Dear Parents/Carers,

This week has been full of rewards and celebrations focusing on our #TeamRushden values: Hardworking, Resilient, Smart, Team-Players and Respectful. The assemblies this week were our end of half term rewards assemblies and were led by our Directors of Key Stage, Mr A Smith and Mrs Broughton. It was brilliant to see so many students being rewarded and to hear the amazing comments that form tutors had prepared for their individual awards. Students were so proud of their achievements and it was amazing to see everybody celebrating and showing respect for each other. Students were also treated to a performance by our Dance Group. We have so many talented individuals at Rushden Academy, and it is fantastic that we are able to showcase their amazing talents to all year groups during events like these.

A summary of our TRPs for this half term can be found below. Well done to year 7 who have smashed it this half term with their TRPs! We will share our weekly top students, and our half termly champions on social media soon!

Year 7 - 48096

Year 8 - 38905

Year 9 - 39899

Year 10 - 38776

Year 11 - 2774

On Wednesday, I led our end of half term attendance prize draw to celebrate those students with excellent attendance. This is delivered by a whole school Google Meet so that all students can be a part of the celebrations and share the success of their peers. We ensure that this draw is fair by including all medical and religious events in our attendance calculations. This event has really grown in popularity over the past few terms, and it was amazing to see that we had 522 students eligible to be a part of the prize draw with attendance over 95%. Prizes included a gaming chair, earpods, GHD hair straighteners, footballs, basketballs and an echo dot. Some students have already got their eyes on the prizes for possible Christmas gifts if they win next half term!

The top three forms for KS3 and KS4 attendance for attendance this half term are:

KS3: KS4

1. 7LH - 97.24% 1. 10SDA - 95.98%
2. 7COG - 96.92% 2. 10SWE - 94.36%
3. 7HJ - 96.76% 3. 11EW - 94.29%

On Thursday, we were visited by the Bishop of Peterborough who visited the school to find out more about our close working relationship with the Grace Foundation and our outstanding Ethos Team. She met with students from our Social Action Squad to find out more about the community work that they have been doing, and the positive impact this has had on them. Our students were excellent ambassadors for Team Rushden, and we are proud of the amazing work they continue to do.

Please remember that school is closed on Monday 4th November due to an additional training day that we have scheduled for our team. Students will return to school on Tuesday 5th November. Year 10 will have their assembly as normal focusing on Remembrance in preparation for our whole school service on Monday 11th November.

I hope you all have a lovely half term. Please remember that you can contact a member of the safeguarding team by phone on 07428 441286, or you can email . Alternatively, you can report a concern anonymously using the reporting button on the main page of the school website. 

Yours sincerely

Jonathan Firth 

25th October 2024

(Upated Version)

Dear Parents/Carers

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to address a growing concern regarding the standard of school uniform. Recently, we have noticed that some students are not adhering to our uniform policy, which is essential for maintaining a sense of equality, discipline, and pride within our school community.

As you know, our uniform is designed to promote inclusivity and minimise distractions, helping students focus on their education. It also enhances school identity and prepares students for environments where professionalism is expected. Unfortunately, deviations from the uniform standard compromise these important Team Rushden values.

Additionally, when students do not follow the uniform policy, it creates unnecessary disruptions to teaching and learning. Teachers and staff are required to address these issues throughout the day, which diverts attention away from instructional time and can affect the learning environment for all students. We want to maintain a focus on education enabling students to aspire, explore, and succeed. Ensuring all students follow the uniform guidelines is an important part of achieving this goal.

We understand that sometimes ensuring your child has the correct uniform can be challenging. To support you, we can offer assistance through uniform subsidies for families in need, and we also have a stock of second-hand uniforms available. Students are also able to loan an item of uniform on the condition they leave a deposit, such as a phone, earpods or other personal item. This will ensure that the item of uniform is successfully returned at the end of the school day. Please feel free to reach out to the school office if you require any support in obtaining the correct uniform for your child.

Starting from Monday 11th November 2024, consequences will be put in place for students who do not comply with the uniform policy. These measures are meant to ensure that all students follow the guidelines and uphold the school's values. We kindly ask for your cooperation in ensuring that your child adheres to the uniform requirements.

The details of our student uniform policy are:

• School blazer
• School tie
• White shirt
• Black tailored trousers or school skirt (worn at the correct length, i.e. not turned up)
• Black ‘polishable’ footwear
• Coats must be waterproof and padded

Students are NOT permitted to wear:

• Hoodies of any sort (including, half, full or quarter zips). 
• Sports tops, or tracksuit tops
• Leggings or any skin-tight trousers
• Nose rings
• Jackets underneath their blazers
• Fluffy socks
• Canvas footwear

The advice I would give you for determining if an item is going to be classified as leggings is that if the material is stretchy and/or skin tight, then they are not acceptable. We appreciate that some shops advertise ‘school trousers’ when they are in fact leggings. Please check this carefully when purchasing any new items of clothing.

Should students arrive to school from 11th November 2024 with incorrect uniform then the following system will be applied:

• Students will be asked to correct their uniform at the school gates. This may be a case of putting on their blazer, or removing a nose ring, for example. Once they comply they will be allowed to continue with their day. Any further infringement during the day will lead to a detention and (where applicable) having the item (such as a hoodie) confiscated, in line with our behaviour policy.
• If students do not have the correct uniform, they will be offered the opportunity to borrow the correct uniform from our pastoral provision. If the student complies with this request then they will be able to continue with their day.
• Should a student refuse to borrow an item of uniform, then they can expect to work in our reception building, under the supervision of a senior leader. Students will remain in this provision until their uniform is corrected. Work will be provided for students to complete. This will enable all teachers to focus on their core purpose of delivering outstanding lessons to all students without the distractions of having to tackle uniform issues. 

By providing you with advance notice of this initiative, we hope that there will be isolated issues with the student's uniform when we return to school after the half term. Students have the opportunity to have any nose rings professionally removed over the half term, and these can be replaced with a nose stud. The additional week following the half term has been provided so any parents/carers who are concerned about this initiative, or require support, can contact the school to arrange any support that is required.

We are aware of individuals who may not be able to wear specific clothing due to medical or SEND needs, and we will continue to support these individuals as part of our reasonable adjustments, where medical evidence has been provided, or is mentioned as part of any Education Health Care Plan. Where we do not have any medical evidence, I urge you to ensure that the school receives a copy prior to the 11th November 2024 so that any reasonable adjustments can be applied and your child is not unfairly sanctioned.

I appreciate that for most students, our concerns regarding uniform do not apply, and we thank you for ensuring your child attends Rushden Academy looking smart and proud to be a part of Team Rushden. 

Thank you again for your continued support in fostering a positive and professional environment for our students.

Yours faithfully

Jonathan Firth

Principal