Front Page News

Welcome back and a happy New Year to The St Lawrence Academy community.

For those who celebrated Christmas, I hope the holidays have been much more than the giving of presents or money and families have had the time to enjoy each other’s company.

While the festive period is busy, it does provide an opportunity to slow down and remember and appreciate what and who are important in your life.

I hope everybody has been able to do that.

I fully appreciate it will have been a very difficult time for some families, more so than I can remember.

The increasing cost of living means some are really struggling. We are always trying, as an Academy, to support where we can. If anybody has ideas on how we may be able to help further, please get in touch. We will do what we can.

I don’t think the cold weather and dark nights at this time of the year help. I cling to the fact we have gone past the Winter Solstice (21^st December). Sunrises are getting earlier and daylight is longer.

The New Year has not brought a change in headlines. Strikes continue to impact on the public sector and you may be aware teaching staff are being balloted by their unions on possible action.

We have been asked the question what is the Academy’s perspective and does the teaching team support striking?

I spoke to staff yesterday during a training day. I stressed it is not about what I think. I am committed to supporting each member of staff on the decision they, as individuals, make.

The national ballot closes next week and announcements will be made by the unions in due course.

Nothing yet has been decided or agreed. Even if teachers decide to strike, the Academy might not be hugely affected. We shall see.

As the term gets underway, please bear with us as children get back into good learning habits. Some do so straightaway, others take a little more time.

What has not changed – basically for 14 years – is the uniform and our expectations around it. We have high standards and hope families support us in that.

We have been supplied with data from the local authority regarding attendance. Too many children are attending less than what is acceptable and too many people are requesting authorisation to take time away from the Academy.

Parents / carers need to ensure children have as much access to the education they are entitled to as possible.

Nationally, there is concern about how far children have progressed since Covid struck.

We need to ensure this Academy is on the right side on those statistics and parents’ / carers’ support with this would be much appreciated.

For some, a new year represents a fresh start.

For all of us, it is an opportunity to reinvigorate and be ready for the challenges that undoubtedly lie ahead. We face them together as a community.

It is time for some Christmas cheer.

I would like to thank everybody who has worked with us over the past 12 months.

Our parents / carers and wider families have been tremendously supportive but our community spreads much wider.

Governors, volunteers, businesses, North Lincolnshire Council, Scunthorpe United, and many other organisations have all been actively engaged.

It is this combination that creates the environment we can offer our young people to help them improve their outcomes and life chances.

I have really enjoyed working with many different people from outside the Academy over this past year.

New relationships have been forged and ventures built which will serve our children well in time.

It is rewarding to do something for people in need and I would like to highlight our Christmas initiative and pay significant thanks to a few people.

Assistant Director Place at the council, Lesley Potts, worked with education colleague Wendy Holmes, lead officer for inclusion, to link up with 2 Sisters Food Group who delivered 150 fresh chickens on Monday.

We contacted Asda in Scunthorpe and their manager Brian Markham generously donated potatoes, seasonal vegetables, stuffing and gravy to accompany the chickens.

It all goes to show that, while you hear a lot about doom and gloom, there are great people out there, wanting to contribute.

Social media is one such place where there is a lot of negativity but a look at our feeds over the past 48 hours demonstrates the positive impact the campaign has had.

I am indebted to a whole group of people, including staff, who could not wait to be involved, and helped deliver the parcels after school last night.

We have kept some food parcels back to enable families who would benefit to collect them free from the Academy this morning.

When you do something good it makes you feel better too. It is so nice to be able to do something like this and is hugely appreciated by the families.

We hope Year 7 enjoy their trip to see pantomime Cinderella at the Baths Hall tomorrow afternoon. Oh yes they are!

The Academy’s paid for the treat, the first time the whole year group has been out together.

Three students and two former students are in the show. Good luck for the run. It will be terrific for them to perform in front of our children and for the children to see them perform.

A reminder that at 4pm tonight (Wednesday), there is a meeting for all parents / carers of children interested in joining our new Combined Cadet Force.

It is an opportunity to hear from our qualified staff team about what the experience will entail, including expectations, training, qualifications, annual camp and parades.

