Dear Parent/Carer

It is the end of term 5, and what a term it has been for our young people. Two bank holidays and a coronation, not something that happens on a regular basis! On top of all this excitement we have been preparing our year 11 students for their GCSE exams, which will have already started this term and will continue into term 6.

This term, you may have also seen us on East Midlands today on the BBC as we have featured in two very positive stories about the work that we do at the Academy. One story was about Ghost Children, children who were missing from School during covid but who attended Stone Soup and the other story was about our amazing trip to New York for 6 of our young people.

We also very recently heard that one of our year 11 young people has made it through to being one of the top 10 young people in a national songwriting competition, the final which will be in September in London, how amazing is that!!

As Principal of our amazing Academy, I was also lucky enough to be presented with an award in London in April for Inspirational Educator in Alternative Learning Provision. This was a very proud moment for me as I have now led the academy for  5 years and in that time my amazing and talented staff, who support your young people have achieved so much. We have taken alternative education for your young people and the people of Nottingham to a National level. 

This term, we also took some of our young people to see Nottingham Forest beat Brighton and Hove Albion as a reward for working with the THink Big project. We have concluded that Stone Soup Academy is lucky as every time we take a school group to see Nottingham Forest they win!! 

We have started working this term with the University of Nottingham in a co-creation project with our girls around the topic of reducing violence around women and girls. This is just at the start of the project, but something that we hope will grow as we move into term 6. In that last week of term we are fundraising for Emmanuel House by wearing blue. For each £1 raised our academy will match and this funding will go to helping the homeless of Nottingham. 

We will end our term on Friday 26th of May at 12.45 with a celebration for our year 11 young people. As is now tradition, we buy t-shirts for all of the year 11 students to sign and they will be able to feast on goodbye pizza’s which will be available from 12.45 once the other years have left. You will have received a letter about study leave which will explain what will happen next term for year 11.

Attendance also continues to be our daily push as we really cannot achieve all these wonderful things if our young people are not in school with us. It is important that they come in before 9.15 or they are late and that they are in everyday. Thank you for your support.

All year 7- 9 students will return on Monday 5th of June at normal time.

Year 10 will return for a mock exam/Functional Skills exam at 12.30 p.m. at Richmond House. They will work from home in the morning

Year 10 students will have mock exams and actual functional skills exams on the following dates. On these dates all year 10 students will work from home in the morning arriving into Richmond House at 12.30 to complete their exams. They will be released after the exam to return home. These exams are very important as they will enable us to put in accurate support for our young people as they move into year 11.

Monday 5th June at 12.30 –             English

Wednesday 7th June at 12.30 – Maths 

Monday 12th June at 12.30 – English Functional Skills

Wednesday 14th June at 12.30 – Maths Functional Skills

Term 6 is a fantastic term at Stone Soup Academy jam packed with events and fun activities to really engage our young people. As the weather heats up it is important that you help us to ensure an appropriate standard of dress. Crop tops are not acceptable and students who arrive in crop tops will be sent home to change. Please would you remind your child that tops should not be too low or too high and we should not be able to see underwear. Shorts should not be too short and should sit mid thigh, this is the same for any clothing worn during the warmer weather. If you are unsure please check with your child’s personal coach.

Some of the plans for term 6 will include:-

Week commencing 12th June will be double dojo points week and a chance to build up your points.

Thursday 22nd June: Media & Music day

Friday 23rd June: Year 11 Suits Day

Tuesday 27th June: Sports Day

Friday 30th June: Training Day – The Academy will be closed to students

Monday 3rd July: Year 9 Transition to High Pavement

Thursday 6th July: Art & Photography day

Friday 7th July: Wear red to save lives day

Week Commencing 10th of July there will be form competitions all week

Thursday 13th July: Spring Lakes

Week commencing 17th of July will be enterprise week

Thursday 20th July: Drayton Manor

Friday 21st July: Staff versus students football match

Thursday 27th July: End of term: Students leave at 12 noon

Thursday 27th July: Stand Up To Knife Crime event 7 p.m. 

What an amazing term that we can all look forward to. As always, thank you for your support this term and please let’s keep working together to create unimagined futures for our young people.

Kind regards

Kerrie Henton

Principal