Astrea St Ivo
Astrea St Ivo
Dear Parent/ Carer
Following interview yesterday, I am delighted to let you know that I have been confirmed as the substantive principal for the St Ivo Academy.
I have really enjoyed working with staff, students and the wider community to improve our school. I strongly believe that a good education is the passport to a brilliant future, and giving students the opportunity to be their very best is the most important part of education.
I am really looking forward to continuing the journey with you all, our students and the amazing staff team here. I look forward to being able to call our school one of the best in the country.
The rest of this week’s newsletter covers hot weather, Zero Heroes, New school ties, and information about next week’s training day.
Hot weather
Well, finally some glimmer of summer has arrived! Obviously, we will be keeping our eyes on this over the final four weeks of the term, and making any adaptions we need to ensure students feel comfortable in the increased heat. With this in mind, please can we ask that you remind your child to bring in water bottles to help them stay hydrated over the course of the day.
Zero Heroes
This week saw the launch of our “Zero Heroes” awards for students who surpassed our school target of 96% attendance and alongside this had five or fewer negative points during half term 5. The principle around our move to these types of celebration, as well as celebrating our highest achievers, is to ensure that all students have an opportunity to be recognised for their contributions, especially those who always do the right thing, day in, day out. The following numbers of students achieved the award:
- Year 7 – 153
- Year 8 – 156
- Year 9 – 130
- Year 10 – 134
Students were welcomed by their Head of Year, the SLT member linked to their year group and Mrs Robertson. Students were presented with a certificate to recognise their achievement and a doughnut to eat with their friends as they celebrated.
Students with 100% attendance and zero negatives were also recognised with a “Beat the Queue” card which enables them to straight to the front of the queue either at lunch or break during their designated week. They could also take a friend with them to do this.
The number of students achieving this in each year group are:
- Year 7 – 80
- Year 8 – 73
- Year 9 – 63
- Year 10 – 62
Our reasons for moving to a more half-term focus for reward timeframes is so that students who may have not achieved the reward one half term still have the chance to achieve in the future.
We are so incredibly proud of the number of students that have achieved these rewards.
Thank you as well for the feedback we have received so far with this initial whilst we are in our early stages of implementation, it will help us further improve and tweak the system moving forward.
New school ties
The new school ties for years 7, 8 and 9 have arrived. These will be swapped for students’ current ties over the course of the next two weeks, and we have produced a video showing students how to tie a half-Windsor knot for reference. How to Tie Your Tie (youtube.com)
Mr Daly is aware of the small number of students who will be given clip-ons, and the pastoral team will see them separately.
Training day
Finally, just a reminder that Friday next week (28 June 2024) is a staff training day and the school will be closed to all students. In writing this week’s newsletter I thought you may be interested to know what happens on these days. This training day is a trust-wide curriculum development day. Staff will be working together in departments, in collaboration with other Trust school departments to begin agreeing a mutually designed Year 7 curriculum for next year. They will be focusing on the content that is taught, whilst leaving flexibility around the manner in which it is taught to individual schools. By agreeing aspects of a common curriculum, we can reduce some of our teachers’ planning work, freeing up time to enable them to adapt their curriculum for the needs of their classes and our community. It is sure to be a really exciting day.
Yours faithfully
Tony Meneaugh
Principal
Upcoming diary dates
Monday 24 June: Year 10 written mocks begin, Year 12 UCAS evening (see below)
Thursday 27 June: Year 11 into 12 induction day, Sixth Form Ball
Friday 28 June: professional day for staff training, Year 12 trip to Nottingham University open day
Monday 1st June: Year 10 work experience begins
Tuesday 2 July: Year 12 EPQ marketplace
Thursday 4 July: Year 11 Prom
House Points
House totals year to date:
- Bridge 51,635
- Crosier 49,748
- Leger 48,769
- River 51,617
- Wheatsheaf 47,576
Congratulations to the following student who has achieved 200 House points (white award):
- Jay 8Hh, Archie 8Jh/Dm
Congratulations to the following students who have achieved 150 House points (gold award):
- Oscar 8Dt, Harry 8Hh
Congratulations to the following students who have achieved 75 House points (bronze award):
- Amanda 8Tr
Sixth Form Updates
Head Students
We are thrilled to announce that Darcey and Max in Year 12 are our new Head Students. Many congratulations to them!
