Dear GA Families

I am delighted to write to you to outline the arrangements for the start of term for all students in their respective year groups. All of our students will continue on their journey; climbing their own personal mountain to the very best universities or professions and demonstrating ambition, excellence and pride as they make their climb.

Year 7

Year 7 will start on Monday 6th September 2021.  They must be on site by 8:35am.  They will enter via the gate on Norbury Avenue.  This will mean that Year 7 have their own separate gate, directly into the Key Stage 3 courtyard, ensuring that they have a safe, and smooth transition into secondary school.  Our Year 7 students will begin their climb up the mountain with the ‘GA Apprenticeship Week’ in which they will be given all of the tools and knowledge to be successful at Gloucester Academy.  A further letter will be sent to Year 7 parents detailing arrangements for the end of week celebration.  All students in Year 7 will complete the NGRT test to determine their reading age, and an internal maths assessment.  There is no need to worry, or revise, for either of these assessments.

Years 8, 9 and 10

Years 8, 9 and 10 will start on Tuesday 7th September 2021.  They must be on site by 8:35am.  They will enter via the gate on Painswick Road.  Years 8 and 9 will use their own gate, and Year 10 will use the gate by the visitor’s car park.  Periods 1 and 2 on the first day will be an induction.  Students will collect their old exercise books, then be put into their new tutor groups based on the GA House system.  They will spend the first two periods in these groups.  All students in Years 8, 9 and 10 will complete the NGRT test to determine their reading age.

Year 11

Year 11 will return on Monday 6th September 2021. They must be on site by 8:35am.  They will enter via the gate on Painswick Road.  This is a very important year for Year 11, we believe that this year group is capable of getting nationally leading results, and we are very much looking forward to seeing this happen.  We will be writing to you separately with further details on specific measures we will put in place to support this year group in particular.

All students

I would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our families that we promise our whole community that Gloucester Academy will be disruption free every minute of every lesson, of every day.  There is no longer a place for disruptive behaviour at our school.  We will not compromise on this as we know that this will make the biggest difference to your child’s education.  We ask that all families support us in this, and if there are ever disagreements that these are discussed between us, as adults, not in front of students.  Our expectations will be sky high from the very first day, so we ask that all families read both the uniform and behaviour policy carefully.  Please also refer back to Mr Heap’s letter at the end of last year regarding backpacks.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions.

Yours sincerely

Mr N Nabarro

Deputy Headteacher