Welcome back from what I hope was a restful Easter break for all of our students, parents and staff. We approach this term with some exciting new developments as we continue our school improvement journey. Many of the developments I will outline in the next few blogs have been months in the planning and have involved feedback from every angle of our school community. I am pleased to introduce our new school vision as being ‘Community minded through drive and aspiration’. This highlights clearly to everyone involved in our school what we stand for and the values we hold dear. The expectation is that every student and staff member of the school knows this vision and strives to adhere to this in everything we do.

I have previously talked in my blogs about the need for an effective partnership between home, the school and the student. To emphasise and formalise the effectiveness of this partnership we have been working hard on the BA Partnership Agreement document. Our BA Partnership Agreement outlines what all three parties will do to ensure our students have every chance of success at BA. It also clarifies what is expected at a basic level from all of us. This document will be signed by home, school and students and will be issued to all new students when they start at BA from this point forward. Existing parents will receive a copy via email next week. Click here to see the full document.

You will notice that there are 6 key themes that underpin this Partnership Agreement, these are the same themes that make up our new code of conduct or shared values for the school. We have called this ‘The BA Way’. This document is the outcome of months of staff and student review and consultation to bring about positive change in our school community for everybody involved. The 6 key themes of Attendance, Lessons, Conduct, Uniform, Rights and Responsibilities and Environment emphasise and reinforce the need to be Ready, Respectful and Safe at all times. The BA Way has been communicated intensely with all students and can be seen in every classroom around the school as well as in communal areas. Click here to see the full document.

As of June 2019 we will be banning the use of all mobile phones at Bedford Academy. We are looking to employ an American system called Yondr, you can find out more information about the system here www.overyondr.com. Yondr will provide BA students with their own case, in which their mobile phone is turned off and locked. The case with the phone inside is kept in the student’s possession until the end of the day and will then be unlocked during reflection time. This is a significant investment for the school and highlights our desire and commitment to achieving the very best educational outcomes for our students. It completely eradicates the impact of social media and distraction that electronic devices can have during school time. This system is currently being trialled with staff and students in BA and will be a fantastic addition to our school community. I will hold an information evening for parents in May to discuss how this system will be fully implemented at our rollover timetable.

Thank you to all parents that have continued to support our drive for outstanding uniform. Please continue to ensure that your child arrives at our school in full BA uniform so that they can start their day positively, eliminating the need for a direct conversation about their appearance with a member of staff. Can I also remind students that a strapped backpack is an ideal way of carrying books and equipment to school. We will not tolerate fashion bags, large handbags or strapped shoulder bags, this is not appropriate school wear and should be kept for the weekend.

I look forward to seeing you in and around the school building and at some of our scheduled Parent’s Information evenings over the next term

Mr Chris Deller

Head Teacher