Girls Active Leaders

28 Oct 2025

The framework of Girls Active has six key principles that underpin effective practice in engaging girls to be physically active. These have positive relationships at their core and should be supported by whole school policies and practice.

1. Take a long-term approach to engaging girls

2. Put developing self-confidence at the heart of PE

3. Make PE and sport relevant to girls lives

4. Recognise the power of friends to drive progress

5. Develop role models for the future

6. Empower girls to design and deliver PE and sport.

Evidence of Need

By age 7, girls are already less active than boys and this disparity widens as they move from childhood into adolescence. Adolescent girls are more likely to experience barriers to participation than boys with the biggest drop-off occurring during the transition from primary to secondary school.

At this time there are multiple factors that affect girls’ participation including disruption to friendship groups, the onset of puberty and declining body confidence and the increasing need to ‘fit in’ and be accepted amongst their peers.

Across all ages, fewer girls (45%) meet physical activity recommendations compared with boys (50%) (Sport England, 2022)

Of girls who were physically active in primary school, 43% no longer felt that way once reaching secondary school (Women in Sport, 2022)

Concerns or being self-conscious about their appearance often stops girls (37%) taking part in fun activities (Girlguiding, 2023)

Y11 Walking Talking Mocks- 10th, 13th & 14th November 2025

21 Oct 2025

Science Monday 10th November 2025

English/Maths 13th & 14th November 2025

What is a Walking Talking Mock?

A Walking Talking Mock is a  fully guided, interactive exam experience to take the guesswork out of exam papers. It is a teacher led exam session where students are guided through every question, step by step.

For many students, their worries stem from having to sit silently in a large hall. By practising in this environment in a supported way, a student’s confidence can often increase as their fears are replaced with familiarity.

Furthermore, these mocks are the epitome of modelling. 

Rather than seeing students slump their heads on exam desks after five minutes, there is a sense that passing is possible when they have a clear example of what to do.

Teachers can cover all manner of things during a walk, talk mock session to help guide students to success, such as:

• Finding the focus of the question by highlighting the keywords
• Considering the percentage of marks per question.
•  Working on careful time management.
• Understanding the skills and methods required for each question and how to construct a successful answer.

Ada Lovelace Day – Nottingham 14th October 2025 at MediCity

21 Oct 2025

15 Park Vale students took part in the Ada Lovelace day celebrations held at MediCity Nottingham where, for a day, they took part in hands on activities, run by inspiring female scientists who are based at MediCity and work in the local STEM industry.

‘An event celebrating and celebrating women and girls in STEM in honour of local Nottinghamshire legend Ada Lovelace‘

Who was Ada Lovelace: Ada was the 19th century mathematician who is considered the founder of computer science.

Between 1842 and 1843, Ada worked with Charles Babbage to translate an article on the calculating engine, supplementing it with an elaborate set of notes, simply called Notes (later published in Taylor’s scientific memoirs). These Notes contain what many consider to be the first computer program with the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine.

Lovelace’s Notes included a ground-breaking description of the possibilities of programming the machine to go beyond number-crunching to “computing,” including speculating on its future ability to create graphics and complex music.

She was also the daughter of romantic poet Lord Byron.

Ski Trip 2027

13 Oct 2025

Ski Trip to Passo Tonale, Itlay
Departure date: 27 March – 3 April 2027
Transport: Flight via Bergamo Airport, Italy

We are delighted to offer the opportunity for students who are currently in Years 8, 9 and 10 [as of September 1 2025], to apply for a place on the Ski Trip to Passo Tonale, Italy in 2027. The ski trip is open to students of all levels of experience, from never skied, all the way through to a seasoned skier. This is a very popular trip!

Please take note of the physicality of the trip; you must be able to ski all day and have the resilience and determination to learn throughout the ski trip without sitting on the sidelines being a spectator! You will not be given the option to sit out other than for injury.

This will be a combined trip with Carlton Academy, one of our Trust schools.

FURTHER DETAILS TO FOLLOW

Nottingham Forest ‘Think Big’ Y9 Assembly – Tuesday 7th October

3 Oct 2025

Nottingham Forest and their very large European cup will visit Park Vale on Tuesday 7th October 2025 to talk to year 9 students. They emphasised the many careers associated with technology which are often behind the scenes of sport. Various roles were discussed and the ‘Think Big’ video was watched showing the use of technology and a variety of potential careers.

