Welcome back and a happy New Year to The St Lawrence Academy community.
For those who celebrated Christmas, I hope the holidays have been much more than the giving of presents or money and families have had the time to enjoy each other’s company.
While the festive period is busy, it does provide an opportunity to slow down and remember and appreciate what and who are important in your life.
I hope everybody has been able to do that.
I fully appreciate it will have been a very difficult time for some families, more so than I can remember.
The increasing cost of living means some are really struggling. We are always trying, as an Academy, to support where we can. If anybody has ideas on how we may be able to help further, please get in touch. We will do what we can.
I don’t think the cold weather and dark nights at this time of the year help. I cling to the fact we have gone past the Winter Solstice (21st December). Sunrises are getting earlier and daylight is longer.
The New Year has not brought a change in headlines. Strikes continue to impact on the public sector and you may be aware teaching staff are being balloted by their unions on possible action.
We have been asked the question what is the Academy’s perspective and does the teaching team support striking?
I spoke to staff yesterday during a training day. I stressed it is not about what I think. I am committed to supporting each member of staff on the decision they, as individuals, make.
The national ballot closes next week and announcements will be made by the unions in due course.
Nothing yet has been decided or agreed. Even if teachers decide to strike, the Academy might not be hugely affected. We shall see.
As the term gets underway, please bear with us as children get back into good learning habits. Some do so straightaway, others take a little more time.
What has not changed – basically for 14 years – is the uniform and our expectations around it. We have high standards and hope families support us in that.
We have been supplied with data from the local authority regarding attendance. Too many children are attending less than what is acceptable and too many people are requesting authorisation to take time away from the Academy.
Parents / carers need to ensure children have as much access to the education they are entitled to as possible.
Nationally, there is concern about how far children have progressed since Covid struck.
We need to ensure this Academy is on the right side on those statistics and parents’ / carers’ support with this would be much appreciated.
For some, a new year represents a fresh start.
For all of us, it is an opportunity to reinvigorate and be ready for the challenges that undoubtedly lie ahead. We face them together as a community.
