Sports Day 2018 See Page 09
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Bedford Highlights Academy News and Views from Bedford Academy Summer 2018 Sports Day 2018 See page 09 Inside this issue: • Class of 2018 • Bedford Academy • Follow the Careers School Prom pg 4 Alumni pg 12 Bears pg 15 Welcome A message from Bedford Academy Head Teacher, Mr McGregor It is incredible that we are at the end of another academic year and enjoying the events and celebrations that punctuate our final half term. We are looking forward to enjoying the Sports Awards Evening, Access Oscars and our end of year rewards trip, to name but a few. We have had an elongated exam period with students from Years 9 to 13 sitting a range of exams over a 6 week period. We are hugely proud of how our students have engaged with these exams and look forward to celebrating another successful set of results in August. As you are aware, I am moving on in the summer holidays to take on a new challenge at a secondary school in Derby. This is a decision that is based on what is best for my young family and I will miss both the staff and students of Bedford Academy immensely. It truly is a special place and it is the daily energy and enthusiasm that permeates all that we do that will be my abiding memory of the school. I have enjoyed working alongside our amazing students over the 14 years that I have been in the area and have also enjoyed getting to know you all as parents and carers, as we have worked together to ensure that education impacts positively on young lives. I wish you all the best for the future and hope to see many of you at different events prior to my departure in July. Mr McGregor, Head Teacher Introducing Chris Deller – Head of School Firstly I would like to say how proud I am to be appointed Head of School for Bedford Academy. I have been a part of the Academy’s development and improvement for the past 7 years and feel I am well placed to drive the school forward with the support of the students, parents and staff. My first term will have a simple focus; to improve the learning environment around the building and in classrooms. This will mean a consistently firm but fair approach to the basics – uniform, attendance, punctuality and positive behaviour. It is no secret that we have made significant changes to the structure of the school day and students and staff have responded well. These changes have been completely student-focussed and will have significant impact on the quality of teaching and the student’s engagement in their curriculum lessons. Our new Pastoral staff, including our Heads of Year team, have settled in well to their new roles and their main objective from now on is to know their Year group on an individual basis, forming strong relationships and supporting students through the daily challenges they face as young people. We have several exciting developments that will be launched in September, a new look student Voice team and student rewards system; I will also be looking for volunteers to help develop our Parent Voice. Finally, I hope you all have a fantastic summer whatever you have planned and look forward to welcoming our students back in September, refreshed and raring to go. Chris Deller, Head of School 02 Highlights - Summer 2018 Bedford Academy hosts News Chinese student visit Over the last 7 weeks we have had the pleasure of hosting 13 Chinese students and their teacher as part of an international education experience programme. Head Boy The students came to Bedford Academy Intelligence). They have worked closely with in May wanting to gain experience within a Year 7 buddy who has supported them an English classroom setting and to be through the programme and enjoyed sharing integrated into lessons. The students their own experiences together. The Chinese were very excited when they started and students have thoroughly enjoyed being at throughout the 7 weeks with us have shown Bedford Academy and will miss the students, many traits of Bedford Academy character teachers and general positive atmosphere at (Grit, Optimism, Curiosity and Social Bedford Academy. Schools out for summer! It’s been a jam-packed term and now the kids together and swap numbers, show the kids www.talktofrank.com have a long summer holiday! There will be you are communicating to keep them safe. • Budding relationships can move quickly lots of events happening, not only in Bedford • Laptops, mobiles and tablets still need during the summer holidays and your but across the entire county, and hopefully monitoring, late night conversations don’t teen may have questions. To ensure you with the great British sunshine doing it’s bit always end well. Ensure your child is safe are aware of where you can access sexual you can make the most of it! Check out online and, if posting messages or pictures, health advice and for support to raise the these websites for great places to visit and that there are no legal repercussions. issue, please visit www.nhs.uk fun things to do with the kids: Additionally, if your child seems upset after Once on the page click through to Live • www.primarytimes.net; something that has happened online… Well then Sexual Health. • www.familiesonline.co.uk be prepared to discuss matters together. Summer holidays are a time where young • www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk Visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk for more people test the boundaries and experiment, • www.teendaysout.co.uk information. this is normal. Making mistakes and getting With sunny evenings and no school, it’s • Keep up to date with community events, into hot water is one of life’s lessons. natural to let your child stay up later, out for public information announcements and Prepare your child as best you can and these longer and have a bit more freedom. But safety advice via www.bedfordshire. instances should lessen. Be on hand to offer here’s a few tips to ensure you all have a police.uk unconditional positive regard, show your great summer holiday: • If under 18, it is illegal to drink alcohol or child that they are loved despite the mistakes • Consequences still apply, as do your rules. purchase alcohol for those under the legal and that they are listened to and valued. It If you have requested that your child do age to consume. Please don’t be backed won’t always come naturally but for further a particular task, be in at a certain time into a corner by your teen asking to get a support Relate Luton and Beds are available or help out around the house and they few bottles in for parties or get-togethers. on 01234 356 350. do not, apply the same consequences In addition, the Law around ’legal highs’ has Please don’t forget, you can always they would have during the school term. changed and it is now illegal to produce, contact me at School on 01234 301500 Consistency is key. supply or import the substances for human ext 703 or by email: • Get to know your child’s friends’ parents, consumption. This includes giving them [email protected]. especially if they seem to be hanging away to friends. These substances are Follow me on twitter for handy hints, around together more often or are dangerous and should be avoided at all employment news, benefits help and lots sleeping over. Maybe go for a coffee costs. For more info about substances visit: more! @BA_Families Highlights - Summer 2018 03 News The Class of 2018 – Prom Extravaganza! It was an absolute pleasure to gather together an amazing, talented year group for one last time this month. Arriving in style and dressed to impress, every one of you. To our new Year 11s, the our Year 11s graduated as ‘Class of 2018’ game is afoot – now is your chance to be in an evening of elegance at their Prom, rewarded as class of 2019 for an equally held in the Sharnbrook Hotel. We saw the successful year of hard work. Knuckle highest ever turnout this year, with record down and look forward to an even bigger numbers of students and staff attending – a evening of extravagance next summer. testament to just how superb this Year 11 was and the high regards many of the staff held of them. We ate, we danced and we created a lasting memory of teamwork and character, qualities which this year exudes in abundance. The staff would like to wish Class of 2018 all the best in their future endeavours and we will miss each and School Uniform The aim of the programme is to develop Please be aware that we do not hold the mentoring skills of Bedford Academy uniform items for sale in the school, students, ease transition and build the therefore if you require any uniform learning skills of the younger students across for your child/children, this will need five enrichment sessions. We now look to be ordered via the online shop forward to welcoming the families of our linked to our website, https://www. successful mentors and the young students totalclothingshop.co.uk/bacad/. who participated to our celebration event. Back packs can be purchased from school The Rising Stars Programme, This is part of the Year 8s graduation from reception at £12.00 each. offered at Bedford Academy to the programme and the Year 6s graduation students across the local area, into the role of mentors. Please label all your child/children’s came to another successful close uniform, coats and bags so that if any In September we will begin our fourth items turn up in Lost Property they can this year with the Science and year and will welcome new Year 5s to the quickly be returned.