ARK ACADEMY www.arkacademy.org Dear Parents/Carers Welcome to Ark Academy, we are a strong and thriving school. We really look forward to working with you over the next seven years on your son/daughter’s journey to university. We have a fantastic staff who are really focussed on teaching and learning and we know your sons and daughters will rise to the challenge with our careful support. Your support, encouragement and clear boundaries will help us to help your child to progress and develop as exceptional citizens. We have a very clear vision for our school, based on our core values. We set high expectations that are supported by an excellent teaching staff. We place maximum emphasis on excellent behaviour and a thoughtful caring attitude to each other. This is supported by a strong pastoral system which ensures we know every child and helps develop their character and citizenship. We all simply live CIVITAS. I am sure you are aware that we have some very clear “givens” for example, completing homework to the best of our ability, beautiful uniform, excellent punctuality and attendance to name a few. Our Code of Conduct is very clear and forms the basis of our discipline system. Our routines are designed to ensure a calm and orderly atmosphere and we look for all our parents support in upholding the values, systems and rules that make Ark Academy an orderly and respectful environment. Consequently, this handbook is an essential manual for all parents/carers in support of your child and Ark Academy. Please keep it, refer to it and get back to us with any queries. We will do everything in our power to communicate really effectively with you in the future and wish you and your child a happy and successful Ark Academy experience for the next seven years. Yours faithfully Delia Smith Principal 2 CONTENTS 1. Key information: Academy contact details & term dates 5 Ark Academy Mission Statement 6 2. Working in partnership: Our Teaching and Learning Commitment 8 The Home-School Agreement 9 Ark Academy Code of Conduct 10 Ark Pastoral Team 13 Attendance and Punctuality procedures 14 Safeguarding 16 Ark Academy Rewards 19 Systems for Detentions 21 Uniform Policy 23 Student Planner 26 Clubs and Societies 27 Opportunities for learning an Instrumental 28 Physical, Social and Emotional Wellbeing 28 Communication 29 My Child At School (MCAS) 29 Travelling to school 31 School food availability 33 How to pay for school meals 34 3. Helping your child learn: Equipment 38 Homework 39 Helping your child with their learning 39 The Curriculum 43 Learning support 44 Our Specialisms 45 The House System 47 Opportunities for Leadership 49 School Trips 50 Assessment and Reporting 50 Reading with your child 52 Summer Reading 53 3 Ark Academy Pledge 55 SECTION 1 KEY INFORMATION 4 GENERAL INFORMATION Contact information: Ark Academy Bridge Road Wembley HA9 9JP Telephone: 020 8385 4370 Email: [email protected] Website: www.arkacademy.org/secondary Term dates 2020/2021 Autumn Term 2020 Start Half-term Finish Monday 7th September Monday 26th October – Friday 18th December 2020 2020 Friday 30th October 2020 (inclusive) Spring Term 2020 Start Half-term Finish Tuesday 5th January 2021 Monday 15th February – Wednesday 31st March Friday 19th February 2021 2021 (inclusive) Summer Term 2020 Start Half-term Finish Monday 19th April 2021 Monday 31st May – Friday Thursday 22nd July 2021 4th June 2021 OTHER SCHOOL CLOSURE DAYS Staff training Friday 2nd October 2020 days Monday 2nd November 2020 Friday 4th December 2020 Monday 4th January 2021 Friday 12th February 2021 Friday 2nd July 2021 5 ARK ACADEMY MISSION STATEMENT Ark Academy has at its core the pursuit of highest standards possible in education. We believe in high aspirations, high motivation and high achievement for all. Through our extended curriculum and community life we seek to meet the needs of the whole person. Civitas – Citizenship – is at our core. We will build a community of civic pride and social justice in which all members are equally valued. We are committed to the service of young people and to helping them play their full part in society. In light of this we aim to: Provide every student with the knowledge, skills, self-belief and motivation to be successful in their learning and lives Welcome, value and respect all who come to the school Build a community based on justice and a sense of personal responsibility Provide opportunities for all to experience CIVITAS whilst developing a spirit of tolerance and understanding for all cultures, traditions and faiths Promote dialogue and co-operation with the wider community Our Driving Principles are: Excellence Citizenship Participation Persistence Our goal Our goal is that all students should be able to access higher education and participate fully in our democratic society. 