New Year 7 Induction

I have been the Chief Executive Officer of the Loxford School Trust since June 2013 and the continuing Headteacher of Loxford School since January 2008.

Our partnership consists of 7 Academies. Loxford School is an All Through School, Aldborough is a Primary School and The Warren School, Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College, The Tabor Academy, Gaynes School and Cecil Jones Academy are all secondary schools.

In the Trust we believe that students come first and that every child can find a route to happiness, prosperity and success. The Trust was created to enable staff to work more closely together to deliver the best education possible for the students who attend our academies.

We are proud of the improvements we have seen in exam results and every School that has been inspected by OFSTED since they joined the Trust is now either good or outstanding. More of our students than ever before now have qualifications that stand out in comparison with other young people in the city.

Our vision is simple: we believe that by working together rather than in isolation we can accelerate our Academies to be outstanding schools. In doing so, together we create more opportunities for the lifelong success for our students as they become young adults.

Thank you for taking the time to read this message.

Mrs Anita Johnson OBE,

Chief Executive Officer

In March 2024, when your child is allocated a place at Cecil Jones Academy we will write to you in the spring term welcoming your child to Cecil Jones Academy.

In the summer term, we will schedule a new intake parental meeting. All parents will receive an invite letter with a date and time for their appointment.

Advance notice, the admission form requires us to gather information such as parents’ address and phone numbers, your doctors’ name, address and phone number and the phone numbers for other emergency contacts.

This is a list of information that you will be required to include with the admissions form:

• Proof of address
• Passport size photo of your child
• Your child’s passport or birth certificate

If your child is not going to take the place at Cecil Jones Academy in September we would be grateful if you could inform us urgently by telephoning the school on 01702 440000.

If there are any problems please telephone the school.

• Presentation slides to follow

Handbook 2024 - 2025

ENGLISH

‘Trash’: novel study, Gothic inspired creative writing, Writing fiction and non-fiction, Language analysis through adventure prose,  Introduction to Shakespeare, Poetry across cultures

MATHEMATICS

Unit 1: Analysing and Displaying Data, Unit 2: Number Skills, Unit 3: Expressions, Equations and Formulae, Unit 4: Decimals and Measures, Unit 5: Fractions and Percentage, Unit 6: Probability, Unit 7: Ratio and Proportion, Unit 8: Lines and Angles, Unit 9: Sequences and Graphs, Unit 10: Transformation.

SCIENCE

• Organisms
• The Skeleton & Joints
• Plant & Animal Cells
• Uni-cellular Organisms
• Ecosystems
• Food chains & Webs
• Flowers & Pollination
• Seed Dispersal
• Genes
• Fertilisation
• Reproductive Systems
• Variation

• Earth
• Structure of the Earth
• The rock cycle
• The Solar System
• The Earth & Moon
• Matter
• States of matter
• Diffusion
• Separation techniques
• Pure substances & mixtures
• Reactions
• Chemical Reactions
• Acids & Alkalis
• Displacement Reactions
• Metals & Non-Metals

• Electromagnets
• Series & parallel circuits
• Current
• Resistance
• Energy
• Energy resources
• Food & fuels
• Forces
• Balanced & unbalanced forces
• Speed
• Gravity
• Waves
• Sound waves
• The Ear & hearing
• Light
• The Eye & colour

SPANISH

Personal description – Alphabet and phonics, name, age, birthday, hair, eyes, size, personality, where you live. Family – brothers and sisters, pets, descriptions in the 3rd person. School – opinions and reasons for liking/disliking subjects, items in a school bag, telling the time, exploring the Spanish school systems, description of teachers. Free time – hobbies and interests, sports, introduction of the present tense, places in a town. Where you live – description of your town, places in town, activities in town. Culture – Learning about Spanish festivals, creating a brochure about a festival

GEOGRAPHY

Introduction to Geography & Key Skills

- Where I Live 

- Physical Processes

- India & China

- Weather & Climate

- Global Issues

HISTORY

What is History? Anglo Saxon Prittlewell, The Norman Conquest, Medieval Life, The Crusades, Medieval Monarch, The Black Death, The Black Death.

RE

British Values, Judaism, Christianity, Islam & Hinduism

TECHNOLOGY

An introduction to woodworking tools and workshop safety, analysing briefs, applying Maths as well as theory work on polymers and origins of paper and board. Students will be creating a themed key ring as well as a tea light holder.

ART 

An introduction to the formal elements, foundational drawing skills, colour theory and painting practice, clay work, collage and printing through the themes of Microscopic Diseases, Fantasy Creatures, Pop and Opie Portraits

Textiles 

An introduction to sewing machine use and hand stitching techniques, pattern and fabric cutting, artist analyses, embroidery and design and planning skills. Students will be making their own mini-monsters!

Music

Students will be introduced to the concepts of rhythm, pitch, tempo through keyboard practice. Students will also be studying the components of the orchestra, the elements of music, and studying pop and classical music genres.

COMPUTING

The Internet and E-Safety, Programming: Scratch to Python, Microsoft Office Skills,

Data Handling, Digital Graphics, Inside the Computer.

FOOD PREPARATION AND NUTRITION

Basic hygiene - how to prepare for practical, Basic nutrition - the EatWell Guide, Food commodities- Fruit and Vegetables, Identifying key equipment, Basic practical skills being able to make a dish following a demonstration and start to use recipe methods, Self –reflection - evaluating dishes and own performance.

