Kingswinford Newsletter October 2024 by Windsor Academy Trust

25 October 2024

Dear Parents/ Carers,

Welcome to the first half-termly Newsletter of this academic year.The newsletter will always contain more whole-school content than the weekly bulletin; and as you will see, it has definitely been a busy half term! This is always the longest and hardest half-term of the year - the first couple of weeks is always a shock to the system after the long summer break and it literally gets darker outside as the term goes on.Arguably it is the most important half term of the year as well; it sets the tone for the year ahead.You will know from my weekly bulletin that we challenge our students toAspire to Excellence every single day, and continually have the highest expectations. Our young people have risen to the challenge and i’m really proud of their focus, resilience and ambition so far this year.

We’ve been able to celebrate another great set of exam results in the summer as well as our ‘Good’Ofsted. This has enabled us to drive on with helping our young people continue to fulfil their academic and personal potential.

We’ve had an extremely popular and successful set of open events this half term.Thank you for allowing your child to help us on Open Evening in particular.The reputation of KingswinfordAcademy as a school that always delivers excellent exam results for its students and offers students fantastic enrichment opportunities is not something that we take lightly. We will always strive to improve even further.

Please enjoy our first Newsletter of the academic year.There are many brilliant things to tell you about. All the very best to you all. I hope you have a lovely half term break.

Best wishes,

Ian Moreton Headteacher

Upcomingevents-

● Startofhalfterm -Monday4thNovember(normaltime)

● Year11MockExamsbegin-Monday25thNovember

● StaffINSETdays(schoolclosedtostudents)-Friday29th November&Monday9thDecember

● Endofterm-Friday20thDecember

25 October 2024

Student Rewards - King’s Quest Launch

This week we have launched the King’s Quest with students in assemblies.

The King’s Quest involves students completing a list of 21 activities, including from WATPledge, King’s QuestActivities andAttendance milestones.

Students can achieve a bronze, silver and gold award badge by completing activities all linked to life at KingswinfordAcademy.

25 October 2024

EcoAmbassadors - WAT COPTrip

OnThursday the 17th of October a small group of eco ambassadors were taken to Windsor OlympusAcademy for our annual WATCOPtrip. During this trip students attended a variety of workshops to do with sustainability and the preservation of our world, as well as listened to two keynote speakers; Professor Rashid Gatrad and Kumari Kher.

They conducted themselves spectacularly and used the day to truly get more of a grasp of the state of our world and the climate crisis, and more importantly, gained some insight into the small things they can do, and inspiration for projects they want to accomplish in our school, to further improve the sustainability of KingswinfordAcademy and add to our goal of achieving net zero!

Workshops attended focussed on the dangers of fast fashion and the best ways to reduce its impact on the environment.As well as being introduced to the ‘hidden nature challenge’and ‘nature park’and seeing how this program can be used to map out biodiversity in their own school.

These 6 students were a credit to their school, and enjoyed the day immensely!

25 October 2024

PE

Over the last few weeks, a number of our students had the amazing opportunity to experience a martial arts taster session led byAndy, a skilled and passionate instructor from our local martial arts club.The session was a big hit, with students fully engaged, learning new skills, and having a great time throughout.

Andy introduced a range of techniques, offering students a glimpse into the discipline and focus required in martial arts.The sessions were not only fun but also helped boost students' confidence and physical activity levels. Many students expressed their enthusiasm and interest in pursuing martial arts further.

The best part?Andy's club is now offering free taster sessions to anyone who wants to get involved! It’s a fantastic chance to explore martial arts further, whether you’re looking to improve fitness, learn self-defense, or simply try something new.

Don’t miss out—get yourself involved!

Flyers on the next page…

Year 10 Netball Win

OurYear 10 netball team played their first fixture of the school year, winning 8-6 to St James Academy. Well done!

25 October 2024

WATASPIRE Dance Day for Boys

Six of ourYear 7 boys were invited to take part in the WATAspire Dance Day for boys.This took place at Windsor OlympusAcademy with a total of 75 male KS3 students from schools across theTrust.The students enjoyed participating in three different workshops; hip hop with O’Driscoll Collective, contemporary withAutin DanceTheatre and afrobeats with Rhythm State Academy.

