July 2015

Dear Parent/Carer

I am delighted that you have accepted a place for your child at Oasis Academy John Williams.

Our Academy is an exciting place to learn and work, and we take seriously the fact that our

students only get one chance at an excellent education. We are bold in our ambition to

provide all students with a first class education in a stimulating environment where learning is

fun and standards are high. Our mission is to recognise and develop potential in all of our

students and to support them to achieve their personal best.

By the end of term a team from our Academy will have visited each of the primary schools

from which our new students are joining us, met with the young people and spoken with their

teachers. This enables us to build a real picture of your child’s likes and dislikes, who their

friends are, what they enjoy, what they are looking forward to at the Academy and what their

academic achievements are; being able to have a meaningful conversation with your son/

daughter from the outset will ultimately make the transition from primary to secondary

education as smooth as possible.

I imagine that you have many questions regarding our Academy and what we offer our young

people during their time with us. Throughout the parents’ evening session you will have the

opportunity to find out more about our Academy, our state-of-the-art building and most

importantly, meet the pastoral staff who will support, challenge and guide your child

throughout their time at the Academy.

As you are aware our Induction Day will take place on Friday 03 July. Essentially, the purpose

of the day is to help your child settle into their Learning Mentor group, to meet other students

and key members of staff at the Academy and generally feel more confident about starting

secondary education in September.

If you have any queries or questions throughout the summer

holiday period visit www.oasisacademyjohnwilliams.org or feel

free to call us on 01275 894 680

Victoria Boomer, Executive Principal

Message from the

Executive Principal

Academy Day

Learning Mentor 08.55 – 09.10

Period 1 09.10 – 10.10

Period 2 10.10 – 11.10

Break 11.10 – 11.30

Period 3 11.30 – 12.30

Period 4 12.30 – 13.30

Lunch 13.30 – 14.10

Period 5 14.10 – 15.10

Period 6 15.10 – 16.10

Term Dates 2015 - 2016

Term 1 Wednesday 02 September – Wednesday 21 October

(Inset days: Tuesday 01 September & Friday 09 October)

Term 2 Monday 02 November – Friday 18 December

Term 3 Monday 04 January – Friday 05 February

Term 4 Monday 15 February – Thursday 24 March

Term 5 Monday 11 April – Friday 27 May

(May Bank Holiday: Monday 02 May)

Term 6 Monday 06 June – Wednesday 20 July 2015

(Inset days: Monday 04 July, Thursday 21 & Friday 22 July)

Breakfast Club is open from 8.30am offering a variety of healthy breakfasts.

Students are expected to be on site from 08:50

Induction Day

Friday 03 July 2015, 08:30-16:00

Students will take part in a series of familiarisation and team building

activities, complete assessments, meet other students and learn about

student life and expectations at the Academy.

Year 7 Team Key Dates & Arrangements

Miss J Rowlands Year 7 Raising Standards Leader

Miss Marguerite Doherty 360o Year Team Manager

Learning Mentors

Mr J Allan

Miss E Barr

Mr A Cox

Mrs L Davies

Mrs J Holland

Miss C Parvin

Mr T Worthington

All branded uniform to be purchased directly from our uniform supplier Sportswear International.

Please visit our website www.oasisacademyjohnwilliams.org where you will find instructions on how to order uniform, a uniform sizing guide and a link to the suppliers website. If you have any queries please contact Sportswear International on 0845 519 0099 who will be happy to help with any questions you might have.

Please note that all uniform needs to be ordered from our supplier by

Friday 14 August in time for guaranteed delivery before the start of the new academic year.

Our Student Bristol 10 framework makes clear reference to looking smart and taking pride in our appearance.

Uniform is checked each morning on entry to the Academy and where students do not meet the required standards, parents/carers will be expected to support the Academy by ensuring their child is wearing full uniform.

To avoid confusion, here are some explicit guidelines on our uniform expectations:

BLAZER

Blazers are to be worn around the Academy at all times, except during PE/Dance lessons and when sitting down to eat lunch or break

TROUSERS & SKIRTS

Black, standard length trousers

No skinny fit, leggings or denim trousers are permitted

Black skirts of an acceptable length (no shorter that 2” above the knee). Tube skirts are not permitted.

