Secondary
Academies
The Leigh Academy
Local MP Gareth Johnson visits The Leigh Academy
On Friday 10th November we received a visit from MP Gareth Johnson. He came in to speak with our Post 16 government and politics students as well as our student voice group of students from Year 7s to Year 11s. Topics of discussion were varied and ranged from big national and international issues to more specific local matters. Mr Johnson was then questioned by students who asked some probing questions to do with:
what can be done to improve traffic in the local area
how the government can support more funding in schools
what can be done to further support mental health in young people
whether the NHS needed greater investment
It was a fantastic experience for the students to be able to ask Mr Johnson about things that really mattered to them and it was interesting to hear his responses. The democratic process which is followed to elect our student voice representatives is an important part of our Fundamental British Values education and this visit was a great experience for those students who took part in that process.
Remembrance at The Leigh Academy
Once again this year we held our Remembrance Service with all 1500 members of our Leigh community standing in respectful silence listening to the Remembrance Service, participating in the two minute silence and laying the wreaths.
This year we welcomed members of Dartford Primary Academy and Milestone at The Leigh satellite to join us and lay wreaths and plant ceramic poppies from the Tower of London.
We were also joined by five veterans including the Standard Bearer and the Secretary of the Dartford Royal British Legion. Our VIP visitors were so pleased to experience the outstanding behaviour, and respectful engagement of our young people. We all joined in reflection upon past and present conflicts and those who had given service and even their lives to our communities and country to protect us.
Longfield Academy
Dr Donkor - Visits Tema International School Ghana
Over the October break, our Principal Dr Donkor visited a fellow IB World School: Tema International School in Ghana. Dr Donkor very much enjoyed visiting the school and its amazing students, staff and facilities. Speaking after his visit, Dr Donkor said "We have so much to learn and to share, and I hope that this visit will be the beginning of bigger things for our respective institutions", referring to the potential partnership between Longfield Academy and Tema International School. Also during his visit to Ghana, Dr Donkor visited SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College, with the view of establishing further links for future collaboration between our schools. This marks the beginning of incredibly exciting opportunities for students and staff in all of the schools, to collaborate on an international level.
Ofsted Inspection 2023
'Good with an outstanding sixth form'
Longfield Academy is delighted to be able to share the results of our September 2023 Ofsted inspection, in which we have been graded "Good" with an "Outstanding" sixth form. You can view the report, along with a letter from the Principal, Dr Donkor, on our website.
MFL Creative Homework Project
Our KS3 students recently completed MFL creative homework projects. We are so proud to share some of the amazing work our students created. Well done everyone!
British Army Visit
Longfield Academy was delighted to welcome the British Army this term, who delivered an interactive roadshow event for our students. The event was delivered by a team of serving personnel from the British Army’s high readiness brigade. Students had a great time meeting with the personnel, getting hands-on with kit, trying their hand at some team building challenges, and finding out more about careers in the army.
Wilmington Academy
It has been a buoyant start to the academic year following the outstanding results of the summer. The mantra of ‘Getting better never stops!’ seeps through the corridors and plazas with no sign of complacency in any area of the school.
Teaching and Learning: Inspirational Continuous Professional Development - C.J Simister
On 11th October we were delighted to welcome back C J Simister to Wilmington Academy. Jane last delivered CPD at Wilmington in 2014 and many long serving staff members were excited to see her return. The session focused on 'Educating for agency and intellectual growth'. It involved a number of interactive activities that provide staff with an opportunity to work with colleagues outside of their subject area. The collaborative approach encouraged staff to adapt the strategies for use within their own subject area to further develop student agency.
'The most interactive and valuable CPD I have ever had.'
'It was an insightful and smart CPD session.'
'I intend to use the Logic Alley activity in French with various translations of texts and students have to decide on the best translation.'
'The session was really enjoyable and interactive. There are many strategies that we want to adapt and use, especially for revision lessons.'
Teaching and Learning: OECD Learning Circle
In recognition of the high-quality curriculum, outcomes and outstanding practice at Wilmington Academy, we have been invited to join the prestigious OECD School+ Learning Circle, which links explicitly to our status as an IB World School.
Wilmington Academy has joined the first cohort of schools to participate in the Schools Learning Circle and contribute to the creation of a Toolbox of Effective Classroom Practices. The group is composed of representatives of over 120 schools, from some 40 countries, representing approximately 118,000 students. This is an excellent opportunity to further enhance our practice, access the latest research and, as an IB World School, contribute to the development of educational practice globally. The focus for Wilmington Academy is to be part of Thematic group 2: Cognitive engagement.
The Principal and Teaching and Learning Lead have attended the first meeting to establish a common framework for collaboration between the participating schools.
The outcome of the project will be celebrated at the Global Schools Council (provisionally in Paris) in April 2025.
Although it is early in the process, we are very excited by the possibilities of the project and the potential benefits to our students, in terms of practical application at Wilmington, our staff accessing latest educational research, as well as playing a role in enhancing educational practice around the world as an IB World School.
Teaching and Learning: Wilmington Academy at the World IB Conference Dublin 5-8 October 2023
‘Education for an Inclusive Future’
A team of four teaching staff, led by Steph Goodall (Vice Principal), recently attended the IB Global Conference in Dublin. The conference concentrated heavily on both inclusive practice, student agency and the wellbeing of both students and staff. Our staff attended a number of sessions which covered a whole-school approach to education that promoted inclusion, equitable quality education and access for all students. This strand also included the skills and competencies needed to thrive in an interconnected world. Staff were able to obtain fresh perspectives on education from the keynote speakers, explore trending topics in education and learn tangible classroom strategies from topic experts. Connections were made with schools in Zambia, Cambodia and Holland.
Remembrance - 2 Minutes' Silence
Students and staff at Wilmington Academy commemorated Armistice Day with a 2 minute silence on Friday 10th November. Students were actively engaged in selling poppies and other merchandise in aid of the Royal British Legion.
