All remaining GCSE certificates can be collected from the academy Mon – Thurs 9am – 4pm and Fri 9am – 2.30pm. It is very important that you collect your certificates. They can only be stored for a period of 12 months, after which time they are destroyed. You would then need to obtain your certificates from the relevant exam boards at a cost of £45 per certificate.
We had hoped to have seen the last of changes at late notice to the Academy environment because of COVID.
But, on Sunday, the new variant brought with it new Government guidelines, with face masks compulsory again in communal areas.
I would like to thank parents / carers for responding to the late notice, ensuring their children acted on the update.
They have just got on with it, and I am grateful to them too.
We all hope more stringent changes will not be necessary because face masks in the classroom earlier this year did make for a poor teaching and learning experience.
At the moment, we are able to teach as normal and have no plans, at this time, to curtail our busy calendar of events.
We are focused on getting through to the last day of term, which is Thursday, 16th December. Please note we will be finishing at 1.15pm.
Lunch will be available for students at break time on that day.
We are restoring the tradition of taking year groups to St Lawrence Church for a Christmas service.
The dates are:
Year 8 Thursday, 9th December 1.45 to 2.45pm
Year 10 Monday, 13th 1.45 to 2.45pm
Year 9 Tuesday, 14th 1.45 to 2.45pm
Year 7 Wednesday 15th 1.45 to 2.45pm.
Year 11 Thursday, 16th 12.15 to 1.15pm.
I will be sending out an end of term letter confirming these dates, making some points about uniform, and highlighting events next term. This should arrive with you next week.
Friday, 10th December, will be busy. It is our Christmas jumper day when we will be raising money for the Health Tree Foundation and their latest project at Scunthorpe General Hospital. For those who wish to wear one, contributions can be made via Parent Pay (to be confirmed and shared).
On the same day, it is our rewards trip to the cinema for Years 9, 10, and 11. All students meeting the standards expected of them will be invited and I expect it to be as successful as the recent one for Years 7 and 8.
Today (Wednesday), our Community Café will be up and running between 3.15 and 4.15pm. It is open to anybody. They will be served refreshments and entertained by the students.
And on Monday, the evening of ingredients will take place for Year 11. All have said they are coming with their parents / carer, which is fantastic. More than 300 will be present that night which is brilliant.
We had similar levels of engagement at the Year 8 Parents’ Evening a week ago.
At that event, I enjoyed the challenge that came from parents.
They have unwavering levels of aspiration for their children. They wanted to know how much progress their child was making and how they could support them to do even better.
The partnership between home and school is so important and those comments are music to the ears of the staff team and myself.
Please, do not hesitate to contact the school or your child’s teacher direct by email – they are listed here – and we will always respond to questions about progress.
It is what we are all about.
30th November 2021
Dear Parent/Carer
I am writing to inform you that your child has been selected to attend our ‘Maximising Potential‘ programme, which is a new initiative that we have introduced this year to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption that all students have faced to their learning.
These sessions are one hour tutoring sessions in small groups, which will run once a week for 8 weeks initially. Tutoring is one of the most effective tools for helping students, and there will be a maximum of three students in each group to ensure that there is a positive impact on students’ academic progress.
Refreshments will be provided, and students will be entered for a prize draw to win Amazon Vouchers based on their attendance each week.
The first session will take place on Wednesday 8th December from 3:00pm – 4:00pm. Your child’s tutor will contact you shortly with further information about this fantastic opportunity.
We thank you in advance for all of your support in ensuring that your child will attend these sessions which we hope will have a very positive impact.
Yours sincerely,
Dan Ellerby
Deputy Hedteacher
29.11.21
Face masks
The DfE have confirmed that all students, staff and visitors should wear face coverings in communal areas unless they are exempt. Please ensure your child brings a face covering from Tuesday 30th November.
Let’s all work together as a community!
NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE SCHOOLS CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Dear Parent/Carer
Your child has been selected to represent The St Lawrence Academy at the North Lincolnshire Schools Cross-Country Championships. The event will take place on the morning of Wednesday 1th December 2021 at Central Park.
