Front Page News

8th December 2023

Dear Parent / Carer,

As we approach the end of term, we would like to inform you of a number of events taking place in the next fortnight. 

Christmas Services

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. 

It has been an incredibly busy term with lots of exciting developments taking place across the Academy. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first term as Headteacher at The St Lawrence Academy and wanted to thank staff, students and parents for making me feel so welcome. May I take this opportunity to wish those of you celebrating Christmas a wonderful festive break. We look forward to welcoming all of our students back on Monday 8th January at 8.25am. 

Warm Regards,

Mr M Hire

Headteacher

5th December 2023

Dear Parent/Carer

I am writing to inform you that the academy will be closed to all students from 12.15pm on Monday 11th December 2023.  This is due to some essential staff training which is only able to be facilitated on this date.

Students will be able to purchase lunch at break times or receive their free school meal, or alternatively order a grab bag to take home.

All students will therefore be dismissed to home at 12.15pm. 

I absolutely appreciate this is far from ideal and I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this causes you as families. Without doubt at times like these I genuinely value your support, patience and understanding.

I apologise for the inconvenience

Yours sincerely

Matt Hire

Headteacher

Dear Parent/Carer 

Year 10 Consultation Evening – Thursday 7th December 2023 – 4.00pm-6:30pm

On Thursday 7th December 2023 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 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 

J Stainton 

Mr James Stainton

Achievement Team Leader

D Ellerby

Mr D Ellerby 

Deputy Headteacher for Learning and Progress

Dear Parent/Carer 

Year 7 Consultation Evening – Thursday 14th December 2023 4.00pm-6:30pm

On Thursday 14th December at 4pm you and your child are invited to our
Year 7 Consultation Evening, to meet all their subject teachers. This is your first 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 where you will be issued your child’s progress report 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 

Mr M Cretney

Achievement Team Leader

D Ellerby

Mr D Ellerby 

Deputy Headteacher for Teaching and Learning

Dear Parent / Carer

Thank you for supporting us with raising our standards in reference to uniform.  It has been noticeably improved since returning from the half term break.

I would like to draw your attention once again to our uniform policy as it has recently been updated.

Previously the policy stated that students have been unable to wear a coat inside the building unless it has been extremely cold temperatures. Students were asked to put their coats in the cloakroom or in their bag. We have updated the policy with the following wording: 

Coats :. Students may wear coats in the academy, but they must be removed before entering classrooms. They should carry them or place them in their bag as there is no cloakroom facilities, 

Hoodies/Non academy jumpers are NOT academy uniform and should not be worn under or over blazers inside/outside the building,

The cloakroom will no longer be open. We currently have a large amount of coats that have been left in the cloakroom. Students have until the end of this week to collect any items they have left in there. Following this the items will be collected up and held for another two weeks as lost property. Any items not collected after this time will be disposed/donated to charity.

Yours sincerely

Helen West

Deputy Headteacher

October 2023

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 21st November 2023 – 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 prompt there will be a talk in the hall and 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)
• WellBeing
• Attendance
• Managing Device Time
• Parental Feedback
• Further Education Colleges
• University Representatives
• Apprenticeship Providers
• Local Businesses
• All Subject staff
• The year group ATL
• SENDCo

We very much hope that you will join us in order to understand what we are doing to support our wonderful Year 11 students and what you can do too as they enter the final few months of their TSLA learning Journey. There will be some light refreshments available throughout the evening. 

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 21st November 2023 – “An Evening of Ingredients”
• Thursday 7th March 2024 – “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 light refreshments. 

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.

Yours sincerely

Mr Dan Ellerby [email protected]                         Mrs Sally Walker [email protected]

Deputy Headteacher for Learning & Progress         Year 11 Achievement Team Leader

17th October 2023

Dear Parent / Carer

I would like to draw your attention to our uniform policy which is shared with parents regularly.

We are currently experiencing a number of students who arrive at the academy wearing the incorrect uniform. Our policy makes it clear that:

• The academy reserves the right to send a student home if they are not in the correct uniform.

The Senior Leadership Team will be conducting uniform checks during week commencing 30.10.23

Please ensure your child arrives in school shoes (not trainers), academy skirt (if in Year 7-10) or black trousers (not leggings) and wearing a tie and blazer.

Students are not permitted to attend school with acrylic or painted nails. 

We do not allow extreme hairstyles and any hair colouring must be within a natural colour range.

In terms of jewellery, students are permitted to wear a watch and a single pair of stud earrings. We do not allow students to have any other piercings. We do not allow clear facial piercings or for them to be covered with a plaster.

By sending your child to the academy you are agreeing to adhere to our published policies and we hope you will support us to address this issue by ensuring your child wears the correct uniform to school. and ensure your child adheres to the uniform policy.

Any infringements will result in your child being sent home from the academy for failing to adhere to our uniform policy. If there are barriers to your child being in the correct uniform please contact the relevant Achievement Team Leader who will work with you to resolve any issues.

Yours sincerely

Helen West

Deputy Headteacher

13th October 2023

Dear Parents and Carers,

You will be fully aware of the appalling violence in Gaza and Israel in recent days which has seen air strikes, rocket attacks and other acts of violence killing and injuring both Palestinian and Israeli civilians, including children.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those that have sadly lost their lives as a result of the conflict and hope both sides can come to a resolution for peace, something we all strive for.

The St Lawrence Academy is a school community which welcomes students and staff of all faiths, as well as those with none. Our thoughts, as a community, are with all of those that have been affected by the violence, no matter where they live. Unfortunately, we had an unpleasant and unsavoury incident in the academy yesterday where some students had created a flag and were waving it around, as well as chanting unpleasant and derogatory comments about one of the parties involved in the conflict.

As I am sure you can appreciate, those sorts of comments and that type of chanting is wholly inappropriate and unsavoury and we can’t and won’t have comments made like that in our academy. As a result, a staff member did take the flag from the students and remind them of expectations in terms of inappropriate and derogatory comments being made.

At a time of such heightened tensions, we are keen to support our students and families and wider community in being able to express the concern about the impact the conflict is having on civilians in the most appropriate way.

At The St Lawrence Academy, we will be delivering a series of lessons through our RE curriculum next week that focus on understanding the conflict, ways in which students can show support appropriately for those affected by the conflict and the need for tolerance and respect of the views of others.

The St Lawrence Academy has also created a prayer station in our Reflections Room where staff and students can light a candle and pray for peace.  Students can access the Reflections Room before school, during break and lunch time and after school if they wish to do so.

I hope we can count on you for support in our approach to supporting students during this time and remind your child/children of the need for respect and tolerance.

Warm Regards,

Mr M Hire

Headteacher