Dear Families,
As we approach the end of the first half term, it is important to reflect on how well the students have managed and adapted to the temporary school layout, demonstrating our school value of resilience. Staff have also been amazing, adapting to new teaching spaces and learning routines. There will be some small changes taking place over the half-term break to better prepare the village for the winter months, which will help with student movement between lessons.
Eco Team Success
We would like to congratulate the Eco Team for receiving further award nominations. The team has been nominated for the Overt STEM awards in two categories: the STEM Team category and the Sustainable STEM Futures category. We wish the team the best of luck!
Our Eco leaders have been leading assemblies this week, sharing key information on Healthy Lifestyles, Biodiversity, Litter, Saving Water, and looking after our Marine ecosystems. We would like to thank Kyree, Zachary, Ella, Haniya, Elliot, and Andrea for their work preparing and delivering the assemblies. If any student is interested in joining the Eco Team, please speak to Ms Wiles for more information.
PSHE Opt-Out Information
Parents have received communication about our PSHE curriculum this week, outlining our approach to PSHE, the curriculum content and how it is delivered, where policies can be found, and information on how parents can withdraw their child from all or some elements of sex education in line with statutory guidance. Please contact the school or email
BTEC Launch Evening
Year 10 families and students have been invited to our BTEC Launch Evening taking place next Thursday, 22nd October 2026. This is a very important evening to find out more about how BTECs are delivered and structured, as they operate very differently from GCSE courses. Please make sure you book tickets using the link below so we know how many families will be attending:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/year-10-btec-information-evening-at-rushden-academy-tickets-2003334811349
Homework Guidance
We wanted to clarify some information regarding our homework policy so all families are aware of our expectations and how this supports students with their learning:
English:
Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8, and 9) – Bedrock:
The first time students log in to Bedrock, they complete a short baseline assessment that places them in a starting "block". From then on, the platform sets homework automatically to match each student's level, focusing on building vocabulary and using it confidently. The work increases in challenge as students progress through the blocks.
Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11) – Tassomai:
Tassomai topics follow the texts students are studying in class, with more topics opening up as they move through the GCSE course. For example, Year 10 currently only access 'A Christmas Carol' in their weekly goals, as it is the text they are studying now. By Christmas, Year 11 will have access to every unit as they complete the GCSE content. Before mock exams, we narrow the focus. Right now, Year 11 are working specifically on English Language questions and 'An Inspector Calls' ahead of their upcoming mocks.
Maths:
Maths homework practises what students have recently learned in class. For example, Year 10 learned the sine and cosine rules this week, so next week's homework will allow them to practise these independently.
Science:
Science uses Tassomai for both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. Students are expected to complete three daily goals each week (around 30–45 minutes in total), spread across three days. Tassomai uses adaptive learning to determine a student's strengths and weaknesses, tailoring work to provide the right amount of stretch and challenge.
Year 11 students also complete a past paper one week and mark it the next, seeking guidance when marking longer-answer questions to gain real exam practice ahead of mocks.
How You Can Help:
Please encourage your child to log in regularly and finish their weekly tasks. If they experience any technical or login issues on any platform, please ask them to speak directly to their class teacher.
End of Term Arrangements
We would like to remind families that students finish for half term on Thursday, 22nd October 2026 at 3:00pm. This is due to a Tove Learning Trust training day taking place on Friday, 23rd October. We would also like to take this opportunity to remind you that the school will no longer be operating half days as we have done in the past.
We look forward to celebrating our attendance championship winners next week too! More details to follow.
We hope you all have a lovely weekend, and we look forward to seeing all students ready for line-up at 8:25am on Monday!
Yours sincerely,
Mr. J. Firth
Principal
