Front Page News

May 2023

 

Dear Parent/Carer

 

We are delighted that your child has been offered a place at the academy and they are invited to our transition days. which are now on Thursday 6th July and Friday 7th July at 1:30pm – 3pm for the PE activity.  Your child will need to arrive at the front reception of the academy at 8.20am for a prompt start at 8.30am and will be dismissed from there at 2.45pm. They should attend in their full primary school uniform, but bring a pair of trainers on each day in case of practical sessions. 

 

We invite you and your child (1 adult and 1 child) to return to the academy for the Induction Evening on Thursday 6th July at 5pm. This will enable us to share with you our expectations and aspirations for the future within the academy, and for you to meet with key academy staff, including your child’s tutors. Your Tutors are:                                   

 

7W   Mrs Hill

7I      Mrs Yanes

7S     Mrs Shutes

7D     Mr Massey

7O     Miss Lovell

7M    Mrs Chelotti

 

As you know all students are expected to wear uniform at the academy when they start in September, the Uniform Policy is attached, and the main items can be purchased at Shah’s on Frodingham Road or online https://www.shahsuniform.co.uk/.  There are a limited number of  items to purchase from the academy which can be purchased via ParentPay. We would also like to take your child’s photograph for academy use and throughout their time at the academy.  Please complete your consent on the data collection information form. 

 

The academy operates a cashless catering system in the diner for which the biometric system uses a registered fingerprint to purchase food in the diner.  Access will be issued in September and a consent form will need to be completed before we can do this. Lunch will be available from the diner for the first day. You can add money to your ParentPay account online; details of your new log on will be emailed to parents this Friday 19th May .  All payments for trips, visits and resources are also cashless and paid online with your ParentPay account. 

 

Regular Progress Reports are issued for all students at the academy and once a year a Profile Report. As an academy we are a Green Flag School and with this in mind, we will be sending student reports, as well as other letters of correspondence via Arbor APP, email or text. I would be grateful if you would ensure you complete your email address on the data collection information form, together with mobile contact numbers for text messages. Please keep us informed immediately of any changes to your personal information or update them via the Arbor APP.  Log on details for Parentpay will be issued during transition days and the Arbor App log on will be emailed to you in due course. 

 

Further information and subsequent updates regarding all of the information in this letter can be found on our website www.tsla.co.uk, on our Facebook page ‘The St Lawrence Academy’ or our Twitter Page @TSLA_PE_DEPT. 

 

We look forward to seeing you soon and helping to give you and your child all the help and guidance that you need in ensuring a smooth transition to the academy. 

 

If you have any questions, or would like to speak to us personally about the transition arrangements then please do not hesitate to contact the transition team.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Phill Dalowsky Matt Cretney

Headteacher Achievement Team Leader for Year 7

 

Key Dates / Links

 

Induction / Transition Days for all students

Thursday 6th July 2023

Friday 7th July 2023 1:30pm – 3pm for the PE activity

 

Parents and Students Induction Evening

Thursday 6th July 2023 – 5.00pm

 

Year 7 Uniform

 

There are some limited items of uniform available from the academy purchased via Parentpay

 or from 

 

Shah’s Uniform 

https://www.shahsuniform.co.uk/

 

Address: 109-111 West St, Scunthorpe DN15 6EQ

Hours: 

Monday  9:30am – 5pm

Tuesday 9:30am – 5pm 

Wednesday 9:30am – 5pm 

Thursday 9:30am – 5pm 

Friday 9:30am – 5pm 

Saturday 9:30am – 5pm 

Sunday Closed

 

ParentPay:https://www.parentpay.com/

 

                                           Uniform Policy: Uniform Policy   

               

June 2023

SPORTS DAY 2023

Dear Parent /Carer,
As part of our commitment to provide access to sporting opportunities, The St Lawrence Academy will be holding Sports Day on Monday 19th June. This year, it will take place at Quibell Park Stadium, weather permitting.

