LAR  NEWSLETTER 

 12/09/2025 , Module 1

Thank you to all our parents who have done everything within their power to ensure their children have successfully returned to school fully equipped, energised and ready for learning - as a result we have had a fantastic start to the year! Our students look smart, professional and ready for learning and year 7 have fitted in beautifully, following expectations in lessons and showing excellent manners towards staff.

Year 11 have already had nearly 5 hours of extra free tuition through their period 6 lessons so far this year and are fully embracing this additional time with our teachers, thanks to the supportive messages from parents at home who recognise we are really going above and beyond for our year students. We are fully committed to ensuring our founding cohort leave with the qualifications they deserve, so that they have a plethora of post-16 and careers opportunities ahead of them. 

We look forward to meeting with year 10 parents next week where we will be relaying similar messages to you about how we hope to work in partnership to support your children through their GCSE journey. Details of this event have been shared with you by email. In addition this event will involve the new chromebook exchange for your child so do ensure you have read the information to avoid disappointment.

The highlight of the module so far for me has been witnessing the kindness of some of our older students who have stepped in to support vulnerable younger peers. We truly value our LEIGH learner attributes and will continue to openly celebrate and reward our students who demonstrate these on a daily basis as we progress through the year. If you are not already following your childs reward points and successes on MCAS we encourage you to do so, so that you two can celebrate these with them. 

Year 10 GCSE Information Evening / Chromebook Launch Event

On Thursday 18th September we will be hosting a Year 10 GCSE information evening for parents and students outlining the expectations of the next two years ahead.  We will provide all the relevant information regarding the GCSE & vocational course process and how you as parents can support, including how to assist at home with independent learning and revision.  Talks will be at 5.30pm and 6.30pm.   

The new chromebooks will also be available for collection on this evening.  Existing chromebook devices and chargers are needed to swap for the new one, without this we will not be able to exchange your device. If you have yet to sign up for the new device or preloved device payment scheme you can still do so by following the instructions on the linked document. If you have not signed up to the payment scheme, we will be unable to issue your child a device at this event. While we may be able to accomodate providing an old spare device at some point in the future there are no guarantees with regards to availability and quality of this at this point in time. 

All details regarding the year 10 GCSE information evening and chromebook launch has been shared with parents

Year 11 GCSE Information Evening

This week Leigh Academy Rainham hosted our Year 11 GCSE information evening for all our year 11 students and parents, as they prepare for their final year of study before completing their GCSE exams next summer.  The talk hosted by Mrs Holmes explained the expectations of this year including Masterclasses, homework and attendance, as well as providing useful tips on how parents can support with independent learning and revision at home.  Mr Smith also provided a sneak peak into our new sixth form, which will be opening in September.  An insight into the courses that will be on offer as part of the IBCP programme, as well as what the sixth form will look like for our students was shared.  Slides from the evening will be shared with all year 11 parents via MCAS.

Disabled Bays - Displaying Blue Badges

We have noted that a number of families are using the disabled bays despite not having displayed disable blue badges to park there. While we appreciate some of our students may have some minor injuries, I kindly ask we collectively work together to ensure our physically disabled students have priority of these spaces for their walking frames and wheelchairs. Recently they have been unable to park which has made it difficult for some students during end of day pickup. The designated pickup and drop off point is not much further than the disabled bays, so if you do not have a blue badge to display for a LAR child I respectfully ask that this zone be used so that our blue badge holders can park in the designated bays. 

Phone Calls Home

We've had an increase in students approaching staff regarding topping up parent pay and students going to an after school club or intervention. Please can we remind you all that we don't have the time or capacity to keep phoning home and chasing parents regarding these little things. We kindly ask that this is looked and discussed before your child arrives on site.

Water Bottles

As the weather is getting warmer, we've noticed the increase in students not bringing a water bottle. Please can we ask that students come to the academy with a water bottle to ensure that they are staying hydrated.

WaitLess App

We are aware that a lot of parents/guardians are struggling to get doctor's appointments so we wanted to share this app that is proving useful to get walk-in and emergency appointments.

The WaitLess app is a free mobile application designed to help patients find the least busy urgent care facilities and reduce their waiting times. It provides real-time information on waiting times, queue numbers, and travel times to various urgent care centers, allowing patients to make informed decisions about where to seek treatment. The app also offers information on available pharmacies and other non-emergency treatment options.

Our new Year 7 students have settled into life at Leigh Academy Rainham amazingly well. The transition from primary to secondary school is a big step, but they have shown incredible resilience and maturity as they’ve embraced this new chapter.

From navigating a much larger building to making new friends and adapting to new routines, they have faced each challenge with positivity and determination. We are so proud of the way they have quickly become a valued part of our school community.

We would love for you to see a snapshot of their journey so far. Please take a moment to watch our “Welcoming Our New Year 7s” video, available on our Instagram and Facebook platforms: @leighacademyrainham.