Transition into Year 7

Ethos

Our motto is ‘the best in everyone’ and we set high standards with clear expectations. We focus on encouragement, underpinned by good discipline. Staff, students and parents work together and uphold the same high standards to ensure that the best in everyone means:

Best work | Best attendance and punctuality | Best behaviour, attitude and courtesy | Best dress | Best contribution to academy life

Values

Ambition...to achieve the best for ourselves and others

We show ambition when we: have high expectations, dream big and believe, move out of our comfort zone, broaden our perspectives and extend ourselves and be the best we can be all the time.

Respect...for ourselves and others in all that we do

We show respect when we: value, embrace and celebrate differences, demonstrate good manners and are considerate to each other and our environment and show empathy and are kind.

Determination…to overcome obstacles and reach success

We show determination when we: continuously try to improve, learning from feedback and experience, show independence yet know when to ask for help and embrace failure, overcome barriers and don’t give up.

The Year 7 curriculum will include the following subjects across the fortnightly timetable:

• English
• Mathematics
• Science
• Geography
• History
• RE
• French OR Spanish
• PE
• Art
• Design Technology
• Music
• Drama
• Computing

Each student will receive a copy of their timetable in September. The student should copy this into their journal in pencil. Parents/carers are asked to help their child to organise themselves for the following day, ensuring they have the correct books and equipment.

Emma Skae - Principal

Jess Capstick - Vice Principal

Andrea Byrne - Vice Principal

Andrea Campbell - Assistant Principal

Lola Targett - Head of Year

Students are expected to take pride in their uniform and appearance, creating a positive first impression of the Academy. Students are expected to take responsibility for their own appearance, upholding the uniform policy and showing themselves to have the highest standards at all times.

Timing of the academy day:

Free school meals

If your child is entitled to free school meals you can apply online https://walthamforest.gov.uk/content/free-school-meals or go in person to a LibraryPlus, our nearest being Walthamstow Library, High Street, Walthamstow E17 7JN.

They will confirm your entitlement and inform us of who is on the list. This information must be kept up-to-date and the Academy must be informed of any changes otherwise the cashless catering system for the student will not work.

We believe that communication is vital in strengthening the partnership between students, teachers and parents. This takes place in a variety of ways, therefore it is essential that you keep us informed of any changes to your address, phone numbers and email addresses.

Contact Details:

Learning a musical instrument at Walthamstow Academy: Autumn Term 2022

At Walthamstow Academy, we are committed to ensure that every pupil has access to affordable musical instrument tuition. We hope that investing in your child’s musical education will enrich and support their development both in and out of school. The lessons are run on a carousel timetable during the school day which prevents students from missing the same curriculum lesson each week. We will endeavour to send out regular reminders of the lesson times and also request that you encourage your child to maintain a good practice routine and attendance habits.

We are proud to offer an instrumental lesson service that is substantially more affordable than private tuition outside of school (currently the cost is £160 for a 10 week block of lessons). Students who are eligible for the government funding ‘pupil premium’ receive an additional 50% subsidy of the cost. Pupil Premium applies to any child registered as eligible for free school meals at any point during the past 6 years. Your child’s current school will be able to confirm if this applies to them.

Instrument Options

We are currently able to offer the following instruments:

• Piano/keyboard
• Guitar
• Drum kit

Lesson format

All lessons are 30 minutes long. The programme runs on 10 weeks across a term, all lessons are one to one.

By demonstrating the values of Respect, Determination and Ambition, our students can earn respect points. They are given in the form of P1 (+1), P2 (+2) or P3 (+3) according to the table below.

Illness and accidents

If your child is too ill to come in, it is advised that your child remains at home. However, if any illness lasts longer than two days we would expect your child to complete work on Google Classroom once they begin to recover.

If your child becomes ill in a lesson and the teacher feels that medical treatment cannot wait until the next break, your child will be sent to an Academy First Aider. Parents/carers will be contacted if required. In more serious cases, where hospital attention is deemed necessary, the Academy will contact parents/carers who will be expected to accompany their child to hospital. Students do not contact home themselves unless specifically asked by an Academy First Aider.

Medical information

You must provide information to the Academy of any medical conditions that your child has. The Academy also needs to be informed of any special measures, e.g. dietary, pre-activity precautions and of any medication brought into the Academy at any time. If a child is registered as having a medical condition such as asthma or an allergy, they cannot attend an Academy trip without their inhaler, EpiPen or other necessary medication. Please ensure the Academy is immediately informed of any medical investigations or concerns you have about your child’s health and wellbeing.

All medical information received by the Academy will be treated confidentially.

The Academy has a strict policy that no medication will be given orally or externally unless written permission has been given by the parent/carer. All medication must be handed in to the Academy First Aider, clearly labelled. It is essential that the Academy has up to date contact details in case of emergency contact being required.

Students with SEN or EAL needs at Walthamstow Academy benefit from a number of support strategies in order to meet their individual learning needs. Walthamstow Academy has a strong relationship with all the services offered by external agencies in Waltham Forest and we can direct both our students with SEN or EAL and their families to first class support. The SEN and EAL departments at Walthamstow Academy can deliver personalised intervention programmes to meet the individual needs of our learners.

Autumn Term: (73 days)

• Monday 4 September to Friday 22 December 2023
• Half term holiday - Monday 23 October to Friday 27 October 2023
• Christmas Holiday - Friday 22 December to Thursday 4 January 2024

Spring Term: (60 days)

• Friday 5 January to Thursday 28 March 2024
• Half term holiday - Monday 12 February to Friday 16 February 2024
• Easter holiday - Friday 29 March to Friday 12 April 2024.

Summer Term: (62 days)

• Monday 15 April to Friday 19 July 2024
• Half term holiday - Tuesday 28 May to Friday 31 May 2024

There are eight Inset days:

1. Monday 4 September
2. Tuesday 5 September
3. Friday 17 November
4. Friday 5 January
5. Monday 8 January
6. March (date TBC)
7. Monday 15 April
8. The 8^th inset day will be divided up into six twilight sessions for staff across the year, after the end of the school day

We acknowledge that parents/carers will, from time to time, have normal and legitimate concerns about the progress, achievement, behaviour or welfare of their child. Parents/carers are encouraged to make these concerns known to staff so they can be addressed in partnership with the Academy.

In most cases we would hope to be able to resolve a complaint informally. A concern or complaint may be raised with any member of staff but in the first instance this would usually be your child’s form tutor or Head of Year. They will try and resolve the matter or will refer you to the appropriate person.

If the complaint cannot be resolved or in the event you are not satisfied, you will be advised to make a formal complaint, in writing, to Ms Skae by completing the online form available here or writing to her at Walthamstow Academy, Billet Road, Walthamstow, London E17 5DP.

A full copy of the Complaints Policy is available upon request at reception.

In the event of severe weather, the decision to close the academy rests with the Principal who will place a message on the academy’s website and a text message will be sent.