SHOES & SOCKS

Plain black leather/faux leather shoes with a black sole No trainers, canvas shoes, including Vans and Converse, Ugg boots or high heels Plain black socks or tights

SCHOOL SHIRT

White short or long-sleeved, button-up shirt with a structured collar

TIE

Tie should be worn with 3 stripes on tie visible

JEWELLERY & GENERAL APPEARANCE

Hairbands and clips (no wider than 2cm) Natural hair colouring only, with no extreme hairstyles 1 small stud earring in each ear and a watch only Make-up should be minimal and natural in appearance Religious head dress in plain black or white only No facial piercings are allowed. A plaster must cover any piercing until they can be removed (maximum of 6 weeks) No false nails or nail varnish

ALL STUDENTS AND PARENTS ARE EXPECTED TO SIGN AND RETURN A COPY OF OUR UNIFORM AGREEMENT

Uniform Expectations

from September 2015

Uniform & Equipment

Compulsory (only available from Sportswear International)

Boys/Girls Black Blazer with Logo From £23.95 - £27.95

Boys/Girls White Polo Shirt with Logo From £7.75 - £9.20

Boys Multi-Sport Shirt From £14.35 - £16.40

Boys/Girls Football Sport Socks From £4.10 - £4.90

Compulsory (available from the Academy)

Academy Tie £7.95

Compulsory (these items can be purchased from any retailer)

Academy Uniform - Black trousers or skirt, white collared shirt, black shoes

P.E Uniform - Plain black shorts, black tracksuit bottoms

Optional

Black Cotton Jumper

(Purchase from the Academy) £13.00

Equipment List

Students are expected to bring the following to the Academy everyday:

Blue or black pen, pencil, ruler, sharpener, eraser and calculator. Specialist equipment for Science, Design & Technology and Art should be brought as required. An adequately size school bag is required.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones are not to be used during lesson time. If a student is found using a mobile phone or other mobile device in lesson time, the device will be confiscated and will need to be collected by parents at the end of the day. The expectation is that during lesson time mobile phones are kept either in lockers or in school bags, switched off so as not to disrupt the learning of others.

Valuables

Items of value must not be brought into the Academy (e.g jewellery, MP3s, significant amounts of money etc.). The Academy cannot accept liability for loss of valuables brought into the Academy and such items, if used, will be confiscated during the school day.

Our Vision At Oasis Academy John Williams we aspire to provide all students with a first class educational experience. We aim to raise aspirations by creating a ‘can-do’ culture where all students will achieve their potential and become confident and competent people. For this to become a reality, staff at the Academy, students and parents must work in close partnership.

As a parent/carer I will:

Support the Academy by working with staff to ensure that my child meets the Academy expectations, and follows all Academy values and rules as set out in policies and other documents.

Promote excellent attendance and punctuality by ensuring that my child attends the Academy regularly and is on time.

Notify the Academy of any leave of absence request and accept this may not be authorised.

Ensure that my child is wearing full Academy uniform correctly and arrives properly equipped for every lesson, every day.

Inform the Academy of any concerns or problems which may affect my child’s work or behaviour

Attend Parents’ Evenings, Celebration Evenings and other Academy events and meetings as required.

Help to support my child towards meeting and exceeding their personal best.

Ensure that my child attends ‘Period 6 Intervention’ sessions as directed by the Academy.

Support the completion of coursework and home study.

Encourage my child to use social media responsibly.

Give permission for the Academy to store data on my child.

Give permission for the Academy to use photographs and film footage of my child in an Academy context for possible circulation.

Undertake to pay for the cost of any repairs arising from vandalism or inappropriate behaviour on the part of my child.

Give permission for my child to participate in formal sporting and recreational activities organised by the Academy including organised travel to and from off-site venues.

As a student I will:

Strive to attend the Academy every day and arrive

on time.

