End of term update - 27/03/2026

Dear Parents, Carers and Pupils,

We have come to the end of the Spring term, with this half term being short, but exceptionally busy. Just a few highlights have included:

• The Year 9 Football team winning the cup!

• We have a waiting list for admissions in September 2026, meaning we are still the school of choice within North Norwich

• The Active Citizenship group being successful in writing a bid and planting fruit trees at the far end of the SPA site

• The range of new summer enrichment clubs on the SPA+ page of the website

  
  

Before I continue with other important information, I feel I need to address the events which took place at Thorpe St Andrew school recently. It is understandably a difficult time for that community, we have spoken to our young people about the incident as we are aware many have friends or family who attend, Fortunately, events such as this are exceptionally rare both in society and in schools, but it is vitally important for the safety of all members that we are prepared. We have spoken to all students previously about what the procedures are in the event of a “Lockdown” incident, and after the Easter break will be doing a walk through with the students and staff. We will communicate this clearly to you all in advance so that there is no undue worry when it takes place.

Year 11 - The final push!

A huge well done to Year 11 for their resilience this term. As we head into the Easter break, a crucial period for revision and reflection, I want to remind students that consistent, small steps lead to big achievements. Rest well, work smart, and we look forward to seeing you at our Easter Revision sessions being run by our exceptionally hard working staff who have volunteered to run them below:

SEND Provision & Mrs Barwick farewell

It is also a moment of sadness for us as a school as we say farewell to Mrs Barwick, Assistant Headteacher. She has been a huge part of our school and community for just over 10 years and has helped to develop our Special Educational Needs provision at Sewell Park, into one which is rightly regarded as one of the best in the county. She is leaving for a promotion to be the Head of School at one of the Compass Specialist Provision schools. We wish her well and know she will be hugely successful supporting young people with additional needs. Following this, Mr Gowlett will be taking on the role of SENDCO within Sewell Park.

Uniform

Our pupils at Sewell Park wear their uniform with pride and it is great to see how they represent us in the community. The expectations we have is to help support them with what ‘professional dress’ may look like in many careers for them in the future. A reminder that we do allow black trainers, due to some venues selling these as school shoes, however, shoes must be completely black with no colouring. The full expectations can be found here, including rules regarding jewellery and hair.

School quality review day

As you are aware, we were last inspected by Ofsted in May 2022, and therefore will be expecting an inspection later this academic year or from September. You may also be aware that the framework and requirements on a school have changed significantly. Due to this, as part of Broad Horizons Education Trust, we had some external experts, including trained inspectors, come in to review where we are as a school. As ever there are developmental points to continually improve however, they were exceptionally impressed with what they saw. Some notable highlights were:

• Pupils feel safe and cared for at the school. Bullying is rare and dealt with quickly if it happens

• There are clear plans to support those students with emerging additional needs

• Lessons are well resourced and follow the SPA Teaching and Learning cycle

• Calm behaviour in classrooms, corridors and social times

• Pupils talk positively about their time at school, the Personal Development offer and support for their wellbeing

• There are strong pastoral support systems and the school utilises a range of supportive agencies

• Leaders have worked well with families and the wider community to build trust in the school

Mobile phones

Recent studies have highlighted the significant impact of mobile devices on the adolescent brain; for instance, research from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (2024) found that teenagers with problematic smartphone use are twice as likely to experience anxiety and nearly three times as likely to report symptoms of depression. Furthermore, a landmark study by the London School of Economics demonstrated that schools with phone-free policies saw an average 6.4% increase in academy test scores, with even greater gains for students who benefit most from a focused environment. We are continuing to consider how we can support our students further, particularly from September 2026.

School Survey

As always, we are really keen to hear your views on what we do well as a school and what we can improve. A link to the survey can be found here.

Wellbeing

At Sewell Park Academy, the wellbeing of our students is at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to be a trauma-informed school, where staff understand the impact that life experiences can have on young people and are committed to providing a safe, supportive and nurturing environment for all.

Our strong pastoral system ensures that students are well supported on a daily basis. We regularly share key wellbeing messages through assemblies and our weekly student sheet, helping to promote positive mental health, resilience, and awareness.

When additional support is needed, we have a wide range of provision available within school. This includes access to two trained school counsellors, as well as support from our MAP Youth Worker, Leeway Worker, On Track mentoring programme (delivered by the Matthew Project), and the Mental Health Support Team. We also have three members of staff trained as ELSAs (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants), who work closely with students to support their emotional development and wellbeing.

In addition to our in-school support, we work closely with a number of external agencies and make referrals where appropriate to ensure students receive the help they need.

We would also like to remind you that a comprehensive list of support services is available to students via the school portal. You can access this here.

If you have any concerns about your child’s wellbeing, please do not hesitate to contact the school. We are here to help and work in partnership with you to support every student.

Attendance

Regular attendance at school is one of the biggest factors in a young person’s success. National data shows that students with near-perfect attendance are almost twice as likely to achieve strong GCSE passes compared to those with attendance around 90-95%. Even missing just 10 days of school in a year can reduce the chances of achieving key grades by around 50%. Consistently attending school ensures students build knowledge step by step, develop routines, and stay connected to their learning.

Attendance also plays an important role beyond academic outcomes. Young people who are regularly in school are more likely to stay engaged in positive routines, build friendships, and avoid risk taking behaviours. Persistent absence (missing 10% or more of school) is linked with significantly lower attainment, and only around 35% of persistently absent pupils achieve key GCSE passes, compared to over two-thirds of all students. Good attendance supports not only achievement, but also future opportunities and life chances.

At Sewell Park Academy, we are here to support every family. If there are any worries, concerns, or barriers affecting your child’s attendance, please contact us as soon as possible so we can help. Working together early makes a real difference, please do not let attendance begin to dip.

SMSC Activities - 20th & 21st July

For students in Year 7 to Year 10, the deadline to book chosen activities has been extended to Friday 10th April. Please see the email sent earlier today.

Term dates 2026-2027

We have finalised the term dates for the next academic year. Please note that these do slightly differ from the Norfolk County Council term dates. The calendar can be found on the school website.

Big Holiday Fun!

Norfolk County Council have added some opportunities for young people to take part in over Easter - these can be found here including a a FREE Big Active 4-day Teen Glow Up programme over Easter at The Norwich School of Hair & Beauty in Sprowston - a great opportunity for young people to build confidence, learn new skills and socialise in a supportive environment. The programme is fully funded for students receiving benefits-related Free School Meals with paid spaces available also, with a 50% discount using the code NSHBSPREE50.

As ever, the strength of Sewell Park Academy for our young people is the collaborative working between school, home and the community. Thank you as ever for your continued support to provide the pupils who attend here the best education possible. Please have a pleasant time with family and friends, and we will look forward to welcoming everyone back on Tuesday 14th April.

Best wishes,

David Day

Headteacher