leigh academies trust summer 2017...

Leigh Academies Trust

NEWSSummer 2017 | issue nine

Shaping Lives, Transforming Communities

July saw pupils from six of our primary academies compete against one another in the first Trust-wide primary sports day. The event took place at Dartford Harriers, one of the region’s best athletics venues.

Pupils competed in the full range of track and field events and gave the competition their all.

The eventual winners were Hartley Primary (pictured above), with Eastcote Primary in second place and Dartford Primary third. All pupils who took part were awarded medals, with the top three teams taking home trophies. We are already planning an even bigger event for next year.

Also in July, our seven secondary academies took part in their cross-Trust sports day. Our best athletes from across the Trust took part in a day of high-quality competition.

This enjoyable event has continued for several years and gets better and more competitive each time. Winners this year were The Leigh Academy, with Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy in second place and Mascalls Academy in third place.

We wish to thank all pupils who took part and are grateful to the staff who worked hard to organise these excellent events.

The Trust's first Sports Day for its Primary Academies

LAT was also delighted to host the recent secondary academy sports day won by The Leigh Academy

www.leighacademiestrust.org.uk2

A message from the Chief Executive

Simon Beamish Chief Executive

www.leighacademiestrust.org.uk

Leigh Academies Trust (LAT) is passionate about shaping the lives of young people for the better and helping to transform the communities in which they live. We are already one of the largest, most mature and successful multi-academy trusts in the region. Our dedication to continual improvement is why we have developed our LAT Excellence Charter, setting out ten inalienable commitments to our pupils, parents and staff . The “Ten Points” are as follows:

As we move into next year, all LAT academies are framing their plans around these ten important commitments. This year has been a period of real success for LAT. We have achieved a great deal. Our forecasts for academies' outcomes this summer are very promising. I hope you enjoy reading the many good news stories since the last edition of this newsletter.

1) We will provide outstanding leadership and governance at every level so that all pupils attend an academy judged to be at least good overall by Ofsted.

2) We will ensure a rich, engaging, inclusive curriculum with eff ective teaching and high-quality learning resources across all subjects and year groups.

3) Regardless of their ability or personal circumstances, we will ensure that all groups of pupils make at least good progress and that diff erences in their attainment diminish.

4) We will develop pupils’ characters and attributes in line with the International Baccalaureate Learner Profi le so that all LAT alumni off er a range of desirable qualities before they leave school.

5) We will ensure that pupils are well-behaved, confi dent and respectful in a safe and secure environment.

6) We will ensure a high-quality workforce and prioritise staff retention, professional development and well-being.

7) Through our “business promise” we will guarantee strong engagement for all pupils with industry and employers.

8) We will provide all pupils with a high-quality careers learning programme.

9) We will grow to support more schools in the region so long as the education of current pupils and performance of existing academies does not suff er.

10) We will work with our own and other primaries to ensure a smooth transition to our secondary academies.

The LAT Ten-Point Excellence Charter

WHAT’S INSIDE

• The LAT Ten-Point Excellence Charter ..................................................... 2

• Our success in achieving IB World School status ............................ 3

• Offi cial opening of the Stationers' Digital Media Centre at SCWA ......... 4

• Leigh Aspire - news so far ................. 5

• LAT's fi rst leadership programme ............................................ 5

• A profi le: Sharon Waterman ............. 6

• Academy Improvement Team - plans for next year ............................... 6

• LAT Staff Awards 2017 .................... 6-7

• LAT v PCA England Masters Cricket Gala 2017 ................................. 7

• LAT Working With Business - updates so far in 2017 ........................ 8

• Year 10 careers options event ......... 9

• The Telescope Bistro ........................... 9

• Updates on our new builds ............10

• LAT to open three new free schools ..........................................11

• An update on Leigh Academy Blackheath ............................................11

We are moving!...

Leigh Academies Trust's head offi ce will be moving to Strood Academy during the summer, ready for the new term in September.

We are expanding as we have simply outgrown our current premises at The Leigh Academy in Dartford.

This move will mean we can accommodate our staff in new, bright, open-plan offi ces, bringing the various departments and teams together to create a more unifi ed way of working.

We look forward to working in our new home!

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The Leigh Academy, The Leigh UTC and Wilmington Academy have been involved in a project organised by Kent County Council which has supported 18 schools across Kent through a rigorous authorisation process to become an IB World School. The success of the three LAT academies means that they will join an exclusive group of only 36 schools across the globe delivering the IBCP.

