LAR Virtual Newsletter

09/02/24

LEIGH Learners of the Fortnight

(Most reward points received in the last fortnight)

Angelou - Oliver R - 117 Points

Kingsley - Erin R - 98 Points

Turing - Honey T - 91 Points

Upcoming Themes of the Fortnight:

Developing Self Regulated Learners

'How do I become more independent in my learning?'

Principal's Message

As we draw to a close on this module we have taken time to celebrate with students what they have achieved and reminding them of what they should be proud of. We now show the top 20 reward point students of each college for the last week on the big screens in the dining hall throughout the day and include reminders of what we have changed in response to their feedback over time.

It was a pleasure to take part in Proud Friday last week. Students were excited to showcase work they had completed from a range of subjects and also creative pieces they had been making digitally at home as part of their hobbies. It is a delight to celebrate these personal achievements with students, no matter how great or small they might seem. I have also enjoyed walking around lessons seeing the stunning artwork that is being produced across all year groups, smelling the apple crumbles cooked by year 7 and seeing year 9 engage so maturely with technical rates of reaction experiments in Science.

Lastly I just wanted to personally thank all the parents who took time to engage with our parental survey. It has been heartwarming reading the responses from so many parents about what the academy is doing well, just a few of which are shared below, and we also appreciate the feedback about what we can continue to do better.

'The school for me is not just about Education but about developing young people into good citizens in all aspects of their life and having respect for themselves and the wider community. I like the fact there are defined boundaries and these are enforced but also that students are praised and recognised for good effort and behaviour. Their is also a variety of extra curricular clubs to cater for all interests.'

'Overall my son is thriving at this School, he has developed good relationships with peers and teachers and is maturing into a well rounded young person. He understands boundaries and consequences and i feel that this will set him in good stead as he becomes a young adult.'

'Leigh academy Rainham offer a wide range of clubs/activities which help my child with social interaction , physical exercise and learning new skills. Staff are polite, friendly and show enthusiasm in my child’s development. The school has high but achievable expectations when it comes to behaviour and respecting each other. I particularly like that Leigh do not allow smart phones, this was a big factor when applying for schools, taking away the worry of children on social media during school and distracting them from learning, also lowering the chances of cyber bullying.'

Thank you all for your valuable ongoing support and feedback,

Miss Millward

Principal

College Attendance

Angelou - 95.2%

Kingsley - 94.2%

Turing - 93.5%

College Reward Points

(year to date)

Angelou - 15,268

Kingsley - 13,766

Turing - 16,449

Academy Updates

Community Lunch Leaders

This week we started trialling our MYP 'Services in Action' having 'student leaders' support with community lunch in response to student feedback that not everyone is taking equal responsibility to keep our dining hall clean. This is a model we have seen work effectively in high performing schools that have fostered a real sense of community spirit.

A different form group from each year group takes responsibility for helping to clear the dining hall of litter each week. The students from each form are divided into 5 groups of 6 and each group spends some time towards the end of lunch acting as student leaders to help clean the dining hall one day of the week. By the end of the week every member of the form has played their part in helping to keep our beautiful academy clean. Students are issued high vis vests and litter pickers and issued reward points once they have completed their task. This was trialled last week with Mr Geary's and Mr Judge's forms and has been well received by students who have all taken part. Well done to all who have set an example this week as model LEIGH learners, embracing their part to play in our community!

Particular thanks and recognition to students such as Michael F and Daniel A (Turing) who will regularly help to clean the dining hall without being asked, receiving reward points every time they complete this voluntary service in action.

Careers Education in Form Time

Over the past fortnight, our students have been learning about career pathways using our careers website, Unifrog. They have been finding out about their current skills and interests and how these might translate into potential career choices. In Year 9, students have thought about how their GCSE subject choices might play a role in forming their future career pathways. In Year 7 and 8, students looked at case studies of changing careers, so all students know there is not just one career path, nothing is written in stone, and that careers can change several times in a person's lifetime. In Year 9, students learned that there are so many different avenues of education which can all lead down rewarding careers, such as A-Levels, T-levels, apprenticeships, BTECs, colleges and universities.

