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About us

Nova Primary Academy – a STEM inspired school

We are ‘Ambitious and Proud’ and thrilled to launch our NEW SCHOOL; Nova Primary Academy, established in April 2023. 

Nova Primary Academy is a proud member of a Multi-Academy Trust, the Peterborough Keys Academies Trust.  PKAT is a group of five Peterborough schools, Nova Primary Academy, Jack Hunt School, Longthorpe Primary School, Ravensthorpe Primary School and Thorpe Primary School.  We work collaboratively to ensure pupil achievement, progress, wellbeing, and we strive to unlock the potential of every child.  You can access the PKAT website https://pkat.co.uk/ for more information.

Our pupils are beams of light, with so much potential. We secure every available opportunity for our pupils to encounter ‘spheres of light and energy’ filling their world’.  Our ethos is one of calm, purposeful learning, within a harmonious and inclusive community.  We have high expectations for all our pupils and staff and consider our families to be partners, recognising the vital role that they play.  We want to work together as a team, to fully realise the potential of all of our children.

We advance towards a future our pupils are deserving of and look for external supporters to champion our vision.  We endeavour to enrich the lives of the children we serve.  We have just opened our D&T ‘Launchpad’ zone, as we want our pupils to have a place in school where they can have opportunities to design, develop, experiment and problem solve through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).  We further plan to have a larger additional space for pupils {Discovery STEM Centre} to acquire knowledge beyond their classroom, as their world orbits through their experiences and sends them on a trajectory of discovery and enrichment.  We are seeking ambassadors and supporters of Nova Academy to help us to develop our ‘Discovery STEM Centre’ using innovation, exploration, research, and careers education to deepen the experiences of our pupils. 

We are on a mission to create a school which enables all pupils to believe that anything is possible and that there are no limits to their potential and achievements. The universe is limitless and their time with us is the beginning of their journey into a world of discovery, possibilities, and adventure. 

We are excited to let you know that from 17 April 2023, we officially became Nova Primary Academy.  Nova means ‘NEW’ and also means ‘a sudden burst of energy and light within a star – almost like an explosion’.   We have designed a new logo which we are thrilled with, as it encompasses our STEM theme of stars and constellations and our concept of each and every child in school being a bright, shining light.   Our new school logo reflects our aspirational vision, complementing our new Cosmic class names and STEM focus.  We have also introduced a new school song; ‘Sky full of stars’ by Coldplay; the whole school sing this in assemblies and sign using BSL.  We are a proud mainstream school with the addition of an inclusive Deaf Hub, where Ofsted recognised that ‘deaf pupils learn how to be successful in school and the wider world’ and ‘leaders are relentless and meticulous in safeguarding, so pupils receive the support they need’ and Behaviour was judged as ‘Good’ and Personal Development was also judged as ‘Good’ (July 2022).

I am confident that our spirit of adventure and dedication will result in an exciting and rewarding future for all.  It takes a village to raise a child and a galaxy of advocates to fulfil dreams.   We will leave nothing to chance and will always have improvement as our motivation for excellence!

This is an incredibly exciting time for our school community, we know that everyone will support the changes to enable the school to travel toward new intergalactic opportunities and learning experiences that are out of this world, through our new ‘Ambitions Curriculum’.  Deciding upon our vision was an important first step with a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths).  We want our children to care for the planet out of love and respect, not fear of what might happen and we will provide an environment where childhood is valued, and imagination nurtured. 

As a community school, we recognise our responsibilities and use our moral compass to make vital decisions to support the lives of our families and have done this by funding new uniform in April 2023, setting up a wrap-around care provision (breakfast and after school club in 2022), offering a hot bagel to all children every morning and introducing and funding trips and visits to ensure our children flourish.  We will continue in this mission with determination and purpose.  

Nova Primary Academy will inspire curiosity and a real love of learning and have each child’s wellbeing at heart and underpinning all of this with joy.  We nurture creative, compassionate, critical thinkers ready to meet the challenges and embrace the opportunities within our changing world and who have a strong sense of purpose and confidence to fulfil their unique potential. 

Nova staff will strive to ensure that children feel they are an integral part of our Nova Academy family.

We welcome new colleagues to join our dedicated team at Nova, who will bring energy, optimism, help to build dreams and go the extra mile.   If that is you, we invite you to get in touch and visit the school.  We warmly welcome prospective families to visit the school at any time.

We are ambitious for ourselves; we are ambitious for our pupils; we are ambitious for our community.

Yours sincerely

Mrs Alma McGonigle

Headteacher

 

We proudly present our Nova Cosmic Classes:

Our desire for knowledge is out of this world…

| EYFS: Luna - Solaris    |    Year 1: Orion – Oberon |     Year 2: Polaris - Polonia |

Year 3: Saros – Sirius  |  Year 4: Andromeda – Aurora  |   Year 5: Pegasus – Perseus  |  Year 6: Hubble – Herschel

 

 

OUR VALUES, ETHOS and staff

OUR STAFF - Senior Leadership

 

Alma McGonigle
Headteacher

Sally Hudson
Deputy Headteacher

Megan Taylor
Safeguarding and Pastoral Lead

 

Jemma Simper
Assistant Headteacher

 

 

 

 

School Organisation

Key Stages 1 and 2 are organised into phase teams:

Early Years Foundation Stage

  School responsibility
Nic Carnegie R.E. and Parent Engagement
Kelsey Brenchley DT

Key Stage 1

  Year School responsibility

Jemma Simper / Magdalena Mraz

1 (Oberon)

EYFS & KS1 Lead and Maths 

Gladyz Galinato 1 (Orion)  
Andy Hudson 2 (Polonia) Computing, Data and Promotion/Media
Britnie Pearson 2 (Polaris) KS1 PE

Key stage 2

  Year School responsibility
Olivia Want 3 (Sirius) Geography
Georgia Kendall 3 (Saros) PE & KS2 PE
Allison Amos 4 (Andromeda) Art
Ruth Taylor / Mikaela Smith 4 (Aurora) PHSE  / Geography
Kathryn Wild 5 (Pegasus) Science and Intervention 
Heather Hartley 5 (Perseus) STEM Coordinator, Science and Music
Sophie Fletcher 6 (Hubble) KS2 Literacy, Upper Phase Lead and BSL
Rachael Mileham 6 (Herschel) Curriculum Lead and History

Additional Teaching Staff

Vicky Wells SENDCO 

Our Admin Staff

Jo Christopher School Buisness Manager
Shelley Amos Administrator
Nicola Lord Family Engagement and Safeguarding Officer

Our Facilities team

Harvey Titheradge Lead Site Manager
Claude Goldsworth Site Officer

Designated staff for Child Protection

Megan Taylor Safeguarding Lead
Alma McGonigle Headteacher
Sally Hudson Deputy Headteacher
Vicky Wells SENDCO
Nicola Lord Family Engagement and Safeguarding Officer