Dear parents/carer,

I hope you have had a great week. 

We are immensely proud of our Year 11’s who have successfully navigated the first week of GCSE exams. They have shown maturity and an assured approach throughout the week, and we are delighted that every day has seen 100% attendance in school. They remain focussed in our drop-down timetables, where the teachers have done a very good job of guessing some of the exam questions just before they go in! 

I was delighted this week to be a part of our student leadership interviews for our senior students. The quality in Year 10 is outstanding, and we had a challenging job of choosing the various roles from transition leaders, sports leaders, eco-leaders and the head students. They all gave a presentation regarding how they would positively influence the school, as well as answering questions in interviews relating to the role. I congratulate all who took part in the process, and am delighted to announce Jessica and Elliot as our Head Students. I look forward to presenting them with their leadership ties in a ceremony with parents after the half-term. I am excited to work with them to elevate our student's voice, and have no question they will act as excellent role models when they step into Year 11 next year.

We are excited to again showcase yet more creative talent in the school in Years 7-11 with our performing arts showcase on 18th June. More details are held within this newsletter, and we hope to see you there on the evening! The performing arts remain a huge success at Ringmer, and it is fantastic to see so many students already signed up to perform.

Have a great weekend

Best wishes,

Mr Harvey

Music Department - Save the Date: Kings Academy Ringer Performing Arts Showcase 18 June 2025

We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Performing Arts Showcase at Kings Academy Ringer! On Wednesday, 18th June, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, our talented students from Years 7 to 11 will take centre stage in the school hall to present an evening of entertainment. This spectacular event will feature a diverse array of performances, including choirs and bands, small group acts, solo performances, dramatic scenes, and dance. As valued parents and stakeholders, we cordially request that you put the date in your diary for this celebration of our students' artistic abilities and hard work. Your presence will not only support our young performers but also demonstrate the importance of the arts in our school community. We look forward to sharing this magical evening with you and showcasing the remarkable talents nurtured within our performing arts programme.  Thank you, Ms Urquhart, Subject Leader for Music 

 

Library News

Thank you for all the money raised from World Book Day.  The library has been able to purchase a brand-new collection of current trending reads. These popular titles reflect the latest interests and buzz in the reading community, offering something fresh and exciting for all readers. The new additions aim to inspire more students to read for pleasure and explore a variety of genres and voices.

Mrs Colbourne and Mrs Harvey Overton
 

Careers Information

 

1. Exciting Career Morning for Year 7 and 8 Students at King’s Academy Ringmer – 15 July 2025

Following the success of last year’s Careers Breakfast, we’re thrilled to announce that we are organising another Careers Morning for Year 7 and 8 students at King’s Academy Ringmer. The goal of this event is to spark conversations amongst the students about different career paths and career journeys. We want them to understand what various jobs involve and, most importantly, to feel inspired and excited about the career choices that lie ahead.

During the event, participants will be given a table in the assembly hall. Small groups of students will visit each table or stand for a Q&A-style discussion, allowing them to learn more about different careers directly from those who are experienced in those fields.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to be part of this exciting event, please reach out to me for more details – sarah.colbourne@kingsacademies.uk We are looking for a wide variety of careers to showcase and would love to have you involved. Looking forward to hearing from you, Mrs Colbourne, Careers Lead 

2. What Next Sussex -Online Careers Event for young people, parents and carers.

This is a live event taking place on Thursday 22nd May at 6pm.

The event will cover everything young people need to know to make informed decisions about their futures. From 6-7pm the LIVE CHAT will open and colleges, apprenticeship providers and universities across Sussex will be available to answer questions. 

Please follow the link below to register.

https://www.getcareerconfident.co.uk/what-next-sussex/what-next-sussex-2025-registered

3. “What Next Sussex”

This is an upcoming virtual event which is specifically designed for parents, carers and young people to support progression into post-16 education or training.  This event is organised by the East Sussex Careers Hub and will take place online on Thursday 22 May 2025.

Links to their social media posts about the event are found below:

• https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1123080173188816&set=a.311132604383581

• https://x.com/CareersHubES/status/1920192188970831964/photo/1 

 

Free School Meals - Changes from April 1st 2025

Please see below information received from East Sussex County Council with regard to free school meal changes.

We are writing to remind you that from 1st April this year the Free School Meals transitional protections ended. This means that any children whose household no longer meets the free school meal eligibility criteria will only receive free school meals until the end of the phase of education they are in, ie, Primary or Secondary school (or 6th form for those schools with one).

At the end of each academic year (starting this year), Year 6 pupils will be reviewed and any children no longer entitled will be removed from the FSM eligibility lists before they start secondary school. Year 11 children will also be ceased and those returning to a school 6th form must reapply for free school meals if they believe they are entitled.

All new free school meal applicants confirmed as eligible from 1st April will be recorded as ‘Eligible new’ and their entitlement will be reviewed three times a year in March, July and December. Parents and schools will be informed of any children who are no longer entitled to FSM following a review and they should be removed from your FSM entitlement list.

Please see below information on how to apply for Free School Meals 

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 Support - GOV.UK

·         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 2025 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.

Thank you, Debbie Duckworth, School Business Manager

Get ready for Walk to School Week - 19th to 23rd May

Walk to school week is an excellent way to try out some new habits.

Travelling to school is one of the biggest contributors to a school's carbon footprint, but it can be challenging to address because it relies on factors outside a school’s control - including the availability of safe routes to school and public transport and the good old British weather.

We are in the process of collecting data to find out how our staff and pupils travel to school and the carbon associated with this.

