Dear Parent/Carer,
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as Head of School at Jesmond Park Academy since Steve Campbell has moved to his new role as Executive Headteacher across two of the MAT schools.
It feels rather odd introducing myself as this is my twentieth year at Jesmond Park Academy so I know the school, staff and students really well. Many of you will already know me. Just to share a little of my background with you, I joined JPA (then Heaton Manor) in 2004 after working in two County Durham schools, initially as Director of Sport, followed by roles in the senior team as Assistant Headteacher and Deputy Principal. My reason for taking this role is not for me but for the school. The school is an integral part of my life, not just as a job, I live in the local community, my friends children attend here, my own children attend here and I have a genuine love of the school. I am absolutely committed to ensuring that the school continues to serve our children and community well.
Year 11 and 13
This half term has seen the start of the summer examinations for our Year 11 and Year 13 students. The vast majority of students are presenting as confident and as relaxed as they can be which is testament to the support that they have received from you. Thank you.
The examination and lesson warm up timetable is being used to support our Year 11 through this period. A reminder that a copy of this was shared via the school website and your child will have their own copy. This is central to ensuring students receive the best possible support over the coming weeks. It is our belief that all students, regardless of their work ethic or ability, benefit from regular contact with teachers who are experts in their subjects and the examination process. As a result, all students will remain in lessons, examinations, and support sessions until 16th June. At that point, they will start study leave and only attend for lessons they have yet to sit an exam in, exam warms ups and the examinations. The movement towards study leave is a phased one and one that works very well.
Where the schedule indicates, “normal lessons” these are the lessons that still have examinations up and coming, where teachers are working to prepare them for the examinations. This is essential in making sure that all students are fully prepared. We believe that for later exams, students should continue to receive tuition and preparation for these exams through contact with their class teachers and that unlike some schools, we will not allow a disconnection between students and teachers to happen.
To give students a balance of independent study time in school, as soon as a subject’s examinations have been completed (greyed out), these lessons in school become independent guided study lessons allowing the students to study any material of their choosing.
There is light at the end of the tunnel for our Year 11 students with their final Leavers’ Assembly on Thursday 19th June and their Leavers’ Prom on Friday 20th June. Full uniform is required for the Leaving Assembly, so please do not discard or donate this until after this event. Further information in relation to both of these events will be disseminated in due course.
There is no study leave for Year 13 students and students are still expected to attend their lessons during their exam season. We constantly remind them that teachers are their most valuable resource and we expect students to do everything they can to prepare for their exams. Thank you to all parents for your support in this.
Year 13 students are looking forward to their Leavers’ Assembly on Thursday 26th June, where they will have a final get together in school with their friends and school staff. It is always a lovely event. Then their final hurrah to Jesmond Park Academy will be their Leavers’ Ball which will be a wonderful celebration of friendship and their time in Sixth Form.
Pre-owned uniform
As per last year, we intend holding a pre-owned uniform event during the final week of term. As we move towards that date, we will be asking for any donations of uniform that you may not need for the following year. It may also be worth holding off the purchase of new uniform until after this event as we might just have exactly what you need, thus helping both the environment and your finances.
Extracurricular
During the Easter holiday, a group of 71 students embarked on an unforgettable school ski trip to Alpe d’Huez, a renowned ski resort nestled in the French Alps. Throughout the trip, students enjoyed a dynamic mix of skiing lessons, and après-ski activities. The resort presents a comprehensive ski area, boasting 249km of slopes, four snow-parks, a half-pipe, boardercross, and 50km of cross-country trails. It caters to all skill levels, from gentle green runs perfect for beginners and super-long blues designed for intermediates, to challenging black runs on the glacier, including the 16km Sarenne, the world's longest black run. Evenings were filled with lively social events that helped strengthen friendships and create lasting memories. The trip was not only a fantastic opportunity for physical activity and adventure but also a valuable experience in teamwork, independence, and cultural exchange.
Planning is underway for next year’s trip so please keep an eye out if your child is currently in Year 9 and would be interested in this opportunity.
Outside of the classroom, our extracurricular programme continues to give great opportunities to our students. In sport this half term, the Year 8 football team have won the County Cup, our U13 and U15 girls have taken part in cricket competitions, our Junior NBA team has got to the regional final. A particularly pleasing project that Mrs Hayles has been overseeing is our, “Active girls” programme where students have set up and run additional sporting opportunities for their peers. So far they have established a just dance club, basketball club and a volleyball club, this is a fantastic example of some student leadership in the school which is always great to see. This will culminate in a Girls Active sport inspiration day hosted at JPA this year.
The JPA debating team has been in fine form recently beating Dame Allan and Newcastle School for Boys to claim a place in the final on the 16th of June. This will be an all Gosforth Group debate as Callerton Academy join us in the final.
Some of our year 12 students have had a fantastic opportunity to have a taste of the world of work, with a visit to the Nissan manufacturing plant and taking part in the Dyson Engineering Box, both of which have given the Y12 A level design students two amazing experiences.
Young Carers
The school’s work supporting young carers has been recognised by being awarded a Carer Friendly Community Award from Newcastle Carers.
This award is presented by Newcastle Carers to recognise businesses and organisations across the city that go the extra mile to support unpaid carers looking after someone in Newcastle due to illness, disability, mental health issues, or addiction.
"Jesmond Park Academy, always go above and beyond for young carers. Helen Donnelly is fantastic; she always ensures the drop-in is a priority, organises the young people for the day, and encourages other staff members to speak to me about potential young carers within the school.”
Safeguarding update - Child on Child Abuse
It is important to recognise that abuse isn’t always perpetrated by adults; children can abuse other children too. This is referred to as child-on-child abuse and can include:
- Bullying (including online/cyberbullying)
- Sexual violence and sexual harassment (including online)
- Physical abuse (such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting etc.)
- ‘Sexting’ (also known as ‘youth produced/involved sexual imagery’ or sharing ‘nude or semi-nude’ imagery)
- Initiations, hazing type violence and social rituals
You can be assured that Jesmond Park Academy will not tolerate any form of child on child abuse. This behaviour will never be normalised and will always be challenged. Issues such as these are addressed through our pastoral programme and within curriculum areas such as Citizenship (KS3) and Personal Development (KS4). The pastoral programme and our curriculum equips students with the knowledge and understanding of what is right and wrong, how to keep themselves safe and how to report incidents. Our staff have been trained to a high standard by providers such as the NSPCC, to identify these types of behaviours and to support students who are the victim of these behaviours.
If you believe your child to be a victim of child on child abuse, please contact the school and ask to speak to Mr Aitken who is the Designated Safeguarding Lead in school or one of the pastoral members of staff.
After a report is made, the safeguarding leads will inform you of the next part of the process so that you can make the decision that is right for you and your child. This may include the school sanctioning students for inappropriate behaviour and working with local safeguarding partners to support students within school. Child on child abuse incidents are very rare in school due to our robust systems and procedures, however, it is important that we signpost parents to where they can find support if they need it.
Art exhibition
Finally, can I please draw your attention to an upcoming event at Jesmond Park Academy. On Thursday 6th June, we are holding our annual Art Exhibition. This showcases the GCSE and A Level art students’ work which is amazing to see.
I hope you and your family enjoy the half term break, here’s hoping that the weather holds
Yours faithfully,
DAVE MERRIFIELD
HEAD OF SCHOOL
