Dear Parents and Carers,

As we approach the end of a busy and productive term, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the incredible achievements of our students and share some important reminders.  A lovely way to end the term was with a number of students who attend Art Club, being asked to support the Churchill retirement home in Paddock Wood.  Students, along with Ms Charlton headed down armed with art supplies and spent the morning decorating the shop front.  It was lovely to visit and see members of the public popping their heads and congratulating our students on their artistic skills but also spreading some festive cheer in Paddock Wood!  See their efforts in the images below.  

It has been a wonderful week at Leigh Academy Mascalls as we held our Celebration Awards Assemblies. It is always a highlight of my week to see so many students recognised for their hard work, resilience, and contribution to our community. The sheer volume of positive recognition this year is a testament to the dedication of our students. We have issued over 11,000 Golden Tickets since the start of this academic year for students going above and beyond. Our most rewarded MYP traits are Principled and Knowledgeable, and our new MasStars awards, for students who have no signatures on their conduct card, have been awarded over 26,000 times throughout this first term.

Beyond the classroom, there has been so much more to celebrate across the Academy. From our spectacular dance and drama shows and enriching subject area trips to numerous sporting wins, our students continue to excel in all areas of Academy life. It is genuinely inspiring to see such high standards of behaviour, talent, and engagement across all year groups.

We would also like to take this opportunity to remind families of our Academy’s uniform expectations. Maintaining high standards of uniform helps ensure that all students can learn in a calm, safe, and professional environment. We believe these standards are vital because we want our students to have pride in themselves and in how they represent the Academy within the wider community.

Over the past two weeks, we have seen an increase in trainers being worn. Please note that if any students return in trainers following the Christmas break, sanctions will be implemented unless they have a formal medical exemption. Furthermore, fake eyelashes are unacceptable for school. It is not necessary for them to be worn in an educational environment, and students who choose to wear them will receive a sanction upon our return.

We strongly advise that students wear a coat when travelling to and from the Academy and when choosing to be outside at break or lunchtime. We currently have a significant number of unclaimed coats in lost property; therefore, we kindly ask that all coats and other clothing items are clearly labelled with your child’s name.

We would also like to remind families of the following uniform requirements:

• Skirts should be no shorter than knee length.

• Tights can be worn but must be black. No socks worn over tights.

• No leg warmers.

• Plain black school shoes - no trainers.

• No hoodies or tracksuit tops.

• A watch and one small stud is allowed to be worn in the lower earlobe. All other jewellery is not permitted.

We appreciate your continued support in helping us uphold these high expectations so that all students can thrive within a professional learning environment. If you have any queries or questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s College team.

Finally, I would like to wish all of our students and their families a very Merry Christmas and a restful festive break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed for the new year.

Yours sincerely,

Jo Brooks

Dance Department Update 

What a spectacular week for dance. Following the final curtain call of our annual show last week, we are still buzzing from the energy, talent, and dedication displayed on stage.

With over 100 dancers representing every year group, this year’s production was undeniably our best yet. From the moment the lights went up, the audience was treated to an exceptional selection of music that perfectly complemented the incredible range of choreography and technical skill demonstrated by our students.

Our performers showcased immense courage and stamina, performing to three sold-out evening shows as well as a special matinee for the students of Leigh Academy Paddock Wood. It was also particularly brilliant to see the significant number of boys within the dance troupe, highlighting the inclusive and powerful impact that dance has across our entire school community.

A production of this magnitude doesn’t happen without an extraordinary amount of behind-the-scenes work. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to Miss Horn and Miss Mitchell. They have poured their hearts and souls into this project, including dedicating countless hours to weekend rehearsals. Their vision and commitment have created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students—one that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

To every dancer who took part: we could not be prouder of you. You did not just perform; you moved the audience and represented the very best of LA Mascalls spirit!

PE Department Update 

Football

This module has seen our football teams contest 30 fixtures across Year 7 to 10. We have enjoyed a really successful season, including a standout performance from Year 8 who defeated Hadlow 11-0. A further highlight occurred last week against Bennett; despite being reduced to only 10 players due to illness and trailing 2-0 at half time, Year 8 rallied in the second half to secure a 4-2 victory.

Our Year 10 students also achieved a fantastic result against last year’s cup winners, Trinity, beating them 4-1 in a game watched by many members of staff. Students will find out if they have progressed to the West Kent Schools Cup finals day at the end of January. We would like to thank all parents and students for their continued support and effort toward the school football teams.

Girls Football

This module also marked the start of the Girls Football season. Following a summer event which saw over 100 girls participate, the school has developed two teams to compete in the local school's league. The U13s have played three games, winning two, with Evie finishing as top scorer in both victories. The U15s have played three matches and experienced all outcomes: one win, one draw, and one defeat. With training and games continuing into Module 3, we encourage all girls to keep up the hard work over the break.

