This blog has been created to help parents' and the local community have their say on the latest topics affecting the Milton Keynes Academy.
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Welcome to our new open blog. The place to have your say. Rather than have specific topics our Parents' Group have suggested a much more open forum for you to chip in comments about whatever is on your mind. As before all contributions will be moderated by Mr. Davies. If you have issues with a particular named child or member of staff we would ask you to raise that with the relevant Head of Learning Village.
Many thanks to all the parents who came to the year 10 and 11 Parents' Evening this week. If you missed it and would like an individual interview with your child's tutor or Head of Year please get in touch. We are currently confirming term dates for 2012 to 2013 and will post these on the Web Site as soon as they are available.
We received a long comment about changes to Studio 6 study arrangements. If the contributer can contact Miss Forster directly by phone or e-mail she will be able to explain the changes. Your contribution was recieved but the site is rejecting it as a post becuse of problems with the text format.
Clearly we got things wrong here and I apologise. Most students brought their parents right up to Explore Village which was the system we had planned. I know we had refreshments ready and raffle tickets so parents would know it was their turn. I had been down and checked in the village and everything was set up and ready. We do have an electronic bulletin every week and staff had recieved e-mails about the event. Unfortunately the extended leadership team had to attend a meeting about the latest changes to the Ofsted inspection system which is why myself or another senior teacher was not down at reception to 'meet and greet'. Sorry.
Yet again MKA has been a let down last night year 7 Meet the tutor (Miss Hann A lovely member of staff) We arrived at 3.30pm for a 3.34pm appointment so we through wrongly . Reception has no knowledge that parent were coming , Miss Kintu has no knowledge it was meet the tutor evening, a suited man arrived asked who we wanted to see ,told him meet the tutor evening told me he had only been working at MKA for 2 weeks had not a clue . We try learning village a female member of staff told me I had asked the wrong people where to go .I hope her teaching skills are better than her communication skills . Having worked in a school office with a large white board we were able to let every member of staff no what was going on that day ie Weds years 7 meet the Tutor evening Friday end of term school will finish at 3.30 ect. On another note you keep sending out letter about the uniform. looking at students leaving school last night in their uniforms looked very cheep and poor quallity maybe a new supplier is needed I look forward to hearing from you
The kitchen did 77 extra wraps and sandwiches today. At 1.20pm there was no queue at all and you could get served immediately with 20 minutes left to eat. There were still 38 items left when the canteen closed, I had a Tuna and Cheese wrap and it was very nice. Things do vary from day to day but the staff do their very best and I will keep it under review. Mr . Davies
Hi My son Year 9 has also has gone without lunch this week because no sandwiches are left . This should be sorted out by now end of week 2 very bad planning by catering staff they no how many meals they need to supply this being the 3rd year more food is needs to be ready with fresh hot food being put out later and more sandwiches need to be made any left can be sold at the end of the day to staff and children
In regard to Debs comment about coming in uniform when PE is first lesson. This change has been made so that tutors can check students actually have their full uniform with them at the start of every day. In the past students have come in PE kit for lesson 1 then tried to wear trainers all day because they 'forgot' their shoes. I watch the queues carefully and if you come at 1.20 you do not usually need to queue at all so none of your free time is wasted. You still have 20 minutes to eat and this is better than last year. We are taking the youngest students in first ten minutes early as they take a long time choosing. I will speak to Pauline about running out of certain products but I know that she finds it hard to judge at first until student demand settles down into a pattern. 'Chip Friday' willstill be busy!
In regard to several comments about the Staff Gate Studio 6 Students are allowed to use it and once the Student gate is locked at 8.30am late students do have to be buzzed in by the office and marked in late. The fencing has been put in to try to make it very clear that the roadway is not a safe way in. We are keeping the situation under review.
After having the letter through the post about pupils NOT using the main gate I was shocked when dropping my daughter at school(due to a medical problem at the moment) how many pupils where being let in by the office staff I would have thought,have they not read the letter.And if they are not let in by the office staff they jump the fence put there for their safety and run through the gates used by the cars ect.I have noticed that there is sometimes a teacher at the main door after school telling them to go the correct way but if he or she was to look out side the pupils just exit the building by the fire exit door.It is an accident waiting to happen,just like the students running over the main road to get their bus and not using the bridges that are there for them to use.As soon as my child is well enough they will use the student entrance as they have always done.
i`d like to know how the new lunch plan is working out. my son in year 9 has come home every day complaining about extremly long queues, too many year groups with nothing to do wondering the school, teachers telling him to get out of the queue and come back later, and some days he`s had sandwiches because the hot meal he wanted was sold out. last friday my son queued up at 1pm and was told to come back in ten mins by a teacher, the queue for pizza was still massive at 1.30 so he went to get a sandwich because he did`nt want to be late for his next lesson but all of the sandwiches were gone so he went without, this really is`nt good enough. also when a pupil had PE as thier first lesson they were allowed to wear thier kit to school but now my son and his mates were told this was not allowed as registration is first, why change that rule ? surely it saves time.
I am concerned that a letter has been sent out to parents of younger year groups, informing them of lack achievement with the recent GCSE grades. Telling them that no one gained a*, a, b. I my son got 2 B as well as C's. I know of children who got A* and A. Also the coloured ties .... Are all the children getting these one of my children is a targeted ABB student yet still wearing the normal tie? Don't particularly like the idea as feel it opens them up to bullying as some are jealous etc. Also in the message from Mr May school was spelt scool!
Mr. Jones asked about students using the front gate. This is restricted for safety reasons and because if students used it there would be many cars hovering in Fulwoods Drive picking up students. The location and use of the gates was part of the binding planning permission for the Academy.
