Dear Families,

We have had a particularly busy half term and already find ourselves in the middle of the exam season. Thank you for all of the hard work, dedication and commitment that our students and staff continue to show in this highly pressured time. I would also like to extend this thanks to all families for the support they have shown through recently attending the Year 7 parents’ evening and Year 9 pathways evening. Your feedback has been incredibly supportive and we appreciate this.

I am incredibly proud to have taken part with the whole academy community observing the one minute silence for those who lost their lives in Manchester at the start of this week. Our students showed amazing respect. Do take a moment to read the wonderful piece in this newsletter written by two of our Year 9 students following the vigil held in Hednesford.

Best wishes, Mrs Hillier

Year 11 Intervention: Staffs. Uni Visit

Car Parking/Student Safety

In our December newsletter an article was issued regarding the parking around the academy and student safety. We would like to remind parents and carers the reasons for the barrier closure and the alternative measures in place to ensure the safety of our students. Road safety is particularly important and we implemented additional health and safety measures to further reduce risk. We closed the barrier to the Marston Road car park from Monday 12th December 2016 at the start and end of the academy day. We sought alternative provision to ensure that students can be dropped off and collected safely. This is arranged with the Belt Road Victoria Working Men’s Club (opposite the Marston Road entrance). Their car park can be used each day. We hope that you will continue to support us with this matter to keep our students safe.

The academy would also ask drivers to be mindful of its neighbours on Marston Road who require ease of access to their properties and driveways. Many thanks for your continued support.

Mrs H Kirkham, Estates Coordinator

Uniform - Reminder

It is essential that all SUA students look smart in their academy uniform. We would like to take the opportunity, once again, to issue a polite reminder about the academy uniform. Staff will check uniform daily before school to ensure that students are dressed appropriately. The following consequences will be put in place for those students who do not follow academy uniform rules:

Be sent home to change if we are able to contact a parent / carer

Be expected to borrow spare school uniform from the academy Attend an hour detention, on the same day after school, if they

fail to wear the correct academy uniform. Staff will contact home to discuss as appropriate.

No trainers are allowed at all. This includes all makes such as Nike, Adidas and Vans pumps. Shoes that look like trainers will be challenged. If you are in any doubt please ask before purchasing. Full correct academy uniform also consists of no facial piercings, such as nose or eyebrow piercing and only natural hair colours are allowed.

Please feel free to contact me should you require any further information.

Ties can be purchased from the academy for £4.50.

Miss L Brittle, Assistant Principal

As part of their GCSE English Literature preparation, a group of ten year eleven students participated in a targeted skills session at Staffordshire University’s Stoke Campus. Working with lecturers and tutors to fine-tune their understanding of Jekyll and Hyde, students really focused their skills and knowledge in time for their final exam. Students demonstrated excellent discussion and analysis skills, as Alicia Slyde (11 Green) stated “the topics we have covered have been challenging, but really interesting and useful.” Thanks go to all those that attended, and Mark Brown and Martin Jesinghausen (Staffordshire University) for making us feel both extremely welcome and sufficiently challenged!

Mr L Newton, English Teacher

Staffordshire Regiment visit Academy The aim of the ‘War at Home’ programme of study is to encourage the Year 8 cohort to research the impact of the First World War on our local area. This should hopefully improve the authenticity of their creative writing about historical events. In addition, a number of students produced presentations about the Staffordshire Regiment and the tunnelling battalions that miners from the Cannock Chase coalfield served in.

On Thursday 25th May members of the Hednesford branch of the Staffordshire Regiment Association came to the academy to display some of their collection of military memorabilia. Trevor Evans, the Parade Marshall, and Chairman Gordon Taylor gave demonstrations about the history of the regiment and conflicts that the Staffordshire have been involved in.

In addition twelve students delivered their own interactive presentations about the impact of the First World War. Bradley Purcell, Ellie Watkins, Bethany Bailey, Sasha Crawford, Edie-Mae Burke, Joshua Robinson, Charlie Green, Archie Povey, Ben Hill, Jess Sim, Claire Gearing Jones and Jamie-Lee Humphries all presented fantastic talks that were all informative and entertaining.

The audience consisted of all Year 8 English classes, English teachers and members of the Senior Leadership Team. We were all hugely impressed with the depth of research and the content of all presentations. The students spoke with insight and enthusiasm sharing the information with their peers and people from the local community.

Mr S Williams, English

SUA Paris Trip April 2017

Lots of Key Stage 3 students (Years 7-9) have put their names down to come to Paris next Easter. We will be staying in a hotel on the outskirts of Paris and we will spend 2 days in the centre of Paris.

