Front Page News

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

20th September 2023

 

Dear Parent /Carer

 

Our Year 7 students have made a wonderful start to life in the academy and we are delighted to see that they have settled in really well. 

 

On Thursday 28th September we would like to invite you to the Year 7 Settling in Evening at 4pm to 5pm, where we will celebrate the great start to secondary school that has been made. You will have the opportunity to meet with your child’s tutors and year team to discuss how your child has settled into the academy.  

 

We will also have some reading books available for your children to choose from and a small selection of coats. 

 

Please complete the attached form to confirm your attendance https://forms.gle/3aG98QNQtGuUnHk28

 

We hope that you will take the opportunity to visit the academy and share the positive successes at the start of the year and discuss any other questions you may have.  We look forward to seeing you and continuing to work with you closely in the future. 

 

Yours sincerely

 

M Cretney

 

Mr Matt Cretney

Year 7 Achievement Team Leader

 

 

For the Parent Workshop link, please click here: Parent Workshop links

29th August 2023

Dear Parents/Carers, 

I hope this letter finds you well and both you and your child/children have had an enjoyable summer holiday. I am delighted to introduce myself as the Interim Headteacher of The St Lawrence Academy. I am incredibly proud to be joining The St Lawrence Academy and I am looking forward to working with and getting to know staff, students and parents/carers from September.  My aim as Headteacher at St Lawrence is to ensure staff are supported to deliver the best educational experience for our young people and ensure they have a successful and enjoyable secondary school experience with us.

I have recently been a Headteacher of two inner-city schools in Birmingham which has led to improved outcomes for students combined with a positive educational experience for students that resulted in two very positive recent Ofsted inspections. As the newly appointed Headteacher at The St Lawrence Academy, I will endeavour to ensure our academy grows from strength to strength. We are committed to ensuring the highest standards in all that we do and I am keen to create a culture of high aspirations amongst all members of our academy community.

As we approach the start of a new academic year, please may I remind you of some key dates and timings for your child’s return to the academy in September:

 

Friday 1st September	Teacher Training Day
Monday 4th September	Teacher Training Day
Tuesday 5th September	New Year 7 Students only at 8.25am
Wednesday 6th September	All students return to The St Lawrence Academy at 8.25 am

 

I look forward to meeting all of our students on the days specified above and hope to meet as many parents as possible in the first week(s) of term. With this in mind, I am in the process of planning a ‘Meet the Headteacher’ coffee morning/afternoon in the near future. I will write to parents again in September with further details in relation to this.

 

Warm Regards

 

Mr M Hire
Interim Headteacher 

August 2023

Dear Parents/Carers

 

This year has been another where we travel further away from the pandemic and towards an educational landscape and culture which feels like one we used to value and appreciate.

Amongst a hugely difficult year financially for you as families and as the country has struggled in the face of great adversity, education has had its fair share of difficulties also.

The biggest teacher recruitment crisis is upon us. Quite simply there are not enough teachers in this country across all sectors. Addressing this now needs to be a priority if we want the generation of tomorrow to be educated to the best possible standard. This needs to be funded by the government and not from school budgets. 

During the last term we have said our farewells to Year 11 students, the Year 10 prefect team has been elected and we have embraced a series of events that have created new and varied opportunities. Our new Year 7 students for September, 2023, will start at the academy, after their  transition events this summer on Tuesday 5th September. I am sure the students are excited about starting at the academy and that they will be a huge success, as our class of 2028!

We were oversubscribed again with some families going to appeal to try to get a place with us. We are genuinely humbled by your desire to be with us and it does not go unnoticed. In September we will have our largest ever number of children at the academy, around 810 in total.

As we always welcome new students and say farewell to those who are leaving us, we also do the same with our staff. Leaving us at the end of this year will be:

 

• Annie-Rose Lewis is joining another school nearer to her home after 5 years at the academy. We wish her well. 
• Magdalena Wyderka is leaving as our Cover Supervisor and temporary Teacher of Science. We thank you for all the support she has given to the academy and we wish her well in pursuing a teaching career. 
• Sam Cowling  is leaving the academy after being a LTA to pursue other opportunities.

 

I am sure you will join me in wishing these staff well and in thanking them for all the support and help they have given the students at the academy.

This is also a time to welcome and celebrate some fantastic staff joining us in September:

We welcome to the academy Matt Hire as an interim Headteacher who will oversee the day to day running of the academy until such a time as a new substantive Headteacher is appointed. 