The Leigh UTC
Leigh UTC Awards Dinner
On Wednesday 15th November 2023 the Leigh UTC hosted their annual Awards Dinner. We are incredibly proud of all our students at Leigh UTC, but the achievements of some deserve additional recognition. Our community extended beyond our physical footprint, as we embraced the opportunity to celebrate success with many of our business partners and stakeholders. Our guests for the evening included representatives from the Leigh Academies Trust executive and central teams. The support and strength of the trust enables us to serve young people with efficiency, focusing on what can enhance their educational experience. Our business partners, some of whom were present, provide opportunities and exposure for our students which are unparelleled. There is no greater evidence of our work than when members of our Alumni visit, and we were fortunate to have Joseph Fasogbon present and were able to hear about his journey beyond the foundation he had here.
The remarkable and exciting destinations of our students continue. We remain considerably above local and national average for students staying in education, employment or training, considerably above local and national average for the students securing places at university, with the vast majority studying STEM courses and four times the national average for students starting an apprenticeship.
Our master of ceremonies for the evening was our Chair of Governors Mr Clive Barker.
The starter was then followed by a category of awards, each presented by one of our close business partners. Please see below the list of award winners along with the award sponsor.
Award Winners
Patriks | STEM Achievement Year 10 | FM Conway
Enioluwa | STEM Achievement Year 12 | FTP Capital Ltd
Oscar | Enterprise Year 10 | Cucina
Thomas | Enterprise Year 12 | SEM
Harry | Engineering Award Year 10 | Kenard
Samuel | Engineering Award Year 12 | ASN
Serge | STEM Contribution Year 10 | LAT
Alexander | STEM Contribution Year 12 | FM Conway
Angel | Digital Leader Award Year 10 | CSB
Emily | Digital Leader Year 12 | Apricity Dental
FM Conway | Business Partner of the Year
However, possibly the most impressive performance of the evening was that of Ali, who was the designer of this year's award.
The silent auction that also took place raised in excess of £8,000.
Testimonies
Chris from FM Conway:
'The evening was a great success, and it was lovely to meet so many aspiring young people and to hear from a couple of your Alumni who have gone on to achieve great things. Having spoken to most of my colleagues that attended the evening we all agreed what a great event it was with superb food and service and a great showcase for the excellent work the college are doing and the opportunities being offered to your young people. It was lovely to host the award winners and their parents on our tables and the award winners acquitted themselves really well in what could be a daunting environment.
It was a lovely surprise for us to receive the Business Partner of the Year award as well. We hope that our relationship with the college will continue for years to come. We went home as a very proud Learning and Development team.'
Mike from Litmus:
'I just wanted to drop you a line to say how much I enjoyed last evening's awards at the UTC. I met and chatted to your delightful Chairman, Frank, and I thought that Kevin Watson did a great job as compere; you could see how very proud he is of students and teaching staff.
I was particularly impressed by all the students who won awards last night, not only for their obvious academic excellence but how they have already matured into young adults. Also, the teaching staff who have taught and mentored them whilst at UTC were brimming with pride when handing over their awards.
The guest speakers and former students of the UTC were an inspiration to everyone, and all spoke eloquently and professionally.
Last but by no means least, the Cucina team prepared, cooked and served a superb meal and it was great to see a real unity and camaraderie between them all.'
Mascalls Academy
As always, it has been a busy start to the new year and our resilient and focused Mascalls Academy students have started as we want them to continue. Our Year 7s and Year 12s have settled in very quickly alongside our Year 11s and 13s. We have awarded over 34,000 positive awards to students and 1,000 Golden Tickets. We have held many events so far this academic year and the support of students in some of these events have been crucial and have blown us away in their commitment to the academy and our community. Open evening and three open mornings saw us draw on the expertise of our Year 8 students who were simply wonderful in the way they engaged with members of the public and future students. We have never had such positive feedback about our tour guides. One parent commented, 'If my daughter comes to Mascalls Academy and is able to communicate as confidently and articulately as our tour guide Oscar, then I will be a very happy parent!'
Extra-curricular Activities:
Paddock Wood Community Tea
Over 40 Mascalls Academy students hosted an afternoon tea for over 100 over-65s from the local community. Students from our food and nutrition and catering courses created and served all of the food for the guests; a variety of students across all years groups provided the entertainment throughout the afternoon. The event was held at the new Paddock Wood Community Centre and it was a wonderful way for Mascalls Academy to show how we are truly at the heart of the community. Maureen who attended posted on social media to say what a wonderful event it was and how thankful she was to the staff and students from the academy.
Leadership Programme - Year 13 Senior Prefect Team
For the first time we engaged with an executive coaching company to run a Leadership programme for our Senior Prefect Team in Year 13. Students worked with Ian, our facilitator, in small groups and completed some self-reflection tasks in order to identify their key leadership traits. Ian has a wealth of experience in supporting individuals and teams from a variety of different business sectors, and as a result, offered students some really relevant links to the world outside of education. The session was a positive experience for students to understand how their personal traits can support their future choices in education and beyond. The students are all really looking forward to the next whole team session!
Duke of Edinburgh
A bumper number of over 90 Year 9 students have signed up to accomplish the Bronze Award for the Duke of Edinburgh challenge this academic year which is fantastic to see in only the second year of it running. We also have our first cohort of students embarking upon the Silver Award this year with a trip to the New Forest planned for their final trip in June. Our Duke of Edinburgh students have planned an inter-college competition for this module, supporting the local food bank in Paddock Wood.
The Edge of Now and Never - Mascalls Academy Dance Show 2023
The Mascalls Academy Dance Show is always a wonderful series of evenings, this year selling out for all 3 evening performances. There have been over 100 students performing in the show across Years 7-13 and the quality and breadth of dance skills on show was truly exceptional. Inspiration from across the globe was on show through movement, music and political statements and demonstrated how our curriculum can be weaved throughout all subject areas.
Remembrance Day
All of the Mascalls Academy community, along with Mr Beamish took part in the Remembrance Day service where we welcomed serving members of the armed forces along with students who are Army and Royal Air Force Cadets. All 1400 students and staff stood around the flagpoles to hear a letter written to a serving officer to his parents prior to his death; it was a sobering reminder of all that is done by our armed forces to protect our liberty. Mascalls Academy students were exemplary in the level of respect shown.
