Archived News - Academy
Eaton Bray Academy News Update!
Dell Farm
At the beginning of June, some of our Year 3, 4 and 5 children enjoyed a residential trip to Dell Farm, where they enjoyed taking part in archery, caving and survival skills.
Archery
On the way we were pretending to be Robin Hood and Little John, it was funny! When we got to archery field, we were put in groups, and we gave our group a name. Conor told us how to use a bow. We had a little tournament and Alfie hit the bull's eye! My team was not happy with that because he was not in our team. Alfie's team won the tournament.
Then Conor set us a challenge. He said the team that got the closest to the bull's eye wins and my team won. Someone nearly hit a sheep! Archery was great fun!
-- By Archie
Dell Farm - Yum!
The best part of Dell Farm was when we melted marshmallows and sandwiched them with the chocolate cookies! Yum! I loved sitting round the campfire.
-- By Victoria
Eaton Bray Academy University Challenge!
Forget 'The University Challenge' on the television, we have had our own version of The University Challenge in school! The children in years 3, 4 and 5 had to get into teams and played rounds against each other. Our team, 'People in Black' made it to the fi nals which were held in assembly in front of the whole school. It was nerve racking but we were excited. The questions were tough, they ranged from entertainment to Science. We persevered but unfortunately we lost to the Fantastic Three! We were all awarded with certifi cates and book vouchers. It was a great experience and we are looking forward to next year!
-- By Demie and Diane
Recycling in Eaton Bray
Do you use any of the following?
- Baby food pouches (any brand pouches and Ella's Kitchen packaging )
- Baby wipes packets (any brand)
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes (any brand)
- Coffee packaging (any brand jar lids, pouches, coffee sticks etc)
- Actimel bottles, Activia and Shape yoghurt pots (no other brands please)
- Writing implements and correction fluid containers (any type except wooden pencils and wax crayons)
- Mobile phones (any type but no chargers)
- Biscuit wrappers (any brand of sweet biscuit wrapper)
If so, please put them in the collecting box outside Eaton Bray Village Store or take them to the school office.
They will be collected, sorted and sent off to Terracycle who upcycle them and pay 2p per item to the school (more for mobile phones).
For more information see www.terracycle.co.uk or
Eaton Bray Academy to benefit from New Recycling Scheme
or email [email protected]
Eaton Bray Academy to benefit from New Recycling Scheme
Eaton Bray is one of the first locations to join a brand new nationwide recycling scheme set up by Kenco and TerraCycle called the Coffee Packaging Brigade, aiming to save coffee packaging waste from landfill.
A collection box for all brands of coffee packaging waste is situated at the Nisa Local on the High Street with funds being donated to Eaton Bray Academy for each unit of coffee packaging waste collected.
The majority of coffee packaging waste unfortunately ends up in landfill as local councils simply don't have the infrastructure to recycle mixed plastics. The waste however is recyclable, prompting Kenco to partner with TerraCycle to set up the Coffee Packaging Brigade with an initial 100 location spaces available across the UK.
The aim is to enable communities to come together to save as much coffee packaging waste from local landfill, whilst raising money for good causes. The coffee packaging waste will be recycled into generic plastic products such as park benches, watering cans and waste bins.
TerraCycle and Kenco appealed for people across the UK to find suitable locations in their communities that were willing to house a collection box and apply for a space.
Villager Anne Johnson arranged for a box to be located in Eaton Bray. Locals are now able to drop their waste coffee refill bags, coffee bean bags, single serving coffee sachets and coffee jar lids off to the collection box located outside the store 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Mrs Johnson said: "It is great that Nisa Local have housed a collection box at their store to enable us to be one of the first communities in the UK to be able to recycle their coffee packaging waste. Two TerraCycle points are earned for the weight of each coffee packaging unit that is returned, with each point being redeemable for a one pence contribution.
"All the money raised will go to Eaton Bray Academy for the school's allotment project where children help to grow fruit and vegetables that are used in the school kitchen so we encourage local people to drop off all their coffee packaging waste and tell all their friends and family to do the same. The aim is to not only save as much coffee packaging waste from landfill as possible but also to raise as much as possible for the school."
Eaton Bray Academy Christmas Fayre
The fayre was at Eaton Bray Academy on 24th November between 12.30-2.30. The Salvation Army attended 12.30-1.30, with Cllr. Coulter and Cllr. Piggot there as part of the band along with other EB Salvation Army members.
Eaton Bray Academy awarded Primary School status
We were delighted to be informed that our application to become a Primary School has been successful. Our School is in the village of Eaton Bray which is positioned between the two towns of Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard. The School is in a wonderful setting along a quiet lane off the beaten track. Our children remain children for as long as possible and our School is still small enough for us to have good relationships with each other. Although we thoroughly enjoy our 'out in the sticks' location we make sure we keep in touch with what is happening around us.
Having been judged "Outstanding" by Ofsted in 2007, we became an Academy on 1st April 2010 – yes we chose that date deliberately - and now we have permission to change our age range and become a Primary School in 2013.
These are uncertain times for education in Central Bedfordshire. We opted for Academy status so that we could take what we know are the right decisions to determine the school's future, and always with the children and their future at the centre of that decision making. One of the first comments that usually arises about Academies is that becoming an Academy allows a school to be selective about intake - at Eaton Bray, this is firmly not the case and we have always been very inclusive, welcoming children of all backgrounds.
