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Letters went out to the parents / carers of September’s Year 7 intake this week – a massive welcome to those new to The St Lawrence Academy community.
Some families will have been disappointed not to have the offer of a place.
I am humbled – and delighted – we were oversubscribed again, with our maximum 165 places filled.
Those families will receive a welcome letter from me in the next few days.
It will explain key communication channels and contacts for any questions or concerns they may have and where to get additional advice on our curriculum and life as a student at this Academy.
We understand it can be a daunting time, but we are here to take a lot of the stress out of it, for parents / carers and their children.
The transition days will help further allay any concerns. They are planned for after Easter and we look forward to welcoming those current Year 6s to our Academy. They will be well looked after by the transition team.
Our main wish is the next five years are ones of success and aspiration.
Yesterday, International Women’s Day was promoted and celebrated in the Academy.
All Key Stage 3 lessons, for example, promoted inspirational women in that subject area.
A series of visual resources were created to mark the day, including students and staff taking selfies of inspirational women in their lives. For some, it was their mum, for others their grandma or a friend.
It was all about showing how important these women are in our lives.
Our five assemblies last week, each taken by a different house, promoted International Women’s Day. I saw a number and they were great.
I would like to quote the International Women’s Day website:
“Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated.”
When I read that I thought this is our Academy.
We strive for a place free of bias, where girls feel they can achieve the same things as boys. We celebrate diversity and condemn any form of discrimination.
We are inclusive, each student is valued and their efforts celebrated.
Outside the Academy, it is how we break the bias around women.
Inside, we have had a really important 10 days, inspiring our young females and showing them what they can make of their lives.
It has been very powerful.
Linked to that is an activity around National Careers Week, which is underway.
Our Year 8 ATL Mr Stainton deserves much credit and thanks for a terrific idea. Posters have gone up in the windows of each classroom, with the title “What does your career path look like?”
Members of staff have filled in the details. I’ve been reading them and the contents are really inspiring. Former shop assistants and pot washers have gone on to become skilled professionals.
We all start somewhere but then the ceiling is as high as we want to make it.
When you are older, skills can be refined but it is when you are young there are the opportunities to shape lives. Students have to make the most of these chances.
They don’t need to go to fancy websites or leave the Academy to get encouragement.
There are 85 people here happy to give students balanced advice and guidance. Those posters demonstrate that.
Most need someone to turn on the light blub. Inspiring stuff, Mr Stainton.
Comic Relief returns a week on Friday, a time when we raise money for those less fortunate.
Students can wear something red under their blazer, but they also need to be in their normal trousers, shirts and shoes.
Voluntary donations can be made via Parent Pay.
Finally, a thank you to those parents who have downloaded the new Arbor communications app.
Emails with log on details will be sent to the last two year groups this week.
If anybody has not received them by the end of the week, please contact the school as it’s important to get everyone on board.
School has an even more important role to play during crises such as the one unfolding in Ukraine.
Our children are intuitive. They always ask questions, but the numbers increase when an event like this sparks their interest.
Our role is to help them understand what is happening and navigate the issues.
The Russian invasion is distressing and concerning to our students. They look to us as adults and their teachers for reassurance.
That’s not easy because we are feeling similar emotions. We have all experienced international crises, but this one seems different.
The situation brings into play what the Academy does well:
- Establish the facts and point students to trusted and reputable sources that can help with the what, when, why, how and who questions;
- Explore a range of diverse perspectives, respecting the different voices in a classroom;
- Be comfortable we don’t have an answer for everything;
- Debate ideas and facilitate discussions without it becoming personal.
We have spoken before about the level of misinformation that is around. Teachers help our students identify what that misinformation looks like. They demonstrate the difference between fact and opinion.
We understand unconscious bias and respond effectively to hate speech.
When we consider all this in relation to the Ukrainian crisis, we do understand why some children are upset by what they see playing out.
Some are fearful. Staff have been asked whether there will be a Third World War.
When we respond, we understand why our children are curious and right to ask the question.
They have studied both World Wars as part of the national curriculum. They know about the horrors of warfare and the consequences on innocent individuals and the wider planet.
We have a duty, as a school and as teachers, not to shy away from answering their questions. We will endeavour to give them the best information we can, without taking sides.
At this point, I want to mention my proud Ukrainian heritage.
My paternal grandfather was Ukrainian and settled in the UK after the Second World War.
So I’m third generation Ukrainian, something of which I’m very proud. I have family in Ukraine and understand people’s fears, anxieties and apprehension around what might happen.
I’ve been asked by students about my situation: had I heard from my family; how was I feeling?
It is great they ask but it is important to take my feelings out of it.
We need to continue to provide a balanced, fact-filled education, that is well informed and free from bias.
We need to trust the processes and organisations that exist and believe positive outcomes will come from negotiation.
Sometimes, out of the worst possible situation, positivity can arise.
Look at how the world is uniting. Individuals, communities and nations are doing what they can to help.
There is significant togetherness with common goals and objectives. My hope is an enormous amount of good will come out of this tragedy.
