BELFAIRS ACADEMY News and Views SHAPING THE FUTURE Autumn 2019 A Level & GCSE Results Success
Update from the Principal / CEO Legra Trust What a wonderful autumn half term we have enjoyed. Any angst that Year 7 parents were feeling as their children transitioned from primary school to Belfairs has been dissipated. I am so pleased to see how settled the children are, both academically and joining in all the extra enrichment activities that are available for them. Our coffee and cake afternoon for year 7 parents was well attended and great positive feedback given on the hard work of staff, who have ensured that their children are making progress from the very first day.
Year 11 and Year 13 PPE’s will begin in November, with all the details on the website. Students will have been given revision materials before half term, and again all of these will be uploaded electronically online to SMHW.
A big thank you to all parents engaging with us on ensuring that attendance at school is excellent. We all know that if you are not here, you cannot learn. We all want the children to have amazing life chances and being at the academy will ensure this happens. It is great that attendance at our events held for parents are so well supported, as this sends a good message to your children.
Our Post 16 Open Evening was just a measure of our success with the best ever attendance. It was a packed out school which allowed us to showcase our great curriculum and offer that we give Post 16 students, with their own dedicated staff team to look after them.
Our building works continues to be on schedule and in the New Year we look forward to welcoming you to come and have a look around the amazing facilities. Enjoy the break with your families.
Mrs Williams Principal/CEO Legra Trust
Web :www.belfairsacademy.org.uk Follow us on Twitter : @BelfairsAcademy Instagram : @BelfairsAcademy
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BELFAIRS ACADEMY News Shaping the Future
Our annual Shaping the Future event was another great success. Our new year 7 students were welcomed to the academy by our Principal, Mrs Williams in their college assemblies and the whole academy participated in activities throughout the day to build their relationships both as a year group, and in their colleges families. We welcomed guest speakers Katy Pearson, Editor of Essex Living magazine and NHS staff from Southend Hospital; Physio Theresa Phillips and Medical Matron Ruth Gale. The students found their presentations very engaging and we are very grateful to our guest speaker for giving up their time to join us on what was an inspirational day for our students.
Web :www.belfairsacademy.org.uk Follow us on Twitter : @BelfairsAcademy Instagram : @BelfairsAcademy
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BELFAIRS ACADEMY News Boomerang Bag Initiative - Technology Textiles Club
This project was about engaging students with our local community, upcycling materials, reducing plastic consumption and fostering sustainable behaviour. The Boomerang Bag Incentive encourages community groups to make tote bags from donated materials and then place these in local retailers. Customers either take and use as a bag for life or borrow and return for other customers to make use of. Belfairs Textiles Club have got involved in the initiative and have made 10 Tote bags from donated materials. Students then donated these to The Refill Room in Leigh Broadway to help support the fight against the use of plastics in our town. The Refill Room were delighted to receive them!
Sports
We had brilliant attendance at the Inter College Football Tournament this term, with Endeavour College winning on goal difference.
Our Year 8 rugby team competed at the Essex rugby festival this term and the boys put in a very brave performance at the tournament. As always, the boys were a credit to the academy.
Four talented young ladies from years 8 and 9 came third in the Regional Tennis Finals. They played really well and their behaviour was we are so proud of them! Well done girls, you are a credit to Belfairs and we look forward to seeing you succeed again this year!
Web :www.belfairsacademy.org.uk Follow us on Twitter : @BelfairsAcademy Instagram : @BelfairsAcademy
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BELFAIRS ACADEMY News Music Department The music department took a small group of GCSE students to see the London Concert Orchestra play ‘License to Thrill’, a concert packed full of James Bond music.
Following a visit to a nearby restaurant, students attended the concert which included hits Diamonds are Forever, Goldfinger, From Russia with
Love, Live and Let Die, For Your Eyes Only, The Man with Our fantastic academy choir have the Golden Gun, Skyfall and been busy practicing for their next big Writing’s on the Wall, to name event… our Christmas Carol Concert! but a few! Students enjoyed Don’t forget to get the date in your dia- the amazing vocals from Tim ries ahead of the busy festive period— Howar and Louise Dearman! Thursday 12th December.
