Year 7 Community Work

Sports Day

Year 8 Camp

Year 9 Wellbeing Week Year 8 Camp

October 2019

INSPIRED MESSAGE FROM THE HEADTEACHER ONE MINUTE READS Welcome to the first newsletter of the 2019- 2020 academic year. We returned in Ski Trip 2021 September having celebrated another set of fantastic exam results, which placed us in the top 20% of schools nationally. We are currently waiting with bated breath to see if we are to retain our ‘Best School in Swindon’ title for the 4th year running. Our A level students shone, too with a gigantic improvement in the A*-B outcomes of 27% from 7%. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our 2019 cohort students the very best of luck in their future. Many of our Year 11s remained to study in our United College Sixth Form, it is great to see them every day continue with their studies at the .

With the new academic year well underway all of our students have all We are delighted to announce that we settled in well. We have also welcomed 19 new staff into the Academy will be offering a ski trip in January due to our growth in student numbers. You can meet these in this 2021. More information will be given newsletter. out in the coming weeks. Spaces will be limited so students will need to It has been a really busy start to the Academic year, with our KS4 book their places quick. Awards Evening followed by our two Open Evenings. I was really pleased to welcome our largest number of prospective parents at our Open Evenings. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to see the Academy shine. At this event we introduced our new Prefects and gave them the opportunity to talk about all that we do at the Academy Dates for Term 2 and the reasons behind why we do it. As you would expect, they rose to the challenge and took pride in their roles. We are so grateful for

th the work they do around school serving as excellent role models for Monday 4 November younger years. I was very proud to receive lots of positive feedback First Day of Term 2 from our visitors, all of them commenting on our students and

Tuesday 5th November welcoming staff!

Sixth Form Information/Options Throughout this year, I look forward to sharing with you the events Evening and celebrations that are certainly now making us the ‘School of

Tuesday 26th November Choice’ in Swindon. Battle of the Bands BREXIT UPDATE nd Monday 2 December At the time of going to print, Brexit is due to take place on 31st October, Exam Week whilst the academy is closed for half term. We would like to take this

opportunity to reassure parents that we are taking appropriate steps to Tuesday 17th December ensure that there will be no significant impact on our school. Carol Service at (Year 7) There will be no change to any pupil’s right to attend school nor to any

th member of staff’s right to work here immediately after the UK leaves Wednesday 18 December the EU, whether or not a deal is agreed. Christmas by Candlelight You may have read or heard about the risk of disruption to food th Friday 20 December supplies in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Our school meals are provided Secondary Christmas Dinner & by Caterlink and we have been reassured that appropriate measures Last Day of Term 2 are in place to ensure that the provision of meals will be unaffected,

th although it may be necessary to make some minor changes to menus. Wednesday 8 January First Day of Term 3 We will keep the situation under review over the coming days and weeks and will write to you if we need to take particular actions to SAVE THE DATE address any issues that arise. Thursday 16th January Progress Review Day 1 2 AWESOME BLETCHLEY PARK During September the Computer Science Faculty took a mixture of students from Year 10 and 11 to the famous Bletchley Park, which is the TWO MINUTE READ worlds largest collection of working historic computers. Students took part in the Value to Duke of Edinburgh Chip guided tour where they saw famous Award Reminder computers from history, such as The Turing Bombe, Tunny, Colossus, WITCH and Elliott 903. The Duke of They were also shown the history of computers Edinburgh Award Scheme 2019-20 is from the 1950’s up to the present day, which only weeks away. This could be just included all handheld devices and computers for the thing for you if you’re in Year 9, games. 10 or sixth form and you have an

interest in: Students experienced two workshops, the first was BBC • Volunteering: Basic where they created the undertaking service to individuals snake game in BBC basic or the community language on vintage BBC micro machines. Second, they had a • Physical: brief introduction to Alan improving in an area of sport, Turing’s work on artificial dance or fitness activities

