Parent Updates

Thank you to all who attended Year 8 Parents’ Evening on 16th January: your support in securing the best outcomes for your child is very much appreciated.

The coming weeks offer many other opportunities for parents and carers to engage with academy staff, as outlined below.

Please remember that you can request an appointment with Form Tutors, Teachers, Heads of Year and other key staff members at any time through our Enquiry Form.

Mr L Cole

Principal

Keeping pupils safe is at the forefront of academy life. We need your help in ensuring that all are protected. Using social media such as TikTok, WhatsApp and Instagram, can be as problematic as it is enjoyable and we want to make certain that you, your children, and the wider Ark Boulton community are aware of the dangers of inappropriate social media use, and know what to do when issues arise.

All parents and carers are invited to join us for an Online Safety Information Event at the academy on Thursday 23rd January, from 4.00 to 5.00pm. Please read the Online Safety letter, here.

All Year 11 parents, carers and pupils are invited to our Year 11 Parent Information Event on Thursday 30th January 2025 at 4.00pm. 

Here, we will provide valuable insights into how you can best support your child during their mock examinations and the upcoming GCSE examinations, which are now just ten school weeks away, along with advice and guidance on college applications and apprenticeships.

Your active participation in this event is essential, and we strongly encourage all parents and carers of our Year 11 pupils – and the pupils themselves – to attend. 

Please read the Year 11 Information Event letter here for details.

Every Friday morning, parents and carers are invited to join us for our weekly Community Clinic from 9.50am to 10.40am.

During each session, parents and carers can meet key members of the Senior Management Team, ask any questions and discuss any concerns they may have. Weekly sessions are themed and include topics such as Family Support, Year 11 Careers Guidance, Homework and Early Help. 

We listen to feedback from our parents and carers and use this to shape future clinics and life at Ark Boulton Academy.

There is no need to book: just come along and enjoy being a part of the Ark Boulton community. For more information, please read the Community Clinic letter, here.

Independent Learning: Carousel

To aid pupils’ recall and retention of what they have learned, we are now using an online system called Carousel in place of our Core Knowledge Organisers. Pupils will be set revision flash cards and then a supporting quiz on the key areas from each subject.

Pupils should complete this on their academy device (Chromebook) through a link on their Teams page.

All independent study should now be available for you to view in the ‘Homework’ section of the MCAS app. This will include the recall Carousel work referenced above, and application-based work on either SENECA, SPARX or Language nut.

At Ark Boulton Academy, we recognise that reading is fundamental to academic success and personal growth. Reading widely and for pleasure helps children develop empathy, social skills, and exposes them to different perspectives.

With this focus on reading and building on the success of Sparx Maths, we are thrilled to announce the introduction of Sparx Reader, an exciting tool for pupils in Years 7 to 9, from 27th January.

For more information, please read the Sparx Reader letter, here.  

A reminder that in accordance with our Digital Strategy, all pupils should now bring their Academy laptops / Chromebooks to school every day as part of their daily equipment.

If your child does not have an academy-issued laptop, please complete a Home School ICT Agreement this week and hand to Reception. Agreements are available from Reception or on our website.

Breakfast Club takes place every day in the Academy Canteen, from 7.30am to 8.10am. Light refreshments, such as bagels, toast, crumpets and cereal are available for pupils to enjoy while socialising with their peers.

Unfortunately, pupils may not bring in any snacks from home: this is to eradicate any risk to our pupils who have food allergies.

Pupils who would like to enjoy Breakfast Club should report to Reception upon arrival and are expected to go promptly to Form time when Club finishes at 8.10am.

Due to severe allergies within the academy community, may I remind you that no products containing nuts, sesame or fish should be brought onto academy premises. This includes packed lunches and snacks. Thank you for your help.

• An Online Safety Information Event is scheduled for Thursday 23rd January from 4.00 – 5.00pm.
• The next Year 11 Information Evening is on Thursday 30th January from 4.00 – 5.00pm.
• Year 11 Mock GCSE Exams begin on Monday 10th February.
• School is closed to pupils on Friday 14th February for staff training. 

Please click here to see our Calendar and here for 2024 – 2025 Term Dates.