INSPIRING TIMES: SECONDARY AND SIXTH FORM EDITION A celebration of the amazing achievements, special events and competitions in our secondary schools and sixth forms during the Autumn term.
Exceptional Achievements in Extraordinary Times An introduction from our Secondary Director, Louise Jackson. I am incredibly proud to share with you this first edition of our Inspiring Times newsletter highlighting the achievements of pupils, staff, and communities across our secondary schools and sixth forms. Our vision as a Trust is to give every child an exceptional education. We pride ourselves on the academic rigour and aspiration in our curriculum, but we also strive to give every child access to the best possible enrichment opportunities. This year we have focused on developing our Trust wide music and sports strategies, the fruits of which are well represented in this newsletter. We have more pupils than ever before engaging in music tuition and the inter school events programme has demonstrated the power of teamwork and healthy competition for our sports teams. Last term Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form was named as the 7th best sixth form in the country, a fantastic accolade and one that Chris Jennings, his team, and their students should be very proud of. We now have four sixth forms within our Trust and with the opening of SIN East in September, our high-quality Key Stage 5 provision will span across Norfolk, enabling even more students to follow aspirational pathways to their chosen careers.
Our secondary pupils have shown determination through their recent mock exams and look set to achieve strong outcomes in the summer. The resilience of these young people through two periods of remote learning and the associated challenges, has been impressive. The commitment of our exceptional teachers and pastoral teams has meant that every individual pupil is able to thrive and receive the support they need. This term also welcomed King Edward VII Academy to our family of schools. KES was founded in 1510 and brings with it exciting traditions, history, and royal connections. It was wonderful to spend the day with staff at the school’s INSET day in September and see the journey of the school over the last term. Looking ahead, I am excited to see what 2022 has in store. If the last year has taught me anything, it’s that we should never underestimate the power of our young people’s voices to make a difference.
Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form rated 7th best sixth form in the UK Congratulations to all our colleagues and students at Sir Isaac Newton for all their hard work! Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form celebrated many achievements last year, including their incredible A Level results and prestigious university offers, but most recently have celebrated being named 7th best sixth form in the UK (of approx 4500), according to The Times, Best State Sixth Form in the UK 2022. The only sixth forms above Sir Isaac Newton on the table are based in London, Exeter and Cambridge, making SIN the BEST in Norfolk. A huge well done to Chris and the team, this is great news for our local community including Great Yarmouth, who will soon benefit from the wonders of Sir Isaac Newton!
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This is a fabulous achievement for the school. I’m really proud of the work staff have put into the student experience at Sir Isaac and it’s great to see the school performing so well at a national level.
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Chris Jennings - Principal of Sir Isaac Newton
Secondary Awards Congratulations to all our colleagues from our secondary schools who were nominated for awards at our annual conference. East Point Academy: Caitlin Beales - Caitlin has been a vital part of both the history department and the wider school community. She goes above and beyond to support her students, inspiring them to achieve their very best. She is supportive, encouraging and determined to always do the best for her students both in the classroom and beyond. Over the course of the year she has regularly mentored a number of LAC pupils as well as leading EPA’s Beacon Schools project, a prestigious and intensive program that developed awareness and improved teaching of the Holocaust. Additionally, she has taken an active role in developing our inclusive school community, helping with the development of a more diverse curriculum and supporting students in the LGBTQ+ community. Caitlin Beales said: I’m second in Humanities. My award was given for my contribution to the wider school. For instance, I am a Mental Health First Aider, I mentor looked-after children, I ran the UCL Beacon School for Holocaust Education programme in the school where I ran an exhibition for student work as a culmination of the project. I also completed the UCL MA Holocaust in the Curriculum module at the end of the previous academic year, and am currently completing the NPQLT through the Ambition Institute. Alongside my department, I have also run sessions for our after school History Club. I feel very fortunate to win the award, and it shows the appreciation for the effort put into schools and our students.