intelligence and programmed a • Skills: chat bot. Students did have developing practical and social some time to play ‘old’ games on skills and personal interests older gaming devices, such as Doom and Lemmings. • Expedition: All students thoroughly enjoyed the visit, and all want to return next year planning, training for and – watch this space! completion of an adventurous THE NORMANS AT WARWICK journey in the UK or abroad On the 26th September, the Humanities department took a group of 160 Year 7 students to Warwick Castle, which is a magnificent concentric castle and a fantastic example of a Norman Motte and Bailey castle design. Employees, Colleges and Universities This trip links in with the current are now looking for students who unit they are studying about the Norman conquest in 1066 and how the have gained a D of E awards as it Normans controlled England in the years after. Whilst at the castle, pupils makes you stand out from the toured the site to give them an in-depth understanding of medieval life crowd…. So be different and take and immerse themselves in castles of a Norman design. Furthermore, the part in the Swindon Academy Duke trip brought this historical topic alive for pupils and enthused them in the of Edinburgh Award Scheme. subject as whole. If you’re yet to sign up – it’s not too Students had the opportunity to see the spectacular Birds of Prey display late!! take to the skies – including eagles and hawks flying over their heads in the Last year 27 Year 9 students Falcon’s Quest display achieved the Bronze award and are and they learnt about the now ready to take their Silver. power of The Mighty Trebuchet (the largest If you’d like to take part get in touch working siege machine IN with Mr Warren at: THE WORLD), which can [email protected] launch a projectile more than 150ft in the air.

3 COLLEGE UPDATE

We would like to say a huge thank you to students and staff who took part in non-uniform ONE MINUTE READ day on Friday 27th September. This event was held in order to raise funds for two causes. The first was for CALM, Swindon’s local cancer charity, in memory of their fellow student Jack who lost his battle with Leukaemia earlier this year. The second beneficiary was the Student Council. A big thank The Pupil Charter rewards students you goes to everyone who made donations, we for their commitment to enrichment raised a whopping £769.73! opportunities. These rewards can be for attendance at Well-Being Activities, representing the school Bath and taking on leadership roles. Be high achievers, be believers, be Last year saw the Key Stage 3 winner, Bath

Chris Maponga, receive 34 accolades Believe and the Key Stage 4 award go to Achieve Louie Wilkins with a huge 48 Together accolades. All accolades can be seen Honourably on students’ Epraise reward During this first term for Bath College I have had the honour of presenting certificates. We encourage students to the College its new College Captain and the very first under my tenure. to get themselves in the running to After the long and arduous process of wading through some excellent win a top award at the end of year applications, the shortlist for the position was whittled down to only four academic celebration event and students. Those four students presented a 2-minute video of their vision remember, all accolades go towards for the College. The competition was heating up as students from Bath the College Competition. College voted for the best video and who they thought should represent them in the College. Hands were raised, votes were counted, and when all was said and done one young man floated to the top as the unanimous Ugandan Choir choice among the tutees.

Bath is pleased to announce James Cook as our new College Captain. I am looking forward to seeing him thrive in this leadership role, as are we all. James has previously been a prefect and wanted to take on a new leadership role. After producing an impressive 2-minute video clip sharing his vision of Bath College, he was elected College Captain by his peers. I look forward to working James in making improvements to Bath College. Cambridge Roar Cambridge Roar! Creative Athletic On Friday 4th October, Swindon Mesmerising Brilliant Academy welcomed a choir from Reflective Uganda. They performed in the Independent main hall to Year 7 and 8 during Determined PSHEC. students were treated to a Genuine 30-minute performance which gave Enthusiastic them an insight into the Ugandan Cambridge is pleased to announce Harry Farrow as our new College culture and how music can be Captain. He was the unanimous choice among our tutor groups, and we diverse. are all looking forward to seeing him thrive in this leadership role. He

The unique visit is in preparation for spoke about students pushing themselves out of their comfort zones in our first Cultural Day, which will look order to participate in College events, but also find new passion for hobbies they never thought they might have enjoyed. Harry had always at the African culture; students are been an enthusiastic participant himself in College competitions, andI currently planning activities with hope the other students of Cambridge can look to him as an inspiration Simon Halls in readiness for the day. this year. 4 TUTOR T-SHIRT COMPETITION

To help our Year 7 students settle into the competitive nature of our College system, they competed in their first College Competition. Students were asked to design a t-shirt based on their tutor name. Following judging, the competition ONE MINUTE READ results were as follows:

