End of Week Newsletter

A Message from the Principal

I hope you all had a fabulous Easter, welcome back and welcome to the summer term.

Unsurprisingly, it’s another busy term ahead at IA including parents evenings, year 11 exams, year 11 prom, numerous trips and visits, activity days and year 10 work experience. I think some of these go to show what fantastic opportunities our students have here.

New term, new beginnings

There have been a few small changes to how we operate at IA this term, specifically relating to our behaviour procedures. We expect students to make good decisions and ‘work hard, be kind’. If students get it wrong there is a warning system used before a student is removed from class. The teacher will issue warnings upon identifying disruptive behaviour as follows.

C1 – First Warning

The class teacher will inform the student of their wrongdoing and remind them what they expect to see.

C2 – Final Warning

The class teacher will ‘redirect’ the student, for example, to a different seat or change the task that they are completing.

C3 – Removal from class

This will incur a 30 minute after school detention. You will be notified via email and the student will be informed the day of the detention.

At Ipswich Academy we operate after school detentions. No student can be exempt from them. If there are appointments or an absence they can be rescheduled by the year teams. To ensure we hit the ground running this term, I want to clarify my expectations so we can work together to support our students. I included the following in my previous newsletter:

● Uniform: I have noticed a few students wearing hoodies as a replacement for school jumpers. After the break, please ensure your child is in full uniform. If any family is struggling with the cost of uniform, please reach out to us as we are here to help. Please note that students arriving consistently in the wrong uniform may be asked to go home and change, though we will always contact you before taking this step.

● Punctuality: Being on time for school and every lesson is essential for success. If you receive messages regarding punctuality, please discuss these with your child. Your support in reinforcing this habit is invaluable.

● Maximising Learning Time: We want students in their seats and learning. A small number of students have been leaving lessons to find Year Teams for non-urgent concerns. We have a designated ‘Time to Talk’ (before school, break, lunch, or after school). Most classroom concerns can be handled by the teacher, and we ask for your help in reminding students that their best place to be during the hour is in the classroom.

The vast majority of our students continue to be an absolute credit to themselves and this school. I am incredibly proud of our recent attendance drive and the way so many students go “above and beyond” every day.

Useful Tips for Parents/Carers

Safeguarding

Monitor Social Media Use:

If your teen is spending too much time on social media, they might be feeling the pressure of online life. Encourage a balance between screen time and other activities. If things seem too much, speak to Kooth for advice and let the school know.

Attendance

Percentages:

90% is a great test score, but it’s not great attendance. This means they’ve missed almost an entire month of school. This will hinder their progress. Check MCAS and strive to get your child’s attendance above 90% and as high as possible.

Reading/Literacy

Echo Reading:

To help your child become a confident reader, try “echo reading” where you read a sentence aloud with expression and have them immediately repeat it back to you to build their fluency and tone.