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We are excited to welcome back our ‘gems’ on Tuesday 6th September in full uniform and with full equipment. A letter outlining the arrangements for students returning back to school is on our website and has been shared with all parents and carers.

Today we have welcomed our newest staff members to Team JQA. I am excited to introduce new teachers and support staff to our students tomorrow.

All this week, students will be practising and reminding themselves of how we do it here at JQA – a ‘good’ school with ‘gold standard’ expectations. Year 7 will start with an assembly from me on Tuesday morning and Years 8-11 will have a message broadcast in their form rooms with key messages and expectations. Our teachers will spend the week walking students through key routines for learning. No students will need to bring PE kit on Tuesday. Our new Year 7 students will shortly sit a series of ‘baseline assessments’ as they begin their journey at JQA. Year 7 students also have photographs on Wednesday.

We are looking forward to giving out lots of merits in the first week for demonstrating our CORE values (see poster).

How we earn merits at JQA

We look forward to those ‘first day’ photos from Year 7 families and if you would like to tag us on social media, please feel free to do so. We want our families to be proud that they have a ‘priceless’ place at JQA.

This year, we are launching our Collaboration Coffee Mornings on Wednesdays from 9-11am. These will be hosted by Mr Bibb, Assistant Headteacher for Collaboration and Mr Francis, our Polishing Manager. I would like to invite any parents to attend this ‘open’ event if they require support with anything at all that we might be able to help with. The cost of living crisis continues to affect our communities and we want to be open to being somewhere families can come and seek support with any challenges they face.

A reminder to all families that our CORE Extra programme begins next Tuesday on the 13th September. Students will be in an extra session from 3.10 to 4.10 and will find out what sessions they have been allocated. Year 7 students will also make their preferences shortly.

Our events page and the Family Handbook are essential reading for all families. I would expect all parents to sign and return the Home-School Collaboration Document that is sent home with your child tomorrow.

We have a Year 11 Information Evening coming up and I look forward to welcoming all our new Year 11 students and their families to learn more about the journey ahead of them and the expectations we place upon them. Ms Ivey will shortly write a letter to welcome Year 11 families to that event.

A reminder to all families that we offer FREE breakfast to all students who arrive between 8.15-8.30. This is bagels and cereal. We encourage all students to take advantage of this provision.

I am very excited to welcome our wonderful students, our gems, back to JQA tomorrow!

As always, please call us on 0121 729 7220, leaving a message if lines are busy, and we will support you.

You can always contact me directly this week at: [email protected]