CARE values series, week 3 of 4
This week's Student Broadcast: Resilience
Week three of our CARE values series is about Resilience: keep going, learn from setbacks, try again. Students looked at what resilience actually means (the ability to recover from something difficult and keep going), why it is not about never failing, and a simple four-word routine for when something goes wrong: pause, listen, reset, learn.
The broadcast also covers Benedict's Law and why allergies are everyone's business, and sets every student a challenge for the week: name one knock, run the four words on it, and ask one person for help.
Watch it with your child and ask them what their knock was this week, and what they would do differently.
The first £20 draw and 710 Resilience Tokens
Two weeks in, and the attendance rewards are already going out.
The first Friday draw was made this week. Every student with 100% attendance, or better attendance than the week before, was in it. Congratulations to Jess Clark in Year 10 (form RBR), who takes home the first £20 Amazon voucher. Well done to every student who was in the draw.
Form tutors have also handed out 710 Resilience Tokens for a full week in school, or a full week of an agreed plan. Every token counts towards the CARE Index and the rewards later in the term.
The draw runs every Friday. To be in it, your child needs 100% for the week, or an improvement on the week before. So a difficult week is never wasted: better next week puts you straight back in.
Your views really do matter
Annual Parent and Carer Survey
This is the first survey to go to every parent and carer across Ormiston Academies Trust, and we would like as many Cliff Park families as possible to take part.
It takes about ten minutes on a phone or tablet. Scan the QR code or tap the button below.
What happens to your answers. The results go to trustees, trust leaders and our own leadership team, and shape what we work on next, at Cliff Park and across the trust. We will share what you told us, and what we are doing about it, in a later edition of Cliff Park Connect.
Or scan the QR code with your phone camera
Year 6 WOW Day: a first taste of Cliff Park
On Wednesday we welcomed Year 6 students from Cliff Park Primary Academy for the first of our two WOW Days. They spent the day as Cliff Park students, moving between a range of subjects they will not have met in quite the same way before: sport in the Sports Hall, art, photography, Design Technology and catering, with our own students showing them the way.
WOW Days are about taking the mystery out of secondary school. By the time these students join us next September, the building, the routines and a few of the faces will already be familiar, which makes the first week in Year 7 a much smaller step.
A huge thank you to the staff who ran the sessions and to the student ambassadors who looked after our visitors so well. Our second WOW Day follows later this term.
If you know a family with a child in Year 6 who has not yet visited, our Open Evening is on Thursday 1st October, 5.30pm. Please pass it on.
Year 6 families: you are invited
Year 6 Open Evening
Come and see Cliff Park for yourself: tour the academy with our students, meet the teachers, try out lessons in every subject and hear from the Principal about what makes us different. No need to book, just turn up.
If you know a family with a child in Year 6, please pass this on.
Visit www.cliffparkoa.co.uk
Attendance
Every day counts: this week's figures
Attendance so far this year is 91.8% against our target of 92%, with Year 8 leading the way at 95.5% and Year 10 on target at 93.2%. Year 7 (91.5%), Year 9 (89.5%) and Year 11 (89.7%) are each within three days a year of the target.
On Wednesday we launched Cliff Park Attendance, a short weekly update just about attendance: what the numbers mean, one thing to try each week, and who to ring. If you missed it, read it here. It takes two minutes and the two short videos work with the sound off.
- Aim for 8.20am. Gates close at 8.30am and the register closes at 9.00am
- Not sure if they are well enough? Ring 01493 661504, option 1, before 8.30am
- Find your child's number in the Arbor app and say it out loud together
Where to get help
- Cliff Park Attendance This week's edition: Every day counts https://precious-sunshine-df51b0.netlify.app/attendance/volume-1/
- Attendance line Absence, lateness, or not sure 01493 661504, option 1
Watch: just over a minute
Every day counts, the short version
What 90% attendance really means, why being here is worth about half a grade in every subject, and the one thing to do this week: find your child's number in the Arbor app, say the days out loud together, and agree a plan for the next tricky morning. No sound needed, so it works on the bus or in the queue.
This is from Cliff Park Attendance, our new Wednesday update. If you missed the first edition, the link is in the section above.
Mobile phone pouches: replacements at £10 until Wednesday
More and more students are arriving without their phone pouch, or with one that is lost or damaged. On Tuesday alone, 76 phones were handed to staff for safekeeping, which means staff spending the day handling and securing a large number of expensive phones instead of doing their jobs.
