Dear Parent / Carer

It's been a very warm week at Rushden Academy with lots of exciting activities taking place.

Our Year 12 Geographers set off early on Monday morning for their field trip to the South Coast. They have a comprehensive itinerary and could not have asked for better weather to undertake the field work activities.  

On Wednesday, we hosted several primary schools for a sports event on the field. The activities were supported by a number of our Year 9 students who did a fantastic job and their help was greatly appreciated. Our sports leaders will also be going into some of our feeder schools in the next couple of weeks to support with running their sports days.

The Social Action Squad was out in force on Wednesday afternoon and spent the afternoon undertaking litter picking duties in the local community. They collected large amounts of rubbish and did a great job of showing how the students of Rushden care for our community.  In keeping with this theme, I also received a lovely email from a member of the community letting me know that two of our students had stopped of their own volition and helped an elderly male who had fallen over in his garden. Oliver and Callum did a great job of looking after the male and helped back up off the floor. His wife was extremely grateful and it was another example of our students demonstrating exemplary character.

Thankfully the weather cooled down for Sports Day on Friday which, as usual, was one of the best days of the year. It was a day full of stunning athletic performances, new records, flash mobs and celebrations. The children all had a great day and displayed huge amounts of camaraderie.

Year 13 have their leavers ball on Friday evening which will be a lovely way to celebrate with friends and the staff that have supported them with their studies these past two years.  

Looking ahead to next week, on Monday we have a special day planned in order to celebrate the different cultural heritages of the students of Rushden. Mrs Ogungbadero has planned some incredible activities for students which will take students on a cultural rollercoaster including food sampling, dances and traditional music from around the world. We have given students the option to come in clothing that represents their cultural heritage. The only caveat is that we have said no to football shirts primarily because the European championships are on and we do not want football culture to overshadow the sentiments of the day. However, students are welcome to wear other national sports shirts such as rugby, cricket or basketball.

Have a pleasant weekend,

Yours sincerely,

Mr B Baines

Principal

Dear Parent / Carer

After weeks of rain and miserable weather the sun has finally returned and looks set to stay for sports day next Friday! With this in mind, students will not be required to wear blazers next week.

It was Mrs Smith’s turn to lead assemblies this week and she focused on raising awareness of disabilities and special educational needs. Students were shown a video produced by Scope which shared a lot of common phrases which frustrate people who are living with disabilities. They were then given the opportunity to discuss why such comments may be frustrating and it was great to see the level of thought and reflection from all students. It was a very powerful assembly which really promoted celebration of diversity.  

Year 10 students have been undertaking the first of two weeks of their mock examinations. Their attitude towards these important assessments has been phenomenal with all students making the most of the opportunity to see how they are progressing with their studies. Once all mock examinations have been completed, staff will be sharing detailed feedback with students so that they are fully appraised of where their strengths and areas for development are in each of their subjects.

On Wednesday it was our Year 6 transition evening and Mr Firth welcomed the Year 6 children and parents who will be joining Team Rushden in September. I am delighted that the school is now oversubscribed with a substantial number of children on the waiting list who all want to join Rushden Academy.  

There have been a variety of trips taking place this week with the Year 10 historians visiting Chester House, the Social Action Squad visiting the Beeches care home and our library ambassadors taking a trip to the Bodleian library in Oxford. Next week, Year 12 geographers will be travelling to the South Coast with Mr Bocking and Miss Kinsman to complete various field work assignments.  

I hope you enjoy the weather this weekend whatever you have planned,

Yours sincerely,

Mr B Baines

Principal