6 SECTION 2 WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP 7 OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING COMMITMENT What is our fundamental purpose? At the start of each day, our pupils say the School Pledge. This sums up what education at Ark Academy is about: Today and everyday, I will strive to achieve. With curiosity and interest, patience and persistence, kindness and respect, I will fulfil my potential as a student and a citizen. We will do everything in our power to help your child fulfil his or her potential. To do this, your child needs the positive growth mindset to learning: to enjoy challenging situations and to meet them calmly, confidently and creatively. Persistence is essential which is why it is one of our core values. We know there are young people without persistence who struggle to cope. We don’t want that to be your child. And it will not be, if your child attends every day, joins in and gives 100%. We will do everything in our power to give your child the confidence and capability to succeed. It is our mission to see all our pupils, including your child, have access to higher education and/or a career of choice. How can we work together to achieve this purpose? When your child enters Ark Academy, we begin a partnership. We must do everything we can to make this partnership a big success. After all, we will not have this opportunity again. Ark Academy commits to doing all we can, including: nurturing a positive growth mindset; being professional and consistent; and having high expectations in everything we do. This includes: planning effective lessons; setting weekly, substantial homework; designing appropriate assessments and giving you and your child helpful, accurate feedback on his or her progress. From you, we ask that you do all you can to help your child be a successful learner. This includes nurturing a positive, growth mindset and the right learning habits. Learning happens away from school too! There are many concrete things you can do to help your child: 1. Be a visible learner for your child. Let your child see you learning new things, grappling with difficult ideas and making mistakes. Share stories with your children about how you overcame learning challenges previously. 2. Let your child learn difficult things – rising to a challenge makes a better learner. 3. Praise your child’s effort, not “ability”. Research shows that praising the effort of a learner is much more powerful than praising ability. If you tell your child he/she is “talented” or “gifted”, he/she may be reluctant to try harder tasks in case of failure. 4. Manage your child’s access to social media. As well as associated safeguarding and wellbeing risks, social media can be a big obstacle to your child’s levels of concentration and learning – it is a huge distraction! Success at school requires many dedicated hours of study NOT many dedicated hours on the phone. We commit to doing our best to communicate clearly and openly with you and to listen to you. Please contact us about our Learning and Teaching Commitment if you have any questions. 8 HOME SCHOOL AGREEMENT – SECONDARY 2020-21 School will: Home will: Pupils will: Teaching and Learning: Provide an enriched curriculum which challenges and motivates Take an interest in what my child is learning Come to school ready to learn pupils deserve the highest Ensure that each pupil has the opportunities, support and guidance to Support the school’s philosophy of high expectations for all Work hard in all lessons possible standard of achieve his/her full potential Encourage my child to work hard and support them in homework Complete their home learning everyday teaching and support to Use regular assessment to track pupil progress help them learn. Attendance & Punctuality: Contact parents on the first day of unknown absence Make every effort to make sure that my child will attend school every day and Attend school every day and arrive on time pupils have the right to Contact parents of children who regularly arrive late for school on time Go straight to lessons during the school day education and parents have Refer to Education Welfare where attendance is a concern Inform the school as soon as possible about any absence and the reason for it a legal responsibility to Avoid taking children on holiday during term time make sure children attend regularly. Behaviour and Ethos: pupils Have a behaviour policy which creates a safe and caring environment Give praise at home for good behaviour and attitude at school Keep school and class rules learn best in an orderly for everyone Work with the school to find solutions in cases of unacceptable behaviour Be an ambassador for Ark Academy – polite to others in the academy and in environment where Treat everyone with respect Agree to the detention policy of the academy the wider community everyone knows what is Make sure that all staff, pupils and parents know what behaviour is Check daily behaviour reports On MCAS app where necessary Understand that any misbehaviour whilst wearing Academy uniform will be expected dealt with as if the incident occurred at school expected of them.