Dear Parents and Carers,
As we go into the Christmas holidays I would like to share with you some of the incredible things that have happened at NUAST this term but also thank you for your on going support in helping us provide the best opportunities for our amazing students.
This term we have been delighted with the feedback about communication, the move to Classcharts has been really successful with parents/carers telling us they find it easier to use and that the information, including behaviour and attendance information is really useful. We are really pleased that each week, the number of positive points awarded has increased considerably, we have replaced our weekly target of 10000 positives with a target of 30000 positives - a target we achieve most weeks. The ratio of positives to negatives is incredibly high.
There are a number of things we are incredibly proud of which have happened this term, many feature in the articles below. We have implemented a new PSHE programme for all students which is an integral part of our personal development programme. Students have continued to benefit from lots of exciting trips and from the range of inspirational speakers we have provided; our "An Audience with....." initiative is getting some well known, influential and successful people from a range of backgrounds including government, industry, medicine, policing and TV. Please encourage your child to attend these sessions as this is a unique initiative with speakers of a really high standard. Details of these sessions is shared via ClassCharts.
We have had a number of visitors in school this term, the feedback we have received from them is overwhelmingly positive with these visitors commenting on the respect shown by staff and students in every interaction, they also comment on the engagement of students in lessons and high standards of behaviour around the site.
I hope that you enjoy reading about the achievements at NUAST in this newsletter and thank you for your continued support.
Kind Regards
Dave Thompson
Headteacher
At the end of half term 1, there was an electric atmosphere in our attendance and rewards celebration assembly. So many students with 100% attendance and in the draw for great prizes - all getting free chip cobs too! #resilience #respect #aspiration
Thank you for your continued support in ensuring that your child arrives on time - there has been a huge decrease in lateness.
Additionally, thank you for contributing to the NUAST culture of 'Everyone attending, every day". Further awards are going to be given out on Friday 13th December and our Feed a Family Friday incentive for students with 100% in that week will continue into the new year!
Tutors, Heads of Year and our attendance officer will continue to contact parents/carers of students who have attendance below the expectation of 96%. This is a supportive step to ensure that any potential barriers to attendance are removed and to ensure that all our students avoid gaps in learning which could impact on progress.
We are proud of the fact that our attendance has remained well above national averages, and we thank our community for their support in ensuring children have the very best opportunity to go beyond what they thought was possible in later life.
NUAST is committed to creating a safe and secure environment for pupils and promoting a climate where children will feel confident about sharing any concerns which they may have about their own safety or the well-being of others.
Adults and students are clear about how to report safeguarding concerns which can be done in a variety of ways. Our safeguarding team consists of:
During the holidays, we are opening the school at the times below for any student who feels they would like to drop in and talk to a member of staff or just want to catch up.
Friday 20th December 2024 - 10:00-12:00
Friday 27th December 2024 - 10:00-12:00
Friday 3rd January 2025 - 10:00-12:00
Safeguarding: Web links for parents/carers
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/reporting-abuse/nspcc-helpline
https://www.mytutor.co.uk/blog/parents/the-parents-guide-to-teaching-your-teen-online-safety/
NCSCB Staying Safe Online Information for Parents/Carers
http://familytime.io/?gclid=CKHxztni0cwCFbYK0wodAcIAFQ
If a child is experiencing online bullying or something else online has worried the they should speak to an appropriate trusted adult, or they can talk to Childline at any time on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk.
This term has seen a massive improvement in the standards of uniform across all year groups and your support with this is really appreciated. As a result, the need for staff to remind students of the expectations has been massively reduced and we have been able to have space for far more positive conversations to take place. We will of course continue our drive for excellence in all that we do at NUAST, that includes all students wearing our uniform with pride.
Additionally, thank you for your help in ensuring that all KS3/4 students are wearing all items of uniform (ties, shoes and blazers) prior to entering the school gate, this has resulted in students being settled more quickly. Please note that our uniform policy states that shoes should be 'Smart, polished flat shoes with a sturdy sole that can have up to a one inch heel'. This remains unchanged from previous years and any shoes which can't be polished are not permitted, nor are boots.
All academy staff are aware of the expectations so that we can consistently apply these across the academy in line with policy. For more information on our uniform policy, including the standards expected for 6th form students, please see - https://www.nuast.org.uk/page.php?p=uniform
Equipment:
In order to get your child off to the best possible start, please ensure they have the following equipment for their first day back in September:
Our Year 11 students will be doing their mock examinations in January. These are a great opportunity for the students to practice under exam conditions. Mock exams are incredibly beneficial, they encourage students to start revising early, practice effective revision strategies, improve their knowledge and learn which areas need more work.