• Ashley Ritchie will be joining the Senior Team for 4 days a week and working with the Inclusion team. 
• Jake Scott joins us as a newly qualified teacher in Science at the start of his career. 
• Catriona Scoular will be joining the Humanities department as an experienced teacher and will be leading on the Geography curriculum. 
• Wahida Khanum is joining the Inclusion team as a Learning and Teaching Assistant

 

As a result of these appointments, we have been able to afford some new positions to some of our staff who have been with us over time.

• Jake Browne will take on the role of the Year 7 Student Progress Leader having been a LTA for two years.  
• Cathie Bremner, our Year 7 SPL will now be working part time in a job share with Val Borrill as the SPLs for Year 8
• Emily Atkinson Teacher of Science will also now be working part time over 3 days a week but will continue as the Gold House Leader.  

 

Our staffing can always be viewed by clicking on the link shared below and from here you can also make contact with staff via their email addresses.

https://tsla.realsmartcloud.com/parents/key-staff-contacts/

GREAT Expectations

In addition to our 5 core values of Truth, Justice, Respect, Forgiveness and Generosity, we continue to promote and embed our 3 Academy GREAT Expectations for all our academy community.

• Be Ready – on time, correct equipment, uniform, attitude.
• Be Safe – being calm and thoughtful, keeping yourself and others safe.
• Be Respectful – this is an essential and core part of what we believe to be the basic expectation of all who are a part of the academy.

 

The St Lawrence Academy uniform

It is essential that we maintain high standards of appearance and uniform. We have attached our Uniform Policy as a reminder about our expectations in relation to uniform. 

• Uniform can be purchased atShah’s uniform supplier on West Street, Scunthorpe. https://www.shahsuniform.co.uk/st-lawrence-academy or there is a small quantity available online via Parentpay for collection at the academy. 
• Long, painted or acrylic nails are not allowed at the academy
• Skirts must not be of a tight and stretchy material and all skirts must be appropriate in length. If Year 7 to 10 students choose to wear a skirt it must be the TSLA branded skirt available from Shah’s.
• Please do not allow your child to have a new piercing towards the end of the holidays as there are no exceptions to our rule on jewellery, which is a maximum of one stud in each or one ear lobe and a watch.
• Please ensure any extreme hairstyles/hair colours are reversed for the return to school in September.
• No jumpers, hoodies or jackets are permitted to be worn under blazers.

The academy PE kit is ESSENTIAL at all times and students must have the correct PE kit.

 

Detentions

We run a detention system and this is a whole academy system and detentions will be held every day after school up to 45 minutes. These will be communicated to you and we will be expecting the support from our families in students attending these. Refusing to attend detentions will mean an increase in sanction.

 

Mobile phones

Mobile phones should not be seen in the academy; if they are seen or heard they will be confiscated. If a student brings one into the academy, and it is lost or stolen, we will not take any responsibility. If a student needs to contact home during the day they can use one of our telephones. The use of mobile phones is a distraction to learning and there are serious consequences for students who take photos or videos in the academy and then share them on social media.

 

Smoking or Vaping

We would like to remind you that the academy is a smoke free zone anywhere on the premises. This also includes vapes, which may be confiscated if a student brings one on site or if caught smoking or vaping this may lead to further consequences. 

 

The Academy Day 

These can be seen below. The important thing to note here is the start of the day for all year groups is now 8.25am. We encourage students to arrive into the building no later than 8.15am.

 

Students will be dismissed from the academy at the following times:

• Monday 3.45pm
• Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 2.45pm
• Friday: end of lessons 1.15pm (lunch is available at break time)

 

GDPR/Data Protection Act

Throughout the year we encourage staff to take photographs of our students learning or when they are out on school trips. We like to put up displays around the academy to celebrate student achievements and we also want to continue developing our website/social media platforms.

You need to give your permission to display images for celebratory purposes of your child. We are regularly visited by the media to celebrate the talents of your children as we always try to promote their successes when we can. Please ensure you have completed or updated the consent form which we send to you, or you can update your preference on the Arbor APP. 

 

Use of technologies

Can I please ask you all to monitor your child’s use of their phone/computer at home in relation to social media, as sometimes they may use it inappropriately or they may be sharing too much personal information.  It would be wise to check their privacy settings so that they are not sharing information too widely, as sometimes this can result in safeguarding concerns. 

 

TikTok in particular continues to be an increasing point of concern. We have worked tirelessly nationally and with the Police this year and we will not hesitate to take the appropriate forms of action if social media use is abused.

 

Social media is not appropriate for young children. We ask that although difficult, if you allow your child to use it prior to them reaching the age related criteria that you carefully help them navigate what can be a dangerous and problematic culture.

