LAR  NEWSLETTER 

13/02/25 , Module 3

As we come to the end of module 3 and reach the midpoint of the school year I would like to congratulate all our students for their efforts so far, especially those who have been celebrated for going above and beyond in the College Reward Assemblies. I was proud to award Adam H (year 9 Kingsley) and Bow T (Year 8 Angelou) with the Principal's Award. Both these students have had exceptional attendance, over 230 reward points each and 0 negative reward points all year. These model LEIGH learners continually show kindness and respect towards others and involve themselves in other aspects of academy life and are both incredibly deserving of this award. 

I would also like to take time to thank the 180 parents who completed the parent survey and provided feedback on online safety, children's experiences in school and the SEND support offered. There was much to celebrate from the positive views shared with approximately 85% of respondents feeling their child is safe, happy and well taught in school and over 90% of parents feel confident in supporting their child's online safety.

Some parents did not feel confident in knowing the curriculum their child is studying this year or how the academy contributes to their child's personal development, so I wanted to take the opportunity to reshare the curriculum pages so all parents can be aware of what content is being studied to refer back to:

KS3 Subject Content

Personal Development

We will use our fortnightly newsletters to respond to other aspects of the survey where parents shared they do not necessary have full confidence in understanding aspects of academy life of the support children continue to receive here. I wish all our families a wonderful relaxing holiday and we look forward to seeing all our students refreshed next module. 

Mrs Cramlington

Principal

Kent Teacher of the Year 2025 Nomination Form

We believe that everyone working in the education system plays a vital role in shaping the future of our children. From the dedicated teachers who inspire and educate, to the support staff who keep everything running smoothly, we recognise the hard work and dedication of each and every person who contributes to our schools. We have already had 10 nominations for staff from our community which is fantastic news. 

That's why we're excited to invite you to make your nominations for Kent Teacher of the Year 2025 awards. The deadline is Friday 28th February 2025

Please use the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWUFCIRZCn5Y_sNVy0kAE2wZh3KwXSFUaCYNtkTz1O0GHg_w/viewform

MyChildAtSchool Users

We've noticed that some parents haven't activated their MCAS account. This is very important that you do so to ensure you are up-to-date with what's upcoming in the academy, your child's detentions, if we need to close the school etc. If you're struggling to do so then please contact your child's college so we can arrange to get this set up for you.

Detentions

If you need to check when your child has a detention, this can be found on the 'My Child at School' app under 'Detentions'. This will say how long they've got and if any detentions for the next day. If you need to move the detention due to a medical appointment then please can we ask that you email your child's college with notice and provide the medical evidence. 

World Book Day

We are delighted to announce that this year, students at LAR will have the opportunity to dress up to celebrate World Book Day. In response to feedback gathered through a student vote, the majority expressed enthusiasm for dressing up, and we are pleased to honour this choice as part of our ongoing efforts to foster a love of literacy within our school community.

On Friday, 7th March, students are invited to come to school dressed as a character from a book of their choice. To ensure a positive and respectful celebration, we kindly ask that all costumes adhere to the following guidelines:

• Appropriate Dress: Costumes must be suitable for a school environment, avoiding anything overly revealing, scary, or otherwise inappropriate.

• Weather-Appropriate: Please ensure costumes are practical and account for the weather.

• Book-Related: Costumes should represent characters from books. To reinforce the connection to literacy, we encourage students to bring a printout of the book’s front cover or, even better, a physical copy of the book.

For students who prefer not to dress up, full school uniform must be worn as usual on the day.

World Book Day is an important occasion at LAR, celebrating literacy and the joy of reading are at the heart of our school’s mission. We hope this event will inspire creativity and further our shared commitment to fostering a lifelong love of learning. There are a number of activities happening throughout the day for our students to enjoy, including a visit from Nick Arnold, author of the Horrible Sciences series.

