LAR Virtual Newsletter

Academy Updates 

Contacting the Academy

We would like to remind all parents that the best way to contact the academy and have your query resolved swiftly is to email the college or inclusion mailbox directly for your child. The main office is very busy and there can sometimes be unavoidable delays passing messages to the college, or relevant team, when a call has been taken by reception, instead of college teams. From September we will have direct phonelines for each college, but in the meantime please email all queries to the following addresses so we can sure to respond well within our 48 hour window. 

kingsleycollege@leighacademyrainham.org.uk

turingcollege@leighacademyrainham.org.uk

angeloucollege@leighacademyrainham.org.uk

inclusion@leighacademyrainham.org.uk

Energy Drink Consequences and Awareness

Here at LAR we strive to promote a healthy environment for our students. I wanted to raise awareness about the risks associated with consuming energy drinks in the morning. These beverages often contain high levels of sugar, which can negatively impact your child's health and well-being such as: increased anxiety, poor concentration and disrupted sleep patterns.

As a school we kindly request that you consider redirecting the funds and money you may give to your child and allocating this to your child's ParentPay account. This will help your child purchase healthier alternatives instead of items outside of school like sweets and sugary drinks, which are banned as per our school policy and will be confiscated by the school.

We at LAR, thank you for your attention to this matter and your commitment to promoting a healthier lifestyle for your child.

PE Kits

As we enter the summer months please be aware that students should attend their PE lessons with a full water bottle, sunscreen if required and appropriate clothing, this includes either a skort, leggings or normal sport shorts. We will not be accepting cycling shorts or Nike Pro shorts as they are deemed inappropriately for PE lessons. Similarly, please note that students are required to have a black drawstring bag for their PE lessons to carry their PE kit. 

STEM Day

On Friday 10th May 2024, we had our second annual STEM drop down day. Y7 and Y8 students participated in a carousel of activities with a STEM focus and WW2 theme, as this was the most popular theme in our Student Voice at the end of the STEM drop down day in 2023! They really enjoyed the day, with an opportunity to learn about rationing, morse code, and the Blitz. 

For the first time, Year 9 got to choose between 6 different pathways, and the groups were a mixture of students from different colleges and sets. They had many external visitors and speakers on the different pathways, and we were fortunate enough for these visitors to stay for a student-led interview panel at the end of the day. 

A big thank you to all the staff and visitors for helping to run the day, and provide such an amazing experience for our students. 

Year 7 Dover Castle Trip

Last Thursday and Friday our Year 7 students went on an exciting trip to Dover Castle! 

This was a jam-packed few days filled with lots of fantastic interactive activities for our students. On both days our students were able to explore the tunnels around Dover Castle, some of which dated back to the Napoleonic Era! Some students went to the Underground Hospitals and were immersed in the dark and cramped that many nurses and soldiers found themselves in after the evacuations of Dunkirk in the Second World War. Another group of our students got to experience the Operation Dynamo tunnels, in which the careful planning and execution of the Dunkirk evacuations took place. These were great tours hosted by English Heritage employees and many of our students had some fantastic questions about the Second World War during these experiences. Whilst these students toured the tunnels under Dover Castle, the remaining groups explored the First World War lookout tower. Here, students had a chance to test a Morse Code machine, look through some binoculars at Dover Port, and experience first-hand what it would have been like controlling the guns that protected Dover's Admiralty Harbour. 

Our students who attended on Thursday showed great resilience in the face of some poor weather and made a great impression of Leigh Academy Rainham to the public. On Friday we had much better weather and our students enjoyed eating their lunch around the Great Tower! After lunch on Thursday and Friday students had a chance to buy souvenirs in the gift shops, and explore the interactive museum about King Henry VII and the PWRR and Queen's Museum. Students may have also seen the St Mary sub Castro (St Mary below the castle) church within the Dover Castle grounds if time permitted! Finally, our students travelled all the way through the Great Tower, built between 1180-1189 by King Henry VII. Year 7 got a feel for monarchic life as they explored the castle's throne room, bedrooms, lookout posts, and kitchen! It was a long way up and a long way back down, but worth it for the view of France on Friday!

Year 7 had a fantastic day off site exploring Dover Castle and revisiting our topic on the Norman Conquest from Module 2, and we hope that they came home with lots of fantastic stories to tell about their trip!

Rewards Day - 19th July 

The staff at Leigh Academy Rainham are delighted to announce that we will be holding a last day of term rewards event to celebrate the end of the year and reward students who have worked so well during the year. This rewards event will be advertised to students at the beginning of Module 6 and there will be certain criteria your child will need to meet to attend this rewards day. All will be revealed in Module 6!