To help, replacement pouches are on sale at a subsidised £10 from Thursday 17th to Wednesday 23rd September. Pay on ParentPay, or in cash at main reception.
ParentPay or cash at main reception. From Thursday 24th September, a student without a pouch signs their phone into a locked cabinet at the start of the day and signs it out from 3.05pm.
Please use the subsidised week to make sure your child has a pouch before the new process starts. If buying one is difficult, or you have any questions, contact the academy and we will help.
Why uniform matters: one community, one standard
Community is the first of our CARE values, and uniform is where it shows every morning.
When every student walks through the gate in the same blazer, the same tie and the same shirt, nobody is judged on what their family can afford, what brand they own or what they chose to wear that day. Uniform takes that pressure off. It says that here, you belong because you are one of us, not because of what you have.
It also does a quieter job. Blazer on, shirt tucked in and tie straight is a signal to the student that the day has started and that they are here to work. Teachers see it in the first minute of a lesson: students who are dressed for it settle faster. And when our students are out in Gorleston and Great Yarmouth in that blazer, they carry the name of the academy with them. The pride we take in the building, we take in each other.
So when we insist on the details, sleeves down, top button done up, plain black shoes, it is not fussiness. It is the same standard for every student, and the same respect for every family. Thank you for backing us on it.
If uniform is a struggle this term, tell your child's Head of Year in confidence. Between the second-hand supply and the support we can offer, no student should be out of uniform because of cost.
The Cliff Park look
Academy blazer with sleeves down, worn at all times inside the building. Shirt tucked in, tie on, plain black trousers or a black skirt of an appropriate length, black shoes (no trainers, though plain black Nike Air Force are allowed). Full details and the uniform supplier are on our website. If uniform is a struggle this term, talk to your child's Head of Year in confidence.
Can you help? Second-hand uniform wanted
If your child has grown out of a blazer, jumper, trousers, skirt, shirts or PE kit, we would gladly take them. Clean items in good condition go straight to Cliff Park families who need them, at no cost and in confidence.
Blazers are the most useful item of all. Thank you.
Worth checking
Free school meals: more families qualify than you might think
From this September the rules changed. Every child in a household that receives Universal Credit is now entitled to free school meals, whatever the household earns. Families receiving Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, the guaranteed part of Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit (without Working Tax Credit) or support under the Immigration and Asylum Act also qualify.
It is completely confidential. Nobody at school, and none of your child's friends, can tell who has free meals: every student pays the same way, and the money simply appears on their account.
Registering also brings extra funding to the academy for your child, which we use to help with the things that add up: school trips, uniform, revision materials and music lessons. Even if your child brings a packed lunch, please register, because the extra support follows the registration, not the meal.
- Apply online with Norfolk County Council. It takes about five minutes and you only need your National Insurance number
- If you are not sure whether you qualify, ask us. We will check with you, quietly
- Already registered? You do not need to do anything. It carries on automatically
- If your circumstances change during the year, apply then. It is not a September-only thing
Where to get help
- Apply Norfolk County Council, free school meals www.norfolk.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals
- Not sure? Main reception will help you check, in confidence 01493 661504, option 2
Get the Arbor app
Arbor is how we communicate with parents and carers: attendance, messages, reports, trips and payments all come through it, and from this year so do CARE Tokens, praise and any behaviour concerns. If you have not yet set it up on your phone, please do so this week.
- Scan the code below with your phone camera, or search for Arbor in the App Store or Google Play, and install the app
- Open the app and search for Cliff Park Ormiston Academy
- Log in with the email address you have registered with the school
- First time? Tap First time logging in to set a password. A link will be emailed to you
If the email address we hold for you is out of date, or you cannot get in, contact reception on 01493 661504, option 2, or email enquiries@cliffparkoa.co.uk and we will sort it.
Reminders
Gates close at 8.30am. Students arriving after 8.30am will be logged as late. If your child travels by bus, please make sure they use a service that arrives before 8.30am so they are in the line-up on time.
Parking and pick-up. Please do not drive into the school car park at the end of the day. At 3.00pm it is full of students on foot and on bikes, and cars moving through it put them at risk. If you are collecting by car, please park courteously on Kennedy Avenue, away from the gates and residents' driveways, and let your child walk to you. Thank you for helping to keep the end of the day safe.
Uniform. Academy blazer, sleeves down, worn at all times inside the building unless a member of staff says otherwise. White socks are not worn over tights. Hoodies are not uniform and will be confiscated. If uniform is a struggle this term, please talk to your child's Head of Year in confidence.
