HODGSON ACADEMY
HOME ACADEMY AGREEMENT
Hodgson Academy is a successful, effective and popular Academy.
The Academy knows that parents who want to send their children to Hodgson, support the Academy in the standards it seeks to maintain and the values that it seeks to uphold in all its work with young people.
Hodgson has a Home-Academy Agreement. This is an agreement between the Academy, parents and students which sets out these standards and values. It also provides you with important information that Hodgson would wish parents to have. We use the word “parent” to involve all those who have parental responsibility for students at Hodgson. The Academy expects new parents and their children to sign the Home-Academy Agreement as evidence of their support. It also expects existing parents and their sons and daughters to re-sign the Hodgson Home-Academy Agreement on an annual basis as reaffirmation of their commitment to Hodgson and its guiding principles.
The Home-Academy Agreement is revised annually. It is a statement of intentions. It details what we expect from parents, what we expect from students and what you might expect from the Academy. There is also a final section which contains further important information for parents.
Each of the expectations contained within the Home-Academy Agreement is explored in more detail in Academy Policy Documents. Our policies or details of how to obtain them from Hodgson are laid out in full in the Parent Handbook. Please contact the Academy for further details. The Student Planner and Progress Record also contains similar information for students. All of these publications are fully revised, brought up to date and republished on an annual basis. Please do not hesitate to contact the Academy if you need further clarification of the issues raised in this Agreement. The Academy website also contains important information.
Please read the Home-Academy Agreement and discuss the contents with your child. We would then ask each of you to sign the reply slip and then ask your child to return it to their Form Progress Tutor. We will use the Home-Academy Agreement as a basis for discussion with you should the need arise. We would ask you to keep your copy of the Home-Academy Agreement for future reference throughout the Academy year.
THE ACADEMY AIMS
To develop confident, emotionally intelligent, independent and enterprising young people who take charge of their own destiny
To release the full potential of all of our learners, fostering a culture of life long learning and enabling all to be successful
To provide a safe, supportive, health conscious and sustainable environment in which all our learners can flourish, enjoy and achieve
To raise attainment and enhance the provision of technology subjects within our learning community, meeting the demands of the constantly evolving digital age
To ensure all young people understand the rights and responsibilities of being an active, caring and valued member of our diverse, dynamic, global society
To enhance the life chances of all learners by contributing to the transformation of education locally, nationally and internationally
Home-Academy Agreement
Parents
As a parent (s) of a child at Hodgson Academy, I/we agree to:
· Use best endeavours to see that my child attends the Academy every day, is punctual and is properly equipped.
· Inform the Academy, on the first day of absence where possible, if my child is unable to attend the Academy.
· Use best endeavours to ensure that my child does not take part in family holidays during term time. I/we understand that continuous attendance is vital for student progress. I acknowledge that the Academy will not authorise holidays for Year 10 and 11 students during term time. Copies of the Academy Attendance Policy are available from the Principal on request.
· Use best endeavours to ensure that my child understands that the Academy is a place of work and they should work hard to the best of their ability.
· Ensure that my child understands that the Academy Uniform helps create the atmosphere that is necessary in a place of work. Therefore I/we will ensure that my child wears the Academy Uniform and only the Academy Uniform. I acknowledge that any other item of clothing or jewellery other than those listed in the Student Planner and Progress Record or the Academy Prospectus, apart from an appropriate outdoor coat in inclement weather, will be taken to be a fashion accessory and as such will be confiscated and returned to the student at an agreed time. I am/we are aware that the Academy does not allow extreme hair styles for students. I acknowledge that the Academy will be the judge as to whether or not a hair style is extreme.
· Support the Academy’s Behaviour for Learning Policy and action is taken where necessary to ensure good discipline at Hodgson. Copies of the Academy Behaviour for Learning Policy are available from the Principal on request.
· Use best endeavours to attend Student Progress Reviews.
· Support my child by encouraging their work at the Academy and the completion of their homework.
· Sign the Academy’s Information Communication Technology Approved User Policy Contract and ensure that my child uses the Information Communication Technology at Hodgson according to this Contract.
· Sign my child’s Student Planner and Progress Record each week.
· Ensure that my child does not take part in unsafe activities.
· Ensure that my child understands that he or she must not leave the Academy premises during the Academy day, at break or lunchtime without permission from the Principal. It is expected that parents who wish for their child to be offsite at break or lunchtime must meet with the Principal to discuss arrangements.
· Ensure that my child is not involved in inappropriate anti-social behaviour on the journey to and from the Academy.
· Let the Academy know about anything that might affect my child’s work or behaviour.
Home-Academy Agreement
Students
As a student attending Hodgson Academy, I will:
· Respect the right for everyone to learn and for the teacher to teach.
· Always show courtesy and consideration to others at all times.
· Not join in any anti-social behaviour on the journey to and from Hodgson.
· Treat other students with respect and not humiliate or hurt them, verbally or physically.
· Always try hard to do my best.
· Respect all property.
· Follow the Academy regulations about uniform and general appearance as found in my Student Planner and Progress Record.
· Be punctual to the Academy and to lessons.
· Complete homework to the best of my ability. Always hand it in on time.
· Move around the Academy in a sensible way. Always walk, keeping to the left when in the building or follow one way systems around the Academy.
· Use Academy’s Information Communication Technology according to the Academy’s Approved User Policy.
· Not leave the Academy premises during the Academy day, at break or lunchtime without permission from the Principal.
· Gain permission from a Senior Member of Staff and sign out if I need to leave the Academy during the day.
