Newsletter October 2010

This issue

Welcome to the October 2010 edition of Saint Paul's Academy's newsletter!

In this issue:

• A world of opportunity
• Open Day surpassed all expectations
• Patrick opens editing suite
• Keeping up uniform standards
• Charity is not just a one way process
• Students entertain the elderly
• Charity challenge
• Can you help with Work Experience placements?
• Soup Lunch success
• Highly successful Summer School
• Partnership with Police
• Year 10 & 11
• From our Rugby Union correspondent
• Important dates
• Term & holiday dates 2010-2011

Dear Parents and Carers

“If you happened to look back over the five October Newsletters which have been published since the Academy opened, I am sure that you would notice that the opening paragraphs are remarkably similar. This is not because we have nothing new to tell you but because the breaking news is, that for the fifth year in succession, our GCSE results have continued to improve. By any standards, this is a remarkable achievement by both staff and students but it is all the more laudable when the move to the new building in the middle of the last academic year is factored in. This summer, a total of 76% of students in Year 11 achieved five or more A*-C grades and 58% of students achieved five or more A*- C grades including English and Maths. The figures constitute our best ever value added score and, in this context, they will place us very highly in the performance leagues.”

Patrick Winston, Principal

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A world of opportunity

This summer, eight subjects achieved their best ever results and eleven subjects performed significantly above the national average; this last figure is all the more significant as the official data for this cohort, the first group of students to come to Saint Paul’s Academy, predicted achievement considerably below average. These results are testimony to the ethos of the Academy and the relationships which exist between staff and students as well as the balance which is created between the academic curriculum and activities outside the formal school day. We are very firmly of the belief that ‘all work and no play’ makes for very dull students indeed and we are passionate about the fact that music, drama and sport help our students, not only to develop as individuals, but also to achieve academically.

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Open Day surpassed all expectations

Another highlight this half term was our Open Day in September; this was a day we had been looking forward to for eight years and, as we are all aware, there can be a danger of anticlimax when an event has been so highly anticipated. However, there was no anticlimax here and welcoming over a thousand visitors to our new campus surpassed all expectations.

It was particularly pleasing to see the amazement of so many people as they toured our fantastic building and factored in what we could offer to young people. As always, our current students did a marvellous job acting as guides and showing very clearly their enormous pride in their school.

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Patrick opens editing suite

There can be no better advertisement for a school than its students both past and present and many people were delighted to hear the music of Tinie Tempah, or Patrick Okogwu of the Class of 2005, being played on Open Morning. We were very pleased to welcome Patrick to Saint Paul’s Academy at the end of the summer term in order to open our Editing Suite. It was a short visit arranged at the very last minute but it caused a sensation especially when Patrick appeared unannounced and completely unexpectedly in classrooms; students literally jumped out of their seats and there were some very overwhelmed young people, in particular the girls. Students also liked asking questions about Patrick’s life now and how he had enjoyed school; many staff who taught him were delighted to hear him confirm that he loved his time at Saint Paul’s.

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Keeping up uniform standards

One of the features of our school which people often comment on is how smart our students look. This year we have made minor adjustments to our uniform so that there is a clearer difference between Upper and Lower School. The girls in the Upper School now have a skirt to match the blazer which gives a very smart, business-like effect. Boys in Year 9 now wear the Upper School tie because, as you will know, this is when students begin their GCSE and BTEC courses at Saint Paul’s.

However, there are still a number of students who ignore the rule on footwear; both boys and girls are required to wear polishable shoes, ie, shoes made of leather or a synthetic alternative, both in school and on their journey to and from school. All shoe laces must be black. Students may not wear any form of trainers or boots or any shoes made of canvas or cloth. These forms of footwear are not appropriate and I look forward to seeing all students in correct school uniform after the half term break; as always I know I can count on your support on this matter.

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We are very proud of our Annual Charity appeal and the good work this does

Charity is not just a one way process

As we approach the season of Advent, we look forward to our Annual Charity Appeal and once again our emphasis is on community, both local and global.