Netball

The Year 7/8 team has displayed enthusiasm, determination, and a willingness to learn in every fixture. Their commitment in training has translated into competitive performances against teams such as LA Hugh Christie and LA Stationers, where they demonstrated improved passing accuracy, strong defensive pressure, and excellent teamwork. Regardless of results, the players consistently showed resilience and supported one another on court.

The Year 9/10 team has faced challenging matches against well-organised teams including Skinners’ Kent Academy and Hugh Christie. Their high level of effort and focus in training has been reflected in disciplined match play, effective communication, and strong leadership. We would like to give a special mention to our standout players who have made a consistent effort to improve: Chloe, Coco, Matilda, and Peggy.

LAT Tournaments

This module saw the introduction of a brand new Leigh Academies Trust event: Double Badminton. Mascalls participated in the Year 9/10 girls event and finished in 7th place. In the boys' event, the pair of Alex and George competed fantastically and finished as runners-up. An enormous well done to the pair, who worked extremely hard in the final only to fall to two national-level players.  An incredible achievement!

Clubs

This module has given students the opportunity to try something new as Mr. Townsend has been running Flag Football every Tuesday. Participation has been excellent and all years have enjoyed learning these new rules. As the football and netball seasons come to an end, the clubs curriculum will change. We will offer Rugby on Mondays with U13 and U15 teams entered into the local league and cup. Boxing returns on Tuesdays alongside Flag Football (based upon American Football), and Volleyball continues on Thursdays. Please keep an eye out for messages shared with students and parents regarding these opportunities.

Computer Science and IT Department Update 

The Bebras Computing Challenge is an international competition designed to introduce students to computational thinking. It involves a series of interactive puzzles and lateral-thinking problems that test logical reasoning and problem-solving skills without requiring any prior coding knowledge.

The challenge took place between 10th-21st November, and we are pleased to announce that the scores were released on 9th December. This year saw an incredible increase in engagement, with over 600 students taking part in comparison to 100 students last year. All KS3, Year 10, and Year 12 students performed very well. 

Participation in the Bebras Challenge offers significant benefits for our students’ future career aspirations. By tackling these puzzles, students develop core computational thinking skills—such as decomposition, pattern recognition, and abstraction—which are the same methodical problem-solving techniques used by software engineers and data scientists. Beyond the tech sector, these skills are highly valued in fields like engineering, medicine, law, and finance, where the ability to break down complex problems and design logical solutions is essential. High performance in this challenge is also a fantastic addition to a student's CV or university application, as it demonstrates academic curiosity and a high level of aptitude in logical reasoning.

We would like to recognize the following students who achieved the Best in Category for our school:

Year 7 - Juniors - Harrison, 7D - 132 points Year 8 and 9 - Intermediates - Mya, 9C - 112 points Year 10 - Seniors - Harry - 76 points Year 12 - Elites - Callum - 91 points

History Department Update 

It has been a busy and academic start to the year for the History Department at Leigh Academy Mascalls. From Year 7 students investigating the Norman Conquest and the consolidation of power to our Sixth Formers analyzing the Tudor dynasty and the USA, students have shown impressive engagement across the curriculum. This term has been particularly notable for the way students have embraced opportunities to connect their classroom studies with powerful historical evidence and real-world experiences.

In early December, Year 9 students were privileged to host Duncan Lustig-Prean, who shared the moving story of his mother’s escape from Nazi Germany. Through archival recordings and personal letters, students gained a deep understanding of the human impact of the Holocaust, moving beyond statistics to engage with the November pogroms of 1938 and the harrowing reality of family separation. Duncan also led classroom sessions exploring the evolution of international law, the distinction between war crimes and genocide, and the importance of learning from history to protect modern democracy. The students were highly praised for their exemplary conduct and the sophisticated, analytical questions they raised during these sessions.

The learning continued outside the classroom with two significant trips designed to enhance historical inquiry. A group of thirty students visited the Holocaust Galleries at the Imperial War Museum in London. They made strong academic connections between the museum’s collection of poignant personal artifacts—such as wedding rings and teddy bears—and the core textbooks that form the foundation of their lessons. Meanwhile, Year 12 and 13 students visited the National Archives to conduct primary source research on Tudor rebellions. Our Sixth Formers proved to be excellent paleographers, successfully transcribing 500-year-old handwriting to measure the threat level of the Pilgrimage of Grace and the Revolt of the Northern Earls. They were even able to examine the original signature of Henry VIII on his will and the famous Tide Letter written by Elizabeth I, a document with an estimated value of £20 million.

We are incredibly proud of the maturity and precision our students have shown this term, whether handling 16th-century manuscripts or discussing complex global ethics. We would like to thank you for your continued support and we wish all our families a restful festive break. We look forward to seeing everyone back for more historical discoveries in Module 3.

Dr Pollack - Head of History 

Art and Design department Update