IMPORTANT – Covid-19 Letter to close contacts
13 November 2020
For attention of parents of year 10 students directly contacted by the school on the 13th November
Advice for Child to Self-Isolate for 14 Days
Dear parent or carer,
We have been made aware that we have a confirmed positive case of coronavirus (COVID-19) at Ipswich Academy.
We have followed the national guidance and have identified that your child has been in close contact with the affected child. In line with the national guidance your child must stay at home and self-isolate until Thursday 26th November. They will then return to school on the 27th November.
If your child is well at the end of the 14 days period of self-isolation, then they can return to usual activities.
Other members of your household can continue normal activities provided your child does not develop symptoms within the 14 day self-isolation period.
Please see the link to: Guidance for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection who do not live with the person
Work set for students during the 14 day isolation period
As previously communicated with you, we will be using Google Classrooms to support students with their learning during their isolation period. Students have had a lesson this week familiarising them with the platform. From Monday 16th November work will be uploaded onto Google Classrooms for students to complete by all of their subject teachers. Students will also be emailed on their @ipswichacademy email account instructions on Monday morning. All students who informed us that they do not have a laptop at home have been loaned a laptop today, please ensure these are returned on the 27th November. If your child needs to loan a laptop, please contact the school.
What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19
If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared. Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for testing and this can be arranged via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119 .
People who do not have symptoms should not request a test unless this has been specifically requested by Public Health England or the local authority.
All other household members who remain well must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. This includes anyone in your ‘Support Bubble’.
The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill.
Household members should not go to work, school or public areas and exercise should be taken within the home. If you require help with buying groceries, other shopping or picking up medication, or walking a dog, you should ask friends or family. Alternatively, you can order your shopping online and medication by phone or online.
Household members staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community
If you are able can, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period
Please see the link to the PHE ‘Stay at Home’ Guidance:
Symptoms of COVID 19
The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:
- new continuous cough and/or
- high temperature and/or
- a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
If your child does develop symptoms, you can seek advice from the nhs.uk website at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/. If you are concerned about your child’s symptoms, or they are worsening you can seek advice from NHS 111 at https://111.nhs.uk/ or by phoning 111.
How to stop COVID-19 spreading
There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19
Do
- wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
- use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
- wash your hands as soon as you get home
- cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
- put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
Further Information
Further information is available at
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Once again, thank you for your support and swift action today.
Yours sincerely
Abbie Thorrington
Principal
Come as yourself
Dear Parents and Carers
On Friday 13th November, Ipswich Academy’s new House Captains have organised for students across the school to support Children in Need by completing a ‘Come as yourself’ non-uniform day. The House Captain team are keen to raise money for charity and feel that in this current climate, this is ever more important.
We are asking each student choosing to take part in the day to donate 50p- £1.00 towards the charity. This is not a compulsory payment but would be greatly appreciated. All monies will be collected in a COVID safe way, students are asked to drop their donations into a bucket as they enter the school building. This money will then be stored safely in these buckets for a period of at least 72 hours before being counted.
Students may express themselves through their choice of dress, but must comply with the following rules to ensure safety:
- Face masks must be worn at all times, in line with normal school rules
- No high heeled shoes of more than 2 inches
- No low cut, thin strapped or revealing tops
- No mini skirts or floor length skirts/dresses.
- No facial piercings or dangly earrings
- No offensive or controversial logos
We look forward to seeing students express their individuality on Friday. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs A Cook
PSHE, PMHW & House System Lead
Important: COVID-19 update
For the attention of parents not directly contacted by the school
5th November 2020
Dear parent or carer,
We have been made aware that a member of our school community has tested positive for COVID 19.
We know that you may find this concerning but we are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with Public Health England. This letter is to inform you of the current situation and provide advice on how to support your child. Please be reassured that for most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
The small number of children who have been in close contact with the individual who has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) have received a letter informing them that their child must stay at home for 14 days.
The school remains open and your child should continue to attend as normal if they remain well.
What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19
If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they must not come to school and should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared. Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for testing and this can be arranged via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.