PE

In year 7 you can expect to take part in a range of sports including Team/Invasion games: Football, Rugby, Basketball, Netball, Hockey, Tchoukball. Net/Wall games: Table Tennis, Tennis, Badminton, Wallball. Health Related Fitness activities: Athletics, Circuits, Aerobics, Fitness Suite sessions, Cross Country. Aesthetic Appreciation Activities: Dance, Gymnastics. Striking and Fielding: Cricket, Rounders, Softball. 

You will also learn about some key physiological concepts such as muscles, bones, movements, joints, how to accurately measure heart rate and a balanced diet.

DRAMA

Naturalism/Non- naturalism, Stages, Mime, Characterisation, Vocal and physical skills, Conventions of pantomime as a style, Structure of a script and stage directions, Genres, Adaptations.

Click here to view term dates 

Click here to view the maps

Parent Pay invite letters will be posted to all new joiners by the end of July, if you have not received your letter by August, then please contact the school office.

If your Parent Pay account is not active as of the 2nd September 2024, then this might mean your child will not be able to access any funds to purchase items from the school meal provider

We are delighted to announce that this year's Year 7 Induction takes place on Friday 5th July 2024.

Students will need to attend Cecil Jones Academy wearing their current primary school's uniform. We also recommend that students wear trainers on the day, because some students might have PE as part of their taster timetable.

Please note that for health and safety reasons, students are not allowed to wear jewellery.

All students will be provided with a lunch from our canteen; however, if your child has particular dietary requirements then you can send them in with a packed lunch.

Please use the tabs on this section for information regarding your child joining us.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the academy on 01702 440000

We asked some our current students to share their thoughts and experiences on life here at Cecil Jones Academy.

So many of our students had plenty of valuable advice about settling into secondary school.

“Cecil Jones is very different to my primary school.  It’s a lot bigger and we have to wear blazers.  All the teachers are really nice and understanding and I already feel like I’ve been here forever. It is really nice to get to earn so many great rewards for achievement and behaviour.”

Ellie

“We always read our books at the start of the lesson.  We have 5 lessons every day.  The work we complete is different than at primary school, but the teachers are really helpful and will always help you if you don’t understand.”

Dylan

“We have such a variety of lessons, including Science, Spanish and Geography. We spend time with our tutor every day. Sometimes we do PSCHE or read our books quietly.  Then we can go home and relax (after doing homework of course) The school is a really good place to learn.”

Poppi

“I’ve really enjoyed my first few weeks at Cecil Jones and know it can only get better. I feel safe and supported and made lots of new friends.”

School uniform

Please click below link for more information about free school meals:

Free School Meal

A number of students have MOBILE PHONES.  Cecil Jones Academy fully supports parents who for safety reasons want their children to be able to speak to them in an emergency.

However, we cannot allow mobile phones to interrupt education.  The following rules will be strictly enforced:

• Cecil Jones Academy will not be responsible for investigating damage, loss or theft
• All phones must be switched off during the school day and not seen or heard
• Any telephone causing interruption to a lesson or any other school activity, will be confiscated for a week and only released on production of a letter from the parent. This letter must promise it will not happen again.

At Cecil Jones, we prioritise the development of our students' reading skills, and we implement the Accelerated Reader (AR) program to aid in their progress and encourage independent reading. Our goal is to prepare our students for their future studies.

The AR program allows our staff to monitor students' reading progress from year 7. Each student can choose a library book to take home and read, and once the student finishes the book, they take a computer-based quiz that assesses their understanding of the content. The questions in the quiz adapt to the student's previous answers, providing valuable insights into their reading ability and comprehension. This enables our staff to support each student's progress appropriately.

Research shows that students who read at least 20 minutes a day and achieve a 90% comprehension rate on AR quizzes make the most significant academic gains. Therefore, our approach focuses on encouraging regular reading and supporting our students in achieving this goal. As well as the reading quizzes, a STAR reading test is done each term. These tests comprise of question that create an estimated reading age of the pupil based on their answers to questions and correct answers from AR book quizzes. This then also recommends a suggested reading level of books. From this, staff can guide students to the correct reading books and work to ensure an upwards progression in reading and understanding.

Students receive various awards based on their Accelerated Reader performance, including: badges, certificates and vouchers to spend in the school library.

At Cecil Jones, we believe that developing strong reading skills is a fundamental aspect of education, and we are committed to supporting our students in achieving their full potential.

Library

“Every child has the right to read for the joy of it and have access to new books” – Cressida Cowell (Children’s Laureate Charter and Author)

At our school, we are committed to providing our students with easy access to a range of books to encourage their love of reading and support their learning. Our library facility is open to students before and after school, as well as during break and lunch, to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to access books.

Our library is arranged in clear book level order, making it simple for students to find appropriate level books and monitor their reading progression. We have a broad range of book levels suitable for all abilities, including a dyslexia-friendly section to ensure that every student has access to books they can enjoy and learn from.

In addition to the vast selection of books, students have access to a suite of computers within the library. These computers can be used to complete STAR and AR book quizzes, as well as homework and revision tasks. This approach ensures that our students can access educational resources both in and outside of the classroom, providing them with the tools they need to succeed academically.

At our school, we are committed to creating a supportive learning environment that encourages our students to develop a love of reading and achieve their full potential. By providing easy access to books and educational resources, we aim to inspire our students to become lifelong learners.