A Member of Laidlaw Schools Trust
A WELCOME MESSAGE
Dear parents,
Welcome to the secondary phase of Academy 360! We know how much your child’s happiness and welfare means to you, so please do be reassured that we take these two aspects of school life extremely seriously. As they embark on the next stage of their school careers, our new Year 7s will have a set of very mixed emotions: excited for their new challenges, sad to be leaving their primary school (or in the case of our Academy 360 children, sad to be leaving their Year 6 teachers) or perhaps just a little nervous. These are normal feelings!
I am extremely proud to write to you as the school’s Principal. Academy 360 offers a great deal for our students. We have a broad and balanced curriculum, delivered by specialists in each subject, and there are plenty of extra-curricular activities that your child can sign up to. We believe that education is about far more than just academic achievement, although this is so very important. We aim to provide our students with the preparation for adult life that they deserve, ensuring they are ready for life after school. This means supporting their academic success, their emotional wellbeing and their physical fitness.
We urge our children to take advantage of everything we offer, not just in terms of their academic subjects; they can join a sports team, learn a musical instrument, join in with our drama productions and take part in many other aspects of school life. All they need to do is to have a willingness to try something new. To be brave and to try!
Mr Amos Principal
NEW SCHOOL DAY
Timings Lesson Plan
08:00 onwards
08:35 - 08:50
08:50 - 09:50
09:50 - 10:50
10:50 - 11:05
11:05 - 12:05
12:05 - 12:40
12:40 - 13:15
13:15 - 14:10
14:10 - 15:05
Wednesday 15:05 - 15.50
Breakfast Club
Be Ready Registration in Form Class
Lesson 1
Lesson 2 Break Lesson 3 Year 7 Lunch
Be Ready Registration
Lesson 4
Lesson 5
After-school enrichment activities
TERM DATES 2026/27
Holiday Closing Date Re-opening Date
Summer 2026
Autumn Half Term
Christmas
Spring Half Term
Easter
Summer Half Term
Summer
23rd Oct 2026
18th Dec 2026
12th Feb 2027
25th March 2027
28th May 2027
21st July 2027
1st Sept 2026
2nd Nov 2026
4th Jan 2027
22nd Feb 2027
12th April 2027
7th June 2027
6th Sept 2027
Further Information
Inset days to follow
UNIFORM
We advise that all school garments are marked clearly with your child’s name.
Uniform Expectations
• White shirt
• Year group tie
• Blue Academy blazer (Year 11 wear a black blazer)
• Black school trousers
• All black, polishable leather shoes must be worn in school
• Grey V-neck pullover - optional
Ready for PE
• Blue Avec Sport t-shirt with initials
• Blue shorts or black tracksuit bottoms (girls can wear black lycra leggings)
• Trainers
• Academy 360 PE kit can be purchased from Total Sport, either in store or online https://totalsport.co.uk/collections/academy-360-secondary-school
Ready to learn
• Hair colour should be natural and hair styles should not be extreme
• Make-up should be minimal and not noticeable
• False nails and eye lashes are not allowed
• Valuable items like jewellery, phones, AirPods and cameras must not be brought into school
• No jewellery is allowed, including no earrings or nose piercings. Smart watches are not allowed, only ‘normal’ watches. Body piercing is not permitted and students will be asked to remove any non-uniform item
Equipment
• 2x Black Pens
• 2x HB Pencils
• 1x Rubber
• 1x Ruler
• 1x Green Pen
• Black Bag
BEING PREPARED
Getting into good habits
Encourage your child to pack their bag the night before to avoid a morning scramble. Have you agreed a bedtime that you and they are happy with and that they will stick to? Our brains function much better after a good night’s sleep. It’s a good idea to get their bedtime routine going before term starts.
Students will receive a timetable for lessons. It would help if you could keep an eye on this. Perhaps keep it somewhere easy to check, like on a notice board or the fridge. That way you can see which days they need to take their sports kit or other equipment into school. Get them into the habit of thinking, “bag, blazer, keys, etc”, before they go out of the front door.
Check our rules and talk them through with your child. They may need reminding about the use of mobile phones, healthy eating and the wearing of jewellery and the completion of home learning.
Get into the communication habit. If your child decides to go to a friend’s house after school or stay at school for any reason, tell them to contact you.
Help them to become more responsible. They all need looking after in the first few weeks, but as they begin to settle in, they need to take responsibility for their bag, their homework and getting themselves up in the morning. The more you encourage them now, the easier it will be later.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
Getting to know the school
Parents’ consultation evening and progress reports.
Pupil reports and parents’ evenings are a really good chance to get to know your child’s teachers. We will also make you aware of their attendance record and give you information that will enable you to keep track of the progress your child is making.