Art Department
Our talented GCSE Art students have been really creative this month, working on their Lino printing and making wallpaper! Well done to all our students who are really stretching themselves and working hard after school to ensure they achieve their best.
This month our year 10 Art students have been visiting Old Leigh as part of their GCSE coursework research development. Students have Students were treated to a been working on their Patterns in careers talk from Robyn Smith who Nature Project. designs jewellery for both We didn’t have great luck with Swarovski and Alex Monroe. They the weather, but all of the were given advice on how to students worked hard and got build their portfolios and the best some great sketches despite the courses to study in Higher wet and windy climate! Education.
Web :www.belfairsacademy.org.uk Follow us on Twitter : @BelfairsAcademy Instagram : @BelfairsAcademy
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BELFAIRS ACADEMY News
LRC - Reading Passport Challenge
I am delighted to say that we already have some amazing reading challenge achievers this half term. Congratulations to Year 7 students Beatrix, Daniel and Sidney who have already achieved their Blue, Red and Purple reading colours. Amelia, Joss and Ellie have also made great leaps in reading, collecting their Blue colours. This is such an amazing achievement by these students in their first half term at Belfairs. Congratulation to all the students that are on their way to achieving all their reading colours.
Beatrix Daniel & Sidney Amelia Joss Ellie Excellent Student Initiative Macmillan Coffee Morning
Well done to Miss Davis for organising our very suc- cessful Macmillan Coffee Morning. The academy raised over £450 for Macmillan Cancer Support! Thank you to all of our amazing staff and Post 16 students for baking cakes and their generosity when donating!
A huge congratulations to James and Daniel, Year 7 for being the first students this year to achieve the Excellent Student Award, and in a record breaking 1 half term! Well done boys! You’re amazing!
Every year , students who are successful in achieving their excellent student status are treated to a school trip to celebrate their achievements. For more information on the Excellent Student initiative, students can speak to their tutors.
Web :www.belfairsacademy.org.uk Follow us on Twitter : @BelfairsAcademy Instagram : @BelfairsAcademy
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BELFAIRS ACADEMY News
Post 16 Open Evening
Our Open Evening on the 7th October was attended by over 470 families all looking at Belfairs 6th form as a prospective future place to study for their sons and daughters. Thank you to all our parents of current Year 11 who braved the rain to attend! We are now accepting Post 16 Applications for September 2020 entry. Please find our brand new application form, alongside our Prospectus and
Course Guide here.
Revision Centre Dates for the Diary
NOVEMBER: Students at Belfairs want to go above and beyond with their learning. To facilitate this, we have Monday 4th November created an online platform for revision and 08:30 Return to academy after half term break additional work to stretch and challenge our young Wednesday 13th November people. 18:00 Parent Forum (Reporting & Assessment - all years) To access this, students can click here. Thursday 21st November
To log in, they will need their school email address 16:30 Year 7 Progress Evening ([email protected]) and Wednesday 27th November their usual password that they use to access the 16:00 Reports go home to parents academy network. DECEMBER: Wednesday 4th December 18:00 Parent Forum (Music GCSE) Lost Property Thursday 12th December 18:00 Christmas Carol Concert Lost Property is kept at Reception and in the PE Tuesday 17th & Wednesday 18th December office. Student Festive Lunch We have coats, PE kits, swimming kits, hats, Thursday 19th December
scarves, gloves, trainers, jewellery, pencil 12:55 Last day of term—early finish for students cases, glasses and keys all to be claimed. JANUARY: At the end of every term a lost property table is set up in the Heart Space – details are given Wednesday 8th January to students via tutors and an email is sent to 18:00 Parent Forum (Science—Year 11) parents containing information of when this is Thursday 9th January due to take place. 16:30 Year 11 Progress Evening
Web :www.belfairsacademy.org.uk Follow us on Twitter : @BelfairsAcademy Instagram : @BelfairsAcademy
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BELFAIRS ACADEMY News
Careers
A message from our Careers Lead, Mrs Rabone-King: As another academic year begins, I am excited to be offering a range of informative activities focussing on students in Years 11, 12 and 13, making their next steps from school to career. During the autumn term we held our flagship event—Shaping the Future. This event not only welcomes new students to their life at the academy, but also provides our young people with information on their future options. Year 11 attended one of a number of activities setting out their options for P16 and showing progression routes through education and training. Year 12 students were introduced to a ‘Why go to University’ session run by Higher Education Careers specialists; Make Happen and Southend University including information on Higher and Degree apprenticeships and inspiring students to start researching their P18 aspirations as early as possible underpinning the maxim, if you know where you are going the path is easier to follow. Year 13’s, having already looked into the Degree? Apprenticeship? Job? Questions, either paid a visit to Anglia Ruskin University to look at a sample lecture and get expert help with writing their personal statements, or attended an Apprenticeship Assessment Centre Experience run by Career Ready and the Adult Education Centre.