All other household members who remain well, must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. This includes anyone in your ‘Support Bubble’.
Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill.
Household members should not go to work, school or public areas and exercise should be taken within the home.
If you require help with buying groceries, other shopping or picking up medication, or walking a dog, you should ask friends or family. Alternatively, you can order your shopping online and medication by phone or online.
Household members staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community
If you are able, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:
- a new continuous cough
- a high temperature
- a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
If your child does develop symptoms, you can seek advice from the nhs.uk website at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/. If you are concerned about your child’s symptoms, or they are worsening you can seek advice from NHS 111 at https://111.nhs.uk/ or by phoning 111.
How to stop COVID-19 spreading
There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19
Do
- wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
- use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
- wash your hands as soon as you get home
- cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
- put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
Further Information
Further information is available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Yours sincerely
Abbie Thorrington
Principal
Year 7 Virtual Consultation Evening
3rd November 2020
Dear parents/carers of year 7,
Year 7 virtual consultation evening – Thursday 12th November
In light of the current situation we are holding our parent and carer consultation evenings online. Subject teachers will meet with you and your child virtually on an individual basis to provide clear feedback on your child’s learning.
The consultation evening will run from 3:30pm to 8.00pm.
You are able to book five minute appointment slots for each subject teacher using our electronic booking system, these meetings will then be held by video meeting rather than in-person at the school.
The online system for booking appointments and attending the virtual appointments can be accessed here:
https://parents-booking.co.uk/ipswichacademy
In order to login to the system, you will need the following information relating to your child, as held in our database:
- First name
- Surname
- Date of birth
You will also need to enter the details we have on record for you. If you have recently changed your title or surname, for example, and not informed us, we will be expecting you to login with the details we have on record. The email address you enter is only used to receive a confirmation of your appointment. If the system gives you an error when you login, it will not be the email address that is the problem.
On the day of your appointments, you need to login again at the website address above. You will be able to join the video meeting room 10 minutes before your appointments are due to begin.
Internet Browser Compatibility:
You must use one of the below device and internet browser combinations for the video meeting technology to work:
- Apple iPhone/iPad (iOS 11+): Safari
- Android phone/tablet: Chrome or Firefox
- Linux computer: Chrome or Firefox
- Microsoft Surface: Chrome or Firefox
- Mac computer: Safari, Chrome or Firefox
- Windows computer: Chrome, Firefox or Edge (Chromium)
Troubleshooting Tips:
- If you cannot login please contact the school office.
- The email address field entered is only used to send your appointment confirmation. If you have problems logging in, it will not be because of the e-mail address you entered.
You can find a full guide on how the system works by clicking here.
Contact details if you are in need of assistance from the administration team:
- Email: info@ipswichacademy.org.uk
- Telephone: 01473 550040
If you do not have access to the Internet, or do not have a suitable device to use for the appointments, please phone the school on the number above to make alternative arrangements.
Some subjects may not be available or may be fully booked on the evening, if you would like to discuss your child’s progress in subjects not available please contact the school and we will arrange for the member of staff to call you.
Many thanks for your ongoing support.
Yours sincerely
Naomi Shenton
Assistant Principal
Maled Akhlak
Progress Lead
Year 11 information session
On Monday, we hosted a year 11 information session, unformtunatley there were a number of technical issues. To view the presentation, please click on this link to access the student hub, your child will need to log in with their school Google account to view the presentation.
If you have any further questions, please use the contact us button on our website.
Year 11 information session
Dear parent / carer
We are now into our fourth week of students returning full-time back to school post school closure, for our year 11 students it has been an incredibly positive start. Due to the absence of year 11 ‘boot camp’ due to the current restrictions, we felt it important to officially launch our year 11 support package and make you aware of key information that you need to know.
We will be holding a year 11 information session on Monday 5th October at 5.00pm virtually using google meet. The meeting will cover the following;
- Intervention sessions
- Mock exams
- Effective revision strategies
- Information from the core GCSE subjects (English, maths and science)
- Post 16 options
- Well-being support
We will send invites for the google meet to students’ Paradigm email addresses. We will also record the session to allow you catch up should you miss it.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me via the school phone number and email address.