Mascalls Academy Year 10 Football Team
Our Year 10 team have achieved the unthinkable and won every match they have played this academic year which is a first for them as a team. There is one more match following the Christmas break and then they are through to the play off, a fantastic achievement and well deserved for a team who have played alongside one another for many years.
Ebbsfleet Academy
Holland Trip
Some of our students travelled to Valkenburg in Holland to play an away game for football and basketball to showcase our talents. Our students also explored Valkenburg and enjoyed the local town and its attractions, including Effeling Theme Park.
Students had the opportunity to train for their highly anticipated game against our Dutch rivals and the work paid off with our football team grabbing a 3-4 victory on away soil!
A massive well done for all students involved and for your dedication to sport.
Year 10s - Keep the Faith
Year 10s - Keep the Faith
Ebbsfleet Academy’s Year 10 & 11 Religious Studies students visited St George’s Church and the Gurdwara as part of their studies. The group learnt about the different beliefs.
Year 11 Macbeth Workshop
Year 11 students at Ebbsfleet Academy were treated to a Macbeth workshop and a candlelit performance by the Bart Lee Theatre Group. The students found the day engaging and brought the story of Macbeth to life.
Road Safety Relay
On Monday 20th November, our Year 7 students participated in the Brake5 Road Safety Awareness course. The students participated in an assembly and a relay challenge.
Kent County Youth Council
Ebbsfleet Academy is delighted that 4 of our students are now serving members on the Kent County Youth Council. Congratulations to
Marvel who is a Kent Youth Council member.
Cristian and El-Amin are both Deputy Council members.
Tiyamike is a Community member.
Prefects
We are delighted to introduce our prefects for this academic year. The prefects are supporting throughout the school and being role models for our other students.
Sporting Events
Our co-curricular uptake this year has been HUGE with students training hard for football and basketball, and enjoying the sports of rowing and trampolining. The rowing club will be taking to the water by the end of the year to display their newly learnt skills and transfer them into a fierce and competitive team! All three football teams have been training hard this year and have given Ebbsfleet Academy a name to be recognised. A highlight thus far is our Year 9 football team playing in one of the best come back games in football history, being 4 - 7 down at half time and going on to win the game 9 - 8 -an incredible feat of passion, determination, grit and teamwork! Hopefully there is more to come from all of our brilliant teams!
Our successes continued to this year's LAT Cross Country run at Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School, where 13 students competed against 11 other schools within the Trust. An amazing effort from all pupils completing the course and scoring some needed points to showcase the talents of our athletes here. Well done to all who participated.
Three pupils represented the academy at the LAT swimming gala and competed with some amazing swimmers. The courage to be able to get into the pool and compete whilst many watch on was incredible and all three students should be proud of their achievements.
Ebbsfleet Academy celebrate success at our first Rowing Competition.
On Thursday 7th December Ebbsfleet Academy Rowing Team took part in their first competition, London Youth Indoor Rowing Competition. We are delighted to announce that the teams came 2nd & 3rd overall. Special mentions go to Kaylee and Aziz who both came first in their races.
Ebbsfleet Academy Junior Archery 2023 Summary
In total, the team have shot 10 competitions this year, taking anywhere between 13 - 18 arches, and we have won over 90 medals in total, including county medals, region medals, and indoor and outdoor national medals. We have travelled to Kent, Essex, Norfolk and Shropshire to compete, and won medals across all age categories and all bow types.
We have had 2 archers selected to shoot for Kent, being part of a winning team in an inter-counties match.
We have even bigger plans for next year. Watch this space!
We would also like to celebrate our archery coach, Deb Horn who was awarded Coach of the Year by Archery GB and gained her senior coaching qualification.
Leigh Academy Tonbridge
On Wednesday 10th October, 45 students from Years 10 and 11, Leigh Academy Tonbridge, set off for the sunny city of Barcelona for three days to increase their knowledge of Spanish culture as well as to give them the opportunity to practise the Spanish they are working so hard to learn.
We were very lucky to have beautiful 25 degree weather every day which allowed us to explore the city to the max which we certainly did, covering on average 19km a day! Some of our highlights were strolling down Las Ramblas, a wide boulevard full of street performers and souvenir stalls, getting an insight into Spanish architecture through exploring Pueblo Español, not to mention taking the cable car to Montjuic and taking in the panoramic views of the city. Students were also able to try Spanish cuisine with an evening of tapas (the paella was a particular hit) in addition to broadening their knowledge of art with visits to both the MNAC and the Picasso Museum leading to some interesting discussions as to whether the students were more able artists than Picasso himself!
We hope that all students had a great time and that this trip has encouraged a love for the Spanish culture and language that will boost them throughout their Spanish GCSE and on into A Level.
We ran a fantastic reward trip on Tuesday 28 November for 49 students in Years 7-10, to experience a live football match at the Valley between Charlton Athletic and Cheltenham Town.
The match lived up to the students' expectations and finished 2-1 to Charlton Athletic! We would like to thank the staff who gave up their evenings to support the trip and also to the families for encouraging the students to attend. Our pupils’ behaviour was impeccable and we received several very nice comments about the group from the regular Charlton Athletic fans, who were interested in which school they attended and how we look to reward our students. In particular they commented on the behaviour and enthusiasm that the students showed.
We have held a number of attendance reward events for pupils to celebrate their remarkable achievement of 100% attendance. Our attendance officer made time for pupils to have a delicious hot chocolate treat.
Festive events have included a Christmas fair, a festive feast and Christmas jumper day, as well as our Christmas Concert. We had a drama piece, a dance duet, and the amazing Brook Street Band leading the pupils in some Christmas songs - it was a brilliant way to end the term!
Stationers' Crown Woods Academy
A Reflection on Key Events at Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy
As we take a moment to reflect on the first two modules at Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy, I am filled with immense pride for the achievements of our pupils. Over the last 12 weeks, since the start of the academic year, our pupils have demonstrated our core values - scholarship, fellowship, and leadership - both inside and outside the classroom.