As IB World Schools, the three LAT academies are now part of a global community of schools committed to developing knowledgeable, caring young people, ready to negotiate their futures successfully and make contributions to a more harmonious and peaceful world. In his letter to the academies, Andrew MacDonald, IBO Chief Schools O� cer, commended ‘your school’s educators, administrators, students and families for their active roles in choosing to o� er the CP. The positive results of this choice will become evident in your community as classes of CP students graduate and undertake activities that enhance social, cultural and economic environments locally, nationally and, perhaps, internationally.’

Leigh Academies Trust has high aspirations for all of its students and the IB Career-related Programme, which will become part of the LAT16 o� er to Post-16 students, is indicative

of its relentless pursuit of excellence. The programme will give LAT16 students the internationally-recognised academic and vocational quali� cations they need for university, high-level apprenticeships or employment.

The IBCP is a � exible Post-16 programme developed by the IBO, which recognises the need to combine academic, vocational and practical learning skills. As part of the IBCP, students follow a career-related course (BTEC or vocational programme) between two and four IB diploma courses and the core programme. The core programme is fundamental to the development of students academically, personally and socially, enhancing the skills they will need in the future, and comprises the following elements:• Re� ective project - this focuses

on an ethical issue linked to the careers-related component of the programme. This is the only element of the core that is assessed;

• Personal and professional skills development - for example, conducting research, referencing, presentation skills;

• Service learning - a community project;

• Language development - involving the acquisition of language and cultural awareness.

Becoming an IB World School will not just be of bene� t to Post-16 students. Over 50 sta� from the three academies have undertaken intensive training in the philosophy, values and pedagogy of the IBO. A core element of all IB programmes is the IB learner pro� le, which embeds skills and attributes in the teaching across each of the academies and which will have a positive impact on younger students.

LAT is proud that The Leigh UTC is the � rst university technical college to gain IB World Schools status, recognising that this academy is truly a centre of STEM excellence. During the veri� cation visit, The Leigh UTC was commended for ‘its understanding of, and commitment to, the development of an inquiry-based approach, the process of experiential learning, and the importance of developing the whole child’.

Shaping Lives, Transforming Communities

Leigh Academies Trust is delighted to announce that three secondary academies will become International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools authorised to deliver the IB Careers-related Programme (IBCP) from September 2017.

Our success in achieving IB World School status

www.leighacademiestrust.org.uk

The official opening of The Stationers’ Digital Media Centre took place recently and students and staff were delighted to welcome over 100 guests to the occasion, including Sir Geoffrey Leigh, Leigh Academies Trust senior executives, The Master and members of The Stationers’ Company, governors, suppliers and invited guests.

Official opener, Amali de Alwis, Chief Executive of Code First: Girls and winner of the Women in IT Awards – Skills Initiative of the Year Award, toured the suite and met students working on their media projects. She conducted an official opening ceremony, together with the Mayor of Greenwich, Councillor Olu Babatola.

Amali spoke about the importance of technology in the workplace, telling students that there is no such thing as a non-tech business. She explained how important it was to have a diverse workforce in order to build and develop services and products, encouraging students to understand how technology will impact their lives. She said that knowledge gave people power and confidence; her advice to students was to “take advantage of everything here – rinse it!”

The £500,000 refurbishment and investment project has transformed two classrooms in the William Morris building into a multi-media digital centre to rival any newsroom, magazine or dot.com design company. The project is the culmination of two years’ collaboration in partnership with the Leigh Academies Trust. The Academy would like to acknowledge and thank members of The Stationers' Company for their generous sponsorship and donations, as well as the Trust for the additional funding provided.

In his address, Chair of Governors, Kevin Dewey, thanked all who had contributed to the project. “We want to deliver here an outstanding academy, an outstanding place of learning and a happy place of learning. I think we’re well on the way to doing that.”

Executive Principal, David Millar, offered a toast to the Stationers’ Digital Media Centre which, he said, would benefit students in years to come.

All students who supported the opening were outstanding ambassadors for the Academy. Special congratulations must go to Year 10 Delamere student, Conor Shiels, who was the official photographer for the event.

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Official opening of the Stationers' Digital Media Centre at Stationers' Crown Woods Academy

5Shaping Lives, Transforming Communities

“Leigh Academies Trust is fortunate to have so many excellent leaders. Without their hard work and dedication, our academies and pupils would not enjoy such success. It was my great pleasure to congratulate some of our very best leaders on the completion of LAT’s inaugural leadership programme. Through the course, delegates heard from some of our own principals about their leadership journey. They built a strong network of talent and took part in impact research in their own academies. They emerge from the programme even better informed than before and well-placed to develop their careers further within LAT.”

