The School Day

Our mission is simple – to empower you to be the best version of yourself!

In order for you to fulfil your potential, it has to be a team effort; we cannot do this without you.

We’ve found that how you start your day tends to impact how positive the rest of it will be. This is why we therefore encourage students to sign in at least 5 minutes before our school start time of 8:45 am.

If you arrive early, please sensibly wait in the reception area until you are collected by staff members at 8:50 am.

The school day begins at 8:50 am each morning.

Registration period will take place between 8:50 am – 9:00 am, and you will follow your daily routine, which can be found in the Rules and Regulations document within your Induction Pack, alongside your timetable.

At Arco Academy, we recognise the importance of the first meal of the day, which is why you are invited to join us for our FREE Breakfast Club every morning between 9:00 am – 9:15 am.

From 9:15 am – 9:30 am, we have our Book Club sessions called Everyone Reads at Arco aka ‘ERAA’. This is a daily activity to raise the importance of reading, develop your literacy and to nurture a love of escaping into a book.

Upon admission, you will apply and be registered at our local library where you will have unlimited access to a wide range of books which you will take ownership for. You will find this application form in your induction pack.

Assemblies take place every Wednesday from 9:15 am – 9:30 am. Consequently, this is the only day in which ERAA does not take place.

Lessons start promptly at 9:30 am every day.

Each lesson lasts 45 minutes. Every student at Arco is timetabled in for a weekly mentoring session. This is something we strongly encourage, as all students who consistently access and engage with their mentoring programme, experience positive short and long-term changes.

Your mentoring timetable will rotate every 2 weeks to avoid you missing out on the same lessons each time.

You will have one short 5-minute break at 10:15 am, and a lunchtime break from 11:50 am – 12:30 pm. Additional break times or time out can be granted if there is a genuine need and will be included in your Individual Educational Plan (IEP).

Your timetable will be tailored to your needs and will be presented to you and your parents/carers on your induction day. This is subject to change in line with your progress and needs.

We strongly believe in the positive benefits that sport and physical activity can add to your school and personal life, which is why we have it timetabled in for you every day.

Read more about our Pathways and timetable on Our Curriculum page.

The End of the School Day

The school day ends at 2:50 pm, with the exception of Fridays when you will finish at 12:30 pm, allowing teachers the time to up-skill, plan and prepare a better school life for you.

To ensure you get home safely, every day after school you will be walked to the bus stop by members of staff and expected to follow the rules and regulations as described at the induction meeting and detailed in your induction pack.

If your home is within walking distance of the school, you will be supervised until you are dismissed off the school premises. With your parent/carer’s written permission, you may make your own way home. Please note, the rules and regulations still apply to you, and you must demonstrate appropriate behaviour at all times.

If you are being collected, only authorised adults are allowed onsite to collect you.

Homework

Homework will be set on the last lesson of the week, and it is due back on the first lesson of the following week.

Teachers set homework via Microsoft Teams: this will direct you to the relevant website needed in order to complete your tasks, for example:

• Mathematics will be set on MathsWatch.
• English will be set on Bedrock.
• Science will be set on Seneca.

If you are having difficulty with any homework, or simply run out of time to complete an assignment, you’ll have the opportunity to complete the remainder of it during our independent learning session which takes place every Friday from 9:30 – 10:30 am, as well as in our After School Homework Club, which happens on Tuesdays from 3-4 pm.

Enrichment Activities

At Arco, we believe that a broad and inspiring programme of extra-curricular activities can enrich and empower students during their academic careers. Our varied selection of clubs, interventions and opportunities encourage our students to learn new skills and gain further support in their academic pursuits.

This is another opportunity for us to help you discover your passions, expand your skills and broaden your horizons!

Please see our Clubs and Interventions page for further information.