 

Medical information

Our Student Services provide a basic first aid service for all students but they do not give specific medical advice and you should contact your GP if this is required. If an illness or injury occurs outside of academy hours it is your responsibility to follow this up, please do not rely on us to do so. Any medication, if sent into the academy, must always be in the original packaging and clearly labelled, and a consent form completed. Antibiotics must be managed at home, not in the academy.  The school nurse, via the NHS, does offer a 2 weekly drop in service. If you believe your child requires a specific Health Care Plan for school and this is not already in place, please contact student services to discuss.

 

We want to work in partnership with you to make sure that the academy can provide the best possible education for your children. We recognise how important it is to have the support of all the staff, parents, carers and students and we hope that our partnership with you will continue to grow over the coming years. Our mission statement reflects our vision: Transforming Lives and we are very optimistic about the future, especially after having had another very successful year. 

 

Operation Encompass

We are an Operation Encompass School. Operation Encompass is a partnership between police and schools. One of the principles of Operation Encompass is that all incidents of domestic abuse are shared with schools, not just those where an offence can be identified. Mrs West, DSL, will be informed of all domestic instances that the police have attended.

 

Food Bank 

We are a distributor of Food Bank Vouchers. Please contact us if you need this support.

 

Parent App through Arbor

Following the successful launch in 2022/23 we continue to be a paperless academy. Reports, timetables, and other documents will be viewed through our Arbor app. Please download this if you have not already done so.

 

Communications are sent electronically (i.e. by text or email) including but is not limited to, reports, letters, attendance letters, suspension letters. Please ensure your contacts are up to date on our records via the Arbor APP. 

 

Biometric recognition / Parentpay

The St Lawrence Academy has moved to a fingerprint recognition system for our cashless catering and printing solutions.  This will remove the need for the students to have to use the current card system.  The move is part of a project to improve the catering solution and help to enhance the students’ experience.  In order for your child to opt in to biometric recognition, we require your consent via the Arbor APP if not yet done so or by completing the attached CONSENT FORM as detailed in the letter on our website. 

The academy operates a cashless system in the diner and for all purchases. Funds can be added to the dinner account by purchasing school meals using your ParentPay account,  All payments for trips, visits and resources are also cashless and paid online.  If you need your Parentpay log on details please contact us.

 

Communicating with us

If you need to get in touch with a staff member around either a subject or a year group matter then please see the Contact List where a list of staff contacts are supplied. Please go through these channels to speak with the relevant person or people. Below are the main contact details for us in terms of telephone number, email address, website and social media accounts. Please be advised our social media channels are not manned continually & messages not always responded to.

 

Our main areas of information on our website are listed below and you should use these to reference where to get the appropriate help or details from,

 

Meet our Senior Team & Key Contacts – https://tsla.realsmartcloud.com/about-us/staff/ 

 

Our Parent App (Arbor) –https://tsla.co.uk/parents/arbor-parent-portal/

 

Our Prospectus – https://tsla.co.uk/about-us/prospectus/

 

Curriculum – https://tsla.co.uk/student-experience/curriculum/

 

Attendance/Absence – https://tsla.co.uk/parents/attendance-absence/

 

Safeguarding –https://tsla.co.uk/parents/safeguarding/

 

Headteachers Weekly Blog – https://tsla.co.uk/category/front-page-news/

 

Moving forwards

We have appointed some fantastic staff at the academy for the start of the new academic year who are very excited about their new roles and being part of The St Lawrence Academy. We believe we have an excellent team of staff who will inspire your children to do their best.

 

In September, students will need to be organised and plan in advance. They will need to:

• be on time for the start of the day and arrive in good time.
• have the correct uniform including shoes and not trainers.
• bring the correct equipment for learning (pen and pencil as a minimum expectation).
• bring their PE kit (The St Lawrence Academy PE kit only) on PE days.
• be prepared to complete homework when it is set.

 

In September, we aim for a good start to enable the focus for our children’s futures moving forward.

 

A school community needs a community and a community needs a school that works hard together through times that are good and also tough. I thank you for your patience, trust and respect and I wish the organisation well as it embarks on the next stages of its journey and will be sure to monitor its successes and stories moving forwards.

 

As I recently advised you I am moving on after 24 years at the academy for new challenges in my career and I am very grateful for all the support and best wishes you have sent.  I am confident the academy will continue to transform lives and I wish you all the best. 

 

I hope you have a safe and happy summer.  

 

Yours sincerely

 

Phill Dalowsky 

Headteacher

 

https://slatrust.co.uk/