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Letters

Below you will find the latest school letters, alongside an archive of past communications.

Paper copies and letters issued before autumn 2020 are available on request.

Our most recent letter is pasted below to allow for easy translation for non-English speaking families.

We would like to invite you to our Parents Symposium on Thursday 19th June. Please see our invitation below.

Parents Symposium Invitation Thursday 19th June

3rd June 2025


Dear Parents/Carers


Re: Proposal to change the start time, length and finish time of the school day at Rockwood Academy from 1st September 2025.


I am writing to inform you of some proposed changes to the start and end times of the school day here at Rockwood Academy.


They are:

  • To start the school day at 8.45am (currently 8.35am).
  • To finish the school day at 3.15pm (currently 3.10pm) Should the changes be approved, they will come into force from 1st September 2025.
    We believe that these changes will be beneficial to the school community, and will have a positive effect on your child’s education for the following reasons:

– This increase will ensure that we meet the Department of Education’s new minimum expectation of a 32.5 hour school week.

– This will stagger arrival time for pupils compared to local primaries and therefore support older siblings who escort younger siblings to school.

– This will enable staff to start at a slightly later time to enable them to source adequate and timely child care.

– Although this proposes a later finish time for our school day, it is only a 5-minute addition to the end of the current school day.


The information in this letter has also been sent to parents, pupils and staff at Rockwood Academy, the local authority and local transport provider. We will work together so that there is minimal disruption.

I appreciate that these changes may affect you in terms of childcare or working arrangements, and you may have questions related to your child’s education. For this reason, I would like to invite you to please share any feedback that you have by sending it to myself via email at [email protected]


Please send any comments/questions to this email address by Friday 4th July 2025, when this consultation will close. We will release the results of the consultation by Friday 11th July 2025 and send a letter with the outcome to you.


Yours sincerely


Mr R Reeve
Headteacher

3rd June 2025


Dear Parents and Carers


As we approach the Eid celebrations this week, we would like to take a moment to wish all our families a joyful and peaceful time with their loved ones. We also want to remind you of the importance of maintaining good school Attendance, even during this festive period. In line with Department for Education (DfE) guidelines, schools are permitted to authorise
only one day of absence for religious observance such as Eid. Any additional days taken will be recorded as unauthorised absence.


Unauthorised absences have a significant impact on your child’s learning and also affect the overall attendance figures for the school, which are closely monitored by external bodies. Good attendance is key to good outcomes—every day in school matters. We ask for your continued support in ensuring your child attends school regularly and punctually, so they can make the most of every learning opportunity.


Thank you for your understanding and co-operation. If you have any questions or concerns regarding attendance, please do not hesitate to contact Mr M Khan (Attendance Officer).


Yours sincerely


Mr R Reeve
Headteacher

23rd May 2025

Dear Parents/Carers


I write to share with you our latest Ofsted report which has been published this week.
As you know, we were inspected on 29th and 30th April. This was an inspection to judge whether, as a previously graded “Good” Ofsted school we were maintaining that standard.
I am pleased to inform you that the inspection outcome was that we remain a Good school having maintained our standards. You can find the full report on our website here: Ofsted & Performance Data – Rockwood Academy


Key important quotations from the report:

  • Rockwood Academy is a productive and inclusive place of learning.
  • Staff are caring and nurturing.
  • Pupils are happy.
  • The school has high ambitions for pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
  • Pupils respond very well to the school’s high expectations of them.
  • Pupils get along well with each other and staff.
  • Pupils are confident that there is a member of staff to speak to if they are ever worried.
  • Pupils experience a strong provision to enhance their personal and character development.
  • They are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.
  • Staff know pupils and their needs well.
  • The school has clearly laid-out processes to provide support for pupils with SEND. It swiftly identifies any pupils who may need extra help. As a result, many pupils with SEND overcome their barriers to learning.
  • Reading is a high priority across the school.
  • The school is a calm and orderly environment. Pupils are friendly and polite.
  • The programme to inform and advise pupils on career choices helps them to make informed decisions about their next steps in education, employment or training.
  • The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. With all of the positive quotations above, we know that we must keep improving as a school community. Our staff
    are not resting on their laurels and are determined to keep improving our school.

I look forward to meeting these challenges in the coming weeks, terms and years as your Headteacher. I proudly lead an excellent and dedicated team of staff and look forward to working more closely with you and the local community in the time to come.


Yours sincerely
Mr R Reeve
Headteacher

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