Key information

No specific updates this week

 We would like to invite you and your child to our Year 8 Pathways Evening that is taking place on Thursday 3^rd April on Centre Site at 5.30pm-6.30pm. This event is designed not only go over the Core Curriculum your child will be studying in Year 9, but also to provide you with information about the selection of subjects on offer to Year 8, from which they will need to pick 3 to study in Year 9 on top of our Core Curriculum. These are designed to give our students a taste of what key subjects will be like to study for GCSE in Years 10 and 11, ahead of their selection next year. 

Thank you for all your support in helping our students make their informed choices regarding what they would like to study in Years 10 and 11. We have now received almost all of our students' selections and are busy in the complex process of endeavouring to successfully timetable as many of these first choices as possible.  

Please note that, over the next few weeks, we will be contacting parents of the few students (and the students themselves) that, for a number of reasons, have not yet managed to submit their choices in order to offer further assistance.

 No specific updates this week

Year 11 exams begin in earnest next term, with many exams happening prior to the May half term. During Term 5, students will be expected to attend school on a daily basis as usual, as is the legal requirement. This is so that we are able to best support students in class in the lead up to each exam.  However, we have taken the decision that, at the end of Term 5 (Friday 23rd May), Year 11 students then go on study leave. 

If individual students wish to still come into school to revise after half term, we will be putting provision in place for this to be possible. We will also be running some targeted revision sessions after half term which students will be expected to attend (either in person or online). Further details of these will be shared next term, but we would appreciate parents supporting us to ensure students do attend these, as they are crucial opportunities to help students with their final preparations for their imminent exams. 

As we are drawing to the end of the school year for Year 11, if your child has not yet had a 1-2-1 careers advisor appointment with Mrs Dimbylow and you feel that this would be beneficial for them, please can you complete the MS Form to provide us with the details.  Mrs Dimbylow is able to arrange phone calls with parents as an alternative if this would be more useful.

For all Year 11 students who have applied to join King Alfred’s Sixth Form, we will be holding our Sixth Form Induction Days on Tuesday 1^st and Wednesday 2^nd July 2025.

In the lead up to exams please find the updated King Alfred's Academy Exams page - https://www.kaacademy.org/page/?title=Exams&pid=36 - which has our most up to date information on GCSE exams, regulations and GCSE schedules. QR code to access the website below. 

Please pay particular attention to the 'Candidate Handbook' which lists our expectations and 'what to do' for the upcoming exam season. I would strongly advise all parents of Year 11 to read this in advance of the summer.

Year 11 intended destination data

We have been asked by Oxfordshire County Council to compile some data from our Year 11 students on what they are hoping to do from September 2025 after they have completed their GCSEs.  Students have been sent an MS form via epraise as a piece of homework on Thursday 20^th March.  On accessing the form, students have been asked to input their full name (i.e. first name and surname) and choose one of the options available.  We are asking that they choose their first choice in the best-case scenario i.e. they get the grades that are required.  We would be grateful if you could support your child in completing this form.

No specific updates this week.

REVISION: It is essential that Year 13 students make the most of the revision opportunities presented by the 17 days of the Easter holidays.  Each day of the holidays should be seen as a full working day with students revising for a large proportion of each day. After Easter, students will have 13 days in school before their written A-Level exams begin. Whilst attendance at all lessons is compulsory until 9^th May for A-Level subjects, and the end of June for BTEC subjects, some students will be required to attend additional lessons after that date to ensure they are making the most of their time before each exam. 

EXAMS: Additional information regarding exam regulations will be sent home shortly. This same information will be delivered in an assembly on Monday 31^st March, it is essential that all students attend the assembly so they are aware of the most up-to-date information regarding exam regulations. All this information is also available on the Exam pages of our website.