The academy and its staff will perform its important role in the crisis to the best of our ability.
February 2022
Dear Parent/Carer
Year 7 Consultation Evening
Wednesday 16th March 2022 – 4.00pm – 6:30pm
On Wednesday 16th March 2022 you and your child are invited to our Year 7 Consultation Evening where all subject teachers will be available to meet with you from 4.00pm to 6.30pm. You will be able to find out how your child is progressing with regards to their current levels of attainment and what will need to be done in order to maximise their potential for achieving success in the future. We would appreciate your support and attendance for the evening as it will give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have with regards to your child’s progress. Please confirm your attendance using this link.
On arrival you will need to sign in at reception and you should then proceed directly to the classrooms of the subjects studied to meet with your child’s teachers. There is no individual subject appointment system and you can arrive at a time to suit you between 4.00 pm to 6.30pm. Prefects will be outside classrooms to organise a reservation list and help to ensure focussed timings of appointments, so that the evening will finish at approximately 7.00pm.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Yours sincerely
Mr M Cretney
Achievement Team Leader
Mr D Ellerby
Deputy Headteacher for Learning and Progress
PDY
I hope everybody enjoyed a good break over half term and have returned with batteries recharged, ready for a busy half term ahead.
For our Year 11s, it is a crucial period ahead of their exams.
I would like to point students and parents to this article.
It stresses advance information on exam topics should only be accessed from official exam board websites.
There is misinformation online and that link provides access to reliable, trustworthy sources.
We are absolutely committed to ensuring your child receives the most accurate and relevant information to give them the right levels of detail over the next six weeks.
Some are near the end of subjects and entering the phase where they will revisit and recall exam information.
A clarity of exam content will be delivered in lessons. The link above will be used by teachers to ensure we get it right and our students are properly prepared and supported.
Please be in no doubt about this.
Any concerns from parents / carers can be addressed at our Year 11 final push evening on 10th March.
It is an exciting day at the Academy today, the first Raising Aspirations Day (RAD) we have held for more than two years.
The normal curriculum is suspended to enable students to think about what is ahead after secondary school.
This is what’s in store:
Year 7: North Lindsey College university visit – taster sessions for future careers and courses, bio sciences, engineering, animal management, business, sport
Year 8: John Leggott College – A day in the life of public sector workers (Health & Social Care/ Sport/ Uniformed Services/ Basketball or aspiring Police), a business owner (Economics/ Business/ Law/ Journalism & Social Media), a performer, (Dance/ Music/ Musical Theatre/ Debate), an artist (Fashion/ Media/ Photography/ Fashion Share), STEM (Maths/ Physics/ Electronics) and Society (Sociology/ Politics/ Psychology/ Feminist Society).
Year 9: Options focussed, HETA, British Steel, Employability Skills, GCSE Pod, Think Apprenticeship, Airline masterclass
Year 10: Lincoln University
Year 11: Higher Education and student finance, revision strategies and applications, revision timetables.
Three year groups then, are out of school.
I am incredibly proud each of the days are finely tuned and matched against our Futures programme and aligned with the Gatsby benchmarks of good career guidance.
It’s the reason we educate children at secondary school, to prepare them for life when they leave here. We will give them a balanced view of what’s ahead.
On Friday, there is another fantastic opportunity for our Year 11s.
The National Citizen Service team for North Lincolnshire will give a presentation.
It is a brilliant addition to a CV, to show you’ve volunteered. It is also great timing, falling between exams and results and can help bridge the gap between school and college.
Our Year 7 parents’ consultation evening takes place on 16th March while Year 9 exams start week commencing 28th March.
Finally, please look out in your email box for log in details to our new communications app Arbor. They are being sent out from today.
As you can see, there is a lot going on. That recharge of batteries was needed.
Dear Parent/Carer
As part of our Raising Aspirations Day on Wednesday 23rd February 2022, your child will be attending North Lindsey College University Centre. They will spend the morning at the University Centre engaged in workshops designed to enable them to find out more about studying at university and to help them think about their future after the academy.
Students are expected to arrive at the academy as normal and register at 8:30am in tutor rooms. Between 8:30am and 9am, all students will be in tutor groups and tutors will deliver a session that will focus on raising aspirations and student expectations for the visit.
At 9am students will walk, supervised, to the University Centre, and we are expected to arrive back at the academy for lunch by 1:15pm. Students will be expected to be in normal school uniform. Throughout the day, the Year 7 tutor team, in addition to Student Ambassadors from the North Lindsey University Centre, will support our students.
This is a fantastic opportunity for students and one which I am sure will not only be very enjoyable, but further raise their aspirations and help them realise their full potential. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me. If we do not already have your consent for your child to walk on local visits we will contact you.