Karen Dando Karen continues to be an exceptionally enthusiastic and committed member of the EPA team. Over time Karen has built an extensive CIAG offer for all pupils across the academy making sure our pupils are in the strongest position to engage in their next steps in education and employment. Karen is always keen to volunteer her support and time to many departments across the school to ensure our pupils do not miss out, this has included her developing an extensive knowledge of many sports cheering EPA pupils from the sidelines in all weathers. Her infectious laugh and willingness to go the extra mile for our community is priceless. Jane Austen College: Tom Charles - Tom is a passionate subject teacher and has taken on the role of mentoring with great gusto. He also works hard to support students pastorally and has recently demonstrated team spirit by stepping up to take on a new A-Level class. Catriona Milne - The school could not run without Catriona, she works incredibly hard and also shows a huge amount of care for staff. She always looks out for others, and is solution-focused even in the trickiest of situations. Great Yarmouth Charter Academy: Anne Severino - Overall outstanding contribution to life at Charter. The way that Anne approaches her teaching, duties and Duke of Edinburgh shows total commitment to our pupils. Tracey Derry - Awarded for her continued excellence in safeguarding in the academy. Tracey constantly ensures that our pupils and staff are safe, whilst receiving praise and recognition from internal staff, external agencies and different areas of governance.
Cromer Academy: Laura Seville - The Duke of Edinburgh programme has increased exponentially thanks to Laura’s drive. Her commitment and willingness to always jump in and get the job done shows her commitment to raising aspirations. An extremely positive role model. Vicki Bumphrey - For organising the entire Covid operation within Cromer and giving up a phenomenal amount of time working around the clock to ensure the site, the staff and the pupils were safe. Vicki Bumphrey said: It was a real honour to be nominated for the Support Staff Award for Outstanding Contribution. The award was in recognition for my role as School Manager, leading on the schools response to the covid-19 pandemic. It’s been an incredibly challenging time for everyone working in education and it has been a real team effort that has required everyone to pull together when it’s been needed most.
Hewett Academy: Peter Mason - Peter has gone above and beyond to build on the work John put into bringing Music back into the curriculum at Hewett. Now our students are genuinely engaged and excited about their music lessons, it’s a vibrant part of our curriculum, and for a school with almost 50% PP this is life changing work. Eve Mathews - Hewett’s former library was like a scene from Harry Potter but without the magic. Eve has gone above and beyond in her work to support our ambition to make reading an integral part of our students’ educational experience and their appreciation of its value to them. She has succeeded, our library is truly magical! King Edward VII Academy: Thomas Wheeler - Tom is one of those members of staff who, in a stealth like manner, goes above and beyond for both staff and students. He is not just an amazing science teacher, who has continually provided technical support and shared good practice, but he can also be found at every school function or production supporting with lighting and sound. Sue Benstead - As data manager she is the unsung hero that enables the school to function, she has always been exceptional but with the added pressures of Covid, consent forms, test registers, not to mention centre assessed grades, she has been remarkable. There is never anything that is thrown in her direction that she hasn’t got a solution to. Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form: Heidi Steele - A shining light of hope, energy and fun throughout a difficult year. Heidi has been magnificent and the work that has gone into supporting students has been exemplary.
Hethersett Academy: Alexandra Baldry - For going above and beyond with coaching, mentoring and teaching to improve the quality of teaching within her department. She is a passionate 2nd in Department who works tirelessly and intelligently to motivate children and colleagues to achieve their very best. Sarah Brown - Sarah’s relentless hard work and professionalism is second to none. Her dedicated, efficient and caring ways mean our children receive exemplary safeguarding care in a professional, caring and thoughtful manner.
James Emerson - Science technician doesn’t get anywhere near describing the contribution James makes to the school. The school simply could not have made it through last year without him. A model professional who is always willing to help.
Thetford Academy: Gill Taylor - Gill has transformed the Food department since joining in 2019. She has brought a wealth of knowledge, experience and professional skill to our school. As a result Food is one of the most popular subjects with pupils. Gill achieves amazing outcomes with some of the most challenging pupils in the school, with pupils producing professional standards of cooking. Ilona Haye - Ilona is the heartbeat of the school. Her organisation, calmness and attention to detail is fundamental to the smooth running of the school. This has been even more vital in the last year as Ilona has done an amazing job of setting up and coordinating the Covid testing process. Wayland Academy: Martha Rees - Martha joined Wayland in September 2019 and subsequently experienced a unique NQT period which included the challenges of online teaching. Despite this and the normal challenges of the first two years of teaching, Martha has established herself as a form tutor, Design Technology Teacher and Duke of Edinburgh supporter. Thanks to her work, Design Technology Textiles is now an oversubscribed GCSE option subject that appeals to all. Debbie Blundell - Debbie has gone above and beyond during difficult times to ensure that students and staff receive the necessary support. Debbie has organised many events and special trips for the SEND department whilst ensuring all EHCPs, reviews and details are up to date. Debbie has coped well with the line management changes including supporting our new SENDco to lead the provision at Wayland Academy. Debbie always has a smile on her face, and is highly valued at Wayland Academy.