‘Work Hard’ every day towards achieving my personal best.

‘Look Smart’, wearing correct uniform and conducting myself in a sensible and orderly manner at all times.

‘Be Nice’ at all times, showing respect to adults and treating others in the manner that I would expect to be treated.

Use social media responsibly.

Give letters and other information from the Academy to my parent/carer.

Play my part in the improvement of my Academy by striving to improve my standards of work and behaviour at all times.

Make positive choices and get involved in all Academy activities, including Period 6.

Respect and look after the Academy environment and equipment, taking a positive stance against litter and other such issues.

As an Academy we will:

Actively promote our values of inclusion, equality, hope, inclusion, healthy relationships, and perseverance in all of our actions.

Provide a high quality education for all students which enables them to develop their personal talents and achieve their personal best.

Offer a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum for all students, characterised by high quality learning experiences.

Provide a safe, caring, orderly, well-disciplined and supportive environment which promotes learning.

Set work which is challenging, yet suitable to the age and ability of the student.

Contact parents/carers if there is a concern regarding attendance or punctuality.

Keep you regularly informed of your child’s progress.

Provide information and keep you up to date with progress and developments through the website and newsletters.

Inform or consult parents as appropriate on issues of Academy policy.

Listen to your views and respond positively to any concerns or complaints.

Home Academy Agreement Student Bristol 10

1. Contribute fully to all lessons and

ask questions

2. Be on time

3. Listen carefully

4. Put 100% effort into your work

8. Act kindly, treating others as you

would like to be treated

9. Be polite, remembering to say please and

thank you and not interrupting

10. Have high expectations of yourself and

others

5. Take pride in your appearance - three stripes on your

tie, blazer on, shirt tucked in and school shoes on

6. Put all litter in the bins and leave spaces tidy

7. Walk sensibly around the Academy

Sport, Fitness & Dance Our Physical Education curriculum is reinforced with an extensive extra-curriculum programme (ECP). This programme includes a full range of competitive sports such as Rugby, Netball, Football (for both girls and boys), Cheerleading, Basketball, Fitness, Cricket, Tennis, Trampolining and Athletics. All teams compete in a full local fixtures list and in recent years have competed at regional and national level in some sports. We are rightly proud of the progress made over the last few years in providing an outstanding level opportunity for students of all abilities to experience an activity of their choice.

Interested in music tuition?

Instrumental lessons are currently available for Piano, Guitar, Drum Kit & Voice. Lessons cost £8 for a 20 minute individual lesson (longer lessons available upon request). Other instruments can be offered if we receive enough interest, including woodwind and brass. Please email Laura Davies, Head of Music for further information laura.davies@oasisjohnwilliams.org

With state of the art facilities and very committed staff we are able to offer our students an extensive and exciting extra-curricular activity programme. Our Bristol 5 strategy ensures that every child, every year will access five unique enrichment opportunities around experiences linked to developing creativity, performance, exploration, independence and global awareness. Our programme typically includes daily after school sessions, community engagement activities, inter-generational projects, national Student Leader events and holiday activities. Educational trips this year have included the national Festival of Education, residential visits to Condover Hall in Shropshire, a Study Skills weekend at Braeside Activity Centre, Cadbury World, various cultural visits to London, visits to several universities and, of course, lots of local visits to support students’ learning in curriculum areas. Furthermore, this year many students have enjoyed international visits to Les Deux Alpes Ski Resort in France, and Arts & Languages trip to Barcelona and Auschwitz Concentration Camp. With a growing demand for international visits our staff are currently planning a range of trips for 2015-16, including New York (Performing Arts focus), Serre Chevalier Ski Resort and Poland.

Ways to encourage attendance Phone us on 01275 894681 as

soon as possible to tell us why your child is absent and when you expect them to return. Putting the Academy number in your phone can save you time. Know the routine for alerting us to absence

Only grant days at home for genuine illness (you will know!)

Avoid taking holidays in Academy time

Know routines of the Academy day to avoid issues, e.g. have they got their PE kit?

