Bedford Academy Summer 2016 Sports Day See Page 9
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Bedford Highlights Academy News and Views from Bedford Academy Summer 2016 Sports Day See page 9 Inside this issue: • Robot Wars • Geography Trip to Kingswood • Careers Fair 2016 Welcome End of Year Message from the Principal, Mrs Smith. It’s hard to believe that another academic year is drawing to a close. As always the year has been busy with students having the opportunity to take part in an array of interesting and varied activities, visits and events, with some of the most recent showcased in this Newsletter. On the academic front we fully expect to build on last summer’s successful examination results in August. Our continued intense focus on intervention ensures every student has had the opportunity to realise their absolute full potential. Students have worked tremendously hard, with many attending extra revision sessions after school, at weekends and during the Easter and half-term breaks. The Academy staff have also worked hard in providing additional support and guidance during the build-up to exams and my thanks are extended to them. We look forward to receiving the results during the summer break and hope that they reflect the efforts of all involved. In September we will welcome our biggest ever intake of Year 7 students and this term has been busy with New Beginning sessions and Transition Days. These activities have proved extremely popular with our new students who are excited about joining the Academy. In the meantime I wish everyone a good summer break and look forward to welcoming existing and new students and their families back in September. Mrs Smith, Principal. School’s out for summer! It’s been a jam packed term and now the kids have a long summer holiday! There will be lots of events happening not only in Bedford but across the entire county and hopefully with the great British sunshine doing it’s bit… you can make the most of it! Check out these websites for great places to visit and fun things to do with the kids: www.primarytimes.net; www.familiesonline.co.uk; www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk and www.teendaysout.co.uk With sunny evenings and no school, it’s something that has happened online… of where you can access sexual health advice natural to let your child stay up later, out be prepared to discuss matters together. and for support to raise the issue, please visit for longer and have a bit more freedom. Visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk for more www.nhs.uk once on the page click through But here’s a few tips to ensure you all have information. to Live Well then Sexual Health. a great summer holiday: • Keep up to date with community events, Summer holidays are a time where young • Consequences still apply, as do your rules. public information announcements and safety people test the boundaries and experiment, If you have requested that your child do a advice via www.bedfordshire.police.uk. this is normal. Making mistakes and getting particular task, be in at a certain time or help • If under 18, it is illegal to drink alcohol or into hot water is one of life’s lessons. out around the house and they do not, apply purchase alcohol for those under the legal Prepare your child as best you can and these the same consequences they would have age to consume. Please don’t be backed instances should lessen. Be on hand to offer during the school term. Consistency is key. into a corner by your teen asking to get a unconditional positive regard, show your child • Get to know your child’s friends’ parents, few bottles in for parties or get togethers. that they are loved despite the mistakes and especially if they seem to be hanging In addition the Law around ’legal highs’ has that they are listened to and valued. It won’t around together more often or are sleeping changed and it is now illegal to produce, always come naturally but for further support over. Maybe go for a coffee together and supply or import the substances for human Relate Luton and Beds are available on swap numbers, show the kids you are consumption. This includes giving them away 01234 356 350. communicating to keep them safe. to friends. These substances are dangerous Please don’t forget, you can always contact me at • Laptops, mobiles and tablets still need and should be avoided at all costs. School on 01234 301500 ext 703 or by email: monitoring, late night conversations don’t For more info about substances visit: [email protected]. always end well. Ensure your child is safe www.talktofrank.com. Follow me on twitter for handy hints, online and if posting messages or pictures, • Budding relationships can move quickly employment news, benefits help and lots more! that there are no legal repercussions. during the summer holidays and your teen @BA_Families Additionally, if your child seems upset after may have questions, to ensure you are aware 02 Highlights - Summer 2016 New Beginnings Sessions News As part of our transition process for Year 6’s into Year 7 we have run a series of ‘New Beginning’ sessions at the Academy, every Thursday in June. Kacper successfully These sessions offer our new intake the • Trampolining and Tennis secures a Nuffield opportunity to get involved in some • Comms Superheroes enrichment sessions, run by Village staff to • Origami Research Placement give them a taste of what life will be like The New Beginnings activities have allowed Congratulations to Year 12 student at the Academy. students to meet staff that will be teaching Kacper Przybycien who has been The sessions have been really well attended by them next year and integrate with students awarded a coveted Nuffield Research the primary students, with over 160 students from other schools before their transition Placement making their way to Bedford Academy every days take place on Thursday 7th and Friday Thursday. Academy teaching staff have run 8th July. We have a record number of This means that Kacper will be completing some fantastic sessions in the Villages such as: students joining us in Year 7 next year and a 4 week research project as part of the • Mod Rock Volcanoes look forward to welcoming each and every engineering department at Cranfield • Science Flame Test one of them to Bedford Academy. University over his summer break. Kacper will have the opportunity to work alongside professional scientists, engineers, technicians and mathematicians whilst completing this academically challenging project. He will then write up his findings into a scientific paper which he will present at a celebration event in October. Kacper has fought off stiff competition for this place and is one of only 22 pupils on the scheme in the county. The experience he will gain is invaluable and will stand him in good stead for applying to university in September. We hope Kacper will share his experiences as a Nuffield student to next year’s Year 12 Robot Wars! cohort and wish him the very best of luck A group of Year 12 physics students worked extremely hard at the beginning on his placement. of the term to build a robot. This was all part of the Lockheed Martin schools. It was a tense day but it all ended “Great EggScape 2016” inter school with an unbelievable win! competition. The team worked tirelessly The final rankings were: after school almost every day to build and program a working robot to rescue 4. Kimberly College an egg from a prison. 3. Samuel Whitbread The competition culminated with the team 2. Mark Rutherford taking their ‘bot’ to the Lockheed Martin 1. BEDFORD ACADEMY Well done Miss Town! site where they competed against 3 other Sarah Town, Learning Support Assistant at Bedford Academy has been asked to represent England Lions Dodgeball at the upcoming Inaugural World Cup and we wish her every success. In addition to this, one of our students, Jayden Edmunds, has recently been attending a series of community dodgeball sessions run by other members of the England squad, and he is representing the school fantastically and developing into quite a promising dodgeball player. Keep up the good work Jayden. Uniform Pop Up Shop The Uniform Pop Up Shop will be open in the If you are unable to make these dates and you require Academy on the following dates: uniform for the start of the Autumn term, then simply Thursday 25th August 12.00pm – 3.00pm order online from our uniform page on our academy Monday 5th September 12.00pm – 3.00pm website www.bedfordacademy.co.uk. Highlights - Summer 2016 03 Communications Beat the Summer Brain Drain and join in the ILC Summer News from the ILC Challenge There is substantial evidence that This has been a busy year for the ILC. We have established different students can lose up to three months zones within the ILC to ensure that all students are able to read of reading progress over the summer or work in a quiet place with an extensive range of resources break and this loss has long-term effects. available to them. One of the most notable differences has been that To counter this we are launching an ILC lunchtimes have been designated as a Quiet Study Zone. This means Summer Challenge to all students. There that students can read, study and work independently and quietly. will be prizes and rewards on offer during the first two weeks of the new We have listened to our students and successful with all students making good term in September. Further information extended the range of texts that we have progress – well done for working so hard.