End of Year letter 21/07/26

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

We have reached the end of another academic year and we could not be more proud of the continued growth and success of the school. This is down to the fantastic collaboration of staff, students, parents and carers as a community, to work together for continuous improvement. And as ever, we thank you for that. There have been so many notable achievements this academic year, but some stand out moments include:

- The number of fantastic trips and visits which have taken place in almost every subject area - with new ones being added each year, such as the Geography department Cromer trip!

- Shrek! We have now had our 2nd annual performance - so many talented individuals and it is so great to have so many staff and students involved together!

- Our Year 11 students being such fantastic role models for other students in the school in regards to their efforts and perseverance for the final examinations.

- The reputation of Sewell Park Academy and NR3 continues to grow, with us being oversubscribed again this academic year, with a waiting list of students for September 2026 wishing to join us.

- Our fantastic Ofsted inspection result! The report really shows how successful Sewell Park continues to be and that we are rapidly becoming one of the leading schools in the area - we are exceptionally proud of how well it reflects on our entire community!

While we are sure everyone is ready for a well deserved holiday and rest, there are some important details ready for September which we need to share.

Leaving staff

Mr Hollis (Science) & Mr Burfield (Music) are leaving us for pastures new. We thank them for all their hard work and efforts at Sewell Park Academy, and wish them well in their future careers.

Return to school

We start back on the following days:

Thursday 3rd September 8:30 am - Years 7 & 11 only. Note that Year 7 students should enter through the front gate, opposite Millcroft, on St Clements Hill

Friday 4th September 8:30 am - All year groups

For the full term dates, please see the school website and calendar.

We try as much as possible to align with our feeder schools, but as we have around 18, there will unfortunately always be some which do not match.

Our school uniform expectations

At Sewell Park Academy, we are very proud of the presentation of our students. Uniform plays an important part in preparing students for future life, and how the requirements of professional dress may be in their future careers and employment. We also know that since the invention of schools, young people have pushed the boundaries in regards to fashion, wherever the line is set - that has not changed since we all went to school! In preparation for when we return for the new school year in September, we would like to remind parents, carers and students about the expectations regarding the school uniform. All the information can be found on the school website here - but to summarise, some of the key requirements are:-

All shoes and trainers must be completely black. We have recently seen some trainers with grey sections, reflective stripes and logos with different colours. These will not be acceptable in September,

- Unnatural hair colours, including parts of hair that have been dyed,- Skirts must be pleated. In terms of skirt length, the skirt’s hem can only be 10cm above the knees as a maximum.

- Only one small nose stud can be worn. Multiple studs, nose rings and other facial piercings are not permitted,

- Students may wear a watch (not a smart watch) on their wrist but bracelets are not permitted,

- Neck chains should not be visible.

*Please note - due to confusion and debate over what would be considered ‘long’ or ‘natural’, false eyelashes will not be permitted and will be required to be removed. False or painted nails and heavy makeup are also not permitted and we do not allow students to attend classroom lessons until they are removed.

Please be aware that some items that can be found in the 'uniform' section of certain clothes shops and supermarkets may not actually be ‘correct’ for Sewell Park. If you are in any doubt then we always advise you to check our uniform code on the school website before deciding on a purchase.

PE kit reminder from the PE Department

To help students get the most out of their PE lessons, please ensure your child brings their full PE kit to school on the days they have PE. Having the correct kit means they can participate safely, comfortably, and confidently in all activities.If a student forgets their PE kit, they will complete written work linked to the lesson objectives during the practical lesson. If the PE kit is forgotten on two occasions, a 'Learning Catch Up' will be issued in line with the school's expectations.

If your child is unable to take part in PE due to illness or injury, please send a note from home to let us know. Without a note, we will expect students to participate in the lesson as normal.

Thank you for your continued support in helping your child arrive prepared for PE. Working together helps ensure every student can enjoy and benefit from their lessons.

Attitude to Achieve changes

We are really pleased that moving to Arbor has allowed us to be able to share more openly the positives of our students through stars and brain stars. We are also looking at ways we can utilise this to recognise more regularly and openly the hard work and efforts of our students. There are so many great things happening at Sewell Park and we want to share these with you!

From September, we are also adapting the Attitude to Achieve procedures in a few minor ways. These are:

- We know punctuality is a habit and a vital one for the world of work in the future. Therefore, if a student is late to school, after 8.30am, without a valid reason provided by parents or carers, this will result in a 'Learning Catch Up' that day.

- Within lessons, an A1 will be a warning for a student to refocus, with an A2 being a removal from lessons, for all year groups. We already have this in place in Key Stage 4 and saw no difference in the numbers of students leaving lessons, and as such want to continue to support learning. Year 7 will have an additional warning for the first half term, while they are taught our SPA Social Routines and expectations.

- At the end of each lesson, the teacher will circulate the classroom and monitor the work completed. If a student has not made a sufficient effort, and there is a difference between effort and requiring support to access or complete learning, then they will be issued with an A3 and receive a 'Learning Catch Up' at the end of the day. Our role is to always keep improving our lesson delivery and quality of education. The role of our students is to try. We do not ask them to be perfect but we will ask them to try!

Sewell Park Academy is a mobile phone free school

You will hopefully already be aware that from September we will be a mobile phone (or other smart device) free school. We would highly recommend that students do not bring these to school, as we cannot take any responsibility for any loss or damage. However, if these are brought to school they will be collected in and locked away as per our previous communication which can be found here.

Aspens meal price increase

From 14th September 2026, Aspens have confirmed that a meal price increase of 5p will apply to the main meal rate (to £2.66 per meal). This is in line with the rate that the DfE has set which recognises the increased cost of ingredients. Although this is a small change, we know this impacts our community so wanted to make you all aware in good time.If you are in receipt of Universal Credit (or other qualifying benefits), your young person will be entitled to Free School Meals from September under the new eligibility criteria from the Government. Please see here for more information.

Safeguarding during the summer holidays

During the school holidays, the safeguarding team only monitors their email address periodically (safeguarding@sewellpark.org). If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. For other serious or urgent issues, contact Norfolk children's services directly on 03448008020 rather than waiting for a reply.Children and young people can contact Childline free and confidentially on 0800 1111.Parents and carers can contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.If a child or young person is struggling with their mental health, they can text YM to 85258 for free, 24/7 crisis support. Parents wanting advice can also contact the YoungMinds Parents Helpline on 0808 802 5544.

Finally, we would like to thank everyone involved in our school community and the wider part of NR3 and North Norwich for helping us continue to move forward and be successful together. That continued collaboration and support has helped Sewell Park to become the school it is today. We hope everyone has an enjoyable summer break and we look forward to the next academic year in September.

With best wishes,

David Day

Headteacher