Congratulations to Imperial College for winning the competition and thank you to PSHEC Curriculum all tutees who got involved and worked hard for their College. The new statutory PSHEC lessons have been embedded into the PSHEC curriculum. The Academy now follows a curriculum set by the PSHE specialists Jigsaw. This ensures that students get a broad and rich PSHEC curriculum that covers various aspects of Personal, Social, Health, Imperial Economics and Citizenship. Together Everyone Achieves More Impressive Mature Passionate Experienced Respectful Imaginative Ambitious Lively

This year we asked our College Captain applicants to produce a video explaining why they wanted to be considered for the position. We received four very different and thoughtful videos, which were voted on by students in Imperial tutor groups. The students who competed against each other were Alisha , Isabel, Mussadaq and Sean. We are very proud to announce that this year’s College Captain is Isabel. Students have also been using mindfulness practice, which can Warwick be described as ‘Paying more attention to the present moment Resilience is brilliance! – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around Warwick you’ in the aim to help them Are improve their mental wellbeing. Resilient Winning Inspirational Creative Knowledgeable

We had a brilliant number of applicants for the Warwick College Captain this year! Well done to all those who applied, it has been a really hard task to narrow it down. The four students, Imaan, Mara, Thomas and Oliver were progressed to the next stage of the application process where they needed to produce a 2-minute video spelling out their vision for Warwick College. The four were narrowed down to one final winner and this was decided by the rest of the College during tutor time, where they got to vote for their favourite.

I am really proud to announce, and looking forward to working with the winning candidate, Mara, and implementing her vision in our fantastic College. #goldnotyellow

5 YR 10 STUDENT EXCHANGE

Year 10 Students from Swindon Academy and Marlborough College ONE MINUTE READ took part in an exchange over two days in October. The students experienced ‘’life in each other’s shoes’’. On day one, Marlborough College students attended lessons at the Academy with their ‘Buddy’ WWT 2019 and experienced life at Swindon Academy. In the evening, the students changed from uniform into casual clothes and after a busy day at school had their appetites sated by huge helpings of pizza, sides and ice cream at Pizza Hut, with some students from SA even taking the leftover pizza home! After the pizza students were taken bowling at a local Ten Pin Bowling alley. Teenagers, being teenagers, took this time to catch up on social media and chat. The standard of bowling varied across everyone and it was not possible to tell who were Marlborough College students were and who were Swindon Academy students.

On Day 2, Swindon Academy students went to Marlborough College and attended lessons alongside their counterparts. The day ended with a House competition, an acapella singing contest, which our students attended until about 8pm. The buzz in the minibus as they returned to the Academy was fantastic, with students regaling all sorts of stories. Students thought that the experience was good and that it Wildlife Trust is again would benefit them in coming years. supporting Swindon Academy and together we will be running a termly programme this year to support more students. Students will also be supported by our new Year 10 WWT/ Swindon Academy mentors who had their own day of training to support others and pass on their own knowledge.

Activities that students have the opportunity to get involved with alongside WWT include shelter building, fire making and camp cooking, woodland work, identifying wildlife and vegetable gardening. EXAM WEEK

Swindon Academy welcomes our new Exams Officer, Mrs Sharon Loveday. The first of the 2019 -20 exam season started with our internal CEAT 1 (coursework, assessments, examinations and tests) for students in Years 11, 12 and 13. These assessments are important for students to practise their techniques and skills in readiness for the final exams at the end of their courses and are supervised by external invigilators.

Students took these exams in the sports hall; the results of these will be used to report attainment and progress, alongside student learning behaviours and will be used by subject staff to identify knowledge gaps. For our new Year 12 students, these exams give an indication of how students have settled into their courses and for Year 13 will give an indication of grades which will help inform the Higher Education UCAS process.

6 GRAMMAR STREAM UPDATE

We’ve been very impressed by the way in which the Year 7 Grammar Stream students have settled in and begun to work hard together in their classes. They have spent their first term learning Latin at Marlborough College and have also had the opportunity to visit the library there whilst on an extended visit. Whilst at the library, students took part in an exciting quiz to help them understand how a library works. They then had a lovely meal in the great Norwood Hall before returning home.