Just a test, I have had trouble getting some contibutions to post. Mr. davies.
We would like to apologise to Debbie and any other parents who had a poor experience when trying to purchase uniform on the first day. We did encourage parents to order in advance and collect during the first two weeks of August and we did have a steady stream of parents in then and on the staff training days on September. However the office staff were caught out by an unprecedented number of parents arriving to purchase uniform on the first day. We know the service we provided was not good enough and we will be making a range of changes to avoid this happening again. We will increase staffing in reception on the first day back. We will put dates on the website in August when parents can come in and buy uniform. On the first day back we will have a separate ‘Uniform only’ desk to increase efficiency. We will try to me better in our publicity to encourage advanced ordering before the end of the previous term.
Here is a message from Mr. May the Head of Year 10 about coloured ties. “The purple ties indicate the presence of the student in the Breakthrough groups in Years 9 and 10. Currently, there are 282 students in these two years groups who have been identified as being Breakthrough. This group was set up to encourage and support students who are capable of achieving C grade or above in English and Maths and to allow the school to tailor support to meet their end aims. A key part of this effort is the aim of creating a mutually supportive team ethos and this already has proved the case in a number of instances in lessons where students have self policed behaviour and academic effort in a positive direction. A programme of visiting speakers and trips out for Breakthrough students is also planned. Year 11 students have also been provided with a new gold tie to highlight to them that this is their final year in scool and the importance of working hard. Again, this has been positively received. The incident described below is clearly an act of bullying and so therefore needs reporting to the relevant year team so that this can be dealt with.”
I request information about this whole "Colored Ties" situation, We have a specific uniform for many a reasons, One of these reasons is to reduce the effects of bullying, and to prevent it's occurrence, Giving students that need "Further Help" a specific colored tie Is Just creating an atmosphere to Encourage prejudice & bullying, I have spoken to a student about this new concept for students and i quote that this student had been caught out by a group of people who saw the purple tie as an open target He received this "Haha we're smarter than you!" speech. This should not be taking place, Every school should be aiming to prevent bullying as a higher priority over dealing with bullying, By singling out students like this, You aren't following this concept.
Here is a message from Miss. Adodo from our Maths team: Hello all, hope you've enjoyed a lovely holiday at home with your children. We look forward to having them back with us here at the Academy. One of our primary aims is to improve numeracy skills for all our students. For this to be successful we need you, the parents, to be aware of some of the ways students learn numeracy skills. We realise that it is sometimes difficult for parents to come into school, so we are looking for suggestions of different ways that we (the numeracy team) can work with you. Some of our suggestions are: Afterschool/twilight sessions for the children with Parents/Carers Afterschool/twilight sessions for Parents/Carers Breakfast sessions for Parents/Carers Breakfast sessions for Parents/Carers and their Children GCSE Maths Workshops for Parents. We recognise that you want your children to enjoy and excel and it's really important that we find some creative ways of enabling you to give your child the best numeracy support possible. Please get in touch if you have any suggestions or comments.
this morning i spent 50 minuites at main reception in what i can only call a complete farce, trying to purchase uniform items for my son along with loads of other parents. when i was finally dealt with there was nothing in the size i needed and i was told i should have purchased last month ? when last month ? i was not aware the school was open during the holiday. i know there are special evenings and days for new pupils but was unaware they were open to all, when i helped out on the uniform issue evening before the holiday i was not allowed to purchase anything and was told that main reception carries loads all year round, they dont, every time i go to buy they never have the size i need, would it be too much to allow items to be bought direct or have special evenings for all pupils instead of only the new ones ?
Once again what a great show that was put on last night.Well done to all students and staff for making it a great evening.My daughter was great on the key board even though she was worried she would go wrong but she was brill.Thankyou.
i just wanted to say a big thanks to all the staff who put up with me at yesterdays CSI Academy. it was a fun and educational couple of hours, and i went home with a free necklace which my friends found weird as it contains my own DNA. the academy should do these types of activities for the parents more often as there was nothing like this when i went to school.
Could you please pass on my thanks for all the help and suport that the teachers have given my girls this year.A big thankyou to abby vallence in all the help she has given to one of my girls when she had problems at school.And just to say my daughter enjoyed her bowling trip as her reward for a 100% attendance this year.Keep up the good work.
Thankyou to everyone who came to our 'drop in' parents' evening last night. We had over 100 families attending and as teachers we really welcome your support. Hope to see loads of you during our Family Learning Week next week.
I have children at 2 different schools also and I find the holidays work out good for us as it gives me time to have 1 on 1 with them and they enjoy it as well.We go away in the october holiday when it is a lot cheaper than in the summer,we wouldnt be able to afford a holiday july/august time so this is good for us.My daughter has had no problem getting the time out from her school to join her older sisters on holiday.All my children get fed up after the first week in the summer so I am glad of the shorter summer holiday for the mka.
The plan for the Academy to have 6 terms of roughly regular length was decided very early on before the building was open on the basis of research about the impact of breaks on learning. For example a very long Summer break often sets childrens' progress back. The Autumn term is the most tiring for students and staff so we have a two week break then. The Governors are aware of issues for some parents but believe the decision is based on sound educational thinking. The impact on families varies. Most parents like the shorter Summer break because their children get bored of being at home. If all your children are here you can avoid peak prices for some holidays but it is most difficult when childeren are in two different schools.There are no plans to alter the pattern at present but parents are always free to make representations to the governors.
Our family have not had a break together over the half terms recently due to the conflicting half term dates at the Academy and other local schools.Kindly advise why Academy dates are different and how the Academy makes allowances for students to go on holiday with their family?