25 October 2024

WMP50thAnniversary Celebration Day

In September, some of our student leaders were invited to celebrate the West Midlands Police 50th anniversary.They had a fantastic day interacting with the different departments and watching demonstrations including from the police dog training and drones.As part of this, the students got to see how the departments work together to keep people safe which included West Midlands Fire andAmbulance services demonstrating their life-saving capabilities, road safety withTraffic Officers, FirearmTeams in a riot and the Operational Support Unit demonstrating the tools they use. In particular, the students loved having the opportunity to sit inside a range of police cars, ambulances, and fire engines, gearing up in uniform and defence equipment and meeting the young police dogs in training.

25 October 2024

Trip To Girton College Cambridge

On Friday 18th October, some of ourYear 10 students were fortunate enough to visit Girton College, Cambridge. Founded in 1869, Girton has a rich history as one of the first colleges in Cambridge to admit women, symbolising the progressive nature of university education. Students were given an insight into the daily life of undergraduates, exploring the academic, social, and cultural opportunities that come with higher education.

Akey part of the trip was understanding how to access elite universities like Oxford and Cambridge (Oxbridge). Students learned about the unique admissions processes, the importance of academic achievement, and the wide range of scholarships and support available to make these opportunities more accessible. By experiencing firsthand what Oxbridge has to offer, students are encouraged to aim high, realising that these prestigious institutions are within their reach with the right preparation and effort.

After their time at the college, Mr. Dimmock led a walking tour of Cambridge city centre, where students enjoyed the beautiful architecture and learned more about the historical significance of the university and its surroundings. It was a valuable day, sparking inspiration and ambition for their future academic journeys.

25 October 2024

Kingswinford Careers Evening

Earlier in October, KingswinfordAcademy hosted a highly successful Careers Evening, giving students the opportunity to explore a wide range of post-16 education providers. Representatives from Dudley College, Halesowen College, King Edward’s College, the armed forces, the police, and numerous other sixth forms and further education institutions, including the University of Birmingham, were in attendance.

They delivered insightful talks aboutA-levels, BTECs,T-levels, and vocational training, helping students to better understand the variety of pathways available after GCSEs.

The event was a great chance for students to ask questions, gather information, and begin considering their next steps. If any students - not just year 11 students - need further guidance or support with their post-16 decisions, they are encouraged to speak to Mr. Dimmock or Mrs. Woodhouse, who can provide tailored advice.

25 October 2024

Unifrog Launch

This term, KingswinfordAcademy has officially launched Unifrog, an entirely free online platform designed to support students in mapping out their future careers and educational pathways.

Unifrog offers a comprehensive range of tools, from career exploration and university options to apprenticeships and vocational training, helping students make informed decisions about their futures.

Our students have already started using Unifrog to create personalised careers profiles and store their record of achievements, which will grow throughout their time at school.The platform also has various personality quizzes that can help guide those students who are unsure about what they wish to do in the future.

This platform will be an invaluable resource as they explore potential career interests, research post-16 options, and track their personal progress at Kingswinford. Parents are encouraged to ask their children about their Unifrog profiles. If anyone needs help with the platform, please contact Mr. Dimmock for support.

25 October 2024

Year 10 Work Experience Launch

We are excited to announce the launch of work experience for ourYear 10 students, which will take place duringActive Learning Week in July 2025. Students are now expected to begin researching potential placements and securing where they would like to go for their work experience placement.Abig thank you to the students who have already handed in their placement request, which are being processed.

With placements going fast, we encourage allYear 10 students to finalise their work experience arrangements before Christmas to ensure they get the opportunities they’re aiming for. Parents ofYear 10 students are invited to attend an after school information session next term (date tbc), where we will provide further details and support. Stay tuned for your invitation!

If you need any advice or support, please speak to Mrs. Woodhouse or Mr. Dimmock.

25 October 2024

Library

Miss Morris and Miss Whittaker

It’s been great to meet the students this academic year.They are really getting involved with all of the activities we are running from the library; there have been competitions and challenges for everyone!

