INSIDE:

Students have their say

Opportunities to growOff to a great start

NEW

S

Aiming high Spring 2012

Aiming highThe current Academy 6th Formers have all achieved a pass grade, with 100% gaining A-C grades in their AS level English coursework, a testament to their commitment and hard work. Students across the Academy are showing an increased interest in pursuing English at A level which staff are keen to encourage.

Impressively, 100% of students achieved A-C grades in their GCSE English Literature coursework with Lucy Bayliss, Toni Flaherty and Michelle Buck all achieving straight As; a fantastic achievement. A special mention goes to Year 11 student Zara Bone who is now in the top set for English and has secured Bs in Literature, and high Cs and Bs in Language, despite having previously needed literacy support at Key Stage 3.

Our senior students are not the only ones succeeding in English. In Year 9, we have a high percentage of students working beyond their base targets, and all have shown they have the ability to produce great results as they progress through the Academy.

We are committed to raising standards in literacy and numeracy, as we know how important these skills are in ensuring future success. By aiming high and working hard to reach their milestones, students at The Oxford Academy can aspire to reach their full potential and attain success where they deserve it most.

Welcome from the Principal Welcome to the first 2012 new-look edition of The Oxford Academy magazine. We hope you like the revamped design. Here at the Academy, we value your opinion so please email us at comms@theoxfordacademy.org.uk with any comments you may have.

We ended 2011 on a positive note with many students achieving above their target grades for the term. We have plans to expand our 6th Form and we are working closely with the local community on a number of exciting projects. Read on to find out more about this and our key plans for the future.

If you’re interested in what our staff and students think about life at the Academy, look no further than our personality showcases.

You can also find out more about The Oxford Academy and our wide range of facilities by coming along to one of our events. More details to follow soon.

If you would like to talk to a member of the Senior Management Team about progress at the Academy, please do not hesitate to contact us at enquiries@theoxfordacademy.org.uk.

We look forward to welcoming you to our Academy.

2

Under the spotlight: An interview with Academy Principal, Mr Reading What is your vision for the Academy and its students?My vision is to lead for the future and challenge pre-conceptions. I want students to leave The Oxford Academy with the highest aspirations, be confident in themselves and have the ability to act and think in the interests of others and their community.

What have been your highlights so far this academic year?I think the response to the challenges we have faced has been great. Teachers are prepared to go the extra mile and students are beginning to recognise that they can achieve more than they originally thought. Another of my highlights has to be the fantastic block I made against Mr Hollis in the staff volleyball match!

What are your short term ambitions for the Academy?I want The Oxford Academy to be characterised as an exciting, challenging and caring place to learn; a place that demonstrates outstanding progress. I am keen to show others just how much positive change has happened at the Academy in recent months.

What is your favourite part of Academy life?Seeing the students smile when they achieve more than they thought possible, and the impact that has on staff because it makes them smile too!I also love seeing our older students support the younger year groups through our new mentoring programme, which offers Year 11 students bespoke and personalised study and exam support. It’s rewarding to see the progress that each one of the Year 11 students has made.

3

Students have their say Our existing School Council will face some exciting new changes this year. As a result of the new House system, The Oxford Academy’s student voice structure will operate in a three-tiered system: Tutor Councils, House Councils and the Academy Council. In addition, there will be a Year 7 and 6th Form Council operating separately and dealing with specific issues.

The new structure is designed to help students engage with school life and academic issues, build on House identities, grow and train future leaders, give and reward a sense of responsibility and keep the Academy student-focussed. Watch this space for further information and student election results.

The ‘House system’ arrives at the Academy Having been introduced at the end of last year, a new House system is now in place at The Oxford Academy. Students have been establishing their unique House identities through visual displays; they have also worked on creating coloured badges which give each House a distinct ‘brand’.

In the spirit of healthy competition, staff at the Academy have organised several inter-House challenges in which the year groups come together to compete for points. An overall score is kept for each House throughout the year and at the end of the summer term, a ‘Champion House’ will be announced and rewarded.

Through our new House system, we have also introduced the concept of vertical tutoring; encouraging strong student leadership and a system of mentoring across the year groups. Our 6th Formers have been fantastic in offering support to our younger students and filling the role as ‘associate tutor’.

Good luck to all those taking part in House competitions in the coming months.

Magazine Club is launched Each House in the new system has a dedicated editorial team responsible for the collection of good news from across the Academy. These news items are then edited by the team and will be included in a termly magazine and on our website. The team will function just like a professional editorial group; coming together to discuss content, taking photographs, editing articles and compiling regular newsletters.