Coming soon! Last Parents' Evening of the Year. All the teachers for all the years and much more! Thursday June 30th! 4.30pm to 7.30pm. No appointments necessary, just drop in! Full details coming with your child's progress report.
What do other parents think about Jessy's comment regarding children who have dropped litter doing community service picking it up provided they have the right equipment? We would be interested to hear from you.
If you have concerns about homework please contact your child's form teacher or the Village Year team as it is the individual situation for your specific child that will need checking. The pattern can vary according to Options, teachers being away and exam periods.
Krissie also asked about parents evenings being for more than one year. There is a limit to how many evenings staff can work. Whichever way we group the years some parents will find it easier and others harder depending on the ages of their children. If anyone hasn't had an interview they asked for please mail me directly: ndavies@miltonkeynesacademy.co.uk and I will send it on to the Head of Learning Village.
Students and parents do find the gate issue raised by Krissie frustrating. It is a child protection issue. Once the standard school day is over we have to have access through the gate nearest to the reception which has a better level of site staff supervision. I have looked into this and that is the reason for using only one gate.
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My son got a detention for 30minutes and he had to do communityservice?!picking rubbish up from the play ground! that is so unhygienic.
I have a kid in year 9 and I am concerned about the lack of homework he gets
Why do you have year 8 and 9 parents evening on the same day,having one child in each year It makes it a very long evening.I am interested in their education but it its very hard to get appointments from 2 different year teachers so that they dont clash with each other.I did opt to having a one to one last year and I am still waiting for a phone call so I decided to do it this way this time.
In the letter that I got in with my daughters report it said about student not using the main entrance to leave school which I understand why, but quite a few times she has phoned me to collect her after her school clubs have finished from the main entrance because no one will open the students gate and she doesnt feel happy walking home when she has to leave by the main entrance also living on coffee hall it is a long way round for her.If you could look into this it would make me and her feel a lot happier.thankyou.
After being held at £2 for some time the 'Meal Deal' is now £ 2.20. This is for any main course and any dessert or a main course and a drink. The items vary from day to day but the price stays the same.
How much is it for lunch ? I gave my child £2 to buy lunch but they came home saying this wasn't enough to buy a sandwich and a can of drink? A price list on the website would be handy to what it costs and a rough idea what they are offered.
also summer uniform i agree
With regard to the comment from Julie Findleton about the cost of providing uniforms for her children, one of the options that had been discussed at the Parents Forum was having a swap shop for uniforms which have been outgrown. My daughter is in Year 8 and is on her third uniform, I have managed to pass on one set to a parent whose daughter was starting in Year 7 but still have another set hanging in the wardrobe. I would be happy to be able to pass on outgrown uniforms and I think other parents might also be interested in a swap shop.
PLEASE can we find out when we can top our children's lunch account up online and set a daily spend?? Many other schools offer this.
I have sent a very specific question about English coursework from 'clickerboy' through to the Head of Department Miss K Ellam. If you would like a reply in person would you please contact her directly. You can see how to do this in the 'contact us' tab at the top of the page.
The blog is for parental use and comments are moderated because it is open to anyone looking at the web site. If you have an individual issue about a teacher or an individual student's work which you wish to raise please contact the Head of Department or the Principal Miss Caldicott directly. We cannot reply to specific individual comments via the blog log in so please send an individual e-mail. Thank you.
yet again first day back at school my daughter gave up trying to get lunch as her and her friend were pushed out of the line by older children and then ran out of time and is fed up getting in trouble for being late for class luchtime needs to be longer so every child has time to eat as its a very long day from 8.30 till 3.20 without anything to eat
I have just been during first lunch at 12.02. There was no queue at all, plenty of space to eat and a quiet atmosphere. I was finished in plenty of time to get to lessons. If students go to play first then come to eat around 12.00 there are no problems although Friday (Chip day) is always busy. The PE trip was by invitation as a reward for students with an especially good attitude.
Following a number of suggestions and comments from parents about summer uniform we are pleased to say that some flexibility in the uniform rules is going to be introduced. A leaflet explaining the changes is on its way with the Progreess Point reports which are going in the post this week.
oh I also want to make a comment about the lunches? my two children both one in year 8 and the other one in year 10. they say there lunch is far to short. espically my child in year 8. he says theres 3 year groups going to lunch at one time? and year 7 is intended to be the largest year group attending the school? so many people are queing up to go into the hall and my child is getting in trouble for being late, when it isnt his fault.
many people are agreeing with this summer uniform. i totally agree? concidering the students have to wear a tshirt, jumper, blazer, even the type makes an impact as the black attracts the heat. with many regards im hoping you will concider the comment made by C&L, also all the comments agreeing, and make a change. i would rather a change to the uniform be made, than my daughter being to hot, and uncomftable. thank you, goodbye.
The vivo system seems to have failed. After going to the meetings and hearing all th great things. My son and I logged into his account to find that only 1 teacher had given any since November 2010. I am also disgusted with the lack of uniform discipline going on.
I am in total agreement for adaptions to the uniform for summer. I would also like to know if there is some sort of grant I can get to buy my son his uniform for September. Where we lived before, we could get uniform grants from our local council. I was wondering if we had the same thing in MK. I am finding it financially hard to afford two sets of uniforms for my son and daughter
i think the summer uniform is a great idea for all of the students
i think the summer uniform is a great idea for all of the students
i would like to agree with comments made about summer uniform and about school lunches quite a few times my daughter has been told off for being late back to class cos she had to wait a long time to get her lunch which is unfair
I Am Another Person who agrees with this "Summer Uniform" Subject! I think it is a great idea. As my child usually makes complaints towards me about it being so uncomfortable in the summer time.
