During the last few months, it has been a busy month for sharing some of the great practice that takes place within LEO. LEO in the News aims to share a summary of the wide range of references to LEO in local, national and global publications.
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LEO Academy Trust's Annual Impact Report 2021
As we introduce this years’ LEO Academy Trust Impact Report, it gives us all great pleasure and pride in being able to recognise and celebrate the huge number of amazing experiences we had last year through what was a very difficult and unusual year. Although there was a lot of change and new ways of us learning in school and at home, many of the important parts of school didn’t change at all. We all knew that although our teachers were sometimes at home and sometimes in school, they still cared for us and still did their best to help us.
For the full report, click here
Manor Park's AfPE Quality Mark Award
In January, Manor Park Primary achieved the AfPE Quality Mark award with distinction in recognition of their excellent PE curriculum and extra curricular sports provision. Congratulations!
Cheam Common Juniors working with ASUS
It's been a great week in class at Cheam Common Juniors, as we begin working with ASUS to see how our 1:1 device programme is changing the way we teach. And, more importantly, we are looking at how our children learn. Watching their great practice happen every day across all of our academies has been incredible and we cannot wait to see how it will progress further in the future!
To watch the video, click here
LEO recognised as an EdTech50 organisation!
LEO Academy Trust is honoured to have been featured in the Edtech 50 Awards Yearbook 2021/2022 magazine!
The article says "Our judges were impressed by their digital literacy, including in helping another school, not part of their Trust, for the duration of the pandemic."
We are delighted with this recognition of our hard work throughout COVID and after with our amazing 1:1 device programme.
For the full article, click here
Our success was also recognised in an article on TES! Our organisation was praised for our "spearheaded efforts to get all children a Chromebook and provide disadvantaged students with internet connectivity free of charge."
For the full article, click here
LEO supports DfE webinar on 1:1 Device Schemes
As one of 42 EdTech Demonstrator Schools selected by the Department for Education, Cheam Common Juniors provides comprehensive and bespoke EdTech support to a number of schools and colleges across England. In addition to this, LEO has delivered a number of national DfE webinars, including one exploring the effective process to implementing a 1:1 device scheme. Graham Macaulay (Director of Innovation and Growth) joined Dominic Norrish (United Learning) and James Hoyle (Skipton Girls' High School) for an interesting panel session exploring some of these challenges and how to overcome these.
To watch the session please visit here.
ArborFest 2021
LEO Academy Trust were delighted to be asked to speak on the main stage at Arbor Fest 2021.
This is a leading EdTech MIS event which explored innovative and forward thinking ways of working within the school environment. Graham Macaulay (Director of Innovation and Growth) alongside James Garnett from United Learning outlined some of the digital transformation work which has taken place within LEO and looked at how the Department for Education EdTech Demonstrator programme can support schools and colleges across the country.
For more information on this exciting programme, click here.
Cheam Common Infants Healthy Schools Bronze Award
Throughout the year, Cheam Common infants' Teacher, Laura Champness, collected evidence of our amazing work we have done to better wellbeing. After applying for the Healthy Schools Bronze, we are delighted to have found out that we have been awarded the award!
Well done Mrs Champness- this is a great achievement!
Anti-Bullying: How can we teach kindness?
In article for Headteacher update, Julaan Govier and Gemma Hennessey, teachers at LEO Academy Trust, discuss the impact of lockdowns, self-isolation, and remote learning for our pupils. They noticed less tolerance, patience, and willingness to collaborate. So, they set about teaching their pupils to ‘be kind’.
At LEO Academy Trust, we believe kindness, empathy, and inclusion should underpin the whole learning experience, and we promote this through lessons, assemblies, and our overall daily conduct. It is important that children understand the importance of treating others how they would like to be treated. By doing so at a young age, they can become the best form of themselves and allow their peers to thrive too.
Click here to read the full article
Should Schools Ban Phones or Embrace Technology in Education?