The editorial team recently launched its very own ‘Magazine Club’ which has proved to be a great way to spread the word about the successes of our students within the Academy.

Students will receive the magazine in their tutorial periods and parents are able to sign up to receive an electronic copy by emailing enquiries@theoxfordacademy.org.uk.

Time for change

Learning beyond the classroomLast term, our A level law students were given the unique opportunity to visit the Houses of Parliament in London, reinforcing their recent studies about the role of Parliament in making and passing laws. The trip to Downing Street and the chance to observe a live case at The Supreme Court really brought the world of law to life for our students.

“ We gained valuable knowledge which will definitely support our studies.”Jordan Grinnell, 6th Form student.

Supporting the local community

Last term saw the launch of OX4, the Academy’s extensive sports, leisure and recreational facilities available for hire seven days a week.Boasting state-of-the-art facilities including indoor and outdoor pitches, courts, and halls, along with a wide selection of dance and fitness classes, OX4 is set to be a fantastic hub designed to benefit the whole of the local community. If you need a music venue for those rehearsals or a theatre room for that conference or meeting you have planned, OX4 has it all.

Opening TimesMonday to Friday 17:00 – 23:00 Saturday & Sunday 09:00 – 19:00If you would like more information on any of our facilities please contact a member of the OX4 team on 01865 783238, email info@ox4.uk.com or visit our website at www.ox4.uk.com.

Leading the way in educationHere at The Oxford Academy we are delighted to have our own unique Leadership Centre which we are developing as a centre of excellence both locally and nationally.

The Leadership Centre is a high quality resource providing training, development and support for leaders in education. Through the Centre, we strive to raise the standards of education in Oxford and beyond, as well as inspire our staff through examples of outstanding practice.

The Academy delivers a programme of courses, which has seen participants supporting each other and becoming a network for sharing best practice.

Programme Manager, Katie Screaton, believes the “practical approach to learning” gives participants “useful solutions to improve students’ learning and educational progress.”

We hope to create a highly skilled team of middle and senior leaders, ensuring our students, and young people across Oxford, receive the best education available.

The Academy is currently unique in offering these nationally recognised courses but our staff are not the only people to benefit from the Centre. A number of other schools, both primary and secondary, and the Academy’s partners also use the service to strengthen our local educational offer.

Cheering on local talent: A day at the rugbyLast term, 44 students took part in the annual trip to Twickenham to watch the Varsity Rugby Match played between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Despite the cold and wind, the teams provided the supporters with some fantastic entertainment. We left having celebrated a double University of Oxford win. The under 21s won 19-11 and the main team won 28–10.

A highlight for one of our students, Lewis Stowell, was winning the sweep stake with the closest total score prediction of 39, winning him an England hat. The students were a credit to the Academy and are already looking forward to next year’s game.

Deck the halls At the end of last term, our Year 7 choir put on a fantastic performance at the recently refurbished Bullnose Morris. The carol service included a number of Christmas favourites.

Alicia Campbell and Lauren Axtell performed a duet for one of the verses of ‘Away in a Manger.’ Alicia commented, “I felt confident and was pleased with my voice” and Lauren recalled, “I felt a bit nervous at the start but as I got into it I was fine.”

We were joined by Pegasus Primary School who sang carols and also entertained us with bell ringing. Needless to say, everyone left in a very festive mood!

Fitness studio membership:Monthly memberships starting from £25*Annual membership £250**Subject to terms and conditions

A community initiative The Oxford Academy recently became involved in The Leys

Community Project, a lottery funded

initiative aimed at making a positive

contribution to the local area. This

means our students will now receive

additional support, along with some

extremely beneficial one-to-one mentoring to aid them further

in their studies.4

Mentoring schemeOur connection with Oxford Hub has led to the introduction of a student mentoring scheme where students from the University of Oxford come to the Academy to mentor our students. The scheme is a great opportunity for Academy students to get a bit of extra help with their studies and speak to university students about future options, degree courses and career paths.

We met with Amy, a Support Officer at Oxford Hub and undergraduate from the university, who was more than happy to explain the reasons and benefits of the partnership.

Why did you want to become involved with the partnership between The Oxford Academy and University of Oxford?Oxford Hub exists to connect current University of Oxford students with opportunities to get involved in voluntary, charitable or environmental action be it on a local, national or international scale. The opportunity to expand our Schools Plus programme into The Oxford Academy is a fantastic one. It gives passionate university students the opportunity to support students at the Academy to engage more with their subjects, achieve more and learn about studying to degree level.