Home learning
Homework is any activity or task that students are asked to do outside of lesson time to:
• Sustain Learning
• Consolidate learning
• Extend learning
• Prepare for future learning
• Help students plan and organise their time and take ownership of their learning
• Use information and resources that may not be available in lesson time
How can parents help?
It is important to encourage your child to complete their homework. Please help your child to get into good habits, such as, finding a quieter place to concentrate, prioritising their time and always putting maximum effort into their work.
If they ask for help, it is a good chance for you to understand the work they are doing, and show them new places to find the information: in books, the internet, newspapers, etc. Support them in submitting their homework on time and please inform the school if there is a genuine reason for home learning not being completed.
LUNCH
The students’ timetable is structured to include a morning and lunch break. All students have a break each morning, during which they may purchase breakfast items in the dining hall. We serve healthy food which meets government guidelines and there is a variety of hot and cold meals for the students to choose from. Students pay for their meals using the biometric system. No money changes hands at the till. Parents can top up accounts using ParentPay. Logins and passwords will be issued in September. There is a link to ParentPay on our website that will explain how it works.
We ask that all parents ensure their children have enough money on their accounts to be able to purchase items when they need to. If students have any special dietary requirements, the school
will accommodate wherever possible. Please do not hesitate to let the school know if your child has any special requirements. All students are invited to a free breakfast every morning from 8am.
Drinks
Chilled water is available at a water station in the dining hall. If your child brings a water bottle, they can fill it before and after school and at break and lunchtimes. Fizzy/Energy drinks, and chewing gum are not permitted in school.
The safety and security of students is paramount. For this reason, students will remain on the school site, for the whole day, including during lunch break. If you think your child is eligible for free school meals, please contact the school.
SEND (SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)
At Academy 360, we have a dedicated SEND team and other support staff skilled to identity and support any students with additional needs.
Students on the SEND Register will have their Education, Health and Care Plan, which they shared with us by their primary schools. Prior to joining, primary schools arrange transition meetings so that we can establish the needs of your child before they join the school. Please feel free to contact the school should you wish to discuss your child’s needs in person.
BEHAVIOUR
Rewards & Concequences
At Academy 360, we strive to ensure that all students develop the skills to become confident and resilient learners who make positive choices on a daily basis. Our aim is to help every student make the most of the opportunities available to them, ultimately preparing them for life beyond the classroom.
We are committed to providing as many opportunities as possible to recognise and reward students for their positive choices in learning. At the same time, we work closely with young people to identify and remove barriers to their progress. In every lesson, students are rewarded for making the right choices, and staff are supported in tracking these through ClassCharts. This system allows us to celebrate student successes at home and fosters a strong partnership between school and families, ensuring we work together to guide our students in making the right choices.
Our Behaviour for Learning strategy is designed to give students multiple opportunities to make positive choices that support their progress in the classroom. It underpins our high expectations and ensures a consistent approach across the Academy.
ClassCharts
All students will be given a timetable that will state the subject and the days when home learning will be set. Academy 360 use an online resource called “Class Charts” and every parent will be given a ‘log on’ to access the site. We urge you to contact the school if you have any queries.
ATTENDANCE
School Attendance Target - 100%
Attendance is a priority at Academy 360, and our policy is simple: we expect 100% attendance from all students.
We set high expectations because excellent attendance directly improves educational opportunities and achievement. When a child misses school regularly, they begin to fall behind and may find it difficult to catch up. To support student success, attendance should be above 96% at all times.
Leave of Absence
Headteachers are no longer permitted to grant a leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Parents and carers must complete a Leave of Absence Form if they plan to take their child out of school for any reason other than a medical appointment. This form is available on the school website or from the main reception.
Reporting an Absence
At Academy 360, it is the parent or carer’s responsibility to notify the school if a child is absent for any reason.
To report an absence, please call 0191 300 6506 and select Option 1. You may also report an absence via ClassCharts. Where possible, medical appointments should be made outside of school hours. If this is not possible, we ask that children attend school before or after their appointment.
Parents/carers must contact the school each day their child is absent. This is an essential part of our safeguarding procedures—we must be informed daily if a student is not attending school.
If We Don’t Hear From You
If the school does not receive a notification of absence:
• The Attendance Team will send a text message and/or make a phone call to the parent or carer.
• This will happen every day the child is absent without communication.
• One of our Attendance Team may also conduct a home visit.
Ongoing Concerns
• The school will initially send a letter home to notify parents/carers.
• We encourage families to get in touch upon receiving a letter, so we can work together to identify any issues and support improvements.
• Should attendance concerns continue, parents/carers will be invited into school for an Attendance Support Meeting where an Attendance Contract will be completed.
• When school have serious concerns about attendance, cases will be referred to the Local Authority Attendance Team for enforcement action.
Remember! Every Minute Counts
• Even small amounts of missed time add up quickly:
