Welcome from the Principal of Bluecoat Aspley Academy
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Winter 2017 The news magazine of Update Bluecoat Aspley Academy Form have delivered another set of enhance our CPL and collaboration across Welcome from the exceptional results. With a 10% increase in the city and county. the outcomes for students passing English During the term we have also had our and Maths, as well as a positive Progress 8 Principal of Bluecoat Festival of Learning which focussed around score, all of our student groups including our literacy theme and due to its success we those who are disadvantaged, those who will also be having another Festival relating Aspley Academy have English as an Additional Language and to behaviour for learning on 28th June. those who have special educational needs This term has seen the introduction Please note that this means an additional achieved above the national average for all of Bluecoat Aspley Academy, when Inset day in the Summer Term. The Academy students. This is certainly something to will not be open for students on Thursday on 1st October 2017 Bluecoat celebrate as a family which includes 28th June and Friday 29th June. Academy was split into Bluecoat everyone who supports our young people, Wollaton Academy, Bluecoat staff, parents and the wider community. Bluecoat Aspley Academy’s sports day is on Thursday 21st June. Primary Academy and our own During November our SCITT team have Bluecoat Aspley Academy. received a good rating from Ofsted. The At the start of the new academic year we SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher welcomed Reverend Annabel to the family This does mean that we are able to focus on Training) has over 30 trainee teachers who and we held her commissioning service in the priorities and needs for our own site, as are currently training with us in 16 schools September. It was lovely to welcome her well as being able to continue to work across Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire officially to Bluecoat with David Picken - The alongside our colleagues within Archway and Derbyshire. This recognition of the hard Archdeacon of Newark, Rev’d Peter Huxtable Learning Trust. Our exam results from last work and dedication that the team carry out - Area Dean, Nottingham North Deanery, year have been recognised as ‘above is fantastic. We are also hoping to build on average’ in regards to national comparisons our success in the SCITT by becoming a at Key stage 4 and once again our Sixth teaching school which will allow us to Continued over www.bluecoataspley.co.uk Archway Learning Trust Update Winter 2017 Continued from front page Update Beyond the classroom Claire Meese - Diocesan Director of there are a series of plans for our English Education, Gordon Anderson - Chair of the and Maths blocks, as well as catering, Thank a Teacher Day Board of Trustees and a large selection of sports facilities and enhancements to the students who joined in this special service. Alfred Harrison building with an estimated final completion date of Summer 2020. The next term sees the launch of another During the building we are working with chapter in our history, i.e. the development Saturday 8th of July was the date of the second Bluecoat STEM Festival. the contractors to ensure that no learning and enhancement of our buildings. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and we had time is disrupted and this will continue to During the new term the building of the some fascinating shows, activities and demonstrations for primary students be a priority. An exciting time for Aspley! new Science block will commence, to be Thank you for your continued support. from across Nottingham. completed in Spring 2019. Following this Mrs Rowell - Principal Bluecoat Aspley We had demonstrations and displays very hard to power even a toaster from the Universities of Nottingham, using your own power!) and too Derby, Staffordshire and Nottingham many other activities to mention. Developing the Archway Learning Trust Trent as well as an amazing live By far the most inspiring part of the Archway Learning Trust is developing its Trustees and the Diocese show from Mad Science. Game City festival was the way in which family identity and to this end we are in a celebration evening. came along to do a programming Archway Bluecoat students came together to excited to tell you about some big plans Learning Trust activity, and we had fossils on display On Tuesday, 12th February create a day which reminded we have for the future. This summer we The influence of a good teacher – including some genuine dinosaur 2019 all of these events will culminate in a everyone who attended the most will be holding our first Archway Olympic lasts a lifetime. poo! Wates again supported the wonderful student celebration and important aspect of Science, Maths event at Harvey Hadden. This sporting event, leading the construction of a awards ceremony to be held at the Royal We want to raise the profile of the teaching and Technology learning – the fun extravaganza will involve students from giant pyramid and the Institute of Concert Hall where children from our profession, highlight the positive impact that results from having an across all our secondary academies on teachers and school leaders have in our Engineering and Technology’s torch primary and secondaries will gather with enquiring mind. Wednesday 27th June. society – with pupils, parents and the wider making activity was very popular. their parents and staff to celebrate their community, and show teachers how much Thank you to everyone who helped, On 14th June we will have a celebration of many incredible talents and GHD Environmental provided they are valued. including Bluecoat staff and all of those people who work hard to achievements. interactive fun, and the students students. Next year’s festival will be make our Trust such a success. We will be I will you all a very Happy 2018! To do this go to; could learn about water repellent even bigger and better! thanking our staff body and those who www.teachingawards.com/thank-a-teacher surfaces with the team from Mrs Hampton support us such as the Governors, Nottingham Trent. There were crime - CEO Dan Sandiford scenes, an exercise bike which STEM Coordinator measures power (it turns out to be Year 8 visit EngFest in London On the 19th October, 14 Year 8 students braved the 3 hour journey to London to attend the Institute of Technology and Engineer’s EngFest 2.0. Students attended workshops ranging from coding android mobile apps to engineering a suitable tube train track. Lunch was disturbed by a dancing robot however students had a good time looking at the exhibitors and getting lots of freebies. Students also got to see some famous landmarks from the IET on London’s South bank. Dr Meredith Come Alive with Science The ChemWorks Challenge. The Come Alive with Science trip on Thursday 19th July was A group of Year 10 students visited Nottingham Trent a superb opportunity for our year 10 students to work in a University in November for the ChemWorks Challenge Drone and jet engine in RAF lecture University Chemistry Lab. On Tuesday 7th November Form Lecture Theatre, which Students were shown how to year 8 were treated to a filmed them doing a The challenge, held at carry out a titration experiment fantastic show by the Royal Air Mexican wave! The talk Nottingham Trent University, to investigate the different Force about what it takes to concluded with a real jet engine was to make a sun tan lotion calcium carbonate have a career in the RAF and being fired up – to say it was using nanoparticles. The concentrations in water about the teamwork and loud is an understatement! I’m students then had to test samples. They used branded problem solving skills needed sure that the talk will have their product and present and own-brand filters to filter for Science and Technology inspired the students to think their findings to other their water samples and related careers. about a technology related schools, including an re-attempted the titration career. explanation of spf. The experiment to see which As well as a mind-bending Bluecoat students were filter was more effective. A demonstration of how a beach Mr Sandiford enthusiastic and really poster was then produced ball is held up by a stream of air, STEM Coordinator enjoyed the day. by each group for the day's the show explained the Physics findings. of flight. The students got to see Mr Sandiford a drone flying around the Sixth STEM Coordinator Miss Demosthenous believe in yourself, in others, in God 2 3 Update Beyond the classroom Update Beyond the classroom Sing City 2017: A number of students from different year groups entered Sing City 2017: This is an exciting local competition for singers aged 11-19 who attend Nottingham City secondary schools, academies & colleges. Well done to all those that entered Thirty-seven Year 8 geographers spent three days and three nights in and especially Anne-Marie Sanghera who Geography Field Trips the Brecon Beacons, Wales investigating the geography of the area. made it through to the finals! Mr Durnell Thursday afternoon headed back to the centre for a big hot mine and allowed us to go down into the Lessons finished at 2pm, the students meal and it was the turn of the next third pit and see what the conditions would gathered at school ready to be whisked off of students to spend their night out in the have been like. Some very knowledgeable I would like to say a massive well done to the to Wales by coach. After a quick stop to wild.