At The Leigh Academy, we always take pride in the literacy aspect of our school, ensuring that each and every student receives access to our library that retains a wide range of book genres suitable for all ages. There is already a promising selection of books and board games to help keep students entertained during their free time. Despite this, there is always a continual effort to purchase anything that will help boost skills in regards to comprehension and to help the younger years understand the importance of reading and developing the way they express themselves, both in exams and in how they converse with one another. 

Students part of the literacy team including: Demi, Kaysha, Tommy , Chloe, Ledri, Oliwia, Darius, Olivia and Elizabeth have taken pride in representing the schools library for students and strive to help the education of children improve. Last year, students at The Leigh helped raise £254.70 by selling sweets at Sports Day, an event pupils enjoy and look forward to every year that remains engaging and constantly anticipated by everybody within the school, teachers included. 

Our librarian, Ms Dunne, who is in charge of the books brought by the student voice for the students, says:  “I want to give the student voice a massive thank you for their incredible efforts in raising money for the library. With the money raised, we have been able to expand our graphic novels, comics and manga section, along with some additional games for students to enjoy during break and lunch time. By improving new books and games, it can help create a welcoming and inclusive environment for students along with providing a sense of community and social connection. Many thanks to the Student Voice for thinking of the library and I know the students at The Leigh will really appreciate it too!”.        

On the 27th February 10 students from The Leigh Academy student voice team were given the opportunity to attend a day's training with the Princess Diana Trust as Anti Bullying Ambassadors. This programme aims to empower students to change the attitudes, behaviour and cultures of bullying behaviour by building skills and confidence to address different situations both online and offline. The day equips young people with knowledge of what bullying is and how to tackle it in school.

The training addressed various aspects of bullying, including:

• Identifying different forms of bullying, both in person and online (cyberbullying).

• Understanding the impact of bullying on both the target and the bully.

• Developing effective communication skills to deal with bullying situations.

• Learning how to be an upstander and safely intervene when witnessing bullying.

The training sessions incorporated a variety of activities, from group discussions and role-playing scenarios to creative projects that fostered empathy and understanding. Students actively participated, sharing their perspectives and brainstorming solutions to create a culture of kindness and respect.

We believe this training will empower our students to:

• Recognise and report bullying behavior.

• Respond confidently and safely to bullying situations.

• Support their peers who may be experiencing bullying.

• Promote a positive and inclusive school atmosphere.

This anti-bullying initiative is just one step towards our ongoing commitment to fostering a positive school climate and the Anti bullying team will be working closely with Miss Hunt to provide support systems to ensure all students feel safe and valued.

The student voice Eco team have been working to become a Green school. The Eco-Schools programme provides a simple, seven-step framework whilst empowering young people to make a difference in their school, local community and beyond. 

Green Schools are dedicated to reducing their environmental impact and promoting sustainability through education and action. This means integrating eco-friendly practices into our daily routines, from reducing waste to conserving energy.

Green Initiatives:

Here's a sneak peek at some exciting initiatives we'll be working on:

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Revolution: We'll be encouraging a school-wide recycling program, encouraging everyone to become "waste warriors."

• Energy Detectives: Students will become energy auditors, identifying areas where we can conserve electricity and water.

• Biodiversity: Students focus on increasing the levels of plant, insect, and animal life, across their site, local area and globally, through various schemes

By working together, we can create a greener, healthier learning environment for all. Let's make The Leigh Academy a shining example of sustainability!