THINK BIG Y9 CODING WORKSHOPS [start December 2025]

Think Big is a programme devised to introduce young people in Nottingham to the concept of technology, and how powerful it can be. In the Think Big film, shown to Year 9 this week in assembly, the message is that ‘tech is everywhere, and it powers everything’. In today’s digital age, coding has become a fundamental skill that empowers individuals to have an impact on the world around them. It is no longer reserved for computer scientists and software engineers; coding has established its way into various aspects of day-to-day life.

The coding workshop is a practical and informative approach to introduce our students to the concept of coding with examples of where this is relevant to the real world, uncovering where they may have seen it in action without realising. The themed activity sets out the task of coding robots to transport them around an assault course.

The success of Think Big has a strong link to showing young people how the skills that are intertwined in technology can translate to the real world. Coding is, at its core, about solving problems. Learning how to code encourages young minds to break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable components. This structured approach to thinking is invaluable in not only programming but also in everyday life. By Think Big creating the opportunity for young people to develop these problem-solving skills, they are better prepared to tackle challenges in school, work, and the wider world.

Think Big uses examples from subjects other than IT to show students how they may identify with elements of coding, and to diminish the stereotyping. It allows individuals to create, experiment, and bring their ideas to life. When young people learn to code, they are equipped with the tools to foster their sense of creativity. This innovation can be applied to various fields such as art, music, science and business studies. These are values that we strive to carry through each Think Big workshop and masterclass. The job market is evolving, and technology-related skills are in high demand. By introducing young people to coding, we are preparing them for a future where digital literacy is as essential as reading and writing. Technology is a skill that we are striving to bring to students across Nottingham, to enhance their employability skills.

Think Big workshops give students a chance to explore tech sector workplace activities and skills.

Year 11 Tutor Review Week – Tuesday 14th October 2025 – School closes 2.10 pm on this day.

3 Oct 2025

Good morning,

A reminder that PVA has Year 11 Tutor Reviews will take place week commencing Tuesday 14th October 2025. There will be an early finish for all students at 2.10 pm on Tuesday 14th October to accommodate these review meetings.

These meetings add to our partnership work with parents in helping to secure outstanding results for students. During the review week all parents and students should attend a 20 minute face to face meeting.

Review meetings are an opportunity for parents to come into the academy to meet with their child’s tutor to discuss their pastoral development and set agreed targets for the year ahead. Later in the year there will also be a subject based parents’ evening where parents will have the opportunity to speak to their child’s subject teachers about their progress in their subjects,

Year 11 Review Meetings – Week commencing: Tuesday 14th October 2025

Review meetings are an opportunity for parents to come into the academy to meet with their child’s tutor to discuss their pastoral development and set agreed targets for the year ahead. Later in the year there will also be a subject based parents’ evening where parents will have the opportunity to speak to their child’s subject teachers about their progress in their subjects, this is happening on Wednesday 7th January 2026 from 4.00 – 7.00pm.

When will the review meetings take place?

School will finish at the end of period 4 (2.10pm) for all year groups on Tuesday 14th October 2025. This is done to provide an opportunity for parents to meet their child’s form tutor for around twenty minutes.

How to book a review meeting with your child’s tutor

Your child will be responsible for making the appointment with their tutor for you. We are aware that not everyone can attend at this time of the day or on that day, please indicate the time that you wish to attend and ask your child to tell their form tutor who will confirm. A message confirming the date and time will be sent to you via Class Charts.

Where will the meeting take place?

Meetings usually take place in the dining room if they are taking place on the day that we close early. Please arrange to meet your child at school and they can bring you to the dining room via main reception. If the meeting is taking place at another time, please come to reception and your child’s tutor will meet you there.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s form tutor.

Year 11 Schools’ Tour 11th November 2025

3 Oct 2025

The University of Cambridge will be visiting Park Vale Academy on 11th November 2025 to present a workshop to some year 11 students.

Visit date: Tuesday 11th November

Session title: Year 11 Schools’ Tour

Workshop aims:

· Pupils will gain a greater understanding of how university life is different to school, including the range of courses on offer.

· Pupils will understand the pathway from school to employment via university, and how having a degree even in a non-vocational subject can lead to employment, through exploration of real-life examples.