Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

As another fantastic academic year draws to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support, encouragement and commitment to Callerton Academy. The summer term has been filled with success, celebration and opportunities for our students to shine, and I couldn't be prouder of everything they have achieved.

Firstly, I would like to say a heartfelt farewell to our wonderful Year 11 students. They leave us having worked incredibly hard throughout their time at Callerton, and we are immensely proud of the resilient, ambitious and caring young people they have become. As they move on to the next stage of their education, training or employment, we wish each and every one of them every success and happiness for the future. We look forward to welcoming them back on Thursday 20th August at 9.00am for Results Day, when we can celebrate their achievements together.

Congratulations must also go to our Year 10 students, who are now preparing to become our new Year 11 cohort. Their focus, maturity and determination during their mock examinations have been impressive, and I know they will continue to build on this excellent start as they enter their final year with us.

One of the highlights of this term was welcoming our new Year 7 students for Transition Day. It was wonderful to see so many excited faces experiencing life at Callerton Academy for the very first time. Our staff worked tirelessly to ensure every student felt welcomed, supported and inspired, giving them a real flavour of a typical school day. I would also like to extend a special thank you to the many student ambassadors who gave up their time to support the day. You were outstanding role models and a true credit to yourselves, your families and the academy. You embodied everything we value at Callerton.

This term has also seen the launch of some fantastic new incentives to recognise and reward our students. FAB Friday has quickly become a favourite with both students and staff, creating a positive buzz across the academy and celebrating the achievements of our young people. Alongside this, our attendance rewards—including pizza lunches, early lunch passes and spot prizes—have been a huge success.

Yellow Week has been an exciting and memorable experience for our students, packed with a wide range of activities and opportunities to explore, learn and create lasting memories. Throughout the week, students enjoyed a fascinating tour of St James' Park Stadium, visited the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, explored the vibrant Quayside, spent time at the beach, and, of course, the three-day residential visit to London. These incredible experiences have allowed students to develop independence, build friendships and discover new places, creating memories that will stay with them for a lifetime. We hope you enjoy looking through the photographs below, which capture some of the many highlights from this fantastic week.

We hope this gives you a wonderful glimpse into the exciting experiences and achievements of our students during Yellow Week.

Sports at Callerton

Newcastle United Foundation

St James' Park Stadium Tour

Library Helpers

BoHo Arts

Quayside

Attendance will always remain a key priority because we know that every lesson counts. Quite simply, missing school is missing out. Every day in school provides opportunities to learn, to grow, to develop friendships and to make lasting memories. We want every student to feel that they belong at Callerton to have a sense of purpose, to take pride in themselves and to be proud of the academy they represent.

Creating that sense of belonging extends beyond our students and into our wider community. We are excited to continue developing opportunities for families and local residents to engage with academy life. Our first community event, the Summer Music Festival, held in partnership with New Writing North, was a wonderful celebration of creativity and talent. Students from both Callerton Academy and Simonside Primary School treated the audience to an incredible evening of singing, Irish dancing, poetry, drama, orchestral performances and solo and duet musical pieces. Every performer demonstrated confidence, dedication and remarkable talent, and everyone involved should be incredibly proud.

As we come to the end of the academic year, I would like to make you aware of a few important updates and reminders to help ensure a smooth start in September.

Mobile Phones in School

Mobile Phones in School From September, there will be changes to our mobile phone expectations for students. Please take a moment to read the full details in our letter here.

Uniform Policy

We have also updated our Uniform Policy. We ask that all families familiarise themselves with the expectations before purchasing uniform for the new academic year. The full policy can be found here.

Free School Meals 

We would also like to remind families about the recent changes to Free School Meals. If you have not yet had the opportunity to read our previous communications, you can find them here.

If you think your child may now be eligible for Free School Meals, we encourage you to check your eligibility and apply as soon as possible.

Year 6 Transition

For families of children joining us in Year 7 from Year 6, if you have any questions over the summer regarding your child's transition, please contact us via admin@callertonacademy.org.uk. We will respond as soon as possible.

Support During the Summer Holidays 

Although the school will be closed during the summer break, support is still available if you or your family need it you can contact, admin@callertonacademy.org.uk we will respond as soon as possible.

The Local Authority offer a wide range of services and information details can be found here.

Safeguarding

We know that many children will enjoy spending time online, whether they're playing games, staying in touch with friends or exploring new interests.

We encourage parents and carers to take an interest in the apps, games and websites their children are using, check that privacy settings are appropriate and continue to have regular conversations about staying safe online. These simple steps can help children enjoy the many benefits of the online world safely and confidently.

For further advice and practical guidance on supporting your child online, please visit the NSPCC's Keeping Children Safe Online page.

Changes to the School Day

As we look ahead to September, we are excited to begin another new chapter together, including the introduction of our new five-lesson school day. We look forward to welcoming our new Year 7 students on Wednesday 2nd September, followed by students in Years 8, 9, 10 and 11 on Thursday 3rd September. The school day will begin promptly at 8.35am and finish at 3.05pm.

Parking and Road Safety 

A polite reminder to families who drop off or pick up their children from school that we should be respectful of our residents. Please do not park in front of residents’ drives. Additionally, we have had a few concerned members of the public contacting us about a minority of students behaving unsafely on the roads. We continue to raise road safety with students in assembly and ask that you please also do so at home.

Aerosols 

Please note that students should not have aerosols cans (deodorants, body sprays, etc.) in school. Please ensure that your child does not bring them to school.

Water Bottles

We kindly ask parents and carers that students are encouraged to bring a refillable water bottle to school each day.

Finally, I would like to thank every member of our school community for making this another memorable and successful final term. Together, we continue to build a school where students are known, valued and encouraged to achieve their very best.

On behalf of all the staff at Callerton Academy, I wish you and your families a safe, relaxing and enjoyable summer break.

We hope you have time to rest, make wonderful memories and return refreshed for another exciting year ahead. We look forward to seeing you all in September.

With very best wishes,

Mrs Cooke

Head of School