Dear Parent/Carer,

It was a pleasure to welcome all students back after the Easter break and I have had lots of conversations with individual students about how they spent their time away from school.  

I led the assemblies for all year groups on the theme of ‘High Expectations’. The assembly was predominantly about getting students to reflect on what expectations that they set for themselves and when they have exceeded expectations in life. I talked a lot about morality and the expectation that all students leave Rushden Academy as good, responsible humans that are ready to make a positive contribution to society. All students were presented with a number of moral dilemmas and had to think deeply about how they would respond in the different situations. The assembly finished with a couple of high profile examples of people who have pushed the boundaries of expectations; firstly Russell Cook with his running the length of Africa and secondly Greta Thunberg and the work she has done as an activist for climate change since a young age.  

Year 11 students have been working hard in lessons as we enter the final weeks before their GCSE examinations. They should all be revising daily and were given reminders on Monday regarding the different resources and platforms available to support them with their revision. With many subjects having fewer than 10 lessons before the actual exam, it is imperative that no Year 11 students miss a day of school and your support with this is greatly appreciated.

On Thursday evening, it was Year 12 parents’ evening which took place over at Huxlow Academy. It was good to see many of you there meeting with your children’s teachers to discuss their progress and what they need to work on going forward.  

Key Stage 3 reports have also been shared live on Go4Schools and we have made some changes to the way we report progress for some subjects to make it easier for you to see how your child is progressing. Mr Bocking has sent out guidance explaining these changes but if you would like any further explanation, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Bocking or your child’s Director of Key Stage, Mr Smart..

In relation to uniform, there has been an increase in the number of students coming into school with false nails. These are not permitted in school so please support us by ensuring that your child does not come to school wearing them.

Finally I wanted to say how delighted we are that the school is now over-subscribed and will have a considerable waiting list for new students wanting to join the school in Year 7. This is fantastic news for the school and wider community and reinforces how valued the education we provide at Rushden Academy is.

Have a good weekend,

Yours sincerely,

Mr B Baines

Principal