As part of the visit we will visit the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Stade de France and have a boat trip on the River Seine. We will spend our final day in Disneyland. There will be opportunities to speak French, to try some French foods and to discover this amazing city.

If you would like a place please ask Miss Mays for a letter if you have not already done so.

Jack Beardmore, Year 8

SUA—Paris Trip April 2017

After 20 years of teaching I have been on many foreign visits, but our visit to Paris this year was definitely one of the best! The students were fantastic – they shared their sweets and made the staff laugh throughout the visit.

Some of them surprised us by eating snails or being really brave with their French and all of them made the most of all the visits. All 46 students made it to at least the second floor of the Eiffel Tower and the boat trip down the river was a favourite for all of us.

We went behind the scenes at the Stade de France and some of us even got shut in the prison cells (thankfully they let us all out again!). We went to lots of the famous landmarks such as the Louvre, the Notre Dame cathedral, the Musée d’Orsay and we were lucky enough to see the Eiffel Tower twinkling late at night.

The final day at Disneyland was spent in the sunshine going on lots of rides and watching the parades and by the end of all that we had finally worn everyone out and slept most of the way home.

We’re very much looking forward to going on our visit to Paris next year and are hoping to combine it with a visit to Ypres in Belgium – look out for the letters which will be coming out soon.

Mrs Mays, Head of MFL

Written by two Year 9 students: Megan Crutchley and Luke Withers - 9 Yellow

Love over Hate

May 22nd 2017: a day which will be forever burnt into the forefront of our mind. Twenty two people dead,

twenty two people less in the world. Twenty two people not going to school, or work, or home. Fifty nine

more people bearing the physical and emotional scars. Countless others dealing - trying to deal - with the

trauma of the night’s events. And in the midst of all this, what is the one thing that pulled through? The love.

Within minutes we’d seen the best and worst of humanity, but it was the best of us that shone brightest.

After studying superheroes for the past two years as part of our Film Studies GCSE, we sit here reading story

after story about this bombing and realise that superheroes very rarely enter the fray adorned in capes and a

mask. Anyone, in seconds of a disaster, can shed the same light any superhero would. However these people

have a different power, a power we all hold: humanity. Humanity is the greatest weapon on the face of the

earth; in itself it doesn't harm a single soul and comes in the form of any human being. For the victims of the

bomber, humanity came in the form of taxi drivers, hotel staff and even just the face of another opening up

their front door to offer what has been so unjustifiably taken away from them. The value? Priceless. The

cost? Nothing.

Some people try to take their humanity and forcefully turn it into a weapon of hate. The basic definition of

humanity is 'the state of being human'; is it human however to target the lives of innocent and defenceless

people? Is it human to plan an attack of pure evil? No. This is not how humanity is defined. The 'people' who

have committed this act became less than human in this moment and by their choices. How can we possibly

fight what appears to be a distorted version of humanity? Be a superhero; not the kind you see in your

favourite comic or film, but everyday superheroes. These terrorists will try again to inflict and change our

lives - and our lives will change – but how they change will always be up to us.

Humanity came, first and in force, in the form of social media. Ariana Grande, the concert singer who

performed for the victims of this heinous attack, now had to perform the most mature of acts. She said on

twitter "Broken. From the bottom of my heart, I am so, so sorry. I don't have words." Further, whilst

searching social media, we found perhaps the most simple of messages to sum up the attacks, it read

"You've got the wrong city if you think hate will tear us apart." What tries to divide us is perhaps what unites

us the most. It wasn't just social media that conveyed our unity, the Queen extended her 'deepest

sympathy', while Pope Francis offered a 'heartfelt solidarity'. The new Greater Manchester Mayor Andy

Burnham stated 'Pull together' and 'That's what we are. That's what we do. They won't win.' Finally, a

message received about the youngest to be lost, Saffie Rose Roussos (who was just eight years old), read:

'simply a beautiful little girl in every aspect of the word.'

Hearts have united everywhere, and this evening it was also Cannock's turn. A vigil organised to show that

even in the darkest times, we won't forget who and what has been lost. We should cherish their lives

forever. It’s perhaps the saddest of losses, if we lose hope. So honour those that have been so cruelly taken

from us, and make your superpowers respect and remembrance.

Choose love.

Tribute

The BfL Consequence System

Students have been receiving a number and variety of exciting rewards. These include items such as art equipment, free lunch and queue jumping passes, best friends take out lunches and many more. Students were asked what they thought about rewards at SUA.

Can we please remind Year 11 students that they can use their rewards points towards purchasing a prom ticket and Year 7-10 students can use them towards attending an additional end of year trip for free!

If students need their classcharts login details to obtain rewards can they please ask their tutors or Miss Fletcher for them.