What do you believe to be the main benefits of the programme for both the student and mentor?The Academy students have the opportunity to work with enthusiastic university students to help overcome challenges they may be facing with their studies. The scheme enables university mentors to share their love for their subject, encourage young people to study hard and gives them an opportunity to meet with members of the wider Oxford community.

What subject did you find hardest at school?I never took naturally to maths and science. I worked hard at them though, to make sure that I achieved good grades at GCSE. I have since found that some of the skills you learn early on are so important in so many areas of life!

What is your best advice to students who find academia a challenge?Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, even those who enjoy academia. Finding the subjects that you enjoy most is so important. For the areas you find more difficult, it is important to understand how they might help you later on in life – so set yourself small targets and work hard to achieve them.

The future...The mentors are already thinking about new projects they can get the students involved with. Over the course of this year they hope to continue developing their work with students allowing them to reach their full potential during their time at the Academy.

Our partnerships

5

Partner primary school represents OxfordOne of our partner primary schools, Windale, achieved 2nd place in the City Athletics Finals in January. The successful link The Oxford Academy has with Windale Primary has supported students in developing key athletics skills in weekly training sessions held at the Academy. Windale will now represent Oxford at the County Finals event on 29 March. We wish them luck.

Opportunities to grow Our close affiliation with The Hawkwell Trust, a charity based in Oxford, enables us to provide young people with improved opportunities and facilities for educational and professional development. It aims to raise educational standards through activities and residential programmes. The opportunities allow for individuals to grow academically, socially, morally and spiritually by working collaboratively to develop self confidence.

For more information visit www.hawkwelltrust.org.uk

Sharing expertiseOur collaborative partnership with Mabel Prichard School ensures all students, regardless of their ability, are given the opportunity to access mainstream education. Sharing expertise is proven to benefit both institutions and we have been delighted to welcome the students from Mabel Prichard into the Academy to make use of our new facilities.

For example, students from both Mabel Prichard and Rosehill Primary recently got to try out a whole raft of different athletic sports at the Academy through the QuadKids concept. The event was organised by our PE department with students from Years 8 and 13 running the activities. For more information, please visit our website.

The Oxford Academy is committed to building

partnerships and working with local organisations to develop

initiatives which enhance the opportunities available to our students.

This mentoring initiative is in association with our ‘Aimhigher’ scheme, which encourages students to consider higher education.

Partnership with Oxford United Football Club

The Oxford United Academy is enjoying another good year with 68 students involved in coaching, matches and football development combined with academic skills and lessons. They have benefited from our fantastic new sports facilities, which are having a positive impact on the quality of training.

A community initiative The Oxford Academy recently became involved in The Leys

Community Project, a lottery funded

initiative aimed at making a positive

contribution to the local area. This

means our students will now receive

additional support, along with some

extremely beneficial one-to-one mentoring to aid them further

in their studies.

Welcoming new students

How have you found your first term at the Academy?

R – I have settled in well and teachers have offered support and guidance if and

when I have needed it.

P – My friends have helped me settle in well; I feel safe here and know who I can

speak to.

What has been the biggest change moving from primary to secondary school?

R – Definitely the size! I love the new building – it is really modern and clearly laid out.

P – The facilities on offer. It took me about a week to find my way round but I like it

being so spacious.

How has the Academy and its students made you feel welcome?

R – I can see all students are treated with the same respect which I like. Teachers

are always willing to help.

P – As well as the staff, older students at the Academy have been a great support

and we are all treated equally.

What has been your favourite subject so far, and why?

R – Maths is my favourite subject because the teacher makes the lesson fun so I can

learn without realising it!

P – Topic is my favourite because it is with my tutor group and I feel more relaxed

which helps me with my learning. Topic is a cross-curricular subject that combines

Geography, History, RE and PSHE to improve our life skills and prepare us for the

world of work.

Have you joined any clubs since starting at the Academy? If so, what and how

are you finding it?

R – Yes, I joined the choir and trampolining clubs. Both are completely different but are

a lot of fun and support my learning in different ways!

P – I haven’t joined any yet but I hope to join the music club so I can learn base guitar.

Some of my friends attend after-school football which they love.

Off to a great start

What are you most looking forward to in your time here at the Academy?R – I am looking forward to using all the brilliant facilities. So far, I have really

enjoyed having bushcraft lessons in the shelter at the Jack Peers Centre and also using the science block to do some really fun experiments.

