Dear Parents/carers
As the end of the summer holidays draws closer, I wanted to take an opportunity to communicate with you about the successes of the previous academic year and the expectations of the upcoming year. I would also like to remind parents and students that the school name has now changed and will now be known as Leigh Academy Longfield.
Over the last two weeks, members of our community have gathered to share in the successes of the Year 13 and Year 11 students as they receive their examination results. Throughout the year I have shared with you examples of the commitment, dedication and hard work shown by these students, their parents and the staff at the academy. I am delighted to say that all of this excellence has yielded success – with the students in the academy achieving some of the best results the school has ever seen in both Year 13 and Year 11.
Whilst I am delighted with the overall success of the students – I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the meaning of this for individuals. As a result of their personal efforts, many of our students have now opened the doors to new opportunities in their lives. A great number of our Year 11 students have made the decision to continue with us in the Sixth Form for their post 16 education and we have also had a number of students who have successfully gained places on college courses or apprenticeships. Our post 16 students have been no less successful – with many students accepting places at universities across the country, starting apprenticeships or gaining employment. All of these students are an example of the school motto “Achieving Beyond Expectations” and we wish them the very best of luck in their futures.
As is the nature of schools, as we wave farewell to one cohort – it is time for the next to take their place. Whilst this will be a very important year for our upcoming Year 11 and 13 students, it is vital that all students return in September ready to learn and to be the best version of themselves. I am aware that, at times, parents may have a different perspective to the academy on expectations and outcomes – however it is important to remember that we have the same overall objective – to make sure your children are successful, independent and resilient, ready to achieve in their adult life. In order to achieve this, I wanted to lay out the academy’s non-negotiable expectations of students as they return in September.
Start of year
We look forward to welcoming students back to the academy on the following dates:
- Monday 1st September – Year 7 and 12
- Tuesday 2nd September – all year groups
All students need to be on site by 8:25am ready for line ups, which will take place in the MUGAs as they have previously. During the first few days, students will receive their new timetables, be reminded of the expectations of the academy and spend some time within their tutor groups. They will also begin attending their new timetabled lessons.
Uniform
All students will be expected to wear full and correct uniform when they return to the academy – including their school blazer. It is likely that students will have grown over the summer and therefore it is important that uniform is checked before students return. This is particularly important for shoes (which should be black leather shoes), skirts (which at full length should meet the knee) and trousers (which should reach the shoe).
I would also like to remind families that the following accessories/beauty modifications are not permitted: false eyelashes, acrylic/painted or gel nails, any piercings other than a single stud in each ear, extreme hairstyles or colours.
If a student arrives at the academy wearing an incorrect uniform, or with any of the above visible, we will place them with their college team whilst we try to rectify this. This could include loaning of items or communication with parents where necessary. Students will be kept with their college teams until the uniform issue is rectified. In the rare cases that uniform adaptations need to be made for medical reasons or due to SEN, this should be communicated with the college teams (or SENCO where appropriate) who will advise on next steps.
We have received some enquiries from parents regarding changes to uniform due to the name change. I wanted to reassure you that the previous uniform branding will be accepted. We ask parents to change this as and when they replace the uniform items.
Our full uniform policy can be found on the academy website for your reference. Please take some time to familiarise yourself with this.
Equipment
In order to ensure they are successful, students must attend school with the equipment that they need for the day. This includes (but is not limited to):
- Pencil case containing pencils, pens, ruler, rubber. It is advisable for students to have additional equipment including highlighters, coloured pens. We do not allow students to use erasing fluid.
- A scientific calculator
- Fully charged chromebook
- Any items needed for daily lessons such as PE/Food.
Attendance
It goes without saying that students who attend school most regularly are most successful in their attainment and future lives. This has been the subject of recent governmental studies, that I have attached for your reference. As an academy, we expect all students to have an attendance level of 95+% and parental support is vital in this. The academy will follow local and national attendance guidance where attendance concerns arise. We ask that you do not book holidays during term time as these will not be authorised and could lead to a penalty notice.
As mentioned above – students are expected to arrive on site no later than 8:25am each day. Persistent or excessive lateness to school will result in sanctions. Students are also expected to arrive on time to all lessons.
Behaviour
As an academy, we pride ourselves on high standards of behaviour and believe in disruption free learning – allowing all students to be successful. On occasions where students do not meet the academy behaviour expectations, correction and sanction will be applied in line with our behaviour policy. We ask that parents and carers speak to their children about expected behaviour and remind them of the school values of Respect, Aspiration and Care. We will not accept students being disruptive, rude or unkind within the academy.
In addition to the above, the academy invests heavily in intervention programmes and rewards to ensure students are supported to become successful and are recognised for their efforts. We will continue to do this to ensure that we continue our culture of recognising successes.
I would also like to remind families that mobile phones, smart watches and other electronic devices should not be used in the academy and should be switched off at all times. I ask that parents do not attempt to make contact with their children via mobile phones and encourage their children to do the same. In order to protect our safeguarding culture, sanctions will be applied if a student is known to be using their mobile phone on site, regardless of the reason. If you need to reach your child in an emergency – please contact the school reception or college admin team, who will be able to support.
I would like to end by wishing every family a peaceful and happy final week of the summer holidays. I very much look forward to welcoming all students and staff back to the academy very soon and I look forward to working with families to ensure all of our students “Achieve Beyond Expectations”.
Kind regards
Dr F Donkor | Principal
