Open Academy Parents' Survey about Online Reporting

In 2008 the Government announced that "by September 2010 all secondary schools will need to offer parents real-time access to information covering achievement, progress, attendance, behaviour and special needs". Having immediate access to information about your child could hold the key to ensuring that you are kept informed and up to date regarding your child’s progress at school. It will help you to become more actively involved in your child’s education.

Using a computer or a mobile phone to keep you updated you will not a replacement for face-to-face contact. The need for contact is still as important, but we think parents should be able to have more insight into your child's attainment, attendance and behaviour than was previously possible.

We wish all our parents to be fully consulted as we set up online reporting at the Open Academy. To help us to know how you feel about being offered online access to information about your child, we would be grateful if you could click on the link on this page to complete a survey.

Click here to complete the online survey

If you wish to complete a printed version of the survey, copies are available from the school reception.

Andrew Mitchell
Systems Manager

The New Building, Fixtures and Fittings

Construction of the new building gathers pace as work begins on the inner fixtures and fittings.
All the exterior glass has been completed now, the heating is on and all the services, like gas and water, have been connected. Landscaping and tree planting have commenced on the grounds and inside fixed furniture like sinks and units have begun to be put in. The main feature staircase can now be used and all the cedar cladding to the outside of the building has been finished. Lastly, the vinyl flooring has been laid and the carpet tiles will soon follow.

Pupil free meal allowance increase

From the beginning of the new summer term the Pupil free meal allowance will increase to £2.10. There will also be a new ‘Fuel 4 Life’ menu choice on offer. This is the nutritionally balanced set meal which meets the government standards and sells at £2.10. Menu highlights include, Roast Chicken with Gravy, Spicy Vegetable Fajitas with Potato Wedges and Syrup Tart with Strawberry Sauce.

Local Primary Schools take part in technical challenges

On March 11th we hosted a technology team challenge for local primary schools. Year 5 pupils from Catton Grove, Magdalen Gates, Lionwood, Sprowston and George White undertook a number of tasks in a friendly competitive atmosphere. Finding a way to drop an egg from a height without it breaking using limited resources, building an airship to stay airborne as long as possible and designing and making a ski jump. They all took part and came up with some great designs, lots of thinking and testing going on. A great day and special thanks to all the staff, Ms Batcock, Mr Hunt and Mrs McColl who supported me during the day.

Ian Hands

Big maths day for the Academy’s ‘Super six’

Mr Hands recently took a group of students to the regional finals of the UK Maths Team Challenge at the Cambridge University of Mathematical Sciences. Six students from the Academy represented the school and joined thirty two other teams to compete in a variety of different challenges throughout the day. Some of the challenges that the students faced included the solving of mathematical crosswords and the application of logic to solve problems. Although the event was run as a competition the key skills of co-operation and teamwork as well as communication and maths skills were all more important than the drive to win. The students from the Academy demonstrated all of these skills and more throughout the day. The University of Mathematical Sciences is housed in an ultra modern building, not unlike the new school that we will be in next year, giving a glimpse of what the future might hold to the students who were there. Even though the Open Academy didn’t win the competition the team did beat some well known public schools. It was a great day and the students that represented the Academy not only rose to the challenge but also behaved impeccably. Congratulations to our ‘super six’ Danielle Harthen, Reece Dawson, Jamie Lawson, Connor Coombs, Merrick Holloway and Katrina Horlock.

Aiming Higher, Y10 girls attend ‘Move On Up’ event

On Wednesday 24th March a group of Year 10 girls attended the annual ‘Move On Up’ event at the UEA. Along with hundreds of other Year 10 students from all over Norfolk, the girls took part in a variety of different workshops throughout the day. There were dozens of workshops to choose from, everything from ‘The need for speed’ which looked at the aerodynamics of cars and ‘A load of old tack’ that involved learning about caring for horses through to workshops on creative writing and studying film. The sessions taught on the day were led by lecturers from the university and were planned to give the students a taste of what university life could be like. The day was organised by Connexions and the University of East Anglia. Hopefully the taste of university life will inspire some of the students to work hard and aim for the challenge of Higher Education.