Although it would be wonderful to share every activity and achievement our pupils have been part of, I will focus on highlighting a few key events where they have outstandingly represented the academy, their families, and themselves. These noteworthy events include our choir's splendid performance at Stationers’ Hall, our CCF Cadets' dignified representation at the Stationers’ Civic Dinner, the enthralling Christmas Dance production, and the poignant Remembrance Service. Each of these occasions is a reflection of the commitment, talent, and character of our students, epitomising the best of what Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy stands for.
SCWA Remembrance Service: A Solemn Tribute to Honour and Reflect
The Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy’s Remembrance Day service, held on Friday, 10 November 2023, was a poignant event that showcased the strong community spirit within the academy. Staff, students, and members from The Stationers’ Company gathered in the school quad, with the ceremony initiated by Corporal Unsworth and the Cadet Parade.
Principal Mr. Sparks, in his opening remarks, highlighted the service as a product of the academy's collaborative effort. The DT team’s creation of the monument and the Year 7 choir’s performance of Pie Jesu, written by the academy’s Director of Music, were particularly noted for exemplifying the academy’s unity and talent.
Major Jeremy Wilson’s reading and the Last Post, played by Thomas from Year 9, prefaced the two-minute silence, offering a time for reflection. Readings of For the Fallen and In Flanders Fields were followed by The Fellowship of Remembrance, a poem specially composed and recited by students, embodying SCWA’s values.
Reflecting on the service, Mr. Sparks commended the academy’s unity in creating this meaningful tribute: 'This Remembrance Service, a collaborative effort by our school community, was a profound expression of our collective gratitude and remembrance, reminding us of the sacrifices made for our freedoms.'
SCWA Choir Earns Standing Ovation at Stationers’ Hall
The SCWA choir, consisting of 40 pupils, delivered an outstanding performance at the Court Christmas Lunch at Stationers’ Hall on Tuesday, 5 December. The choir’s setlist featured a mix of traditional Christmas carols such as Silent Night and O Come All Ye Faithful, alongside contemporary festive favourites like Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You.
Principal Mr. Sparks, who was present at the event, praised the choir's performance, highlighting the involvement of many Year 7 pupils who have been at the school for just ten weeks. The choir’s rendition was so well received that it earned a standing ovation from the audience, a first for an SCWA performance at Stationers’ Hall.
This event marks a significant milestone for the SCWA choir, demonstrating both the exceptional talent of its members and the school's commitment to nurturing young performers.
SCWA Cadets Shine at The Stationers’ Civic Dinner
Four pupils from Stationers' Crown Woods Academy, part of the academy's Combined Cadet Force (CCF), had the distinguished honour of representing the academy at The Stationers’ Civic Dinner on Friday, 1st December 2023. They were joined by Mr Sandhu, Teacher of business studies, who commented on their participation: 'The cadets represented the academy and the CCF exceptionally, showcasing the values and discipline instilled in them through the CCF programme.'
The Civic Dinner, a prestigious annual event hosted by The Stationers' Company, celebrates its historic ties with the Mayoralty and the City of London. This year's event was attended by notable figures, including the Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of London and the Sheriffs, along with their spouses.
The involvement of SCWA’s cadets in such a significant event underscores the academy's commitment to community engagement and fostering leadership and civic responsibility among its students. Their participation not only reflects the academy’s values but also provides these young individuals with invaluable experiences in formal, civic settings.
SCWA's Christmas Dance Production: A Dazzling Display of Talent
Stationers' Crown Woods Academy's 2012 Team triumphantly hosted their first Christmas dance production on Monday, 4 December 2023, showcasing the talent of Year 10 and 11 BTEC dance students. The event was enthusiastically received by an engaged audience and spirited performers.
Ms Allen, Director of 2012, expressed her delight about the evening: 'What a night we had! Our dancers truly excelled, displaying not just their remarkable talent but also their professionalism. Their seamless transitions on and off the stage were indicative of their hard work and dedication. I am immensely proud of each one of them. We are eagerly looking forward to our next show in March 2024, which promises to be another exceptional display of the extraordinary talent and teamwork our students possess.'
Final Thoughts
The success of the Christmas dance production highlights the skill, commitment, and artistic flair of SCWA's students, setting a high standard for future performances.
As the term at Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy concludes, we celebrate the significant accomplishments of our students across various events. Their participation and success in activities such as the choir performance, CCF Cadets' representation, the Christmas dance, and the Remembrance Service underscore their talents and dedication. We wish all our students, staff, and their families a peaceful Christmas break. We look forward to the new year with optimism, ready for the continued pursuit of excellence at SCWA.
Leigh Academy Blackheath
As always, we are delighted to share some of the key highlights of the 2023-2024 academic year so far with the wider LAT community. This has been a very special few modules for us at LAB, as we opened the final key stage of our academy community - LAB16, in September 2023.
Kehinde, both a founding LAB student and one of our original 64 LAB16 students, starts off our news with an overview of her trip to City Hall, where she challenged the Mayor on his actions relating to the increased number of homeless young people in London.
Meeting the Mayor
My name is Kehinde and I am a Year 12 student at Leigh Academy Blackheath. I had the pleasure of meeting the Mayor of London at People’s Question time in East London, City Hall. I was accompanied by a group of young people my age as part of a programme called Future Leaders.
There were various discussions on the subject of housing, climate change, transport, and many other areas of public concern involving London. I had the opportunity to ask the Mayor about the plans put in place to reduce youth homelessness in the UK. One common question among young people regarded the state of the economy and the reduced opportunities by the time my current year group enter the labour market. Another common concern amongst my peers present, involved the treatment of ethnic minorities or migrant families in London and its links to gang violence.
I found the session extremely insightful, and I was amazed by the standards as well as the degree of calmness the Mayor held himself to, as well as the other members of the assembly. I was more than impressed by some of the answers given to the questions asked, and was also inspired by my fellow questioners at the session for their bravery in condemning and holding accountable those present.
