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Our ‘Class of 2022’ achieved amazing results, especially after what had been a very difficult and challenging two years in education. I am delighted to welcome you back to the academy on Monday 28th November between 4.00pm – 5.30pm for an opportunity to collect your GCSE certificates, meet up with friends and share some time with the staff who taught you.

Examination certificates are very important for you to collect and keep safe as many future providers require evidence of these.

Please be aware that by law, your certificates can only be given to you. You will also be able to collect any art, photography and design work which you submitted for your final examinations. However, if you are unable to attend you may authorise someone else to collect them on your behalf. They will need to have a letter signed by you together with identification.

We look forward to seeing you and would be grateful if you can return the form below to confirm your attendance.

Yours faithfully

Miss Walker

Achievement Team Leader

GCSE Results Certificate Form

November 2022

Children and Young People’s Lives Survey 2022

Dear Parent/Carer,

During the second half of the autumn term students from each of North Lincolnshire’s secondary schools will be invited to take part in a Lifestyle Survey. These surveys take place every three years, and in 2019 more than 6000 students took part, with representation from every school in the authority. This will be the seventh time schools have participated since the surveys began in 2003. 

It is an important survey created jointly by headteachers, and senior officers from North Lincolnshire Council and NHS North Lincolnshire. The findings will be used by us and other agencies to help improve services for our students and to monitor how well we are doing to improve the health and wellbeing of all North Lincolnshire students. 

The survey is web based and should take students no more than 40 minutes to complete and is anonymous. It will be completed during lesson time and covers issues such as healthy lifestyles, use of the internet, bullying, emotional wellbeing, safety and aspirations for the future.  For older pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11 there are some additional questions on sexual health. These questions are not being asked of students in Years 7 and 8.  All of these issues are routinely covered in PSHE and other activities.        

The information from the survey will be collated for each school by the researchers and a local authority level report will be produced. The main results of the survey will also be shared with students.

If you have any queries regarding the survey please contact the school directly in the first instance. The school will have available a copy of the survey questionnaire if you would like to see it. May we take this opportunity to thank you in anticipation of your support for this important survey.

Yours sincerely,

Ryan Oates

Personal Development Lead

Talk of counting down to Christmas is very premature – and the example being set by Year 11s in the hall every day is evidence.

While sitting exams brings its pressures, they are generating a feel good factor and adding to the positive learning environment.

Daily, our younger students are passing by the Atrium, where they see how to properly prepare for exams and what that looks like.

Each morning, over this two-week period, Year 11s are turning up for 8am, when we are providing breakfast and a hot drink.

Out come the revision notes and the highlighter pens, as informal sessions take place with staff before the exams start.

It is a brilliant atmosphere, in front of the other children arriving for lessons. They are seeing the investment of time and effort needed to be successful.

Year 11 have been fabulous and displayed a brilliant attitude to learning.

It is because of their impressive work ethic and how they have conducted themselves we have organised a trip to the Town’s Vue Cinema to see a film. It is a treat to Year 11 to say thank you.

We have done so because they deserve it; the morning will be a nice way to finish an exam period; and it’s great to work in partnership with our friends at The Vue.

A community partnership such as this benefits all parties.

The next significant date on the Year 11 calendar is Tuesday, 6th December, between 4pm and 6.30pm when the Academy hosts the annual Evening of Ingredients.

Each Year 11 receives their exam results in a sealed envelope and can meet, along with their parents / carers, every class teacher to discuss how they might do better in the summer.

Those discussions are in one half of the Academy. The other half is dedicated to what their next step might look like.

We are grateful to more than 25 organisations, partners and businesses who have already said they would be attending.

There will be careers advisers, colleges, advice teams and firms on hand to advise our Year 11s. It already looks like being a really successful event. Every Year 11 is urged to attend.

We have lots of events coming up and another I wanted to highlight was the dress down day for the BBC’s Children in Need Appeal on Friday, 18th November.

Contributions are being taken through Parent Pay to enable the children to participate. (No log on is required). We appreciate times are hard but please give what you can.

Students should dress sensibly please. It is not a fashion parade and that’s why we’ve called it dress down day.

A huge variety of activities will take place as we do our bit for the charity.

Elsewhere, we have a vacancy for a parent representative on our governing body. More information for anybody interested in standing is here.

