YEAR 8 INFORMATION PACK

2019 – 2020

1

Welcome to Astrea Academy Sheffield

‘A relentless commitment to excellence, every day’.

To help prepare for the transfer into year 8, we have put together

the information in this booklet. We hope you will find it useful.

If you have any queries or concerns, please do contact the

academy where staff will be available to help.

Phone Number: 0114 553 9110

Email: info@astreasheffield.org

Address: Astrea Academy Sheffield

Andover Street

Sheffield, S3 9BE

All visitors to the academy (Pre-Prep & Senior) should report to the Senior Building Main Reception.

@AstreaAcadSheff

Astrea Academy Sheffield

@AstreaAcademySheffield

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Contents Letter from the Executive Principal ................................................................................................................... 3

Our Motto .......................................................................................................................................................... 5

Our Pledge, Our Promise, Our Affirmation ........................................................................................................ 5

Our Vision ........................................................................................................................................................... 5

Our Core Values ................................................................................................................................................. 5

Academy Staff .................................................................................................................................................... 6

Safeguarding Team ............................................................................................................................................ 9

The First Day .................................................................................................................................................... 10

Tutor Groups .................................................................................................................................................... 10

Tutor Time ........................................................................................................................................................ 10

Getting to School ............................................................................................................................................. 10

The Academy Day ............................................................................................................................................ 11

Electives ........................................................................................................................................................... 11

Term Dates ....................................................................................................................................................... 12

Uniform ............................................................................................................................................................ 13

Attendance ....................................................................................................................................................... 14

Illness ............................................................................................................................................................... 14

Leave of Absence ............................................................................................................................................. 14

Curriculum ........................................................................................................................................................ 15

Reading ............................................................................................................................................................ 15

Homework ........................................................................................................................................................ 15

Assessment ...................................................................................................................................................... 15

Rewards & Behaviour ...................................................................................................................................... 16

Equipment & Planner ....................................................................................................................................... 17

Food ................................................................................................................................................................. 17

Astrea Parent App ............................................................................................................................................ 18

Medical Requirements ..................................................................................................................................... 18

Mobile Phones ................................................................................................................................................. 18

Personal Property ............................................................................................................................................ 18

Academy Website ............................................................................................................................................ 19

3

Letter from the

Executive Principal

As we move towards the close of our first

ever school year, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to you for your continued support.

We have made fantastic progress and achievement in opening Astrea Academy Sheffield and it has been

wonderful to receive so many positive comments from parents, carers and the local and wider community.

One measure of the confidence the community has in our school, was the overwhelming applications we

received for the 150 places in year 7 and 60 places in reception for 2019/20, especially as 132 were first

choices. This has proven to me that we are really are a school of choice for families.

We are hugely proud of the children who are a real credit to our school, & to you as parents and carers.

As this year comes to a close I cannot thank you all enough for coming on this amazing journey with us.

Likewise, our staff have tirelessly given their dedication with resilience, good humour and commitment to

doing their best. Outstanding teaching is evident in your children’s lessons and is testament to their hard

work and the skill and dedication of all the staff. We have also been incredibly proud of your child’s effort

and respect for a number of external educationalists that have delivered numerous elective sessions

including the Police Cadets, Active Fusion sports sessions, cheerleading and Grimm and Co Creative Writing.

So many exciting and amazing experiences have been provided for your child this year and I can honestly

say they have embraced each and every one of them. From our girls debating team reaching the National

finals in the summer term; the outstanding response to our fundraising efforts for the local food bank in

Burngreave in the autumn term and an amazing trip for our Early Years children to Canon Hall Farm in the

Spring to see the baby lambs being born! Your efforts in supporting us and your child in making a school

where ‘ambition has no limits’ has certainly been realised this year.

We are in the enviable position that we have no staff leaving us at the end of this academic year however,

with new nursery, reception and year 7 children starting in the new year we have been in the luxurious

position to recruit the most outstanding and passionate staff from September 2019, making us not only the

school of choice for our families, but also for employees.

We have extended our leadership staff here at Astrea Academy Sheffield and Mr Boyd joins us as an Assistant

Principal, Mr Harrop as Head of Humanities, Miss Power as Head of Performing Arts and Mr Birch as Head of

Art, Design and Technology. In addition, our existing Head of Languages Miss Muscroft will embark on a new

role as Special Educational Needs Coordinator and will continue to lead languages from September.

