On Tuesday 1^st July 2025, 16 of our Year 7 students participated in Jesmond Park Academy's very first Biology Spelling Bee.

All Year 7 students competed in round 1 during form time. The finalists were selected based on their high performance and were tasked with learning the spellings from an extensive list of Biology words.

In the final, the competition was incredibly close (with 3 students drawing in third place!). The top spellers performed amazingly, and both Mrs Sutton and Miss Morris were impressed by the hard work and dedication shown. 

A huge congratulations to all our Year 10 students who successfully completed their Duke of Edinburgh Expedition this week!

They kicked things off with a real test of character—think sideways rain, howling wind, and mud in places mud shouldn't be. But with impressive determination (and probably soggy socks), they powered through the elements and made it to camp with time to spare.

Their reward? Glorious blue skies and a bit of sunshine just in time to pitch tents and cook up a hot evening meal—DofE timing at its finest! 🌞🍝⛺

Day two saw more stellar effort, as all students made it to Wark, completing their 25km adventure ahead of schedule. Blisters aside, it was a brilliant effort all round!

We’re incredibly proud of their teamwork, resilience, and positive attitudes. Well done, everyone! 👏👏

Dear Parent/Carer,

We are writing to all parents with regards to changes that we are making to our mobile phone policy.  As you will be aware, there has been a nationwide debate with regards to the potential damage that phones can cause our children.

Mobile phones now include many additional functions such as an integrated camera, video recording capability, instant messaging, mobile office applications and mobile access to the internet. These allow immediate access to email, searching for information on the internet and other functions such as access to social networking sites e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and WhatsApp. These functions can pose a risk to the maintenance of good discipline, the focus on learning and, crucially, the effective safeguarding of students in schools. This includes the risk of sophisticated bullying via social media platforms. In some cases, mobile phone use within secondary school environments has created serious child protection concerns. Bullying, intimidation and harassment are not new in society; however, bullying using a mobile phone represents a significant challenge for schools to manage.

The DfE has issued guidance for schools prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day. From 1^st September 2025, mobile phones and electronic devices are banned from use on the school site. At Jesmond Park Academy the ‘boundary line’ is as soon as children pass through their entrance door (Y7, 8, 9) or school gate (Y10, 11).

Years 7 -11

Any phone that is brought on site must be switched off and in a school bag when students are on the school grounds. Phones must not be visible at any point. Students should not need to use a mobile phone whilst on school premises. In exceptional circumstances if a student should need to make a phone call within the school grounds, they can either:

• ask a member of staff if they can use the school phone network

• report to their year office and ask if they can switch their mobile phone on to make the call.

DFE Guidance is clear that schools should have a ‘never used, seen or heard’ approach to mobile phones and that the consequence for breaking this expectation is at the discretion of the school but that it should be “sufficient to act as an effective deterrent”.

At Jesmond Park Academy, any student seen with a phone not in their bag but not using it, for example in a pocket will be given a P (phone) planner comment and instructed to turn it off and put it in their bag. This is in the initial implementation period only up until half term.

Any phone seen on site will be confiscated. These are then placed in the school safe in student reception. If parents wish to reclaim confiscated phones before the end of the week, they may do so between 2:40pm and 3:45pm, Monday to Thursday, or 2:40pm and 3:15pm on Fridays. Phones can be collected from student reception. Only parents listed on SIMS as contacts will be able to reclaim phones and ID must be presented. Students may reclaim their own phones from student reception at 2:40pm on the Friday of each week, without the need for parents to come in. If a phone is confiscated on a Friday, it will be kept until the following Monday at 2:40pm.

(Please note sanctions for the use of mobile phones on the school site, might be subject to change).

Sixth Form

Sixth Form pupils are allowed access to their mobile phones during the school day, to reflect their increased independence and responsibility, but must not compromise our policy on the use of mobile phones for other pupils. Therefore, they are only permitted to use their mobile phones out of sight of younger pupils in the sixth form common room area. Misuse of mobile phones by pupils in the sixth form will lead to sanctions according to our behaviour policy.