I also agree a Summer uniform should be allowed and communicated now to ensure both pupils and parents fully undersatnd the summer dress code and adhere to it.
I would like to know please when we can 'top up' our children's lunch accounts online, instead of sending money with them. I have asked this a few times since the Academy opened and I am told this is being looked at. It has now been nearly 2 years. Other schools have a ParentPay system in place where you can top up their account online or send in a cheque and parents can set a daily spend limit. This is very useful and long overdue so please can we be told when this will be put in place.
I would like the children to do more sports
I Think that every student should be asked if they wanted to go to the alton towers from P.E, because a couple of student didden't get asked!!!!
Here is a clear statement for parents about the broken glass panes. The Academy takes Health and Safety very seriously and has systems in place to pick up things that could be dangerous or are damaged. We also have systems in place to respond when we are given specific details of a Health and Safety, IT or premises problem. In the case of broken windows, I can confirm that the Academy is aware of several broken window panes which were damaged by vandals. The panes are not unsafe, have a notice on them explaining the situation, were the subject of a lengthy insurance claim involving many quotes and the glass panels have been ordered. The glass has to be specially made and takes two months and requires cranes to fit. Such work can only be carried out during the holidays and is programmed for the Easter break.
A summer uniform would be best I also agree as my son comes home often complaining of the heat
Studets should get summer uniform i agree.
I am shocked at the state of the building at this point, Yes, the building is only as good as the student's treat it, but regardless, do you not consider it a health hazard that should be quarenteend to have shattered windows, that could fall, and possibly damage someone? putting postes over them, or convering the damage with a blind is not enough. I have also had reports of there being an "Arrogance" with the way your teachers and members of staff, are dealing with students behaviour, what goes around,comes around
i think there should be a different uniform for the summer months when it is far to hot for students to wear all of the layers from there uniform. my daughter often comes home and complains of being far to hot!
I would like to express my thanks to all those involved for the Options evening on Wednesday evening this week for the current Year 8 pupils and their families. It was well organised, informative and we left knowing everything we need to for my son to make his choices confidently. It is often easy to criticise what is not perhaps right, but we really should make more effort to praise for when things have gone so right. Many thanks again to all.
thank you for responding to my first comment. but if the children go out side for a bit then when they come in and the que has gone they only have about 10 minutes left of lunch so it doesnt change anything. and my daughters watch got taken off of her because a teacher said its jewelery, which is stupid. The academy is meant to be an amazing school but at the moment its the total opposite.
I have been keeping a close eye on the lunch queues in response to recent comments. Today I arrived at first lunch at 12.00 (First Lunch starts at 11.45). There was no student queue at all and the full range of food was available. This is true most days. If students get some fresh air first and don't come at the start they will spend little or no time queuing. Friday is always busier becuase it is chip day and Tuesday was slow this week because the Kitchen staff prepared pancakes which were more complicated to serve. I think if more parents bought their child a cheap watch it would also help.
My daughter comes home from school so many times saying she has been told off and shouted at for hugging friends at break and lunch. this is pathetic! i understand why this is inappropriate during lesons but at their break and lunch times they should be allowed to hug, hold hands and stand near members of the oposite sex. When people at work have lunch breaks they go to see their partners and do whatever they wish to do therefore so should students. why are they so different? they're not, were all equal! And also another matter i have with the school is, the lunch times are way to short, they have half an hour and they spend about 20minutes lining up then the only have about seven minutes to eat their lunch as they need to get to their leson on time and if their late for their leson you fine us? but they are late because you have a stupid time table, which is easily changed, but your to stubborn to change it. i wont stop complaining till some action has been made. gemma williams, year nine students mother.
Thank you for your comments about lunch. We are very aware of the lunch time issues which are particularly acute during lunch 1 ( Years 7,8 and ). This issue has been discussed at Senior Management level several times but there is no easy solution. When we opened we had 3 lunch breaks but this caused a lot of movement and disruption which made teaching and learning more difficult. We do take one year group to lunch 10 minutes early each term ( It is Year 8 this term) to help ease the queues .Our electronic payment system also speeds things up. Children all tend to come at the start of the lunch when in fact queuing time is much less towards the end of the lunch break. Extending the break is not easy because then you have more children for a longer period in and around the building when the other year groups are learning. Having an alternative serving / eating space for packed lunches is difficult because the hall is used for examinations. We have looked at this issue and will continue to do so but as an over-subscribed school with very popular good quality catering we are bound to be very busy. Regarding timings some of the children who eat later say they would rather eat earlier so it will always be difficult to find a solution that suits everyone.
Could you please let me know if you are taking my previous comment regarding school dinners any further as there has been no reply regarding that what so ever ***All other parents***...if you agree with my previous blog can you please comment so that the school is aware of how many of us think that it is important that our children have enough time to be able to eat their lunch without being rushed!! Thanks
Thanks for your comment Krissie. Term dates are sent out as early as we can to help with holiday planning, sometimes more than a year in advance. Sometimes the training days have to be changed and the Web Page is always kept up to date. We are finishing a day earlier in the summer because the extra Royal Wedding Bank Holiday falls in our existing holiday. We will do our best to keep adding reminders to the various letters we send home.
Could you please send out up to date info about school term dates.On the letter I have about the dates it has today 28th feb as a teacher training day but on your web site it says school opens.As a result my 2 children plus one friend didnt get to school until 8.30 now classed as a late mark.I tried from 8am until 8.20 to call the school to see which was the correct day but the office didnt answer the phone.I even tried the village numbers and as usual no answer from them either.