With an increasing number of parents seeing smartphones as a distraction in schools, particularly in the classroom, questions are arising about whether they should be completely banned, or whether they can actually be managed in such a way that they can benefit children and their education. Despite the temptation to use personal mobiles devices for inappropriate reasons in the classroom, Teach-Now finds that some schools are embracing them and even Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies. Yet the UK government has also proposed a ban on schoolchildren using them in schools.
In an article with Teach-Now, Graham Macaulay- Director of Innovation and Growth at LEO Academy Trust- says none of his pupils bring in a mobile device. They are instead supplied by the Trust to every one of its students. Their personal devices at left at the school office for safe-keeping, and so they are not used during the school day.
He adds: “We have no BYOD on site at all. We are primary schools, but there is an uptake of this in secondaries, so I would guess that 50% of the pupils bring in their own mobile device and this is partly because of COVID.”
Click here to read the full article
LEO Academy Trust establish sister school in Chengdu
Brookfield Primary Academy, Cheam Park Farm Academy, Manor Park Primary Academy, Cheam Field Primary Academy and Cheam Common Junior Academy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with their partnered schools in Tianfu, Chengdu to initiate their new Sister School Partnerships. During the signing ceremony, students and teachers introduced their school, local area and their goals for the partnership.
Philip Hedger, CEO of LEO Academy Trust, said: “At LEO Academy, we aim to develop our pupils as active citizens in a global community. True Education Partnership’s Sister School Programme offers us a perfect way to realise this ambition. I was proud to join our Principals, and some of our pupils, as we took part in a virtual ceremony with schools from Chengdu this week.
The opportunity to meet students and staff from our new sister schools, was incredibly inspiring for our children. Many of them are learning to speak Mandarin and this programme really helps to bring their learning to life. They are fascinated to learn about other cultures and cannot wait to talk to students from Chengdu and explore first hand, what life is like in China.
We are looking forward to forming a really special partnership with our sister schools in the years ahead. One based on friendship, collaboration and learning. The Global Schools Alliance helps to make this possible, through a very accessible platform and great support for teachers.”
Bringing global learning to life with Lyfta - PNE
Staff from across LEO Academy Trust attended Lyfta’s global learning webinars to learn how to use the platform and weave the resources into lessons and assemblies. We have been using Lyfta to support the LEO pupil outcomes, which include active citizenship, collaboration and leadership, as well as to help with ambitions to weave global citizenship and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals into the curriculum.
For the full article, click here.
Sutton United partners with LEO Academy Trust to create football-inspired resources for pupils
As part of the Primary Curriculum Project, LEO Academy Trust pupils from Cheam Common Junior Academy piloted a behind-the-scenes tour of Sutton United, meeting manager Matt Gray and some of the players, including Richie Bennett, Louis John, and Enzio Boldewijn. Following the tour, the children will engage with a wide range of football-inspired resources and lessons in the classroom including Art, PSHE, History and Maths.
The Sutton United-based lessons and resources, which have been created by LEO Academy Trust teachers, offer a fun and engaging way for pupils to enrich their learning. Pupils from schools across Sutton and beyond will be able to access exclusive player interviews, design their own football kits, learn about the history of football, study local geography and many more activities.
For the full article, click here.
Wellbeing In Our Schools Action Research Report (2019-2021)
At LEO Academy Trust we are dedicated to raising standards in teaching and learning and improving
the achievement of all pupils and as such we pride ourselves in also providing our staff with a vast range of professional development opportunities in order to support this. One of these opportunities includes the option to take part in action research projects in order to investigate a particular area of challenge and to then use what we find out to improve standards even further for all. We are committed to developing a culture of research within our Trust where our staff engage in research to deepen their own professional understanding and to also drive forward innovative practice across all schools within the Trust and beyond.
For the full report, click here.
How to achieve high-quality writing
Shareen Wilkinson is the Director of Teaching and Learning here at the LEO Academy Trust. She has been in education for the past 20 years, and in that time has covered many different roles. Her specialist subject is English, and in her video on IdeaStream, talks about how to improve writing across a primary school. She gives tips that we use across LEO, and from her own experience.
For the full video, click here.
LEO Academy Trust customer story with TextHelp!
Here at LEO Academy Trust Trust we value learning, excellence, and opportunity for all. This is driven by our shared goal to give every child a first class education.
A key part of this is technology for learning, as CEO Phillip Hedger comments:
“EdTech underpins everything we are trying to do. It’s changing the way that children learn and the way that teachers teach. It’s driving more creative practices to tasks and sits at the heart of each classroom.”
For the full article, click here.
A Night Full of Stars!
It was a privilege for LEO Academy Trust to be invited to attend St Raphael's first ever awards ceremony, ‘A Night Full of Stars’!
Representing LEO at this event was Graham Macaulay and Ellie Powis, who celebrated the wonderful work preformed by this amazing local charity. Graham Macaulay says "It's great to see so many truly exceptional organisations in the local area supporting such a worthwhile cause."
We are extremely proud to support St Raphael's Hospice as one of our local community partners.
Cheam Park Farm with the Martin Lewis Money Show
LEO is very excited to announce that we have been contacted about a brilliant opportunity for Cheam Park Farm pupils to appear on an episode of 'The Martin Lewis Money Show'. The Centres of Excellence nominated Cheam Park Farm as the primary school they would like to be represented nationally alongside a secondary school. The show is due to be aired around October half term; we can't wait!
On Thursday 28th October at 8:30pm, our pupils at Cheam Park Farm Primary appeared on ITV in the Martin Lewis Money Show! Here, the children shared their views on various money matters, and why we believe in the importance of Financial Education.
Festival of Inclusive Education with TextHelp
Universal Design for Learning is a framework for teaching that improves and optimises teaching and learning for all, based on how people learn. It helps teachers identify barriers to learning and develop solutions for every learner.
During this session with TextHelp, leading educators Tracy Galvin and Cheryl Shirley explain how UDL can act as a foundation for an inclusive and accessible primary education experience.
Later, Rachel Townsend spoke with a Cheam Fields Pupil about the benefits of having a 1:1 device, and how it has helped her learning.
To view the session, click here
Case study with LGfL: The Picoh Pilot
Cheam Common Juniors discusses how they used a cross-curricular approach, developing english; maths; and computing lessons using the Near Space Launch as a stimulus. To develop pupil's coding skills, they worked collaboratively to code two Picohs to have a 'conversation'. The Near Space Launch materials were used to teach maths using the data gathered from the launch.
For more information, click here.
The Importance of a fully immersive experience
At LEO Academy Trust, we see teaching MfL as a key part of not only developing our pupils’ language and communication skills but also providing them with the opportunity to understand other ways of living and become more informed, tolerant and cultured global citizens. In an article with The Headteacher, Chris Ansell (Mandarin Language Lead) describes Cheam Fields' virtual week in China and how they navigated the challenges.
For the full article, click here.
Remote education blended delivery case studies
Schools have written case studies to share how they have approached teaching classes of pupils both in-school and remotely. The aim for these case studies is to provide an opportunity to celebrate the hard work and progress schools have made in remote education and its different forms throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here, LEO discusses how we shifted to teaching in the context of COVID-19, and how we created a blended delivery approach; where teachers were successfully supported to educate children from nursery to key stage 2 both in school (face to face) and at home (remotely).
For the full article, click here.
Sister School Case Study
True Education Partnerships (TEP) are the most trusted provider of immersive educational student exchanges between the UK and China. Their Government-backed Sister School Partnership programme creates bilaterally beneficial links between UK and Chinese schools. The programme consists of immersive student exchanges, pedagogy exchanges, participation in joint projects and curriculum enrichment. This is an opportunity for schools to help students develop skills that allow them to succeed in education, work and society
For the full article, click here.
True Education Partnerships are delighted to confirm that 6 UK Sister Schools will visit their partnered school in China in Spring 2022.
LEO Academy Trust (across four schools) are amongst the 114 schools that will receive funding under the scheme.