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Other staff joining us from September are below:

Miss Sergeant Teacher of English

Miss Howard Teacher of English

Mr O’Shea Teacher of Maths

Mr Earl Teacher of Maths

Miss Jarvis Teacher of Science

Mr Perez Burgeno Teacher of Spanish

Ms Yang Teacher of Mandarin

Mr Harrop Head of Humanities

Miss Dyer Teacher of Geography

Mr Wright Teacher of PE and STaRS

Miss Wright Year 1 Teacher

Miss Thorndyke Year 1 Teacher

Miss Boot Reception Teacher

I am also delighted to share with you that Mr Nicholson got married in the June Spring Bank holiday so I am

sure you will join me in congratulating him – we hope he has an amazing honeymoon in Florida this summer.

I will also be getting married this August therefore from September you will know me as Mrs Wilson.

Finally, I would like to say a huge thank you to you all. It has been a challenging but incredibly rewarding

year and your children have been a delight to work with. We feel we know them so well and we can only

continue to work tirelessly to ensure they reach their potential and gain the success they will go onto

achieve. We can only imagine how emotional we will be when they leave us at 18!

All that is left to say is that I hope you and your families have a wonderful summer break and we look

forward to greeting your child back with us on September 5th 2019 at 11am.

Yours Sincerely,

Miss Kim Walton

5

Our Motto ‘Sapienta Ducet Ad Astra’ – Wisdom Leads to the Stars

Our Pledge, Our Promise, Our Affirmation I am strong

I am successful

I am Astrea

Our Vision ‘A relentless commitment to excellence, every day’

Our Core Values

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Academy Staff Senior Leadership Team

Kim Wilson ~ Executive Principal Emma Glover ~ Vice Principal Ken Weed ~ Head of Pre Prep

Leanne Muscroft ~ SENDCO

English Department

Charlie Brennan ~ Head of English

Mathematics Department

Wasiq Rasaq ~ Head of Mathematics

Science Department

Adam Nicholson ~ Head of Science

Dave Boyd ~ Assistant Principal

Ashleigh Howard ~ Teacher of English

Francesca Sergeant ~ Teacher of English

Patrick O’Shea ~ Teacher of Mathematics

Andrew Earl ~ Teacher of Mathematics

Sophie Jarvis ~ Teacher of Science

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Languages Department

Leanne Muscroft ~ Head of Languages

PE & STaRS Department

Sarah Naylor ~ Head of PE and STaRS

Humanities Department

Thomas Harrop ~ Head of Humanities

Lucy Dyer ~ Teacher of Geography (NQT)

Art, Design & Technology Department

Kier Birch ~ Head of Art, Design and Technology

Performing Arts Department

Charlotte Power ~ Head of Performing Arts

Pre-Prep

Ken Weed ~ Head of Pre-Prep Lucy Hartley ~ Teacher of Reception

Shanna Smith ~ Teacher of Nursery Lisa Boyer ~ Teacher of Reception

Luis Perez Burgeno ~ Teacher of Spanish

Matthew Wright ~ Teacher of PE and STaRS

Louise Wright

Teacher of Year 1

Lauren Thorndyke

Teacher of Year 1

Joanna Boot

Teacher of Reception

8

Associate Staff

Charlotte Reed Cheryl Tough Heather Crawshaw Academy Support Manager Office Manager Education Data Intelligence

Luke Cropper Leona Dodds Russell Jones Campus Manager Cleaner in Charge Science & ADT Technician

Martin Butler ~ Digital Support

Carla Sheldon ~ KS3 Pastoral Lead

Najma Khurshid ~ Cleaner

Ambreen Hussain ~ Cleaner

Saira Hussain ~ Cleaner

** Most staff members without a photo are due to start in September 2019 **

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Safeguarding Team The academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. It is expected and

demanded that all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

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The First Day Thursday 5th September 2019: Pupils should arrive at the school at 11.00am, in full uniform and with

a packed pencil case – they will not need their PE Kit during the first 2 days. Pupils should go to the main

pupil entrance at the top on Andover Street, and will be guided to their tutor rooms. Pupils will spend the

whole of the first day with their form tutors. Any worries or concerns will be addressed during this key time.

At the end of the first day, form tutors will be on the main gate, dismissing pupils.

Tutor Groups Year 7 Year 8

7AHO Miss Howard

8FSE Miss Sergeant

7POS Mr O’Shea

8AER Mr Earl

7THA Mr Harrop

8LPE Mr Pérez-Burgueńo

7LDY Miss Dyer

8ANI Mr Nicholson

7KBI Mr Birch

8SJA Miss Jarvis

7CPO Miss Power

8MWR Mr Wright

Tutor Time The first point of contact for pupils and parents is always the form tutor. They have the oversight of the tutor

group and are the key worker for all allocated pupils.