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Our sports updates The Trust sporting competitions have been introduced to enhance levels of enrichment for all schools. One of the main principles of the Trust sporting events is to create opportunities for all to encourage teamwork and to take pride in students representing their school. It is also where we can see “community and culture” in action! Both sporting tournaments so far, Football (October) and Swimming Gala (November), have allowed the students to compete with pride, skill, determination and team-work in a competitive sporting arena against each other, which is another stepforward after so long without these sporting opportunities. We look forward to our next Trust sporting tournament which will be Badminton on February 11th and will be hosted again by UEA Sportspark. Our first Trust primary competition is 6-a-side Football on March 25th for pupils in Year 4 - 6 which should be fantastic!
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Steve Adams - Whole Trust Schools Sports
Coordinator
In a league of our own Inspiration Trust’s Football Tournament kicks off new sporting programme. On October 20th and 21st, Inspiration Trust were delighted to launch their first of many, inter-Trust sporting events. The event included over 630 students competing in a football tournament over two days at Norwich CSF’s fantastic venue, The Nest. The competition took place over two days and involved nine secondary schools from our region; Cromer Academy, East Point Academy, Great Yarmouth Charter Academy, Hethersett Academy, Hewett Academy, King Edward VII Academy, Jane Austen College, Thetford Academy and Wayland Academy. It included both boys and girls from throughout Years 7 - 10, with over 80 matches being played per day. The weather did not dampen spirits and the games were all played in an enjoyable but competitive atmosphere. The competition was supported by Norfolk FA Referees Association, with 8 fantastic officials a day who all acknowledged what a pleasure it was to officiate and how polite and respectful Inspiration Trust students were. Congratulations to all who took part. The cup winners: Year 7 Boys - Thetford Year 7 Girls - Hethersett Year 8 Boys - EPA Year 8 Girls - Cromer Year 9 Boys - EPA Year 9 Girls - JAC Year 10 Boys - Cromer Year 10 Girls - Hethersett
Back in the swim of things Our secondaries had a fantastic time showing off their swimming prowess. Inspiration Trust continued their programme of inter-Trust sporting events on Tuesday 23rd November with a whole Trust swimming gala, involving 280 swimmers across our nine secondary schools at the UEA pool. The swimmers involved both strong club swimmers, but also first-time swimmers competing in their first ever gala. The gala was split into two sections with the Junior competition (Year 7 & 8) performing first then a switch-over to the Senior competition (Year 9 & 10). One of the main principles of the Trust sporting competitions is to create events that encourage teamwork and pride in representing the school, and this gala did exactly that. The enthusiasm and atmosphere at the gala was incredible, with all swimmers being cheered on in every race by their peers. Amongst the cohort there were some very impressive swimmers representing their schools and the gala acted as a great platform for them to showcase their swimming skills to a very large audience. The gala was concluded with individual performance awards which were nominated by Alex Pinniger, Head Coach for City of Norwich Swim Club, and were presented to the following swimmers: • • • •
Year 7 Girls - Ellie (Butterfly) Year 7 Boys - Harrison (Butterfly) Year 8 Girls - Abbie (Butterfly) Year 8 Boys - Angus (Freestyle)
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Year 9 Girls - Isla (Breaststroke) Year 9 Boys - Morgan (Butterfly) Year 10 Girls - Esme (Freestyle) Year 10 Boys - Ben (Breaststroke)
The leaderboard! Following the Swimming and Football events, the overall leaderboard stands as:
Trust Music A message from our Director of Music, John Stephens: This academic year has seen the introduction of a new team of Visiting Music Teachers who visit Trust schools offering instrumental and vocal tuition. It’s a bold step for a Multi-Academy Trust and represents a big commitment in terms of time and energy as well as financial subsidy. We’ve successfully replaced all pre-existing provision Trust-wide and are now working hard to expand this scheme into as many settings as possible. We now have well over 400 pupils having weekly lessons with these teachers, most of which are loaned a brand new instrument free of charge. A significant proportion of the pupils are supported through in-school Pupil Premium funding. Anecdotally, Heads of Music report that they’re very happy with the quality of teaching and that pupil satisfaction and progress is excellent.