Our Year 10 Performing Arts students enjoyed a trip to the Marlowe Theatre to watch Dear Evan Hansen on Wednesday 5th February. They thoroughly enjoyed it and took a lot from this performance.

Well done to our Year 10s  for getting the highest across the trust. Keep up the good work!

This week we celebrated International Mother Language Day at LAR. Our staff and students got involved in a variety of activities across the academy that celebrate language and culture. 

Some of these activities were a dance showcase with both students and teachers performing dances from different countries, a Guess The Teacher activity where students try to work out which teacher is speaking in a different language and a Greetings Competition where both students and staff competed to see who could say different greetings in the most languages. Congratulations to Theo A, year 10,  who was able to say 32 greetings in different languages! But perhaps the highlight of the week was a photo display of teachers dressed in their national and cultural clothing. 

Overall, the International Mother Language Day events initiated impactful conversations and brought to the fore our commitment as an academy to valuing inclusion and belonging and celebrating the significance of all languages and cultures.

Rehearsals are underway in the dance studio. We are rehearsing hard and we can't wait for everyone to see this production at Summer!

Thank you so much to the parents who have already completed the parent survey sent out on the 27th January. 

We would love to get a higher completion rate as your voice counts! We have attached an updated 'You Said, We Did' document following the last parent and student voice to show we do listen and care about your feedback. 

Safer Internet Day 2025

As part of our commitment to online safety, we recently participated in Safer Internet Day (11/2/2025). As a school, we have signed each of our students up to the Online Safety Alliance. In form time, KS3 students have been working towards completing their Certificate of Online Safety, while our Year 10 students have been learning about the correct use of AI. These important topics will continue to be revisited throughout the year in form time and Computing lessons.

By staying informed and involved, parents can help their children navigate AI technology safely and responsibly. If you have concerns about AI use in school, please don’t hesitate to reach out to school staff for guidance and support.

What Parents Need to Know

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a bigger part of our children's daily lives, from schoolwork to social interactions. While AI has many benefits, it also comes with risks that parents should be aware of. Recently, there have been incidents where students have misused AI to generate inappropriate content, and concerns have been raised about plagiarism in schoolwork. This article aims to guide parents on how to support their children in using AI responsibly.

Inappropriate Content Generation

AI tools, including image and text generators, can create content that may not be appropriate for children. Some students have exploited these tools to generate harmful or explicit images, which can have serious consequences, including disciplinary action and potential legal implications. Parents should:

• Monitor their child’s use of AI-powered apps and websites.

• Encourage open discussions about digital responsibility and ethical AI use.

• Use parental controls and content filters where possible.

• Report any misuse to school authorities or relevant platforms.

Plagiarism and Academic Integrity

AI chatbots and writing tools can generate essays, reports, and other school assignments in seconds. While these tools can be helpful for research and idea generation, they also pose a risk to academic integrity. Students may be tempted to present AI-generated work as their own, which is considered plagiarism. To help prevent this:

• Encourage your child to use AI as a learning aid rather than a shortcut.

• Discuss the importance of originality and proper citation when using AI-generated content.

• Familiarise yourself with school policies on AI use and plagiarism.

• Use plagiarism detection tools if necessary to check their work.

Privacy and Data Security

Many AI applications collect and store user data. Students may unknowingly share personal information that could be misused. Parents should:

• Educate their children about the risks of sharing personal data online.

• Encourage them to use reputable AI platforms with strong privacy policies.

• Regularly review the apps and websites their child is using.

Critical Thinking and AI Literacy

AI-generated content is not always accurate or reliable. Teaching children how to fact-check and think critically about AI-generated information is essential. Parents can:

• Show their children how to verify facts from multiple sources.

• Encourage them to question AI responses rather than accept them at face value.

• Help them understand AI’s limitations and potential biases.

By staying informed and involved, parents can help their children navigate AI technology safely and responsibly. If you have concerns about AI use in school, please don’t hesitate to reach out to school staff for guidance and support.

Together, we can ensure a safe and responsible digital future for our children.