Apologies for any delays, as the teacher who moderates the blog I have to deal with e-mail around my teaching and other duties. Sometimes I do seek out accurate information so I can reply to comments before posting them.
Is there a reason why my previous post regarding lunches has not been published??
I would like to raise an issue with the amount of time (or lack of it) that the children have at lunch time, and the time in which their lunch starts. They start their lunch at 11.45am and in my eyes this is too early, it is still morning so when the children come home from school a good 3 hours later they are extremely hungry. And they only have half an hour lunch. Many times my children have come home and told me they were waiting in the line for their dinner for over half their lunch break so was then rushed to eat it when they eventually got it! This is meaning not only will they suffer with such things as intergestion but they have no time to let their dinner go down before having to go back to lessons, let alone be able to socialise/play with friends! My children have told me that some of their friends skip eating lunch just so they can go our and flay a bit of football for instance! I think this is a big issue and needs to be discussed asap.
Why has the principal not updated their blog since October 2010, especially as the school has just implemented quite a major change? I would like to see something from them on how they believe this sudden change is working.
The Parents Group are a flexible and informal set of parents who help us keep in touch with what parents think. Anyone can come to the meetings. Sometimes they raise concerns e.g. about how clear our reports are, sometimes we ask their advice e.g. about how to set up our rewards system. We did discuss Enterprise, which is a much bigger area than just the lessons. This was part of us looking at different parts of school life. The changes to the school day were not actually on the table at the time of this meeting. There were mixed views about the enterprise lessons, some parents thought that they were a good idea but that their children didn’t always see the point of the activities. Others said their children really enjoyed some of the things they did in enterprise. The Parents Group also help in practical ways such as answering questions and helping show people around on open days. Meetings always involve having a cup of tea and a cake so feel free to come along next time.
the yr7s should have a prom!
the parents page says that the parents group give feedback to you on how the academy is doing and how it could do better. does this mean the group wanted you to scrap the enterprise lessons (monday pm) as i see from the notes from the october meeting that they talked about the role of these lessons, and then only a couple of months later the lessons have been droped. also if the group is only for feedback why does the letter about the daily changes say you can discuss your concerns with members of the group. i`m confussed as to what role this parents group play within the academy, could you explain
Here is some information is response to the posting about work experience. The evening was a general evening for Year 10 and was cancelled due to lack of parental response. Letters were sent out last week to students who had chosen but had not yet returned signed forms despite several repeated reminders. Letters were sent home with duplicate forms, job descriptions and stamped addressed envelopes with follow up phone calls where necessary this week. There is also the initial work experience letter on the website and a second letter will be going out to go through preparation interviews etc at the end of this month, this again will be posted on the website as well as being sent through the post. Please contact DGockelen@miltonkeynesacademy.co.uk if you have specific questions.
Username: Carol Comment: I wish to complain at how badly the work experince has been dealt with, in December 2010 a open evening was arrange and this was cancelled at the last minute and this was nothing to do with weather because it wasn't even snmowing. Parents have not been informed of a new date about work experienice and this week i have had a letter saying that my son has not filled in the form. So where is the information evening takening place that was cancelled back in December. IT is about time this school got back on the right tracks
We do understand that the change to our school day was a big decision which parents have strong views on. We do regret that on this occasion we were unable to consult widely with parents and that notice of the change was short. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to families. Once we were convinced that this change was in the educational interests of the children we decided to act swiftly to put the changes into place. One feature of Academies is that they have the freedom and responsibility to make changes quickly if they are seen as necessary to raise standards. Letters were posted home before the end of term and if you did not receive one please check our main office has your correct contact details. Information was posted on the website including a FAQ sheet which is still available in the Parents’ section. This was also available at reception and I also came down to the gate and talked to parents and gave them out. National Curriculum and GCSE teaching time is not affected by this change and parents have welcomed the introduction of tutors. Students are able to stay and be supervised while they make use of the excellent Academy facilities for homework and independent study. We will be keeping all aspects of the recent changes under review.
The blog has received several comments that need some discussion by staff to clarify the situation before we can reply. We will post some information here as soon as we can.
I also attended the show last night with my wife and we both had a terrific time. Congratulations to everyone involved and even though my daughter was the best, (daddies girl) All the pupils and Teachers were excellent.
Username: Krissie Comment: I would just like to say well done to all that took part in the performance last night,it is the first one I have been able to come to and my family and my self really enjoyed it.My daughter took part and was really worried that she would go wrong but she had a great time in taking part.The teachers were brill as well and the ones that took part were really good sports.It was a shame that the younger children had to stand on chairs at the back to see what was going on but they had fun.Thankyou and well done once again.
My daughter has worked very hard with her 6 week project and trying to hand it in every time is hard.The project she has just finnished is still in her bag as every teacher she tried to hand it into said they didnt want it.On the front cover it says to hand it to the enterprise teacher but she said she didnt want it,she asked Abbey and she didnt know who it was to go to.A bit more comunication would be very helpful.
We haven't had any actual public ofsted inspections yet. We are due what is known as a Section 8 inspection before July 2011. When this takes place there will be a parental questionnaire and a full published report as in normal in all schools. We have had some private consultants in giving us advice for our own management purposes. Hope this clarifies the situation.
I am working on a FAQ sheet based on the questions we are getting from parents. The blog is proving very useful in helping us to know the kinds of theings parents are interested in knowing.
Regarding the change to the school timetable. I think it would be appropiate for parents to have another letter with more information and understanding on how this new agenda will work. Explaing times and and other issues that us parents need to know. I am not against the idea but more information would be a great help.
