Year 11 Results Success

Our Key Stage 4 results for the 2023-24 academic year were outstanding and we are proud of the progress our Year 11 students have made at the Academy. 

Students and families were delighted to celebrate their GCSE and BTEC outcomes at The Leigh Academy Halley; a culmination of all their hard work and progress during their time with us over the last 5 years. Their achievements are a true reflection of what makes the Academy such a unique and exciting learning community defined by hardworking students, committed staff and strong home-school partnerships, where our values of respect, achievement, collaboration, integrity and resilience underpin everything we do.  

Results day saw our second set of students who joined Leigh Academy Halley (previously The Halley Academy) in Year 7 in 2019 collect their results. Our students have overcome unprecedented challenges, principally the disruption to their education caused by a global pandemic. 

We could not be more delighted that the Academy has achieved its best GCSE results in its history. Over 82% of students achieved a good pass in their English qualifications, with over 72% achieving a grade 4 in mathematics. The average grades across English, mathematics, sciences, humanities and languages all improved even further than last year. 

Special congratulations go to the following students:

• Daniel: 4 grade 9s, 1 grade 8, 2 grade 6s and 1 grade 5

• Ahalaban: 4 grade 9s, 1 grade 8, 1 grade 7, 1 grade 4, Level 2 Distinction

•  Mateen: 3 grade 9s, 2 grade 8s, 2 grade 7s, 1 grade 4        

• Selina: 3 grade 9s, 3 grade 8s, 2 grade 7s

• Sara: 2 grade 9s, 4 grade 8s, 3 grade 7s                        

• Luana: 2 grade 9s, 3 grade 8s, 1 grade 7, 2 grade 6s, Level 2 Pass   

• Arthur: 2 grade 9s, 2 grade 8s, 2 grade 7s, 1 grade 6, Level 2 Distinction                

• Bernard: 1 grade 9, 3 grade 8s, 2 grade 7s, 1 grade 6, Level 2 Distinction                                   

These results mean Leigh Academy Halley remains one of the most improved secondary schools in England since joining Leigh Academies Trust in 2018. On several key performance indicators, our students are out-performing important national benchmarks, even more so than last year. Of particular note, over a third of students achieved the prestigious English Baccalaureate qualification, significantly above the national average of 2019.

Mr Russell, Principal, commented; "We’re absolutely thrilled for the successes and achievements of our Year 11 students. Through steadfast hard work, resilience and commitment to their learning, students have achieved results that are a true testament to their talents. With an ambitious curriculum, excellent teaching and personalised pastoral care, these outcomes show how our Academy community delivers on providing an excellent comprehensive education to students of all abilities and backgrounds. They personify our school motto in practice,  as together they have “inspired, learned and achieved”. 

Mrs Cronin, Deputy Principal commented; “We are immensely proud of the achievements of our students.  The dedication and hard work of the students, parents, and carers have shone through. Recognition must also go to the staff who have provided excellent teaching and pastoral care throughout the students’ journey with us.  We wish them well in their next steps and look forward to welcoming many of the students into our 6th form.”

These results follow a hugely successful IB results day earlier in July, where our IBCP students outperformed international benchmarks, and our BTEC results day in August, where over half of all grades were recorded at the top Distinction and Distinction* levels.

Year 13 Results Success 

On Thursday 15th August, we were similarly thrilled to celebrate the outstanding Key Stage 5 results of our students, marking the successful culmination of their academic journey and building on the remarkable progress seen in July’s IB results, with a 19% increase in students achieving grades 4+ and a 30% rise in courses taken.

Our students excelled with nearly half of all engineering and business grades at Distinction, and we achieved our highest pass rate ever, with 98% of Vocational courses awarded grades—a testament to the dedication of our students and staff.

Special congratulations to Christian, who earned top marks in engineering, IB physics, maths, and the reflective project, securing a spot at the University of Warwick for Automotive Engineering. Mykyta, who joined us from Ukraine in Y12, not only excelled in maths and English gaining their GSCEs in Year 12, but gained top grades in business, and ICT.  Zoya’s success in criminology, biology, psychology, and her reflective project has earned her a place at the University of Kent to study Criminology.

We are equally proud of our students' diverse and exciting destinations, with graduates heading to prestigious universities like Nottingham, Warwick, and Kent to study fields such as Law, Engineering, Forensic Science, and Politics. Some are also pursuing competitive apprenticeships in Law and Marketing, showcasing the breadth of ambition in our cohort.

We wish all of our departing Year 13 students the best of luck in the future, and could not be more delighted with their achievements!

Work Experience Highlights

In the final week of Module 6, our Year 10 students embarked on a rewarding five-day work experience programme, demonstrating remarkable resilience and self-management as they independently secured their placements. The breadth of industries represented was impressive, with students securing placements in fields including law, finance, business, IT, hospitality, construction, and childcare. 

Students were given opportunities to develop valuable skills, including critical problem-solving in business and financial environments, technical proficiency in IT, and practical caregiving techniques in childcare, charity, and customer service. 

Additionally, they honed essential interpersonal skills such as effective communication, teamwork, and professional etiquette, which will greatly benefit them as they transition into Year 11 and explore their post-16 education options in their next steps. The experience was a significant success, showcasing the students' ability to adapt and excel in various professional settings. 

City of London Summer School

During the last week of module 6, a fortunate group of twenty Year 10 students had the exciting opportunity to attend the Future Professions Summer School, a five-day programme hosted by City, University of London in partnership with The Tallow Chandlers Livery Company. 

During the week, students engaged in an immersive programme of career exploration, gaining valuable insights into professions within health, law, business, science, and technology. The programme featured bespoke career guidance from City’s Careers Consultants, including both one-to-one and group career sessions, and a series of workshops focused on essential career skills including effective communication, networking, and goal setting. Students participated in practical activities with employers and industry professionals from diverse fields such as City Law School, Bayes Business School, Health & Psychological Sciences, Policy and Global Affairs, Communication & Creativity, and Science and Technology. 

The experience provided students with information and resources to successfully explore potential future career paths and academic choices. Additionally, the hands-on exposure to various industries helped them build confidence and clarity in their career aspirations, setting them up for success in their future educational and professional endeavours.

Learning Environment Updates

Throughout the holiday period, our fantastic premises and estates team have been working hard on further improving the learning facilities and environment we have at the Academy. 

Our brand new, state-of-the-art Creative Arts Centre has now opened, with all lessons in art, music and drama benefitted from these new facilities from September. 

Following the window upgrade work last year, all the scaffolding around some parts of the building have now been removed. Corridors and classrooms are full of natural light, with more energy-saving windows as a way to further reduce our carbon footprint.

Work in the summer holidays also began modernising all the classroom and corridor doors on the North Side of our building.

Finally, this week, work begins on the upgrading of our playground facilities, which this year will see the introduction of new seating and sporting areas for students to access at break and lunchtime.