We’re on the way to building a musical culture across the Trust in which a ‘critical mass’ of pupils are learning musical instruments, in the expectation that this energy and interest becomes self-sustaining - but we’re not there yet. Thank you for all your help thus far in enabling instrumental and vocal tuition, and for everything I know you’ll be doing to support it moving forwards. It’s a key part of the music strategy, which also aims to build the number of ensembles available in schools, and make our secondary schools the ‘destination school’ for musical pupils in their areas. Please do keep your eye out for the next Music Bulletin, and don’t hesitate to get in touch if there’s anything you’d like to discuss.
The lessons offered are a mixture of 1:1 and small group lessons and parents/carers are asked to pay a subscription style contribution to the cost, with the Trust funding the rest. The price per head is the same for all pupils, and schools can further subsidise the cost for those in particular need. This funding mechanism gives us the flexibility to tailor the lessons to the needs of pupils wherever possible, but it also means that when pupils progress and need more time, a smaller group or an individual lesson, their families will not be penalised with fees that double or treble. We’re proud that this scheme enables such equality of access.
A number of our schools have begun planning for their exciting upcoming school performances. Jane Austen College, Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form and Hewett Academy: Grease performance 10th - 12th February
Cromer Academy: Mary Poppins Performance 22nd - 23rd March
East Point Academy: School of Rock Performance 7th - 10th February
Hethersett Academy: Joseph Performance 29th - 31st March
Hethersett Academy and Great Yarmouth Charter Academy offer Music Scholarships Hethersett Academy and Great Yarmouth Charter Academy are pleased to offer generous music scholarships, supported by Trinity College London, to pupils joining the school in Year 7 who show musical promise. Music Scholars receive: • • • • • •
2 x Instrumental/Vocal lessons a week with expert tutors - FREE of charge (worth over £1,200 per year) Graded music performance exam fees to be paid by the school as and when required. Termly master-classes with the Trust’s Director of Music and/or visiting musicians A nominated Scholarship Mentor in each school Regular performance opportunities Regular opportunities to attend high-quality performances
Scholarships will last for 3 years over Key Stage 3 and further scholarships will be available in Key Stage 4 in due course. In exchange for the scholarship, the students must engage fully in the musical life of the school. They must be a reliable member of school bands, choirs and ensembles as well as perform regularly in school, at Trust-wide events, and external events organised by the school. They must also work hard at improving their musical skills by following the instructions of their teachers and practising between lessons. We are thrilled that our schools are able to offer such valuable sessions to our students, and look forward to watching our music journey develop.
News from our family of schools Another year of great stories. Read about some of our special events, community work and competitions! Official opening of Great Yarmouth Charter Academy’s new building and sixth form
Great Yarmouth Charter Academy is preparing to become the home of Sir Isaac Newton East
On Friday 10th of September, Great Yarmouth Charter Academy welcomed guests including Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England, to officially open their new Science Futures Building. It is filled with brand new fantastic facilities including science laboratories at Great Yarmouth Charter Academy.
“We are thrilled that Great Yarmouth Charter Academy will soon partner with Norwich’s thriving city centre Sixth Form, Sir Isaac Newton, to become the home of Sir Isaac Newton East.”
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, both Rachel de Souza and Gareth Stevens, chief executive of the Inspiration Trust, thanked Great Yarmouth Charter Academy’s governors, councillors, contractors amongst many others who were instrumental in the launch of the building. Chair of the Academy Committee Iain McDonald, who previously taught at the school was thanked as well as Great Yarmouth’s Deputy Mayor Adrian Thompson who also studied at the school in 1982. During her speech, Rachel de Souza also announced that Great Yarmouth Charter Academy is soon to become the home of Sir Isaac Newton East, a STEM specialist sixth form, in partnership with Inspiration Trust’s already well established and thriving Norwich based sixth form, Sir Isaac Newton. The £7 million investment was funded by the Free Schools group and was designed to accommodate an increased pupil number including a brand new sixth form on the site. The overall accommodation was increased by a mix of new building, reconfiguration and refurbishment. This created a new dining space, a new science building, a new sixth form, plus classrooms and library.
