What time should my child arrive at school?
Please ensure that pupils are on the school site by 8:58 AM, ready for a 9:00 AM start.
Where can I find out the term dates?
This information can be found on the school website at the following link: https://ipswichacademy.paradigmtrust.org/about-our-school/school-times/
What are the arrangements for the first day?
Pupils will go to the Sports Hall at the start of the day, where they will meet their Base Group tutor. Should they get lost, members of staff will be on hand to help them find where they need to go. During the morning, pupils will spend time with their Base Group tutors, filling in their new timetables, planners and other documents. There will also be an assembly held by the Principal before pupils complete their usual lessons during Periods 3, 4 and 5.
How much homework can my child expect?
At Ipswich Academy, we call homework 'Self-Directed Learning', and it is set every week by core subjects (Maths, English and Science) and fortnightly by other subjects. Failure to complete self-directed learning will lead to a detention after school. Students are welcome to complete homework on school site, if they wish. This could be in homework club, in the library at lunchtimes or in the SYSZ before or after school. Access to computers is available.
Are lockers available at the Academy?
Lockers are available for all five years that your child is at Ipswich Academy, for a deposit of £2.00. A form can be collected from Reception to arrange the issuing of a locker. When your child leaves the Academy, they can claim the £2.00 back.
Our child is coming from a small feeder primary school and we are worried that they will not make friends
Within our transition and settling days, we will be supporting pupils in getting to know each other. We know that this is one of the most daunting aspects of moving from primary to secondary school, but it is often one of the problems that gets forgotten about by the pupils within the first week as they make firm friendships very quickly! We have dedicated members of staff called the Learning Mentors who provide support to pupils that are struggling with this and who will communicate with home any intervention of support that we can offer.
What happens if a child feels unwell during the school day?
When a child feels unwell, they will be monitored by the Senior Leadership Team and, usually, you will be contacted to see if you can bring up any medication to help the student feel better and remain in school. If, however, they feel that the pupil is too unwell to be in school, they will ensure that effective communication is made with a parent or carer so that they can be sent home safely. Should the child be feeling well enough to stay in school without either of the above interventions, they will be sent back to lessons.
What happens if a child becomes upset during the school day?
Our Learning Mentors are on hand to offer support to children that have become upset. They will mentor and support the pupils in whichever way they can. This may involve restorative meetings with other pupils or phone calls home to share any information that has been disclosed to us. Students are encouraged to approach any member of staff, should they become upset, so that we can get them the support that they might need.
Our child’s primary school keeps my child's prescription medication on site; is there this arrangement at the Academy?
Any medication that is required to stay on site will have to be authorised by the Principal. This will require you to complete a form which is available from Reception upon request. For further information about this, please contact Reception, who can talk you through the precise protocol.
How will we know how our child is getting on?
We are launching the new Bromcom App which is where we log all of our data about our pupils. You will be able to access live data around results, attendance and their behaviour log, which shows the amount of house points and detentions that they might have received. We also have a Parents Consultation Evening each year, during which we welcome parents to book meetings with class teachers so that you can hear how your child is getting on in each of their subjects. Should you have any concerns at any time, you can also phone Reception and ask to speak to someone about how your child is getting on and the relevant member of staff will be able to contact you back.
When do detentions take place?
Detentions take place during lunchtime and after school. Please note that we will make contact with parents should a child have an after school detention, but pupils are also allowed to let you know at the end of the school day using their own mobile devices or via the school telephone as well. For further information about our behaviour policy, please see here: https://ipswichacademy.paradigmtrust.org/about-our-school/behaviour/