Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope you had a fantastic end to the summer break, and a warm welcome to our new Year 7's and their families.
We are delighted with how our students have transitioned back this week, there has been an excellent atmosphere around school. It is a privilege to do our jobs!
My assembly to all year groups focussed on students realising their own individual potential this year, identifying any barriers and setting the bar high. Above all, I reminded them that at Ringmer, we are polite and respectful to each other as this is a core quality I expect in our students. A special mention to our Year 7's - they have embraced the ethos quickly and we have been very impressed with their willingness to engage in conversation in a polite and respectful way. We have taken time to go through our school routines with our children, and explained clearly our school conduct code of 'Ready, Respectful, Safe'.
I reminded students of our school vision: 'to develop well rounded, confident individuals who are world ready'. We discussed the importance of getting good grades as the 'tickets' into the best jobs, but for their character development it was essential that they could show skills and attributes outside the classroom.
To this end, I was delighted to launch our new Super Curriculum at Key Stage 3 this week. It has taken a monumental effort by staff to get this off the ground, and I thank them for providing this opportunity for our children. To be able to provide 26 activities, within our school curriculum time, I believe is unrivalled and in the next few years will be developed to strengthen our offer. Of course, this will take time to embed, but in a time of limited financial resources within schools, to see the students taking part in taekwondo, catering, bushcraft, non-contact boxing, chess, coding, the school drama production, STEM, our new running club (and much more!) was great to see.
Our Key Stage 4 students have returned with a real focus. Having been in 20 to 30 lessons this week, I have observed our Year 10 and 11 hitting the ground running and working hard already towards their GCSE's. I have explained to them in assemblies that I have high expectations with them in being role models to our younger year groups, and that this term it is imperative they start well for their GCSE courses.
Next week is again a busy week, which includes our Open Evening on Thursday. A reminder that we look forward to welcoming you all to the school on the following evenings to give you a clear idea as to what your sons and daughters will be studying this year, and how you can support them from home.
- Monday 16 September - Year 11 - Route to Success Launch Evening - 5.30pm to 6.30pm
- Monday 23 September - Year 7 - Year Group Launch Evening - 5.30pm to 6.30pm
- Monday 30 September - Year 8 - Year Group Launch Evening - 5.30pm to 6.30pm
- Monday 7 October - Year 9 - Year Group Launch Evening - 5.30pm to 6.30pm
- Monday 14 October - Year 10 - Route to Success Launch Evening - 5.30pm to 6.30pm
I hope you have a great weekend
Best wishes,
Mr Harvey
Contacting School Procedure
Please see the attached flowchart which explains the first point of contact for various questions. A reminder that in most cases your child' tutor will be the first point of contact, and this can be done via edulink.
Year 7 Secondary Phase 2025/2026 Open Events
Tickets are now available for our 2024 open events. These events are for families of current Year 6 students in our local area who are considering applying for a place in year 7 at KAR. Please share with your networks, and reserve your spot here:
Reporting a student absence
When reporting an absence, Option 2 is for the Absence Line.
A recorded message states: "The 'Absence Line' is not available". "Please leave a message after the beep....." Please note: not available simply means that the line is not manned. Please therefore still leave your message. We are unable to change this message as it is an automatic message generated by the phone system.
Parents should call in on every day of absence.
For guidance see point 2 of Section 3 of the Attendance and Student Registration Policy:
3. Parents’/carers’ Responsibilities
1. Parents/carers have a legal duty to ensure that their children of school age must attend on a regular and full-time basis.
2. Parents/carers should ensure that if their child is to be absent from the academy for any unavoidable reason, such as sickness, they should contact the academy as soon as possible, preferably on the first morning of absence by 07:30am. This may be done by email, telephone or in person at the academy reception.
3. Parents/carers may not authorise their child's absence – only the academy can do this on the basis of the explanation provided by the parents/carers. (Should parents/carers fail to provide a satisfactory reason for their child's absence the academy will record such absence as unauthorised until a reason is provided).
4. Parents/carers should ensure that their child arrives at the academy in time for the start of registration (8.45am). If a student arrives after 8.45am his/her parent/carer should report directly to the reception. Any child arriving after the start of the first lesson will be recorded as a code of U, which means 'late after registration is closed' for that session, and which will impact on the student’s attendance rate.
