Kingswinford Newsletter Summer 2024 by Windsor Academy Trust

19 July 2024

Dear Parents/ Carers,

We’ve finally reached the end of the academic year. It has been great to have students involved in either enrichment activities, residentials or work experience this week. We will report on the week in September. I’ve been reflecting on the past ten and half months since we started back in September 2023; during this time students have engaged in 1100 lessons, learnt incredible amounts of new knowledge and had hundreds of fantastic extra-curricular enrichment opportunities. We’ve had students completing Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh awards, Skiing in Italy, competing for the UK in international Maths challenges, performing in Oliver, countless sports fixtures, travelling all over the country and beyond forActive Learning Week to name but a few. Our goal, as you know, is to help students fulfil theirAcademic and Personal Potential. I’m really proud of what we’ve managed to cram into this academic year and even more proud of our young people.

At the end of this academic year we say goodbye to staff who are leaving KingswinfordAcademy. Moving to pastures new are Miss Gooda and MissAndrews from Science; Mr Round from Computing; Mr Staten from PE; Mr Child from Geography; Mrs Griffiths fromArt; and Mrs Lapikens from English. Mrs Gotting is moving to the central WATteam to lead on initial teacher training. We also have two members of staff who have been here a considerable amount of time. Firstly, Mrs Jones, from our student services team, is retiring after 19 years at Kingswinford during which time she has been aTA(specialising in DesignTechnology), Pastoral Assistant,Assistant Head of House and Student Mentor. Secondly, Mrs Bianco, who has has taught and led Art at Kingswinford for 30 years! Working on the basis of my opening paragraph, she must’ve taught somewhere near 30000 lessons and 6000 students during her time here. Mrs Bianco isn’t completely leaving education (we hope!) and will continue to do some work within the arts. We wish all leavers the best for the future.

Finally, a big thank to you all for your continued support and encouragement of all our young people at KingswinfordAcademy. I feel very privileged and proud to be working alongside some very special and talented individuals (young people, staff and parents). I’m looking forward to our summer GCSE results and to September, when we will continue to help our young people fulfil their academic and personal potential, and will be able to share with you the outcome of our recent Ofsted inspection.

Please enjoy our final Newsletter of the academic year.There are many brilliant things to report on. All the very best to you all. I hope you have a lovely summer break.

Best wishes,

Ian Moreton Headteacher Kingswinford

Academy

Upcoming events-

● Year 6 Summer School - Wednesday 21st / Thursday 22ndAugust

● Thursday 22ndAugust -Year 11 Exam results day

● Staff INSET- Monday 2nd September

● AutumnTerm - Students return to school -Tuesday 3rd September (details on the next page)

19 July 2024

NewYear 7 students

We are really looking forward to welcoming you to KingswinfordAcademy in September. It will also be brilliant to have many of you come to our summer school inAugust.

First day of school - What to expect

When you arrive in September you will be directed to the school hall before going to your form room with your form tutor.You will be given a tour of the school before the other students arrive and will have an assembly led by Mr Moreton, Headteacher.You will get your timetables and your tutor will go through with you the timings of the day and help you with your school orientation.The rest of the students won’t be arriving until break time.

Below are some resources from two charities -Anna Freud andYoung Minds - which will help with your child’s transition fromYear 6 toYear 7. We recommend that you engage with this as it will give you some important information about transition to secondary school for yourselves and your child.

Anna Freud Link

Youngs Minds: Helping your child manage the move from primary to secondary school Young Minds: Student Resources

Start of term arrangements

We welcome all students back to KingswinfordAcademy onTuesday 3rd September.

Year 7 should arrive by 8.30am (and will be directed to the Hall)

All other year groups should be on site by 11.15am and should go directly to their form rooms.

School will end at 3.15pm as usual.

19 July 2024

School payments

From September, paying for items in school will be done through theArbor parent portal or app.This includes topping up your child’s food account, trips and other items.

During the summer holidays, existing balances from the current system will be migrated over toArbor.Then, once this migration is complete, we will write to you with guidance about how to use payments in theArbor system.

You do not need to do anything at this point, we will write to you again once the migration of existing balances is complete.

19 July 2024

Duke of EdinburghAward

Our Silver DofE students recently completed their final expedition.They spent the weekend walking a combined time of 21 hours using the skills learnt in their training day and practise expedition.They demonstrated navigational skills as well as culinary skills as they had to carry and prepare food for the

ASilver DofE programme has 4 sections, Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition. Students need to do at least 6 months Volunteering and a minimum of 6 months on either Physical or Skills and 3 months on the

19 July 2024

Awards Evening

We were delighted to hold our annual awards evening onThursday 11th July.As well as the award we were treated to two brilliant musical performances from our talented young people. This annual event for the school is the culmination of a year’s hard work; when students are nominated for awards by their teachers for their efforts this academic year, and when Heads of House identify the students who have been particularly diligent this year.

In addition, the two winners of the Headteacher’s awards were:

Ruby Limb - Key Stage 3

Darcie Webb - Key Stage 4

We are incredibly proud of all the students who won awards.Afantastic way to end the academic year. Well done!

19 July 2024

Music

Music Examinations

Congratulations to all of our students who have taken vocal or instrumental examinations this year!You have shown such courage, resilience and musical flair and we are all so very proud of you! In particular, Lola Wooldridge, Alma Gal, Blayze Garvey, Corralie Small, Isabel Evans,Arita Nair and Shriya Patel.

Summer Concert

On Wednesday 10th July, many of our musicians and dancers performed in our summer concert.The students performed incredibly to a sell out audience. We had performances from our School Choir, our Orchestra, our Starlight Ensemble, Rock Ensemble, duets, soloists and Jessica Bell, Hannah Round and Matilda Davies performed stunning dance routines.

