Dear Parent / Carer

The final week of the half term has been incredibly busy, particularly for our performing arts students! Last night, the Performing Arts department hosted its annual Spring Showcase. It was fantastic to see the incredible talent at Rushden Academy and the diverse range of performances from students across all year groups, including the sixth form. We are immensely proud of our students for their hard work and dedication, especially those who performed for the first time in front of a sell-out audience!

We are now looking forward to A Night at the Musicals in April, an event that will help raise funds for our summer production of Shrek. Meanwhile, KS3 students are working hard in preparation for their upcoming performance of The Wizard of Oz in May.

Our performing arts students have also contributed to Safer Internet Week by performing ‘Add Me’, a powerful piece highlighting the dangers of social media. This performance was showcased at local primary schools and The Deco theatre. We are honoured to be invited each year to share this important message, and we are incredibly proud of our sixth-form students for their work on this Theatre in Education unit.

As part of our rewards programme, we held our half-termly rewards assemblies this week. These assemblies provide a valuable opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our student community and reflect on their successes.

On Wednesday, we celebrated student attendance with our half-termly prize draw. Students with 95% or higher attendance were entered into a draw, which was broadcast live across the school via Google Meet. This event helps unite the whole school in recognising students with excellent attendance. For those who didn’t quite meet the 95% threshold this time, we reset the draw each half term, giving all students six opportunities to qualify throughout the year.

As we move into the next half term, we will begin preparing for our Easter rewards celebration. Mr Smart will continue to share details of this event, including the success criteria, via social media and assemblies.

Our Sports Leaders also hosted another successful sports session at Whitefriars Primary School this week. We always receive fantastic feedback about these events, and we are incredibly proud of how our students embody the #TeamRushden values.

As a reminder for after half term, due to Mrs Broughton starting her maternity leave, Mrs Evans will be taking over the Head of Year responsibilities for years 7 and 8. Year 9 students will be supported by Mr A. Smith in his role of Director of Key Stage 4.

We wish all families a wonderful half-term break and look forward to welcoming students back to the academy on Monday, 24th February 2025.

Yours sincerely,

Mr J Firth

Principal

Dear Parents/Carers,

With a week left to go before half term, I’d like to share some updates on our progress over the past five weeks.

I’m delighted to inform you that we have successfully recruited a new Math teacher who will be joining us after the Easter holiday. This, along with recent appointments in Food Technology and English, ensures that we have the right staff in place to continue delivering the best education for your children.

After half term, Mrs. Evans will take on the role of Head of Year 8 while Mrs. Broughton begins her maternity leave. Mrs. Evans is excited to work with Year 8 students and their families. As a reminder, your child’s form tutor should be the first point of contact for any concerns.

On Wednesday, we held a BTEC Information Evening for Year 10 parents and students. Mrs. Burrows provided an overview of the updated BTEC qualifications, outlining expectations and key demands. We will share the evening’s resources along with a schedule of key dates and tasks via our school website soon.

On Thursday evening, we held our progress evening for year 9 students. The evening was very busy and it was great to see so many parents talking about their child’s progress whilst also gathering information on options for Key Stage 4. We will be holding a KS4 Options Evening on Thursday 13th March. Further details about this evening will be shared in due course. 

You will soon receive an email from Mr. Smart regarding changes aimed at improving punctuality. We have seen an increase in students arriving late, which impacts both attendance and their start to the day. A positive morning routine with peers and form tutors is essential for success. We appreciate your support in ensuring all students arrive at school by 8:25 AM.

This week, Mr. Billam led assemblies on internet safety, focusing on the theme: "Too Good to Be True." He discussed how to spot and avoid online scams, encouraging students to check for red flags, such as:
✔ Verifying email addresses to ensure legitimacy
✔ Avoiding direct bank transfers for payments
✔ Being cautious of offers requiring in-person exchanges instead of secure delivery

It’s crucial that we all remain vigilant online to stay safe.

After half term, we will transition to a new management information system: My Child at School (MCAS). As a result, the Go4Schools app will no longer be in use after next Friday. We will provide further details on how to access MCAS after the break, but please be patient as we implement the new system. 

Next week, we’ll be celebrating student achievements with celebration assemblies, attendance reward draws, and a very important cake sale to support Ms. Fitzgerald, who is running the London Marathon!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend - I look forward to seeing the students next week!

Yours sincerely,

Mr J Firth

Principal