Ossett Academy

What a wonderful morning we had, welcoming our Year 11 cohort back one final time to collect their GCSE results.

The smiles and excitement on their faces truly said it all. These results are a testament to the dedication, resilience and determination our students have shown throughout their GCSE journey, and they should be incredibly proud of everything they have accomplished.

While today's success belongs to our students, it was also a wonderful reminder of the strength of . Parents, carers, families and staff have all played a vital role in supporting our young people every step of the way, and there was a real atmosphere of pride, community and shared achievement throughout the morning.

We are looking forward to welcoming many of you back to Sixth Form in September. If you are still considering your Post-16 options or have recently changed your mind, please get in touch. We would be delighted to discuss how we can support you and explore the possibility of a place with us.

To those moving on to new places, pathways and opportunities, we wish you every success and happiness in the next chapter of your journey.

Congratulations, Year 11. We couldn't be prouder! 🎉

Tomorrow (Thursday 20 August) we will welcome back Year 11 pupils and their families for GCSE Results Day. Here's everything you need to know:

- Results can be collected 8.30am-10am from Kendall Hall.

- Students are encouraged to come and collect results in person to receive them promptly and celebrate their achievements. 🎉

- Support will be available on the day, both in terms of discussing remarks or thinking about next steps. 💭

- If a pupil is unable to attend in person, they can nominate someone to collect their results with an exams results collection request and valid photo ID.

We look forward to celebrating the hard work, resilience and achievements of our young people, and sharing this important milestone with them.

📢 Important Reminder: School Payments Moving to MCAS

Parents and carers, a reminder that from September, all payments for school dinners, trips and other school products will be made through MCAS (MyChildAtSchool). We will no longer be using Tucasi Scopay.

This change means that payments will sit alongside your child’s information within the MCAS app, making it easier to manage everything in one place.

What you need to know:

- Any existing Scopay balances, trip payments and purchased products have been transferred to MCAS. These may not appear until closer to the start of term while new accounts are being activated.
- You may receive an account activation email from MCAS. This is expected and simply means our Finance Team is preparing accounts ahead of September – you don’t need to do anything.
- Payments cannot currently be made through either MCAS or Scopay. Payment functionality is expected to be available from the final week of August.

If you already have an MCAS account:
- Your Scopay balance will automatically transfer across.
- Payments will appear as an additional tab within your existing MCAS account.
- Please note balances may not appear immediately and will be activated later this month.

If you don't yet have an MCAS account (and your child is already enrolled):
- Please set up your MCAS account as soon as possible by getting in touch with the academy on [email protected].
- We will need a current email address to create your account. Once created, you'll receive an email with instructions to set your password and access your account.
- During the summer break, academy staffing levels are reduced, so please allow additional time for responses to enquiries.

If your child is joining us in Year 7 this September:
- You will receive information towards the end of August explaining how to set up your MCAS account.
- Once activated, you'll be able to add dinner money and manage payments through MCAS.

We recommend downloading the MCAS app for the easiest access to school communications and payments, although you can also log in via the website. More information on MCAS can be found on our website: https://bit.ly/4xzV5sK.

Guidance on viewing and adding dinner money can be found here: https://bit.ly/4x5dIoE.

If you have any issues or questions, please contact our Finance Team at [email protected]. However, please be aware that most common issues, such as not being able to view your balance, should be resolved automatically over the next few weeks.

Thank you for your support as we make this transition.

A true Ossett Academy legend - Mr Delaney retires today after an extraordinary 36 years with us. 👏

Throughout his career, Mr Delaney has led countless musical productions and performances, inspiring generations of pupils and sharing the transformative power of music with hundreds of young people and their families.

Mr Delaney, it is hard to describe just how much of an impact you have made - your passion, talent and commitment will leave an impression on our school community for many years to come. You will be greatly missed, but we wish you all the very best on a well-deserved retirement!

Thank you for everything. ❤️

That’s a wrap. 36 years of inspiration. Happy Retirement Mr D!