Yours sincerely,
Matt Cretney
Year 7 Achievement Team Leader
Dear Parent/Carer,
The St Lawrence Academy will be providing your child with our Raising Aspiration Day (RAD) on Wednesday 23rd February 2022 at John Leggott College. These days help students develop their aspirations, knowledge and support informed choices in relation to their Careers Education. These specialised days complement our extensive ‘Futures’ and ‘Character’ sessions to prepare students for life after the academy. Students will have the opportunity to decide which sessions they will follow from the following list:
‘A day in the life of’
Option 1- A Public Service worker (Health & Social Care, Sport, Uniformed Services, Aspiring Police.
Option 2- A Business owner (Economics, Business, Law, Journalism/Social Media)
Option 3- A Performer (Dance, Music, Musical Theatre, Debate)
Option 4- An Artist (Fashion, Media, Photography, Fashion Share)
Option 5- STEM (Maths, Physics, Electronics)
Option 6- Society (Sociology, Politics, Psychology, Feminist Society)
Students are expected to arrive at the academy as normal and register at 8.30am in tutor rooms. All students need to be in full school uniform. Students will leave the academy at 8:45 via coach transport. Students will finish at 2:45pm and be dismissed from John Leggott College, a number of staff will be walking back to The St Lawrence Academy should students wish to be accompanied back. Please arrange lifts from the college if you do not want your child to walk home or back to the academy.
If your child is eligible for free school meals, a packed lunch will be provided. Students will not be able to purchase food from the college, therefore they must bring packed lunch if they do not qualify for free school meals.
Should you have any queries around RAD, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Stainton:
Yours sincerely
James Stainton
Year 8 Achievement Team Leader
February 2022
Dear Parent/Carer
Year 11 Final Push Consultation Evening – Thursday 10th March 2022 at 4pm or 5pm
Academy Exam Results will be given out at 4pm or 5pm
On Thursday 10th March 2022 you are invited, along with your child, to our Year 11 Final Push Consultation Evening. All subject teachers will be available to meet with you between 4pm and 6.30pm. You will be able to find out exactly how your child is progressing with regards to their current levels of attainment and what they will need to do in order to maximise their potential for achieving success in their forthcoming GCSE examinations. We have much work to do together in the final few months which will impact directly on your child’s future success. This launch evening is designed to give students and parents all the information and guidance needed at this crucial time as we prepare for ‘the final push’. In order for this programme to be successful, we would appreciate your support and attendance for the evening, which gives you the opportunity to ask as many questions as you may have in order to piece the jigsaw together.
The examinations that the students have recently just completed will have been marked and their results will be contained in envelopes ready to collect on the night. These will be issued in 2 sessions in the Westaby Hall, at 4pm and 5pm, so please ensure you arrive for one of these.
On arrival you will need to sign in at reception and you should then proceed directly to the Westaby Hall. There is no individual subject appointment system, however prefects will be outside classrooms to organise a reservation list and help to ensure focussed timings of appointments, so that the evening will finish at approximately 6.30pm. Please confirm attendance at this evening by completing this link.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Yours sincerely
Dan Ellerby
Deputy Headteacher for Learning and Progress
Sally Walker
Achievement Team Leader Year 11
PDY
Communication between the Academy and home is crucial to students’ successful outcomes – so I am delighted to announce a big step forward in this regard.
Parents / carers will be receiving, over the coming days and weeks, emails with log in details for our new Arbor app.
It will enable a personalised, confidential communication channel between home and the Academy and become our primary direct link with parents / carers.
From it, they can:
- Discover a child’s attendance, including their average attendance and that for the academic year so far;
- Edit and keep up-to-date vital contact details quickly and without needing to call the Academy;
- See a child’s merits and, indeed, any demerits to keep parents / carers informed about their effort and behaviour;
- Access their child’s timetable so they can track any changes to lessons or teachers and help conversations at home about the school day;
- Note any detentions.
In the future, a child’s assessments and grades will be put on Arbor, as will report cards and homework given out.
The app will also be uploaded with key dates, such as parents’ evenings and school trips and details.
It also has a notices section, which will be used for distributing key information, rather like a rolling feed.
The website will remain the number one place to discover how the school runs and operates but Arbor, with its easy access on the move via a smart phone as well as a PC or tablet, will become a child’s confidential, one-stop portal.
It is a brilliant system, with everything at a parents’ / carers’ fingertips, and we are excited to launch the rolling programme to get all parents / carers logged in.
Ahead of being sent the individual details, the app can be downloaded for Apple phones from here https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/arbor/id1448707412 or androids here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.arboreducation.parentapp&hl=en_GB&gl=US
Next week’s half term and I shall be breathing a sigh of relief.
Since the New Year it has, unquestionably, been the most difficult period of the pandemic for this Academy.
We have seen rising Covid cases and record numbers of children and staff absent. But we have made it through without closing the school or sending a year group home.
I am proud of that. There are some very different stories around the country.
I know the efforts gone to have been appreciated by the wider community.
I have had conversations with parents / carers grateful the Academy has remained open. They are trusting, supportive and communicate when they need help. Thank you for that.
What I would now like is for staff and children – particularly those in Year 11 who have had three weeks of exams – to have a good break.
Please come back refreshed and ready for the final push of this academic year.