Hello I am interested to find out the findings from the Oftsed inspection, surely you have had an initial report by now? Many thanks
I fully understand that schools make decisions about our children's education, however this change was not decided upon overnight as other parts of the organisation had to be consulted. In my son's school when a similar change was made to the way in which the timetable was altered proposals were sent out to all parents some time in advance for discussion and feedback. My views on the excellent progress the school has made since it's formation has not changed but it will lose some credibility with parents if decisions are made without proper communication with all the schools community.
Many teachers are themselves parents so we are very aware of the how safe provision for children has to fit around working hours. This is why a supervised Monday afternoon study facility will is available for all students who need it. The time allocated to National Curriculum and GCSE / btec subjects will remain above the national average as the increased team planning time for teachers on Mondays is being achieved by suspending the two hour enterprise sessions. There will still be many enjoyable and challenging enterprise events going on throughout the school year. One freedom of Academies is the ability to make important changes quickly when it is seen as necessary to help bring about improvements. Our educational advisors have approved these changes as being an important way to help move achievement in the Academy forward. Our Parents’ Forum, which was suggested by the Parents’ Group, was timed to fit in with the Year 7 open evening as we thought this would help boost attendance. We decided it was fair to inform all parents by letter at the same time once details had been confirmed and approved. We will continue with our genuine commitment to listen to and involve parents but there will be times when in the educational interests of the children we have to make decisions and introduce changes promptly.
I received the letter today regarding the changes to the School day and I am sure that I am not the only parent who is not only confused by what is happening next term but also baffled as to why this important step was not discussed earlier with the parents. Some important questions that need answering are: - 1, What are the daily tutorials, how long do they last and why will they support our children's education. 2, It is really not clear how it is possible to insert a tutorial each day and not lose the corresponding lesson time, if I am right the weekly hours add up to 33 - the breaks (1hr 10mins per day - Monday pm 20mins) = 5.5hrs leaving 27.5 hrs teaching time However this doesn't take into account the tutorials. 3. If you replace the Monday lessons 3/4 with 5/6 what happens to the 3/4 lessons? I believe that these changes need to be clearly communicated to the parents as to do otherwise will be seen as Parents don't count!!
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I am concerned, as I am sure are many, about the reduction in school hours from January 6th. Before my son started in Sept 09 a big selling point for me for the Academy, and this was advertised by the school as a big plus point, was the extra school hours in the week compared to other schols. Ultimately with this change, my son and every other pupil in the school are losing 2 hours of taught lessons a week. I would like to know what parent consultations took place for this change, as I cannot believe any working parent, or indeed parents with children at other schools would agree to it willingly. This will no doubt cause some issues for working parents, and yes I know that pupils can stay for supervised study groups at school, but this does not hide the fact that pupils are losing 2 hours of taught lessons a week. I work in a school, but another bug bear for me is the fact that another training day is being taken to sort lessons into dedicated areas. Well as far as I am concerned the only lessons with non specialist areas at the moment are Maths, English & Humanities? Also, a very frustrating point for me is that the letters about the changes to a Monday landed on doorsteps on Friday morning, VERY CONVENIENTLY 2 days after 'Open Questions' evening with the Principal. To sum up, I am very disappointed with these changes and think that it has poorly handled.
We have received a number of questions about the Christmas Lunch. The catering staff make a real effort with this event and the planning means they need to know clear numbers in advance. Students had to 'opt in' by returning a slip from a letter which explained the arrangements. This letter was sent out with the October reports. There was also a reminder text sent before the November 12th deadline for returning slips and spare letters were available at reception. Only students who returned slips had a dinner prepared for them. On reflection we think that the very early distribution of the letters, which we did to allow accurate planning, may have resulted in some parents and students thinking it was along way off and so not responding in time. Several hundred students did respond across a wide range of classes so we know the letter did go out. From next term the daily tutorial slot will make it much easier to distribute information and to collect in responses. Nevertheless we apologise if any family did not recieve the letter for any reason.
I have just received a letter regarding the changes to the school week, commencing in January 2011. It states that the week will increase to 28 hours from the norm of 25 hours, including students being able to finish formal studies at 1.20pm on Mondays. I have no objections to this - but WHERE are the extra hours being added? From what I can work out taking the school day as from 8.30am until 3.20pm, minus lunch and morning breaks, you already complete a 28 hour week - or am I missing something? And I was NOT impressed with the total lack of communication regarding the Christmas dinner, as no-one knew it was being held, not even the students, until that very morning. It proved a waste of money for those parents, myself included, who provided a packed lunch for that day. Just my little gripe.
just recieved the letter regarding the changes to the academy day as of 6th jan, if there will be a new daily tutorial in the middle of the day wont that mean less hours for normal lessons ? also it says the building will be re-organised for all subjects to be taught in there own specialised area but i thought that was already happening because the school has specialised "villages" ? i`m sure i`m not the only parent confused by these changes
i think you should change the summer holidays, its rather a silly idea because i have a daughter in primary school and its extremly difficult for me as i work most of the day?
The Academy terms are based on educational research that suggests that more even length terms and a shorter summer holiday are better for children's learning. The fact that the date of Easter moves always causes compications for setting school holidays. In other schools you sometimes end up with a very short then very long term which is not good for learning. Many teachers are also parents and we do understand how complicated things can be when you have children in different phases of education. For some parents there will also be advantages because our holidays will not be at the times of peak prices. We try to publish our dates well in advance and we will keep this situation under review for future years.