The presentation will last around 45 minutes and there will be a chance to ask questions. Children’s investment of time and enthusiasm will be something they remember for the rest of their lives.

I would encourage all parents / carers of those who have expressed an interest to attend.

We will have all read or heard about the tragedy in Solihull, in which three young boys died after falling through ice on a lake. A fourth is critical in hospital.

It is a reminder to all about the dangers of open water and I point readers to Humberside Fire and Rescue Service’s alert.

We said during the summer children should not consider open water as a place of fun. The same can be said now. The frozen water may look like it can take a person’s weight but it is an accident waiting to happen.

We always communicate to young people about making the right choices. This is another example.

The tragedy makes many of the messages left on our Christmas tree even more poignant. A lot are not materialistic but, instead, children want quality time with family over the holidays.

It is something money cannot buy.

I hope you, and my incredible staff team who inspire young people every day, have a wonderful Christmas and I wish you a happy and healthy 2023.

December 2022

Dear Parent/Carer

As the end of term approaches I would like to thank you for all your support throughout this very busy term; as always, it is greatly appreciated. It has been amazing to meet with people again and host a variety of events, trips and activities for the students and parents/carers including, year 7 settling in evening, children in need dress down day and cycle for Pudsey, consultation evenings, the year 11 evening of ingredients and rewards assemblies. In addition Year 11 students were rewarded this term with a trip to the cinema and Year 7 students enjoyed Cinderella at The Baths Hall.

Please remember that we are here to work in partnership with you to ensure that your child achieves their potential. We have an ‘open door’ policy and are keen to be available should you need a conversation about any matter concerning your child, so please keep in touch. You can find our key contacts on our website.  

As Christmas approaches each year group will be escorted to St Lawrence’s Church on Church Lane and the students will be dismissed directly from there.  If you would like to attend any of the Carol Services at St Lawrence’s Church with your child’s year group, you would be made very welcome. 

We share as much information as we can on our website www.tsla.co.uk, so please keep checking it.  There is a handy “translate” button at the bottom of each webpage if you need to translate information into a different language.  

Please encourage your child to attend our extra curricular clubs and activities on offer for students at the end of the academy day. They are designed to support students’ learning, as well as to help them to develop their many talents, skills and interests.  The live timetable is available here on the website, and additional information is also available on our house website.

If a student arrives late to the academy (after registration at 8.30am) they will receive a 30 minute detention on the same day. Detentions are calculated each day of either 30 or 45 minutes at the end of the academy day, for which any behaviour incidents have occurred. Please ensure your child attends on the day this is given. This is our academy policy and therefore we need your support in ensuring that your child is aware of this.

As always, I would like to take the opportunity to remind you of the following:

• Holidays should not be taken during term time and permission will not be given unless there are exceptional circumstances, regardless of levels of attendance.
• The appearance of our students and their uniform is important in the academy. Many of our students are a credit to the academy in their appearance and how well they follow our uniform policy. Please ensure you note information in relation to school skirts and coats. 
• Uniform is available to purchase from Shah’s on West Street Scunthorpe or we have limited items available on Parentpay to be collected from the academy. 

Dates for you diary for next term :

Community Café Events – 30th March 2023

Year 8 Consultation Evening – 10th January 2023

Year 9 Consultation Evening – 25th January 2023

Half Term – 13th February 2023 – 17th February 2023

Year 11 Final Push Consultation Evening – 2nd March 2023

Year 7 Consultation Evening – 16th March 2023

Easter holidays – 3rd April 2023 – 16th April 2023

Staff Inset Day / EID – Friday 21st April 2023

Social media misuse continues to be the biggest challenge and issue we have here at the academy. Please monitor your child’s use of social media because we do not have the ability to manage and solve issues to do with social media during the day. Issues to do with this that escalate should not detract from your child’s education and as such we will not be investing significant time and resources in managing this.

Anyone is welcome to attend our Community Cafe Events which are usually for one hour after school once every term.  The events are all about making connections between the academy and the local community and we encourage anyone to pop in and have a chat, have some refreshments and come and see what activities our students have to offer. You are very welcome to bring along relatives or friends with you or they can come on their own – it would be wonderful to see you there. If you are able to attend, please see our website for information prior to the event dates.  Please note our Community Cafe event for this term will be held on Monday 12th December from 4.15pm to 5.30pm at St Lawrence’s church. 

