LAR  NEWSLETTER 

 05/12/2025 , Module 2

It not often that I am publically emotional but for anyone who came to support out Winter Wonderland event this week and watched the second show, 'A Night At the Arts', you will have seen my heartfelt thanks and praise for our phenomenal students and staff who put on our best Christmas show yet. This will be the last year some of our talented and committed year 11s will have taken part in the show as I know some of them have been offered places in performing arts colleges, which leaves me with the bittersweet feeling or pride, but also sadness that they will continue their journeys elsewhere. 

All the students were fantastic in the show and its important we recognise how many hours they have put into rehearsing and working with Mr Clark and Mrs Rowe to practice their roles and fine tune every dance move. We are truly blessed here at LAR to have not only an amazingly committed staff team, but also the talent and desire within our student body to make performing arts a hugely successful part of our curriculum. 

Thank you to everyone who came to support our Winter Wonderland Christmas markets, it was as well attended as ever raising over £3000 for charity and the academy!

Valuables on Site

Having seen an increase in some students wearing jewellery which is banned and confiscated if seen, we would like to remind families of this section of our behaviour policy which states: 'Any jewellery will be confiscated and returned at the end of the week however parents need to be aware that the academy cannot be held responsible for any banned items going missing after confiscation, regardless of how valuable they may be; these should have not been on academy site to begin with and this is why we have this policy in place.'

Christmas parent reports

Parents will be receiving reports during the last week of term which will detail your child's attainment and attitude to learning in all of their subjects.  Please note that Year 11 reports with mock results will not be sent until the last day of term as the students will be presented their results in assembly with further advice as to the pathways currently open to them post-16.

Attendance and Seasonal Illnesses

As we enter the colder months, we have observed an increase in seasonal coughs and colds among students. To help maintain consistent attendance, we kindly request that you send your child to school if they are well enough to participate in lessons, even with mild symptoms like a runny nose or occasional cough.

We assure you that staff will closely monitor all students throughout the day. Should your child's condition worsen, or if they become too unwell to remain in class, we will contact you immediately. We keep a supply of paracetamol and will seek your permission to administer it if necessary.Please note on the guidance for sickness: Students do not need to wait a full 24 or 48 hours to return to school after an isolated instance of sickness. Your partnership in prioritizing attendance is invaluable, as it ensures children maintain learning momentum, engage in activities, and benefit from consistent routines. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Lost Property

Student Services is currently holding a significant amount of lost property, including a high number of coats and jackets that are not named. Please encourage your child to visit Student Services to check for any missing uniform. 

Drop off and Pick ups

Thank you to the parents who have brought concerns regarding congestion in the drop-off area to our attention. We understand the frustration this causes and are committed to improving traffic flow for everyone.

We highly value your feedback, which highlights a specific issue contributing significantly to the congestion: parents remaining stationary in the drop-off zone while their children are still in the car. This designated area is intended for the immediate drop-off and immediate exit of vehicles to ensure a continuous flow of traffic. When cars pause unnecessarily, it quickly causes a backlog that affects all parents and neighbors.

We are therefore issuing a clear reminder and request for cooperation:

• Please be considerate of others: If your child is not yet ready to exit the vehicle or requires a moment to gather belongings, please circle back if necessary.

• The Drop-Off Zone is for Quick Exits ONLY: Your vehicle should only be stationary in the drop-off zone long enough for your child to safely leave the car and move onto the pavement.

• Do not use the Drop-Off Zone as a Waiting Area: Remaining in the zone to talk, check phones, or manage belongings causes unnecessary delays.

We communicate regularly about car park procedures, and we assure you that we will be monitoring this area closely. We hope that this renewed focus and immediate parental cooperation will lead to a noticeable and swift improvement in the flow of traffic.

Thank You for a Magical Winter Wonderland! ✨❄️

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual Winter Wonderland event! We were thrilled to welcome so many families—your support and smiling faces made the evening truly special. It was wonderfully busy, full of festive cheer, and a joy to see our school community come together.

A special shout-out to all our fantastic stall holders and to Layberry’s and Ellinors for providing such delicious food. Your hard work and generosity helped make the event unforgettable.