Finally, we are working with North Lincolnshire Council, and in particular Wendy Holmes, to provide meals for families struggling at Christmas. We do understand the difficulties being faced.

Frozen chickens will be included and we will work alongside the authority to help in their distribution. 

More details about our campaign will be released in due course but it is another reflection of how working together benefits all.

But it is not part of any countdown to Christmas. That can wait for a while yet!

Dear Parent/guardian

I am pleased to inform you that we will be taking all Year 7 students to the Baths Hall on Thursday 15th of December this year to see the Pantomime Cinderella.

We will be leaving the academy at 1pm to walk to the Baths Hall to take our seats ready for the performance which starts at 1.30pm.  The performance will finish at approximately 3.30pm.  

Students will be released from Baths Hall once the pantomime has finished at 3:30pm and make their way home from there. 

There is no cost for this wonderful experience and I am sure all students will have a thoroughly enjoyable learning experience.  We do expect good behaviour on this trip, therefore we reserve the right to deny this experience to any student who  breaks our expectations of being safe, ready and respectful between now and the trip.

Students are welcome to bring a small amount of money to purchase a drink or ice cream at the interval or to bring their own drinks and snacks.

Kind regards

Wendy Letherland

WLetherland

Curriculum & Progress Leader for Creative

Dear Parent/Carer 

Year 10 Consultation Evening – Thursday 1st December 2022 – 4.00pm-6:30pm

On Thursday 1st December 2022 at 4pm you and your child are invited to our Year 10 Consultation Evening, firstly to collect their report and secondly to meet all their subject teachers. This is your first opportunity to discuss your child’s progress in key stage 4. 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  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 

S Walker 

Miss S Walker 

Achievement Team Leader

D Ellerby

Mr D Ellerby 

Deputy Headteacher for Learning and Progress

Time is something that’s been brought into focus this week.

We welcomed everyone to the Academy after the half term break and the clocks going back.

That switch brings with it darkness and cold – I am not a big fan – and is one of the reasons the second part of this half term is loaded with positive events.

We were very mindful the change in time created a potential issue for a significant proportion of our Muslim students who wished to pray due to Jumnah. They normally do so at 1.15pm in the Mosque.

We wanted to accommodate those committed to prayer and are able to do so as soon as the Academy day finishes on a Friday in the dance studio.

I am indebted to Mr Hassan for ensuring the end of British Summer Time does not mean students cannot fulfil their responsibilities to pray. It is really important to them and that makes it important to us.

They are welcome to bring their own prayer mat.

We are proud of these efforts and the time invested in diversity.

Data from the summer’s exams was published by the Department for Education last week and can be found here.

Of course, it is difficult to compare past years because of the pandemic but, while there is always room for improvement, our results stand up well to scrutiny and we are pleased with the progress.

Year 11 parents know interventions are already underway to help and support their children achieve the best outcomes possible, with additional time spent with them by staff during the week.

Their widely advertised, two-week exam period starts on Monday. Students are working really hard to prepare for them. Keep it up.

Monday saw time run out for parents to choose secondary destinations for their Year 6 children.

We appear to have had a really good response from those in the community wanting their child to come here next September. Thank you for that.

It will soon be time for our Combined Cadet Force (CCF) to launch. This will happen in January when we become the only school to be running the programme in the area.

There will be an opportunity for 90 young people to be its first recruits.

The CCF has nothing to do with a student thinking about a career in the Armed Forces.

What it will offer is for them to experience a real sense of belonging, to understand collective responsibility, to improve their resilience, give a chance of further qualifications, and provide a structure that can help them become even better people than they are now.

Fully funded by the Ministry of Defence, cadets will be able to take advantage of free trips and experiences. A display board in school highlights some of what is in store.

Staff are really excited about the opportunities the programme will offer and a number are in training in their own time to deliver it.

The process – it has taken a year to get to this stage – has been driven by Head of English Donna McDonald – who has had years of experience in a CCF at a previous school – and Laurence Fox, who’s in his second year of teaching having been in the Military Police.

We could not have two more skilled nor committed individuals leading the programme and I’m grateful to them and other members of the staff team undertaking the training.

There is so much coming up on the horizon, including national campaigns such as Anti Bullying Week, Inter Faith Week, Odd Socks Day and BBC Children in Need.

Various parents’ evenings will take place when reports will be issued, with children assessed on their progress in class.

Time might have altered, and the clocks gone backwards – but we are looking forwards with great anticipation.