Finally, I would like to wish you all a very happy family time at Christmas and look forward to the students returning on Wednesday 4th January 2023 by 8.20am, ready to begin at 8.30am. Another new start for us all.  

Yours sincerely

Phill Dalowsky

Headteacher

Dear Parent/Carer 

Year 8 Consultation Evening – Tuesday 10th January 2023 4.00pm-6:30pm

On Tuesday 10th January at 4pm you and your child are invited to our Year 8 Consultation Evening, to meet all their subject teachers. This is your second opportunity to discuss your child’s progress in key stage 3. It will also allow you to identify what needs to be done to maximise their potential for achieving success in the future. We would appreciate your support and attendance for the evening.  Please confirm your attendance using the attached link.

Please sign in on arrival in the Westaby Hall  and then proceed directly to the classrooms of the subjects studied by your child, to meet with your child’s teachers.  There is no individual subject appointment system so you are able to arrive at a time to suit you between 4.00pm to 6.00pm.  Prefects will be outside classrooms to facilitate your time with the teacher. The evening will finish at 6.30pm.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely 

J Elston 

Mrs J Elston

Achievement Team Leader

D Ellerby

Mr D Ellerby 

Deputy Headteacher for Learning and Progress

It might have been cold outside, but it was warm and cosy at a packed Evening of Ingredients last night where the hot topic was next steps.

I want to reflect on what was probably the best night of the year so far at the Academy.

That was not just in terms of numbers but also the quality of conversations between students, parents, staff and visitors.

The mock exam results provided a focal point for discussions. Thank you to everybody who came, particularly our array of guests from the public and private sectors who advised and offered support and a vision.

It was a great way for Year 11s to finish a busy and most productive term for them. They seem really settled, prepared and positive about what is to come from January onwards.

On other matters, an email with a link to my Christmas letter will be arriving in parents / carers in boxes today covering a variety of topics.

These include key dates for next term, important reminders and a summary of how it has gone since September.

There is also another invitation to parents / carers who would like to join us at the Christmas services in St Lawrence Church. The dates for each year group have been circulated but they start on Friday with Year 8.

A pop-up box on the website’s home page invites everyone to our next Community Café which will take place in the church next Monday, starting at 4.15pm.

A Christmas service will feature our school choir and rock band and be followed by light refreshments.

I would like to signpost families who are struggling this festive season to the Fuelled team at North Lincolnshire Council.

Go to Fuelled where details of holiday activities and food programme can be found.

Each eligible child should have received a letter with a unique code and information on how to register. If your child’s on free school meals and you haven’t heard from the team, please click on the link and contact them.

It is a fantastic programme with lots of support. Please share the link with others who may be in need.

A huge amount of media has, understandably, focused on the tragic deaths of young children from Strep A in the past week or so.

Please be reassured we have been in touch with Public Health in North Lincolnshire to see whether we need to do anything at this time. As always, we will follow its advice and be in touch with families should the need arise.

It is that time of the year when it gets considerably colder and questions occasionally arise about whether the school is open.

In the unlikely scenario the Academy is closed, we will be in touch with parents / carers with quick and effective communications. There is no need to rely on anybody else. No news means the Academy is open.

It is cold so it must be the North Lincolnshire Cross Country Championships!

The competition takes place in Central Park today and the Academy’s represented by a strong team, selected following internal trials a few weeks ago.

Given the weather, we hope they warm up properly, have great races and bring it home!

Advent starts tomorrow and this week’s blog reminds me of a Christmas selection box.

Some items you will enjoy, others you won’t but you are receiving it as a complete package regardless. There is no pick and mix here.

Year 11’s Evening of Ingredients next Tuesday (6th) continues the food theme. It should be a cracking event with a host of partners attending to support and advise our students (see graphic).

It is the only place they can pick up mock exam results. A high number have responded to say they are coming with their parents – but we want 100% attending please.

Past years have shown what an important event it is for our students, enabling them to start thinking about life after The St Lawrence Academy.

Another key event, this time for Year 10, is happening tomorrow (Thursday). It is their consultation evening when reports will be issued and progress since September discussed.