Overall, the session was something that has changed my viewpoint on politics and national issues as a whole. I was very lucky and glad to be invited.
The RISAR Returns!
The new academic year saw the resurrection of our student-led newspaper - The RISAR. A special thank you to Erin and Millie of 10D for their tireless work as co-editors in chief, as well as to all the writers and contributors. We look forward to more editions of The RISAR to come. A link to the Autumn edition can be found here.
We always give resounding applause to the students in our community who have demonstrated exceptional ambition, talent, and passion in music and drama. Their commitment to the arts is truly commendable and we're delighted to highlight a few remarkable achievements.
A special shout-out goes to Paul for performing The Last Post during Remembrance Day in front of Year 7s.
AV CLUB/LAB LISTENS
As part of the LAB Audio Visual Club, we have been working with the charity Tender to create a LAB podcast. Tender is a nationwide charity using the power of drama and the arts to educate children, young people and adults about healthy relationships. They work with a variety of organisations from primary schools to global businesses, now including Leigh Academy Blackheath to promote respect and equality and prevent domestic abuse and sexual violence. As Tender puts it, ‘We all need healthy relationships’. We have been extremely lucky to work with the talented Marie - a member of the Tender team who has been working with a group of Year 8 students especially chosen for the task of planning, recording and sharing a podcast about healthy relationships. Natalia, Inka, Eliza, Juliette, Sophie and Lilly-Ann have recently started recording episodes which will be between 5-30 minutes long. Episode 1 introduces the team, Episode 2 discusses red flags and Episode 3 discusses the challenging subject of trust. We look forward to hearing the final edits of the first few episodes and they will be available for LAB students to listen to after Christmas.
The Halley Academy
School’s Week Success
Students, staff and families at The Halley Academy, following our fantastic set of academic results this summer, were delighted to have been featured in an article in Schools Week.
Schools Week is the UK's leading weekly education publication, and we have been celebrated as the third most improved school in the country when comparing our Progress 8 score between 2019 and 2023.
As part of the article, Mr Russell, Principal, had the pleasure of speaking to reporters about how all the collective efforts of students and staff over the last few years, alongside our curriculum of excellence for all, small school model, digital learning opportunities, intervention programme and being part of Leigh Academies Trust, led to significant improvements in the academic performance of our students.
Greatness in Greenwich Award Ceremony
At the start of this academic year, Mr Russell along with two of our top achieving students, Harry and Mehak attended the Greatness in Greenwich Award Ceremony at The Woolwich Works, Fireworks Factory. It was an opportunity to connect with other students across Leigh Academies Trust who were also being celebrated and supported by their Principals.
This was a prestigious event celebrating the top-achieving students across the Borough. We are proud of all our students and this was a truly momentous occasion; we took delight in the opportunity to celebrate with Harry, Mehak, and their families.
The event was hosted by Councillor Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Councillor Matt Morrow, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, and Florence Kroll, Director of Children’s Services.
Jack Petchey Event
In October, five of our students and their families attended the Jack Petchey Awards event in Blackheath Halls, an exciting and inspiring event.
The students represented The Halley Academy proudly as they received the Jack Petchey Medallion from the Mayor of Royal Borough of Greenwich, Councillor Dominic Mbang.
Celebrating the achievements of the Jack Petchey programme plays an important part in our student's personal development as well as helping them become positive citizens of our community.
Our students who celebrated and attended the event were Piers, Libby, Nikita, Marcella and Leah. Their nominations included: being great ambassadors whilst personifying our values; facing personal challenges and overcoming obstacles; being actively involved in the Police Cadets and RAF Cadets; succeeding in sourcing and completing their work experience placement; looking after new students and helping their transition to our academy community; and succeeding in studies here as well completing assessments online for their Ukrainian school.
With the Jack Petchey Award, students have the opportunity to invest £300 in their academy to improve their educational experience. These awards were used for buying basketball balls and table tennis equipment for break time, books for sixth form, calculators for the maths department and paying for students to carry out rock-climbing in the next Cultural Capital Day.
Visual Arts Showcase
The Halley Academy visual arts team has been focused on improving the curriculum to enhance students' experience and knowledge of these important subjects. We have launched a new spiral curriculum, where artistic concepts and skills are repeated in order to be embedded more rigorously. In Year 11 art, students have been given the starting theme of ‘Broken’ and then independently developed their ideas about links to sub-themes such as mental health, relationships, body image, and conflict. Our Year 12 IB visual art students have taken part in several skills workshops to develop their use of different art media and techniques, which will now feed into their project ‘Human Condition’. Whilst in key stage 3, as part of their Middle Years Programme, students have completed a homework research project that links artists, genres and themes together. We are extremely proud of our students’ work across all of these projects, and look forward to these being showcased in our brand new Visual and Performing Arts Centre, which will be opened in Spring 2024.
Cultural Capital Day
In the last week of term, Halley students journeyed onto the platforms of local train stations on their various adventures to museums, galleries, football stadiums and theatres across London. On Cultural Capital Days, our usual timetable is suspended as all students get the experience to participate in an exciting array of enriching extracurricular activities and visits.
Students in Years 7, 8 and 9, despite the cold temperatures, fully immersed themselves into their different cultural experiences. On the day, a total of 16 trips were organised and set off. Students visited the famous Chislehurst caves, home to many South-East London residents during the World War Two blitz. Complimenting this theme, other students visited the even more famous HMS Belfast and the Imperial War Museum London, while 60 students attended the theatre to see The Lion King and Noises Off.
In school, Year 10 participated in Speak Out! workshops led by the Speakers Trust. Year 12 students enjoyed university visits to Greenwich and East London, whilst Year 13 students benefited from a UCAS and Apprenticeship Day at the academy.
We were also delighted to host over 60 Year 5 students from Kidbrooke Park Primary school, who departed us after a day of STEM, food technology and PE activities, thoroughly enthused and keen to return to us in Year 7 for more of the same from 2025.
Strood Academy
The commencement of this academic year has been exceptionally dynamic, marked by the initiation of Strood Vision 2028. This initiative underpins our fundamental principles and goals for the entire community. The initial two modules have been filled with a range of internal and external events, mock exams, parents' evenings, open evenings, parent voice forums, and drop-ins, along with numerous remarkable accomplishments from our students. We look forward to celebrating all our pupils' success and their great work throughout the remainder of the year.
Open Evenings
On Thursday 14th September and Thursday 5th October, we opened our academy doors for Year 6 and Sixth Form open evenings, where we welcomed over 200 families from the local community. This consisted of talks from our Principal, members of staff and students, information and activities run by individual departments as well as tours of the school led by Strood Academy students. We are exceptionally proud of our academy and are delighted that our staff and students feel the same sense of pride.
Artsmark
During Module 1, Strood Academy obtained an Artsmark, Silver Award, demonstrating the commitment to fostering and celebrating the arts within our educational environment. After completing the necessary preparations, we submitted our Artsmark application for assessment by an external panel of experts, within the Art Council, London. We were successful, and the academy was awarded the Artsmark, recognising the dedication to promoting the arts and creative expression among students. This accreditation shows the rich programme of studies we offer and the high quality of educational experiences our students receive.
Remembrance Day
On Friday 10th November, we came together as a community to honour Remembrance Day. We welcomed over 1600 people to commemorate this, including staff, students, members of the Royal Armed Forces as well as student cadets. This was a truly moving moment to take a couple of minutes of reflection to remember those who have served and still are serving for our country. We are immensely proud of our students, especially during moments like this.
Charity Events
Over the course of these two modules, we have held a number of events to raise money and/or awareness for various charities, including: Macmillan Cancer Research, Royal British Legion, Children in Need and Tourettes Action. From bake sales and poppy sales to thank you notes we have come together as a community to recognise and honour these various charities and all the hard work they continue to do.
Sporting Events
Throughout the first two modules of this year, Strood Academy have competed in various sporting events. These have included various events such as Year 8 football, Year 9 football, Year 8/9 badminton, swimming galas, and handball and cross country within the LAT inaugural sports day. Key highlights from these events are the Year 9 netball team who recorded a 13-10 victory and our Year 10 football team who accomplished an emphatic 6-0 victory. We are so proud of our students for their commitment to their extra-curricular sporting activities and their achievements on behalf of the academy.
The Hundred of Hoo Academy
The start of the academic year at The Hundred of Hoo Academy has been packed with lots of cultural capital opportunities that will enrich our pupils’ learning and experience at school through trips, rewards, co-curricular activities and sporting tournaments. This underpins our fundamental aim that our pupils leave as well-rounded young people who have the skills to be successful beyond the classroom.
Trips
Frozen
On Thursday 12th October, a range of students from Year 7 - 10 travelled to the Drury Lane Theatre in London to watch Frozen, The Musical.
This magical story, taken from the hit Disney film, was full of new music, incredible choreography and a few stage tricks that even we couldn’t work out! The story resonated with themes of overcoming differences, accepting who you are and ensuring that you share your feelings with the ones you love. It was amazing to listen to our students linking the musical to our Learner IB Profiles and exploring their own opinions on this smash hit.
Students were overjoyed to experience live theatre in this way and, for some of our students, it was their first experience at watching a West End show. It was fascinating to watch a performance with such amazing standards that allowed all our students to aspire to something, whether it be in the performing arts Industry or not.
The Tower of London
A report from Darcy in Y13:
Despite the pouring rain, our trip to the Tower of London was eye-opening to say the least. Seeing the places we have learned about, placed us in the footsteps of the kings and queens of the Wars of the Roses, allowing us to indulge in the history of the past. However, what piqued our curiosity was seeing the changes to the castle and how this impacts our historical assumptions and analysis of events. Was Clarence actually drowning in a barrel of wine? Did Henry VI die in the room he was imprisoned in? Were the Princes killed in the Tower? We will never really know however, our debates helped us consolidate what we know and how this determines our conclusions of what actually happened at the Tower of London. By the end of the day, the sun had come out, and the truth of whether the Tower of London was an accurate source to assess the myths of the Wars of the Roses became obscured.
Co-curricular and personal development opportunities
Pride Club
Our Hundred of Hoo Pride Club has continued to grow and provide a safe space for all pupils of our academy.
We have recognised transgender day of remembrance and intersex day of remembrance, learning the importance of celebrating the wonderful diversity and culture that these people bring to all aspects of our daily lives. We discussed some of the issues these people face from society as well as within their own professional communities.
During Black History month our pupils led on delivering a really informative discussion of the struggles that people of colour can face both within and outside of the LGBTQ+ community. We had some very heartfelt conversations, allowing us to now have a better understanding of these difficulties.
December 1st was World AIDS Day. In Pride club we learned about the history of the AIDS epidemic and the impact that this had on LGBTQ+ people, which is still evident today. We heard from HIV positive people, the struggles that they have faced but also how they are able to live normal and healthy lives today because of improved healthcare and education around HIV/AIDS.
Reward Events
Pumpkin Carving
At the end of Module 1, we were delighted to celebrate our pupils with the highest positive points and attendance with a special spooky event. Pupils were invited to take part in a pumpkin carving workshop, with the best design winning a prize. Pupils had a great time, as did the staff who supported pupils in this event, but it was also great to see the pupils working together and developing their team building skills.
Sporting Achievements
Our Year 9 girls’ netball team are currently undefeated in the Medway league and sitting at the top of the table, after winning games against Robert Napier, Strood Academy, St John Fisher and Rochester Grammar School for Girls. The girls have shown grit and determination throughout all of their games and have worked remarkably well as a team, demonstrating their knowledge of the sport and their caring nature towards others schools, being gracious in regards to their success. Well done to Evie, Maisie, Grace, Roxie, Angel, Lucia, Ivy and Flo.
Year 9 and 10 girls achieved 3rd in the Medway SSG competition in handball. The girls showed their sheer determination against competition who were extremely knowledgeable in regards to the rules of the sport. Matches were physically exhausting at times, however, having played all the games in their pool, the team qualified for the 3rd and 4th place play off. Here they managed to once again overcome and dominate the opposition, coming away with a comfortable win. Well done to Abbie, Abi, Angel, Lucia, Roxie, Grace, Evie and Mia. Year 7 and 8 students also finished 4th in their group. Well done to Lily, Grace, Leah, Zara, Amy H, Amy B, Scarlett, Ezme and Lydia.
Our Year 7 - 9 girls A team also finished 1st in the Medway SSG competition in badminton. Well done to Evie, Lucia, Mia and Medhini.
Academy Awards Evening
In November, we were delighted to invite parents, pupils (past and present) and staff to our prestigious Academy Awards Evening. This annual event recognises the efforts and achievements of our pupils during the entirety of the last academic year, using nominations from staff, as well as attitude to learning data collected throughout the year. During the evening there was also a variety of entertainment from our talented pupils, including singing, piano-playing and an impressive monologue from one of our current Year 11 pupils, who was also co-host. We were also pleased to welcome back a previous student who is now a professional skier and was able to give an inspiring speech to your young people about the hard work and determination that it takes to succeed.
Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School
Remembrance Assemblies
SJWMS held our annual Remembrance assemblies for Lower/Middle and Sixth Form students, each assembly holding a 2 minute silence preceded by the Last Post played by Barney Turpin.
Certification
Congratulations to students who received award certificates this term!
Gold - the top 5% of students with the highest academic scores
Silver - the next 10% of students with high academic scores
Bronze - the top 10% of students with the highest points for Attitude to Learning
Progress - for those students who have made the most academic progress between Terms 1 and 3
Improvers - for those students have made the most improvement in their Attitude to Learning over Terms 1-3
Harvest Festival
This year our pupils collected donations for the Harvest festival. These donations were passed on to the local charity Helping Hands and were gratefully received. We also held a competition for key stage 3 forms to design the best box to deliver our donations in. We had some amazing entries but the winner this year was 9 Pitt with a spaceship design. 7 Pitt won the prize for the most donations and both forms were awarded a prize from Mrs Humphries.
Football Success
This year has once again seen football go from strength to strength. In just our second season in the Kent Schools’ FA East Kent Premier league, the 1st team have lost only one game and at the time of writing, sitting top of the table with two rounds of fixtures to go. The season started strongly with two ten-nill victories followed by some strong performances against historically very strong teams in Harvey Grammar and Maidstone Grammar. The success in the league so far has been built on incredibly strong defensive performances and some excellent free-flowing attacking play. Every member of the squad has been excellent when the opportunities to play have occurred, especially with a large number of injuries for some of the established 1st team players.
This year also saw the team compete in the ESFA National Cup competition, making it to the 3rd round before losing to Great Baddow High School. With all three rounds played out of the county and within a 2 week period on top of league games, the travel and game time certainly took its toll but the squad collectively pushed through to get some excellent results. In the U19 Kent cup, both the first and second teams have progressed into the second round to be played after the Christmas break.
A huge thanks must go to those senior members and leaders of the squad: Aman (13To), Lewis (13Th), Sam (13Ri) & Jamie (13To) for all their extra time and effort in helping to run a successful football season up to this point and setting the expectations for years to come.
Senior Mathematics Challenge Report 2023
The Senior Mathematics Challenge took place on Tuesday 3rd October 2023. One hundred and twenty of our most talented mathematics students in Years 12 and 13 volunteered to take part in the challenge. They achieved an impressive 19 Gold, 32 Silver and 36 Bronze certificates. The best performance in the school was Elliot (12GO) and the best in Year 13 was tied between Timothy (13GO) and Jonathan (13CA). 19 of our students were in the top 2000 nationally and qualified for the follow on round of the Senior Mathematics Challenge. Both Elliot (12GO) and Joseph (13BR) excelled in this round and gained a merit certificate for top 500 in the country.
These results will be used for the House Mathematics competition which was won last year by Tower house.
Well done to all of our senior students for their hard work in mathematics and in this competition.
Rugby Union
It is a source of great pride that we have so many keen rugby players amongst our pupils; the numbers continue to grow year on year. Almost 500 pupils have played for one of the school teams. The highlight of the season was the U15 win in the Kent Cup; this followed their win as U14s and sealed their reputation as the school’s most successful side. The girls’ side continues to develop brilliantly and they play the majority of their games after Christmas.
Yr7 Music/Drama Evening
Thursday 16th November saw the return of our Year 7 Celebration Evening. The evening began with a rousing rendition of the Swing Low Medley by the whole of Year 7 and was followed by some fantastic musical and dramatic items. There was an eclectic mix of music ranging from The Beatles to Earth Wind and Fire, Backstreet Boys to Rihanna. We were also treated to some performances from our LAMDA students in Year 7 and 8 and our Year 13 Band with an improvisatory piece they created themselves. The show was stolen by David in Year 7 who played a Violin solo called Sability by Ayra Starr and was given a Standing Ovation by the whole audience. It was an extremely successful evening and we are very proud of all of our students, particularly the Year 7s who, for the majority, performed for the very first time in front of an audience.
Leigh Academy Rainham
The winter season brings joyous events to Leigh Academy Rainham with our Winter Wonderland event, Christmas show, Christmas Jumper day, Christmas lunch and our college reward assemblies. Co-curricular activities continue to be well attended with a rich array of clubs on offer and all students took part in a heartfelt Remembrance Service led by Mr Blinhorn. In addition it has been an exciting module for LAR as we have started the journey of preparing our very first cohort for their KS4 studies next year. Year 9s were exceptional LEIGH Learners during our first ever Year 9 exams week where they had had their first ever experience of formal exams. Their options evening has exposed them to all the possibilities ahead of them and we look forward to Spring when they will be choosing their KS4 subjects.
Our student leadership team have had their first full module in office and have been bringing fantastic contributions to the table for Mr Smith. We have enjoyed listening to their input and ideas and have already made changes as a result, for example moving to a college, rather than form group, lunchtime model.
