LAR  NEWSLETTER 

 26/09/2025 , Module 1

I wanted to extend a heartfelt thanks to all the students who came to represent the academy at our open evening this week and to the parents who support them to attend. We had approximately 300 enthusiastic students who were exceptional ambassadors, working in departments and walking the site to answer questions and talk to our guests. With over 1000 families through the door it was a fantastic evening with staff receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from many visitors who took the time to thank the students and celebrate the staff as they toured. 

Next week we have an important two day virtual visit from our consultant at the International Baccalaureate for a 'pre-authorisation visit' in preparation for delivering the IB Careers Programme at KS5 from September 2026. The IB programme is the only KS5 offer where you are quality assured on the course delivery and quality of provision prior to delivery. We are looking forward to showcasing to our consultant all that we have already prepared for our 6th form provision, ready for gaining full accreditation later this academic year. Thank you to our governors, parents, staff and students who have volunteered to take part in this two day event ad we look forward to sharing the highlights in practice that will be discussed with us by the consultant. 

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.

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.

Physical Education

It’s been a busy week for the PE department, with fixtures taking place most evenings and some unfortunate cancellations for our Year 7 and 8 girls' teams.

The season kicked off in style for the Year 8 boys, who secured a dominant 11-2 win over SJF, with Alfie M scoring an incredible six goals. This was followed by more strong performances:

• Year 9 beat RMGS 5-1,

• Year 7 defeated Brompton 5-2.

However, it's been a week of mixed fortunes. The Year 7s suffered a tough 7-0 loss against a very talented RMGS side, and the Year 10s went down 3-1 in a competitive fixture against Brompton.

Sadly, both Year 7 and Year 8 girls’ fixtures were cancelled this week. While this was beyond our control, we’re keen to make it up to them. So, we’re organising a Mr Judge vs Mr Morris match on Monday next week! This fun fixture is open to any Year 7, 8, or 9 girl who wants to take part – please see a member of the PE department if you're interested.

In netball, the Year 9 team finished 5th out of 14 at the Lat tournament – a strong showing and definite progress from previous years. Well done!