Yours faithfully,
Maled Akhlak
Head of Progress
Planning for Post 16
Dear parents and carers,
Planning for Post 16:
The careers team at Ipswich Academy are here to support your child as they prepare for their next stage in education. This letter outlines all the relevant information that I believe you need to know at this time in order to support your child with their next steps.
In order to prepare students for this we will be hosting virtual assemblies explaining post-16 options from both the careers team and our post-16 partners. In addition, students will also have the opportunity to have a personal guidance session to discuss their available options. Every Year 11 student has access to KUDOS, an online careers platform which they can use at home or school to research jobs profiles, labour market information, post 16 and post 18 support as well as creating a CV.
The government’s current policy is that all young people in England are required to continue in education or training until at least their 18th birthday (https://www.thesource.me.uk/learning/faqs-raising-theparticipation-age/). This means that our Year 11 students must decide about whether to continue studying either at a college, sixth form, training centre or to start employment combined with education on an apprenticeship or traineeship. Due to high demands for apprenticeships or traineeships, we recommend students also apply to college/sixth form as a backup option.
Please find attached to this letter a guide which provides detail about the options available to students, along with what they need to do at each stage to research, apply for and secure a college or apprenticeship place for next academic year.
I have outlined below current dates where Post-16 providers have announced their open events. The providers will then begin to interview students for places in late November/early December.
- Suffolk ONE – Saturday 10th October 9.30-12.30 – Applications open from 10th October 2020
- Northgate – Applications and new prospectus are available from 1st October. Each subject area is producing a short video that outlines the courses available and links to careers opportunities. Interviews will run from November 2020 – February 2021. The deadline for applications will be Friday 29th January 2021.
- Suffolk New College – Virtual open event Thursday 15th October 6pm
- Kesgrave – Open event 29th September 6.30pm – 8.30pm. Applications are open now and will close Friday 29th of January 2021.
- Copleston – check website for dates for virtual open events over the next couple of weeks. Applications are open now.
- St Albans – Check website for open events dates and when applications are open.
I am expecting further information from our post-16 providers in the next couple of weeks. As soon as I receive any updates about open events, applications or virtual tours, I will forward this information on to you.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at school.
Yours sincerely,
Victoria Addis
Careers Lead
Academy council nominations
Dear parents/carers,
Ipswich Academy currently has an Academy Council and I am looking to extend the number of people actively involved.
I am therefore writing to ask whether you would like to send in a nomination – for yourself or another parent/carer. The nomination form is attached to this letter. All you need to do is, fill in the form (here), including a short statement about yourself and a passport sized photograph (optional) and return it to a member of our reception team by 9am on Friday 2nd October 2017. Information about parents/carers who may not be eligible to be nominated is attached.
Details of those who have been nominated will be sent to all parent/carers on Wednesday 7th October. An election will be held if there are more nominations than the current vacancy number and every parent/carer will be able to vote. We will be sending you information about this later.
Academy Council members would be expected to serve for a period of two years. The Academy Council is responsible for facilitating communication between the parents/carers of pupils at the Academy and the Principal. Academy council meetings will be held once every term. All parents/ carers are invited to these meetings.
Through the academy council and councillors, parents/carers may:
- Ask questions of the Principal about the operation of the Academy and its performance
- Raise issues of concern with the Principal about the operation of the Academy
- Attend the annual Trust conference and/or the Academy’s INSET days
- Provide papers to either the Education Committee or Operations & Finance Committee of the Board.
We do hope that you will think about becoming a member of the Academy Council. If you would like more information about what is involved, please feel free to make an appointment with myself at school.
Yours faithfully,
Abbie Thorrington
Principal
Letter from Miss Thorrington
Dear students, parents and carers,
We are now into our second full week of the new year, and I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all students on the fantastic start that has been made. They have been incredibly focused in their lessons and are working very hard to minimise the disruption that school closures caused to their learning.