Our main reasons for the move to Primary are listed below:
- To raise standards and improve outcomes – children can maintain progress made at Eaton Bray Academy through years 5 and 6
- To provide stability, consistency and continuity for children in Key Stage 2 rather than disruption of a move to middle school at the age of 9 years - only one change rather than two as in the thee tier system
- To increase parental choice – offering greater options for children's future education, including offering the 11+ exam option to those who want it. We consulted our children and parents, and a strong majority want to stay beyond age 9 (year 4).
- To provide equal access for all pupils to primary school education inline with the rest of the country
- To ensure our School is based around our community and its needs, through our ethos, curriculum, and teaching and learning organisation
Our parents were fully consulted about becoming a Primary School. Here are some of their comments:
"I believe that the children would benefit from the stability of a primary school where their specific learning needs are already known and can be built on, rather than interrupted by having to move to towns some distance away."
"As a family we fully support both the School Governors and Mrs Hounslow. We think the school has already exceeded our expectations as a nurturing, encouraging and holistic educational establishment."
"I agree that Eaton Bray Academy should change its age range from 2-9 to 2-11. The school provides a unique environment for children's education and has room to provide more classrooms without impacting on the school's grounds. I am sure that many parents will be pleased for their children to remain at Eaton Bray until they are 11 and havecompleted Key Stage 2."
"Full support for this based on great success, and continued progress and improvement of Eaton Bray School. In consideration of changes in the county and district in general, I believe this would give stronger cohesion to the village community, greater parental choice, and, most importantly, improved educational outcomes for the children."
"I fully agree that Eaton Bray Academy should change its age range from 2-9 to 2-11. I cannot think of any better environment for children to be nurtured in!"
Our local Member of Parliament, Andrew Selous was also very supportive.
"As a successful school, I trust your judgement to know what is best for your children and parents." Andrew Selous 8th May 2012
The School will become a Primary in September 2013 so our current Year 4 children will have the opportunity to remain in their familiar setting and move into Year 5. The following year this same class will become our first Year 6 class.
The Trustees, staff and Governors of Eaton Bray Academy are dedicated to maintaining and improving standards for pupils who attend Eaton Bray Academy.
We believe that continuity of learning through Key Stage 1 and 2 is best achieved as a primary school. This change would bring us into line with the education system in the rest of the country.
We are of the opinion that it is in the best interests of our School and the village community to affect these changes as soon as reasonably possible, to avoid being "left behind" as inevitable changes take place within the educational system in central Bedfordshire.
Eaton Bray Academy - Open Day - 15 October 2012
Eaton Bray Academy Open Day
Monday 15th October 2012, 2.00pm-3.00pm
Everyone Welcome
Eaton Bray Academy's Royal Summer Fayre
Eaton Bray Academy's ROYAL SUMMER FAYRE
16th June 2012 -12.00pm to 3.30pm
Children's Fancy Dress Competition
(Kings, Queens, Knights & Princesses Theme)
Everyone welcome - look forward to seeing you there.
Source: Focus, June 2012
A New Beginning at Eaton Bray Lower School
Eaton Bray Lower School is no more – but all is not what it seems, so please read on!
The heading suggests, particularly at this time of year, new life and a fresh start, and that is exactly what is happening in Eaton Bray. Your local School became an Academy on Friday 1st April 2011.
To explain the reasons for this, I would like to take you back to the nineties. Eaton Bray School seemed constantly under threat at this time. We did not have high numbers, and in fact at times only three classrooms were in use, the fourth being ‘moth balled’ as they called it. We were regularly told that village schools were not necessary and that unless numbers increased the School would be closed. We were then given some freedom with Local Management of Schools and the creation of strong Governing Bodies. For us, this was the beginning of a new era. We were fortunate to have dedicated, committed School governors who worked with the School, and gradually we grew and developed. Our numbers increased, we designed and added a purpose built Pre School, which became part of the School, our School grounds were developed, and this year we extended the library and built a new classroom. Most importantly, we have a fantastic staff team and some of us openly admit to loving our jobs and looking forward to another Monday morning! This rubs off on our children and here are some of their quotes reported on their School census!
Tilly, “All the teachers are kind and caring”,
Sulaymaan “It’s a good place to be, the teachers try to make learning fun”.
Finlay “The best thing about EBLS is that there are lots of kind generous people”
Finally, Peter provides a list!
“The children are nice, we have fun, we learn lots of facts and the rules are fair”
As I hope you are beginning to realise, we feel Eaton Bray School is a special place and we wanted to keep it that way. With fears of cuts and changes, and so many unknowns, we felt the way forward was to become an Academy. [This was made possible because of our ‘Outstanding’ status achieved at the last OFSTED inspection].
Accordingly, the Governing Body and the whole of the School staff voted unanimously to apply for Academy status, and this was accepted by Government, and came into effect on April 1st. So, we have a new beginning, which fits well with the history of Eaton Bray as it is the 150th anniversary of Eaton Bray School this year.
I would like to thank everyone who has made this possible, and hope that staff, parents and most of all, the children will continue to enjoy Eaton Bray School. We are here to stay!
Sue Hounslow, Head
Source: Focus, May 2011
Eaton Bray Academy
Eaton Bray Lower School is now officially an Academy.
Below is a slide show from their "Special Celebration Day" in pictorial form.
Source: Eaton Bray Academy Blog