Year 8 have continued to enjoy their lessons in both Classics and Latin. After half term they will go in small groups on a residential at Marlborough College. Whilst they are there they will take part in some team building activities.

In November, Year 9 will be going to Marlborough College to carry out more in-depth science experiments in Physics, some will also have the opportunity to stay over at Marlborough College.

Year 10 students on the Marlborough and Cambridge project had the opportunity to attend a formal dinner at Marlborough with students from Marlborough College and their teachers. I would like to congratulate Angel Ji for a well thought out and informative after dinner speech. EXPLORER DOME - CELLS

Explorer Dome came to Swindon Academy on the 2nd October to put on a show for Year 7 about the wonders of the cell and its many forms. Students had the chance be transported inside the cell and see what it is made up of! Diving deeper into the cell, students discovered where genetic information is stored and learned how only four bases make up the long strands of DNA.

They were amazed to discover the many different types of cells that make up the human body, from red and white blood cells all the way to including bacteria. A definite favourite moment, much to the students disgust and surprise, was when the presenters produced a ‘real-life’ poo (showing how much bacteria comes out of the body, not just to gross the students out). Other highlights included learning about Dolly the sheep, with students asking whether we could use cloning to repopulate the Earth. Overall, Year 7 came away from the show excited to learn more about cells and amazed at how such a small thing can have such a big impact on their life! UNIFORM/EQUIPMENT REMINDER

It’s important that students are ready for school every day. Please make sure your son / daughter comes to school ready for learning. This will mean they have everything they need and will avoid getting a detention. If they forget something they can come to R12 before 8.15am to borrow any item/s they have missing. Every day they need a bag, a pencil case, and any prep that is due in.

Please ensure that you son / daughter is wearing the correct uniform, full details are available on our website at: https://www.swindon-academy.org/secondary/

7 GET TO KNOW OUR NEW STAFF

8 GET TO KNOW OUR NEW STAFF

9 SPORTING NEWS

Girls’ PE The start of the netball season has been yet another success. The first training session saw over 60 girls from Years 7-11 turn out for team selection. This number has remained high as the training sessions have progressed, which is a great commitment from the girls with interest and enthusiasm for netball growing in popularity.

The Year 7 girls have had a great start to their netball matches. They played their first match against , winning 5-1. Alana has been an excellent centre, feeding the ball into the shooting circle well and giving her players numerous shooting opportunities. In defence, Kitty and Haneen defended the goal extremely well, only letting a single goal in the entire match. The Year 7 team have plenty more matches through to Christmas and we look forward to many more wins and excellent displays of teamwork.

The Year 8 girls have remained together as a strong team since Year 7, some of which have now gone on to join Pinehurst Netball Club. The Year 8 team drew their first game with Nova Hreod Academy, with Ruby achieving Player of the Match. There were some fabulous displays of high-quality netball, and the defensive pressure from Mia and Sienna was outstanding.

The U16 team made up of Year 10/11 girls saw a strong start with a close match against a strong Nova Hreod side. The girls remained consistent and strong on court with Caroline feeding well into the shooting circle to her goal shooter who shot perfectly each time. Their recent match at Nova Hreod was a loss, but the game was closely fought throughout. We look forward to cheering them on against in a few weeks.

Boys’ PE The boys have shown continued commitment to rugby training and fixtures in the first few weeks of this term. We have had fantastic numbers of students, from all year groups, turn up to training sessions. The Year 7 boys have already had one fixture against Nova Hreod Academy; for most of these students it was their first time playing outside of lessons. It was a hard-fought game however Nova just came out on top, scoring 3 tries against our 2. Their second game was against another really strong side at Kingsdown. After another really strong performance the boys were pipped by just one try. There were plenty of positives to take from the game and into their upcoming fixtures. Special mentions go to Pedro, Ianis and Josh.

Year 8 boys have also had a fixture against a very organised Nova Hreod side. The boys got really stuck in with some fantastic tackling from Dylan. It was a really positive game with some moments of brilliance from Brooklyn and Evander scoring a try apiece. After their first game the boys were really desperate to get a win under their belts and they didn’t have to wait long! They played Kingsdown the following week and came out on top, 30-20!

