Half term update 17/10/25

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

It has been a fantastic half term at Sewell Park Academy! Our new Year 7 students have joined us and settled in brilliantly to the culture and ethos of the school. Our Open Evening was an opportunity to showcase the great work being done and it was really heartwarming to have so many students wanting to help and show what they have achieved to our community.

Year 11 Pre-Public Examinations (PPEs)

Our current Year 11 students have their PPEs (Pre-Public Examinations) starting on 10th November, one week after half term. They are in positive habits of Revision and Review in small, regular chunks, as well as utilising SENECA - parents should also be able to login and check their progress.

Year 7 Parents Evening

A reminder for all parents and carers of Year 7 students, that we will be holding our parents evening on Wednesday 12th November, between 3.30 pm and 6.00 pm. This will give you all an opportunity to speak to staff and see how Y7 are settling into their high school studies.

St Clements Hill Parking & Students Leaving Site

With the increase in student numbers at Sewell Park, we are seeing an increase in traffic on the St Clements Hill side of the school. Wherever possible, we would ask parents and carers to park a short distance from the gates, or on surrounding roads to alleviate some of the congestion. We are also asking students to move on from the school as soon as they exit through the gates. If they wish to wait for friends, they must do this from inside the school grounds.

School Governance Team

We have a strong and active governance team who work together with us on the development of the school. This is led by Sam Webber, a former student of the school, as Chair. However, we do have a vacancy for a parent governor, so if you are interested, please contact us through office@sewellpark.org.

Free School Meals Applications

We are aware that some families who may be eligible for Free School Meals are not currently receiving them, and we want to help ensure no one misses out. The Government recently announced that from September 2026, all families receiving Universal Credit will become automatically eligible for Free School Meals. This is a major and positive change that will help many families.

However, families will still need to apply to receive the meals. This won’t happen automatically even though eligibility will be automatic.

We strongly encourage all parents/carers to check their current eligibility and to keep this upcoming change in mind, especially as we move into the 2026/27 school year.

You can read more about this change and what it means here:

Expanding Free School Meals – What Parents Need to Know

In the meantime, if you are unsure whether your family qualifies, or if your circumstances have recently changed, please reach out to the school office or visit the Free School Meals section of our website for guidance. We're here to help. Miss Cockaday is actively leading on supporting those families who may need help with eligibility and/or applications.

Let’s make sure every eligible child is supported.

Parent Survey

We really appreciate your thoughts and feedback on aspects of our practice at Sewell Park Academy. Therefore, we would be grateful if you could spare a little time to complete the survey for the first half term of the year, which can be found here. The survey will close on Monday 3rd November.

Aspens Pricing

Please be aware that, when we come back from half term, the free school meal allowance and cost of a hot meal or sandwich meal deal is rising to £2.61 per day. The Autumn/Winter sample menu is now available to view on our website but may be subject to change.

The Autumn term is always the longest and most challenging in terms of illness and absence. We hope the two week break gives all members of our community, students and staff, a rest - ready to come back in full health for the second half of the Autumn term. We saw a substantially positive impact last academic year and believe it will have the same effect this year.

Please have a well deserved break and half term together and we look forward to welcoming back our students on Monday 3rd November.

Best wishes,

David Day

Headteacher