Letter to Families – Sep 2026

Dear Parents/Carers

As we reflect on the past academic year, I would like to begin by thanking all of our families for your ongoing and invaluable support. It has been an excellent year for the academy – one in which outstanding progress has been made across the board, and I am incredibly proud to say that our academy community continues to go from strength to strength. 

During the last term we have said our farewells to Year 11 students, the Year 10 prefect team has been elected and we have embraced a series of events that have created new and varied opportunities. Our new Year 7 students for September, 2026, will start at the academy, following their transition events this summer on Thursday 3rd September.  I am sure the students are excited about starting at the academy and that they will be a huge success, as our class of 2031! Year 11 students will also return on Thursday 3rd September and all other students will return on Friday 4th September.

We continue to be fully subscribed across almost all year groups, and we genuinely appreciate your desire to be with us and it does not go unnoticed.  We are proud to be almost at full capacity with 165 students in each year group,up to 825 in total.

As we welcome new students and say farewell to those who left us, we also do the same with our staff. Leaving us at the end of the year was:

• Jess Askew has worked with us as an Assistant Teacher for the last 12 months but made an impact with some of our students and we wish her well in her new Social Work career. 
• Julie Miles has been an integral part of the RE team since the start of the academy in 2008, and more recently has been our academy Chaplain.  Julie is retiring from teaching but will continue with some church work.  We wish her a restful retirement, and enjoy trips in the campervan.
• Deb Leadenham is retiring from her Student Progress Leader role after enjoying 22 years at the academy and predecessor school High Ridge.  We hope Deb enjoys time with her family and new pursuits.
• Val Borrill is also retiring after working at both High Ridge and the academy following her long service of almost 28 years! We wish Val a restful retirement to spend with family and friends and enjoying trips out. 
• Our final thanks go to John Hancock who has been with us as an Assistant Headteacher since September 2021 and teacher of Geography. We wish him well. 

I am sure you will join me in wishing these staff well and in thanking them for all the support and help they have given the students at the academy.  This is also a time to welcome and celebrate some fantastic staff joining us this September:

We are excited to welcome to the academy:

• Hollie Crawford joins us as an Early Careers teacher in Mathematics at the start of her career. 
• Eloise Bee joins the Science department as an Early Careers teacher at the start of her teaching career, following completion of her training with us.  
• We also welcome new Assistant teachers for this academic year, Chloe Brown, Niamh Lintott-Raynor and Sadie Shrimpton as a Student Progress Leader. 
• Rukshana Begum also joins the inclusion team as a Student Progress Leader 

Congratulations also go to some existing staff changes:

• Joey Kock has been appointed as the Deputy Headteacher for Curriculum
• Michelle Hill has been appointed as the Assistant Headteacher for Teaching & Learning
• Jess Knowles has been appointed as the Head of Year and will continue to see the class of 2030 through their academic journey 
• Aimee Garrod has been successful in securing the Second in Charge in English
• Claire Lovell has been successful in securing an Associate SLT post for this academic year
• Thanks goes to Jade Elston who has waved goodbye to the Class of 2026 and now steps down as Head of Year.  James Stainton will initially lead the Class of 2031. 

Our staffing can always be viewed by clicking on this link and from here you can also make contact with staff via their email addresses.

GREAT Expectations

In addition to our 5 core values of Truth, Justice, Respect, Forgiveness and Generosity, we continue to promote and embed our 3 Academy GREAT Expectations for all our academy community.

• Be Ready – on time with the correct uniform, attitude and equipment (minimum pen, pencil, ruler, pencil case, bag and student planner (planners will be issued to all students in September, however if your child loses theirs you will need to purchase a replacement at a cost of £2 via Parentpay), 
• Be Safe – being calm and thoughtful, keeping yourself and others safe.
• Be Respectful – this is an essential and core part of what we believe to be the basic expectation of all who are a part of the academy.

The St Lawrence Academy uniform

It is essential that we maintain high standards of appearance and uniform and the Uniform Policy can be viewed in the link above as a reminder about our expectations in relation to uniform. 