Below is the exam timetable, please note the expected finish times of the afternoon exams, some are slightly later than the usual school day.
Below are some of the reasons mock exams are so important to our students.
Motivation to start revision early
Research suggests that 75% of students consider themselves to be procrastinators, with 50% doing so regularly and to a level that is considered a problem. The author of one of the biggest studies on procrastination, researcher Piers Steel, states that “the further away an event is, the less impact it has on people’s decisions.”
In essence, summer exams feel like a lifetime away for teenagers so some will only really start working hard for them after Easter. By having mock exams earlier in the year, students have the opportunity to focus their attention and effort earlier.
Students can practice effective revision strategies
The students have had regular form time sessions on effective revision strategies so now is the time to put them into action! They learnt 
that some of the most used techniques to aid revision are actually the least effective, including highlighting or re-reading key passages. One reason for their ineffectiveness is they do not force you to think deeply and critically about the topic, so they often end up being done on autopilot.
Mock exams let students practice revision strategies that are proven to be more helpful and discover what works best for them. There are several memory strategies that have been found to be effective. In one of the most comprehensive reviews on memory, researchers found that the following strategies are useful: spacing out revision sessions (so that there is enough time to forget and then re-learn); teaching the material to someone else (this forces you to think about the material in a clear and structured way); and switching between topics every now and then (which helps you build on previous revision sessions).
Improve knowledge
Testing yourself is an effective way to improve your knowledge and ability to recall information. In a study on mock exams, researchers found that students who did a practice test after a period of revision did better on the final exam than those students who didn’t do the mock exam and had just spent the whole time revising.
Instead of seeing an exam as a potentially threatening event or as some sort of judgment on their ability, it would be great if we could help students to see their mock exams as a handy way of improving their knowledge and memory.
Also, if students have a particularly bad mock exam, better to have the shock in the mock, than the final exam. It can act as a call to action that perhaps they need to do more work, change revision strategies and develop skills needed to perform under pressure
Allow students to practice under exam conditions
Pressure can do funny things to students. For some, it can lead to nerves, anxiety, frustration and sloppy mistakes, culminating in a poor 
performance. For others, pressure allows them to concentrate more, work harder and perform better. It takes time and practice to perform well under pressure. If the final summer exams are the first time students experience these conditions, it is lottery as to how they react.
Mock exams are a great opportunity for students to figure out and practice what works best for them. Techniques to manage exam nerves could include actively slowing down, channeling any nerves into helpful behaviour or listening to some relaxing music beforehand.
Identify topics that need attention
Doing mocks in January gives students time before the real thing to target areas that need improvement. Mock exam results can identify how best to spend the coming months for students.
Once these areas are identified, it is then a case of putting in the hours. It is not enough to think about what you need to do better; it is the action and the doing that really makes a difference.
Being comfortable and confident enough to ask someone else for help, be it a teacher, parent or carer, is a big part of having a growth mindset. Mock exams can be used as a way of getting students to feel comfortable receiving feedback, which paves the way for further improvement and learning.
Every September, there is a buzz around books at NUAST! All students in Year 7 and Year 8 get to choose a book of their choice from a list of fantastic titles. They received their books last week as an early Christmas present. Some students have already finished their books, and we encourage students to swap books with each other to pass on the love of reading.
The Christmas holidays is a long one: losing yourself in a good book is a great way to enjoy this free time! If you don't have a book or need some suggestions, take books from the bookshelves in the breakout area or come and speak to any member of staff.
Student Council has been going from strength to strength. NUAST students have engaged in discussions regarding enrichment provision and have presented ideas which will be shared as part of the wider curriculum next half term. Students continue to shape the direction of change within the school, so that they have ownership over improvement priorities and respectfully connect with the NUAST community and beyond.
Next half term, students will turn their attention to ideas relating to positive recognition and rewards at NUAST.
9th October - Over 150 pupils from local schools took part in a range of hands- on computer science activities to learn about AI as part of celebrations for Ada Lovelace Day.
Organised by a team led by Dr Marjahan Begum from the University of Nottingham’s School of Computer Science with students from Women in Computer Science Society and Computer Science Society. The team organised activities focusing on the AI revolution and aim to help young people understand what AI is and how it will impact their future.
Year 8 and 9 girls from Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology (NUAST) took in a day of events on campus with talks from AI scientists and students about their ground breaking work. The girls also took part in hands-on activities using bbc micro:bit and understand AI through unplugged activity. They also attended a workshop on responsible AI.