Main reception. Open 8.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Thursday and 8.00am to 3.30pm on Friday. 01493 661504, option 2.
Principal drop-in. Parents and carers are welcome to drop into reception between 8.50 and 9.30am every Wednesday to meet me or a member of the Senior Team. No appointment needed.
Dates for the term
Key dates for parents and carers for the rest of the Autumn term. Trips and events for specific year groups will come with a letter nearer the time.
| September | |
|---|---|
| Fri 18th | Year 7 and Year 11 photographs |
| Tue 22nd | Trip: Sizewell B nuclear power station (Year 11) |
| Thu 24th | Year 6 WOW Day (2 of 2) |
| Mon 28th | Trip: Hunters Yard Sailing (all week) |
| Tue 29th | Trip: Houses of Parliament (Years 8 and 9) |
| October | |
|---|---|
| Thu 1st | Year 6 Open EveningParents and carers welcome |
| Thu 8th | Year 11 Parents' Evening (pre-mock information)Parents and carers welcome |
| Fri 9th | External drama production (Years 8 to 10) |
| Wed 14th | Flu vaccinations (Years 7 to 9) |
| Thu 15th | Trip: DofE navigation walk (Years 9 and 10) |
| Tue 20th | Flu vaccinations (Years 10 and 11) |
| Thu 22nd | Year 7 Settling In EveningParents and carers welcome |
| Fri 23rd | Last day before half term |
| November | |
|---|---|
| Mon 2nd | Return from half term |
| Mon 2nd | Year 11 mock exams begin (window runs through November) |
| Tue 17th | A Cliff Park Christmas: matinee performance |
| Thu 26th | Careers Fair and Presentation EveningParents and carers welcome |
| December | |
|---|---|
| Tue 1st | Flu vaccinations mop-up (all year groups) |
| Mon 7th | Trip: Houses of Parliament (Years 8 and 9) |
| Thu 17th | Reports sent home |
| Fri 18th | Last day of autumn term |
Local support for families
Services in Great Yarmouth and across Norfolk that families tell us they find useful. If you are not sure where to start, ask us and we will point you in the right direction.
Health
Just One Norfolk
Health advice, sleep, emotional wellbeing and parenting support for Norfolk families, run by NHS children's services.
0300 300 0123
justonenorfolk.nhs.ukWellbeing
Kooth
Free, safe and anonymous online counselling and support for young people in Norfolk.
kooth.comFamily support
Norfolk Community Directory
Search for local groups, activities, childcare and support services near you.
communitydirectory.norfolk.gov.ukWorried about a child
NSPCC Helpline
Free advice for any adult worried about a child's safety or wellbeing.
0808 800 5000
nspcc.org.uk
Who to contactUseful contacts
Not sure who to speak to? Your child's form tutor is always a good first call. For anything urgent, ring the front office on 01493 661504. Tap a name to email.
Front office and attendance
| Contact | For | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Front office | General enquiries, messages for staff | 01493 661504 (option 2), cpoaenquiries@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Attendance line | Report an absence before 8.30am | 01493 661504 (option 1), cpoaattendance@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Ms L Ross | Attendance Manager | lross@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
Heads of Year
| Year group | Head of Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 7 | Mr D Dudley | ddudley@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Year 8 | Mr E Phillips | ephillips@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Year 9 | Mr R Callaby | rcallaby@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Year 10 | Mr M Warnes | mwarnes@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Year 11 | Mr M Harris | mharris@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
Safeguarding and support
| Name | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| Ms S Huggins | Safeguarding Manager | shuggins@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Ms D Giles | SEMH Support Worker | dgiles@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Ms A Waters | Vice Principal and SENDCO | awaters@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Ms K Todd | PA to SENDCO, SSU Manager | ktodd@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Ms J Slack | Director of Behaviour and Student Care | jslack@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
Senior leadership team
| Name | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| Mr H French | Principal | hfrench@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Ms J Spurgeon | PA to the Principal | jspurgeon@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Ms J Bunting | Vice Principal, Quality of Education | jbunting@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Ms A Waters | Vice Principal, SENDCO | awaters@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Ms A Dudley | Assistant Principal, Teaching and Learning | adudley@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Ms R Sewell | Assistant Principal, Student Development | rsewell@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Ms K Milner | Assistant Principal, Raising Attainment | kmilner@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
| Mr S Sorrento | Director of Curriculum, Data and Exams | ssorrento@cliffparkoa.co.uk |
Form tutors
Your child's form tutor sees them every morning and is the first person to contact about day-to-day matters.