The day will run as follows:
Years 8 and 10 …
Students will need to arrive at Quibell Park to register at 8:30am. After the events, at 12:15pm students will walk back to the academy, accompanied by academy staff to have their lunch. Students will then attend their afternoon lessons wearing their academy PE kit and finish the academy day at the normal time of 3.45pm. Students are expected to return to the academy, however, if for any reason your child returns home, you must contact the academy immediately to inform staff.

Years 7 and 9…
Students will need to arrive at the academy wearing their academy PE Kit and go to their tutor classroom to register at 8:30am.. They will then follow a timetable of morning lessons. Lunch will take place at 11:45am – 12.10 pm.. After lunch students will walk to Quibell Park, accompanied by academy staff members. Upon arrival they will have their afternoon registration. Sports day is due to finish at the usual academy time of 3.45pm, upon completion of all events students will be dismissed from Quibell Park and will need to make their own plans to return home.

All students will be expected to take an active part in what we anticipate to be an enjoyable day to celebrate the sporting abilities of all our students. The students have already been choosing their athletics events, and will be competing as part of the academy’s established House system.

Your child is required to wear the correct St Lawrence Academy PE kit all day, and they are advised to bring their St Lawrence outdoor jackets (or plain black top & tracksuit bottoms) to keep them warm in between events. In addition suitable footwear should be worn for competing in athletics events. Students will also need to bring a bottle of water (and sunscreen/hat in hot weather). When students are not involved, they will be expected to support their fellow peers from the designated areas.

In the unfortunate event that there is unsuitable weather, parents will be informed via email or text before 8am on the day and students will be expected to attend the academy in normal uniform for their usual timetabled lessons. We will then plan for this event to commence on Monday 26th June.

Parents and Carers are welcome to attend Sports Day. Upon arrival all visitors must sign in at the gate entrance and they will be directed to a designated viewing area. Visitors will not be allowed into the students area.

If your child does not follow the academy expectation for Sports Day, they will be sent straight home immediately.

If you have any queries about the arrangements for the day please contact the academy on 01724 842447 or email [email protected] in advance of Monday 19th June 2023.

Yours faithfully
Mrs Deb McBride
Second in charge of Physical Education

Sports Day Behaviour Policy 2023

Students must be wearing The St Lawrence Academy PE kit & House ribbons throughout the day. Nothing other than academy PE kit is allowed.

When not competing, students will remain in their designated group areas, students should remain in their own allocated sections.

Students should refrain from dropping litter. No food will be permitted on the field.

Students should behave in a manner that is expected of them whilst on a normal academy day. This means respecting other staff and students, and creating a positive atmosphere throughout the day.

Any students seen to be seriously disrupting the enjoyment of other staff or students will result in isolation for the day and subsequent removal from events and a loss of points for their House.

When not competing, students should be encouraging others. No footballs or other equipment should be brought by students and tutors will confiscate such items.

At all times, students should behave in a manner that takes account of the health, safety and wellbeing of every member of the academy community and public.

Welcome back to the last seven weeks of the school year.

The news last week and this has included many headlines on vaping and its impact on young people.

While it is not a school issue as such, I know it’s one that concerns many parents / carers.

It is illegal to sell vapes or e-cigarettes to under 18s but that has not stopped a rise in 11-to-17-year-olds nationally experimenting with them.

I note paediatricians are calling for a ban on disposable vapes because of the damage being done to lungs.  Unsafe levels of lead, nickel and chromium have been found in vapes in scientific tests.

I’m aware vapes are being sold to children in some stores; that adults have been buying them for children; and that, in a small number of homes, vaping is supported.

Smoking or vaping is not permitted on the Academy’s premises by children or staff.

We have zero tolerance on our approach to both and will confiscate products from children when an issue comes to light. That is non-negotiable.

If vaping is so harmful to children, as clinicians advise, we should be working together on a plan to eradicate the issue full stop.

It is the third day of work experience for Year 10 students. We are grateful to a variety of workplace providers for their support with this.

The organisation is a massive undertaking. It is always difficult to find placements, with fewer employers wishing to engage with the programme.

I am proud 54 young people self-canvassed their place because of their passion and enthusiasm in pursuing a particular career and believing a certain placement would support them achieving their goal.