Year 12 Parent Information Evening In late September we held our Year 12 Parents information evening, this enables parents to see how they can best support their son or daughter through A Levels and L3 BTEC/CTEC studies and offers information about careers research and its importance.
Why is Careers important? Good career guidance helps inspire students towards further study and enables them to make informed decisions whenever choices are open to them. It helps them to understand enough about the world of work to know what skills they need to succeed. It is important for social mobility because it helps open students’ eyes to careers they may not have Photo: Year 12 Parents Information Evening considered.
At Belfairs: At Belfairs, we offer great opportunities for our students across all year groups which include: University trips, Apprenticeship experiences, mock interviews, work experience, our annual Careers, Community and Trades Event, visiting speakers from business, industry and work sectors, workshops, information through subjects, values lessons and tutor times. All staff at Belfairs Academy are aware of the importance of careers information and subjects include relative careers information in a number of their lessons throughout each academic year. On our website you will find our Careers Policy, Local Labour Market Information, ‘How to use’ Kudos – our computer aided interest guide for careers research, and a link to useful websites.
Year 9 & Year 13 students sample Year 12 students prepare to debate a Year 13 students sampling the workings of a Seaport using Corporate Law Suit at Barclays Legal, University life at ARU Chelmsford Virtual Reality Canary Wharf
Web :www.belfairsacademy.org.uk Follow us on Twitter : @BelfairsAcademy Instagram : @BelfairsAcademy
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BELFAIRS ACADEMY News Enrichment
Enrichment Leaders: From September 2019, Belfairs has 3 Enrichment Leaders who are focusing on engaging our students in competitive activities and Inter College Tournaments. They are: Miss Tucker for Resolute, Mrs Burch for Endeavour and Mr Murphy for Defender. Our Enrichment Leaders have set off to an exciting start to the year, running events, competitions and promoting all of the extra-curricular opportunities available to our students. In every newsletter, our enrichment team will be sharing what they and our students have been up to at the academy and what is coming up! How to get involved: Enrichment activities are promoted via assemblies, our newsletters, social media and signage around the academy. Students can get involved by speaking to any of the Enrichment Leaders and singing up to the activities with them. Every Friday, Enrichment Leaders can be found in the heart space at lunch time to answer any questions you may have and talk to you about any upcoming events.
Highlights from this term: This term we have had a range of enrichment opportunities open for students from pumpkin carving competitions to the baked bean challenge, students have been engaging with all there is to offer at Belfairs. Every Friday students have enjoyed competing in their colleges for the Fun Friday Challenge, winning value points for their successes. There has been an abundance of success in Sports across inter-college tournaments and regional tournaments too. We look forward to seeing lots of new faces at our enrichment events next term, see the calendar for all the details of upcoming events to get involved in!
Enrichment Calendar
November December · Fri 8th 15:00—Poppy Making for Remembrance Day · Year 7 & 8 DISCO—Date TBC!
· Fri 8th 15:00—Deadline for Inter-college Book Cover Fun Friday Challenges: (more TBC) Competition (LRC) · Guess the weight of the turkey · Mon 11th 08:40—Deadline for Christmas Tree Topper · How many baubles on the academy Christmas Entries (6F03) tree? · Wednes 20th 14:45—Maths Madness (3G09) · Skipping · Tues 26th 14:45—Inter-College Badminton (Sports Hall) · Dingbats
Web :www.belfairsacademy.org.uk Follow us on Twitter : @BelfairsAcademy Instagram : @BelfairsAcademy
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