New e-learning programme using iPads

27th August 2020Peter Johnson

Please read in conjunction with the iPads for Learning at Bosworth Academy information

Bosworth Academy have been using iPads for over six years with our students allowing digital learning to take place effectively in every lesson and at home. Many schools struggle with providing adequate ICT provision in schools. Seven years ago we decided to do things a little differently with the aim of having 1-2-1 provision to ICT across the curriculum. Every student in KS3 and KS4 now has access to an iPad which they can use both in school and at home. The iPads are loaded with educational software and tools that enhance the learning experience. Furthermore, the devices are controlled by the school ensuring that students are only able to access resources that help them learn, even when at home! Internet traffic is always filtered through our servers to ensure students are kept safe.

We recognise that this scheme is an exciting one for students and we are sure our new September entrants are looking forward to making use of iPads in their lessons. There is an expectation that all students will use iPads whilst at the Academy to enhance their learning experience and to help them become more proficient at using digital technologies.

A breakdown of the scheme is included with this letter and below we will only give information that relates specifically to children joining the scheme this year.

In order to support students with this scheme, we ask that parents provide a voluntary payment to support the e-learning programmes we have in place. The suggested donation is between ÂŁ5-7 per month which will be collected via direct debit on a monthly basis. At the beginning of the scheme we will also collect a ÂŁ10 security deposit which we will hold as security to cover the anticipated market value buyout of the iPad and case at the end of the scheme. This payment will be collected via sQuid. At the end of the scheme, should you wish to purchase the iPad, you can use your ÂŁ10 security deposit as payment. Alternatively, you can hand the iPad back to the school and your deposit will be returned to you.

It is important to note that no student is excluded from the iPad scheme due to financial circumstances. If you support the principle of the voluntary donation scheme but have financial concerns please contact us so we can ensure your son or daughter is not disadvantaged. A significantly reduced voluntary contribution is suggested for those families who are eligible for FSM or FSM6 funding as we are able to use our Pupil Premium funding to support the scheme. Please contact Jane Manning ([email protected]) before completing the online portal if you are eligible for FSM or FSM6.

We are sure having read the details of the scheme you will agree with us that this is a fantastic opportunity for your children. Digital learning is an important part of our work at Bosworth Academy and ensures that students develop 21st Century skills – something which has become overly apparent during the recent COVID 19 closures. Our students have been able to continue working from home without any pause in their learning because they have been able to access a range of digital resources including interactive lesson resources, video conference live lessons and streams. They have also been able to stay in contact with their classroom teachers and classmates.

We are pleased to be working with The Learning Foundation who provide a Parent Support Service. Their support is funded, in part, through Gift Aid contributions. Gift Aid increases the value of donations by 25%, so it means even more money goes to the causes you care about, including the e-learning programme we are offering – and it won’t cost you any extra! Please initially log onto the portal to confirm which option you are taking to facilitate iPad use for your child by the deadline of 9 September 2020.

The Learning Foundation portal can be accessed at:

 

For any queries relating to the iPad scheme or the devices themselves, please contact [email protected]

Exceptional GCSE success during an ‘exceptional’ year!

20th August 2020Miss K Henshaw

This morning our Bosworth Academy Year 11 students and staff celebrated GCSE success at the end of what has been an unprecedented academic year.

Simon Brown, Headteacher
“Today it was so delightful to see our Year 11 students once again since having to close our doors to most students on 20th March.The ‘Year 11 of 2020’ have had to overcome so many mental challenges having their most important GCSE year cut short so dramatically. Yet all of our teachers and staff are so proud of how they have faced the many barriers, disruptions and dramatic announcements throughout the last few months. Our students have made great progress throughout their twelve years of education and five years with us that they quite rightly deserve to celebrate. The many brilliant grades received today are testament to their hard work and studies, something they should feel really proud of.
Our teachers and subject leaders applied careful assessment methodologies, using evidence from each student’s work during their GCSE, with professionalism and integrity to ensure all students were assessed fairly. All Bosworth staff dearly missed being able to see our students through to the end of their studies. With the ongoing challenges the World is now facing we are all confident that our Year 11 students have the skills, enthusiasm and creativity to make real change to our communities and beyond. Good luck in whatever your next path, I know we’ll see many of you in our Sixth Form.”

Rebecca Harbour, Assistant Head of School Key Stage 4
“What a rollercoaster journey these students have been on! Over the last 5 years they have been at Bosworth Academy we have seen them all grow and mature into wonderful young adults. Our heart broke for them when they were given 2 days’ notice to come to terms with the fact that they were not going to be sitting their exams and were to say goodbye to classmates and teachers much earlier than they ever thought would happen. Throughout this whole journey they have conducted themselves impeccably and dealt with the upheaval and turbulence with real courage, character and resilience. Today is a day that celebrates not only their GCSE grades, but their character and they should all be very proud of themselves.”