If you have any concerns ring us - we will check attendance and be discreet

Praise and Reward good attendance: even small successes

Other tips to secure good attendance If there is a problem with your

child’s attendance, talk calmly to your child and listen to the explanation. There is always an explanation

Talk to us to resolve issues. We may be able to help and support you and your child. You are not alone

Be particularly watchful and supportive in the run up to tests and aware of coursework deadlines

Help them catch up with missed work; a missed day does not mean missed work

Remember praise for good attendance

Legal responsibilities As a parent you have a legal

responsibility to make sure your child attends school every day

You are at risk of receiving a Penalty Notice or prosecution in the Magistrates Court if you fail to ensure regular school attendance of your child

In the event of high levels of illness you may be asked to produce medical evidence.

A leave of absence form will be required to be completed if you wish your child to have planned absence. Authorisation is considered on an individual basis

We will be happy to meet with you to discuss any issues or concerns you and your child may have

Extra-curricular Activities Attendance - Every Day Counts!

0% - 89.9%

95% - 96.9%

93% - 94.9%

90% - 92.9%

97% - 100%

GREEN -

Expected Attendance

PINK - Severe Risk of Underachievement (PA)

Attendance categories

RED - Extreme Risk - Court Action (PA)

YELLOW - Risk of Underachievement

AMBER - Serious Risk of Underachievement

We are looking forward to your child coming to our Academy in September and would like to take this opportunity to remind you about the importance of good school attendance and being on time. Your support and engagement in your child's learning is important to their academic progress.

ATTENDANCE Attendance is important because it will help your child: Achieve their personal best Keep up with their work Make friends Make the best of all the op-

portunities that are available Because learning makes a differ-ence to your child’s future

Did you know? 90% of attendance sounds good and most of us would be pleased if we achieved this in a test, how-ever this means missing one whole day of Academy every two weeks.

BEING ON TIME It is important your child is on time: So they don’t miss the instructions at

the start of the lesson So we know your child has arrived

safely at school

Did you know? Being 15 minutes late each day during an en-tire Academy year is the same as missing two whole weeks of learning.

Resources

Accelerated Reader The LRC is also the host of our successful Accelerated Reader programme. This is available to Years 7, 8 & 9 to improve reading, comprehension and vocabulary skills. Classes come to the LRC during their English lessons. Each student picks a book at his/her level and reads it at their own pace. When finished they take a short quiz on the computer. They must achieve a score of 80% or more to move onto the next book level.

Fiction Approximately 5000 reading books available from all genres. Including

classics and new titles.

Non-Fiction A huge selection of topic books to assist with research/homework.

Reference Encyclopaedias/Dictionaries etc.

Magazines Many different titles suitable for both male and female students.

Prospectuses Both College and Universities.

Laptops Available to all years groups for independent research. Both coursework

and homework. Emailing work to teachers or home. Students who require

the use of laptops must make prior arrangements through Mrs Mortimore.

Laptops are not to be removed from the LRC.

The Learning Resources Centre (LRC) is a whole Academy facility that offers a wide range of resources to help learners acquire independent skills and broaden their knowledge. Mrs Mortimore our full-time Librarian is on hand throughout the day to advise and assist with enquiries. The Library provides a borrowing service where students can borrow 2 books for a two week period. There is a wide range of print resources, including fiction & non-fiction books, magazines, newspapers, prospectuses and careers information. Laptops are available to students for independent research, coursework and homework. These are accessible during both lessons and enrichment. During enrichment students spend their time reading, catching up with homework or simply socialising in this quieter part of the Academy.

Safe Internet Usage Learning Resource Centre

(LRC)

Opening Hours

Monday - Thursday 8.30 - 4.00pm

Friday 8.30 - 2.30pm

Mrs J Mortimore Librarian

Parents are often worried that their child may be exposed to bullying. We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all our students so they can learn in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Often students fall out with their friends and become involved in name calling and arguments. When issues of this kind arise it is not classed as bullying however, we will follow up on those reported to us.

