Here is a copy of the letter and flyer sent home to all parents and carers: Dear Parent/Carer Please find below a flyer with details of events taking place in our academy to acknowledge Mental Health Awareness. I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to join us for a Coffee, Cake and Chat on Friday 17 May from 1.30pm to 2.30pm, with the cakes handmade by our students. I have also enclosed a letter with details regarding a Brighter Futures Survey that the academy has agreed to take part. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Finally, I would also like to make you aware of a roadshow being organised by the Local Authority for parents, carers and professionals entitled Walk Online on 23 May 2019 from 10am to 1pm or 6.30pm to 9.00pm. The event will allow attendees to gain a greater understanding of what and how are children are using social media and the internet. If you are interested in attending this event, please visit the following website: //www.thurrocklscb.org.uk/lscb/training-event-information/walk-online-roadshow-for-parents-carers-and-professionals Yours sincerely Collette Hunnisett Headteacher
This is a copy of the letter sent to all parents and carers on 9th May 2019 regarding the Brighter Futures Survey: 9 May 2019 Dear Parent/Carer Brighter Futures Secondary Survey 2019 Our school, along with several others, has agreed to participate in a very important Health Behaviour Survey amongst young people. We have been asked to support the work of the Local Authority and Public Health and we stand to benefit substantially through our participation in the survey. The survey data in schools may prompt review of the curriculum and have also been used in a variety of ways including: As a starting point for discussion in classroom activities As a guide in the choice of resources As a prompt for appropriate timing of courses As a beginning for further enquiry to strengthen existing programmes, e.g. in PE As a starting point for discussions between parents and schools The survey method that we are using has been developed by the Schools Health Education Unit, Exeter and has been in use now for over 30 years. Over 3000 schools have used the survey, many of them regularly repeating the survey. The questions concern a wide range of health behaviours, for example: Home and family Relationships, emotional health and well-being Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs Leisure and money Exercise The Local Authority and Public Health will also have a reliable database upon which it can objectively plan health care provision for young people. Links between the school and Public Health can be strengthened. Both the Local Authority and the school find the content of the questionnaire acceptable; it has been customised to suit our local setting. Each questionnaire is anonymous and confidential, and no pupil will be identified when the data is returned to your school. The Local Authority will receive only the summary of all schools in which individual schools are not identified. Data Protection concerns are covered in the Privacy Notice for pupils, which can be found on the reverse of this sheet. I hope you will agree with us that this is an exercise in which we wish to co-operate fully. I will assume you do approve unless I hear otherwise and I look forward to working with you in planning improved health promotion for our pupils. We hold a copy of the questionnaire in the school office, and if you would like to examine it, you are welcome to do so by appointment. The survey will probably be carried out within the next month. Yours sincerely Collette Hunnisett, Headteacher
Here is a copy of the letter from Olive Academies’ chief executive, Mark Vickers, being sent out to all parents and carers today: Thursday 4 April 2019 Dear Parent/ Carer, I last wrote to you in February to share the news that Collette Hunnisett would be taking on the role of interim headteacher at Olive AP Academy – Thurrock. Over the last month Olive Academies’ trustees have undertaken a rigorous recruitment process to select a permanent headteacher for the academy. We are ambitious for the academy and our students and we were pleased to receive applications from a large number of high-calibre candidates. Following an extensive selection and interview process I am delighted to announce that Collette Hunnisett has been appointed as the permanent headteacher at Olive AP Academy – Thurrock. Collette’s commitment to our students shone through her application and she impressed the appointment panel with her knowledge, leadership skills and understanding of the range of support our students need to succeed in education. Collette is already well known in the local community having worked for 19 years at Ormiston Park Academy. Her career in education began as a science teacher, gaining Advanced Skills Teacher Status in Science, before going on to secure her role as Vice Principal responsible for the behaviour, wellbeing and safeguarding of pupils at Ormiston Park Academy. Collette’s passion for lifelong learning is infectious and it is this drive and ambition that the panel were so impressed by. Collette Hunnisett says, “My fundamental belief is that every young person has the ability and right to learn. I have always wanted to work in a school which gave children and young people access to more exciting and engaging learning opportunities. I am so pleased to have found that commitment to create an outstanding, imaginative curriculum at Olive AP Academy – Thurrock. Further developing a curriculum which will engage all our students and allow them to gain the skills and qualifications they want and need is a priority for me and the academy team. I am ambitious on behalf of our students, their families, the staff and Olive Academies’ trustees and as headteacher, I look forward to continuing my work with the academy and local community.” Olive Academies strongly believes that Collette has the skills and experience to ensure that the academy builds on the ‘Good’ Ofsted inspection it received last December and that she will continue to shape and develop the outstanding provision our students deserve. I hope you will join me in offering our congratulations to Collette on her appointment. Please do not hesitate to contact Collette (E: Collette.Hunnisett@oliveacademies.org.uk) if you would like to make an appointment to meet her. We always welcome visits from parents and carers at the academy. Yours faithfully, Mark Vickers Chief Executive, Olive Academies
This week some of our students have been busy making and painting stunning, detailed ceramics. Beautiful work everyone should be proud of!