I would like to thank parents and carers for your continued support in getting all students back into school safely over the past month. All of us are committed to providing the best education possible for your child, while securing the health and safety of our whole school community. Thank you for continuing to follow public health guidelines and encouraging your children to do the same. We take into consideration suggestions and have made some very small changes to the running of the school in light of feedback. We have had a lot of questions regarding the wearing of masks during the school day. Currently, students and staff can wear masks if they wish and their use remains optional. If there are any changes to the Government guidance, and we in turn update our guidance, you will be communicated with immediately.
To ensure we maximise ventilation around the academy, we do currently have all windows and internal doors open to promote air flow. Our aim is to continue this, there may therefore be instances in the near further where we allow students to wear jumpers and coats in their lessons.
As previously discussed, I am pleased to announce that we will be opening up the SYSZ from Monday 21st September for year 11 students to do independent study. The SYSZ will be open daily from 7.30am-8.45am before school, and after school 3.00pm-4.30pm. Students will be expected to be completing work once they arrive, the SYSZ is not an area for social gathering. We are currently looking at ways in which we can open the study hub safely for year 7-10 students and will communicate with you further on this in due course.
Over the course of the last week, all year 7 students have completed numeracy and literacy tests in order to gauge a baseline of their overall ability. I would like to say a big well done to every student on the way in which they conducted themselves during the tests.. We are now in the process of allocating students to class sets to ensure that lessons are appropriately challenging for thierability level. Your child’s new grouping will take effect from Monday 21st September There will be no changes to the base group that students are currently in.
Attached to this letter is further information around a breakfast opportunity for all students, as well as details on our updated invacuation procedure. As a matter of course, we will be carrying out drills for our invacuation procedure this half term.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Thank you again for your continued support.
Yours faithfully
Abbie Thorrington
Principal
Breakfast support
We are pleased to inform you that Ipswich Academy has joined the government’s National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP), which is being delivered by the charities Family Action and Magic Breakfast.
As an NSBP school, we are pleased to offer nutritious breakfast packs for students to take home. These breakfast packs are available to all year groups, so all students can benefit. From Thursday 17th September, students will be able to collect breakfast packs from their respective ‘bubble’ areas of the school listed below once their school day has finished:
Year 7- red canteen
Year 8- main hall
Year 9- blue canteen
Year 10- grey canteen
Year 11- SYSZ
Each pack should last two weeks at which point students can collect their next pack. Students will be notified of this arrangement through year group assemblies.
Initially we will have limited packs available for each year group as we need to get an idea of the number of students that will take up this offer. If the need is there, we will then increase our order with NBSP and ensure that we have sufficient numbers of breakfast packs to meet demand.
This is an opportunity to ensure students have a nutritious breakfast before coming to school so that they are ready for their learning. We hope that students take advantage of this.
If you would like any further information then please do not hesitate to contact Maled Akhlak.
Invacuation procedures
At Ipswich Academy, we take safeguarding and safety very seriously. It is important that we continue to review all our procedures, taking into account even those events that are very unlikely to occur. As part of this process, we have introduced a new procedure called “invacuation”.
I am writing to inform you that we will be practising this procedure this half term.
An invacuation procedure is a standard health and safety procedure, similar to a fire drill. Our invacuation procedure would be used when there is a threat to the safety of pupils, staff and others outside the school, and when it is safer for everyone to remain in school than evacuate. The aim is to keep people safe by confining them to a secure place.
Presently the threat of these are low. However, it is low threat not ‘no threat’ and therefore schools should have a contingency plan and procedures in place to deal with it similar to fire procedures.
Unlike fire procedures, which in most cases mean evacuating to an external assembly area, this will most likely require ‘invacuation’ to a safe area(s). These are places that are safer than staying where you are and safer than immediately evacuating.
Prior to our drill, staff will take time to talk to pupils about lockdown procedures and explain why they are important. They will reassure pupils after the drill that they are safe, and will emphasise that practising procedures like this will make sure the school remains a safe place to learn.
I must stress again this is simply a practice, so that in the unlikely event of such a situation, our pupils and staff are fully prepared.
If you or your child have any further concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact Samual Fox.