Some individual successes included:
Harry achieved 9 grade 9s, 2 grade 8s and a grade 6. He will continue his studies with us next year in our sixth form.
Jago achieved 9 grade 9s and 2 grade 8s. He will also stay on in Bosworth Academy sixth form to study Further Maths, Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science.
Shirin achieved 4 grade 9s and 7 grades 8s. She is studying A Level Maths, Biology,Chemistry and Psychology at Bosworth Academy sixth form next year.

Student Quotes
Harry said ‘I really enjoyed my time at Bosworth Academy. The staff are so supportive and friendly’
Shiv said ‘Bosworth Academy was the most marvellous experience I have ever had. The staff and students are delightful.’

Parental Risk Mitigation Plan

19th August 2020Peter Johnson

Dear Parents/Carers,

After a summer of planning the safe return to school for ALL of our students, we are now ready to share with you some important information and actions needed to ensure students are ready.

Please read the following documents:

Please have a look through these documents and discuss them with your child(ren)

Please find below a reminder of the Start of Term dates/timings

Mon 24 Aug: Teacher Training Day
Tue 25 Aug: Teacher Training Day
Wed 26 Aug: Year 7 only – Induction Day
Thu 27 Aug: Year 7, 11, 13
Fri 28 Aug: Year 7, 11, 13
Mon 31 Aug: Bank Holiday
Tue 1 Sept: Year 7, 8, 9, 10 ,11, 13
Wed 2 Sept: Year 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, Year 12 Induction (PM)
Thu 3 Sept: All Years

School will start at 8.45am

To summarise (Actions)
– Read through the documents
– Await an email regarding bus routes if you have requested dedicated school transport
– If you have any concerns about your child(ren) returning to school OR they need to have a additional risk assessment (due to being in the extremely critically vulnerable group) please contact the relevant Key Stage Lead/SENDCo
– KS3 Mr Rick Moore – [email protected]
– KS4 Mrs Rebecca Harbour – [email protected]
– KS5 Mrs Louise Holdback – [email protected]
– SENDCo Lorna Croucher – [email protected]

May I take this opportunity to thank you for all of your support and patience during this difficult time.

Yours Faithfully,

Ben White
Deputy Head of School

‘Class of 2020’ A Level Success!

13th August 2020Miss K Henshaw

Once again our Bosworth Academy Sixth Form students and staff are celebrating many excellent A level and AS level results. After a year and a half of hard work and study, followed by the final months of disruption caused by a pandemic, with huge uncertainty around the grade calculation methodology, our students remained resilient.

Simon Brown, Headteacher

“Our ‘A level Class of 2020’ have had to overcome so many obstacles to achieve the many great results achieved today. Our A Level headline measures, often quoted by the press, are very positive and once again higher than national including at A*, A*/A and A*-B. What really matters though, is our students and their individual achievements. Unfortunately a number of exam boards awarded results today that have left us feeling exasperated at the process they used to allocate A and AS level grades. The concerns our leadership team raised with Ofqual during their consultation process were sadly confirmed today. Basing our students’ outcomes on the grade distribution in subjects over the last three years is wrong as it must be about the individual student, their learning, progress, and their performance. Our staff approached the unprecedented task of determining centre-assessed grades with the utmost professionalism and integrity to ensure all students were assessed fairly on a range of evidence, not trial exam results alone, though many students’ calculated exam grades now differ because of an immoral statistical model. We will be reviewing our results in detail over the next few days and strongly contending with exam boards and Ofqual with an aim to reinstate centre-assessed grades for those students affected.
It is important that we celebrate our student’s incredible tenacity, proactive stance towards learning and their dedication to study throughout their A/AS levels. I am confident they have acquired the skills to navigate ambiguity and change, so important in our current times.Their achievements are a testimony to the commitment and expertise of Bosworth staff who have remained committed to seeing them succeed.”

Louise Holdback, Assistant Head of School – Sixth Form

“Students will have the choice of either using grades awarded by exam boards, their mock exam grades or may choose to sit exams as part of the Autumn series to proceed to University or the workplace. Some may feel that they have been unfairly treated by the system, which does not reflect the grades they deserved and worked so hard for over the last two years. For those students we will ensure that they feel supported by Bosworth Academy and we will liaise with university providers where necessary. When year 13 students this year have already made so many sacrifices it seems unjust that they should be further disadvantaged by an unfair system which does not recognise the challenges they have worked so hard to overcome.”

Some individual successes included:

Ellie, going to Cambridge University to Study Natural Sciences. She is thrilled that she got the results she hoped for, especially after such a strange year. She is now able to progress on to her next step. She got A*s in Biology and Chemistry and A for History.

Hannah and Elizabeth – were both pleased with their results, and are excited about pursuing their chosen subjects at University.