• Uniform can be purchased at Shah’s uniform supplier on West Street, Scunthorpe. https://www.shahsuniform.co.uk/st-lawrence-academy.  There is a small quantity of some items available online via Parentpay for collection at the academy. 
• Trousers must be full length, not cropped, skinny, or flared. 
• Skirts – If you choose to wear a skirt it must be the TSLA branded skirt available from Shah’s worn at an appropriate length – no stretch or other skirts are allowed.
• Black shoes and not trainers – If purchasing from Wynsor shoes in Scunthorpe, they can offer guidance on what shoes are acceptable. 
• Please do not allow your child to have a new piercing towards the end of the holidays as there are no exceptions to our rule on jewellery, which is a maximum of one stud in each or one ear lobe and a watch.
• Long, painted or acrylic nails are not allowed at the academy
• Make up should be of natural appearance with no false lashes or other facial accessories
• Please ensure any extreme hairstyles/hair colours are reversed for the return to school in September.
• Hoodies/Non academy jumpers are NOT academy uniform and should not be worn under or over blazers inside/outside the building,

The academy PE kit is ESSENTIAL at all times and students must also have the correct academy PE kit.

Detentions

We run a detention system and this is a whole academy system and detentions will be held every day after school up to 45 minutes. These will be communicated to you and we will be expecting the support from our families in students attending these. Refusing to attend detentions will mean an increase in sanction.

Mobile phones / Smart Watches

Mobile phones and smart watches should not be seen in the academy; if they are seen or heard they will be confiscated and a parent will be required to collect them. If a student brings one into the academy, and it is lost or stolen, we will not take any responsibility. If a student needs to contact home during the day they can use one of our telephones. The use of mobile phones and smart watches is a distraction to learning and there are serious consequences for students who take photos or videos in and around the academy and in addition then share them on social media.

Smoking or Vaping

We would like to remind you that the academy is a smoke free zone anywhere on the premises or academy site. This also includes vapes, which will be confiscated and disposed of, if a student brings one on site or if caught smoking or vaping this will lead to further consequences. 

The Academy Day 

We cannot stress the importance of your child being punctual so this does not affect their attendance. Students need to be at the academy by 8.15am, at which time the gates will be locked.  Students who arrive late will be issued a detention for the end of the day. 

Following the slight variation to the academy day, students will have an additional 5 minutes at break and will be dismissed from the academy at the following times:

• Monday 3.45pm
• Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 2.45pm
• Friday 1.15pm 

GDPR/Data Protection Act

Throughout the year we encourage staff to take photographs of our students learning or when they are out on school trips. We like to put up displays around the academy to celebrate student achievements and we also like to celebrate student achievements on our website/social media platforms.

You need you to give your permission to display images for celebratory purposes of your child. We are regularly visited by the media to celebrate the talents of your children as we always try to promote their successes when we can. Please ensure you have completed or updated the consent form which we send to you, or you can update your preference on the Arbor APP. 

Use of technologies

Can I please ask you all to monitor your child’s use of their phone/computer or any other device at home in relation to social media, as sometimes they may use it inappropriately or they may be sharing too much personal information.  It would be wise to check their privacy settings so that they are not sharing information too widely, as sometimes this can result in safeguarding concerns. 

Medical information

Our Student Services provide a basic first aid service for all students if they become unwell during the academy day, but they cannot give specific medical advice and you should contact your GP if this is required. If an illness or injury occurs outside of academy hours it is your responsibility to follow this up, please do not rely on us to do so. We can only administer any essential medication and this is required to be in the original packaging and clearly labelled.  You must also complete a consent form. Antibiotics must be managed at home, not in the academy. If your child is unwell during the day, we will contact you to discuss this and to seek your consent.  Please ensure that your contact numbers are always up to date on our records and you can check and update these on the Arbor app.  The school nurse, via the NHS, does offer a 2 weekly drop in service. If you believe your child requires a specific Medical Health Care Plan for school and this is not already in place, please contact student services to discuss.

Attendance

As we work together this year, we want to take a moment to reflect on what makes our school community so vibrant. Each day your child spends at school is about so much more than just schoolwork; it is where they build lifelong confidence, learn the value of daily routines, and develop the cooperation skills and resilience they need for the future.