Over the last three years, oversubscribed Great Yarmouth Charter Academy has been building towards the opening of a sixth form, through rapid school improvement. Great Yarmouth Charter Academy will now open a new Science and Maths specialist Sixth Form, offering a broad range of curriculum including A Levels that you would expect from a traditional sixth form, such as English, Creative Arts and Humanities. It will be modelled on the highly successful Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form College in Norwich City Centre, with applications soon to be taken for study to begin in September 2022. Sir Isaac Newton has a strong track record of delivering outstanding outcomes for students, for both their academic results and their destinations. Partnering with Sir Isaac Newton will allow students from Great Yarmouth and the surrounding areas to access the same high quality provision and experience, but without the commute and transport costs. The Sixth Form will ensure that students have access to their own dedicated space which will separate them from the school and allow them their independence in preparation for their next destinations, whether that is University or high quality apprenticeships and employment opportunities. Applications are now being taken!
King Edward VII Academy joins Inspiration Trust’s family of schools We’re delighted to announce that as of September, King Edward VII Academy joined Inspiration Trust’s family of schools. KES Academy is steeped in prestigious history, and we are so proud to have them on board. Please see KES Academy’s history: King Edward VII Academy was founded in the sixteenth century, when in 1510 the will of Thomas Thoresby, a former Mayor of Lynn, made provision for the payment of a priest who would teach six children ‘in grammar and song’. In 1902, William Lancaster, a former pupil of the Lynn Grammar School, offered to pay for a new building as long as the corporation found a suitable site. The name was changed to King Edward Vll Grammar School in 1903 when it was amalgamated with the King’s Lynn Technical School. King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra and other members of the Royal Family, travelled from Sandringham for the opening of the school, where the King made a speech in the main hall and knighted William Lancaster. In 2014 the school became an academy and changed its name to King Edward VII Academy. KES Academy has a new and exciting website that has launched in line with all of Inspiration Trust’s schools. Sarah Hartshorn has continued to lead the school and said: “I am delighted to be able to announce that King Edward VII academy is now officially part of the Inspiration Trust family of schools. I would like to publicly thank both Trusts for making this transfer as seamless as possible. Working so hard collectively over the summer to ensure we reached this point before the start of the new term. Myself and my team are very excited about this next stage in King Edward VII journey. The sleeping giant had already awoken, now it’s time to hear it roar!”
Thetford Academy launches Thomas Paine Sixth Form
East Point Academy welcomed Dame Rachel de Souza to open their new building
Thetford Academy has had an exciting rebrand, relaunching their Sixth Form as Thomas Paine Sixth Form.
On Friday 10th of September the Children’s commissioner for England arrived at East Point Academy in Suffolk, to cut the ribbon and officially open East Point Academy’s new fantastic building.
At Thomas Paine Sixth Form the focus is on academic progress and achievement, personal development and well-being and they have high aspirations for their students’ futures. During their sixth form journey, students will be provided with excellent academic and pastoral guidance. Thomas Paine Sixth Form is an inclusive community, with the aim of delivering high quality, relevant courses that meet the needs of all their students. It offers both A-Level and Vocational Level 3 courses, covering a wide range of subjects, that open up lots of opportunities for University Study, Apprenticeships and Employment. The Sixth Form continues to build on Thetford’s high academic standards, with students recently having gone onto Universities such as Cambridge, Manchester and York. Students at Thomas Paine Sixth Form will get to choose one of the five leadership programmes to follow which will prepare them to be future leaders in a particular specialism. They aspire that their students will be the next generation of leaders who inspire others in whichever profession or pathway they choose for their future. The leadership pathways on offer for 2022 are: • • • • •
Business Leadership Community Leadership Creative Arts Leadership Sports Leadership STEM Leadership
As part of the leadership scheme all students will have the opportunity to complete the relevant accredited leadership qualifications such as Gold Arts Award and Young Enterprise, which will give our students the edge when they write their CVs and University applications.
The afternoon began with the various special guests speaking to East Point Academy’s year 11 pupils about the building and how this will enhance their studies and their aspirations. This was followed by the ribbon cutting ceremony, with East Point Academy’s Principal, Richard Dolding, thanking the various contractors, councillors and school governors for their hard work and dedication to the project. The new building was funded by a £9 million investment from “Priority School Build Programmes” and was designed to deal with serious “building condition issues”. The overall capacity of the school was reduced, in line with local authority expectations of pupil numbers in the area. However, the new capacity is now met by a new building, plus refurbishment and reconfiguration for many aspects and areas. This created a new science and maths building, refurbished sports facilities, reconfigured library and careers area, plus refurbished classrooms and a landscaped open courtyard that the staff and students of East Point Academy can be truly proud of.