We kicked off the new school year with Benjamin Zephaniah’s ‘Future Writers’Competition.The task is to write a poem or short story about people in your life, inspired by the title of Benjamin’s poem, People Need People.There are some great prizes to be won, including the opportunity to be a published author! If anyone does still want to enter, there is plenty of time, as the closing date is 11/11/24. Good luck to anyone who has already submitted an entry!

The ScholasticTravelling Book Fair came to visit this term. We made a huge £436.43 in book sales, which was awesome!The best news is that this earns us rewards to purchase books for the library! In addition, we had 5 winners of our Book Review Competition, each won £5 to spend on books at the fair!The book reviews we received were exceptional, some had additional artwork included!Amassive well done to all the students who submitted entries!

Our school is getting ready for a live Q&Ain November with Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024-2026, Frank Cottrell-Boyce. We are challenging our students to participate in a half term book read.The challenge (should they accept it!) is to read Frank’s book ‘Millions’over half term (we will provide copies) and then tell us what they think about it. Winners will then be chosen to take part in the live Q&Aand will also win a copy of one of Frank's books. We’re sure we will have a lot of students up for the challenge!

25 October 2024

The ‘Independent Reading’Raffle is an ongoing competition run by Ms Morris. Whenever a student is seen reading a book in their own time, Ms Morris adds the students name to a raffle ticket.The more times the student is seen reading, the more chances they have to win! The lucky (and hard working!) winner will be drawn at the end of half term and will win some halloween reading related prizes! Good luck to everyone who has been seen reading independently already!

UpperYears Consent forYear 7’s and 8’s.

An UpperYears Reading consent email was sent to allYear 7 and 8 parents recently.Thank you for all the responses received back so far.

As some upper years books have increasing adult themes or colourful language, this was a blanket request for consent for all students. If you would like your child to have full use of the library with no restrictions, please email Ms Morris at dmorris@kingswinford.windsoracademytrust.org.uk

Include in your child's name and that consent is given.Thank you.

Our ‘Interior Design Masters’ design challenges as we re-organise and resign the library space. Miss Morris has shared our vision for the library space and students have contributed their ideas so far.This half-term, they have been redesigning genre posters as the books have moved into categories to make navigating the library much easier!They have designed ‘murder mystery', ‘horror’‘adventure’‘humour’ and ‘sport’to name a few. Next half term, there will be bigger changes in the library as the team get out their paint brushes, put on their overalls and begin to design and transform the front of the space, painting a new mural for the entrance to the library. We hope it’s going to look something like this:

We also need your help!

We are currently restocking the library with as many wonderful titles as we can but our students are borrowing them more quickly than we can replace some! If you have any books that you are no longer reading and would be happy to donate to us, then please bring these along to reception or the library.Thank you very much for your support with this.

25 October 2024

School Production

At the end of the last academic year, we held auditions for our 2025 production in order to start rehearsing right away. Mrs Cooper, Mr Cotterill and MissAbel were blown away by the amount of students wanting to take part in the production. We had a record number of students who auditioned and demonstrated incredible talent and enthusiasm. We have held auditions forYear Seven this week as so many would like to be involved. We now have over fifty members of the cast so we are looking at bigger venues to host the production.This is set to be our biggest production yet!

This half term the cast have shown an incredible work ethic and commitment to the production by rehearsing at lunch times and after school.

Mr Cotterill, WATHead of Performance said, “This is already looking like an incredible show. The sheer number of students from all age ranges involved is a delight to see and I can’t wait to see them shine on a big stage.”

KingswinfordAcademy's ‘Matilda the Musical’will be performed on the 8th and 9th ofApril 2025. More information regarding ticket sales will be released soon.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Mrs Cooper, Curriculum Leader of Drama.

25 October 2024

Enrichment -Autumn Half Term 1

We have had over 1600 student visits to our enrichment clubs this half term which has been fantastic! MissAbel (SLTAssociate for Enrichment) said “It has been wonderful to see so many students develop their personal potential by joining a new club or continuing to improve their skills and interests in one of our 36 clubs that have been on offer this half term”.