Our careers fortnight also included guest speakers who spoke about their real life experience in their careers. Chris Tasker, software developer from Fivium UK, delivered an assembly to our Year 7s. Our own Ms Rohmat gave a talk to our Year 8s on her experience of working and studying in the Arts. Year 9s had an opportunity to see two guest speakers in the last week of Module 3: BAE Systems in Rochester delivered a virtual assembly about their apprenticeship education programme for post 16 students and finally, Chris Burgess, network engineer, spoke about his experience working around the world. A huge thank you to all guest speakers who contributed and also a big thank you to Mr Bedford who helped put together some very informative lessons for Year 7 and 8. -Mr Harwood (Careers Coordinator)

KS4 Dance

On Monday, February 26th, Mrs. Rowe (Head of Dance) will be visiting our school and hosting a special event designed specifically for students interested in Dance at KS4. Here's what's in store:

Seminar: (3:30 PM - 4:00 PM) Mrs. Rowe will lead an engaging seminar about Dance as a GCSE subject. She'll introduce students to the curriculum, different dance styles, assessment methods, and the incredible benefits of studying Dance, from fostering creativity and teamwork to building confidence and physical agility.
Dance Workshop: (4:00 PM - 5:00 PM) Get ready to move! Following the seminar, Mrs. Rowe will lead a fun and informative dance workshop. This hands-on experience will give students a taste of what Dance lessons are like, allowing them to explore movement, express themselves creatively and experience the joy of dance.

Please note that PE kit will be required for the workshop.

We highly encourage all students interested in Dance, regardless of their experience level, to attend this exciting event. It's a fantastic way to get inspired, learn more about this dynamic subject, and make an informed decision about their GCSE choices. A Google Form will be posted onto the Year 9 Cohort on Google Classroom. Please secure your spot by completing the form by Friday 23rd February.

Family Quiz Night

Please join us for our PTA family quiz night on Friday 15th March! Maximum 8 people per team, £10 entry fee per team (payable via parentpay). Bring a bottle (or two) and plenty of snacks for what promises to be a fun evening for the whole family. Mr Clark is excited to be your quiz-master, as ever!

Artwork

We are proud to share two fantastic google sites that our art department have put together, showcasing the amazing artwork that has been produced by our year 7 and 9 students. Please take a look at all the amazing work that has been produced.

Sporting Fixtures

It has been another busy but successful two weeks within the PE department with multiple fixtures and numerous victories.

In basketball the year 7 and 8 team built on their previous victory over Hundred of Hoo with a 21-11 win against Robert Napier School. Riley, Ben, Joe and Harvey were dominant in a fantastic display against a developing school. The students listened and applied all the information they were being told and came away with a fantastic result.

The year 9 team are competing in a tough year 9 and 10 league meaning they face multiple year 10 students all well above 6 feet. This does not deter them however and they approach every game with a fantastic attitude. They narrowly lost to a very experienced Robert Napier side but played some outstanding basketball throughout the game.

They did however bounce straight back against a strong Waterfront UTC side winning 50-47 with seconds to spare. Kaiden proved he is destined for good things scoring multiple 3 pointers and scoring 38 points on his own!

In rugby the year 7 and 8 team continue their development with 2 games and 2 wins. A fine display against Hundred of Hoo winning 35-20 was dominated by Riley who powerfully brushed aside the opposition. He was not finished there however as he led the charge against a good Greenacre side, helping us to another 35-20 win. Riley’s strength, determination and power was unstoppable on the day and he should be hugely proud of his performance, we feel lucky to have him on our team.

Special mention also to Dom in year 9 who went along with the year 7 and 8 rugby team to help coach them. His passion for the sport and willingness to improve is contagious and has been a big factor in our improvement as a school.

Office Updates

Lost property in Student Services

We currently have a high volume of lost property in student services, if your student has lost anything please kindly ask them to visit student services to take a look.

Parentpay top ups during the school day

Please note that we will no longer be phoning home during the school day regarding top ups of parent pay, please ensure your child has sufficient funds on their parentpay accounts if they require food from Cucina.

Measles

Many of you will have heard reports from local and national media outlets regarding the increase in the number of measles cases across some areas of the country. Please check the NHS website for more information.

The Department for Education has published a new blog relating to school children and schools What to do if you think your child has measles and when to keep them off school - The Education Hub (blog.gov.uk). Please follow the guidance and inform us if you believe your child has measles.

Upcoming Events

PTA Quiz

Please note that the Friday 2nd February date has been postponed, the new date is Friday 15th March.

Mary Poppins Show

Thursday 27th and Friday 28th June 2024 starting at 6:00pm.

Co-Curricular Clubs

Please note that students now have an opportunity to sign up to after school clubs via the SOCs website and view what clubs are available each week. We expect all students to try and attend at least one club. Please do encourage your child to get involved in any of the multitude of clubs available after school Monday to Friday (bar Wednesday).

Please discuss with your child which clubs they would like to attend and support them to do so. Their login details have been sent to their school emails and passwords can be reset via this email too.

The full complement of our clubs offer can be found on our website here.