Dear parent / carer
WELCOME BACK AND HAPPY NEW YEAR
Happy New Year to you all, and I hope everyone enjoyed the festive break. Thank you for all of your holiday wishes and generous support before the winter break. Your kindness is truly appreciated by our staff. It has been fantastic to welcome the students back to school this week. From chatting to students across school it has been great to hear of their various experiences over the break. In my assemblies this week, I have focussed on one of our key values of resilience, and stressed the importance of taking risks, learning from mistakes and moving forward. I have indicated that I have joined the '5am club', getting up to do some exercise before school. Time will tell if I succeed!
The new year is always a time of reflection. As we begin 2024, we continue to move forward as a school and I am excited as to what the new year holds. I would like to acknowledge our amazing staff for the countless ways they work to guide and teach our students with creativity and kindness. I have been struck also by the number of positive comments from visitors to this school, who pick up on the strength of our community. We have recently employed staff on the basis that their experience at KAR was hugely positive in comparison to other regional schools. This validates that we are doing the right things and creating the best possible environment at our school. Thank you to all our families for your ongoing support in these challenging times both socially and economically. We are grateful to be able to do what we love - and that is working with your children. They make us smile each and every day!
A reminder that next week is Year 8 progress evening on Thursday 11th January. We look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible.
Have a great weekend
Best wishes,
Mr Harvey
Careers
Please find a link to a guide for parents and carers -transitioning into college and adult life for young people with special educational needs and disabilities. (SEND)
This guide was produced by schools, colleges and parents/carers at Hailsham Community and Eastbourne Academy. It is designed to help parents and carers with the planning and preparation to support their young person with the transition into post 16.
https://eastsussex.pagetiger.com/bcaycnh/1
Thank you, Mrs Colbourne, Careers Lead
Travel
Changes to timetables from 8th January 2024 for the following bus routes - 28 Regency route to/from Eastbourne via Hailsham and Polegate, 28 to/from Lewes and 29A & B to/from Uckfield & Heathfield
Following a lot of communication with East Sussex County Council since September 2023 we have now received the following information from East Sussex County Council with regards to the 28 Regency route
We can confirm Brighton & Hove Buses are changing the 28 bus timetable with effect from Monday 8 January 2024. The morning journey from Eastbourne to King’s Academy Ringmer has up to about 20 minutes inserted into the bus timetable to allow for traffic delays en route. The revised timings are shown below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
28 Eastbourne - Polegate - Hailsham - Laughton - King's Academy |
|||||
|
|
Revised timetable from Monday 8 January 2024 |
|
||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
Eastbourne, Gildredge Road |
07:01 |
|
|||
|
|
District General Hospital |
07:10 |
|
|||
|
|
Willingdon Triangle |
07:15 |
|
|||
|
|
Polegate, St George's Church |
07:22 |
|
|||
|
|
Hailsham, Tesco, arrive |
07:34 |
|
|||
|
|
Hailsham, Tesco, depart |
07:36 |
|
|||
|
|
Hailsham, Harebeating Lane |
07:39 |
|
|||
|
|
Hellingly Bulrush Lane |
07:47 |
|
|||
|
|
Horsebridge, King's Head |
07:52 |
|
|||
|
|
Laughton, Roebuck |
08:06 |
|
|||
|
|
Ringmer, Broyle Estate |
08:13 |
|
|||
|
|
King's Academy, arrive |
08:18 |
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From the same date there will be some other changes to Brighton & Hove Buses journeys used by King’s Academy students to travel to school:
The 28 journey from the direction of Brighton and Lewes will run 4 minutes earlier;
The 29A journey, which currently departs from Heathfield High Street at 07:18, will run 12 minutes earlier. A few King’s Academy students use this journey and transfer at Uckfield bus station to service 29B, which they will continue to be able to do. The 29B departure times from Uckfield and Halland will be unchanged but it will no longer serve Broyle estate.
Full timetable information will be published on Brighton & Hove Buses’ website in the coming weeks, www.buses.co.uk
It is expected that these bus timetable alterations will result in a very marked improvement in service punctuality, so addressing the issues you have understandably highlighted.
Do you qualify for Free School Meals?
To make applications easier for parents/carers we have changed the way that you can apply for free school meals. Applications are now processed online via East Sussex County Council, the criteria for being able to apply and for the online application please see the details below.
Free school meals for children in Year 3 and older
Older children may get free school meals if their parents or carers get any of these benefits:
· Universal Credit - GOV.UK – if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
· Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) - GOV.UK
· Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - GOV.UK
· Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 - GOV.UK
· The Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit -GOV.UK
· Child Tax Credit - GOV.UK, only, if your annual household income (assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) isn’t over £16,190
[Anyone who gets Working Tax Credit - GOV.UK, won’t get free meals regardless of income]
· Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Children will get free school meals if they meet the criteria and are in school both before and after lunchtime.
Children eligible for free school meals on or after 1 April 2018 will remain eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they’re in on 31 March 2023 even if your circumstances change.
Apply for free school meals online
Our Electronic Checking Service might be able to confirm entitlement. If not, you’ll need to show recent proof that you qualify. Meals cannot be given until eligibility is verified.
Apply online if your child goes to school in East Sussex.
ParentPay account for lunch money
We would appreciate it if parents can keep an eye on your child's balance for lunch and top up payments when needed please. We are having more students asking us to call home to "top-up" their lunch account on ParentPay.
To top up your child's account you need to log into your ParentPay account (details of link are below) and it will show you a balance of your child's account. To top up click on the blue tab that says pay for meals. You then add the amount that you would like to top up the account with and add to the basket. Once you have finished adding items you click on the basket and choose the payment option and complete the purchase. This is then on your child's account usually within a few minutes.
If you haven't set up a ParentPay account yet or have lost the details, please email ringmer.finance@kingsacademies.uk and we will get another letter issued with details of how to set your account up.
Immunisations News
Friday 23rd February - Year 8 HPV
Letters and emails have been sent out, please consent or refuse online.
Non-responders will be chased!
If you believe your child in Year 9, 10 or 11 has missed this vaccination, please contact the Immunisation Service on 01273 696011 ext 4931
Thursday 28th March - Year 9 Tetanus/Diphtheria/Meningitis/Polio ACWY
Information will go out in the next few weeks for parents & carers to consent or refuse online.
Lost Property
WE HAVE SEVERAL COATS IN RECEPTION - PLEASE COME AND LOOK IF YOU HAVE LOST ONE
A size 12/34 blazer has been handed in with a set of keys in the pocket but no name.
If you recognise the keys, please send your child to collect. And we can put their name in the blazer!