And... we're out! 🎉

We've enjoyed a fantastic end to the term, with a range of events and activities celebrating our pupils' hard work, commitment and achievements. From a celebration breakfast for our Reading Buddies and a special visit from Joe Ice's ice cream van for pupils who achieved 99% attendance, to an unforgettable trip to Alton Towers, it's been a wonderful way to recognise the dedication of our young people and celebrate the strong community we've built together.

Thank you to all our pupils, families and staff for another successful year. We wish everyone a happy, safe and restful summer break, and we look forward to welcoming you back in September.

Keep an eye on our social media channels for information about results days, as well as September return arrangements closer to the time.

Music has a unique way of bringing people together, and yesterday's ‘Big Accord Jam’ was a perfect example of that.

For the first time, pupils from Ossett Academy and Horbury Academy came together to spend a fun day rehearsing and performing in orchestras, choirs and smaller ensembles. The day ended with a wonderful informal concert that showcased not only their musical talent, but also the connections and confidence formed along the way.

A huge well done to all the pupils and staff who made the day such a success! 🎵

Congratulations to Bobby, Bryce and Vivienne who have been awarded prizes for being the most active library book borrowers and readers this year – between them, they have borrowed a phenomenal 446 books! With 227 books, Bobby’s first-place prize was a special signed copy of Sophie Anderson’s latest book ‘The House With Chicken Legs Runs Away’. A big thank you to Sophie Anderson for this generous donation.

Our Year 9 pupils have had an incredible opportunity to take part in a business programme with Asda, discovering the huge range of careers behind the scenes of a major retailer.

From operations, engineering and maintenance to IT and automation, data and planning, health and safety, leadership, management, and technical training, pupils explored the many pathways which exist within logistics and supply chain operations.

As part of this programme, we welcomed Emily Sykes from ASDA to the academy, who shared valuable insights into the industry and the opportunities available. Pupils then visited ASDA’s distribution centre, gaining first-hand experience of the fast-paced world behind the scenes and seeing how products make their way from warehouse to store.

A fantastic experience that helped our students broaden their horizons and consider future career possibilities. Thank you to the ASDA team for this unique opportunity!

With hot weather forecast, we want to make sure our whole community stays safe and aware of the drowning risks of going into open water. Swimming in ponds, lakes and flooded quarries can be extremely dangerous - between strong underwater currents, cold water shock, debris and discarded waste, toxic algae and sudden changes in water depth, taking a dip just isn't worth the risk. Find out more about how to keep yourself and others safe here: https://bit.ly/4vXNMuI.

An incredible fundraising effort from one of our Year 7 pupils, Megan, and her family.

Last week, Megan, alongside her brothers and wider family, took part in a special wheelchair fundraising challenge in memory of their dad.

Megan's brother, Joe, is a former Ossett Academy pupil, and together the family have already raised more than £1,800 to support Wakefield Trinity Wheelchair Rugby and Wakefield Hospice. Megan herself completed an impressive 200+ laps of the sports hall in a wheelchair – an amazing achievement.

We are delighted to share their story and congratulate everyone involved on such a fantastic fundraising effort. A wonderful example of determination, generosity and community spirit.

🗣"Tomorrow would have been our lovely Dad’s 50th birthday. To mark this special occasion we wanted to have some fun, spend some time with the people who loved our Dad and raise some money for two very special causes." 💚

Wishing the very best luck to Charlie, Jack, Joe and Megan who are hosting a special "50-lap Wheelchair Challenge" tomorrow in memory of their Dad - Paul Johnson - at the Denhale Active Recreation Centre alongside friends and family; aiming to complete as many 50 laps of the centre in a wheelchair between 3-8pm 💚👏

To find out more, to sponsor the team or to get involved visit the link below 👇
https://www.gofundme.com/f/dads-50th-birthday-dash

All funds raised will support Wakefield Hospice where Paul was cared for and Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation 💚💙