Parents' Newsletters

Dear Families 

It is lovely to be writing to you at the end of the year having signed off the major school events last night with a fabulous winter concert.  The Expressive Arts department yet again created a wonderful exhibition of our students' musical talents and this year we were joined by students of Southmead and Caen Primary schools as well as our usual contribution from the Braunton Community Choir.  The summer and winter concerts are a fantastic opportunity for our students to demonstrate the hard work and dedication they do daily throughout the year to be able to perform to a crowd over 200 people.  What I love the most is being able to chart students' development and confidence in their performances over their 5 years with us.   

As well as the annual winter concert this week we have seen several house competitions both sporting and creative.  Congratulations to Clodagh for winning the Christmas card completion and Peonie for winning the Christmas cake competition.

In staffing news this week, we have said a fond farewell to Mrs Craig who will not be returning to the Academy following an extended absence. Mrs Craig has been a key member of both the senior and maths teams and has made a significant contribution to the progress of students in the school especially in her role overseeing KS4 achievement and exams. We wish her all the best in the future. The Academy is currently working on plans to reallocate these responsibilities, and I will update parents on the progress of this after the holiday. 

School reopens to staff on Monday 5th January with all students returning to school at 8:45am on Tuesday 6th January.  We are returning on a B week.   

On behalf of all the staff we wish our families a wonderful Christmas and New Year.  We look forward to welcoming all the students back in January. 

Best wishes, 

Mrs F Bowler, Principal

Whole School Messages

New this Week – Let Afghan Girls Learn Asse

Last week Marmarin delivered a speech to each year group assembly, “Let Afghan Girls Learn”, telling us how girls in Afghanistan are not allowed to attend school. This was part of an assembly around understanding Fact, Fiction and Opinions around refugees. Students were surprised that in Britain we only have just 1% of the world’s refugees which makes up a tiny 0.6% of the British population, even though the media would have us believe otherwise! Students learnt about why refugees flee their dangerous countries, why they come to Britain and how we can support them.  

Supporting Safe Mobile Phone Use Over the Holidays

The local police have contacted the Academy as they have become aware of some incidents where a concerning number of students at the Academy have received, and in some cases, shared explicit images on their mobile phones.  They have asked the Academy to pass on the message below and advised parents to check their child's phones to ensure they are not storing inappropriate images. As we approach the Christmas break, we want to remind parents about the growing concerns around children’s use of mobile phones. 

Increased screen time during the holidays can lead to exposure to explicit or illegal images, which can have serious legal and emotional consequences. Sharing explicit images of themselves or others can also result in criminal implications and long-term harm. Please take time to talk with your child about responsible online behaviour, monitor their activity, and ensure they understand that what they share online can have lasting consequences. Encourage them to think before they post, and remind them that if something goes wrong, they can always come to you for help without fear of judgment.  Information poster attached with the newsletter.

Reminder of Smartphone Policy

Braunton-Co-operative-Learning-Trust-Smartphone-Policy.pdf

Braunton Academy – Coffee & Chat Mornings

Reminder Key Uniform Expectations

Uniform - Braunton Academy - Aspire and Achieve

Borrowed Uniform 

If your child has borrowed uniform from Pastoral, especially a tie, please check and return them promptly. We no longer have uniform for students to borrow, as a result of students not returning or collecting deposits. 

Attendance: Late/Absent

Please ensure all absences, lates, appointments, etc. are recorded on ParentMail. Phone calls and messages will delay your child’s attendance being recorded accurately. Many thanks. 

Messages for Students During the School Day 

Please remember messages to students during the school day should only be required to be delivered in rare/emergency circumstances and must be received as early as possible, but no later than 3pm. 

Please communicate after school arrangements prior to your child leaving home in the morning. If you feel regular communication of this nature is needed e.g. about changing arrangements, please consider providing a non-smart phone for your child to aid such communication after school. 

Lost Property 

Any lost property that has not been claimed by the end of each half term will be either disposed of or donated to charity. Please label all children’s belongings and encourage them to check lost property for anything they may have misplaced. 

Catering

This is a polite reminder that we are a nut free school. Please ensure your child does not bring nuts or food containing nuts as part of their lunch. Many thanks.

Contact with School

Please use the email contact list on our website (link below) to help you direct your enquiries to the correct members of staff. 

Specific Contact Options - Braunton Academy - Aspire and Achieve 

Airborne Viruses

As the colder months approach, we can expect to see increases in common airborne viruses. Illness is the biggest single reason for school absence; while some absences due to illness are unavoidable, many can be reduced through simple, proactive measures that minimise the spread of infections. Scientific evidence demonstrates that vaccination, disinfection (cleaning), handwashing, and ventilation can significantly reduce the transmission of infectious diseases. 

Please take time to read the two links below to help us reduce the number of student absences this winter: 

Is my child too ill for school? - NHS      

Top tips on how to keep your child healthy at school – The Education Hub 

Rotary Club Young Writer Entries

Thank you to everyone who entered the Rotary Club Young Writer competition - we had 35 entries to submit this week. Great work! 