Wayland Academy’s Achievement Evening On the 29th of November 2021 Wayland Academy welcomed staff, student leavers, parents, and Trust leaders to the 2021 Achievement Evening. Principal Glen Allott said: “The annual achievement evening is always my proudest moment of the academic year. Firstly, it is fabulous to present our leavers with their well-earned GCSE certificates and to surprise the hard-working students with the Subject Awards is always a joy.” Head students, past and present, passed on their insight into the last 5 years and the future, and it was great to see that both groups had sky high expectations. It was also a pleasure to welcome the school’s choir to the event as musical accompaniment and as an entertaining interlude. Glen Allott also added: “The Academy Awards, including the main award, “The Principal’s Award” are my favourite moments of the evening. Every year it is an absolute pleasure to present this award and this year even more so. Sam achieved an amazing set of GCSE results, which were well deserved but knowing he achieved these results whilst overcoming challenges of autism is what made his teachers proudest.” Well done to all award winners!
Two Inspiration Trust schools have been celebrating Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee early - with a competition for students to create The Queen’s portrait! Hewett Academy and Jane Austen College students got to work through a variety of mediums such as paint, drawing and digital art to produce some fantastic images of The Queen at different stages in her long reign. Each school has a winner who will receive £100 in gift vouchers and, more importantly, their art work will be framed and placed in the school reception for the whole of 2022 - the Platinum Jubilee year. The winner from Jane Austen College was Megan, and the winner from Hewett Academy was Maddie. Jane Austen’s Head of Art, Rachael Fraser, who chose the winner from Hewett Academy, said “This piece stood out to us as it is so bright and cheerful, and yet dignified. It is a real celebration of colour and texture.” The “honourable mentions” runners up were Hayley and Lola from Hewett Academy and Kaushiki and Annabel from Jane Austen College. Hewett Academy’s Head of Art, Amy Lee, chose the winner from Jane Austen College and said “We were captivated by the skillful attention to detail in this piece and were pleased to see a jovial portrait of Her Majesty, The Queen”. Executive Principal Antony Little said: “The incredibly high standard of art work produced is a testament to the skill and artistry of the students in both schools. We have two worthy winners in Megan and Maddie who have done their Queen and Country proud. We look forward to the visitors to our school seeing their work all year round as part of the Platinum celebrations.” We can’t wait to see the artwork in the schools this year!
Green-fingered students and Council rangers plant an impressive 1300 Trees at Cromer Academy Students from Cromer Academy’s Eco Club took part in a day of tree planting, creating hedgerows on the school’s field. Alongside the Council’s Countryside Rangers and Climate & Environment team, 1300 trees were planted as part of the 110,000 Trees project. The students helped to plant a wild native hedge mix of Hawthorn & Blackthorn, Hazel, Dogrose and Dogwood. Cromer Academy has joined in with the 110,000 Trees projects, pro-actively working on the environmental pledges they made as part of their Eco-school award. Cromer Academy has signed up to be part of the internationally recognised Eco-school Award and is working towards their Green Flag status, focusing on marine conservation, school grounds and waste. They have recently purchased a plastic granulator, which was part funded by the Council, to become a plastic free environment.
Hewett Academy’s artwork selected for exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts Hewett Academy is delighted to announce that their students have had 4 artworks selected for exhibition in 2021 at The Young Artists’ Summer Show; one of only two schools in Norfolk County to make it into the physical display. The Young Artists’ Summer Show is an annual, free, open submission exhibition for students aged 5 - 19 studying in the UK and British schools overseas. Artworks are judged by artists and arts professionals with selected artworks displayed online and on-site at the Royal Academy of Arts. 33,000 Submissions were made to the Young Artist’s Summer Show at the Royal Academy of Art this year with only 260 works selected for exhibition in London and a further 340 selected for online display. We are thrilled to be a part of this.
Our student’s artwork: Elizabeth’s photographic submission of her family in lockdown was well received by the prestigious venue and created much conversation among visitors. Lacy submitted a contemporary framed and altered portrait of Lord Nelson. Mazie’s mixed media, stitched and painted portrait of the late Breonna Taylor was accepted for the online exhibition. She demonstrates a high level of skill and sensitivity in reflection of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. The final selected works depict the collaborative work of KS3 on their return to Hewett Academy following lockdown #1. Every KS3 student created a plasticine figure inspired by Antony Gormley’s ‘Field’ from 1991. The students’ sculptures expressed their hopes and fears of a return to school in a Covid-safe society.