Again, all the boys put in a great performance and were far more organised. Special mentions to Nico for his fantastically quick feet, Taylor and Igor.

10 ARMY CADETS OPPORTUNITIES

Did you know that we have our own Army Cadet detachment at Swindon TWO MINUTE READ Academy that meets every Wednesday night from 7-9 pm? Richy G Success! Joining the Army Cadets will give you access to a wide range of exciting activities. From adventurous training (AT) such as kayaking, mountain biking and abseiling to military-themed activities including shooting, fieldcraft and skill at arms, as well as training in first aid, you'll get the chance to discover lots of new experiences. All of the opportunities on offer will help you During the summer holidays of to develop new skills, build confidence 2019, Year 13 music and drama and most importantly, have fun. student, Richard Gambrill, took part in the 2019 summer project As well as our weekly detachment production of Chitty Chitty Bang parade nights, you can take part in Bang at The Wyvern Theatre. regular weekend camps, held at our We were very proud to learn Cadet Training Centre near Tilshead. that following a successful The highlight of our year is Annual Camp, where the interview he was accepted to whole county meets together and you will have the work as part of the technical chance to put all your training to good use in a range crew during which time he of fun and challenging activities. learnt many new skills and how to be part of a stage crew. If you are in Year 8 and above and want to join in, please get in touch with Mr Warren. [email protected] Richard was nominated for an award and had the opportunity to work alongside Shirley Ludford from Swindon 105.5 FM. Due to his hard work, he has This academic year has seen since been offered the Swindon+ rebranded as Well- opportunity to study at Swindon Being Activities. The rich and 105.5FM during October half broad offering of clubs after term on a new radio project school aims to enrich the course. Richard said “The expe- education of our students but rience was amazing, and I am also develop their physical, hoping I can do it again next social and emotional well- year. “ being. Congratulations Richy G! We are This term has seen 32 clubs on offer to all very proud of your students, which include Science Experiment achievements. Club, Martial Arts, Samba Sounds and Art Club. Well-Being Activities information can be found on Epraise in the community section under ‘Get Involved’, programme booklets are also displayed on tutor noticeboards, on the school website at https://www.swindon- academy.org/secondary/extra-curricular and can be obtained from the student window at students’ services.

Have a look through the activities and try something new today!

11 Bedrock Vocabulary Prep has officially launched at Swindon Academy!

Bedrock Vocabulary has officially launched at Swindon Academy this term! An impressive, 725 students have logged on and started completing their lessons and learning new vocabulary. Students actually need to have a vocabulary size between 50,000 to 70,000 words by the age of 17 to be successful in exams and life in general. This is why completing the Bedrock Vocabulary prep every week is important. We have been so impressed with how students have engaged with the website; some students have already completed 13 lessons so far this term! Danny Newman, a Year 7 student in Imperial May, is currently top of the progress leader board for the whole school. Well done also to the Bedrock Vocabulary Progress Top 5 students in Cambridge College as they are currently in first place in the 1 Danny Newman IM May Bedrock Champions College Competition! 2 Joshua Fernandes WA Calderbank 3 Jamie Brant CA Priestly Top Tips for Supporting Students with Bedrock Vocabulary Prep: 4 Annalise Burry BA William • Remind students that they must do two lessons every week. 5 Malaika De Souza WA Fine • Remind students they need to do their homework early due to the 48 drip feed. • Make sure students use Google Chrome browser to avoid technical difficulties. • Check your students use headphones to listen to the lessons. • Ask students which words they have mastered and praise them for using them.

Reading at Swindon Academy

Every student is expected to read for 20 minutes every day. These are some of the ways we have been encouraging students to read.

Summer Reading Bingo Thank you to all the staff and students who took part in this year’s challenge. It was fantastic to see such a range of books being read. Over 200 more books were taken out of the library over the summer than the year before.

Grammar Stream Reading Launch On 18th September, Mrs Hendra and Mrs Dodsworth launched the Grammar Stream Reading Challenge with students and parents. Students received as a copy of The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz as a gift to start them on their reading journey this year.

