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Welcome to the Leigh Academy Mascalls Parent Update, your first stop for all academy news and events.
Dear Parents and Guardians,
It's a genuine pleasure to welcome you back to a new academic year at Mascalls Academy. I'm writing today to share a summary of our first week back, which has been overwhelmingly positive and full of energy, despite the particularly wet start to the autumn term!
We've had a hugely positive start, especially for our new Year 7 students. They have been navigating the academy site expertly, finding their way to lessons, and even ensuring they are getting on the correct buses at the end of the day! Hearing their stories of their favourite lessons in the lunch queue has been a highlight, along with watching their friendships start to grow at break and lunchtime. Their enthusiasm and positive attitude have been absolutely fantastic, and we are all very proud of how well they've settled in. Equally as enthusiastic have been our new cohort of Year 12 students. They have fully embraced the transition to the Sixth Form, demonstrating a mature and proactive approach to their studies. We've been particularly impressed with their engagement in lessons and their willingness to take on new academic challenges. It's clear they are ready for the exciting journey ahead, and we are confident they will thrive in their chosen subjects.
To kick off the new school year, Mr. Reader and I held assemblies with all students. During these sessions, we spoke about the importance of working together as a team. We emphasized that we are so much stronger when we work as a collective: a partnership of students, parents, and academy staff. To bring this message to life, I shared the recent success of former Mascalls students, "The Polygons," who recently headlined the Local and Live festival. These four ex-students formed their band while at Mascalls, and their journey truly embodies what we aim for with all of our students: to find something they love, work hard at it, and achieve great things. Their success is a brilliant example of how passion and dedication, combined with the support of our community, can lead to incredible outcomes.
During each of our College assemblies on Monday we also officially launched our new conduct cards for all students. This initiative is designed to celebrate students for making the right choices and doing the right thing. At the same time, it provides a structured way for students to learn from any mistakes they may make. This system will help us to consistently recognise and reinforce positive behaviour throughout the academy. For more information on the Conduct card and the detention system, please refer to the letter sent yesterday by Mr Reader.
At the end of today we have a large amount of lost property, particularly Year 7 boys PE kit where some have picked up the incorrect bag, can I please ask that you name their PE bags / kit so we can help identify any missing items.
I want to thank you all for your continued support as we embark on this new academic year. It's set to be a fantastic one, and I look forward to working with you to make it a great experience for all of our students.
Kind regards,
Mrs Brooks - Principal
Investment in our Academy Campus
Investment in our Academy Campus
The beginning of the school year also brings exciting news about the extensive building works that took place over the summer holidays. Our fantastic site team have been working hard to improve our campus for everyone. The most significant change has been the demolition of the 1950s-built B block. Many of our Mascalls parental community were taught in these classrooms and members of staff who are ex students were fascinated at seeing the demolition in progress and reminiscing of their maths lessons in there years ago! There was an unavoidable delay to the demolition at the start of the holidays, but the block has now been successfully demolished (see picture to the left). Groundworks will begin next week to create a new, increased covered space for students, which we expect to be completed in the next few weeks.
Additionally, students will have noticed the renovation works in C block which has included the creation of a new Earhart College student office. We have also undertaken the rather unglamorous, but essential re-roofing of both F and C blocks to ensure our buildings are secure and well-maintained. We have had the CCTV coverage of the site enhanced by 16 cameras covering the majority of outside areas of the academy. Finally, the entire academy site has been rebranded with our new logo.
Chromebooks in Lessons 💻
Chromebooks in Lessons 💻
We believe that technology is a powerful tool to enhance learning, which is why every student has a Chromebook. We use these devices to support a blended learning approach, where face-to-face teaching is seamlessly integrated with digital resources. This allows students to access materials and information when they need it, fostering collaboration and independent learning. Teachers use the Google Suite to facilitate group projects, provide instant feedback on student work, share resources and for students to access online programmes to support learning outside of the classroom such as Sparx Reader (KS3 and 4), Sparx Maths (KS3 and 4), Tassomai (KS4) and Uplearn (KS5).
It is a key part of our strategy to develop digitally literate students who can question, justify, and evaluate information effectively, skills that are crucial in the modern world. We really appreciate your support as parents in ensuring that their Chromebooks are brought in each day and are charged overnight to ensure that the charge lasts for the school day. We would also recommend purchasing a protective case for the chromebooks from Amazon if you are able to to help protect it from any unnecessary damage.
Student Oracy
Student Oracy
We are also prioritising oracy, which is the ability to speak fluently and grammatically and to be able to articulate one's thoughts and ideas. Oracy is a skill which is just as important as reading, writing and numeracy and in an increasingly digital world it is crucial we support the development of a balance of skills in our students. All industries require effective communicators, and it is so important that Mascalls students are confident in communicating in all situations.
We are creating more opportunities for students to talk in lessons in order to synthesise their thoughts and to learn and to bounce ideas of their peers and their teachers. By teaching students to articulate what they have learned and why it matters, we are not only improving their communication skills but also deepening their understanding of a topic. This focus on oracy builds confidence, improves social skills, and prepares students for a world where effective communication is key to success in any career. We would really appreciate your support in the home is asking your child to discuss elements of what they have learnt in a lesson.
Please see below some examples of questions you could ask your child about their learning to support you in understanding how your child is feeling about their learning and also what topics they have been learning about:
"What's one thing you found interesting today?"
"What was the biggest challenge you faced in your learning today?"
"If you had to teach someone else one thing you learned today, what would it be?"
"Did you get to work with a new person or in a new group today?"
"What's something you're looking forward to learning next?"
Dates for the diary:
Dates for the diary:
Wednesday 10th September - Year 7 & 8 Information Evening
Thursday 11th September - Year 9 & 10 Information Evening
Tuesday 16th September - Year 11 Information Evening
Wednesday 17th September - Year 12 & 13 Information Evening
Friday 19th September - School Photographs for Years 7,9,11,12 and 13
Wednesday 1st October - Open Evening 4-7pm
Tuesday 7th October, Thursday 9th October and Wednesday 15th October - Open Mornings' 9:10 am-11:00 am
Friday 17th October - Last day of term
Monday 3rd November - Students Return (Week 2 Timetable)
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