At Oasis Academy John Williams we support students to deal with these situations and develop the skills they need to repair relationships with their peers. It is important that incidents are reported so that they may be dealt with effectively.

One of the strategies we use is called Restorative Justice. This involves investigating the incident and supporting students to reflect upon and provide their own resolution. As part of the reconciliation process an agreement between those involved is made. Sanctions can also be used alongside this method.

Serious Incidents of Bullying/Harassment

The Academy does not tolerate any form of bullying/harassment (where bullying or harassment is the use of deliberate aggression with the intention of hurting another person). All incidents are recorded by staff and dealt with in an appropriate manner. In serious cases parents are informed and will be asked to come in to a meeting to discuss the problem.

Through the PSHE curriculum, Academy assemblies, the Student Leadership Team and our Learning Mentor programme we aim to raise awareness of the anti-social nature of bullying/ harassment and highlight the responsibilities of all our staff and students.

How does it work? 1. First, check if you qualify – it is not just if you are unemployed, so please look at the list on the next page. 2. Registering is really quick and easy – if you think you qualify, contact us on 01275 894 680 for advice on how to register, or complete the attached form. 3. Your child will have a free, healthy meal at lunchtime (saving you more than £450 a year), and the Academy receives £600 extra. 4. If you don’t want your child to have the school meals they can continue to bring packed lunches as normal – but if you qualify and are registered, the Academy still receives £600 extra, and you will be entitled to claim additional financial support for some Academy trips.

No one will know you have registered and it will not affect any other benefits you are claiming. Please talk to us about registering your child today.

Do you qualify? You can register your child for Free School Meals if you get any of these benefits

Students can also register for Free School Meals if they get any of these benefits themselves. Come and talk to us if you are not sure.

Income Support

Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit

Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income

(as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190

Working Tax Credit 'run-on' - the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they

The Government is giving money to schools to help children from lower income families do their very best. This funding is called a ‘Pupil Premium’. For every child registered for Free School Meals, Oasis Academy John Williams gets £600 this year. With this money we are already providing additional staffing support for students (and have appointed a

Science Intervention Manager). If you are registered for Free School Meals you will also be able to get financial support towards the costs of some Academy trips. Please register as soon as possible to make sure your child and others in the Academy don’t miss out.

At the Academy we use a Biometric System for the canteen servery, the Library and when your son/daughter is using a printer. Put simply a Biometric system means that we take a copy of each students’ fingerprint, and is kept on file so that only they can use money in their account, borrow from the library and print from their account. Questions and Answers: How are students and staff recognised by the system? By their fingerprint which is totally unique. The biometric measurement takes a pert image of some of the coordinates of the fingerprint. This information is then converted, encrypted and stored as a unique number. This cannot be converted back to a fingerprint, nor can it be used by anyone else. What information will the Academy hold on this new system? Exactly the same as before plus the fingerprint. Name, learning mentor group, photo, meal entitlement and the balance of their account. All information will be handled under the guidelines of the Data Protection Act. The information will only be used for the services within the Academy (catering, library and printing) and will be destroyed when the data is no longer needed (such as when the student has left the Academy). How will students obtain food? They will scan their finger at a till point in the canteen. This will bring up their balance on the till display. How do students put money into this account? Either by cheque or by paying cash into a special box – a revaluation terminal – which will be in the canteen. Students can check their balance at any time by scanning their finger at this terminal. Parents can also add money to their child’s account using Tucasi World Pay System. You will be able to pay for school meals by debit or credit card. This replaces the Parentpay facility. You will receive a separate letter advising you of your individual Tucasi log-in details. Please note you will also be able to use this system to pay for trips and educational visits. What happens if my child is entitled to free school meals? The money will go automatically into your son/daughter’s account on a daily basis. If you have any questions or queries regarding this system please do not hesitate to contact the Academy on 01275 894 680 or email: info@oasisjohnwilliams.org with the subject Biometrics.

Did you know … just registering your child for Free School Meals means that the school gets extra money?

Register now to make sure we don’t miss out

Biometric Information Free School Meals Information