Work experience is part of the personal development and character-building programme we teach in the Academy.

It is a platform and driver to shaping them years beyond the Academy.

We receive feedback from our young people on their work experience and it is always interesting to see whether it’s helped cement career paths or change their mind.

Either way, throwing themselves into the world of work is an important part of a child’s development.

We are approaching the last two full weeks of GCSEs before the exam timetable gets lighter.

We are, therefore, planning a leavers’ event on Friday, 23^rd June.

While not formal, it is enjoyable few hours and allows students to come together as a group for one last time, celebrate their achievements, and reflect on five years at the Academy. More details will follow.

Finally, I am looking forward to joining six young people and rewarding their considerable efforts in a trip to London on Friday, including a tour of the Houses of Parliament.

They deserve their special day out – paid for by the Academy – following an invitation from Scunthorpe Member of Parliament Holly Mumby-Croft. Our thanks to her for hosting.

It is one of many trips and events being packed into seven busy weeks.

 

 

 

Two more days and we will be at the end of another half term.

When we return on Monday, 5^th June, it is worth reflecting there will only be seven weeks of education left before we break up.

It is always a fast-paced half term with plenty of events and will disappear all too quickly.

I wanted to highlight a couple of things ahead of the new half term.

Attendance is fundamentally important to a child’s education and their life chances.

It is not just about exams and academic success but being in school helps them develop as people.

I want to thank the majority of parents for their relentless pursuit of ensuring their child attends and is on time.

We are creeping towards 92% attendance for the year, above the national average of 90% and higher than the local and regional averages too.

Persistent absenteeism has reduced from the levels we saw post Covid and is lower than the average locally and nationally.

Families have worked with us to ensure children attend more regularly and more frequently and that has had a positive impact on those individuals.

Students should be in the building before 8.30am and there is a splattering of young people who need to improve their punctuality.

I’d appeal to parents / carers to give them the encouragement and support they need to ensure they are here on time.

After half term, temperatures will continue to rise. If it gets as hot as a year ago, rest assured we will adopt the same pragmatic approach.

We will make decisions and communicate clearly with students and parents as to whether a blazer should be worn in class; if it needs to be brought into school; and whether it is appropriate to wear PE kit rather than full uniform.

The approach worked well last year and the kind feedback was appreciated.

There should be no need to bring in coats, hoodies or jackets after half term but students should be in full uniform until families hear otherwise. They will be the first to know what is happening and when.

Tomorrow (Thursday), a reminder we hold our Community Café and it would be lovely to see relatives who may not have been into the school before. Refreshments will be served and there will be lots of entertainment.

We will finish the week by celebrating the inclusivity and diversity of our Academy. We are proud to have 33 different languages spoken across it.

Students are looking forward to a really well sequenced programme of activities between 9am and 12 noon on Friday, organised by house leader Tom Massey.

Primary pupils will help us celebrate our cultural differences too.

We are at the midpoint of week two of GCSE exams and officials from exam board AQA paid an unannounced visit to assess our arrangements.

Their report was very complimentary about our exam practice and culture plus access arrangements for children completing their GCSEs.

It is much valued by everyone how our students are best prepared for exams and additional stress reduced.

Thank you to exam leader Caroline Sephton and her team for a fantastic representation of how it should be done.

Finally, with the holiday pending, I wanted to relay a conversation with a young person this week.

I asked if they’d seen the sun last weekend.

“I saw a lot of it, sir – through the window,” came the reply.

Please take the opportunity to get away from screens, enjoy fresh air and, hopefully, the sun over half term.

It will do you a world of good – ahead of a busy period before the summer.

 

I often talk about the important triangulation of students, parents and staff – and we have had three perfect examples over the last couple of weeks.

The Year 11 Valediction, the Prefect ceremony and the CCF Formation Parade were formal events that each had a prestigious feel.

The Prefect ceremony, introducing the new prefects and announcing the three seniors for the forthcoming year, was a brilliant success.

Congratulations to Sajid, Martyna and Muhammad and good luck in their important roles.