All pupils begin their day with an extended session with their form tutor – this is where they will check that

all pupils are ready for the day ahead, for example, by checking uniform and equipment, reviewing rewards

and behaviour, sharing messages and a review of the focus at that time.

Pupils will also meet their form tutor at the start of the afternoon session. This is a mid-point check in, to

continue to provide the high level of pastoral support that the academy truly believes in. Pupils may also

spend some of this time completing reading exercises and private study.

Parents will have the opportunity to meet with form tutors during the transition days on the 10th and 11th

July.

Getting to School Where possible, we would encourage all pupils to walk to school. Andover Street is predominantly marked

with double yellow lines, and it is important to keep this area clear (both before school and after school) to

allow pupils to enter the site safely. Parents should not park on any of the school safety markings (zig zags)

at any time. The academy works closely with Sheffield City Council and parents who choose to ignore the

parking restrictions are likely to receive a fine.

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The Academy Day

Monday / Tuesday / Thursday

Wednesday Friday

8.15am = Breakfast (enter through

Main Reception) =

8.30am = Gate Open for Pupils

(Andover Street) =

8.40am = Tutor Time / Assembly =

9.05am = Lesson 1 =

9.55am = Lesson 2 =

10.45am = Break =

11.00am = Lesson 3 =

11.50am = Lesson 4 =

12.40pm = Lunch =

1.40pm = Tutor Time =

2.00pm Lesson 5

Electives

End of School Day

2.50pm Lesson 6

3.40pm End of School Day End of School Day

Electives As part of the academies broad and balanced curriculum, pupils have the opportunity to take part in activities

that are a little bit different on a Wednesday afternoon. Activities may include creative writing, sports

activities, gymnastics, art, photography,

skate boarding and rock climbing…. to name

a few!

During the first 2 weeks of the term, pupils

will be invited to decide on their top three

choices. Effort will always be made to

ensure everyone gets one of these choices,

but it does always depend on numbers.

Elective classes will be mixed to include Year

7 and Year 8.

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Term Dates

INSET Day School Holiday Community or Open Events

September 2019 Week M T W T F

1 2 3 4 5 6

2 9 10 11 12 13

3 16 17 18 19 20

4 23 24 25 26 27

5 30

March 2020 Week M T W T F

23 2 3 4 5 6

24 9 10 11 12 13

25 16 17 18 19 20

26 23 24 25 26 27

30 31

October 2019 Week M T W T F

5 1 2 3 4

6 7 8 9 10 11

7 14 15 16 17 18

8 21 22 23 24 25

28 29 30 31

April 2020 Week M T W T F

1 2 3

6 7 8 9 10

27 13 14 15 16 17

28 20 21 22 23 24

29 27 28 29 30

November 2019 Week M T W T F

1

9 4 5 6 7 8

10 11 12 13 14 15

11 18 19 20 21 22

12 25 26 27 28 29

May 2020 Week M T W T F

29 1

30 4 5 6 7 8

31 11 12 13 14 15

32 18 19 20 21 22

25 26 27 28 29

December 2019 Week M T W T F

13 2 3 4 5 6

14 9 10 11 12 13

15 16 17 18 19 20

23 24 25 26 27

30 31

June 2020 Week M T W T F

33 1 2 3 4 5

34 8 9 10 11 12

35 15 16 17 18 19

36 22 23 24 25 26

37 29 30

January 2020 Week M T W T F

1 2 3

16 6 7 8 9 10

17 13 14 15 16 17

18 20 21 22 23 24

19 27 28 29 30 31

July 2020 Week M T W T F

37 1 2 3

38 6 7 8 9 10

39 13 14 15 16 17

20 21 22 23 24

27 28 29 30 31

February 2020 Week M T W T F

20 3 4 5 6 7

21 10 11 12 13 14

17 18 19 20 21

22 24 25 26 27 28

Year 7 Parents Evenings

3rd October 2019

30th April 2020 Year 8 Parents Evenings

24th October 2019

14th May 2020

27th Last Day

14th Back to School

30th Y7 Parents Evening

(4.30 – 7.30pm)

8th Early May Bank Holiday –

Academy Closed

14th Y8 Parents Evening

(4.30 – 7.30pm)

22nd Last Day

1st Back to School

24th Y6-7 Transition Day & Info Evening (5.30 – 7.30pm)

25th Y6-7 Transition Day

17th Last Day

20th INSET Day – Closed

21st INSET Day – Closed

2nd INSET Day – Closed

3rd INSET Day – Closed

4th INSET Day – Closed

5th First Day of School

19th Prospective Parents Info

Evening (Y5/6 Pupils) (4.30 – 7.30pm)

3rd Y7 Parents Evening

(4.30 – 7.30pm)