After half term there will be an additional 4 clubs to add to our provision.These are an Electronics Club, Debate Club, Heritage Club and anArt club (which will start in December).

Here are some of the exciting things our students have been enjoying this half term-

25 October 2024

Enrichment -

continued

Developing a child’s personal potential is just as important to us as developing their academic potential! There are an array of benefits to students joining our enrichment programme, some of which are outlined below:

Social skills

Extra- curricular activities can help students build confidence and social skills, which can be important for students to not only feel happy, safe and included but also supports the development of transferable skills that aids progress in all curriculum areas. Students can also interact with peers who share similar interests, which can help them feel less isolated and make friends.

Sense of belonging

Being part of a group can help students feel a sense of belonging, which can contribute to their self-esteem and confidence.

Skill development

Extra curricular activities can help students develop new skills and abilities, such as teamwork, time management, and networking.

Attendance at extra curricular clubs can also support and further enhance the students’Aspire skills which assists them in preparing for their future.

Academic performance

Extra curricular activities can help students apply skills they've learned in class to real-world contexts, which can boost their academic performance.

Balance

Extra curricular activities can provide a break from academic work, which can help students maintain motivation and prevent burnout.

If you son/daughter would like to join an enrichment club after half term then please ask them to see MissAbel or Mr Perry.

Our Enrichment provision forAutumn HalfTerm 2 can be seen on the next page

25

October 2024

25 October 2024

Enrichment Superstars!

Congratulations to the following students for being nominated by their enrichment club lead, for showing incredible commitment & enthusiasm this half term:

Art Club - Paige Wickett

Basketball - Tom Miller

Chess - Joseph Godwin

Choir - Mackenzie Connelly

Computer Science - Oliver Grainger

Dance Club - Willow Cochrane & Imogen Massey

Darts - James Simpson

Drama - Lucy Hatton

DT STEM - Chris Greenaway

Fitness - Willow Cochrane

Football -Alfie Emery

Further Maths - RioAmeson-Jeffries

Girls Football - Mia Bedi

Interior Design Masters Club - Mason Tranter

Netball - SIenna Stretton

Orchestra - Ptolemy Haywood

Production -Alice Moth

Rock Bands - Connor Craggs

Rugby - Ethan McGrory

Stars Homework -Abigail Jacques

Starlight Band - Finley Hassall

Statistics - Dexter Powell

25 October 2024

Instrumental tuition 2024-2025

If your son/daughter would like to learn to play an instrument or have vocal tuition in the Spring term then you can sign up for lessons by accessing Dudley PerformingArts website (see the link below). Enrolment for the spring term starts after half term

https://www.dudley.gov.uk/things-to-do/dudley-performing-arts/information-for-parents-and-young-people /music-lessons-in-schools/

It is proven that instrumental tuition supports skills that are transferable across all curriculum areas and achievements are highly recognised by universities. Music tuition also has supportive strategies that are conducive to positive well being and mindset, as well as enjoying the benefits that Music has to offer. If you would like any further details in regards to instrumental / vocal tuition then please contact MissAbel.

Student Showcase - Stourbridge River Rooms

Two of our school Rock bands performed at the Student showcase at the River Rooms in Stourbridge onThursday 24th October.The bands were invited to be part of an amazing event in which bands from schools within the Dudley, Halesowen & Stourbridge areas, could perform within a professional setting. Both bands were fabulous, performing 3 songs each to a packed out venue! We definitely have some stars of the future! Well done to Dan, Charlie, Henry, Ayaan, Demi,Arpita, Gagan, Ptolemy, Connor, Blayze and Joab! MissAbel said both bands were outstanding and were a real credit to KingswinfordAcademy!

25 October 2024

Active Learning Week 2025

We have been really excited to launchActive Learning Week 2025 this half term, starting with our fabulous residential packages.This year, we are offering trips to Rome, Barcelona, London, Newquay and Disneyland for our Key Stage 3 students. We have been overwhelmed with the response to these trips and look forward to confirming places after the 15th November deadline.