MissAbel received so much praise from our guests! Parents, Guardians and colleagues were in awe of our fabulous students who all demonstrated their talents to such a high standard!

MissAbel would like to thank all of the students for their commitment and enthusiasm, not only on the night itself but for all of the rehearsals throughout the year which led to our end of year concert.You really are a joy to work with and it has been a privilege to work alongside you in each and every rehearsal this year!

MissAbel would also like to thank Mrs Emery, Miss Horton, Mrs Cooper, Mr Cotterill, our admin team and the student helpers and photographers who supported the event!

Here are some of the photos taken on the night that capture the memories of our Summer Concert.

19 July 2024

Instrumental tuition 2024-2025

If your son/daughter would like to learn to play an instrument or have vocal tuition next year then you can sign up for lessons by accessing Dudley PerformingArts website (see the link below).The deadline for applying for instrumental or vocal tuition is fast approaching.

https://www.dudley.gov.uk/things-to-do/dudley-performing-arts/information-for-parentsand-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.

19 July 2024

Darts

Welcome to the latest edition of the KingswinfordAcademy Student Darts Club Newsletter!As we enjoy the summer break, let’s take a moment to celebrate our recent successes and look ahead to the exciting opportunities awaiting us in the new school year.

Kingswinford Darts Championship

Ahuge congratulations to Riley Cowlishaw and Ellis Langford for reaching the finals of the Kingswinford Darts Championship in June. Both players showcased exceptional skill and sportsmanship throughout the tournament. Riley emerged as our champion with a narrow but well-deserved win. Well done to both of you for making the school proud!

Enrichment Opportunities We are delighted to announce that due to the high demand, Darts will continue to be a part of our Enrichment opportunities into the 2024/2025 school year.This is a fantastic chance for students to develop their skills, engage in friendly competition, and enjoy the camaraderie of our club.

Inter-School FixturesThis past term, we have also expanded our horizons by playing fixtures against Summerhill School.These matches have provided our students with valuable experience in competitive play and have fostered a spirit of friendly rivalry. We look forward to more inter-school fixtures in the coming year.

New Equipment and Sponsorship

Our students now have access to an even better practice environment with the installation of a third dartboard in the Darts Room.This enhancement means more students can practice simultaneously and improve their game after school.Aspecial thank you goes toAnt at Darts4U Wednesbury for his generous support and sponsorship. His contributions have been instrumental in providing us with the equipment and facilities needed to ensure a safe and productive practice space. We look forward to continuing this fantastic partnership in the 2024/2025 school year.

19 July 2024

Science

Students in Science Club have taken part in the 'MARSBalloon Project', which gives students the opportunity to submit a sample which is taken to outer atmosphere, to an altitude of 30km (more than twice the height of commercial airliners), which is then dropped in a balloon.Along the way the experiment will experience conditions very similar to the surface of Mars including temperatures of -50°C, pressures 1/100th that of sea level and an increased radiation dose.

Our students designed and created two samples to test, one contains honey and the other contains different medicines. Once they have been launched from the balloon in the outer atmosphere, samples will be returned to school for our students to analyse!

SciFest at the University of Wolverhampton

On Friday 28th June, a group of students attended the annual SciFest at University of Wolverhampton, an event focussed on increasing aspiration through fun in Science,Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). Students had a fantastic day, exploring interactive stands, attending workshops and experiencing a University Lecture theatre for the 'Energy Show!' hosted by the Royal Institution. Other workshops included the 'Sphero Maze' hosted by RAF Museum, and the 'Medical Mavericks Careers in Health'.An absolutely wonderful day exploring all avenues of STEM! (photos on next page)

19 July 2024

Drama

This term,Year 9 students have been enjoying a brand new module in Drama called the magic ofTV and Film. Students have been learning skills in digital special effects using ipads and green screens as well as practical effects like forced perspective. However, the lessons they have found most fun and engaging has been learning how to apply stage makeup to create realistic looking injuries. Students have worked in small groups to create scars, bruises, cuts and even bullet holes. Mr Cotterill, Subject Lead for Drama across WindsorAcademyTrust said “The students have been amazing at these vocational skills.They have listened well to tutorials and all of them have succeeded in making effective looking stage makeup. Some teachers have been totally fooled by their work.Their reactions have been priceless”

19 July 2024

STEM

Our STEM students had a great day at Warhammer World last week.They spent the day learning how to paint miniatures, learn how to play the strategy game and also saw the amazing exhibition they have.

19 July 2024

Careers

SomeYear 9 andYear 10 students visited the Black Country Living Museum for an 'All things local' careers trip.

The aim of the event was to engage young people in understanding the links between trades and job roles from the past and how they have evolved to modern day, or even become obsolete at times.

During the morning, students were taken on a guided tour, where they were able to ask questions and listen to information and stories about the past, gaining a valuable insight into different job roles.

The afternoon session was held in BCLM's conference centre and consisted of local employers, provoking short talks to our students about their organisations opportunities and pathways to enter employment.To round the day off, students were treated to a complimentary fish and chips!

19 July 2024

Updates to our Uniform Policy (from September 2024)

There are some small - but significant - changes to our uniform policy in September. We wanted to make you aware of these now to help with your planning over the summer before the next academic year begins.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-necked 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-necked jumper with/without school logo, to be worn under the blazer (round neck jumpers are not permitted)

19 July 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 school environment and the benefits can be seen throughout. We would like to thank everyone for their continued effort and support with this.

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. 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.

19 July 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.