Ian Priest

Harroop Sandhu

Yessica Goncalves

Brandon DuttonDina Grozdanic

Katrina Doyle

LAT’s First Leadership Programme

LAT’s inaugural leadership programme has fi nished its fi rst year. Please see Simon Beamish's comments below:

Leigh Aspire – news so far

Sarah FrenchKate Evans Thomas Bird

Sophie Smith

After only two months, the new Aspire Programme is still very much in its infancy. Nevertheless, we are already very excited about how the project is shaping up and we look forward to updating you on our progress and, importantly, on how this ambitious programme is impacting our students in the months ahead.

With our new Aspire Programme Manager, Louise Badelow, who joined us in May, plans are now really starting to take shape for this exciting new initiative, due to launch in September. Designed to provide cultural and academic enrichment opportunities for all our students, the aim is to raise both attainment and aspiration, enabling our brightest pupils to gain places at the country’s top universities, including the Russell Group and Oxbridge.

In its fi rst year, the programme will specifi cally focus on our most-able Year 9 and Year 12 students, and arrangements are currently being fi nalised for both year groups to visit the Oxford Colleges of Mansfi eld and St. Hughes in October. Other planned activities include an academic taster day at the University of Bath, an academy-based programme of interactive fun lectures to be delivered by the University of Cambridge, and engagement with a thought-provoking holocaust education

programme, devised by one of the UK’s leading universities and proven to help young people develop their independent critical-thinking skills. There will also be opportunities for students to explore the wide variety of medicine-related careers with St. George’s University of London Medical School, as well as to participate in workshops delivered by Russell Group universities designed both to aid decision-making and to improve UCAS application outcomes.

Students will also benefi t from a variety of other enrichment opportunities, including creative workshops and associated West End theatre/concert trips. We are also planning a mock trial, conducted by a top London-based law practice, as well as the chance to enter a young journalist scheme and participate in exciting enterprise projects. For our 6th form students, there will also be the chance to meet some of the country’s top graduate employers.

www.leighacademiestrust.org.ukwww.leighacademiestrust.org.uk6 www.leighacademiestrust.org.uk

LAT Staff Awards 2017Academy Improvement Team - plans for next yearIt has been another busy year for the Academy Improvement Team (AIT), working across the Trust to support leaders, teachers and students in core subjects. At the start of the academic year, the AIT consisted of three full-time and one part-time secondary Directors of Improvement (DoIs) in English, maths, science and modern foreign languages.

A focus for the DoIs in English and maths has been in the preparation for the new GCSEs taken by students across LAT in the recent examinations. The DoIs have been involved in a number of strategies to prepare staff and students for the new-style GCSEs and the positive feedback following the exams indicated that students felt that they had been well prepared for the papers.

The focus for the science DoI was to support Year 11 students for their controlled assessments for the last year and help science departments implement the challenging new GCSE specifi cations.

The AIT have also supported fi ve of the seven LAT secondary academies through their Ofsted inspections by providing a guiding hand to middle leaders and teachers throughout the process.

The primary (KS2) Director of Improvement joined the AIT in April and very quickly became involved in supporting academies to prepare for KS2 tests and subsequent moderation. The DoI has also been involved in a number of transition events recently, working with primary and secondary colleagues.

From September 2017, the AIT will expand to include three new Directors of Improvement in early years/KS1, English and science.

Sharon Waterman will join the Trust's central team in September, having been appointed to the new role of Education Improvement Director within Leigh Academies Trust in April. She has spent the past few months making a careful transition into this post.

Sharon has worked in a number of schools in both Northampton and Kent, developing her expertise and experience as a leader using innovative curriculum design to raise standards and achievement.

Sharon has been Principal at The Leigh Academy since September 2011 and her appointment recognises the very considerable contribution she has made to ensuring that The Leigh Academy is one of the strongest non-selective secondary academies in the region.

Sharon’s role within the Trust will be to lead our academy improvement strategy across all schools.

LAT is also recognising the talent and expertise of its own staff through the creation of Improvement Co-ordinators, who will add capacity to the AIT. The Improvement Co-ordinators will work on projects and support colleagues across the Trust in their specialist areas.

Nominees, senior staff and governors gathered at Longfi eld Academy recently for our inaugural staff awards. The event was sponsored by the Kent Messenger Group and was arranged to acknowledge the great eff orts of some of our best staff . All nominees had been put forward by their colleagues, with winners being selected by our independent panel.