If a pupil is in breach of this policy, the following steps will be taken:

If a sixth form student is seen using their phone outside of the sixth form area these will be confiscated. Confiscated phones will be placed in the school safe in student reception. If parents (or students over 18) wish to reclaim confiscated phones before the end of the week, they may do so between 2:40pm and 3:45pm, Monday to Thursday, or 2:40pm and 3:15pm on Fridays. Phones can be collected from student reception. Only parents listed on SIMS as contacts or students over 18 years will be able to reclaim phones and ID must be presented. All students may reclaim their own phones from student reception at 2:40pm on the Friday of each week, without the need for parents to come in.  If a phone is confiscated on a Friday, it will be kept until the following Monday at 2:40pm.

We recognise that the presence of a phone can provide reassurance for a parent / carer on the journey to or from school. For this reason, students will receive regular reminders about the importance of compliance with this policy within school and we would ask you to remind your child of this at home. If a child is concerned about getting home on the day the phone is confiscated, they will be able to use school phone lines, via Student Reception or a pastoral office, to contact home.

The change will take place from 1^st September 2025.

Many thanks for your continued support.

Yours faithfully,

DAVE MERRIFIELD

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Parent/Carer,

Due to a major administration error by Flamingo Land (Not JPA's fault) we are no longer able to go to Flamingo Land on Thursday 17 July 2025.

We only found this out last Friday morning - and even then, it was not confirmed by Flamingo Land until Monday after school, that they were definitely not able to accommodate our booking. You will recall we made this booking with them back in January 2025 after we discovered that the Kingswood Activity Centre had gone into administration!

However, thanks to our Finance Officer, Lyndsey Jennings, being absolutely brilliant, we have been able to secure enough buses - even at this late stage - to take us on Tuesday 15 July 2025 instead.

This means that all school-based activities and 'non-booking required’ activities will now take place on Tuesday 15 July 2025.

Due to this beyond our control uncertainty, we have not issued final letters to students regarding this trip. We will now issue letters to students going on this trip on Tuesday or Wednesday next week. Obviously, there will be some paperwork to return. In terms of advance planning for parents/carers for Flamingo Land, it will be a normal start time, and it is anticipated that students will return to school approximately 6:00pm - 6:30pm - exact details will follow in the letter.

Note:

• If your child is due to go to the Chocolate trip to York, this will still take place on Thursday 17 July 2025.

• The Sill & Gibside trips will still take place on the Thursday 17 July 2025 too. (Numbers permitting; at the time of writing, there have been insufficient numbers showing interest for this to possibly go ahead.) We do not anticipate this changing the enjoyment of the day for our students, whether they are on a trip or they are enjoying in school activities.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Nigel Holmes

Deputy Principal

Curriculum

Jesmond Park Academy celebrated Refugee Week with a visit to Newcastle Civic Centre on Wednesday. JPA represented the Schools of Sanctuary, in an event titled Stories of Sanctuary - hearing from people who have come to live and be part of life in Newcastle and the journey they have undertaken to be here.

There was Persian guitar from Aslan Mehraban, live painting by Hesam Moshfegh and textiles with Somayeh Oji. The close of the event saw a Tai-Haku Tree of Sanctuary being planted outside the Civic Centre, whilst JPA’s very own Kaijani read a poem titled A Refugee written by Roua Horanieh.

Mr Lovatt, EAL Practitioner, said, “This is our first Refugee Week as a School of Sanctuary. As a school we are a key part of the community, and from the outset we’ve made it clear at JPA that everyone is welcome here. We love being able to share our values at events like this.”

More information about Refugee Week can be found online at www.refugeeweek.org.uk

Dear Parent/Carers,

We have had an unprecedented number of students applying to go on the school ski trip.  I have delayed sending out confirmation letters while I try to secure extra places on the trip with the ski company.  This information has been shared with students in school via the street screens and has been placed on the school website.

On the original letter it stated that if your child receives a place on the ski trip they will be informed in writing.  It is only after this time that you will be able to see an option on Scopay to pay the deposit.  I intend to give confirmation letters out on Friday during registration and to push the deadline back for deposits until Monday 23rd June. Thank you for your patience.

Kind regards,

Mr Underhay.