A big thank you to the University of Nottingham who hosted NUAST girls for the Ada Lovelace Day. Lots of great sessions to inspire the next generation of female programmers #aspiration #STEM
Anti-Bullying Week is an annual event that aims to raise awareness of bullying of young people, with an emphasis on prevention and effective responses to bullying. It began in 2002 and is coordinated by the charity Anti-Bullying Alliance.
Anti-Bullying Week 2024 took place on Monday 11th - Friday 15th November. The theme was Choose Respect and NUAST actively promoted this through 'Odd Socks Day'
Whilst incidents of bullying are uncommon at NUAST, the academy takes bullying seriously and will work with parents/carers and students to resolve any concerns around bullying.
Bullying can take a number of forms:
Physical bullying involves hitting, shoving, pushing, tripping, and other kinds of force.
Verbal bullying involves hurtful comments, name-calling, teasing.
Social bullying involves using relationships to hurt someone.
Cyberbullying happens over phones or through social media and the internet.
We would ask that concerns are raised as quickly as possible with the Head of Year or Form Tutor as soon as you suspect bullying. Students can speak to any member of staff to report concerns.
The links below will take you to external websites that offer support to both students and parents who are concerned about bullying.
http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Bullying/Pages/Bullyinghome.aspx
NUAST Running Success – A Celebration of Achievement!
This term, NUAST has been buzzing with excitement as our running teams
and events continue to shine!
Highlights of Our Running Achievements:
#NUASTRunningSuccess #Teamwork #CrossCountry #Celebration
Our successful applicants to be Year 8 NUAST sports leaders received their full induction this half term. They’re now ready to plan, co-ordinate and run Y7 sports for next half-term!
We know there are life-changing benefits for young people who participate in sports and physical activity. They tell us about the increase in their confidence, resilience, and the overall improvement to both their physical and mental health.
With Sports Leadership, we have the chance to use sports and physical activity as a way of supporting learners to develop the essential skills they need to plan, develop and deliver activities that bring these benefits to their communities.
#respect #resilience #aspiration #studentleadership
50 runners represented NUAST at the City Schools Cross Country Championships at Wollaton park. There were some top class performances by the students and they all represented the School with respect and resilience to complete the tough course at Wollaton #resilience #respect
29th November - Who would have thought it possible?... building on last year's Nova Education Trust Orchestra performance, NUAST students were part of the performance this year. The orchestra, comprising of students from all the Trust secondary schools, as joined by all the primaries with a choir! A tremendous collaborative effort and and excellent opportunity for the students taking part!
18th November - We know that our students are natural scientists and engineers. They love to question, tinker, experiment, and play. VEX competitions foster these skills and capitalise on the motivational effects of competitions and robotics to help all students create an identity as a STEM learner. VEX competitions are also a great way to expose students to valuable soft skills like communication, collaboration and time-management in a fun and authentic way. The VEX Robotics competition prepares students to become future innovators, with 95% of participants reporting an increased interest in STEM subject areas and pursuing STEM-related careers.
A huge congratulations to our NUAST VEXRobotics team for achieving the Judges Award. A fantastic achievement for our younger students which provides excellent promise for future competitions!
28th September - History being brought to life with a visit to Durham Cathedral. Students were amazed by the experience and there is no doubt that they will have a greater understanding whilst preparing for their GCSE History. Thank you to all involved! #aspiration #resilience #respect
3rd October - Year 7 were on their way to their residential trip at Walesby.
There are many benefits to students going on a residential school trip. From developing their self confidence to improving their physical development, children will gain knowledge and experience that will help them inside and outside of the classroom.
NUAST students had a fantastic time at Walesby and the year group returned having got to know each other so much better and have pulled together as a team to support each other since.
'An Audience with....' was launched this half term and will continue throughout the year. This is where high profile inspirational guest speakers attend NUAST and talk to students about their jobs and their life journey!
Very pleased to meet Lilian Greenwood MP on 13th September 2024. Our students were inspired and are now more determined to reach their ambitious goals. Lillian Greenwood said "Good to chat with Headteacher Dave Thompson and to meet this group of impressive students with an interest in politics - definitely could be MPs of the future and good to hear some of them aspiring to the top job of PM! #Aspiration"
On the 26th September, NUAST16 welcomed David Thompson from Rolls Royce to speak to year 13 about career opportunities - it was great to be able to welcome David to speak to our aspirational 6th form! #aspiration #resilience #respect
4th December - We were honoured to have had Claire Ward - Mayor of the East Midlands host our first “NUAST presents an Audience with……”. Claire was truly inspirational and our students were (as always) wonderful, asking well thought out and profound questions. #aspiration #stem
Over the next term we will be welcoming a number of speakers. Councillor Neghat Khan (Leader of Nottingham City Council) will join us on Wednesday 29th January and Professor Sarah Sharples (Chief Scientific Officer for the Department for Transport) will host "An Audience With..." on Wednesday 25th February.
