End of Week Newsletter

A Message from the Principal

I would like to highlight two success stories of students from Ipswich Academy.

I’d like to highlight Freya, one of our former year 11 students from last year, who has been selected for the England Rugby U18 development squad.

I’d also like to congratulate Lily from year 8 who has been selected to represent Team GB in karate. For both students this is a fantastic achievement and opportunity and I am extremely proud of them.

I would like to remind all parents/carers about our punctuality rules in school. Students have five minutes to get to class. This is a generous amount of time and everyone is able to move from classroom A to classroom B within this time. If a student arrives late and it is within their control, their teacher will mark them late and they should outline in the register the minutes they were late. This then triggers an email to parents/carers and a thirty minute detention will be issued for a late mark. If students are late multiple times throughout the day, the consequence will be great. The vast majority of students are punctual to lessons and ready to learn. Please support me by reminding your child of this procedure.

At Ipswich Academy, we rely primarily on email communication. This will be our primary method of communication with parents/carers. Class teachers may also contact you over the phone. Class teachers have been asked to contact parents/carers about behaviour incidents by the end of break time the following day. If you feel that this has not happened, I invite you to contact me at the school. I am delighted to inform you about our attendance competitions this term.

For the final three Fridays of this half term we are issuing our reward tokens. If a student displays a moment of brilliance, they may receive a token which they can trade it at the end of the day for a small bag of sweets or put their token into a prize draw where they could win a £10 Amazon voucher. We are also running an attendance prize draw starting on Monday 12 October. Any student with attendance between 97%-100% will be in the draw to win a BMX bike worth £200. There will also be consolation prizes such as Amazon vouchers and cookie vouchers.

Phone Pouches

The introduction of phone pouches has started.

This is a positive move to enable a phone free day and get back to the crux of why we’re in school – to focus on the learning. My letter over the summer holidays has the full details however please note:

• Every child has been (or will be) issued a phone pouch
• They will keep this for the year
• It is a required piece of equipment that must be brought to school every day
• Students are not permitted to have their phones out of this pouch whilst in school at any point (those with medical conditions where phone use is essential will have alternative arrangements)
• If there is any refusal to engage in this, it will lead to a suspension from school

The responses that I have had to my letter so far have been very positive. It is reassuring to know that the parent/carer community is with me on this issue.

Meet the Teacher Evening

Our new Year 7 students have made a fantastic start and settled brilliantly into the daily school routine.

Now, we would love to give parents and carers the chance to put faces to the names you’ve been hearing about at home!

Please join us for an informal “drop-in” meet-and-greet event to chat with the teachers working with Year 7 this term and see how your child is getting on across their subjects.

Please note: This is an informal session with no pre-booked slots. A formal Parents’ Consultation Evening with scheduled appointment times will take place later in the academic year.

Date: Thursday 15 October

Time: 4:00pm – 6:00pm

Flu Vaccine

NHS England has confirmed that all pupils from Reception to Year 11 are eligible to receive the flu vaccine this academic year, offered as either a nasal spray or a non-porcine injection.

Our first in-school vaccination session will take place on Friday, 23 October 2026. Action Needed: Parents and carers will be contacted directly with a consent form. Please complete and return the form regardless of whether you give consent or decline. Our visiting healthcare team will aim to vaccinate as many students as possible during this initial session.

Useful Tips for Parents/Carers

Safeguarding

Talk About Sharing Explicit Photos:

If your teenager is sending or being asked for explicit photos, they may not fully understand the risks. Have an open conversation about the dangers and legal implications of sexting. Encourage them to come to you or a trusted adult for help, and inform the school so we can provide additional support and guidance.

Attendance

Talk Openly About School:

Encourage your child to share how they feel about school. Keeping the lines of communication open helps you address any concerns early on.

Reading/Literacy

Ask Questions While Reading:

Encourage your child to think about the story by asking questions like “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why did the character do that?” This builds their comprehension and critical thinking.