What a year 2024-2025 was for Fabulous Firbeck Academy. As a school we are always immensely proud of what our pupils achieve and do. Last academic year we saw an incredible amount of engagement in learning, educational visits and enrichment opportunities. The impact of this is reflected in our academic outcomes and in the responses from our recent pupil survey. Within this survey 99% of our pupils said they are happy and feel safe at Firbeck Academy. The other 1% did say they did not like school and so it would not matter, which school they went to they would not be happy. It will be our mission this year to change that!
During the last term of 2024-2025 every visitor that came into Firbeck commented on how calm and purposeful the school is. They also commented positively on our pupils' politeness and confidence, something we have all worked really hard to improve.
We would like to thank all of the pupils that represented Firbeck Academy at the different events we took part in during 2024-2025, such as Primary Parliament, Maths and Poetry workshops, STEM projects and the Shakespeare Festival at the Playhouse.
During 2023-2024 whole school attendance was only 92.6% and persistent absenteeism was 31%, nearly double the national. At the start of 2024-2025 we made it our focus to work with all stakeholders to improve this. Through this focus we have increased attendance to 94.5% and reduced persistent absenteeism to 17.3%. This is an achievement to recognise. However, we will not stop making attendance a priority, as being in school is key to academic success and building social confidence.
As a school we would like to thank the staff for all their hard work and dedication. We wish our Year 6 pupils the best of luck as they start secondary school next week - we know they will be amazing. We would also like to say good luck to the staff that have left Firbeck for other exciting educational adventures.
Lastly, we would like to thank all of you, for entrusting us in the educational future of your child/children. Your continued support for the school and the kind words you frequently share demonstrates that our partnership to transforming the lives of our pupils is becoming successful.
We hope you have enjoyed the summer break and we look forward to seeing all of you on Monday 1st September 2025.
Throughout 2024-2025 the children arranged various activities in order to raise money for their chosen charities, this included everything from a sponsored scooter to a pyjama day and even a car wash.
Below are the totals of what the classes raised:
EYFS - £114 for the Deaf Society
Year 1 and Year 2 - £124 for Crisis Emmanuel House
Year 3 and 4 - £183.04 for the RSPCA
Year 5 - £114 for Make a Wish
Year 6 - £65.36 for MIND
Well done to all of our children this was a great achievement!
We will continue with our school responsibility project this year and look forward to supporting our chosen charities further.
As many of you are aware there will be some staffing changes from the start of this year.
It is with a heavy heart that we let you know that Mrs Bishop, our amazing School Business Manager, will be leaving Firbeck at the end of August. Mrs Bishop will be taking up a new role as School Business Manager, at a brand new school, and widening this role across various schools, closer to home.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Bishop for all of her hard work and dedication. She has certainly helped develop and improve many systems and processes at the school, which have immensely improved a lot of the admin work, that happens behind the scenes.
We wish her the best of luck and we have no doubt that she will be a wonderful asset in her new role.
We will also be welcoming two new members of staff from the 1st September:
Miss Brandom will be joining our Midday Supervisor team and Mrs Artis will be joining us as the new school Office Manager.
Attendance Challenge:
The children that achieved perfect attendance between the 9th and 23rd July got the opportunity to take part in some inflatable fun on the last day of term! This included 97% of our pupils - what an achievement.
As we begin the new school year this September, we would like to remind you how important regular attendance is for your child’s education and development.
Every school day matters. Children who attend school regularly not only make the best academic progress, but they also build friendships, develop routines, and gain confidence. Missing even a few days can make it harder for them to keep up with their learning and can affect their overall wellbeing.
From September, our expectation is that all children attend school every day, on time, unless they are genuinely unwell. Please support your child by:
We are here to support families with any challenges around attendance, so please do get in touch if you need advice or help. Together, we can ensure your child has the best possible start to the year.
Reasons for when absences will be unauthorised:
| What will be counted as an unauthorised absence? |
What can be done to help in this situation?
|
| Colds, coughs, headaches, nausea, hay fever, sore throats, migraines, period pains, cold sores or conjunctivitis, feeling sick or unwell. |
Please check the NHS guidance: "Is my child too ill for school?" Let school know your child is feeling ill so we can monitor them in school, if the illness is minor. Please give them doses of recommended medicine before school, for mild illnesses. If your child has been diagnosed with migraines by your GP, please let school know. If your child feels unwell in school, they should report to Student Reception and a trained First Aider can support them (children must never use their phones to contact parents to say they need picking up).
|
| No communication at all from a parent or carer |
Parents and carers have a duty to call in and explain their child’s absence. For family emergencies, please ensure you contact us about your situation and we will offer support.
|
|
Unevidenced medical appointments (doctors, dentist etc.) |
Ask for a letter/email/text message to confirm your child’s appointment. You can send in a screenshot of appointment confirmations.
|
| Holidays |
Please always book holidays during the school holidays only. Fixed Penalty Notices will be issued for unauthorised holidays.
|
| Feeling tired after a weekend sports fixture or other extracurricular event/school trip |
Inform the school that your child is tired. We can monitor and support in school.
|
| Physical injuries that could be catered for in school |
If your child has a physical injury, contact school for support on how they can attend.
|
| Your child refuses to attend school |
Call our Attendance Officer immediately and we can offer support. If your child is experiencing friendship issues, or is worried about a past incident, send them to school and let us know. We can best support your child when they are in school.
|
| Head lice and nits |
Please treat your child’s hair with a medical shampoo and call school to let us know. Children can return once they have been treated.
|
| Low mood or anxiety |
Call our Attendance Officer immediately and we can offer support. If your GP, or other medical professional, has expressed concerns about your child’s mental health please contact school for support
|
| Sunburn |
Please apply appropriate after-sun cream and give doses of appropriate medicine. Contact us if you need further support.
|
|
Unevidenced and unagreed sporting/musical activities |
All external sporting/music activities must be evidenced and agreed by the head/deputy head. Contact school as soon as you know dates for these activities.
|
| More than one day for religious observance |
Children are granted 1 day for religious observance. Further absences would be unauthorised.
|
| Uniform |
School is able to provide uniform if they have misplaced an item. School is able to lend uniform until you are able to purchase the correct item
|
|
Arriving to school after the register has closed (U code) |
Contact the school as soon as possible if your child will be late the school.
|
We do require all children to wear the Firbeck Academy School uniform as we find it helps to create a positive school identity, a sense of belonging and pride, and finally, a calm and focused learning environment.