We were absolutely overwhelmed with the number of parents and carers who attended our Open Evening in October. Despite having more than one presentation in the hall, the school was packed with visitors wanting to know more about the academy and with parents/carers wanting to know how to get their child a place for September 2025.
Two of our Year 7 students wrote their own speech for the evening which was incredible and really highlighted how much our students are aware of our core values - Respect, Resilience and Aspiration - but also exactly what these values look like on a day to day basis.
We were also joined by a very special guest, Eva the robot, who captured many photos from the evening and made the event very special!
We thank everyone who came along to have a look around and we hope to see many of them soon!
It has been an exciting term for NUAST16. Our new facilities have increased our capacity to provide learning spaces which suit the specific studying needs of our students. Our new year 12 students have settled in extremely well and have definitely added a new energy to NUAST16 particularly in the range of clubs and societies which are on offer – ranging from the Aviation Society to the Volleyball Club. Year 13 have been busy preparing for their post 18 pathways. 53 students submitted early entry applications, a number of our students have applied for Degree Apprenticeships including Rolls Royce and are busy going through the selection process. We look forward to continue working with you in supporting your child in their desire to succeed in their studies and lay the foundations to achieve their future aspirations.
Some Reminders...
Culture Code
Students have continued to embrace The Sixth Form Culture Code. We see our Sixth form students as role models for the school and the wider community, and as such model the highest standard of behavior, conduct and respect. We believe this to be important as we want to equip our students to raise the bar for themselves in their preparedness for their future career pathways.
Being a role model at NUAST includes meeting the following expectations.
Dress Code
The vast majority of our students are dressed impeccably and visitors to the school frequently comment on the confidence and professionalism of our students. There are a minority of students who are not meeting our expectations of professional dress. Please check the choice of outfits carefully and support your child in meeting the requirements of NUAST16.
Coats in the building
This may seem minor, but we expect our students to look smart and professional and to be recognisable as such. We do not allow students to wear their coats in the building. These can be put in bags, lockers or neatly carried with students as they move around the building. Please encourage your child to not wear their coat in the building and support us with this.
The Sixth Form Student Leadership Team
Our Sixth Form Student Leadership Team have gone from strength to strength. They have supported the Academy’s progress evenings and have presented to parents at our Year 12 Open Evening. They continue to meet regularly with the Senior Leadership Team and have been instrumental in raising the profile of NUAST16 within the wider community.
The leadership team consists of:
We will be recruiting for further positions in the new year.
Attendance in morning registration
Students are expected to attend morning registration and be on site by 8.25. We deliver a personal development/careers programme each morning and we expect students to participate. For year 12, these include activities around mental health, study skills, professional skills, personal development, safety and understanding how our country works. For year 13, focus is currently on UCAS and future preparation for post 19 pathways, with our skills sessions starting soon. These morning sessions also focus on skills students will need for the next stage of their lives- how to pay bills, what to look out for when looking to rent, debit and credit cards, loans etc. We expect students to attend these sessions- please support them to be on time.
Travel buddy, not walking alone
The safety of our students is a key focus and we continue to develop systems and strategies to ensure students are as safe as possible on the short ten minute walk between the main building and the Villa.
We have consulted with experts from Ofsted over the best practise safeguarding measures, and as a result the following will apply:
Traveling between buildings
We have already implemented a rule that students should not travel between the buildings alone. Students should only travel in pairs, groups, or in sight of other pupils. Walking alone is fine, so long as other NUAST pupils are walking in near sight ahead or behind. Reception staff will attempt to challenge students moving between buildings on their own when no others have left within a couple of minutes or are following.
While we do not expect students to face any danger walking between buildings, we have been advised that this simple rule will overall improve student safety. We ask that, as parents, you support us by reinforcing this with your child.
Lanyards and ID cards
It is mandatory for safeguarding reasons that students wear their lanyards at all times with their ID card visibly showing whilst on the school sites. We use a card reading system currently that indicates when a student is in the building. Students can use their cards to sign in at the screen or through the turnstiles, and this will automatically sign the student into the building. We then ask that they sign out through the screens, which give options of where they are going if they are leaving. We ask students to please indicate why they are leaving- whether that be to go to the other building, to go out for lunch or to go home.