Again, it is important students, and their families, attend. It starts at 4pm.

A couple of weeks ago, I expressed concern over school budgets and potential impact on our students.

I was not a lone voice. There has been an enormous amount of work done by school leaders, collaborating with others, to put pressure on those responsible for school budgets.

It was then, reassuring to know the Chancellor had listened when he announced in the Autumn Statement schools would receive £2.3-billion additional funding in each of the next two academic years (2023/24 and 2024/25).

What we don’t know are the details and we won’t until we receive our funding letter next year.

We are not out of the woods from a financial perspective and we still need to be careful with the budget over the next six or seven months.

But, hopefully, additional funding will be forthcoming and we will be able to plan for more effective and vigorous school improvement, benefiting our children and staff.

I need to address two unsavoury matters.

Too many children are taking holiday in term time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, absence of this nature will not be authorised.

Average national attendance in secondaries is 92.5%, three or four per cent down on what it was before the pandemic. This cannot continue because too many children are missing too much of their education.

Statistics prove absence has a significantly detrimental effect on children’s outcomes and therefore life chances.

Children should be in school during allocated term time. We are determined to ensure attendance figures improve.

I also want to address the increasing numbers of incidents staff are dealing with around social media.

We are here to educate children, not police issues which happen outside of school.

I’m aware most children have smart phones and social media accounts, even though many should not, given the age restrictions.

We always talk about school being a partnership with parents / carers. Social media is an area where we need them to work even harder with children at home on their digital footprint.

We can’t waste time in school investigating issues around social media. Please talk to your children and be aware of the negative impact social media can have on their lives.

Finally, let me end on a favourite. Our Christmas Jumper Day will take place on Friday, 16^th December.

It is slightly out of sync with the national day but will ensure we end the term on a sweet note. Thank you for reading the complete selection.

Our Christmas tree arrives next week – a sure sign we are hurtling towards the end of term.

There is an awful lot to squeeze into three-and-a-half weeks.

On Friday, all children in Years 7 to 10 will be given their reports, a great marker for how well they are doing.

A lot of assessments on progress have been undertaken by staff ahead of reports being written.

If parents / carers have any questions about their child’s report, it is easy to get in touch with a member of staff via email.

Please don’t feel you have to wait to a parents’ evening if you would like advice or guidance. We are here to help you support your child’s learning.

Thank you to all who contributed to the £304 we raised for the BBC’s Children in Need appeal last Friday. That is a tremendous effort in these difficult times.

Eight members of staff who have volunteered to lead our Combined Cadet Force had a weekend away at a training camp.

They all passed a weapons handling test as we continue to gear up to begin our programme in the New Year. I am grateful to them for the time they are dedicating voluntarily to our new venture.

The tree going up next week will mark the start of our Christmas events. For the 15^th year, Christmas services will take place at St Lawrence Church.

They will be as follows:

• Friday, 9^th December, 12.15pm start, Year 8
• Monday, 12^th, 2.45pm, Year 10
• Tuesday, 13^th, 1.45pm, Year 7
• Wednesday, 14^th, 1.45pm, Year 9
• Friday, 16^th, 12.15pm, Year 11

Any families wishing to attend their child’s service would be most welcome. Children will be released from church after each service.

We look forward to welcoming back the Class of ’22 on Monday between 4pm and 5.30pm to collect their GCSE certificates.

Most have moved on to colleges or started apprenticeships but they will discover, in the course of their career, they need to have the hard copy certificates proving their results.

Each have been sent emails to their personal accounts but I would be grateful if anybody who knows a student from last year’s exam cohort to share this post or tag them to ensure they are aware about Tuesday.

The first big night for the Class of ’23 takes place on Tuesday, 6th December, the Evening of Ingredients.

It is the only place they will be given their mock exam results. Having been handed them, they will have the opportunity to speak to 31 partners from the world of work and education who have agreed to attend and explain to children the opportunities available.

We have had positive responses from more than half of the cohort. I would be grateful if parents / carers could please ensure your child’s confirmed attendance. We look forward to seeing you all on what will be a fabulous night.

An early Christmas present, if you like, to our Year 11.