We have been overwhelmed by the welcome we have received from so many different areas of the community that we have decided this year to support Saint David’s Parish and the Weybourne Care Home as well as continuing our long term commitment to Sr. Ann in Kenya. Charity is not a one way process; it is not simply a matter of giving and receiving and over the year staff and students have gained a great deal from our links with Kenya.

Our community has seen, first hand, how another very different community operates and this has made many of us realise how fortunate we are even though it may not always feel like it!

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Students entertain the elderly

Similarly, the links we have made with our local Care Home have brought a new dimension to our Academy and our relationship is about far more than money. What the elderly people have enjoyed most is not the odd treat we have been able to provide but the interaction with our students particularly through music and drama. The singing sessions organised through the GCSE music group have brought tears to many eyes and for all the right reasons!

As always our students have responded magnificently to these challenges and, as is very common with new initiatives, we have discovered some young people who have been hiding their lights under a bushel.

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Charity challenge

Saint David’s is our local parish and we are keen to support Father Peter Murphy and his parishioners; over the course of this year, we hope to have year some year group masses at Saint Benet’s and in this way become more involved with local Catholic life.

We have set ourselves the very great challenge of raising £6,000 during Advent and I know that this is achievable. We will make the most of our new facilities and neighbourhood to generate as much income as possible and, as always, we will count on the ingenuity and generosity of staff and students to help those less fortunate than ourselves.

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Can you help with Work Experience placements?

I would also ask for your help in finding Work Experience placements for our Year 10 students who are undertaking one week’s Work Experience on starting on Monday, 4th April, 2011. In the past, the Local Authority has provided a large number of placements but this is no longer the case and many students struggle to find suitable positions. Ms Stevenson, who is in charge of Work Experience, would welcome offers of placements from parents, carers or members of the local community; it would be particularly good to have students working locally so that we can continue to build strong relationships with our neighbours.

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Soup Lunch success

We were also able to show our support for others through the Soup Lunch held on Friday 1st, October to support CAFOD. In the old building this would not have been possible, but with our new facilities our chef was able to provide a range of soups at low cost. This meant that we were not only able to support CAFOD symbolically and raise awareness through a simple, shared meal but also to support them financially.

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Highly successful Summer School

The new facilities were used to run a highly successful Summer School for children from local primary schools. There were a range of activities in music, art, drama and sports and the feedback from all participants, parents and staff was extremely positive as nothing like this has ever been run in the area before.

Next year it is anticipated that this project will be expanded to accommodate more children and we will be consulting with primary schools during the summer term.

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Partnership with Police

We have always enjoyed an excellent partnership with the police, especially though the Schools’ Liaison Team, so again we are delighted to be able to use our new facilities to enhance this partnership. The Academy is now used for the local Police Cadets’ meetings; St .Paul’s liaison officer, PC Andy Harris, also runs the cadets and so this is a mutually beneficial arrangement. Any young person over the age of fourteen can join the cadets and anyone interested should speak to PC Harris in school. I think many people would be surprised by the very varied tasks and skills undertaken by aspiring officers.

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Year 10 & 11

Finally, there are a large number of Year 10 and 11 students who are taking public examinations in November and, whilst we would never recommend that students do nothing but work, it is essential that the requisite revision is done over the half term holiday. If students break down their work into manageable chunks and make the most of online revision aids, the run up to the exams is much less stressful.

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From our Rugby Union correspondent

Last year saw Saint Paul’s Academy introduce a new sport. The sport was strange and foreign, there were so many rules and regulations, new positions, new faces, new training, new expectations. The new sport was Rugby Union.

We stand, a year on boasting two competitive sides, a squad of over forty committed to pulling on the Saint Paul’s Academy colours’ and introducing all comers to our particular brand of ‘off the cuff’ rugby.

The Year 9 senior first XV stand tall, burdened with the expectation and responsibility of leading the sport forward, a role performed with dedication and commitment for the Year 7s and 8s who follow admirably in their footsteps.

Thus far, both teams have thrived in competition, with the year 9s through to the second round of the Kent Cup. We are all looking forward to a strong, competitive season and our trip to watch England play Samoa at Twickenham in November.

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Important dates

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Term & holiday dates 2010-2011

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