· Stay away from areas of the Academy that are out of bounds to students.
· Bring to the Academy only the things I require for lessons.
· Not join in any unsafe games or become involved in any unsafe or dangerous behaviour. For example I must not play “Pile On”, “Bulldog” or other similar unsafe physical activities. I must not play Rugby on the Playing Fields when the game is not supervised by a member of staff.
· When I take part in out of Academy activities, I will uphold standards of safety and good behaviour. I will follow all instructions that are given to me by members of staff.
· Not use ear phones during structured time and when being spoken to by a member of staff
· Understand that the reputation of the Academy and therefore each member of it depends on the way I behave at all times.
Home-Academy Agreement
The Academy
The Academy will:
· Educate students for their future in a rapidly changing, technologically advanced world.
· Track the academic progress of students through Hodgson to ensure that wherever possible they achieve their targets or go beyond them.
· Through a broad and balanced curriculum and an extensive range of extra curricular activities, provide opportunities for all to learn, to be involved and to strive for excellence.
· Provide a caring, supportive and disciplined environment.
· Set and regularly mark, meaningful and challenging work in class and for homework.
· Inform students and their parents about progress at Hodgson.
· Contact parents if there are any matters of concern about work or behaviour.
· Make Academy policies available to parents on request.
· Always welcome and encourage parental contact through appropriate channels. Parents should initially contact Form Progress Tutors.
Home-Academy Agreement
As a parent, the Academy would also wish you to be aware of the following information.
· Parents are responsible for their children on their journey to and from Hodgson. If your child is involved in any inappropriate anti-social behaviour during these journeys, in the first instance, we will report the matter to you immediately. We will then report the matter to Lancashire County Council’s Safer Travel Unit.
· If students leave the Academy premises during the Academy day, at break or at lunchtime without permission, we will endeavour to make immediate contact with you. The Academy cannot take responsibility for students who leave the Academy premises without permission.
· Students have responsibility for all their own possessions, including bags, throughout the Academy day. The Academy can take no responsibility for losses of such possessions. Students will be asked to hand in mobile phones at the beginning of lessons and also other items of value for safekeeping during PE lessons. It is strongly recommended that students do not bring to the Academy expensive or valuable items of clothing, expensive mobile phones, jewellery or expensive goods.
· If your child damages Academy property, books or materials, wilfully or through inappropriate behaviour, Hodgson will pass the cost of the repair of that damage on to you. In extreme cases the Police may be involved in investigation of criminal damage.
· The Academy provides appropriate supervision of students during break and lunchtime periods. We would expect all students to follow basic rules of Health and Safety at these and all other times. Please inform your child as a matter of course and common sense that they must not join in any dangerous and silly games at any time. These include such physical games as “Pile On” and “Bulldog” or other similar unsafe physical activities. Students must not play Rugby on the Playing Fields when the game is not supervised by a member of staff.
· Hodgson Academy processes personal data about its pupils and is a “data controller” in respect of this for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998. A Privacy Notice is issued to parents and students on an annual basis to explain what data is held, the reasons for it being held and to whom it maybe passed onto. Full details are available from the Academy Finance Director or alternatively information can be found on the Academy website. Should any parent require further information in this respect then they are asked to contact the Academy.
· Parents need to be informed that if staff become aware of, or have need to become involved in, situations where a child may be at risk of hurting themselves or others, or if the behaviour of a child seriously disrupts good order in the Academy or causes damage to property, staff may need to take steps to intervene physically. In such circumstances staff will follow the Academy’s policy for dealing with such situations. Details of our Policy in this respect are available from the Principal on request.
· In line with relevant legislation the Academy has certain powers to screen and search pupils for any items banned under school rules, and may do so without consent if there are suspicions that the items are prohibited eg. weapons, drugs, alcohol, stolen goods. The Academy also has powers to seize and then confiscate items found during a search.
· Illegal or inappropriate dropping off, picking up or parking near the Academy could be seen as an offence. It also significantly adds to the dangers on Moorland Road. Parking Attendants ( Civil Enforcement Officers ) will have power to enforce financial penalties to drivers who park or drive in contravention of regulations. They will, from time to time, be in attendance on Moorland Road and they will have the support of the Academy because of the dangers to all users of Moorland Road.
· For Health and Safety and security reasons:
a) Year 11 students are not allowed to bring motorcycles of any description onto the Academy premises. Nor would we encourage students to park motorcycles in the streets adjoining Hodgson.
b) Students are not allowed to bring skateboards to Academy. If a skateboard is brought into the Academy it will be confiscated and returned to the student at an agreed time.
· Under no circumstances must students partake in gambling in any form whatsoever at Hodgson.
· Students are not allowed to buy or sell goods of any form for personal gain on the Academy premises.
· Although students are allowed to bring mobile phones to Academy, they must follow the Academy’s Mobile Phone policy which states that all Phones must switched off and be handed to the class teacher for safe keeping during all lessons unless they have the express permission of the teacher to do otherwise. If students use mobile phones in an inappropriate manner at any time they will be confiscated and returned to the student at an agreed time.
· Hodgson provides an area for students to store bicycles during the day. The Academy would want students and parents to be aware that students must also provide locks and chains for their own bicycles. The Academy accepts no responsibility for the security of student bicycles. Whilst wishing to promote healthy activities Hodgson does have serious concerns over the dangers to cyclists using Moorland Road and adjoining roads which can be very busy. The Academy strongly recommends that anybody using a bicycle to Hodgson does so using the appropriate safety equipment.