Dear parents/carers,
I hope this letter finds you well. This half term is an incredibly short one and there is such a lot going on for so many of our staff and students, that it is a good time to reflect on how far some of them have come (particularly those entering their final weeks with us, before they go on to college and further study).
This week’s core value is excellence; it is somewhat timely considering where we are in the current academic year. Our Y11 students are entering the period of formal exams, an opportunity for them to demonstrate excellence in each of their subject domains; to demonstrate their commitment to themselves as learners. We are incredibly proud of the work they have done so far, and we wish them every success.
Our Y10 students are now at the halfway point of their GCSE courses. They are working towards a series of Mock Exams (18th-27th June). Taking an exam, or indeed multiple exams is a stage in the journey of learning and self-improvement; it is the culmination of every repeated habit, every failure along the way whilst striving for the highest possible standards in performance, quality, and character. It involves continuous effort, learning from mistakes and taking pride in what is submitted on the paper.
The philosopher Aristotle’s quote, “We are what we repeatedly do,” reminds us that our actions really define who we are. The quote encourages us to pay attention to our daily choices and behaviours, because they reflect our character, our values, and ultimately, they shape our future. Our actions, particularly when repeated, become ingrained as part of our character and overall identity. Excellence is not achieved through isolated individual acts but through consistent practice and the development of positive habit over time.
In essence, if we identify areas we need to improve, whether learning from mistakes or discovering gaps in our understanding, we can take proactive steps to get better and close those gaps. We need to view the challenges we sometimes face as opportunities for growth; we need to value our efforts and own the results; we need to encourage others and be a positive role model. Excellence is never the end result, but a result of small things done consistently, and well, towards a much bigger goal.
Our students know this. We remind them daily of our values and hold them to account when they need encouragement or prompting. We teach them about the power of their contributions and the importance of belonging to our community. We demand that they work hard, try harder and commit to their own personal development and in return we support them to be the best they can be, without exception.
Our staff know this too. They are always learning. Each member of the staff body undertakes to complete an ‘enquiry question’ every year, conducting in depth research into something they have identified as a problem or an issue – in essence, ‘a gap’, which they then develop an intervention for, based on best practice. This is then trialled and the outcomes of the trial impact on next steps decision making, for individuals /teams /the whole school, dependent on the scale of the intervention required and the results of their trial.
We are above all, a learning community at Erdington Academy, striving for excellence, where high standards and continuous improvement are vitally important. Ultimately, we take pride in what we do, and we hope that our students are proud of themselves too, when they reach the end of their journey with us, equipped to impact their communities positively and able to succeed in all their endeavours.
And finally, some dates for your diary:
27th May Panathlon Xtend event (SEND)
12th June FMAT Games event
24th June Girls into Engineering Challenge Cup
27th June Alton Towers (Y11)
1st July Prom (Y11)
14th July Work Experience in liaison with The Fort Shopping Centre Y10
15th July Celebration Evening 6.00pm-7.30pm Y7-Y11
17th July GREASE (drama production)
21st August GCSE Results Day (Y11)
All of the above are either opportunities for our students to ‘showcase’ their excellence or are rewards for students who have demonstrated the qualities of excellence through their attitude to learning. There is certainly a lot to look forward to!
Yours faithfully,
Mrs K Wright
Vice Principal