24th Y8 Parents Evening

(4.30 – 7.30pm)

25th Last Day

4th Back to School

20th Last Day

6th Back to School

6th Community Open Evening

(4.30 – 6.30pm)

14th Last Day

24th Back to School

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Uniform Uniform can be ordered from Logo Leisurewear.

https://www.logoleisurewear.com/astrea-acad/astrea-senior

Academy Uniform

Boys Girls

ACADEMY dark blue blazer

White long or short sleeved shirt (not polo shirt)

ACADEMY tie

Black school shoes (not boots or trainers)

Dark grey trousers or dark grey shorts Dark grey trousers or dark grey knee or ankle

length skirt

Dark grey or black socks Dark grey or black socks or tights

Optional items: ACADEMY burgundy V Neck tank top or ACADEMY burgundy V Neck jumper

All religious headwear should be black, navy blue, dark grey or burgundy and contain no embellishments.

Sports

Kit

(for all)

ACADEMY dark grey sports sweatshirt White polo shirt

Dark blue jogging bottoms Short plain white socks

White soled trainers Dark blue or black P.E. shorts

Black cotton leggings for girls

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Attendance All pupils are expected to attend school every day. Whilst occasional sickness is unavoidable, it is of key

importance that the attendance of every pupil is kept above 98%.

Attendance is a key focus for the academy and each and every pupil’s attendance will be monitored every

week by their form tutor. Where attendance issues are identified, parents will be invited in for meetings

with form tutors or a member of the senior leadership team.

Illness If a pupil is going to be absent, it is vital

that a parent contacts the school at the

earliest opportunity to provide a

sufficient reason for absence. This

should be by telephone in the first

instance supported by a written note

on the pupil’s return.

Absence can only be authorised where

there is good cause. If no sufficient

reason for absence is provided,

attendance will be recorded as

unauthorised. All absences should be

evidenced by the parent either

telephoning the doctors or by a medical

note.

Parents cannot authorise absence. This

is a decision which rests with Astrea

Academy Sheffield in accordance within

the boundaries set by The Education

(Pupil Registration) Regulations 1996.

TO REPORT ILLNESS: 0114 553 9110

Leave of Absence Holidays will not be authorised during term time and will likely result in a fixed penalty notice.

The decision to record a holiday as unauthorised rests with Astrea Academy Sheffield.

For extreme circumstances only, to apply for a pupil leave of absence, parents should complete the form in

Appendix C of the Attendance Policy (a form can be collected from the main office) and return to the school

office for consideration by the Executive Principal.

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Curriculum At Astrea Academy Sheffield, all pupils have an entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. They will

follow a knowledge rich curriculum which aims to develop their learning by providing pupils with the key

knowledge, skills and attitudes to be successful.

All pupils in Year 8 will study the following discipline areas:

English 5 Lessons per week

Mathematics 5 Lessons per week

Science 4 Lessons per week

History 2 Lessons per week

Geography 2 Lessons per week

Spanish 2 Lessons per week

Physical Education 2 Lessons per week

Art, Design & Technology 1 Lesson per week

Performing Arts 1 Lesson per week

STaRS 1 Lesson per week

Computing 1 Lesson per week

Electives 2 Lessons per week

Reading At Astrea Academy Sheffield, we know that reading is fundamental to academic success. Therefore, reading

is central to the curriculum. All pupils are expected to read for at least 20 minutes daily and are given time

during the school day to meet this expectation.

The academy has a fantastically well-stocked library which is open every lunchtime and staffed by both

teachers and pupil librarians. We use Accelerated Reader to track every pupils’ reading successes and will

share information about your child’s reading with you throughout the year.

Homework Pupils will be set homework for each subject once per week. A homework schedule will be published in

planners in early in September.

Assessment During the first parents evening in October, parents will be invited to a session where assessment will be

explained in depth. We will share the methods of assessment that the academy will use to measure the

progress that pupils make.

As a brief overview, pupils will sit a number of baseline assessments on entry to the academy. This will enable

teachers to set targets for pupils and to understand their abilities and identify any specific needs.

Throughout the year, pupils will sit a written assessment in each subject each term. For each of these

assessments, pupils will be given a percentage score. This score will be reported to parents through a formal

report which parents will receive three times throughout the academic year.

Pupils will be assessed in their reading ability continually throughout the year.

16

Rewards & Behaviour The academy uses a system called Class Charts to award and monitor both positive achievements and

negative behaviour points.

In September, all pupils and parents will be given a login for Class Charts, which will enable them to see live

information about the conduct of their child during the school day.

