Elevate Education – Parent Webinars

9 Sep 2023

We recognise that your children enter a particularly demanding time in year 11 as they prepare for their GCSEs and it can be difficult as a parent to know how to support them. 

Park Vale Academy has partnered with Elevate Education to provide you with regular guidance and advice about how you can support your child to revise and prepare effectively for their exams. 

Use the link below to register for their free monthly webinars and support your child.

https://get.elevatecoaching.info/uk/schoolwebinar

19th September 2023
 3rd & 17th October 2023
14th & 28th November 2023
12th December 2023

Student Leadership Conference 7th September 2023

7 Sep 2023

Tomorrows leaders inspired by today’s

A group of Park Vale Academy students joined the Student Leadership Conference at Nottingham Trent University. The aim of the conference was to raise aspirations and develop leadership skills of young people in our community, empowering them to design and deliver a project in school.

This year’s conference theme, chosen by our young people is ‘Sustainability into action to transform our world’ with the seminars linked to the United Nations’ 17 sustainable goals.

Fantastic Exam Results

4 Sep 2023

Congratulations to all of our Year 11 students for an amazing set of exam results this year. They are easily the best in the academy’s history and bear testament to how hard the students worked – not just last year – but during their whole time at Park Vale.

In particular, there were a couple of “stand-out” individual performances: Chloe Widelska who achieved nine grade 9’s and Ashdon Bernard who achieved four grade 9’s, four grade 8’s and a Level 2 Distinction. Between them, they have set a powerful example of what it is possible to achieve at this school and clearly have bright futures ahead of them.

So, well done to the entire Class of 2023: we wish you all the best for the exciting opportunities that now await you.

End of Term & Start of Term Arrangements

28 Aug 2023

Letter

The last day of school this term is Tuesday 25th July 2023. We will have our traditional lunchtime finish for students on that day to enable us to say goodbye to those staff who are leaving the academy. All students will therefore be dismissed at 12.20 pm on that day, however, free school meals will be available to those who are eligible as they leave the site.

The school re-opens to students on Tuesday 5th September 2023 and, as usual, we will operate a staggered start for different year groups on that day to provide a smooth and orderly start to the to the new term. The relevant start times and instructions for each year group appear below.

Arrangements for the first day of the new academic year for students:

Tuesday 5 September 2023:

Year 7:                  Arrive at 8.45am and go directly to the Main Hall

Year 11:                 Arrive at 8.45am and go directly to Tutor Rooms

Years 8, 9, 10:       Arrive at 9.45am and go directly to Tutor Rooms

Uniform Expectations

Please can I also draw your attention to the information on the letter regarding the school’s uniform guidelines for the coming year. All students at Park Vale Academy, from Year 7 to Year 11, wear uniform.  The wearing of a uniform makes an important contribution to the tone and reputation of the academy.  We like students to come here looking smart and business-like and ready to work.  Students without the correct uniform will be offered substitute items in order for them to remain in lessons.

Congratulations Class of 2023 – we’re so proud of you!

28 Aug 2023

It has been wonderful to celebrate GCSE results with our students and their families, and to see so many students delighted with their outcomes. 

The academy is delighted by the fantastic success of its GCSE students. Supported by their teachers, they have shown real academic ambition and have achieved truly excellent grades. Their hard work and determination, reflected in these results, gives them a strong foundation for their next stage of study and future careers.

The last few years have been very strange times in education and the impact of the pandemic and everything that has happened since has been unprecedented. No group of students has felt this more than our Class of 2023 and yet… have achieved so much!

Y10 Work Experience 8th – 12th July 24

23 Aug 2023

Full Work Experience Booklet 2024

Parent & Student Work Experience Form 2024

Employer Work Experience Form 2024

Work Experience Safeguarding Information

Sample Letter to Employer template

One of the exciting opportunities in Year 10 is work experience.  Most students enjoy experiencing the world of work first hand.  Furthermore, with the current economic environment, employers place a high value on relevant work experience and an opportunity to demonstrate good employability skill.

The Benefits of work Experience

Work experience helps students to:

  • Understand the world of work 
  • Improve and appreciate their skills and talents 
  • Gain confidence 
  • Accept the importance of school work and achieving good qualifications
  • Gain knowledge of particular jobs or careers 

https://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/exchange/work-experience/

PVA CAREERS FAIR – Friday 13th October 2023

23 Aug 2023

It is never too early to start to get young people to think about their future and for them to receive valuable information on the different options available. Such information allows balanced and considered decisions.  Our varied and ambitious careers programme helps our students with this process.

I would like to take this opportunity to make you aware of our annual careers fair. We will have over 30 local providers supplying information about Post 16 Provision, apprenticeships, and jobs. Your child will be invited to visit the fair during their lessons on 13th October 2023.

Our providers give up their time to support our students and therefore, at times, share their stalls and pictures of students interacting with them on social media platforms. If this is something you are concerned about, please can you let me know by emailing me at the email address given below.

I would also like to make you aware of Unifrog accessible from RM Unify. All students have access to this platform that has information about colleges, universities, career pathways and jobs/apprenticeships of the week. Unifrog is a ‘one-stop shop’ for anything careers based.

Please also use the information on our website pages https://parkvaleacademy.org.uk/career-related-learning/ which aims to support you and your child to access all the information and support you may need.

There is also LMI for All  which is an online data portal funded by the Department for Education. It brings together existing national sources of high quality labour market information (LMI) that can inform people’s choices about their careers. LMI for All includes information from key datasets from, for example, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Department for Education and HESA