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Principal's Welcome
Principal's Welcome
Dear Parents/Carers,
It has been wonderful to welcome all pupils back for Module 1. From the very first day, our pupils have settled in exceptionally well, adopting our high expectations and clear routines with confidence and enthusiasm.
The sense of belonging that defines Leigh Academy Hartley continues to shine through our values as Happy, Positive Achievers. This term, every pupil from Year R to Year 6 has contributed to a remarkable collaborative artwork that now holds pride of place in our hall. Every part of it was created by the hands of our students, illustrating the journey of a young girl from being invisible to being noticed — a powerful reminder that every pupil at Hartley is seen, valued, and given the opportunity to grow, develop new skills, and follow their interests.
This term has been filled with creativity, achievement, and community spirit. Pupils have dressed as rockstars to celebrate Times Tables Rock Stars, welcomed visiting authors, competed in maths challenges, explored their termly inquiries through trips and experiences, represented the school in sporting events, supported charity initiatives, and even seen some of our Key Stage 1 pupils’ work published in a real book.
We are incredibly proud of every pupil who has taken on a role or responsibility within our school, and of those who have represented us in competitions — their dedication reflects both their own determination and the strength of our school community.
A heartfelt thank you to all parents and carers who attended our Meet and Greet, participated in the Open Classroom, or joined us for the final week of clubs. Your support is invaluable, and we will continue to find meaningful ways to keep you informed and involved in the life of our school.
Kind regards,
Stuart Mitchell
Principal
Belonging Begins When Someone Notices You...
The sense of belonging that defines Leigh Academy Hartley continues to shine through our values as Happy, Positive Achievers. This term, every pupil from Year R to Year 6 has contributed to a remarkable piece of collaborative artwork that now holds pride of place in our hall. Every part of it was created by the hands of our students, illustrating the journey of a young girl from being invisible to being noticed — a powerful reminder that every pupil at Hartley is seen, valued, and given the opportunity to grow, develop new skills, and follow their interests.
Dates for the Diary
(Please note these are subject to change but we will inform you as soon as possible if this is necessary)
Monday 3rd Nov - Start of Module 2- Clubs start
Friday 7th Nov - 3:30-6:00pm PTA Autumn Disco
Monday 10th - Nov Anti Bullying Week /Odd Sock Day
Tuesday 11th Nov - Remembrance Day
Friday 14th Nov - CHILDREN IN NEED
Monday 17th-Thursday 20th Nov Scholastic Book Fair/Road Safety Week
Thursday 20th Nov - 8.50-9.30am Parent Coffee Morning- more information to follow!
Monday 24th Nov- PTA Donations Week (Class Hampers & Tombola)
Friday 5th Dec - ELF DAY
Saturday 6th Dec - PTA Christmas Market 12pm-3pm
Monday 8th Dec - Last week of clubs (Parents invited)
Wednesday 10th Dec- Christmas Dinner and Christmas Jumper Day
Thursday 11th Dec
- 9.30-10.00am: Nursery Christmas Performance to parents
- 2.15-3.00pm: Year 3 Christmas singing to parents
Friday 12th Dec
- 2:15-3:00pm: Year 4 Christmas singing to parents
Tuesday 16th Dec
- 9:30-10:00am: Reception Christmas Performance to parents
- 2:00-3:00pm: KS1 Christmas Performance to parents
Wednesday 17th Dec
- 2:00-3:00pm: KS1 Christmas Performance to parents.
- Open Classroom: EYFS & KS1 3:20-3.40pm/ KS2 3:30-3:50pm
Thursday 18th Dec
- 9.00-9.45am: Year 5 Christmas singing to parents
- 2.15-3.00pm: Year 6 Christmas singing to parents
Friday 19th Dec
- End of term (1:30pm finish)
-Progress Reports sent via MCAS
Secondary school application deadline 31st October
The deadline for submitting your school applications is during the school holidays - please make sure you have completed the application for your child if they are currently in Year 6. All parents should go to www.kent.gov.uk to register and apply. Information about secondary schools will be available from the Kent County Council website.
PTA Autumn Disco: Friday 7th November
A big thank you to all parents who have volunteered (or been “voluntold”) to join the PTA! Leigh Academy Hartley is built upon the incredible support and generosity of our parents and the community we share. We are looking forward to another exciting year of fun activities and fundraising, with every penny raised being directly invested in enriching the experiences of our pupils.
Thank you once again for your commitment and involvement!
In preparation for the Christmas Fair, the PTA are asking that all children bring in non-perishable items that can be added to a year-group Christmas Hamper and the sweets/bottles tombola on the w/c Monday 24th November. The hampers will become raffle prizes at the Christmas Fair on Saturday 6th December. Hamper items can be anything you would wish to find in a Christmas Hamper, e.g. mince pies, christmas pud, chutney, shortbread, crackers, chocolates, wine, etc. It might be a good idea to work together as year groups to make sure the hampers aren't filled with sixty of the same thing! If you could use your year group WhatsApp groups to coordinate who is bringing what, that would be very helpful!
The Community Cupboard
Earlier this week, Mr Mitchell, Mrs Smith and four Year 6 pupils had the pleasure of delivering our harvest contributions to The Community Cupboard this morning. The children were given a tour, and enjoyed finding out about how this amazing charity supports the wider community. Leigh Academy Hartley donated a whopping 174.4kg of food and toiletries! Thank you all so much for your generous contributions.