During the ceremony, a candle is passed from the outgoing prefects to the new ones, representing a transfer of responsibility. We also celebrated the achievements of all our new prefects.

They came through a rigorous selection procedure, including a presentation and interview, which reflects the process faced in the outside world when looking for jobs.

It is about giving them that level of readiness and, as I reflected on the evening, our young people handle the pressure remarkably well.

The 75 young people at our first CCF Formation Parade on Friday were so proud to receive their cap badges and skills awards from Major Sam Tillotson of the Queen’s Own Yeomanry.

Thanks to our staff team, the Army and RAF for the time and effort that went into making it such a memorable occasion.

We will be recruiting to the CCF during the summer and, this week, our CCF staff team have been talking in assemblies about the process.

There are only a limited number of places and we expect competition.

Our CCF work is benefitting our efforts to partnerships in the wider community.

Outward Academy Foxhills has expressed an interest and we have been talking to them about their students being initially part of our contingent.

Year 11 students going to John Leggott College will benefit from a transitional pathway to enable them to continue as cadets, created following discussions.

That brings me nicely on to promoting our next Community Café, taking place a week tomorrow (Thursday, 25^th).

We would like to see as many members of the community as possible, in particular students’ grandparents who may not have stepped foot in the Academy.

It is a terrific opportunity to have a drink, bite to eat and see our young people perform, while talking to them and members of staff.

My thanks to house leader Eddie Wraith for organising the event and his work in the community. He has not been with us long but is already proving a brilliant addition to the staff team.

Can I also flag another important date to put in diaries. We have hired the Baths Hall on the 12^th July for the first time to hold our celebration evenings for Years 7 to 10 on one night.

More details will follow but it will be a grand celebration of the academic year, their attainment, achievements and personal triumphs. It will be one not to be missed.

Finally, we are on day three of GCSEs. Our Year 11s have arrived at the Academy in top form with a great attitude.

Continued support from parents and staff for those young people is vital. That three-way partnership again – let us hope it bears fruit in August.

 

 

May 2023                                                                              

RE: Invitation to our termly Community Café Event at The St Lawrence Academy.

 

Hello,

 

We would be delighted if you could join us on Thursday 25th May at 3:30PM for our termly Community Café event at The St Lawrence Academy.

 

We are keen to extend our audience and we would like to invite grandparents, elderly relatives, our community members and local residential homes residents, community groups as well as parents, carers, family and friends to come and join us at our Community Cafe and enjoy student-led entertainment.

We have planned refreshments produced by our hospitality students, and also a dance performance by some of our GCSE Dance students along with fun activities arranged by students. But most importantly, it will be an opportunity to have a chat.

 

You don’t have to confirm attendance, just turn up and join in the fun. 

 

All the best,

 

Eddie Wraith

Amethyst House Leader

Teacher of Maths

Some good news.

We are not expecting any further disruption caused by industrial action this term.

The teaching unions are uniting to focus on the issues of recruitment into the profession, the retention of those in it, and teachers’ working conditions.

All are urgent issues and industrial action will resume in the Autumn if there is no progress.

Only last week, the Department for Education released data which showed it had missed its teacher recruitment target by 26%.

The numbers required to halt the ever-increasing impact on the classroom are getting bigger.

We need to attract more young people into teaching. We have children here who will be considering teaching as a potential career.

We need to make it a much more attractive profession for them, and others in later life switching careers.

This area of the country struggles more than others to recruit good and outstanding practitioners at all levels.

The recruitment issue should have been addressed before now and we have a potential crisis looming if it is not addressed urgently.

We are looking ahead and planning our induction days and transition for September’s Year 7.

Those Year 6 children with a place at the Academy, barring those with appeals, will have been contacted.

I would encourage those who know those families to share this blog with them on Facebook. We want to keep those new to the Academy well informed of the plans for their children.

Those young people will have started their SATs yesterday. We know all about exams and the pressures they bring.

Those children will have been really well prepared by their teachers and we thank those primary staff for those considerable efforts. We wish children and teachers all the best with their tests.

