RUSHEY MEAD ACADEMY NEWSLETTER

Sporting success

Basketball

Last week two very important games took place at the Morningside arena. Our year 8 and year 11 teams both made it through to the basketball county finals.

The year 8s were first on court and took on St. Pauls School. It was a competitive game in which the year 8s were down by 10 points in the final quarter. However, through team work they pulled it back to win 31-30 with the final shot of the game! The year 11s were up next against Rawlins and they were looking to make it three wins in a row. Our boys dominated each quarter of the game and made it look easy at times. They ended up winning by more than 35 points. In what was their final basketball game for Rushey Mead, they made everyone proud!

Both teams are now U16 County Champions! A special mention to the year 11 team who for the last five years have shown hard work, commitment, dedication, resilience and team. We wish you all the best for the future.

Big thank you to all parents, teachers and students who came to support the match. Also, congratulations and thank you to Mr Bardolia and Mr Benham for taking hours out of their personal time to coach the boys through the long season.

Football

Congratulations to Adnaan in Year 11 who has been signed for a two year scholarship with Swansea City Football Club, starting from July 2019 to June 2021. We wish him all the best in the Scholarship – well done!

iDEA

iDEA is an international programme that helps students develop digital, enterprise and employability skills. Through a series of online challenges students gain industry recognised awards that help them stand out from the crowd. iDEA gives the chance for students to badge their brilliance by developing skills, gaining knowledge and learning information about the digital world. Badges have been mapped against the UK National Curriculum and the Skills Framework for the Information Age. The three core areas of formal computing education: digital literacy, computer science and IT. The following students have achieved their Bronze Duke of York certificates and are now working towards Silver. Bronze award Year 9 - Jason, Vrishti, Neha, Sampat, Priyanka, Mahomed Year 10 - Aamina, Isha, Anurudhra, Anurudhra, Devisha, Jash, Mehwish, Moksh, Nishaly, Ashvir Year 11 - Mahit, Nayan, Meet, Shivangi, Zanik, Tejas, Dhruv, Sagar, Lahiru, Kairavi, Sanaa, Sakshi, Denel, Anju, Jay, Esha, Dev, Harsh, Ram

Issue number 12

Friday 5th April 2019

Together We Make A Positive Difference

Rushey Mead Academy Melton Road I Leicester I LE4 7AN I 0116 2663730

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The following students have worked really hard to achieve their silver award.

Year 9 - Neha Year 10 - Aamina, Manav, Mehwish Year 11 - Nayan, Sagar, Lahiru, Bentara, Jay, Zanik, Dev, Meet, Mahit, Shivangi

Congratulations and well done to all. If any students are

interested please see Mr Mistry – it is never too late to join!

Careers news

Work experience – 11th -15th March During work experience this year, 54 students went on work placements in a variety of employment areas such as pharmaceutical, primary schools, nurseries, mechanics, park services, archaeological services, charity work and care. We had some very positive comments from employers:

Positive approach to work. Good communication skills. Well done – Blackbird Pharmacy [The student] has been an excellent asset. He has excellent manners and very mature for his age. Thank you for being such a positive role model to our children in Year 4 - Al-Aqsa Primary School

She is brilliant and one of the best students we have had. She shows initiative and has built up positive relationships with all staff and children - Lilliput Montessori Day Nursery Anstey

Worked hard at every task he has been assigned and the rest of the team has been impressed by his dedication - Archaeological Services

The Big Assembly – Monday 4th March 23 students attended a live screening of ‘The Big Assembly’ on Monday 4th March as part of National Apprenticeship week. The Big Assembly is a live video stream to thousands of students across the UK wanting to find out what an apprenticeship could mean for them. The apprentices holding the live event gave information on how to apply for an apprenticeship, what the process is like, what it’s like to be an apprentice and what your career holds at the end of the apprenticeship. Many of the students who attended the screening were keen to register their interest for further information on apprenticeships following the event.

Stop the clock – Thursday 21st March On Thursday 21st March half of our year 10 students attended an Apprenticeship talk as part of our ‘Stop the Clock’ sessions. A big thank you to Amber from the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge for Schools and Colleges programme (ASK) - funded by the National Apprenticeship Service for coming in to talk to Rushey Mead students. The rest of the Year 10 students will have their apprenticeship talk in June at our next Stop the Clock session. Apprenticeship drop-in session The careers team held an apprenticeship lunchtime drop in session on Thursday 21st March. The team were on hand to help students set up an account on the apprenticeships website to enable students to search for apprenticeships. These sessions are useful if you

are in Year 11 and considering an apprenticeship after Rushey Mead.

What is an apprenticeship? Apprenticeships combine practical training in a job with study. Apprenticeships take one to five years to complete depending on their level. As an apprentice you will:

work alongside experienced staff

gain job-specific skills

earn a wage and get holiday pay

get time for study related to your role (usually one day a week)

Source: https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide How do I apply To create an account, log on to: https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship. Once you are set up you will be able to search and

Forthcoming careers events: NCS drop lunchtime student drop in session – Wednesday 10th April (12.10pm – 1.55pm) Come down to the Careers library and see Abbie and her team if you have any queries or concerns regarding your NCS application. NCS Parents Evening – Tuesday 30th April (6-7pm) Open to any parents who want to find out more about the NCS programme.

