Aston Community Education Trust (ACET) Newsletter Issue No
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Aston Community Education Trust (ACET) Newsletter Issue No. 7, July 2014 Dear Parents / Carers will have seen over previous newsletters the many thousands of A MESSAGE FROM THE TRUSTEES pounds of government funding that the Trust has managed to OF ASTON COMMUNITY secure to improve roofs, windows and facilities. We are currently close to securing further funding to improve the heating sytems EDUCATION TRUST (ACET) at Aston Academy and have already secured funding for further The end of another school year is arriving rapidly and it is with improvements at Thurcroft Junior Academy. great pleasure that the Trustees look back on another very The Trustees (Jean Long, Roy Dyson, John Swift, Paul Bennett, successful year for the Trust. It is important at times to take a Eunice Newton and myself (John Barton)) hope you have a step back and look at what has been achieved. pleasant summer break; I am sure the new school year will come Our thanks to all the pupils and staff at both our academies. Our around only too soon. academic results over the past year have been very pleasing and John Barton – Chair of ACET all the indicators are positive that we should be looking forward confidently to further good results this summer. The results of our academies are not just about headline news and numbers, but about the individual achievements that make up those numbers. We set up ACET as a fully inclusive trust (see www.astoncetrust. org) because the trustees are passionate about every child being given the opportunity to achieve their best. Some of the most notable achievements at our recent ACET awards evenings were for those pupils who have achieved despite facing significant adversity. As you will know, we fully support the Rotherham Local Authority message that Every Child Matters. Our thanks also go to the premises and finance teams within the Trust. The Trust is fully responsible for all the building and land at our academies. We are therefore focused on ensuring they continue to develop year on year, thereby providing an ever improving school environment within which to learn. You OutstanOduintgstanding OutstanOduintgstanding ImproveImpenrotvement ProgresPsrogress SSASTSAT Award Award SSASTSAT Award Award 2011 2011 2011 2011 1 A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE PRINCIpaL As the young people of Aston and and conduct; Y9 and Y10 have laid excellent who joined Aston eight years ago; Assistant Thurcroft turn their thoughts to the foundations for their GCSE courses and Y12 are Headteacher, Gill Gibson, who has sixteen years’ looking forward to some impressive A/S results service at Aston; Linda Bower from the Business/ long summer holiday, with Academic this summer. Parents/carers of Y8 will no doubt, ICT faculty who has worked at Aston for forty Year 2013/2014 drawing to an end be filled with pride as they witness their children years and John Draycott, who has spent over on Friday, I would like to thank graduate from KS2 to KS3 on Thursday July 17th. forty years here, first of all attending Aston as a Students from Y11 and Y13 have had special student before returning as a teacher of Design and congratulate them for their leavers’ assemblies and proms, images of which are Technology, then as Head of Faculty and most commitment towards achieving included in this newsletter. They looked amazing recently as Assistant Headteacher. These four their academic and personal goals. and indeed they have been amazing students who staff have certainly made a positive difference to We are immensely proud of our pupils and we have really enjoyed having as members of our the lives of the thousands of young people whose students, who consistently do themselves, their community. We hope they receive the excellent learning they have influenced during their time families and their academy communities great results they deserve this summer and wish them all in education and they are to be commended for credit. They are polite and courteous; work the very best as they commence the next exciting their dedication and commitment. On behalf of all hard; behave well; are smart in their appearance stage of their lives. Of course, many of our Y11 members of the ACET community, I thank them and demonstrate pleasing consideration and students have chosen to join Aston Post 16 with for their contribution and wish them long, happy kindness towards others in the academy and its exciting new vision and drive for ever increasing and healthy retirements. wider community. This year they have raised over standards. We look forward with great enthusiasm Finally, a huge thank you to the pupils of Thurcroft, £10000 in fundraising events, making donations to welcoming these students again in September the students of Aston, all their parents/carers, to a variety of charities, including Help For Heroes, and sharing in their continuing success