Newsletter July 2006

This issue

Welcome to the July 2006 edition of Saint Paul's Academy's newsletter!

In this issue:

• A wider community
• New timetable - A great success
• Improvement to timetable
• Continuing improvements
• Well done kitchen staff
• Sporting success
• Celebrity visits
• Teachers retiring
• Moving on
• A big thanks to....
• Holiday dates

Dear Parents and Guardians

“As our academy nears its first birthday I would like to thank you all for helping make this a great success.

It seems unbelievable that as I write we are completing our first year as Saint Paul's Academy; an institution which didn't exist this time last year and which, although it carries on many of the best characteristics of Saint Paul's school, is a fundamentally different place in many ways. Perhaps it will take the summer holidays for the significance of all we have achieved to sink in, but it is worth reflecting on some of the most important changes before we start the New Year.”

Patrick Winston, Principal

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A wider community

One of the most obvious and pleasing differences between Saint Paul's School and Saint Paul's Academy, is that because of the bigger size of the Academy we are able to welcome students from the local community as well as our traditional Catholic intake.

This has added diversity, which we always welcome, to our school and we hope that as the number of community places increases our school will more and more represent the neighbouring population whilst retaining its distinctive Catholic ethos.

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New timetable - A great success

Another very obvious change was the timing of the school day with the shift from fifty minute to ninety minute lessons and the introduction of staggered breakfasts and lunch times. Without any doubt at all the staggered breaks have been a huge success; the problems with the congestion in the playground which made life so difficult at peak times last year have been resolved and students have been very responsible about ensuring that they are back in lessons on time. The longer lessons have also been very successful with the reduced amount of movement around the building having a calming effect on students.

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Improvement to timetable

However, after consultation with staff it has been decided that the length of lessons will be slightly changed from September. The day will now consist of five lessons, apart from Wednesday which will have four, giving an early finish for students. Lessons which do not have breakfast or lunch in them a will be seventy minutes while those which include a break will be seventy five. These changes have been made for several reasons; teachers in some subject areas felt that ninety minutes was slightly too long to maximise learning potential while other areas such as PE and creativity wanted longer lessons so that more extended activities can be undertaken. It will now be possible for these Learning Zones to teach double lessons. The new times of the day are printed on the back of this newsletter so that you can see clearly how the week will run.

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Continuing improvements

The establishment of the Academy has allowed us to improve some of our basic facilities; we have been able to increase our ICT provision significantly, allowing students far greater access to computers especially before and after school. Many students now arrive as early as seven thirty and stay as late as five thirty in order to complete all their work in school and this of course means that if they encounter any difficulties, members of the teaching and support staff are on hand to offer guidance.

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Well done kitchen staff

Perhaps the improvement which has had the greatest impact on the whole school community is the change in the school meals provision. Last year we were embarrassed by the offer made to students, however, with a new restaurant area and a wide range of hot food being on offer at both breakfast and lunch time we can now be confident that staff and students are very well catered for. Nationwide, school meal take up might be falling but at Saint Paul's the opposite is true; we serve between 350 - 400 breakfasts every day and around 460 lunches. My thanks go to Audrey and her team who do a magnificent job in the restaurant.

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Sporting success

You will be well aware that despite our very limited sports facilities, we have achieved fantastic results in sports over recent years, as a result of which sport became one of our Academy specialisms. This half term has been no exception as far as our success is concerned with the boys' Gaelic football teams achieving some notable victories; the Under 14 team has made it through to the semi finals of the London Championship while the Under16 team defeated Tir Conaill Gaels. I am also pleased to be able to report that three of our students have been selected to represent London in the FeilePeile na nOg competition in Wicklow and two former students will be travelling to Boston, Massachusetts, to represent London in the international Under 18 Tournament.

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Celebrity visits

The Performing Arts Learning Zone also made the most of the World Cup to promote sport and entertainment across the curriculum and we were very pleased to welcome a number of celebrities into school; Sinead Quinn from Fame Academy performed a number of tracks from her forthcoming album for Year 8 and she also spent some time in the music department working with GCSE students.

Andy Fordham, a former world darts champion, gave an exhibition to students and Millwall player Barry Colgan lent a hand with the Year 9 interform soccer competition. We were also pleased to see Cefn Doyle, a Welsh Under 21 Rugby League player who assisted with inter-form Tag Rugby and, to give a slightly different perspective to the week Peter Daniels, a historian who has worked with Charlton FC and Chelsea FC, worked with students on the history of the sport.

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Teachers retiring

As is usual at this time of year we have to say goodbye to some colleagues, and it is with sadness that we say goodbye to three colleagues who are retiring; Avril Garland, Alf Philpott and Maggie Cascioli all of whom will be well known to many of you. Avril Garland has taught at Saint Paul's for thirty three years during which time she has undertaken a wide range of jobs from teaching foundation subjects and games, to SENCO and Head of Lower School. In each post, she has made a huge contribution to the running of the school and the well being of students who have always appreciated her kindness and generosity of spirit.

Alf Philpott came to Saint Paul's in September 1985 since which time he has been not only Head of Mathematics but also a member of the school's leadership team. Mr Philpott's passion for his subject and calmness of demeanour will be greatly missed by staff and students as will his very memorable and enjoyable contributions to our school liturgies. We wish Miss Garland and Mr Philpott every happiness in the future.

Mrs Cascioli has been at Saint Paul's for seven years and during this time she has radically changed the vision of Chaplaincy. As well as organising all the school liturgies, including two very successful whole school visits to Aylesford Priory, Mrs Cascioli has lived out the gospel values through her work with both students and staff, giving support to any member of our community who is vulnerable. However, I am delighted that Mrs Cascioli is going to return to Saint Paul's next year on a part time basis and she is also going to be National Co-ordinator of the Association of Catholic Chaplains in Education, a position which indicates that she is appreciated nationally as well as locally!

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Moving on

We are also sorry to be losing three other members of staff who are moving on; Miss McAllister is taking up a position at Wilmington Grammar School, Mrs Wall is returning to Ireland with her family and Mr Rose is taking up a post teaching psychology rather than science. I would like to thank them all for their unique contributions to Saint Paul's and wish them success in their new ventures. I would also like to thank all staff, both teaching and support, for their hard work this year; without the support and dedication of the staff Saint Paul's Academy could not have succeeded. The staff have embraced a phenomenal amount of change in a very short time and in very cramped conditions; it is a great credit to their professionalism and perseverance that this year has been so successful.

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A big thanks to....

I would also like to thank all the other people who have supported the Academy this year; the governors, the local clergy, Gareth Newman from the DfES, Pam Bowmaker from the Specialist Schools' and Academies' Trust and many members of the local community. The success of this venture relies on all of us continuing to work together in the best interests of local children and I am very confident that we will continue to do so. I hope you all have an enjoyable and restful summer holiday.

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Holiday dates 2006/2007

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