Regarding the heating I have been speaking to our property team and have some information to share. Global warming is a big concern these days and most modern buildings get too hot and then need air conditioning to cool them down. This is why the building was designed without heating in the atrium and main reception areas. These are the areas that most parents are aware of and at present they are very cold. The designers have been contacted but there are no immediate actions we can take. There is also a fault with the vents at the front near reception which are staying open when they should close and this is also letting cold air in. We are trying to get this fixed. The classrooms are designed to stay at 21 degrees which is recommended as any hotter and students tend to fall asleep. The vast majority of the rooms are fine to work in even in this cold weather. The Learning resource Centre (Library) is open every break and lunchtime and is lovely and warm and any student with particular needs is welcome their at any time.
I have a query regarding the school holiday dates for 2011. On the calendar on the website the dates for the April and late May holidays differ from those of the other schools in Milton Keynes, in particular the late May holiday is now in late June. Why do these dates differ so greatly from the other schools? I was under the impression that the only difference in school holidays would be that they would finish a week later in July and have 2 weeks in October. I have another child in primary school in Milton Keynes and this makes things very difficult in terms of booking holidays during half-term and making childcare arrangements, as I work 30 hours a week and am not happy to leave my daughter at home alone for long periods. I am sure I am not the only parent who would find this difficult.
Username: Debs Comment: just wanted to say thanks to all the parents who took the time to chat to me at the parents group desk yesterday, all of your comments (good & bad) have been passed on to mr davies (head of parental engagement). also the couple who left me their new contact details please be assured that they have been passed to admin for filing purposes. i think another uniform would be too expensive for alot of parents but maybe there should be a warmer jumper for the winter months, also the fleece for PE should be available in smaller sizes.
We will always stay open so long as it is safe for the children and we have enough teachers. We have kept them inside at breaks today.
hello, im new to this, but i was just curious why the milton keynes academy is still open in this weather??
I do not think having two uniforms will work, it will start to look untidy as they will wear them when they are not meant to and it will be harder to control. Perhaps a long sleeve jumper in winter, and they should be allowed to wear black gloves and scarfs .It is only certain area's of the school that are cold the heating certainly needs to be turned up , The Art and Science seem to be the worst. My daughter suffers with Rynauds and is really suffering with the cold at school she is in alot of pain!!
Thanks to Jennie and Sarah for your comments. I will investigate about the heating but students can wear their school jumper and blazer in class and most of the classrooms are fine. The Summer uniform idea is one I will bring up at the Open Discussion Forum on Wednesday 8th (7pm in the hub), and we will see what some other parents say. Thanks.
Why not have a winter uniform + a summer uniform. I know it may cost a bit more as i am i am finding it hard but it would be better for the kids. What do you think?
Can you tell me if there are any plans to improve the heating in school please, I hear lots of comments about how cold it is. I realise that to maintain the smart uniform look students are not allowed to wear outer wear in class but they do need to keep warm too - any thoughts?
HAVE YOUR SAY in person. Wednesday Dec 8th 7pm, Open Discussion Forum with our Principal Mrs. Caldicott and The Academy Parents' Group. Just turn up. We will be in the Hub on the top floor. This meeting will discuss any aspect of Academy policy or direction parents wish to raise. Hope to see you there. N.B. If your cocnern is very personal and specific to your child's progress you may prefer to contact the Head of Learing Village first.
i`m loving the new look site, it`s very colorful, the student poll is a welcome addition and it`s nice that the parents group is getting a bit more of a mention now. it would be great to see more parents at the next meeting (8th dec), we have a meeting each term- even though the site has`nt got the updated details of our last meeting yet. in reply to Donna, the my maths site login was changed to sfmcs and data, i hope that helps
hello i am new to all this,but my daughter is trying login into the main page of my maths but will not log in keeps saying 'new password see teacher'.i know the details were sfmc and maths but it will not let her in can anyone help.as she can not do her maths h/w otherwise? thanks..donna
Hi everyone. Reading all the comments. My daughter walks most of the time but i drive her on cold wet days as she suffers from Rynauds. But i agree kids should be encouraged to walk where possible, the fresh air and excercise is good for them. On the uniform i think it is quite smart. Go round and have a look at other schools they look far worse than our school. You are always going to have your untidy children and your neat ones it is the same everywhere! Teachers in uniform i disagree with, smartly dressed is adequate. The school has some very good teachers, who dedicate their time to the pupils, we must not forget to praise these teachers. My motto is give praise where it is due and complain where due do not tarnish all the same. I send an email to the head either way. I think it is a good school and will be sending my son when he is due!
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY HOW MY 2 DAUGHTERS HAVE ENJOYED THEIR FIRST YEAR.THEY HAVE BOTH DONE SO WELL AND I AM VERY PROUD OF THEM.AND ALSO HOW MUCH WE ENJOYED THE FASHION SHOW,MY YOUNGES WAS ONE OF THE MODELS SHE WAS SO WORRIED THAT SHE WOULD TRIP OVER BUT IT REALLY BOOSTED HER CONFIDENCE.WEL DONE TO EVERYONE.
the teachers are very good at the academy they have helped my girls a lot.the only thing is they should pay more attension to children useing their phones in class.example:"sitting in maths with **** boarding".that is what comes up on my girls facebook.and before you say my girls were aloud to go on facebook as long as i could check their account to make sure there was no bulling going on from either side.i am very happy with the school and my girls love it,they leave at 7.30 their choice and i dont see them until 4.30 - 5.00.i think they would sleep there if they had the chance. i wish i had got the chance to go to a school like this i would have more help and not brushed under the carpet.
yes carol children should be encouraged to walk or cycle to school if they can but it`s not always possible, the academy`s catchment area is from cambell park to simpson and some pupils live outside of that area. judging from the amount of cars filling up the car park at the students entrance every day (half of which are taxi`s) obviously not many are using thier legs or the buses at the moment.