1st November 2022

Dear Family

We hope this letter finds you well and full of enthusiasm for the final 6 months of your educational journey with us here at The St Lawrence Academy. The reason for this letter is to invite you to:

 “An Evening of Ingredients” 

on Tuesday 6th December 2022 – 4:00pm – 6:30pm

This evening has been hugely successful in the past, and is an opportunity for Year 11 students to receive their academy mock exam results, and for you as a family to speak to staff and receive all the information you will need in order to prepare for their final months at the academy. 

At 4:00pm all students will receive the exam results which they have achieved in their
Year 11 academy exams.

Following this, the East Wing, West Wing and Central Atrium will be open for you to walk around at your own pace, and speak to a whole host of people that includes; 

• Careers & Aspirations
• Effective Revision
• Exam Day Ready 
• Academic Apps (how to use them)
• Life Central
• WellBeing
• Attendance
• Managing Device Time
• Parental Feedback
• Further Education Colleges
• University Representatives
• Apprenticeship Providers
• Local Businesses
• Scunthorpe United Futsal
• All Subject staff
• The year group ATL

Throughout the evening our Hospitality & Catering students will be serving finger food and drinks. 

We would love you to join us in order to understand what we are doing to support our wonderful Year 11 students in the final few months of their TSLA learning Journey. 

In addition to this we would like you to tell us where we can do better and where you think we could improve. This can be done during the evening with questionnaires and discussions with the Senior Leadership Team. We value this tremendously.

Dates for your diary moving forwards are,

• Tuesday 6th December 2023 – “An Evening of Ingredients”
• Thursday 2nd March 2023 – “Year 11 Final Push Evening”

We hope that everyone can attend this evening and all those attending will be entered into a prize draw.  In order for us to understand the numbers joining us that night so we can plan ahead with regards to food and hospitality. Please confirm your attendance on the attached google form.

We are going to spend time reminding the students about the importance of attending this event .  We are passionate about success and above all providing help, so please help us by sending your confirmation that you will be attending as soon as possible.

Mr Dan Ellerby [email protected]                       Mr Andrew Murray  [email protected]

Deputy Headteacher for Learning & Progress         Year 11 Achievement Team Leader

One of my big frustrations is school attendance.

Most children attend and attend regularly. But we have too many who find the slightest excuse to miss out.

The importance of school attendance and the impact it has on a child’s progress, outcomes and future cannot be overstated.

I do understand barriers to accessing education can be wide and complex for an individual student and some families.

The law entitles every child to full time education suitable to their age, level of ability and any Special Educational Needs they may have.

It is the responsibility of every parent to ensure their child receives that education by being at school.

Figures from the Department for Education show students with higher attainment at the end of Key Stages 2 and 4 have higher rates of attendance over the key stages compared to those with lower attainment.

At Key Stage 4, students not achieving grades 9 to 4 in English and Maths have an overall absent rate of 8.8% compared to 5.2% for those who achieve grade 4.

The overall absent rate of students not achieving a grade 9 to 4 is more than twice as high as those achieving those grades.

Hopefully, the message is hitting home. Being in school every day it is open is crucially important to a child’s development, well-being and wider personal development.

Absence will be marked as unauthorised unless there are exceptional circumstances.

The Government has made attendance high profile. It is a priority that students are in full time education by attending school as close to 100% of the time as possible.

I do appreciate people fall genuinely ill.

But there are other times when we need to battle through. None of us feel 100% all the time.

The best place for a child to be is within a learning environment.

Sometimes, we need to show a little bit more resilience, determination and will not to give up.

There was a lot of that on show last Thursday at our sell-out Sports Presentation Night. Our thanks again to the businesses in attendance and sponsoring the event.

What a night. High quality and success among our young people were constant themes.

It was another great reflection of what we do, celebrating and rewarding our students’ achievements.

There are some talented individuals here with strong attributes and the event is an important showcase for PE, an area that has always been successful and important to us as an Academy.

We have another key event tomorrow (Thursday) when we host the first Community Café of the academic year between 3.30pm and 5pm.

It is a great opportunity for people associated with the Academy to come in, meet us and engage with the wider community.

We break up for half term on Friday. We have had seven busy and long weeks and a significant number of students can be pleased with their efforts and progress made.

Enjoy your break. It would be a treat to see a full attendance when we return on Monday, 31^st October – Halloween.