If you haven’t done so already, we invite you to fill in the very short survey to help us get a picture of our current transport trends. https://forms.gle/GLHfQjWc9KmHa6iUA

 

“Goodwoof” At Goodwood – 17 and 18 May 2025

There is going to be a brilliant dog event - Goodwoof taking place at Goodwood this weekend.  The weather is set to be perfect, and they have so much lined up which they think the Ringmer community would love - fabulous kennel designs in the Barkitecture competition with Kevin McCloud and dancing with Curtis and AJ Pritchard at the Ministry of Hound; plus, shopping opportunities with the Jellycat Hotel, along with much loved author, Michael Morpurgo heading a stellar line-up in our Literary Corner. Oh, and Raysted will be there too.

All activities on site will be included in the ticket price and children ages 12 and younger go free, as well as dogs, and under 21s are half price.  Tickets can be bought online at www.goodwood.com/goodwoof/tickets-and-packages/ and collected on the day.

 

Book Swap – Saturday 24 May 2025, 11am to 1pm

Lewes Children’s Book Group at the Depot

The event is free of charge.  Lewes Children’s Book Group asks children to bring good-condition children's books that they no longer want to read and exchange them for others.  Essentially "swapping" books to discover new titles and authors while giving their old books a new home, all without having to buy new ones; it's a way for book lovers to share their reading material with each other and find new books to read. 

It can also be an opportunity to find a love of reading.  If there are children who don't have books to swap in the first place, they can just speak to one of the volunteers at the event and they find a way of making it work.

Half Term Activities - Creative Hands - Pottery Clubs and The Mac’s Farm Open Days

1. Clayful Hands - Pottery Clubs 

Clayful Hands is a creative pottery studio based in a beautiful beamed barn on a peaceful farm just outside Lewes. They run a variety of engaging, hands-on experiences for children, including after-school sessions and creative holiday clubs throughout the year.

Their aim is to offer a calm, welcoming space where children can explore their creativity - whether through pottery painting, wheel throwing, or clay modelling. With on-site parking, a café, and plenty of fresh air, it's an ideal environment for after-school relaxation or school holiday fun.

2. The Mac’s Farm Open Days

See poster below for further details

 

 

Tree Festival 2025 – Photo Competition

Please see the poster below for further information.

 

Dear parents/carers,

I hope you have had a great week.

Our Year 11's are now in the final push towards exams, with some exams already done! We wish them every success as they start the full round of exams from next week. I am extremely proud of all their hard work. The students have conducted themselves in a calm, purposeful and focused manner; it has been encouraging to see them attending their exams and preparation sessions with such a positive mindset. Hundreds of intervention sessions have been attended across the year group, so I also thank teachers and staff for providing this support. The students have been receiving rewards through their ‘intervention passports’, with some already having attended close to 50 additional sessions either before or after school in the last few months. As they now enter the exam season, the hard work continues before their celebration at the end-of-year Prom.

This week, we will take the opportunity to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on 8 May 2025 – signalling eight decades since the end of the Second World War in Europe. I am grateful to Ms Da Nobrega who has organised some activities throughout the week to aid reflexion and discussion. This year's commemorations provide a unique opportunity to connect younger generations with this pivotal chapter in history. This supports our extensive personal development curriculum, centred around our CARE principles designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge they will need after leaving KAR (Communication, Curiosity, Altruism, Respect and Emotional Intelligence). This is worked on in our personal development time (PDT) and provides an opportunity to express views and consider different perspectives.

I am pleased to say that our Year 9 students were a credit on the Big Futures Careers Fair at Eastbourne Sports Park, receiving several positive comments on the day. We have worked hard to develop our career provision and thank you to Ms Colbourne for leading this area so successfully.

Best wishes,

Mr Harvey

The Big Futures Careers Fair -Year 9 Visit

Our Year 9 students visited The Big Futures Careers Fair at Eastbourne Sports Park this week. Now in its eighth year, the show has established itself as the premier employability and skills event for schools in East Sussex.

The level of student engagement was exceptional and this was fed back by both staff and the exhibitors.

Our students got involved with a range of hands-on activities and discussions throughout their visit. This included career quizzes, using drones, software testing,’’ build a road challenge’’ on Minecraft, using VR headsets, skim plastering, house building techniques and methods of construction, hairdressing, learning first aid with the NHS and many more.  

Students left fired up with lots of ideas, information and enthusiasm that they could follow up.

We were all very proud of our students for the way they conducted themselves throughout the event.

Mrs Colbourne , Careers Lead 

 

 

Important Information to note:

• SIGNING IN & OUT

When students sign in or out during the school day, it is absolutely essential that they speak to a member of the reception staff. 

• ARBOR UPDATE & ABSENCE REPORTING

Recently, an email was sent out to parents informing them that we would now be using Arbor and this included instructions and a link for parents to sign up to Arbor and to download the Arbor app.  Parents and students no longer have access to Edulink.  

Absences should be reported via the Arbor app. or by phoning the school absence line (unmanned) or emailing ringmer.reception@kingsacademies.uk.  

Please note: advance appointments cannot be reported. 

If you have any issues accessing Arbor please contact the school.

Please note: advance appointments cannot be reported on Arbor.  Please contact reception if you wish to report any.

We are still working on giving students access to Arbor.

• WATER!

Please ensure that your child has a water bottle in school every day, especially with the weather getting warmer.  There is ample shade and water available during breaks. Blazers may be removed outside but should be replaced on entry to buildings.

• PARENTPAY

Recent issues with Parentpay should now have been resolved.  Please check your child's account and top it up where necessary.

All students were allowed to purchase food from the canteen without question, so now we have several accounts overdrawn.