Head of School’s Blog

24th November 2021Nigel Lowther

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 ÂŁ424.92, 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.

 

 

 

Community Cafe – Parents/Guardians

19th November 2021Garry Drinkall

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.

Cinema Trip – Yr9, Yr10 & Yr11

18th November 2021Garry Drinkall

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

Head of School: Stronger Together

18th November 2021Nigel Lowther

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.

 

 

 

Head of School’s Blog

18th November 2021Nigel Lowther

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Practice lesson KS3 contributions

16th November 2021Garry Drinkall

November 2021

 

KS3 Design & Technology

 

Dear Parent/Guardian,

 

In Technology lessons, over this academic year, your child will have the opportunity to either cook a selection of dishes in Food and Nutrition and produce a range of products using wood, plastics or electronics.

 

To this end, we are arranging to order and purchase the ingredients required for each practical food technology lesson and buy in the materials needed for each of the other practical assignments for this academic year. It is essential that students provide their own containers for their Food lesson.

 

We would ask you to support us in this venture by kindly making a voluntary contribution of ÂŁ10.00 to cover these costs. We would appreciate you making your contribution in full by Monday 6th December 2021. Payments can be made via your ParentPay account.

All the necessary ingredients and materials can then be provided and students will bring their completed products home for you all to enjoy.  

We are always keen on finding ways of recycling unwanted items in order to save on the cost of purchasing materials and would appreciate any unwanted items such as off-cuts of wood, manufactured boards, acrylic (perspex or similar) or food containers.  If you are able to help out in any way please contact Mrs Keyworth in the first instance by email at the following address: [email protected] . 

 Yours faithfully

 

Mrs K Keyworth

Curriculum & Progress Leader of Technology

PDY/KKH

Food Technology KS4

16th November 2021Garry Drinkall

November 2021

 

KS4 Hospitality & Catering

Dear Parent/Carer

As part of your child’s Hospitality and Catering course this year they will be covering aspects of study that allows them to learn and develop food preparation, cooking and presentation skills. They will also investigate the nutritional principles that underlay the preparation and cooking of food. They will gain valuable skills in order to become more independent in their work and this will lay down a foundation for their studies in food.

To this end, we are arranging to order and purchase the ingredients required for each practical lesson this academic year. It is essential that students provide a container for their food lesson. We would ask you to support us in this venture by kindly making a voluntary contribution of ÂŁ10.00 to cover these costs. We would appreciate you making your contribution in full by Monday 6th December 2021. All payments can be made via your ParentPay account.

All the necessary ingredients will be provided and students will bring their completed products home for you all to enjoy.

 Yours faithfully

Mrs K Keyworth 

Curriculum & Progress Leader of Technology

PDY/KKH

Cinema Trip Letter 2021/22

12th November 2021Garry Drinkall

11th November 2021

 

Dear Parent/Carer

 

It is at this time of the year when we like to reward and celebrate the hard work of the students at The St Lawrence Academy. With this in mind, your child has been selected for a rewards trip, based on their participation in extracurricular activities over the past term. This will take place at the Vue Cinema, Scunthorpe on the 18th November 2021. There is no cost to you at all, unless you wish to provide them with some money to spend on refreshments at the cinema. 

 

Arrangements for the day are as follows:

 

Students will leave the academy at 9.00am and will be walked to the cinema by members of staff in full academy uniform. Once the students have enjoyed the film, they will walk back to the academy with the staff. Please could we remind those students who use an inhaler, to ensure that they have it with them.

 

As this is a local visit, you have already given your consent at the start of the academic year.  If we do not have your consent, please complete the attached link:

https://forms.gle/VpdqLhkkkrzAdHrA6

 

We look forward to sharing this fantastic opportunity with the students.

 

Yours sincerely

 

The staff of the St Lawrence Academy

 

Mr Cretney

Year 7 Achievement Team Leader

Mr Stainton

Year 8 Achievement Team Leader

Head of School’s Blog

10th November 2021Nigel Lowther

Our governors do a great job supporting and, where appropriate, challenging us to deliver the best possible education – and there is an opportunity to become one.

We are looking to recruit parents or members of the local community to our governing body.

It is an important role, ensuring our students receive a quality education in a safe environment.

Governors are volunteers, required to attend meetings during the year. But the hours are not onerous, and many get an awful lot out of the role.

It is so important to have governors from the local community who have a connection with the Academy and understand the vital role it plays.

So, please have a think. If it is not for you, maybe you know somebody who would be ideally suited.

Those interested, I suggest, have an initial conversation with our chair of governors Philip Brent.

Please drop him an email via [email protected] with your contact details and he will call you back. Thank you.

Next Monday marks the start of national Anti-Bullying Week. There is zero tolerance of bullying at our Academy and Student Voice suggests we deal with any issues quickly and effectively.

But we are never complacent and always strive to do better.

To highlight the week and our diversity, we are encouraging staff and students to wear odd socks on Monday (15th).

Look in your top drawer to find those weird and wonderful combinations. Put them on and celebrate the fact we are all different. #OddSocksDay #AntiBullyingWeek

Next Friday (19th), it is BBC Children in Need Day. To support the mammoth fundraiser, we are having a non-uniform / dress down day.

To participate, we are asking students to contribute ÂŁ1, which can be paid via ParentPay. Click here

Together, we can help transform children’s lives.

Another event I would like to highlight is Inter-Faith Week, which takes place between the 14th and 21st November.

On the Thursday (18th), between 3.30pm and 4.30pm, we are opening our doors to the community to enable anybody to step inside and see how we celebrate our different faiths.

We successfully promote diversity and its importance to us at the Academy. This is an opportunity to show the wider community how and why we do so.

Drinks and refreshments will be served in the atrium. We look forward to welcoming you and getting involved in the conversation about the importance of diversity.

Finally, a plug for the extra-curricular timetable running over the next six weeks, available here.

Please take the chance to see what our young people can join and get involved in through the various clubs and activities.

Just like our search for governors, opportunity knocks.