Careers Evening – Tuesday 8th October 2019 (6-8pm)

Apprenticeship evening – Tuesday 29th October 2019 (6-8pm)

Congratulations

Congratulations to the following students who have secured a place at Ratcliffe College. This is a fantastic achievement and displays the very best of RUSHEY 2 - WORK HARD! We are VERY proud of you and wish you all the best in your next chapter.

Humzah 11BOR , Rishi 11MER, Nikhil 11BER, Dhrumil 11RUR.

Public speaking competition

Over the spring term year 9 and 10 students have been participating in Rushey Mead’s first public speaking competition. Students were given the opportunity to audition with a two-minute speech on a topic they were most passionate about. The auditions took place over two separate evenings, with over thirty five students taking part. Topics were passionate, well written and thought provoking, and included: knife crime, poverty, arts in schools, racial discrimination and global warming. After their speech, students were selected by a judging panel of teachers and students.

Those 18 students then competed in the semi-finals, which involved a one-minute speech on a different topic to their audition. Students were judged by Janavi (10 HAM), Mrs Peacock and Mrs Mugglestone. Students displayed such confidence and maturity when presenting speeches that the decision for the final was incredibly hard to make.

The final then consisted of nine students across both year groups. Students had to produce an original two-minute speech on their topic that met set criteria, including memorisation, presentation, body language and assertiveness. The final nine students really blew the judging panel away, which consisted of Ms Hindocha, Ms Kader and Janavi, as well as our head of governors Sally Cox being present in the audience. The night was hosted by Rishika (7MEM) who did a fabulous job of hosting the night. Students were stood in the spotlight on the stage and delivered heartfelt, passionate and extremely high quality speeches on the following issues: knife crime, periods, racial discrimination, Grenfell Tower, perfection, global warming, the NHS, modern slavery and homophobia. After a careful and difficult deliberation, the judges agreed on the winner of the night; Anjali 9BER, whose powerful speech on ‘Perfection’ impressed the judges and audience. Anjali was presented with her winner’s cup by Janavi.

This competition was the first of its kind at Rushey Mead but will now be held annually for both KS3 and KS4.

Students involved: Hibaaq 9CHR, Komal 9HAS, Mehwish 10BER, Nikhita 10RUS, Maya 10CHM, Nyasha 9MER, Lubna 10MEM, Anjali 9BER and Harun 9RUR.

Top A2L and most

Improved students

Congratulations to the following

students who have the best

overall Attitude to

Learning scores and also to the students with the top Most

Improved Attitude to Learning scores.

TOP A2L - Year 10

Most Improved - Year 10

Vraj 10MER Anas 10BOM

Mary 10BER Kurren 10HAM

Pihu 10BER Ketankumar 10BOR

Mehwish 10BER Mahima 10RUR

Gyan 10BEM Nidhi 10HAM

Princei 10HAM Sakshi 10RUR

Bijal 10BEM Aadit 10HAM

Soumeya 10BOR

Jevin 10BEM

Khush 10BOM

Janavi 10HAM

Nishaly 10MEM

Watheeq 10BEM

Forthcoming events

EASTER HOLIDAYS

Monday 15th April - Friday 26th April 2019.

Arrangements after Easter for Year 11 students

After Easter, all students in Year 11 are expected to come to school as usual and their normal timetable will apply. On arrival in

school, students will register with their tutors in the usual manner.

This will mean that after Easter and until Friday 14th June students will be expected to come into school every day in correct school uniform, whether or not they have an exam. They will go to lessons as usual where they will work on focussed revision sessions and exam practice until the exams for that subject are over. They will continue to go to that lesson when it is timetabled, but will be able

to use the time to revise for other subjects. We will also offer a room for silent revision during lunchtime where students can go.

Failure to attend school during this period may result in students not being able to attend the prom and colleges maybe informed about non-attendance, unless of course there is evidence of exceptional circumstances. We feel that focused exam preparation in school supported by teachers will maximise exam performance for your son/daughter. Advantages of students being in school for

this period are listed below:

Structured supported revision

Subject knowledge and expertise from teachers

Help with misconceptions

Memorisation help

Exam paper practice

Practice of exam technique

Help with their weakest areas

Re-visiting topics with the teacher to help strengthen their knowledge

Building their confidence

Somewhere safe for them to revise

In the past there has been a tradition of students signing shirts as a memento, students will be permitted to do this after the final

year 11 assembly on Friday 14th June 2019 at 11.15am.

We wish our students the very best of luck in this final round of exams and we look forward to celebrating their hard work at the leaver’s assembly, prom and most of all on results day in August. Thank you to all parents/carers for their continued suppor t at

home with revision and exam preparation.

GCSE success 2018

We are delighted to have received a letter from Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP congratulating us on our GCSE success in 2018. Please see letter below;

I would like to congratulate you and your staff and pupils on the outstanding progress your pupils are making and your school’s high level of GCSE language entry in 2018.

Your school’s Progress 8 score on 0.75, which is well above the national average, shows that you are amongst the top 5 per cent of state-funded mainstream schools in terms of the progress your pupils make between key stage 2 and the end of key stage 4, using the Progress 8 measure. With 96 per cent of your pupils entered for a language GCSE in 2018, your school is in the top 4 per cent of all state- funded secondary schools in the country. Your school’s language GCSE entries means you are providing pupils with a firm foundation in linguistic knowledge, as well as broadening their horizons and enabling them to embark on further study. Thank you for your work in continuing the drive towards higher academic standards, and congratulations again to you and your staff for your hard work and professionalism.

With best wishes, Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP