Over our first 3 years, we have made our home in 3 different buildings on 2 separate sites. Each year we have increased in size, by 180 students and approximately 20 members of staff. For half of our lifespan, we have existed in a post-Covid world, resulting in extended periods of remote learning through various lockdowns and bubble-based isolations. The challenges faced by members of the LAB community have been many and varied, but the achievements have been greater. It is true to say that our community rises together in difficult times and uses the strength of our values - of Respect, Integrity, Scholarship, Ambition and Resilience -, to that ensure no matter where we are learning, we are a strong, resilient and determined team.

This edition of LAB news is a celebration of our extraordinary year. Please take your time to review it in full and absorb the variety of articles and stories included.

As an academy, we have secured two significant accolades this year. Firstly, we have achieved International Baccaulaureate’s (IB) World School status, meaning we have full accreditation to deliver the Middle Years Programme which, as you know, is an integral part of our curriculum and our culture. We are internationally minded and champion the opportunities which arise from being part of the prestigious global IB network. Our KS4 curriculum, which starts in September, builds on the strong foundation of inquiry-based teaching cultivated at KS3, and reflects the very best of our established IB approaches to learning.

Secondly, following a 3 day review process with Challenge Partners, I’m pleased to share that LAB achieved ‘Leading’ status in all areas, and an area of excellence for our Digital Strategy. Whilst this is not the equivalent of an Ofsted inspection, it does provide us with our first external judgement of the academy’s performance. The review team was led by an experienced inspector accompanied by a team of school leaders from a range of secondary schools. You will find some of the key statements made within the report in the newsletter, hopefully providing you all with a taste of what the team saw during their time at LAB. We hope you are as delighted as we are with the outcome and recognise its importance as a significant milestone for the academy and the entire LAB community.

Whilst receiving positive external recognition for the academy’s work is always very pleasing, it is the relentless drive shown by students and staff to overcome the difficulties they have faced this year that makes me most proud. It has been hard to learn whilst wearing a mask, and particularly tricky to teach in one. Bubbles have been a critical way of keeping each other safe, and the transmission of the virus to a minimum, but being away from friends and colleagues in other colleges and classes has been hard to deal with. Some of our families have dealt with a wide range of issues at home, and these have sometimes spilt over into academy life. Whatever the members of our community have faced, they have come together to support each other and provide the warmth, care and respect needed to make things better. I’d like to thank all of you - the students, staff and the many friends of LAB - for persevering, overcoming and making the ever-changing versions of the guidance work in reality.

We are saying goodbye to a number of staff this year and will take this opportunity to thank them for everything they have done during their time at LAB. Mr Pisterman is moving to Berlin over the summer to focus on his career in music; Ms Askew will be returning to full time study; Mr Noor is leaving teaching to start a career in youth work, and Miss Pugh is moving to an LSA role in a local primary school. We know you join us in wishing them the very best of luck in their future endeavours.

Please have a safe and enjoyable summer break, and look out for a letter towards the end of the holiday confirming any changes to the planned return to LAB arrangements sent out last week.

Best wishes,

E Smith