Instagram Account
The Sixth Form is now on Instagram! Following us @stivosixthform
UCAS Application Evening
As we continue to prepare for the start of the UCAS university application process for year 12, we are inviting all parents and students in for a UCAS application information evening on Monday 24 June at 6pm, in the school hall.
On the evening Anglia Ruskin University will be giving a presentation on the application process and then following this, Gonville & Caius (Cambridge University) will be outlining additional information for those students who may be making applications to Oxbridge and other Russell Group and competitive universities. Parents are welcome to stay for both presentations, but will be free to leave after the initial talk if they feel they have all the information they need.
In the past we have had parents express their wish to have more guidance about the application process, personal statement writing and super-curricular activities, so we feel that this would be an incredibly beneficial evening to attend to gather this information.
We very much look forward to seeing you on the evening.
Sixth Form Induction Day
We look forward to welcoming our Year 11 students who hold a place in our sixth form for September 2024 to the Induction Day on Thursday 27 June.
Please could all students who are attending meet in the school dining hall 8.30am. Students will need to bring with them their normal equipment for lessons.
Students will be taking part in some lessons in their chosen subjects, as well as some year group assemblies and other tasks. The day will finish at 2.25pm.
Those students who are unable to attend the day due to being on holiday etc, but would like to return in September, please let Mr Braybrook know if you haven’t already, this is so a summer work pack can be put together for you. This can be collected from reception at your convenience, before the end of term. All students who are joining us in September will be required to return a completed work pack.
Year 11 Prom
We are asking for some volunteers to help with the setup of the Burgess Hall on the day of the Prom. If any students are interested in helping Mr Hall and Miss Tabb, please can they arrive at around 12pm on Thursday 04/07/24. Students will only be required for a short period giving them chance to return home with plenty of time to get ready. If students wish to support, please can they email Mr Hall directly in advance.
Secondly, we just want to clarify that we will not be printing individual paper tickets for the Prom this year. Students need to simply bring themselves and they will be checked off of our attendee list when they arrive inside the atrium of the Burgess Hall.
Please also see below a reminder of mitigations put in place to allow the Prom to go ahead on the day of the general election:
- Time change – The Prom will run from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, instead of 7pm to 10pm. This will ensure that the venue is clear in advance of ballot boxes arriving to One Leisure.
- Student pick up – all students leaving the Prom will be directed to exit using the side doors to the Burgess Hall on to the school grounds and then across the school grounds for collection by parents/carers in the St Ivo staff car park on High Leys. Access to the One Leisure car park will be prohibited with only election vehicles authorised to gain access. Students will only be able to leave the venue through this exit and all student collections will take place via the staff car park on the High Leys exit whether by vehicle or by foot.
- Student drop off – we will operate a one-way system to ensure that vehicles dropping off students for the 6.30pm start can exit swiftly. Vehicles should use the Westwood Road entrance to One Leisure to drop off outside the Burgess Hall. Vehicles will then be directed to exit via the school ground using the service road and out through the High Leys exit.
SafeHaven4Caitlin
This weekend, Mr Braybrook will be taking part in the 4|4|48 Challenge. Running 4 miles every 4 hours, continuously, over 48 hours.
Why is he doing this? It’s all for an amazing cause. Together with over 35 fellow runners, he will take on the challenge to support his good friend Nick’s family and their remarkable young daughter Caitlin. Caitlin was diagnosed at a young age with Batten’s disease, a rare, neurodegenerative disorder. The runners mission is simple but profound: to aid Caitlin’s family in building a ‘SafeHaven4Caitlin.’ This sanctuary will provide her the best care and support needed.
If you would like to know more about the cause here is a link to a recent article on the BBC website. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce44d5rz4zjo.amp
If you have any spare pennies and would like to donate anything to this incredibly worthy cause Mr Braybrook, Nick and his family would be forever grateful. Your generosity not only helps build a better world for Caitlin, but also fuels Mr Braybrook’s commitment to completing every single mile of this challenge!
Please go to Mr Braybrook’s collection pot page at https://app.collectionpot.com/pot/3227637
Many thanks for any donations received.
Dance Opportunity
We have been made aware of an exciting dance opportunity this summer. Vanhulle Dance Theatre, who we worked with last year, are partnering with Cambridge City Council to rehearse and perform a curtain raiser at the Out of The Ordinary Festival.
Please see link below for details: https://www.cambridgelive.org.uk/city-events/news/out-ordinary-festival-youth-dance-project