In light of the weather, could you please ensure that your child has the following items:
- Correct PE kit (black and teal top, black shorts, black socks, rugby shirt or St Lawrence hoodie)
- Trainers or spikes
- Dark coloured tracksuit bottoms and a waterproof jacket
- A drink
**Please note that it is usually very cold weather conditions at this event so students are encouraged to bring additional layers of clothing to keep warm.
Race times and meeting times are as follows: –
| Intermediate Boys | 10:00am (plus any Senior Boys) | Meet at Sports Hall at 8.30 am Return to academy 12.15 pm for Period 4 and lunch |
| Intermediate Girls | 10:30am (plus any Senior Girls) | |
| Minor Boys | 10:50am | |
| Minor Girls | 11:05am | Meet at Sports Hall at 8.30 am Return to academy for your lunch at 1.15pm OR for 1.45 pm Period 5 |
| Junior Girls | 11.25am | |
| Junior Boys | 11.45am |
Due to the large numbers, we are going to walk students to and from Central Park. Students do have the option of going home to shower and change after their event, but full consent is needed for this by parents/carers and students will be expected back in the academy wearing the correct uniform, with the necessary books by the time stated above. Anyone without consent will walk back to the academy with staff or be transported back on the academy minibus at the end of the event.
If you allow your child to participate, please complete the attached form. Please also state whether you give permission for your child to return home after their event. Consent Form Link
Please also state whether you give permission for your child to return home after their event.
Yours faithfully
Mrs Lindsay Shutes
Curriculum and Progress Leader of Physical Education
LSS/DAX
A tough week ended on a positive note on Friday when the Academy community fund-raised for Children in Need.
I mentioned in my special message on Thursday that we are stronger together, and so it proved again.
Within our diverse school community, we have our difficulties and hardships, and our students know how much some families are struggling.
It was heart-warming to hear we had raised £424.92, a great amount made up of voluntary contributions. I would like to thank everybody who donated.
It was also lovely to see a snippet from our Academy used in the BBC’s coverage. Well done to all involved.
An incredible 161 families out of 163 have said they will be attending tonight’s Year 8 Parents’ Evening.
If they all attend, it will be the biggest Parents’ Evening the Academy has ever held.
And 126 Year 11 families out of 143 have so far expressed an interest in attending the “evening of ingredients” on Monday, 6th December.
I am delighted to see this level of engagement by parents / carers in the Academy. Staff have worked really hard on communications, and this appears to be paying off.
Some parents have a chance to engage with their children in a different setting next Wednesday, 1st December.
Those runners who have done well in trials this week will represent the academy at the Scunthorpe cross country championships at Central Park.
Parents and grandparents are invited to attend another of those events that did not take place last year because of COVID.
The senior boys start at 10am, senior girls 10.30am, minor boys 10.50am, minor girls 11.05am, junior girls 11.25am and junior boys 11.45am. I wish our team well.
On the same day we host our Community Café, between 3.15pm and 4.15pm, at which our students will entertain members of the community and serve refreshments. It is an event looked forward to by our young people and those who come into the Academy.
Mental health and wellbeing of students and staff is really important and a top priority.
It is why Human Utopia, an organisation which empowers children to make positive change, will work with Year 9 next Tuesday and Year 10 on Wednesday.
The highly motivational programme fits in with our core values, helping them empathise with others and how they are feeling.
We are committed to providing a high quality education but also want to deliver those added elements that make our young people stronger, more resilient and helps them realise their dreams, hopes and aspirations.
We hope our students get a lot out of the course.
19th November 2021
RE: Invitation to termly community café event at the St Lawrence Academy.
Dear Parent/Guardian
We would be delighted if you could join us on Wednesday 1st of December from 3:15-4:15pm for our termly community café event at the St Lawrence Academy.
As part of our community engagement strategy we are planning our first community cafe event in the Academy since the start of 2020 which aims to integrate generations and showcase the work and leadership of our students.
This year to extend our audience we would like to invite grandparents, elderly relatives and our community members from local care homes and community groups to join this event and enjoy some student-led entertainment and activities.
We have planned refreshments by our hospitality students, and also dance performances and fun activities arranged by students. But most importantly, it will be an opportunity to have a chat.
You are welcome to bring family and friends who would enjoy this event.
You can confirm attendance through the following ways;
- Email [email protected] with confirmation
- Call 01724842447 and leave a confirmation at our reception.