New Attendance Officer
Esther Molog started at the beginning of this term as our new Attendance Officer. Her contact email is esther.molog@kingsacademies.uk
Safeguarding
Points of Contact for Safeguarding
|
Role |
Name |
Contact details |
|
Designated Safeguarding Lead |
Mr Mark Madriaga |
|
|
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead |
Mr Chris Harvey |
|
|
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead |
Miss Jo Beattie |
|
|
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead |
Mrs Dhena Malik |
|
|
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead |
Miss Samantha Kain |
|
|
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead |
Miss Gayle Tompsett |
|
|
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead |
Ms Esther Molog |
|
|
Nominated governor for safeguarding and child protection |
Miss Denise Kong | |
|
Chair of Governors |
Ms Anne Needham |
|
|
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) |
LADO – Sam Efde Assistant LADO – Susan Giles |
Consultation via the online portal here |
|
Single Point of Advice |
01323 464222 |
|
|
Referrals into Early Help and Social Care |
Emergency Duty Service – after hours, weekends and public holidays |
01273 335906, 01273 335905 if all else fails dial 101 (police) or if you feel that anyone is in immediate danger 999 |
Create Music Showcase
This morning, Years 7 and 8 were treated to a showcase by Create Music, who provide group and individual music lessons. The team demonstrated a wide range of instruments which students can learn here at the school and played songs from Amy Winehouse to the Pirates of the Carribean theme to show the vast range of opportunities available for learning a musical instrument. Students will receive an email soon with information on how to register for music lessons, so please keep an eye out if interested. You can learn more about Create Music here https://createmusic.org.uk/.
Change News
Change news is the ‘Eco’ themed section of the newsletter. We have called it ‘Change’ as we believe that everybody has the capacity to make changes in their lives for a better future.
We are delighted to announce that at the end of July we achieved our 22nd Green Flag Eco Schools Award (With Merit).
Last year the Change Ambassadors, a committee of students, worked hard to evaluate the school, identify areas for improvement, activate change. This included auditing the rubbish and litter, and we now have some new recycling bins in the communal spaces.
We set up a growing club in the Greenhouse and have had some great successes with our vegetables. The students will be harvesting some of these next week. The caterpillars and snails and slugs have also had their fill!! - we lost all our cabbages and many of our plants to these ravenous beasts! However optimistically, we have decided that as the butterfly population was very low this year we may have helped the next butterfly generation, so maybe by the caterpillars munching our cabbages we have helped biodiversity too!
We will be welcoming new students to get involved with our Change Ethos and activities.
Mrs Simon-House, ECO Co-ordinator
Naturelinks Youth Action Project Open Day
Saturday 28 September 2024 at The Railway Land in Lewes
An opportunity to come and experience and find out about what the NatureLinks project has to offer young people age 14-25 year olds. Drop in anytime between 11am at 3pm.
There will be a range of activities running throughout the day including: Practical Woodland skills, Nature Photography, Environmental Art and Guided Nature Walks – to give a taster of the different projects you can get involved in this year. Family and friends are welcome along too and drinks and snacks will be provided.
NatureLinks is fully funded by The National Lottery and offers FREE opportunities for young people to develop their skills, knowledge and experience in nature-based activities, including courses, workshop sessions and work experience schedules.
Eco Home Open Houses - Lewes District - 14/15 September and 21/22 September
This September, local residents in the Lewes District are throwing open their doors so you can visit and see what changes they have made to their homes to make them more energy efficient. Come and visit the homes, chat to the local homeowners directly and be inspired to make changes yourselves, whatever your budget - from cost-effective ways to improve your insulation and windows to installing solar panel and heat pumps, there is something for everyone! The homes will range from brand new houses to Victorian and older where homeowners have been able to decarbonise and electrify.
Homes in Barcombe and Lewes will open on the weekend of the 14th and 15th September. Rodmell, Newhaven and Seaford will have homes for you to visit the following weekend 21st and 22nd September. In addition, free impartial advice and support from our Energy Champions will be available on 14th and 15th in the garden of Lewes House and in Barcombe, also in Rodmell on 21st and 22nd. More details on Eco Open House can be found here Eco Home Open Houses | Ovesco
Ruth Rudwick – Events Coordinator, Mobile: 07825 245045,
Important Information from ESCC Home to School Transport and Compliance Team
You may be aware, there is a programme of improvement work underway at Uckfield Bus Station. This has necessitated the closure of the facility and this will remain closed for several weeks to come. Alternative stop arrangements have been made for services normally using the Bus Station.
For the last three weeks, journeys on the 29 group of routes have been using alternative temporary stops a short distance away in Bell Lane as an alternative to the Bus Station. Stops have been marked out alongside the businesses Windmill Feeds, Drakes Plumbing Supplies and Uckfield Motor Services. Bus stop flags and timetables have been placed here and it is felt that arrangements have been working well since buses were withdrawn from the Bus Station.
Young people attending King’s Academy Ringmer who would normally board at the Bus Station stop may therefore board the morning service 29B journey at the temporary stops in Bell Lane, or, alternatively, they may wish to board at the nearby ‘Railway Station’ stop outside Wilmoths Citroën. When travelling back to Uckfield, young people will again find that journeys serve the temporary stops in Bell Lane instead of the Bus Station and may choose to alight here or at alternative nearby stops such as the one in New Town outside ‘Applegreen’.
As indicated above, all journeys on this group of routes are currently serving the temporary Bell Lane stops and young people who travel from Heathfield, Blackboys and Framfield areas on the 29A in the morning and transfer to the 29B are advised to make the transfer at the temporary stop. This also applies in the afternoon where young people transfer from the 29B to 29A.
Get Social
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Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/kingsringmer/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/ringmeracademy/
X (Twitter) : https://twitter.com/Ringmer_Academy