Our CEO, Simon Beamish, thanked those involved for their constant eff orts to achieve the best outcomes for our students. He reminded those present that:“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

A profi le: Sharon Waterman


Staff Awards

LAT v PCA England Masters Cricket Gala 2017On Friday 30th June, LAT Enterprises, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leigh Academies Trust, had the honour of hosting the PCA England Masters at Bexley Cricket Club.

The day began with a primary school kwik cricket festival, organised and officiated by sports leaders from The Leigh Academy. A hard-fought series of round-robin matches ensued before Hartley Primary Academy emerged victorious. Former Middlesex and England batsman Mark Ramprakash, part of the PCA team, presented the trophy to the very proud champions.

The charity lunch saw over 35 tables of ten people enjoying a superb three-course lunch provided by LAT’s caterers, Cucina, supported by 30 students from The Leigh Academy acting as waiters and waitresses.Former England cricketer Ed Giddins proved a wonderful MC for the afternoon and the Q&A session with Mark Ramprakash, Adam Hollioake and Paul Nixon left the audience in stitches – particularly after hearing some of Mark’s stories about his Strictly Come Dancing experience!

Some incredible auction items, including trips to The Monaco Grand Prix and US Masters golf, helped raise funds that will support the education of students across LAT’s 15 academies.

At 3.30pm the real action started as the 25-overs-a-side contest began. The PCA Masters won the toss and batted first. Students in the LAT XI produced a near-flawless display in the field with tight, accurate bowling backed up by a couple of sensational catches.

After 25 overs, the PCA Masters had amassed a score of 194-8 and we thought we were very much in the game. Apart from legends such as Ramprakash, Hollioake and Owais Shah, the PCA Masters also included current Kent and England batsman Joe Denly. To say Joe is on form is something of an understatement – in the game before this event he scored 227 against Worcestershire, and in the game afterwards he scored 182 against Northamptonshire! However, the pressure of taking on LAT must have proved a step too far as we managed to dismiss him for just 16!

After a lovely tea we began our run chase. Unfortunately, the all-Sussex and England opening bowling attack of Ajmal Shazad and James Kirtley soon had us reeling at 12-2. Coming in at number 5, Chelsey Rowson from The Leigh Academy who also represents Kent and England steadied the ship with a lovely innings of 16 before being dismissed by Surrey and England fast bowler Alex Tudor. The LAT XI were eventually dismissed for 98, meaning the result was a 96 run win for the PCA Masters.

We are already excited about welcoming the PCA Masters back next year in late June/early July, the exact date to be confirmed this September. If you would like any further information about securing a table for the charity lunch at the 2018 event, please contact Katie Petts at [email protected].

Awards were given in the following categories:• Primary teacher of the year• Secondary English teacher of the

year• Secondary maths teacher of the

year• Secondary EBacc teacher of the year• Secondary open element teacher of

the year• Leader of the year• Support staff member of the year• Teaching assistant of the year• Pupil nomination of the year• Special achievement award

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LAT WORKING WITH BUSINESSUpdates on events so far in 2017...

Project-based learning

As we come to the end of the academic year it is good to look back at some of the recent Working with Business initiatives...

Mini-engineering challenge for Year 12 students with Thames Water at The Leigh UTC

Learning through music at Milestone Academy with Inspirational Rhythms

Business mentoringBusiness mentoring provides important, much-valued opportunities in LAT's academies. This term saw a successful programme launch at Mascalls Academy, as well as mentoring breakfasts at The Leigh and Wilmington Academies. As these academies look forward to their second year of business mentoring, we welcome our new mentors.

Informational eventsTestimony from those working in industry is an invaluable source of information for students. As part of Transitions Week, Strood Academy recently bene� tted from a number of presentations to new Year 12 students.

Wilmington Academy hosted the latest skills 30:30 event in conjunction with the Federation of Small Businesses. This exciting initiative includes informational employability workshops for students as well as the opportunity to network with and present themselves to local employers.

With its origins in Dartford, LAT is proud to sponsor the commitment to skills award in the newly-launched Dartford Business Awards. Judging is currently underway.

Business-engagement eventsAs part of the Trust’s ongoing commitment to engaging with local business, The Leigh UTC held its latest brunch event not only to celebrate the many successes of the year but also to � nd new business mentors, who will be trained early in the new academic year.

Year 10 careers options event held at Long� eld Academy

Academy

Space exploration and inventions for Years 4 and 5 at Hartley primary Academy with BAE Systems

Post-16 students from Long� eld Academy, The Leigh UTC and The Leigh Academy learnt more about alternative pathways, such as apprenticeships and sponsored degrees.