Sam – He was absolutely over the moon with his results and can’t wait to begin at University. He got 3 A*s which has enabled him to get his first choice place at Imperial College, London where he will be studying Mechanical Engineering.

David – He was glad that his anxious wait for the results was over, and he was pleased to get a 2 As and a B so that he can progress on to Loughborough University where he will be studying Sport and Exercise Science.

Mya and James – were glad that their grades reflected the hard work they had put in prior to lockdown. James was happy to be able to get the results needed to study Civil Engineering at Loughborough University.

Results Days 2020 & Autumn Series of Exams Information

6th August 2020Miss K Henshaw

Autumn Series of Exams Information

As previously announced there will be a full series of GCE A, AS and GCSE in all subjects available in autumn 2020.

This may be the route you wish to take if your centre assessed grade(s) has prohibited you from moving on to your next step.

The timetable will run as follows:

  • GCE AS and A-level examinations start on Monday 5 October and finish on Friday 23 October.
  • GCSE examinations start on Monday 2 November and finish on Monday 23 November.

The deadlines for the exams office at Bosworth Academy are:

  • (GCE AS & A-level) – 28th August
  • GCSE (except English Language and Mathematics) – 14th September
  • GCSE (English Language and Mathematics) – 4 October

The exam boards will post the timetables on their websites. We will put these onto our website in due course. The form to submit will be available from Monday 24th August.

If you wish to sit any of these exams contact: [email protected]

Please be aware that the entry deadline for anyone wanting to sit an exam is the 04th September.

We cannot accept any late requests.

If you require an entry form please email [email protected] as soon as possible so that entries can be submitted before the deadline.

Information From Results Days 2020

GCSE RESULTS DAY: Thursday 20th August 2020
Following the U turn around GCSE grades in the news yesterday afternoon, here is some clarification about what will happen this Thursday.

This Thursday (20th August), the GCSE results the students will receive are the Centre Assessed Grades – the grades their teachers believed the students would receive. These are the GCSE grades that should be used in applying for A levels, college courses or apprenticeships. There was a rigorous process involved in terms of the teachers submitting these grades and a range of evidence used that was stipulated by Ofqual.

To clarify the government statement from yesterday, “ official results will be released to students next week” means that where a student’s calculated grade (using the algorithm) was higher than the Centre Assessed Grades, the higher of the two grades would count. It is only expected that around 1% of grades nationally will be higher, therefore it is unlikely that grades will be upgraded. However, if this is the case for any of our students we will contact home as soon as the ‘official results’ are received.

If you have opted for your results to be emailed, a reminder that this will occur in the afternoon after results have been given out in school. All results will be printed and available to be picked up.

Bosworth Academy Sixth Form: Year 12 A Guide To GCSE Results For Bosworth Applicants [pdf]
Bosworth Academy Sixth Form: Year 12 A Guide To GCSE Results For External Applicants [pdf]

GRADING IN 2020: Information For Students

 
AS/A LEVEL RESULTS DAY: Thursday 13th August 2020

If your results are not quite what you’d hoped for, please make an appointment to see a member of the Post 16 Team by emailing Mrs Lesley Cordin, Post 16 Administrator, at [email protected] or in person when you collect your results.

Please note that in order to continue into Year 13, you must have achieved a minimum of two E grades at AS, or end of year internal grades, and be continuing in those subjects.

If you wish to drop a subject going forward into Year 13, please see Mrs Cordin in the Post 16 Office for a blue form at the start of the autumn term. Forms will NOT be available until then.

NB: Arrangements may change in line with Government guidance.

The Academy is now closed…

13th July 2020Miss K Henshaw

The Academy is now closed. Main reception will re-open on Wednesday 12th August from 8.30am to 1.30pm. A level and AS results can be collected on Thursday 13th August. A level results will be available to collect between 8.30am and 10am and AS results can be collected between 10am and 11am. GCSE results can be collected on Thursday 20th August between 8.30am and 10am.

Pre-ordered uniform for students will be delivered directly to home addresses. If you have any queries regarding purchasing uniform for students in years 7 and 8 please contact Liss Sport on 01455 828086. For students in year 9, 10 and 11 please call Price and Buckland on 0115 9640827.

The new term begins for year 7 students only, Wednesday 26th August at 8.45am. The new term begins for Year 11 and 13 on Thursday 27th August. All other years (except year 12) begin on 1st September.

Students starting in year 12 will be taking part in the Meet the Tutor/Freshers Fayre on Wednesday 2nd September between 1.10 and 3.10pm. Year 12 students will start their new term on Thursday 3 September at 8.45am.

For year 11 students returning iPads, these can be returned to our main reception from Wednesday 12th August from 8.30am to 1.30pm.

You are unable to leave a message on this answer phone at this time, however, if you have any further queries please email [email protected]. Queries regarding transport should be directed to [email protected] – Please note that these emails account is only checked periodically over the summer.

Thank you