The recent changes that were made to break and lunch time arrangements within the academy have resulted in even better behaviour.

Our next focus is behaviour within the classroom. At Staffordshire University Academy, we do not accept low level disruption within any classroom and we expect all students to follow instructions the first time these are given.

After half term, students will be given one warning before they receive a detention. Students will not receive consequences or detentions if they listen to staff, follow instructions, try their very best in lessons and do not disrupt the learning of others.

We are certain parents will support us in making sure all behaviour, in and around SUA, is excellent.

Ms Owen, Vice Principal

Students will be given one warning only about behaviour.

Students are expected to listen, follow instructions and

try hard in lessons.

If students continue to display poor behaviour they will

be given a detention. Students will be set a 15 minute or

30-minute detention. The length and time of the

detention will be the teacher’s choice and it will be

completed either at break time or after school.

If students are removed from the classroom for poor

behaviour or fail to attend a teacher detention, then they

will be set a 45-minute faculty detention.

If students fail to attend a faculty detention they will

attend a one hour detention with the Principal, Vice

Principal or Assistant Principals.

Failure to attend this detention may result in a variety of

consequences, including time in isolation, isolated at

another school, parental meetings and ultimately

exclusion for continued disruptive behaviour.

Stage One: Warning

Stage Two: Teacher detention

Stage Three: Faculty detention

Stage Four: Senior Leadership Team detention

Student Rewards

“I used my rewards for a free lunch; it was wicked getting

free Chicken and Chips”

Charlie Green Y8

“I love rewards because

we can choose them”

Cameron Lamond Y7

“Rewards make me work harder in

class”

Dan Morris Y10

Key Dates

Parent Voice

Year 11 Prom

5th June 2017 Students return to the academy

16th June 2017 Y8 & Y9 HPV Injections

27th June 2017 New intake Parents’ Evening

28/29th June 17 Y6/7 Transition Days

3rd July 2017 Y10 Work Experience week

6th July 2017 Y5 Transition Day

18th July 2017 Activity Day - academy trips

20th July 2017 Sports Day

21st July 2017 Last day academy closes 12 noon

Immunisations

Good Luck to Year 11, 12 and 13 students during their exams. We wish you all the very best and hope that all of your effort, attendance to intervention sessions and hard work is reflected in your results.

Year 7 Parents’ Evening

Parent Voice

My daughter is doing

really well and its all

down to you all at SUA

My daughter has

progressed brilliantly

since starting at SUA

My child has

settled really

well, the

teachers have a

strong belief in

their ability and

that was shown

tonight

At SUA we value parental feedback and following our recent year 7 parents even-ing, we thank you for your time and effort to provide us with valuable feedback. Here are some results of the feedback received.

Year 8 and Year 9 girls HPV Injections will be on 16th June 2017.

Please contact the academy for any further information.

Good Luck

Our annual Year 11 Prom will be held on :

Wednesday 28th June, at the Moat House,

Acton Trussell, Penkridge –

7 pm arrival for a 7.30 p.m. start.

Ticket prices are £26.00, which includes a

three course meal and entertainment.

A photographer will be on site for the

duration of the evening. Photographs can

be purchased on the night.

Parents/carers and family members are

welcome to come and witness the arrival of

our special guests—Year 11.

For further details contact Mrs Aston

Intervention

ASDAN gives grants for educational purposes and SUA have been awarded a grant in the sum of £781. The money will be used for CoPE, (Certificate of Personal Effectiveness) for a variety First Aid resources for the academy to run courses.

Whitsun Half Term

ASDAN Educational Grant

Date Year 11 Year 12 Year 13

Saturday 27th May Science

10.00-12.00 History

10.00-12.00

Tuesday 30th May Maths

10.00-12.00 Maths (GCSE) 10.00-12.00

Maths (GCSE) 10.00-12.00

Wednesday 31st May Science

10.00-12.00

Thursday 1st June English

10.00-14.00

Saturday 3rd June English

10.00-12.00

Sunday 4th June History

10.00-12.00

Date Year 11 Year 12 Year 13

Saturday 10th June

English 10.00-12.00

Maths 12.00-14.00

Maths (GCSE) 12.00-14.00

Maths (GCSE) 12.00-14.00

Sunday 11th June History

10.00-12.00

Saturday 17th June

History 10.00-12.00

Physics 10.00-12.00

Saturday School – June/July

I would recommend SUA to a friend : 93% Yes My Child is making good progress at SUA

60% Strongly Agree : 40% Agree The quality of teaching and learning at SUA is good

55% strongly agree : 42% Agree

Parent View : We would be grateful if you could visit the Ofsted Parent View website to provide feedback and help to support future academy development. Further details are provided in the attached letter.