The schools will visit their sister schools in Ningbo, Taicang, Xi’an and Hangzhou to build on their partnership set up by TEP as part of the Sister School Partnerships programme.
For the full article, click here.
The Economist - Cancel Culture
Is it ever OK to stop someone from sharing their opinion? Some people think so - and news stories about cancel culture are on the rise. But does cancelling someone achieve justice? Or is there a better option?
For the full article, click here.
National Schools Commissioner Visits LEO
In September, we were delighted to welcome Dominic Herrington, National Schools Commissioner, and Claire Burton, Regional Schools Commissioner for the South East & South London, to LEO. Dominic and Claire spent a day with us at Cheam Common Junior Academy. We shared how we have been supporting pupils and the local community throughout Covid-19, to continue receiving the best possible education experience and extracurricular opportunities.
Dominic & Claire visited lessons and met pupils and staff from across the school. They were very impressed with our provision and we look forward to working with them both again in 2022.
Education Executive Summer 2021
Chief operating officer, Nicky Gillhespy, speaks to Education Executive about her most impressive achievements, her role as a SBM, and much more!
For the full article, click here.
CEO, Phillip Hedger, shares a CEO's perspective on technology
Technology and innovative practice lies at the heart of the way in which the LEO Academy Trust operates. This podcast, including Patrick McGrath (head of education strategy at TextHelp), and Phillip Hedger (CEO) look at some of the implications of implementing technology as a CEO of a Multi Academy Trust.
To listen to the full podcast, click here.
Cheam Common Junior Academy wins prestigious BETT award!
Collaboration is a key aspect of how the LEO Academy Trust functions, and we are delighted to have been awarded a prestigious BETT award in collaboration with LGFL and Reading Zone Live. This is after the completion of a fantastic project with staff building an online reading scheme for teachers globally.
Judges have commented that;
"The judges felt that this was an outstanding, detailed and pedagogy-led project with excellent results and potential for wider impact and scalability. A focus on reading and comprehension feeds into writing skills, and with the additional support for speaking and listening, the programme has a wide benefit for all learners. The materials and scheme are responsive to students, and properly address SEND and EAL. Content is diverse and inclusive to inspire all children. The judges were impressed by the meaningful collaboration between LGfL and the school, with the school improvement resulting from this project demonstrating how such partnerships can promote a culture of discovery and aspiration among teachers."
For more details, click here.
Pan-London research project publishes findings.
Which aspects of remote learning should we hold onto, even when we’re all back in the classroom? In a video for 'The Key', Shareen Wilkinson and Graham Macaulay reveal what a pan-London group of school leaders, teachers and subject experts said they wanted to keep or ditch from their experience of teaching primary English during the pandemic. Find out how to keep using technology to enhance reading and writing, how to reduce workload by taking moderation and homework online, and how to make parents’ engagement with their children’s learning last long beyond lockdown.
For the full findings, click here.
Cheam Fields' award for Best School Garden!
Huge congratulations to Cheam Fields Primary Academy, who are delighted to announce that they have won the Sutton Award for the 'Best School Garden'!
Thank you to Miss Shaw (Principal), Mrs Joseph (Forest School Leader), and all of the staff and pupils at Cheam Fields who have worked hard to develop such a beautiful outdoor learning environment.
How to handle staff conflicts in schools
If you have a fallout between two teachers, do you think there is a point when the LM needs to step in and intervene? And how do you know you’ve reached that point? This article includes some expert advice from Phillip Hedger (CEO), and Shan Moylan (COO) on managing conflict.
For the full article, click here.
LEO shares excellence at BESA LearnED Conferences
LEO Academy trust have been approached to deliver a session at 8 of the 9 LearnED roadshows being run by BESA around the country from September to March. Dominic Norrish (United Learning COO) and James Garnett supported by DfE EdTech Demonstrator schools including LEO, will be running a session on interactive workgroup discussions provisionally titled School digital strategies: How leading schools are implementing sustained change.
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