P – I am saving my credits to earn enough for some good rewards! At the moment

I am saving for a cinema ticket. I like having these incentives!What do you think of the new bistro?R – I like it because it’s big and there is plenty of seating so I can sit and talk with my

friends; it has a very happy atmosphere.P – The bistro is neatly set out and is a nice place to go during our breaks.Do you think 100 minute lessons improve your learning and in what way?R – I have found they allow more time to soak up the information that we are given

which helps me to produce better work.P – Being given longer to learn about the topic helps me get through more work.

My advice to new students....Older students and staff are always around to help you, so speak to them if you have a problem and they will help you.

Perry Milligan

My advice to

new students....

You will settle in

quickly and it’s very

easy to make new

friends. Look forward

to learning new and

exciting subjects.

Rebecka Kemae

We interviewed Year 7 students - Rebecka (R) and Perry (P) to find out how they were finding life at the Academy.

A day of ‘friendship’ for our future Year 7sAt The Oxford Academy, we work hard to foster relationships with local primary schools. We hope through these partnerships, primary school children can experience what we have to offer and enjoy the benefits of fantastic facilities and a wide array of exciting activities.

After the Easter holidays, we will be holding a ‘Friendship Afternoon’ for primary school children joining us in September. Pupils and their parents will be invited to meet their future teachers and peers, tour the Academy and ask any questions they may have; thereby easing the transition into secondary school. We look forward to welcoming them.

There will be many more opportunities for children and families to visit the Academy in the coming months. Please look out for details of these events on our website; www.theoxfordacademy.org.uk.

The Oxford Academy 6th Form Our move to the new state-of-the-art building has provided us with a perfect opportunity to begin expanding our 6th Form.

The new environment provides students with a stimulating and inspiring learning space in which to work and will raise the aspirations and achievements of our students. The new space will also enable us to offer a more extensive range of post-16 courses.

Our team of dedicated 6th Form staff work with each student to meet individual needs and ensure they reach their full potential. Not only will support be given in their chosen subjects, but our staff will also offer extensive guidance on further study and careers. For example, there will be regular opportunities to visit universities and speak with professionals about their future paths.

Raising aspirations and generating interest in Higher Education (HE) has been an important focus for us this year. Through presentations, workshops, mentoring schemes, specialist advice and conventions, students have received an abundance of invaluable information regarding their options at HE.

Inspiring presentations We welcomed staff from Oxford Brookes University who delivered a presentation on applying to university, writing personal statements and student finance. A speaker from ‘Push’ (the leading independent guide to universities) also visited the Academy to give an engaging talk on what life at university is really like.

MentoringUndergraduate volunteers from our partner, Oxford Brookes University, are providing our 6th Formers with the vital support and encouragement they need to make the most of their studies.

Advice and guidanceOur 6th Formers have access to specialist HE and careers guidance and have the opportunity to speak with a Connexions Personal Adviser who can support them further.

University visitsWe attended subject conferences at Oxford Brookes University and Higher Education Awareness Days at Bucks New University which focused on BTEC courses. We also encouraged Year 12 students to attend the University of Reading for a Higher Education convention. These events have proved popular as they are interactive and give students a real insight into university life.

Careers FestOur 6th Formers recently attended Careers Fest, a city-wide careers convention which aims to help young people start to think about their future career. It was a great opportunity to network with local employers and gather information about careers that interest them.

We are committed to providing students with the qualifications, skills

and confidence required to meet the demands of our

ever-changing world.

7

Careers and university guidance

Looking forward

IMPORTANT DATES IN 2012Wednesday 14 March Year 7 Parents’ Evening

Wednesday 28 March Parent Forum

Friday 30 March End of Term 4

Monday 16 April Start of Term 5

Wednesday 30 May Parent Forum

Thursday 31 May Year 8 Parents’ Evening

Friday 1 June End of Term 5

Monday 11 June Start of Term 6

Important message to parents and carersPlease keep the Academy

informed of your contact details

(particularly email addresses) and

any changes to them via our contact

details below. Then we can keep you

up-to-date with important news and events. Thank you.

Contact usThe Oxford Academy, Sandy Lane West, Littlemore, Oxford OX4 6JZ

T: 01865 774311

W: www.theoxfordacademy.org.uk

E: Academy enquiries: enquiries@theoxfordacademy.org.uk Academy facilities: info@ox4.uk.com Communications enquiries: comms@theoxfordacademy.org.uk