Hartley's Big Adventures
At Leigh Academy Hartley, we believe in offering all year groups a range of exciting “Big Adventures” throughout their time with us, giving pupils opportunities and experiences beyond the classroom. We’re thrilled to report that Hartley’s Big Adventures have been in full throttle during Term 1!
This term, Year R embarked on their first Forest School sessions, becoming true adventurers. Years 4 & 5 unleashed their creativity, working with a visiting author and transforming into storytellers by creating their very own book! Year 2 became historians when they visited The Toy Museum and took part in a workshop exploring toys from the past.
Well done to all pupils for always giving their best and showing what it means to be happy, positive achievers.
The PYP @ LAH!
During Module 1, our inquirers in Nursery, Reception and Years 1-3 have been focusing on 'Who We Are': they have been finding out about values, beliefs and cultures as well as exploring more about themselves, including how to keep their minds and bodies healthy! In Year 4, children have focused on the theme of 'How We Express Ourselves', inquiring into how people such as inventors and artists use creativity and problem solving skills to express themselves; Year 5 have continued with this theme and explored the history of storytelling, and how it has changed over time, whilst Year 6 have investigated different art forms such as music, dance and architecture linked with expression! Through these Units of Inquiry, our children have had the opportunity to develop different approaches to learning, including research and thinking skills. They've also developed risk-taking and communication skills, as well as becoming more knowledgeable!
Celebrations Galore!
It has also been a term to celebrate the amazing creativity of our young artists. This term, we recognised outstanding contributions in Hartley’s Termly Art Competition, creating work inspired by Giacomo Balla. Congratulations to Dominic and Esme who were chosen as winners in KS1 and KS2 respectively. A big thank you to everyone who submitted their artwork this term.
Our Accelerated Reader Winner was awarded to Emma in Year 5 who demonstrated outstanding determination and a love for reading by meeting her target with over 85% accuracy in her quizzes. A huge well done to all pupils who worked hard to reach their goals and showed a genuine passion for reading.
Our Accelerated Reader Winner was awarded to Emma in Year 5 who demonstrated outstanding determination and a love for reading by meeting her target with over 85% accuracy in her quizzes. A huge well done to all pupils who worked hard to reach their goals and showed a genuine passion for reading.
Attendance Term 1
Please have a look at our Attendance policy to make sure you are aware of procedures regarding lateness and unauthorised absences.
The highest attendance this term goes to Chestnut with 99%. Rowan placed second with 98.1%. Well done!
LAH Sporting Success!
Hartley Sports News
I am delighted to introduce the first edition of the new year of the Hartley Sports News , which has been created by our amazing PE Team. This is a review of all the sporting opportunities that have taken place in Term 1. It’s an inspirational way to celebrate our sports teams and highlight the incredible opportunities available at HPA.
A huge thank you to all the staff who give up their time to help our bright stars shine, and to the pupils for providing us with so many nail-biting moments. Read on to find out more…
Term Dates - 2025/26
Staff development days - Thursday & Friday 28th & 29th August 2025 (school closed to pupils)
Term 1 - Monday 1st September - Friday 17th October 2025
Term 2 - Monday 3rd November - Friday 19th December 2025 (1.30pm finish)
Staff development day - Monday 5th January 2026 (school closed to pupils)
Term 3 - Tuesday 6th January - Thursday 12th February 2026
Staff development day - Friday 13th February 2026 (school closed to pupils)
Term 4 - Monday 23rd February - Friday 27th March 2026
Term 5 - Monday 13th April - Friday 22nd May 2026
Term 6 - Monday 1st June - Friday 17th July 2026 (1.30pm finish)
Term Dates - 2026/27
Staff development days - Thursday & Friday 27th & 28th August 2026 (school closed to pupils)
Term 1 - Tuesday 1st September - Friday 16th October 2026
Term 2 - Monday 2nd November - Friday 18th December 2026 (1.30pm finish)
Bank Holiday - Friday 1st January 2027
Staff development day - Monday 4th January 2027 (school closed to pupils)
Term 3 - Tuesday 5th January - Thursday 11th February 2027
Staff development day - Friday 12th February 2027 (school closed to pupils)
Term 4 - Monday 22nd February - Thursday 25th March 2027
Bank Holiday - Friday 26th March 2027 & Monday 29th March 2027
Term 5 - Tuesday 12th April - Friday 28th May 2027
Bank Holiday - Monday 3rd May 2027 & Monday 31st May 2027
Term 6 - Monday 7th June - Wednesday 21st July 2027 (1.30pm finish)
Free School Meals
If your child is under 19 and in full-time education, you may be able to get free school meals for them if you receive certain benefits. The quickest and easiest way to check whether your child is eligible for free school meals and to apply is via the KCC website:
https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/free-school-meals
If your child is already registered for free school meals, you do not need to reapply. If you’re not sure whether your child is already registered, please call the school and we can check our records, or you can contact KCC on 03000 416464.
Check out our Facebook Page!
Check out our Facebook Page!
If you haven't already, please like and follow our Facebook page Hartley Primary Academy for updates and information about our school.
Follow us on Twitter @HartleyAcademy
Look out for school information and updates, as well as recruitment opportunities! Please encourage friends and family to follow us too!
Hartley Safeguarding Poster 2025 (1).pdfPage updated
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