Autumn 2021 SEND Inspiration SEND Network launched in February 2021 with a mission to improve outcomes for learners with SEND by upskilling senior leaders, governors and SENCOs, as well as aspiring SENCOs. The network is open to all and now has 107 members from across the UK as well as Germany and China. Members receive a fortnightly update, designed to provide bitesize CPD in the form of “one thing I’ve learned” and “one thing we’re talking about”, as a means of sharing best practice and new resources. Additionally, using “one thing we’re asking” to generate a moment of reflection about an aspect of SEND provision in their own setting. In addition to the fortnightly update, we offer free, online events and in November held a twilight session entitled “Empowering TAs”, with input from speaker Abi Joachim, who runs SuffolkTAN, a TA network in Suffolk. Inspiration SEND Network is supported by Teach First, who funded the purchase of 15 edu-books on a SEND-related theme. Network members signed up to get their free book, in return for writing a blog about the book. You can read our blogs on the Inspiration Teaching Hub news page. What’s next? We have further online events planned for the spring term: The Role of the SENCO, Tuesday 8th February, 5-6pm and Good Transitions: supporting phase transfer for learners with SEND, Wednesday 30th March, 5-6pm. We are also planning an in-person conference on the leadership of SEND, taking place on Saturday 2nd July at The Thetford Academy. Tickets to be released soon! Join the conversation: keep up to date with the leadership of SEND by joining our network and completing this form.
Catherine Berwick Trust Lead for SEND
Our school house systems A quick look at the house systems in our schools. House systems have been part of schools for years. Some of our schools have a long tradition of house systems whilst others have not developed these yet. One thing that has been obvious is that house systems can be fantastic vehicles for a school culture and can help drive change that has a real, and lasting, impact for pupils. Our schools are all at different points in their journey with regard to house systems but the fantastic thing about being part of a multi-academy Trust is that we can share our successes and learn from any missteps we might have taken. Over the autumn term representatives from all of our schools have been invited to take part in a working group looking at developing a more uniform approach to houses so that we can capture the key ingredients that make the best ones work so well. The following principles of intent underpin the work that this group has been doing. All Inspiration Trust schools will have a house system. The house system should be highly visible and evident to staff, pupils, parents and other stakeholders. It will be the vehicle for in school and inter-school competition and link closely to the rewards system. The house system will promote the culture of the school and be related to the school values. Each house will have a house leader and each staff member will be part of a House. The aim is to ensure that all schools (primary and secondary) have a house system in place by September 2022.
Our school houses are as follows: Cromer Academy: Shipp, Saddler, Blogg, Davies East Point Academy: Mariners, Wilde, Crown, Ravine Charter Academy: McMillan, Sayer, Lewis, Bentley Hethersett Academy: Attenborough, Obama, Elizabeth II, Parks Hewett Academy: Colman, Gurney, Jewson Jane Austen College: Shakespeare, Bronte, Ishiguro, Julian King Edward VII: Edinburgh/York, Lancaster/School, Keane/Thorseby, Gloucester/Windsor Thetford Academy: Iceni, Angles, Danes, Normans Wayland Academy: Hero, Macmillan, Nelson, Star
Trust Fundraising A message from our Trust Fundraiser, Laura Foley: School and community partnerships play an essential role in successful schools, often providing support and resources to meet staff, family, and student needs that go beyond what is typically available through school. The key area we are looking to build upon is connection with the community, involving them with projects we are keen to achieve as schools on an individual basis. From developing ‘eco gardens’ to buying a school minibus, schools have been busy creating crowdfunding campaigns and exploring best ways to fundraise for things that will improve the facilities they have to offer their students. Some schools have fantastic, hardworking groups made up of parents, teachers and friends of Academies who are doing a wonderful job of using a connection with their community to help improve facilities and enrichment for students. Hopefully with the introduction of Crowdfunding projects this can help build upon this success and more schools will benefit from connections with their community.
On a wider scale I have been working on building relationships with local businesses to explore the ways we can work together and also created valuable partnerships for our Inter Trust Sports competition which has meant we can provide the best equipment and a brand new kit to all of our primary schools for their upcoming events! I’m really excited about building upon existing and creating further connections with our community and working with them to build upon the fantastic enrichment the Trust has to offer.