We also know that a child’s sense of belonging and social wellbeing are incredibly important. School is where friendships are made, and where children learn to navigate the world together. Because these social moments and shared experiences happen every single day, even missing just one or two days of school can mean missing out on key moments of connection with peers and teachers.

If you ever want to chat about how we can better support your child’s attendance and wellbeing, please reach out directly to one of the attendance team, or contact Jo Evans, Attendance Lead. or Gabs Pattinson, Deputy Headteacher.

Parent App through Arbor

Communications are sent electronically via the Arbor App, but also on occasion by text or email,  including but is not limited to, reports, letters, attendance letters, suspension letters, timetables. Please ensure your contacts are up to date on our records via the Arbor APP. Please download this if you have not already done so.

Evolve

We use Evolve for permissions for academy trips/fixtures.  You will therefore receive notifications via email from Evolve for you to click on regarding trips, events and fixtures to give consent for your child to attend and participate in these.  You are not required to create an account but you can do so if you wish.  If you are unable to access these, please contact us to ensure your child does not miss these opportunities. 

Biometric recognition / Parentpay
The St Lawrence Academy uses a fingerprint recognition system for our cashless catering and printing solutions.  This removes the need for the students to have to use a student ID card system.  The move is part of a project to improve the catering solution and help to enhance the students’ experience.  In order for your child to opt in to biometric recognition, we require your consent via the Arbor APP if not yet done so or by completing the attached CONSENT FORM as detailed in the letter on our website.  If you have already completed consent via the data collection form and consent, you do not need to repeat this. 

The academy operates a cashless system in the diner.  Funds should be added to the dinner account by purchasing school meals using your ParentPay account, If your child is entitled to Free School Meals they can access this up to their daily allowance. Any unused free school meal allowance will be rolled over to the next day and available throughout the same week, ie if your child does not use their allowance on Monday, it will be available on Tuesday in addition to Tuesday’s allowance etc. The allowance will be reset at the beginning of each week.  All payments for trips, visits and resources are also cashless and paid online.  If you need your Parentpay login details please contact us. 

Water

We have two water machines which dispense free water. The machines also dispense juice that is chargeable and tokens can be bought at break and lunch from the diner. 

We no longer have any plastic bottles, and students will therefore need to bring their own water bottles to use at the water stations within the academy as no cups will be provided. This simple change will significantly reduce our plastic waste and make a positive impact on the environment.  

Communicating with us

If you need to get in touch with a staff member around either a subject or a year group matter then please see the Contact List where a list of staff contacts are supplied. Please go through these channels to speak with the relevant person or people. Below are the main contact details for us in terms of telephone number, email address, website and social media accounts. Please be advised our social media channels are not manned continually & messages are not always responded to.

Moving forwards

We have appointed some fantastic staff at the academy for the start of the new academic year who are very excited about their new roles and being part of The St Lawrence Academy. We believe we have an excellent team of staff who will inspire your children to do their best.

In September, students will need to be organised and plan in advance. They will need to:

• be on time for the start of the day and arrive in good time.
• have the correct uniform including shoes and not trainers.
• bring the correct equipment for learning (bag, pencil case, pen, pencil and ruler as a minimum expectation).
• bring their PE kit (The St Lawrence Academy PE kit only) on PE days.
• be prepared to complete homework when it is set.

Following my first year as Headteacher, I am absolutely thrilled and privileged to lead our wonderful academy, and I’m thoroughly looking forward to getting to know each of you and sharing all the exciting news from the St Lawrence Academy throughout the year!

In September, we aim for a good start to enable the focus for our student’s futures moving forward. A school community needs a community and a community needs a school that works hard together through times that are good and also tough.

We want to work in partnership with you to make sure that the academy can provide the best possible education for your children. We recognise how important it is to have the support of all the staff, parents, carers and students and we hope that our partnership with you will continue to grow over the coming years. Our mission statement reflects our vision: Treasuring Everyone, Transforming Community and we are very optimistic about the future, especially after having had another very successful year. 

Yours sincerely

Dan Ellerby

Headteacher

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