This InVentry system, used correctly by students, allows us to see whether a student is in either building at all times, thus ensuring we know when your child is with us. We use this alongside our lesson registers to ensure we know that your child is where they should be. It is important that you encourage your child to always bring their card with them, along with their lanyard.
Walking immediately between buildings
It is a 10-12 minute journey on foot between buildings. We have worked the timetable as well as we possibly can in order to minimise movement for both staff and students, but inevitably there will be some. Where a student has consecutive lessons in different buildings, they should ask their first teacher to allow them to leave the lesson 5 minutes early. This should allow them to be no more than 5-7 minutes late for their next lesson, minimising impact over hour long lessons. Again, parents can help us by talking to your child and encouraging them to leave each building in plenty of time to get to their next lesson when traveling on a free period, and to avoid stopping at the shops etc when they are on a tight deadline to reach a lesson.
Punctuality
We are currently keeping a daily register of pupils who arrive late for morning tutor time. Heads of year will be keeping track of these and we intend to move to a text message or email system to let parents know when their child is late for school. Please help us by encouraging your child to be on time and reinforcing the importance of this
Assessment mocks
Y13 mock assessments will commence on Wednesday 8th January 2025. Lessons will continue as normal when students do not have exams. All assessments will be in the main hall.
Y12 assessment window will commence on the week beginning 22nd January 2025. Assessments will take place in the classroom environment.
Progress evenings
Enrichment and Careers
Students have had a number of opportunities to participate in skills builders events over the past half term. These include:
We have also had visiting speakers from Rolls Royce and Yipiyap who offer a gap year tutoring programme in the UK
NUAST16 Super-Curricular Award
On the 28th November we held a celebration event for year 13 to recognise the achievements of our students over the past year. Canopies were served before we introduced a personalised message from Baasit Siddiqui. Bronze, Silver and Gold awards were presented to 83 of our year 13 students.
The Super-Curricular award has now been launched with our year 12 students. To support our students in widening their skill set in order to compete against the very best we have introduced Leave Your Legacy Friday. Over the course of this academic year students will gain experience working as reading buddies or mentors, enrol on MOOCs (Massive Open Online Learning Courses) and engage in fund raising activities. Leave Your Legacy Friday will create strong foundations for our students to build upon and use to strengthen their applications for University or Apprenticeships. We look forward to celebrating their success in year 13.
Rucksack and Coat Appeal
Thank you for all your donations for the rucksack and coat appeal for the homeless. Ms Akhtar and Ms Karim loaded their cars last week and delivered 49 winter coats, gloves, hats, scarves and sleeping bags. Donations have also been gifted by students and parents.
An Audience with…
Our first audience with…… took place on the 4th December. Claire Ward, Mayor of the Midlands delivered an inspirational talk and conducted a Q and A session with our students. Our Sixth Formers respectfully asked challenging questions to the Mayor which were very well received. The Sixth Formers who attended are looking forward to the new year where we will have audiences with the leader of Nottingham City Council and our police commissioner.
Tutor Time
Year 12 key themes this term have been:
Next term, tutor time will be focusing on:
Year 13 tutor time has had a very busy term with a post 18 focus:
Most students have now completed their personal statements and made their university choices. Please encourage your child to send through their application so we can check and send.
Mental Health
Mr Atkin has delivered an assembly on support available within the school. Ms Akhtar offer support and mentoring for students who are experiencing difficulties inside and outside of sixth form. Her email addresses is:
Pakhtar@nuast.org
Clubs
A number of clubs and societies run weekly. These include:
Sixth Form Leadership Team
We are excited to announce the appointments of two new Deputy Heads of Sixth Form from January. Laura Procter will be joining us from Melton Vale Sixth Form College and will be overseeing year 13. Chloe Dove will be joining us from Bluecoat Trent and will be overseeing year 12.
On behalf of the Sixth Form Leadership, support team and tutors we wish you a restful break and look forward to meeting you in the new year.
Our breakfast club provision continues to be provided free of charge and with more activities on offer for students to engage with and socialise. The range of food on offer is varied and there is definitely something for everyone. A great start to each morning!
Join our X (formally known as Twitter) community for content and the latest news and announcements! We have had much to celebrate so far and our students should be proud of their achievements - click the image below to learn more of what has been going on in and out of NUAST! @NUASTUK
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