We are proud to share that this year’s Winter Wonderland supported three incredible charities:

💙 Alzheimer’s Society

💗 Breast Cancer Now

💛 Charcot-Marie-Tooth UK

Thank you once again for your support, kindness, and community spirit. We can’t wait to see you all again next year! ❄️🎄✨ 

A Night At The Arts 2025 showcased the incredible dedication and talent of nearly 80 pupils in our third annual ANATA production. For weeks, students committed up to five hours of rehearsal time each week to perfect two outstanding performances as part of our Winter Wonderland celebration.

The cast delivered show-stopping numbers from Wicked, The Greatest Showman, Hairspray, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, MJ the Musical, and Dreamgirls. Friends, family and staff watched with immense pride as the performers took to the stage for what was truly our greatest show to date. A huge well done to everyone involved in making ANATA 2025 unforgettable. 

We are delighted to announce that Leigh Academy Rainham has achieved the highest Year 10 Sparx Reader score throughout the Trust. 

We are excited to announce a special Student Receptionist Trial Program aimed at providing our students with unique opportunities to develop essential real-world skills while supporting the daily operations of the Academy.

About the Programme

This trial programme will see a select group of students take on key administrative and front-of-house tasks, working alongside our staff. This is a focused trial run to assess the positive impact such student involvement can have on both our Academy's efficiency and the students' personal development. Students will still engage with their learning through their Google Classrooms to ensure academic continuity.

Student responsibilities will include:

• Delivering key items and messages to staff and classrooms.

• Collecting students for appointments or early departure.

• Greeting and welcoming visitors to the Academy.

• Conducting brief tours for prospective visitors.

For those students selected we will ask for parental feedback about students' reflections on their day at school in this role. A Google Form will be sent home to those concerned.

Please complete your child's Medical Detail Form if you have not yet done so. This form is essential as it grants us permission to administer medication when necessary and ensures we have up-to-date information regarding any medical needs your child may have. 

Medical details form

Last week, our students had the exciting opportunity to visit the Library Book Fair. Throughout the event, many students explored a wide selection of new and popular titles, discovering fresh stories and genres that sparked their curiosity. It was wonderful to see so many enthusiastic readers enjoying the chance to browse and talk about books with their classmates. We look forward to hosting more reading-focused events that continue to inspire a love of literacy in our school community! 

Young Carers

At Leigh Academy Rainham, we want to make sure all our young carers get the support they need. A young carer is a child or young person who provides significant care and support to a family member or close friend with a physical or mental illness, disability, addiction, or other long-term health condition. This care can involve tasks such as helping with personal care, household chores, managing medical needs, or offering emotional support. If your child is a young carer, please email the Turing mailbox (turingcollege@rainham.latrust.org.uk) to let us know so we can ensure appropriate support is in place. 

We at LAR can only sincerely apologise for the technical glitches we experienced throughout Module 2 regarding Applicca-the platform we will have students use to apply for LAR Sixth Form. I am pleased to announce that Applicca have fixed the problem.

Year 11 students will be receiving their mock exam results on the final day of term, however as their parents you will receive a report on the final day containing your child's: 

1) mock exam results, 

2) forecast grade 

3) current working attainment grade.

We are happy to announce that: LAR Sixth Form Applications will go live and students can start applying for our sixth form from: Thursday 18th December at 4pm. All students will receive a welcome email as well as login details.

Students will also be able to apply through the LAR website page, whereby we will put a hyperlink in which your child can access to complete their application form.

The Deadline for Sixth Form Applications will be: Thursday 12th February 2025.

If you have any further questions or queries please do contact: FAO: Sixth Form at info@rainham.latrust.org.uk

Information supplied by Medway Council

We need your help to create a new logo for us… Help in the Community/Medway Foodbank Closing date – January 6 th 2026

How to get your entry to us:  Your school can contact us and we can collect all entries or deliver to us at our warehouse/office address – see below  

Scan and email your logo to us at logo@medway.foodbank.org.uk  

Post them to: Medway Foodbank, Unit 26, Riverside 1, Sir Thomas Longley Road, Rochester, ME2 4DP 01634 757057 

We will be in touch to invite finalists to a special celebration to receive your prize so please make sure you include the following information with your logo: 

Name/School/Contact number/Age Some examples of other logos of to help you… 

The Leigh Academy Rainham Safeguarding Team works to promote the safety of all students. If you are concerned about a child's safety, please call the academy and ask to speak to a Designated Safeguarding Lead.