I look forward to hearing back from you and seeing you at our event.
Kind regards,
Annie Holliday
Teacher of Humanities &
Amethyst House Leader.
November 2021
Dear Parent or Carer
Students in years 9, 10 and 11 from The St Lawrence Academy have the opportunity to take part in a visit to the Vue Cinema on Friday 3rd December 2021, as a reward for positive attitude to learning and good behaviour.
Students will be invited to attend the visit if they have accrued:
– no more than 15 demerits since 1st November 2021
– no more than 2 late marks since 1st November 2021
– no more than 3 unauthorised absences since 1st November 2021
– no exclusions since the start of September 2021
Successful students will be notified on Friday 26th November with further details and you will be informed via email if your son or daughter has been invited to attend the cinema visit.
Yours sincerely
The staff of the St Lawrence Academy
Mr Murray
Achievement Team Leader for Year 10.
Ms Walker
Achievement Team Leader for Year 11
Mrs Elston
Achievement Team Leader for Year 9
Our newly created Trust has a vision that, for me today, could not be more relevant, poignant and important.
“Stronger together” is something that has left me pretty reflective over the last 72 hours.
Someone I’ve had the privilege of educating and watching proudly as they matured and developed into a quite phenomenal young man, took their own life on Monday.
It has been an absolute hammer blow, resulting in a devastating series of messages to receive from so many ex students who wanted to reach out and, quite frankly, have been left distraught.
So many questions, so many emotional messages of remembrance and a quite humbling togetherness of a community stretched far and wide now through their individual lives and direction of travel.
People matter, lives matter.
Being part of so many emotional exchanges has served to remind me we have to do better. We need to ask the questions to anyone and everyone.
Is everyone ok? How do we know? Can we make sure people know we care?
I have been reflective. Communities are important regardless of age and deemed valuable when people reach out and show caring and empathy are at the heart of what people value the most.
The young person in question was everything I want of the students at the Academy today. Without question, he was special. The best.
Building relationships with children and families can become life changing, life long and long lasting. My relationship with this young man and his family was exactly that. A quite phenomenal role model. Kind, caring and an outstanding person.
Regardless of when someone finishes their journey with us here at the Academy, they maintain that connection for life.
And to the community I serve today, please pick up the phone, drop in on that person you haven’t spoken to in a while, and do your bit to maybe save and/or improve a life.
Together we’re stronger.
Rest In Peace. Never forgotten.
A constant theme in recent weeks has been the busy school calendar – and I love it!
Thank you to Year 11s for the efforts put into the exam season which has now finished.
Staff are already working hard to ensure there is a swift turnaround on the marking of papers.
That is because our “evening of ingredients” is coming up on Monday, 6th December.
More than 100 of our Year 11s have already said they would be attending the event with their parents / carers.
You will recall this is the night they will receive their results in envelopes and then have an opportunity to discuss their futures with their tutors and a host of external guests.
It looks like being our busiest night at the Academy for more than two years.
Thank you to our Achievement Team Leader (ATL) for Year 11 Miss Walker for arranging the evening and driving the response.
Another big event is happening in the Academy next Wednesday (24th), the Year 8 parents’ evening.
It occurred to me that, because of the pandemic, this will be the first secondary face-to-face parents’ evening for those young people.
It might be one of the reasons – along with the considerable efforts of ATL for Year 8 Mr Stainton and the team of tutors – that 147 out of 162 students have confirmed their attendance with a parent / carer.
That is a great buy in from those families and we look forward to meeting them properly for the first time.
Significant numbers of Years 7 and 8 enjoyed a visit to the cinema today, the first rewards trip the school has held in a long time. They deserved the time out for their efforts.
A reminder we will also be hosting a faith evening at the academy tonight in the atrium between 3.30pm and 4.30pm to mark Inter-Faith Week.
Tomorrow, it is non-uniform to mark BBC Children in Need Day. Please don’t forgot to contribute the £1 for each student through Parent Pay.
Finally, I mentioned at the start about our busy calendar. An important part of that are our extra-curricular clubs and activities.
Please don’t think that, because they have started, there won’t be space. It might be circumstances have changed, meaning time has been freed up that was not available at the start of half term.
It is never to late to join a club or activity. The doors are always open to opportunities.
