Parent Update Letter, June 2022 - Hans Price Academy

24 June 2022

Dear Parents and Carer

Please see below updates on the following items:

Congratulations to students in Year 11
Update on uniform
Iris Connect
Parking matters
The term ahead

Congratulations to Year 11

We are all extremely proud of our Year 11 students, who have now just finished their final GCSEs. As a group, they have showed impressive levels of resilience and determination; coming in early for ‘Toast It’ sessions ahead of morning exams and staying late for twilight revision sessions. We know that their efforts will be rewarded with great results in the summer, allowing them to go on to their college courses and post-16 placements. We are looking forward to celebrating with them at our leavers’ assembly this afternoon and at the Prom next week. We also want to say a massive “thank you” to our students in Year 7 to Year 10, who have shown great respect to the Year 11 students in the way they have conducted themselves around the academy; avoiding quiet revision zones and moving past exam venues with minimal noise.

Uniform Matters

I wrote to all parents just before the Easter holidays with an update on our uniform policy. I am pleased to report that we have seen a real improvement in the standards of uniform across the academy. We also remind parents/carers that we have uniform items available to lend for any student that needs a short-term loan, for example whilst waiting for school shoes on order to arrive. Please contact your child’s college leader if you need financial assistance to provide compulsory uniform items. We are also pleased to confirm that an HPA second-hand uniform ‘shop’ is under development and will be ready to launch for September 2022.

Finally, we would like to remind parents and carers that students should continue to wear the full school uniform throughout the summer months. In our modern, well-insulated building, the temperature in the corridors seldom exceeds 22 degrees. Students are welcome to remove their blazers once in their classrooms but should continue to wear them as they move around the academy. In the event of a heatwave pushing the indoors temperature uncomfortably high, we will announce a “shirt sleeve order,” which the students understand means they can store their blazers in their lockers and do not need to be wearing them as they walk to lessons. We thank all parents and carers for their support in upholding our high uniform standards.

Iris Connect

Parents and carers will be aware that we have several teachers that are training, or are newly qualified, here at Hans Price. The universities and colleges working with these colleagues use a piece of software called ‘Iris Connect,’ which can record a lesson and store the video securely so that the teacher can watch themselves back to review their work. The software is for internal use only and is fully GDPR compliant.

Parking Matters

We respectfully ask that parents and carers collecting students at the end of the day leave our disabled car parking spaces free for blue badge holders. We have also been asked by our neighbours in the local retail parks to remind parents that their car parking spaces are for customers only.

The Term Ahead

This summer term brings the welcome return of some of our favourite events, many of which have been cancelled due to Covid in the past two years. We are looking forward to getting to know our incoming Year 6 students in next week’s Big Step transition week. We also have the summer show, sports day, Year 8 science fair and the swimming gala all ahead of us. Please also note that the academy will be closed to students on Friday 08 July for the final Inset day of the year.

With thanks for your continued support.

Yours faithfully

Mrs H Jones | Interim Principal