We have the results of a children’s lifestyle survey conducted in North Lincolnshire.

The results suggest a big area of need for young people is a quiet place to work outside the Academy. This is something highlighted during the pandemic too.

We have been reflecting on the feedback and are looking to respond, adding to the facilities we provide after hours. I will keep you posted.

We are completing the options process for Year 9, with just a handful of replies outstanding.

Our software package used to build the timetable is suggesting 93% of children will be studying their first three choices in September, which is brilliant.

The figure demonstrates how well the options process has worked and I have been impressed by Year 9s’ choices and the reasons behind them, around careers and aspirations.

It has been one of the most successful options processes in recent years and I thank all involved.

We announce the head prefects in a prestigious event tomorrow between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. All will be presented with badges and ties. I am looking forward to their work as leaders following the ceremony.

On Monday (15^th), six weeks of exams start for Year 11.

It is a trying and testing process for young people to go through and, at times, can feel oppressive with no apparent end in sight. We understand that and our support programmes continue.

Those Year 11s who want to come early into the Academy before exams, have a free hot drink and a bite to eat, are welcome to do so.

They will be a chance to spend time with staff who will reassure them and help calm the nerves. It is a great opportunity and I’d recommend Year 11 take it up.

It goes without saying we wish our Year 11 the very best during a difficult time.

It will come to an end and I’m confident there will be more good news in the summer.

 

 

 

How terrific to contrast a typical day focused on progress, policy, planning and, particularly at this time of the year, exams, with a top sporting fixture.

Our Year 11s made it to the North Lincolnshire Schools’ cup final to take on Sir John Nelthorpe School at Glanford Park.

The kick off was delayed until nearly 2pm while other matches took place – but it was worth the wait.

Both teams served up an excellent, competitive game.

Our boys (below) were professional and hard-working and, as a team, they managed to get the job done and won 4-2.

They played some really good stuff, and lifting the trophy was a brilliant way to end their five-year sporting journey at the Academy.

It was a big deal, and it was lovely to see the Academy community – family, staff and friends – come out in large numbers to support the boys, led by Head of PE James Stainton.

They represented the Academy brilliantly. I saw 14 leaders on the pitch over the period of the game and the performance was a great reflection of them as people.

I would also like to pay tribute to their opponents, under head of PE Ross Belton. He did his teacher training at our Academy and has always been a consummate professional. It is good to see him producing outstanding teams at Sir John Nelthorpe.

In other matters, we had a record attendance at our Year 9 Options Evening last week, with more than 93% of students with their parents / carers coming along.

It goes to show how invested these families are with their children’s learning and we are grateful for that.

The forms are being returned with students’ preferences and, once we have them all, we can look at the timetable and what options we are able to offer who.

Staff were impressed with students’ decision-making and the questions that were being asked.

Clearly, their options and the evening has been well communicated over the last three months. My thanks, again, to Mr Stainton, also Head of Year 9, who coordinated the event.

I mentioned last week the new fingerprint biometrics system coming in at the end of this to improve lunchtimes.

We still need responses from a significant number of parents, be it a yes or a no. If anybody’s concerned about how the data might be used, please ask because we have some excellent literature that explains the system clearly and will ease people’s minds.

The Academy’s also invested in technology and physical resources to meet international as well as national standards on lockdown procedures. The focus has been on students’ safety and the new system will be explained to them next week.

In two weeks, we will share our new lockdown procedures more widely so parents / carers can be reassured about the new system and the improvements to children’s safety.

The warmer weather reduces the need for children to bring coats, which means they will look smarter. But far too many are coming into school without ties.

We do not have an endless supply of spares and reserve the right to send students home if they are not in full school uniform. Please ensure children are wearing ties.

Tonight is one of the highlights of the school year, our Year 11 Valediction Evening. It is a formal ceremony celebrating achievements based on staff predictions. I am really looking forward to it.

This is one of an awful lot of events going on this term.

I appeal to parents to keep checking the website’s calendar to ensure you do not miss out on something involving your child. Those at Glanford Park on Saturday were pleased they did – and have memories to last a lifetime.