Book Buzz All students in Year 7 have chosen their free book in conjunction with the Book Buzz scheme which is a reading programme from BookTrust which aims to promote a love of reading. Students were extremely excited to choose their books and they will receive them after half term.

12 YEAR 11 FINAL YEAR Year 11 have now started their final year in school. The year will pass ONE MINUTE READ quickly so it’s important that they focus on their studies and take every opportunity given to them.

Students will have the opportunity to attend the Prom, the Leavers’ School Show News Ceremony and Reward Trip if they meet the criteria that was shared with them in September. We hope to celebrate with as many Year 11 students as possible.

The Year 11 Prefects and College Captains have started planning of the Prom, Hoodies and the Year Book, which will be available to buy towards the end of the year. Approximate costs are: Prom £35 (700 EPO), Hoodie £20 (400 EPO) and Year Book £10 (200 EPO). Points will be issued for attendance at revision sessions. Key Dates for Year 11 diaries: • Exams Start - Thursday 11th May • Exams Finish - Wednesday 24th June • Leavers Ceremony - Monday 29th June We are delighted to announce • Reward Trip - Tuesday 30th June that our next full-scale school • Prom - Thursday 2nd July (Double Tree Hilton, arrival from 6.30pm) musical production is going to be • Exam Results - Thursday 20th August THE NEXT GENERATION SCHOOL OF ROCK. Auditions have taken We are looking forward to working with Year 11 and supporting them to place; the cast list has been work hard and achieve the results they deserve. We also look forward to announced and rehearsals are in celebrating with them at the end of the year. full swing in the Performing Arts Department. The show is scheduled to take place on the 11th and 12th February 2020. Tickets will be on sale nearer the time. Be prepared to be rocked!

THE VALUE OF PREP

Swindon Academy students have made a fantastic start to the year by completing some exemplary prep work. During the last academic year 98.5% of students completed their prep on time and to a high standard. Please encourage your child to do their prep work, below are many ways that doing prep benefits your child.

Prep: • teaches students about time management. • teaches students how to set priorities. • helps teachers determine how well the lessons are being understood by their students. • teaches students how to problem solve. • gives student another opportunity to review class material. • gives parents a chance to see what is being learned in school. • teaches students how to take responsibility for their part in their education. • teaches students to work independently. • teaches students the importance of planning, staying organized, and taking action.

A new prep timetable is will be issued for term 2, this will be available on the website and a paper copy will be given to all students when we return from the half term break. 13 CAN YOU HELP ‘SAVE A FRIEND’?

Swindon Academy is working in partnership with Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire Police to launch an important initiative to help your child called “Save a Friend”.

We are focusing on how children can help a friend if they think they are at risk of being exploited, are making bad/risky decisions or feel they need to carry a weapon and also to help themselves. We are helping children realise the dangers of getting involved in this type activity, how it impacts on their long-term outcomes, the obvious risks to their health and wellbeing and how they can sign post their friend or themselves to agencies who can help them.

Young people’s lives are being lost and children are being exploited by very well organised county line gangs. It is time for us all to stand up and say, “not in our town”. Although it is only a minority of children who end up engaging in risky and dangerous behaviours, we believe that educating all children will help protect those few who are at risk, and we are supporting pupils to be able to make positive choices.

We have involved pupils in a range of activities designed to education and support them, such as: PSHE lessons for all year groups, assemblies, an Escape Room experience and talks from Josh Connelly for Years 9 and 10.

More information on the Save a Friend campaign and how parents can help protect their child can be found on our website at: https://www.swindon-academy.org/academic- information/safeguarding ATTENDANCE UPDATE

At Swindon Academy, we expect all students to attend regularly to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them. Regular school attendance and educational attainment are inextricably linked.

We recognise that regular attendance at school is essential for good learning and continual progress and ensures that students get the best possible outcomes from their period in compulsory education.

We expect all of our students to aspire to 100% attendance and appreciate the full support of parents and carers in encouraging this.

14 SIXTH FORM NEWS

As the first term draws to an end at United College Sixth Form, there has been lots of exciting things to reflect on. Year 12 students visited their first Russell Group university at Cardiff, have been to lectures at Marlborough College and attended Safe Drive, Stay Alive at Greenbridge Cinema. Students took part in College Competitions each week and enjoyed hearing from a number of guest speakers.

