Aston Community Education Trust (ACET) Newsletter Issue No. 8, December 2014 Dear Parents / Carers Welcome to all our readers, especially those new to our trust community. We hope you find the contents of this newsletter, which highlight just some of the activity and achievement taking place in our academies, interesting and informative. It was with a real sense of excitement and anticipation that we awaited the start of the first day of the new term in Aston and Thurcroft, but this was especially true in Lowedges Junior Academy which formally came into existence on September 1st. Trustees, governors and staff had worked hard to progress all the paperwork associated with academy conversion during the Summer Term, in the hope of a July 1st conversion, but this was not possible due to delays in the completion of documentation, so we were all delighted when finally the official notification arrived confirming that Aston Community Education Trust was responsible for a third academy. Very special mention and well done to the girls from the Aston Academy U16 Staff have been very Netball Team who were crowned South Yorkshire champions. A really amazing impressed with the wonderful achievement! We wish them good luck as they now move on to represent the start that our young people county in the next series of matches. have made to Academic Year 2014 / 2015. The pupils and Congratulations also go to Aston Academy Vice Principals, Mrs Josie Sanigar and students have arrived in the Mrs Rebecca Hibberd, whose posts have been upgraded to Associate Principals, with effect from January 1st 2015. This reflects the additional responsibilities which they will be undertaking as a consequence of my wider role as Executive Principal of Aston Academy and Chief Executive Officer for ACET. The trustees thank them academies punctually, smartly dressed; for the great commitment and service that they have already demonstrated to the have behaved well and responded Aston community and wish them well in their new roles. positively to staff. Monitoring grades indicate that the vast majority have made pleasing learning progress since September and where this is not the case, plans have been put in place to accelerate progress next term. On behalf of staff, governors and trustees, I would like to thank parents / carers for their support in enabling our young people to take maximum advantage of the opportunities made available to them – by continuing to work together in partnership in this way, we will ensure that all our youngsters are able to realise their full potential in all aspects of their development. Literacy has been a firm focus in all three of our academies this term, with the pupils and students being encouraged to read well and widely, and we ask that parents / carers continue to support their children’s progress by reading to them and with them and by talking about the importance of reading. This is important whatever your child’s stage of development – whether they are in Early Years learning to read for the first time or in Post 16 researching A Level subjects. If you would like more information about how you can support your child’s reading or As we prepare for the last week of the term, with all the excitement of Christmas wider literacy, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Watkin or Ms Scutt in the assemblies and presentations, I ask that our pupils and students reflect on their junior academies or Mr Kilgannon in Aston. Let us try to improve the literacy skills attendance, progress and achievements so far this academic year; celebrate their of all our young people during 2014 / 2015. successes and consider any ways in which they can make further progress next term, never hesitating to seek support from our staff, who are only too happy to Congratulations to newly elected prefects at Aston, including the senior prefect assist them. We are enthusiastic and ambitious for all the young people whose team of Sasha Kiddy (Head Girl), Pepukai Nyandoro (Deputy Head Girl), Jack parents/carers have entrusted their formal education to us – a responsibility Idell (Head Boy) and William Leaning (Deputy Head Boy). These are exceptional which we take very seriously and which we will endeavour to fulfil to the very best young adults who serve as excellent role models and who will, no doubt, make of our ability during the remainder of your child’s time as part of the community an excellent contribution to their academy community, as will the Y6 pupils who of the Aston Community Education Trust. are acting as prefects in Thurcroft Junior Academy. I wish you all a very enjoyable Christmas holiday with your family and friends and These pupils demonstrate look forward to celebrating a happy and successful 2015 with you on our return impeccable behaviour in January. on a daily basis and are Best wishes, committed to supporting other pupils and staff in Eunice Newton, Executive Principal their learning community. Ms Scutt reports that they are doing a wonderful job. OutstanOduintgstanding OutstanOduintgstanding ImproveImpenrotvement ProgresPsrogress SSASTSAT Award Award SSASTSAT Award Award 2011 2011 2011 2011 1 A MESSAGE FROM THE TRUSTEES OF ASTON COMMUNITY EDUCATION TRUST (ACET) As we near the end of 2014 diligence process we recognised and the refurbishment of the it seems that this year has the massive potential that exists hall. We have now managed to gone very quickly; perhaps there; our job is to work with obtain further funding to replace the community and help deliver most of the floor coverings in that is because we have all those expectations. Achieving a corridors around the buildings. been so busy and successful. September conversion was a big At Aston we are now pleased to This is therefore a great challenge, so the Trustees would have agreed funding to support time to look back on our like to particularly thank all of much needed maintenance and successes and also to thank our staff who made this possible. improvements to our heating those who have helped us Another big change for all of our system. This project will cost in get there. Our thanks go Governing Bodies is that they excess of half a million pounds. are now called Local Governing Trustees have asked for a report to all of our students and on the condition of Lowedges their families and carers, Bodies (LGB’s). This change has been brought about to clarify Junior Academy so that they can our staff and the governors and distinguish between the prepare funding requests for any of all our Academies – with responsibilities of the Trust and priorities. These will be progressed your ongoing support those of the Governing Bodies. along with further projects that and commitment we will This new structure will enable are being considered for our other Academies. continue to make that Governors to get even more crucial positive difference closely involved in getting to know Finally, a reminder about ACET. their Academies in community The Trustees of ACET are Jean in the outcomes for all our engagement, curriculum and Long, Roy Dyson, John Swift, students. student welfare. Paul Bennett, Eunice Newton Firstly it is worth noting that we As you may have seen from and myself (John Barton). To now have a third Academy in our previous newsletters, the learn more about our aims and multi-Academy Trust. Lowedges Trust continues to apply for ethos please feel free to visit Junior Academy joined us at capital funding for further www.astoncetrust.org the start of this school year in improvements at each of our We wish you all a very merry September 2014. Lowedges is Academies. We are pleased with Christmas and a happy and in the Sheffield area and we the improvements made to prosperous New Year. were honoured to be chosen by date at Thurcroft with the roof their Interim Executive Board refurbishment, the introduction John Barton, Chair of ACET to take over responsibility for of showers and changing facilities their school. During the due IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS / CARERS Aston Academy Thurcroft Junior Academy Lowedges Junior Academy Aston Academy will be closed Thurcroft Junior Academy will close Lowedges Junior Academy will close at 2:00pm on Friday 19th December Thursday 18th and Friday 19th at 2:15pm on Friday 19th December 2014 for the Christmas break and December to allow time to effect 2014 for the Christmas break and pupils will return to the academy on emergency repair to our heating pupils will return to the academy on Tuesday 6th January 2015. system, in order that the academy Tuesday 6th January 2015. will be able to open again for the Monday 5th January 2015 the academy will be closed to pupils for Spring Term on January 5th 2015. Monday 5th January 2015 the INSET DAY. academy will be closed to pupils for Please visit INSET DAY. Please visit www.astonacademy.org www.lowedgesacademy.org for term dates and further for term dates and further Please visit information. information. www.thurcroftacademy.org for term dates and further information. 2 Halloween at ACET Halloween Masks All of our pupils at Lowedges Junior Academy and Thurcroft Junior Academy, as well as Y7 students at Aston Academy, were invited, with the support of parents and carers to design and make a mask at home inspired by or based on the theme of Halloween. Here are some of the winning Y7 masks. Y1 at Lowedges Junior Academy designed the certificate given to the students who designed and made the winning masks at Aston Academy. Halloween Masks at Lowedges Junior Academy Parents/Carers were invited to share in the delight and pride of our pupils when they displayed their masks in a parade at 2.45pm across the front of the academy.