Winter Wonderland
On 28th November, LAR held its annual Winter Wonderland event to further develop students' knowledge and understanding about communityship. We invited local businesses to also participate in the event too. Across all tutor groups, students designed a market stall activity. This ranged from: throwing table tennis balls or beanbags into hoops to selling cookies, a tombola and cakes as well as a game of: ‘ping the hat on the Grinch!’ We had many students volunteer throughout the whole event and they did an amazing job in raising money for their school! Mr Smith and the student leadership team would like to say a massive thank you to all the students who participated and also attended the event as well as the PTA for organising other businesses to join too!
Remembrance
At LAR, we commemorated Remembrance through our pastoral programme with the following theme: 'Lest We Forget.' Over the course of the week, students received college assemblies delivered by their Heads of College about the significance of Remembrance and why it is important. On Friday 10th November, the whole school stood for a 2 minute silence to mark their respect and pay tribute to all those that lost their lives in the wars both within Britain but also the wider world such as: Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. During the service poems were read out by students and the last post was played to end the 2 minute silence. Students who are members of services linked groups were invited to wear their uniforms and stood proudly at the front of the assembly representing these clubs. We would also like to comment on how fantastic our student leadership team were in helping raise money for the poppy appeal in which they sold poppies at lunchtime for students to purchase.
Three of our students also attended the Sunday Memorial Service at St Margaret’s Church in Rainham, laying wreaths made by students in each college in our co-curricular art club. We were proud to be invited to take part in this service and our students represented the academy incredibly well.
Co-Curricular
Following the October half term, we launched a new ICT club specifically aimed at Year 9 creative iMedia. These clubs allowed Year 9 students to sample some of the skills and content which would be in the KS4 option, if they chose to pursue that option. Students really enjoyed learning more advanced skills in small groups, and for any students who did not participate this term, the club will be running again in Module 3 so newcomers are welcome!
Art club has been a buzzing hive of creative children which is fantastic! Students who attend to undertake an array of creative activities; some choose to put extra time into classwork assignments, completing them to the very best of their ability and raising their attainment as a result. Art homework can also be completed in the art club, making use of art media such as collage materials. Some students simply enjoy drawing or painting with fellow creative friends, it is a very sociable environment and creative community. It is not always about producing ‘outcomes’, but the enjoyment of experimenting, making, and creating for fun! A teacher-led activity is always offered, such as teaching new painting skills for those who choose to join in. Sometimes students collaborate, creating for the wider school and community, such as contributing to making poppy wreaths for Remembrance Day. Students also connect with our art competition themes during art club (which are set in each module) earning reward points and prizes for their contributions.
Students are encouraged to create for art competitions at home too! Not everybody can attend art club with our packed co-curricular offer, so entering competitions is an opportunity to still get involved. We have had two art competitions so far: Insects in Art and the Trust Christmas Card competition. It is fantastic to receive a large number of imaginative artworks and we would like to say a heartfelt well done to everybody who has entered our competitions. We love and appreciate their great efforts to go above and beyond!
Next term, we will be holding: three college sports competitions and cannot wait to celebrate the successes of our students (and staff!) taking part in these:
Year 7 will be hosting a mixed-gender handball tournament on Monday 8th January 2024
Year 8 will be hosting a mixed-gender dodgeball tournament on Monday 22nd January 2024
Year 9 will be hosting a mixed-gender volleyball tournament on 15th January 2024
Student Leadership
This term has been very busy for our student leadership team particularly as we welcomed 14 new Year 7 leaders! They have met regularly every two weeks since being elected and they all have worked tirelessly in planning, promoting and hosting a variety of student initiatives. This has included: selling poppies for Remembrance, purchasing, and selling cakes during our Children in Need day. In addition, due to the convincing arguments made by the student leadership team, we managed to host our first non-uniform TAG day to great success whereby students managed to raise an amazing: £1232.06! They have also led on creating their form groups’ Winter Wonderland market stalls whereby we discussed different ideas which we would pitch to our local community. Furthermore, due to an improvement made by students regarding litter, students are now allowed to sit within their college tables at lunchtime rather than form tables which students have greatly appreciated.
Leigh Academy Bexley
Anti-Bullying Week - Year 9 Performance by Little Fish Theatre
On Monday 13th November, Little Fish Theatre gave an engaging performance of their new show, Cancelled to a captive Year 9 audience. This was a really positive experience for our Year 9 students taking part in their first Anti-Bullying Week as Leigh Academy Bexley students.
The play centred around three teenagers - Rose, Bestie, and Xavier. When an intimate photo Bestie sends Xavier is shared online, it sets off a chain reaction of betrayal, heartbreak, and bullying. Rose gets caught in the middle, trying to support Bestie, but develops feelings for Xavier. Their secret relationship is exposed, destroying Rose and Bestie's friendship. The online bullying escalates to physical violence, sending Rose to hospital.
Each character must confront their own mistakes and figure out how to move forward. They eventually agree to stop engaging online and part ways, hopefully having learned some hard lessons about consent, trust, forgiveness, and the destructive power of technology. The play highlights the pressures and confusion of young relationships in an age of oversharing.
Cancelled explored themes of healthy relationships, respect, consent, and boundaries. This connects to our curriculum aims around understanding healthy relationships. The play tackled issues like peer pressure, sharing explicit images, unwanted contact and harassment/bullying. Discussing these scenarios allowed students to unpack the issues and relate them to consent, harassment, and staying safe both on and off line.
The post-show workshop analysed their choices, promoted students' self-awareness and decision-making skills regarding relationships. It sparked discussion about gender roles, stereotypes, and sexuality. This aligns with curriculum goals around identity, gender norms, and diversity. It also explored the social media dimension throughout the play (the viral video, bullying, shaming, etc.) which connects directly to curriculum aims around online safety, privacy, and digital citizenship.
Thanks to colleagues who supervised and in particular to Helen Wilson and Nik Wardzynski from the Performing Arts Faculty for their help in organising the performance.