We thought you might like to see some of the activities our staff and students have been involved with over the last week…
Here is a copy of the letter sent out to all parents and carers on Thursday 7th February 2019, announcing the appointment of Collette Hunnisett as Interim Headteacher. Dear Parent/ Carer, Following the fantastic news about our recent ‘Good’ Ofsted inspection at the academy, I am writing to let you know that Collette Hunnisett has been appointed as Interim Headteacher at Olive AP Academy – Thurrock (OA-Th). Collette brings significant experience to the role, having joined Olive Academies’ leadership team in July 2018, on secondment from her post as Vice Principal at Ormiston Park Academy. She has spent the last 6 months working closely with Eileen Hinds (current headteacher at OA-Th) and has shown her passionate commitment to ensuring our students are given the best opportunities to achieve their ambitions. I am also pleased to share the news that Eileen Hinds, although standing down from her role as OA-Th headteacher, will remain as Olive Academies’ Director of Academy Effectiveness and Standards and will continue to work across all three of our alternative provision academies. Eileen played a significant role in securing our ‘Good’ Ofsted inspection – she has ensured that the Thurrock academy team is in a strong position to deliver a broad and creative curriculum and to secure good results for all our students. Collette and Eileen have worked closely together, creating an ambitious academy improvement plan and will ensure there is a smooth handover. Collette Hunnisett says, “It is an exciting time at Olive AP Academy – Thurrock and I feel lucky to be leading a pioneering team of teachers dedicated to supporting students who deserve the very best opportunities to learn and succeed. I love working at the academy, and am delighted to have been appointed as Interim Headteacher. I look forward to working closely with our students and their families, our staff and our local community.” Please do not hesitate to contact Collette should you have any queries or would like to make an appointment to meet her or visit the academy E: Collette.Hunnisett@oliveacademies.org.uk Yours faithfully Mark Vickers Chief Executive, Olive Academies
It is with great happiness that I will be writing to all parents and carers today to share the wonderful news that Olive AP Academy – Thurrock has been rated by Ofsted as “Good” in all aspects of our work with young people. Ofsted inspectors visited the academy on 4th and 5th December 2018 and the new inspection report has been published today. I am pleased to be able to share with you the key findings of the report which states that “senior leaders have created a safe environment in which previously reluctant learners feel secure and are able to focus on their learning” and “the school has worked relentlessly over the last year to boost the achievement of all groups of pupils in all subjects.” The full report is published on Ofsted’s website: //reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/22/140861. If you would like a paper copy of the report or if you would like the report emailed to you please contact the academy office. The grades that can be awarded by Ofsted are Outstanding (1), Good (2), Requires Improvement (3), Inadequate (4). You can access an Ofsted guide for parents about school inspections here : //www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspections-a-guide-for-parents I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all parents and carers for their support and the positive feedback they gave inspectors during their visit to the academy. The inspectors commented in their report that parents and carers of young people attending the academy had told them “their children are safe, well looked after and taught well. One parent stated, ‘This has been the saving of my son and will be the making of him.’” Here are some of the key findings about our academy from the latest Ofsted report: o Pupils’ welfare and their personal development are given a high priority. Pupils behave well in lessons, enjoy class discussions and take pride in their work. o Leaders are determined that pupils have the best opportunity to develop into good citizens. o Senior leaders and staff work hard to raise the aspirations of pupils who may not have had positive previous experiences of school. o Senior leaders have created a culture of respect throughout the school. They are ambitious for all pupils to succeed. Pupils who have not always had positive experiences in their previous schools develop trust and respect for staff. o Teachers work effectively with pupils to provide them with a high level of care and help them to achieve well. o Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are provided with the support they need to achieve well. One pupil expressed the views of many saying, ‘teachers don’t give up on us.’ o The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. This latest Ofsted inspection report is testament to all the hard work of our staff and students which has taken the academy on a journey from special measures to an Ofsted judgment of ‘Good’ in all areas in just 22 months. Ofsted scrutinized every aspect of our work during their latest visit to the academy and their final report shows how the academy is going from strength to strength. We remain ambitious for our students and our work to continue improving the academy doesn’t stop now. Eileen HindsHeadteacher
As part of Olive Academies’ commitment to give our students quality work experience and to develop their ambitions, a group of OA-Th students have had the opportunity to take their creative learning to a professional level. Emperor, the international creative corporate and brand communications agency, visited our academy again this month and gave students the chance to work alongside their top design and communications consultants on an innovative project. The Emperor team came to visit and take part in our ‘creative Olympics’ which saw Emperor staff tasked with supporting our students to plan, build and launch their own media platform. We can’t wait to see what the students, with support from their creative mentors at Emperor, produce over the coming months. Here’s some photos from their latest workshop…