The Page is Printed 2026 Competition – Taunton Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre

The arts centre has publicised the following information on the competition:

Write in any genre: prose, poetry, script, a confession, a love letter, a list… be bold, be imaginative, but contain your entry to just one side of A4.

Unleash your creativity and let your imagination run wild! Whether it’s prose that transports readers to distant worlds, poetry that stirs the soul, a script that captivates with its dialogues, a confession that lays bare the depths of the heart, a love letter that resonates with passion, or even a list that surprises and intrigues – the possibilities are endless.

But remember, the canvas is limited to just one side of A4 paper. This constraint challenges you to distil your brilliance into a concise and powerful expression. It’s an invitation to be economical with your words, to craft something that lingers in the mind long after it’s read.

Our panel of judges will be looking for something that dares to be different and most importantly something that comes to life when it is read aloud.

Entries will need to be saved as a PDF and sent to Miss Reed by Wednesday 14th January 2026 to be entered.

Clubs and Activities

Year 11 DT GCSE Club every Tuesday in the DT ICT room until 4.30 pm 

Homework Club All years, every day after school in the library 3.15-4.15pm 

German Music Club Every Thursday lunchtime in room 43, bring your packed lunch and let’s listen to and study German songs together! Open to all year groups (and staff!)

KS4 Sophrology Club – Supporting Exams Wellbeing

As exam pressures continue to rise, many parents are understandably concerned about how their children cope; not just academically, but emotionally. At our school, we are proud to introduce a new initiative aimed at supporting students’ mental wellbeing and enhancing their exam preparation: the KS4 Sophrology Club. Tuesdays after school in Room 40 with Mrs Duthuit.

Full details on the website.

French Pen Friend Club Every Friday lunchtime in room 43, bring your packed lunch and let’s write letters in French to send to two French schools and get a pen-pal friendship going! Open to all year groups. 

Creative Writing Club After school (15:30-16:30) in the Library. A great opportunity to explore all forms of creative writing with like-minded people from across the school. Limited spaces. All years welcome. Please see Miss Reed (Room 66) to sign up!  

Music Clubs - Please see Mr Thomas at break or lunch to sign up 

Tuesdays - Lunch Time - Choir Rehearsals  

Thursday - Lunch Time - Music Club 

Wednesday –Lunch Time and Thursday - 3:15 - 4:15 - School Ensemble 

Friday - Lunch Time - Jazz Band 

PE and Sports Clubs 

Students playing Football on the AGP at lunchtimes must wear their shin pads with trainers or football boots. They do not need to wear PE kit.

Rugby

Year 7 & 8 – Wednesday after school until 4.15 pm 

Year 9 & 10 – Tuesday after school until 4.15 pm 

Please find a link below to the PE page of the website where you will find the updated fixtures list for this year (near the bottom of the page).  

Physical Education - Braunton Academy - Aspire and Achieve

Braunton Academy Climbing Club 

Select Braunton Academy Climbing Club and your relevant time slot. Any questions please ask. Also, with this new system you can edit the booking yourself should you book the wrong the time slot (depending on spaces). 

https://radventuresoutdoors.setmore.com

Basketball Club 

Full details on last week’s newsletter. Booking: Email David direct at davidropersports@gmail.com to book your child's place. 

Year 11 News

Careers Round Up 

Careers - Braunton Academy - Aspire and Achieve

Year 10 News

Work Experience 

Please can we remind students/parents to start thinking about where students would like to go for their work experience placement starting on Monday 18th May 2026.  The deadline to get the placement details entered onto Unifrog is Thursday 2nd April 2026.  For all the information you need, please visit the Work Experience page of the website – link below.  If your child needs help with finding a placement, please ask them to speak to Mr Parsons or Mrs Martin.   

Work Experience - Braunton Academy - Aspire and Achieve 

Year 9 News

Year 9 Assessment Exams – Thursday 15th to Monday 19th January 2026

We would like to inform you that Year 9 assessment exams will take place during the second week back after the Christmas break, from Thursday 15th to Monday 19th January. These assessments are an important opportunity for students to demonstrate their progress and prepare for the demands of GCSEs. 

For English, Maths, Science, Geography, History, and Languages, exams will be held in the Sports Hall under formal conditions to give students valuable experience of the environment they will encounter during their real GCSE exams. This practice helps build confidence and familiarity with the process. 

Subject teachers will provide revision lists to support preparation, and we strongly encourage families to help students plan and complete their revision at home. Your support in creating a calm, focused environment and checking in on their progress can make a significant difference. We will be providing students with their exam timetables soon, so please encourage your children to plan their revision and study timetable. Thank you for your continued support in helping our students achieve their best. 

Year 8 News

None this week.

Year 7 News

Year 7 Parents’ Evening 

We are pleased to invite all our Year 7 Parents to our Year 7 Parents’ Evening, which will take place on Thursday 8th January 2026 from 4.00-7.00pm. This evening provides a valuable opportunity to meet with your child’s subject teachers, discuss their progress, and explore how we can work together to support their learning journey. 

Booking has already gone live and you can book these appointments using our online booking system ‘School Cloud’ which has already been sent to you. Looking forward to seeing you all there. 

Parents' Post Autumn 2 2025

Parents' Post Autumn 1 2025