as they staff, governors and trustees from both academies Cancer UK, RSPCA, Children in Need and Bluebell prepare for university, training or employment. for your individual contributions during Academic Wood Hospice. Should you require advice about Post 16 before Year 2013/2014. Have a relaxing, fun and sun or after the publication of the GCSE results please filled summer with your families and friends. On behalf of the trustees, governors and staff of do not hesitate to contact Dominic Curran, Vice both academies I would also like to thank their Principal / Post 16 at dominic.curran@aston. Best wishes parents/carers and families for their cooperation rotherham.sch.uk Eunice Newton, Executive Principal and assistance this year. Parents/carers and families are the primary educators of their children In addition to the individual academy celebrations, and provide invaluable support to their academic ACET also recognised the achievement of pupils/ TERM DATES 2014 / 2015 progress through reading, numeracy and homework/ students at the annual ACET Awards Evening extended learning routines, which greatly enhance on Thursday May 1st which celebrated the AUTUMN TERM children’s rate of success. Thank you. establishment and continuing development of the trust. It was a wonderful occasion at which Monday 1st September 2014* to The last few weeks have seen many celebration we welcomed guests from both Rotherham and Friday 24th October 2014 events taking place across the Aston Community Sheffield Local Authorities, reflecting the closer Half Term Education Trust (ACET) community, prominent partnership which now exists with Sheffield as amongst which was the first ever graduation a result of Lowedges Primary School joining the Monday 3rd November 2014 to ceremony at Thurcroft Junior Academy. The Y6 ACET community when it converts to academy Friday 19th December 2014 pupils, their parents/carers and staff took time to status on August 1st. A highlight of the evening reflect and celebrate the outstanding progress that was the musical performance by Anthony Croft an SPRING TERM has been achieved. It was a wonderful event, with Y10 student from Aston and the ACET choir which Monday 5th January 2015 to at least some members of the audience shedding comprises students from both academies. Friday 13th February 2015 a tear as the youngsters proudly marched up on to stage to be presented with their diplomas and When we finish at the end of this week, we will Half Term be saying goodbye to some staff who are moving additional medals and certificates. The pupils Monday 23rd February 2015 to already appear to have matured a great deal, even on to posts in different schools in September and from the beginning of Y6 and are now ready to take to whom I am sure we all would like to express Friday 27th March 2015 gratitude for their contribution at Aston. We their place in their new secondary schools at Wales, SUMMER TERM Dinnington, Clifton and Wickersley where I am sure wish them every success in the next stage of they will continue to enjoy more success. Goodbye their careers. However, special mention must Monday 13th April 2015 to and good luck to all our Y6 pupils from Thurcroft. be made of four colleagues who are retiring in Friday 1st May 2015 August after impressive years of service: Senior At Aston Academy, Y7 have made a spectacular Learning Progress Manager, Denise Thackery, Public Holidays (Closed for students) start, setting new records for attendance, progress Mon 4th May 2015 Tuesday 5th May 2015 to Friday 22nd May 2015 Half Term Monday 1st June 2015 to Monday 20th July 2015* 5 INSET DAYS (Closed for students) Monday 1st September 2014 * Tuesday 2nd September 2014 * Monday 16th March 2015 Friday 17th July 2015 Monday 20th July 2015* ACET Awards 2014 Y6 Graduation 2 THE ACET ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY 2014 “With your commitment we will make a difference” The third annual Aston Community Education Trust Awards winners of the House Contribution Award. Once again, the Maltby evening was held in school on Thursday 1st May recognising Lions Rugby Club kindly donated £200 which was awarded by the the achievements of students from both Aston Academy and trustees to Francesca Caley, the overall winner of the Academic Thurcroft Junior Academy. Achievement Award. The awards evening was not just attended by the trustees of There were award winners within each category across both Aston Community Education Trust (ACET), governors, parents/ academies, with a single winner being presented with the overall carers, students and staff from both academies but also special Trust Award. All the winners were selected by the trustees, and guests: Joyce Thacker, Dorothy Smith and Karen Borthwick from although the students knew they had been nominated for an Rotherham LA, Pauline Anderson and Iain Peel from Sheffield award, they did not know in which category they had been LA, as well as guests from Lowedges Primary School.