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    Parental News Update

    24th January 2025 - We are delighted to share some exciting updates and reminders with our academy community.

    Highlight of the week! 

    Our Year 11 basketball team beat John Mason 58-51 in a close quarter final game! This team are now in the semi final and are representing the school as one of the 4 best teams in the county. This group were also very fortunate to be the first to wear our new Spires basketball kit sponsored by Café Coco. The students spoke so highly of the kit and are extremely thankful to have the opportunity to wear a new kit. Thank you to Café Coco, it is brilliant to see a local businesses helping out our school and the community. 

    The player of the match was awarded to Duncan, which was a very hard decision but what edged it was his fantastic 3 with less than a minute to go!  

    If you would like to more information about our Sports Team Sponsor Package please click here

    New students

    We look forward to welcoming our new rising Year 7 cohort as we start to think about transition for the next academic year. Oxford Spires was oversubscribed with more applications for first choice places compared to the 220 spaces we have available.  

    Attendance 

    Attendance is fundamental to a student’s academic success and overall well-being. Every day a student is present at school, they are presented with opportunities to engage in learning, build relationships, and grow into ambitious, positive and self-assured young people. At Oxford Spires, ensuring excellent attendance is not just about achieving statutory requirements, it is about securing a successful future for every student. Learn more in our Spotlight on Attendance (click here

    Start of the school day 

    Tutor time starts for students at 8:30am. Our school gates open at 8:00am and all students are welcome to join breakfast club each morning in the Willows Café if they would like a free breakfast.  

    Students who arrive after 8:30am are assigned a late detention at 11:00am on the same day. Students who miss two late detentions will be escalated to an after school two detention on a Tuesday.  

    Important reminder for school drop off and pick up safety 

    As we prioritise the safety of our students, staff, visitors, and community, we would like to remind everyone to exercise extra caution during morning and evening drop-off and pick-up times, especially now as the mornings and afternoons are darker during these hours. 

    Please be mindful of our neighbours on Glanville Road and Barracks Lane, who also navigate these roads with their young children on their way to local primary schools. The increased traffic poses risks for all pedestrians. 

    Additionally, we kindly ask parents to refrain from idling their car engines outside residential homes. This not only helps reduce air pollution but also demonstrates consideration for our neighbours. 

    To further alleviate traffic congestion and support our community, we encourage parents to use Glanville Road for driving towards school and Cumberland Road for your return whenever possible. 

    Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in keeping our community safe. 

    Year 9

    We look forward to seeing Year 9 families at our parents’ evening Tuesday 28th January.

    Options assemblies have taken place this week for all students. All our materials and guidance can be found on our new school website click here. This includes subject options videos and our comprehensive options guide. 

    Date for your diary - Year 9 options evening: Tuesday 11th February at 6pm 

    Year 10 - Work Experience 

    This year we will be asking students to source and organise their work experience placements directly. Students can do work experience any time in the summer term for a maximum of 5 days, more details will be shared in the upcoming weeks. 

    Year 11 and Year 13 – Mock 2 exam series 

    This week, students will start the final mock exam series before the national exam season this summer. Timetables and further guidance can be found in the Year 11 area of the school website click here.

    We are also excited to invite all Year 11 students and parents/carers our Route to Success evening 6.00pm on 13th March. At this evening, we will share lots of information about the support on offer to students and important exam protocols. There will be the opportunity to pick up revision materials and purchase prom tickets! We will be joined by a special external speaker Sander De Groot, who will also be running student workshops through the school day for all Year 11 students.  

    Unifrog – our careers and futures platform. 

    We will be using the online careers platform Unifrog  https://www.unifrog.org to support students this year. Unifrog, a comprehensive platform for exploring careers and opportunities is full of resources from career profiles and interviews with over 1000 different professionals to information about Post-GCSE and Post-18 options. There are also a range of quizzes which guide students towards suitable career paths. 

    Your child has received an email from Unifrog with a link for them to set up their account password. Their username will be their school email address. 

    If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact your child’s Head of year.

    Sixth Form - Mobile phones and earphones

    Sixth Form students are permitted to use mobile phones within social spaces in the Sixth Form building at break times. Students must put phones and earphones away when in the main part of the school where students from Year 7 to Year 11 are taught. Students are not permitted to have phones out in lessons.

    New Club - Handball. 

    We are delighted to announce handball club starting on the 23rd of January (Every Thursday) at 3pm either indoors or outside on the hardcourt.  The handball club will be run by Handball England Association Coaches and Players.  

    This is a fantastic opportunity to receive fantastic coaching in this new game from experienced coaches.  All students in all year groups are very welcome to attend.  

    Wish List

    We have been overwhelmed by your support, generosity, and the success of our previous wish lists. We really appreciate your help enriching the lives of our students 

    Any members of the community can support friends, family wider community so please share the link with anyone who you think may want to support.   

    https://amzn.eu/3RX2fN7 

    Music Dept  

    Do you have any spare piano keyboards that you are not using? If so, the Music department would really appreciate them.  

    Dates for your diary - We will shortly be selling tickets for the school musical The Addams Family – shows will be running on the 18th, 19th and 20th March. 

    Coming Up - House Competition – Enterprise & Marketing Challenge

     

    Parent Webinars – CAMHS 

    Parents are the most important part of young peoples loves and hold the key to helping them.  CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) is offering mental health awareness sessions for parents and carers including promoting resilience, understanding the teen brain, sleep awareness for parents and supporting young people who self-harm.  

    Please visit www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/camhs/oxon/sir/webinars for more information 

    Cyber Protect Webinars 

    Free webinar for parents and carers run by Police Cyber Protect Teams. Hints and tips to secure your family online, covering cyber risks and scams in Gaming, Social Media and Email. Dates: 28th and 30th January and 3rd, 6th, 10th, 12th and 13th February 2025 

    To book your space Click Here 

    Key Dates 
    • Monday 17th – Friday 21st February school holidays
    • Monday 24th February First day of term 4
    • Friday 14th March Inset day, school closed to students

    Please visit our parental calendar click here