Sweatshirts, cardigans and polo shirts with the school logo are available from Morley’s School Outfitters (details below). However, plain versions are perfectly acceptable and are available from most supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury's.
Our supplier for school logo items is Morley’s School Outfitters.
Morley’s School Outfitters: 116 – 118 Bramcote Avenue, Chilwell, Nottingham, NG9 4DR
Tel: 01159258046
Make-up, nail varnish and false nails are not permitted. Jewellery is limited to a watch and one stud ear-ring per ear. If stud earrings are worn, the teacher may ask your child to remove them or cover them with a little piece of masking tape.
Fashion items are not par of a child's personality, individuality or character, so are not allowed in school.
Please make sure that your child’s belongings are labeled with their name as this helps us to locate the owner of any lost property.
PE Kit
All children must bring in an appropriate PE kit in line with school uniform expectations. Where a child does not have thier PE kit parents will be contacted to bring this in as it is important they have clothes to get changed into.
Water Bottles
All children will be provided with a 'Firbeck' water bottle, meaning water bottles will no longer need to be brought in from home.
All bottles will be named and will remain in school at all times. To ensure they are kept clean they will go through a regular dishwasher cycle and they will also be kept topped up with fresh water at all times.
We hope you will support us in promoting and encouraging the children to use their new school water bottle and to drink plenty of water while they are in school, as there are so many health benefits to choosing water over other sugary or artificially sweetened drinks.
Children will only be allowed to drink water throughout the day unless they have a medical condition that requires a different drink. If this is the case please speak with the school office in the first instance.
Rattle and Roll Performance
We are passionate about providing wraparound care (breakfast and after school clubs) that offer a safe, enriching and nurturing environment for children. We strive to provide childcare that parents feel really happy with, safe in the knowledge that their child will be having fun, learning new skills and engaging in structured activities. And we pride ourselves in this childcare being really appealing to the children that attend – so they look forward to coming and spending time with us.
Our sessions are focussed and structured. Children join us at the beginning and the end of the school day where we start with a drink and a snack and a bit of downtime. This includes free play and free choice including activities like craft, lego, construction, reading, art, playing outside with friends. Then we run structured sessions and the children are split by age for these.
Breakfast Club
At our breakfast clubs we prepare the children for the school day, in a relaxed and engaging environment, with a balanced breakfast and lots of activities to get them ready for the day ahead. We offer a broad range of choices in breakfast including bagels, croissants, malt loaf, fruit loaf, waffles, pancakes, toast, muffins, crumpets, fruit, yogurts, cereal and a range of juices, plus milk and water too. Children are guided to eat healthily, along with the encouragement to try new things. Breakfast Club starts from 07:30am onwards and we will look after the children until school begins. We can accommodate different working patterns too so the children can arrive at any time to suit you. Each session costs £4.50.
After School Club
At the end of a busy school day we welcome children to our after school clubs for lots of fun. All our sessions are planned by fully qualified primary school teachers which ensures a continuation of provision from the school day, but in a relaxed and fun way. We offer sports (dodgeball, football, yoga, rounders, basketball, netball etc) performing arts, craft and team building games and challenges to ensure the children can try new activities, enhance their skills and passions, and build their confidence and social skills. Our after school clubs run until 6pm and we provide a healthy snack i.e. bagels, wraps, breadsticks and plenty of fruit and vegetables. Each session cost £11.
We accept all childcare vouchers.
BOOKINGS
All bookings are made through our website www.rattleandrollperformance.com where you can find more information. If you need any further information please call 07722 014301 or email enquiries@rattleandrollperformance.com
Monday 1st September - Children start back at school
Tuesday 9th September - Year 5 Swimming Lessons start
Friday 12th September - Roald Dahl Day
Wednesday 24th September - St Leonards Energise Club (3.20 - 5.00pm)
Friday 26th September - European Day of Languages
Friday 3rd October - Staff INSET - School Closed
Monday 6th October - (pm) - Harvest Festival @ St Leonards Church
Friday 24th October - Last Day of Term
Monday 3rd November - Children start back at school
Monday 10th - Friday 14th November - Anti Bullying Week
Monday 10th November - Odd Socks Day
Tuesday 11th November - Remembrance Day
Wednesday 26th November - St Leonards Energise Club (3.20 - 5.00pm)
Monday 1st December (am) - Key Stage 1 visiting St Leonards Church - Christmas Activities
Wednesday 3rd December (am) - Year 3 and Year 4 visiting St Leonards Church - Christmas Activities
Wednesday 3rd December (pm) - Year 5 and Year 6 visiting St Leonards Church - Christmas Activities
Monday 8th December (pm) - Key Stage 2 Carol Service at St Leonards Church
Thursday 11th December (pm) - Year 1 - Year 6 Pantomime Visit at Theatre Royal
Friday 12th December - Last Day of Term
Firbeck Academy
Train to teach with the Nottinghamshire Torch SCITT