Carol I have got your comment but I am having a technical difficulty posting it at this end. I will get in on the blog asap Regards Neil.
I have read a few of the comments. i have seen the teachers in fleeces and te-shirts and all of these have the school name on even down to the cleaners. this shows that the staff belong to the school and the children can see that. As for the teachers should be better, my children have had very good teachers and quite a few of teachers have a lot of time for the children at the school and are willing to help them out with extra study. As for the buses shouldn't the children be incouraged to walk to school or even cycle, they is plenty of room to park bikes
In reply to Karen's point the teachers at the school do have a Dress Code. Some staff e.g. in P.E. and Art have practical clothing to suit their activities. For all the staff the Dress Code covers projecting a professional image as role models for the children. There are rules like male staff wearing a tie and not wearing jeans. This is just like any business, as workers we represent the values of our institution. Do parents think we look smart enough? Overall very few of our students use buses to get to school and I haven't picked up any issues yet but thanks to Debs for pointing this out. We really welcome comments on any topic parents want to raise.
The buses have been a very popular topic in the local papers here in MK. I was wondering, since the bus timetable changes are any other parents having problems with getting their kids to & from school ?
I this think this school is good but we need better teachers don't we. Also the uniform needs changing the teacher should wear the same uniform because that is how a school is.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN THE WAY IT IS DONE NOW.IT IS VERY HARD TO KEEP TO SET TIMES IN A BIG SCHOOL LIKE THE ACADEMY.YOU CAN ONLY BUT TRY.
Welcome back! Feel free to comment on any topic you like on this blog even if it doesn't follow on from the previous one. We are thinking of having the last Parents' Evening of the year, which is on June 23rd, in a different format. Instead of the set appointment times, which parents and teachers find hard to stick to, we are thinking of a 'drop in, system. Parents would just turn up at the teacher they wanted to see and there would be 4 'Tickets' for who was going to be seen next in order. If all 4 tickets were gone you wpould know it was worth seeing somebody else first and coming back later. What do you think?
Summer looks like it is finally arriving. We are keeping a close eye on how the building heats up or stays cool and we will look into modifications to the uniform rules for the summer if we feel it is necessary. Thanks to parents for your continuing support in keeping the children looking smart.
We recently had a very positive meeting of our parents group at which many suggestions were made about how to reward good behaviour. Please take a look at the Parents Group meeting notes for 3/3/10 and let us know what you think.
It is certainly our policy to provide an initial reponse within 24 Hours. This is one reason why we set up Village based Administration. It is also true that teachers are often in the classroom or working with students after school which can restrict their ability to resolve issues quickly. However we fully accept that parents need to know messages have been received and things are moving along. I have written to all staff to remind them of this issue. I am also meeting with the village administrators next week to discuss this issue. If parents contact me directly when there is a specific example of not getting a reply I will be able to track down where the problem is. My number is 01908 341793. Neil Davies Head of Parental Engagement.
In todays age of technology emails are easy to acknowledge, so the School could have a policy that all communications will have an initial response within 24hrs and all emails that arrive in someones mail box will have an automatic reply system telling the sender that it has been recieved. As far as phones are concerned they have the capability either to take a message in which case the message would say "you will recieve a reply within 24hrs" or if urgent the caller should be able to press a number to transfer to the reception where they are able to talk to someone. This would only work efficiently if it was monitored and the policy enforced.
I definitely agree with Debs that it would nice for staff to acknowledge the voicemails that parents leave for them as a matter of courtesy. Moreover, this should extend to emails as well as there are times when there is a long delay in the response received. Teachers/staff are human and may not be able to respond to all mails right away. However, it doesn’t take more that a sentence to inform parents of the time when they will be able to deal with the issue(s) in question; seeing these words “I received your email and will deal with it tomorrow or (by specific time/day /dateâ€) would definitely calm down anxious parents. Taking such an approach would help to contribute to the caring environment that we expect the school to be.
I like the uniform the kids look smart. But one thing the kids seam to forget even when they are out side the gates they are still repersenting the school and sometimes in that uniform a few kids case trouble and it all goes back to the school. I like the idea of a pe top that is very good and really good for the kids.
We are pleased to announce that a fleece style Tracksuit Top is now available. Please check the uniform section of the website.
I am in full support of the uniform policies. The students at the Academy look fabulous as they walk to school and i believe that on the whole they like the uniform (although they will grumble as all kids do). The school is, in my opinion, right to insist on the students maintaining the high standards set. As a society we are all bound by rules and I believe we have a duty to teach our children to do the same I am also pleased to note that the school are rewarding students for their efforts. My son and his friend received a postcard from the Principal when they passed by her looking smart. My son felt so proud of himself that he brushed his hair voluntarily the following morning in the hope he would get another In my opinion not a bad start
I would fully support the wearing of a standard uniform and the sanctions imposed by the school on those pupils who try to circumvent the uniform code. I am sure that 90% of all the pupils across the UK try at some time to "get away" with altering the uniform but parents should understand that the uniforms have been introduced for very good reasons and that the sanctions imposed supports the discipline ethos within the Academy.
i think the uniform is smart and is a good idea, when you go to work you dress appropriately for the work you do so it`s good for the students to get into the habit of wearing a specific outfit early on in their lives. PE kit could have included a tracksuit jacket for the winter months though.
the text service worked well to inform us about the partial closure on thurs, perhaps it could be used by village admin to acknowledge voicemail parents have left for them ?
Welcome everybody! We used our texting service for the first time this week when we had to cancel the Dance Showcase at short notice. Lets us know what you think about texting. How else could it be useful? Mr. Davies. Head of Parental Engagement.
