At last the sun is out and promising to be with us for a while.The students are out on the field, really benefiting from the exercise and the vitamin D. So a quick reminder for water bottles and that jumpers are always optional.
This week can I draw your attention to our safeguarding item at the end of the newsletter. It
makes very interesting reading from parental point of view.
Finally, I would like to mention Mr Wells who has joined our Modern Foreign Languages
department - the students are already making him feel very welcome.

 

Charity Night

Brilliant evening had by all at our Charity Quiz Night!

We raised an AMAZING £2064!!

A special thank you to our wonderful Year 11 Students & Canteen Ladies for providing the food for us!

Keep your eyes peeled for the next one, it's a full house every time!

Loving the hats!

🏆We are very proud that the winners were our very own, Thin Quizzie!

PE Department
Exciting news - from next week clubs will be starting again.
● Mondays is Rounders Club which is going to be open to all students which will be
held on the school field
● Tuesdays is Cricket Club in which we will be using the nets in the village. Ideally, we
will be looking at hard ball and students are able to bring in their own kit which we will
store in the office before walking to the nets.  If you are happy for your child to attend
the cricket club and walk to the nets, can you please send an email
to james.coulthard@kingsacademies.uk.
We should also be having some fixtures and events starting against other schools again
shortly.
We would also like to wish the Year 7 boys football team all the best in their cup final Vs
Willingdon next Thursday.

Thank you, The PE Team

 

Ukraine Appeal
I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated and helped with our Ukraine
appeal. As you can see from the photos the number of items generously given more than
filled a car. In fact we took 2 cars up to The Green Man where the items were then passed
on ready for the journey across to the border to be distributed to the people in need. The
kindness and support shown by our community is always hugely appreciated.

Thank you, Miss Beattie

 

Uckfield College 6th Form Experience for Y10. 4th July 2022 3-4.30pm
On the 4th July, Uckfield College would like to welcome Y10 students to come and visit, to
help them to start thinking about their Y12 options.  There will be chance to meet the 6th
Form leadership team as well as to experience brief introductions to all the level 3 courses
on offer.  Students will be able to take part in mini activities in a range of different subjects to
help them consider their level 3 options. 
If you would like to take part, please email k.kirknessoboyle@uckfield.college.

 

Update on Ringmer Swimming Pool from Maria Caulfield MP
I am urging local residents in Ringmer to take part in a consultation on the future of the local
swimming pool.  
 
Ringmer pool, on the grounds of King’s Academy, is currently managed by Wave Leisure
Trust but has been closed since September 2020 due to equipment failure.
 
A 12-week consultation will invite ideas and suggestions for the financially sustainable future
management of the pool. The consultation will start on Thursday 5th May via an online
survey, with paper copies of the survey made available at County Hall, Lewes and by post,
on request.
 
I know that many residents in Ringmer and the surrounding area are very concerned about
the future of the Swimming Pool. I am pleased that East Sussex County Council will be
seeking the views of local residents in these consultations and I would urge as many people as
possible to take part in the consultation to ensure that a wide range of views are taken.
 
The consultation will be available at https://consultation.eastsussex.gov.uk/ from 5th May.

 

Ouse Valley Solar Farm planning application
OVESCO have now submitted the above application, and it has been validated and given the
following reference: LW/22/0254.

Key benefits of the application include:
● The proposal would generate the equivalent electrical needs of approximately 4,800
family homes which equates to an anticipated CO2 displacement of around 6,800
tonnes per annum.
● Significant biodiversity net gain is also expected with a 234% net gain in habitat
areas and 104% net gain in hedgerow areas.
● As a community energy project, local residents have the ability to invest in Ouse
Valley Solar Farm and receive an annual return on their investment. All further profits
from the solar farm will be invested directly back into the local community.
 
Please do not hesitate to contact OVESCO direct at ousevalleysolar@ovesco.co.uk if you
have any queries regarding this application.

 

Safeguarding
Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2022 (Ofcom)
Ofcom's latest report looks at media use, attitudes and understanding among children and
young people aged 3-17. It also includes findings on parents’ views about their children’s
media use, and how parents of children and young people aged 3-17 monitor and manage
their children’s use.

Key points from the report include:
● Nearly all children went online in 2021 (99%); the majority used a mobile phone
(72%) or tablet (69%) to do so.
● Using video-sharing platforms (VSPs) such as YouTube or TikTok was the most
popular online activity among children aged 3-17 (95%).
● Among all types of online platforms, YouTube was the most widely used by children;
89% used it, compared to half using TikTok. But TikTok was more popular than
YouTube for posting content.
● A majority of children under 13 had their own profile on at least one social media app
or site; 33% of parents of 5-7s said their child had a profile, and 60% of 8-11s said
they had one.
● Just four in ten parents of 3-17s knew the minimum age requirement for using most
social media; 42% correctly said 13. Four in ten parents of 8-11-year-olds said they
would allow their child to use social media (38%).
● Six in ten children aged 3-17 played games online in 2021, increasing to three-
quarters of 12 - 17s.
● More than a third of 8-17s who gamed online played with people they didn’t know
(36%); overall, 16% of 8-17s chatted to people they didn’t know, via the messaging/
chat functions in games.
● Children were more likely to experience being bullied via technology than face-to-
face: 84% of 8-17s said they had been bullied this way (i.e., via text or messaging, on
social media, in online games, through phone or video calls, or via other apps and
sites) compared to 61% being bullied face-to-face.
To support these findings Online Safety for 11 - 18s (CEOP)
CEOP has created a new website for teenagers called: The internet, relationships & you; and
offers advice on socialising online, online safety, getting support and sexual content online.
CEOP is a part of the National Crime Agency.

The website can be found here: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_18

 

Have a great weekend.

 

Kind regards

Sian Williams

Principal