Rewards

Positive Astras will be awarded by subject teachers and form tutors for demonstrations of positive

behaviour.

1 or 2 or 3 Astras Awarded by subject teachers for positive performance.

5 Astras 100% attendance for the week

5 Astras Form Tutor Star of the week

5 Astras Electives Star

5 Astras Subject Star of the Week

Negative Behaviour Points

Negative Behaviour points will be allocated by teachers during lessons and tutor time for unwelcome

behaviour that is not in line with academy expectations. Sanctions will be awarded for points during one

day, reaching a certain level.

The points are assigned as below:

(Please note, these may slightly change due to a review in September 2019)

Points Reason

1 No reading book

1 Planner is not on the desk at the start of the lesson

1 Missing Equipment (pen, pencil etc.)

1 Chewing Gum / Eating in the classroom

2 Poor Manners

2 Talking when asked to be silent

2 Wasting learning time

2 Ignoring academy bells or not going straight to lesson during change over

2 Shouting (in class or during changeover/lunch)

2 Running in corridors / dining room

3 Ignoring instructions from a member of staff

3 Answering back to a member of staff

3 Late to lesson

3 Arrived after 8.40am

3 Disrupting other learners

3 Inadequate work completed

3 Incomplete home learning task

5 Mobile Phone seen

5 Rudeness to a member of staff / Swearing

5 Leaving a lesson without the teachers permission

5 Unkind behaviour towards another pupil

10 Intentional damage to property

10 Homophobic Comments

10 Racist Comments

10 Severe disruptive behaviour leading to removal from the lesson

For more serious events, higher value behaviour points will be issued by Senior Leaders.

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Equipment & Planner Pupils will be allocated a Pupil Planner in September. This is a key piece of equipment for pupils and they

are expected to have it with them at all times. The Pupil Planner is also a key home school communication

tool, and the academy expects all parents to check the planner daily and monitor homework tasks, along

with any key dates.

In order to effectively learn, pupils need to be prepared for lessons.

As a minimum, pupils should have the following items with them each and every lesson.

Pupil Planner Pencil Case 2 Black Pens 1 Red Pen 2 Highlighter Pens 2 Sharpened Pencils 15cm/30cm Ruler Casio FX83 or FX85 Scientific Calculator Eraser 180° Protractor Coloured pencils School Bag (big enough to carry all equipment and book). Reusable water bottle PE Kit (if required) Current Reading Book

NOTE: White eraser fluid is banned from the academy

Food Aspens are the chosen catering service to provide breakfast, snacks and lunchtime meals to all our pupils.

Breakfast starts from 8.15am each morning, hot snacks and drinks are available at break time and a full hot

and cold lunchtime service is in operation. All food served is Halal.

A cashless till system is used so pupils can pay for their food safely and efficiently. In September, pupils will

set up a ‘fingerprint account’. Pupils will add money to their accounts through a machine within the dining

room which will be assigned to their fingerprints. This ensures that only the pupil can access their money.

Pupils who are eligible for free school meals will have £2.00 per day added to their account.

The academy is hoping to launch ParentPay by September, which will allow parents to add funds to their

childs account electronically.

18

Astrea Parent App The Astrea Parent App allows two-way communication between the Academy and parents through your

smartphone free of charge. For example, the academy will be able to send (and receive) messages; share

important Academy news and updates; share key dates which can be added to your personal calendar and

provide live attendance information for your child and details of upcoming events and trips.

The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store now.

Search for ‘Astrea App’ and download to your phone or use this link

https://astreaacademytrust.org/astrea-app/

Please note – until your child in on roll at the school, no information will be live through the App. The App

will automatically go live in September if parents have already downloaded it.

Medical Requirements Any medical information that the academy needs to be aware of should be disclosed on the forms which are

part of the admissions pack.

Any medical information that the academy needs to be aware of that arises throughout the academic year

should be passed through the main office, either in person, by phone or by email (details on the front cover).

Mobile Phones Mobile phone use is not permitted on the academy site at any time. Mobile phones should not be seen.

Whilst it is understood that parents may wish their child to have a phone with them, in this case they should

be turned off and remain in the pupil’s bag at all times. Should a mobile phone be seen it will be confiscated

and returned at a later date.

Astrea Academy Sheffield will not take responsibility for the loss or damage, however caused, to mobile

phones.

Personal Property Parents and pupils should be mindful of the appropriateness of the items that are brought into the academy.

Astrea Academy Sheffield will not take responsibility for the loss or damage, however caused, to items of

personal property.

19

Academy Website astreasheffield.org

The website is constantly being updated to contain the most up to date information. As a new academy,

this is constantly being developed and will be in full operation within the academic year.

Notes