorously and as a result standards have slipped.

This will not be allowed to happen again and therefore I have included the new expectations with this letter. It should be noted that there is a change in expectation around footwear and enclosed is a guide to what is suitable and what is not. Should you have any questions about what is suitable, please contact us at the Academy over the summer period and we will advise you before you commit money and buy something that may not be acceptable.

Students will not be allowed to access lessons or the Academy site unless they are wearing the correct uniform and wearing it properly. We will have a stock of spare uniform that students will be expected to wear if they do not arrive in correct uniform. If they refuse to wear it, they will be isolated and in extreme cases parents will be asked to collect their child to rectify the situation in time for the next day.

Sixth Form are expected to wear the business suit that they will be provided with, free of charge, upon enrolment. We hope that all students and parents see the value of this and we would welcome any conversations with parents who wish to clarify our reasons for such a change in expectation.

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Mobile phones and mobile devices We understand the reasons why parents may issue their child with a mobile phone, however it is our expectation that they should not be turned on or visible throughout the Academy day, at any time. If this is found to be the case they will be confiscated.

In the interests of flexibility and in keeping with technological use, there may be times when a teacher allows a student to use the internet or calculator facility for educational purposes in lessons, but this is purely at the discretion of the class teacher and it is not an expectation of the Academy that students should have such devices as part of their equipment.

Unfortunately, the Academy cannot accept any responsibility for the loss or theft of mobile devices or any personal property brought onto the premises.

I have also taken the liberty of including other useful documents for your information:  Timings for the Academy day  Term dates  Attendance and codes of conduct  The new Academy, Parent & Student contract Meeting opportunity with the Head teacher For the next year I will be holding a ‘Head teacher’s Surgery’ weekly from 5pm till 6pm on a Monday or Tuesday. Parents and prospective parents can book a 20 minute meeting with me or one of my Deputies to discuss particular issues that you wish to pursue. These can be booked by contact my PA Mrs T Hall at the Academy.

New Academy Website, Blogs and Twitter feed Our new website will go live during August. There will be more information to follow regarding its interactivity and how to download an app that will automatically push new content to your mobile devices in an attempt to keep you up to date with news, celebrations and developments at the Academy. A new official Twitter account is now live and you can access my updates by following @ACEHeadteacher. There will be more to follow as we develop the website and associated pages, blogs and twitter feeds.

Our staff and students are very excited about what the future holds at The ACE Academy and I personally cannot wait to return in September and continue our journey to becoming a world class school that quickly puts Tipton on the map for providing a first class education to its young people. We regard it as a real privilege to serve this community and each successful year will prove just how much your Academy has to offer the education of any child in this area and from further afield. We look forward to working collaboratively with you during the coming years to secure the best possible achievements for your child at both GCSE and A level.

Have a fantastic and safe summer break!

Yours sincerely,

Mr Robin Grover Head teacher

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