Year 13 students are currently exploring their futures and are in the middle of applying to university and researching apprenticeships. Once again, we have students applying to study Medicine and Law, and also students applying to Cambridge University.

Term 2 is shaping up to be a competitive one, with the second staff v sixth form football match, scheduled to be played in November. Last time the Sixth Form students won 6-5, but this year the teachers fancy their chances a little bit more. Also in term 2, United College Sixth Form will host its first ever Year 12 v Year 13 basketball match. Both year groups are confident they have the skill and ability to win, so it’s shaping up to be an exciting contest!

On Tuesday 5th November we will be holding our Sixth Form Open Evening where students and parents can come and learn about the exciting opportunities available to them in the Sixth Form. It will be a great chance to discuss with teachers what Sixth Form lessons are like and find out how Sixth Form is different to lower school and what student life will be like. The Open Evening starts at 6.00pm; all parents and students are welcome, both from Swindon Academy and Nova Hreod Academy, as well as other schools in Swindon.

15 INSTRUMENTAL PROGRAMMES We continue to see a rise in the number of students learning to play a musical instrument and/or developing singing skills. Over 100 students take these How To Contact Us: additional lessons, which are offered once a week and are heavily subsidised.

The list below is by no means an We ask for a nominal contribution from parents, which can be paid annually or exhaustive one. We hope it is a useful in 3 instalments. signpost as to who to contact within We have a highly skilled team of music teachers from Swindon Music the academy. If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Co-operative working with students on a weekly basis, delivering specialist instrumental tuition and providing performance and exam opportunities. Our Please feel free to contact the successful instrumental programme is now in its fifth year and incorporates switchboard at the number below. students from Years 5 - 13. Lessons are provided on a first-come, first-served Alternatively, to speak to Karen basis. For further details and an application form, please contact Miss Stokes, Secondary Headteacher, email Matthews at [email protected] or students can collect a Ms Stokes directly at letter and application form from the music department. [email protected] or call her PA, Sally Hadaway, on Thanks go to our team of teachers for their hard work and enthusiasm, as a 01793 426957 and she will return result of which our students are making great progress: Tracy Warner, Lauraine your call as swiftly as possible. Phelan, Rebecca Bates, Mark Lodge, Deborah Lovell, Hannah Kerry, Martin

Academy Reception: 01793 426900 Ranscombe and Alicia Rendle.

Student Support and Development team - use this number if you have an urgent message to get to your child or to contact Mrs Drinkwater (Senior Assistant Principal): 01793 426908

Attendance: 01793 425973

Inclusion – to contact Mrs Lawrence (Senior Vice Principal): 01793 426949

Curriculum and Teacher Development Team – to contact Mrs Thompson (Senior Assistant Principal) or Mrs Jordan (Vice Principal): 01793 426955 , Mrs Knowlton (Assistant Principal) and Ms Hendra (Assistant Principal) 01793 426928

Sixth Form Team – to contact Mr Lewis: 01793 426930

Bath College Manager – Cat Roberts: 01793 426917

Cambridge College Manager - Sharon For the new academic year, we have invested efforts into implementing a new Aplin: 01793 426980 careers platform for students to utilize to help them make informed decisions

Imperial College Manager - Vacancy: about their futures. Throughout term 1, every student has registered their 01793 426989 account on Career Pilot and will be making use of the features available during PSHE lessons. They can also access the site from home to research colleges, Warwick College Manager - Becky apprenticeships, universities and take part in quizzes which help them see Harding: 01793 426982 where they skills could link well to job roles.

Swindon Academy, Beech Avenue, There is a parent site available should you have any questions about how best Swindon, SN2 1JR to support your son/daughter with choosing GCSE subjects, information on apprenticeships, planning for university and other important topics. To access Tel: 01793 426900 the Parent Zone, please go to: www.careerpilot.org.uk – and click the button in Fax: 01793 426901 the top left corner. Web: www.swindon-academy.org Email: [email protected] If you have any questions about Career Pilot, please contact our Careers Twitter: @SwindonAcademy1 Coordinator on [email protected] 16