At the John Henry Newman Academy we aim to provide opportunities for every child to develop not just academically but as a whole. We are lucky to work with a number of businesses, charities and local partners to provide our students with ways to learn new skills, develop their confidence and help our community.

 

We are currently running:

  • The Apex project which focusses on sight screening for every child in the school which can then be used as an early intervention so that every child can access the resources in the classroom with ease.
  • Spellbound schools in collaboration with the story museum to enhance our reading and writing. There are a number of projects running through this, such as ‘blue sky books’ where children develop their love of reading through creative outlets.
  • Reciprocal Reading through the Fischer Family Family and Mike Treadaway (FFT)  to help develop our love our reading.
  • The mini police where children from our school learn about the role of a police officer and take part in keeping us all safe in the community.
  • Visits to the local Littlemore library to browse books and take some back to school with us.
  • Exciting fixtures with other schools to show how brightly our lights can shine.
  • Bikeability – a programme designed to suppor the children in staying safe while cycling through a hands on programme.
  • Themed days in year groups to create immersive experiences and make real-life learning links.
  • Educational visits linked to the classroom learning, including visits to museums, places of worship, historical sites, landmarks within our community and much more!
  • House activities and competitions where the children join together with their house (Carroll, Wilson, Rowling, Dahl, Walliams or Donaldson) where the student leaders support their team to win competitions, get to know each other better and have fun.
  • Visits to our local church twice a year to join in with Reverand Margreet to celebrate in our collective worship.

We also provide opportunities to support our local community through the specialisms within our team here at JHN.

For parents and members of the community we are running:

  • Stay & Play takes place on Monday and Tuesday mornings in the hall from 9-10:15am. The sessions are for 0-5’s and their parents/carers, no connection with the school is required. Sessions are very inclusive, everyone from the local community is welcome to join in the fun. Please join us for ride-on’s, mini trampolines, books, toys and more! Our Tuesday session is also attended by a representative from The Oxford Hub who is on hand to support parents with advice and guidance on a wide range of life’s challenges.
  • We are currently hosting a family learning course, “Managing Feelings and Behaviour”. This is delivered by Abingdon and Witney College and involves 6 weeks of 2-hour sessions. It offers parents/carers the opportunity to learn some of the coping strategies to help guide your children through experiencing big feelings and emotions, that can, at times, feel overwhelming. We hope to expand what we can offer in terms of family learning once the Hub is up and running, so please keep an eye out!
  • In collaboration with Homestart and Growing Minds we host a Slow Cooker group. This is a weekly group of around 8 parent/carers, running for 6 weeks. Families receive a free slow cooker on week one, then food for a family dinner for the remaining 5 weeks. Food is prepared in a fun and relaxed environment which is then taken home to cook for that evening’s family dinner. We have enjoyed meals such as Cowboy Casserole, and different takes on Hotpot and Chilli recipes. If you would like to register interest in joining, please email h.jamieson@jhnacademy.co.uk.
  • Achieve Oxfordshire – a chance for children and parents to come along together on a Wednesday to learn about healthy lifestyles and how to exercise together.

Gallery

Mini Police

Did you spot our Mini Police at the Oxford United game? The chidlren were shown around the control centre with over 30 cameras, they visited the press room and a few were interviewed by the press officer, toured the changing rooms and fitness room. They then met some players and asked questions before watching the game with a 2-2 draw agains Wycombe Wanderers FC. They also met the police on duty that day and looked around the riot van!

This week our mini police have been learning some critical first aid how to use a defibrilator. PCSO Tom taylor definitely made an excellent model for the bandaging section.

The children in Year 5 and 6 have now been initiated as officers in Littlemore. Look out for them as they start to take more of a role in our community keeping us safe and learning lots of life skills!