25 October 2024

Details of our fabulous Pledge week opportunities and ourYear 9 Pic ‘n’Mix will be released after half term!

25 October 2024

Uniform Policy

We made some small - but significant - changes to our uniform policy from September 2024. We wanted to remind you of these in preparation for the winter.The full updated policy is published on our website.

UNIFORM

Key Stage 3 Uniform -Years 7, 8 and 9

• Plain pale blue shirt or blouse, long or short-sleeved

• Black blazer with school badge showing House colour and lapel edged in royal blue

• Clip-on tie in House colours (broad stripe)

• Black tailored trousers (chinos, jeans and drainpipe styles are not permitted. No stretchy Lycra or tight-fitting trousers are allowed)

• Plain black pleated skirt (must be appropriate style and length for school – just above knee examples shown below)

• Plain smart, black low-heeled shoes – trainers, canvas shoes and boots are not permitted (examples shown below)

• Either black- or natural-coloured tights or black or navy ankle socks should be worn

• Optional: Black V-neck jumper with/without school logo, to be worn under the blazer (round neck jumpers are not permitted)

Key Stage 4 Uniform -Years 10 and 11

• Plain pale blue shirt or blouse, long or short-sleeved

• Black blazer with school badge showing House colour and lapel edged in royal blue

• Clip-on tie in House colours (Thin stripe)

• Black tailored trousers (Chinos, jeans and drainpipe styles are not permitted. No stretchy Lycra or tight-fitting trousers are allowed)

• Plain black pleated skirt (must be appropriate style and length for school – just above knee examples shown below)

• Plain smart, black low-heeled shoes – trainers, canvas shoes and boots are not permitted (examples shown below)

• Either black or natural coloured tights or black or navy ankle socks should be worn

• Optional: Black V-neck jumper with/without school logo, to be worn under the blazer (round neck jumpers are not permitted)

25 October 2024

ASPIRE to Excellence - Our Expectations

Ready, Respectful, Safe is our approach to everything we do in school. We have worked hard to embed our routines within all aspects of our environment.The benefits can be seen throughout school. Ready to learn, Respectful interactions, Safe in everything we do.

Students Missing from Lesson

We treat truancy from lessons seriously; this is of great concern, as we are unable to account for your child's whereabouts during these episodes. We have worked with our community to ensure students are aware of the consequences should they truant from lessons. It is a very rare occurrence. Students will be challenged in line with our behaviour policy. Initially this will be time in the Refocus Room. However, should the issue persists it may result in potential suspension from school. We trust we can reply upon you to speak to your child about the severity of the issue; students cannot achieve if they are not in lessons and therefore will not unlock their academic and personal potential.

Toilet Permission

We encourage students to access toilets before and after school, during social times and, where possible, avoiding toilet use during lessons.You are able to track your child's toilet use during lessons by looking at Class Charts and “Toilet Permission”.As I am sure you appreciate lost learning directly relates to student progress and we welcome your continued support in tracking your child's toilet use via Class Charts and encouraging your child to access the toilets away from lessons.

Mobile Phones

We have a “Gate to Gate” expectation with regard to mobile phones, students must ensure they are switched off and placed in their school bag, at the school gate before entering the school site.They must remain switched off and in their bags until they leave the school site and are outside of the school gate before using them; this also applies to all after-school activities.

If you need to contact your child for any reason, this must be done via school reception.

25 October 2024

If you do need to report a child absence, do so using the Studybugs app.

If it is an illness-related absence, you will also be sent NHS advice as to whether your child should still attend school (or you can check here)

Absence from school equals lost learning; lost learning directly impacts what your child will achieve in their GCSE examinations, which will impact upon their future. It soon adds up and makes a difference. We need to work together to ensure our young people attend because it will ultimately affect their future success.As you are aware, we use ‘Studybugs’to report absence.The app will send you NHS advice on whether your child should still come to school if they are feeling ill.

Please check your child's Class Charts asTutors are celebrating and supporting improved and perfect attendance with positive points. Our “Rewards Shop” opens regularly - your child is able to exchange their points for rewards of their choice.