Sancho College

Over the next Module, we will be focusing on both attendance to school and living our LAB values. Both are integral to successful Academy life.

You may be aware of the strong correlation between attendance and academic achievement. Although these are challenging times, we are proud of how resilient our students have been in attending the Academy and we will support in areas where there is a need for improvement. Your child's attendance figures can be found on 'My Child at School' and the upcoming attainment reports.

The LAB values are an integral part of our Academy community. Through our tutor programme, we will be focusing on ensuring pupils understand how to improve these values to maximise their potential. Again, your child's upcoming attainment report will contain information on the LAB values.

-Mr J. Ritchie

“So far my time at LAB has been very fun, however. At first I was a bit nervous about making long-lasting friends and not understanding new topics. This soon changed as my teachers have been the most understanding and supportive people I have met, leading me to achieve a lot of things. Indeed, my first term at LAB was just like how I had dreamed… but better! I have learnt such interesting and exhilarating topics and in such depth. For example: I have learnt about different types of cells and the reproductive system in Science. I have also acquired knowledge about some of the greatest works of ancient literature ever written, such as Beowulf and the Odyssey.

My favourite subject is Biology. This is because my passion in life is to become a vet (which is why I am so eager to learn more about animals). LAB has helped me a lot to learn more about the environment, animals and how nature works.

My favourite thing about LAB, aside from the subjects and teachers, is the opportunities that it provides, especially the range of clubs and extracurricular activities. There are so many skills that I can start to learn; this includes writing for a newspaper and even acting or dancing for a performance!”

- Sriya, 7B

“September of this year marked the beginning of the GCSE journey for year 10 students, departing from the MYP programme which we have followed since entering LAB in year 7. There were many changes and new people this year: new teachers, new subjects and a new way of studying and, finally, the college bubbles burst at last, with students from different colleges able to mix together in their classes: providing a variety of fresh opinions and voices to strengthen and improve both our knowledge and minds. The start of our GCSEs has been exciting and interesting; we have been to opt for courses of study, and learning much more about our favourite subjects than ever before (which has made our educational experience at LAB even more enjoyable).

Whilst the start of GCSEs has been enjoyable, it has also provided a greater challenge for students: with tests and examinations being more frequent and more challenging, and students having to revise regularly in order to keep up with the vast amounts of content which need to be covered. Roughly two weeks ago, students in Year 10 undertook their first mock examinations which provided us a first taste of what the actual GCSE exams will entail. It was a useful learning experience as it taught students not only what the exams may look like, but also how to structure revision and develop effective time management. Life at school has definitely changed since the start of Year 10; the content has become more difficult, however it has been nice to be able to have mixed college classes and the excellent teachers have been extremely helpful in teaching us the GCSE content and helping us to prepare for the examinations in 18 months’ time.” - Nathan, 10B

Year 7 Summer Project

Before the Y7 students had their first day at Leigh Academy Blackheath in September, they were set a Summer task to plan and create a board game.

The variety and complexity of board games that were brought in by students was inspiring. Students incorporated an amazing array of rules that made each game unique.

It was great to see students bonding while playing the games during break, lunch and form time.

Sancho College Celebration Breakfast

Each module the students with the highest number of positive merit points (or those who have consistently shown the LAB values) are rewarded with a celebration breakfast.

This usually takes place in the last week of each Module and is also attended by Sancho staff members. It is an excellent opportunity to recognise the consistent hard work of some of our Sancho College community.