Aspire Believe Achieve

Long� eld Academy hosted the Trust's Careers Convention on the 13th July 2017 and the students were extremely lucky to have a McLaren car in the car park as McLaren were one of the organisations that participated in the event.


The academy buzzed with excitement as the careers convention unfolded in the morning, with the students having the opportunity to speak to a wide range of people from universities, employers, STEM, voluntary organisations and apprenticeship providers during their time at Long�eld Academy.

We are very fortunate that a number of the organisations support us on a regular basis. Without their support, we could not o�er the students such a positive experience.

The Careers Convention helps students think more broadly about careers and courses that they may want to consider in the future. It also enhances their communication skills as they are encouraged to talk to a wide range of people.

Feedback from the students was exceptionally positive. One Year 12

student now knows that she would like to study science at university.The businesses were very positive and mentioned that the event was well organised, with students asking some really interesting questions.

The sta� at Long�eld worked very hard to achieve such a success. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported the event.

The Telescope BistroLong�eld Academy is justi�ably very proud of the Telescope Bistro, open to members of the public, which is set within the plaza of the academy and is a unique provision in a school setting.

The Telescope, sta�ed by Post-16 professional catering students, is open for two services each week, on Thursday and Friday from noon, and o�ers diners the opportunity not only for high-quality �ne dining but to enjoy this as part of the working academy. For many, this is the �rst time they have been in a school building since they �nished their education and it is a pleasure to share our wonderful environment with them, explaining how we work and learn in the 21st century.

The Post-16 student group on the full- time course take on responsibilities each week, including menu-planning, costing, ordering, leading each team in the kitchen and cleaning. They also work front of house, greeting diners, taking orders, serving and dealing with the �nance to ensure that the books are balanced at the end of each service.

The menu is changed each week based on the practical work the students are completing on their course, ensuring the inclusion of seasonal and local foods, plus special event menus for St George's Day, Burns week, Italian week, a carvery and of course Christmas. The three- course meal costs just £12.95 and, due to the popularity of the Telescope, diners have to book in advance to secure a table. Up to 40 sittings are catered for in each service, often large parties from local community groups, but our clients also include parents and family members of our students, local residents, local businesses and even a family from France who have dined with us twice in the last year!

At the end of each service, we ask diners to complete a feedback form to help us evaluate progress; in addition posts on tripadvisor https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g2167247-d5820179-Reviews-The_Telescope_Bistro-Long�eld_Kent_England.html inspire all to continue to strive for excellence.

Anyone interested in dining with us should contact us via the academy website or telephone on 01474 700 700.

Prospective students for the Post-16 course in professional catering (levels 1,2,3) should contact the academy for further details regarding entry requirements and course content.

Long�eld Academya: Main Road, Long�eld, Kent DA3 7PH

t: 01474 700 700e: info@long�eldacademy.org

The Telescope Bistro

“Fantastic meal, blown away by the quality of food produced and served by the students. A credit to themselves, the sta� and to Leigh Academies Trust. Would highly recommend The Telescope Bistro to anyone”.


New Inspiration Academy build making rapid progressThe new building for the Inspiration Academy @ The Leigh UTC is rapidly rising out of the ground, with the steelwork of the main frame now being erected. Excellent progress is being made on the three-storey building and the construction programme is on track for a full opening during the next academic year.

The Inspiration Academy will be delivering an exciting, innovative STEM-based curriculum for students between the ages of 11 and 14, but will also include sports facilities for use by the whole UTC and local community.

Langley Park Primary Academy: Phase 2 updateWe are pleased to announce that Phase II of Langley Park Primary Academy has commenced. Baxall Construction Ltd is the appointed contractor. Phase II of the academy will open in readiness for students in September 2018. This is a very exciting time for the academy, with the nursery being relocated to the new part of the building, providing the children with additional dedicated facilities.

Updates on our new builds...

Cherry Orchard Primary Academy We are making great progress at Cherry Orchard and looking forward to our grand opening in September. The number of children in all year groups continues to increase steadily and we are happy to report that we have offered a number of places to pupils for the specialist speech and language provision.

All teaching staff have been recruited for the nursery, reception, Year 1, Year 2 and specialist provision, as well as support staff including our office manager, family liaison officer and site manager. We have held a number of open events at the Observatory to give parents the opportunity to meet our staff and view progress on site. A final event is planned for Tuesday, 18th July.

The building is looking fantastic, with classrooms on the top floor completed and finishing touches being added to those downstairs. It remains on schedule for completion on 25th August. This leaves us with just over one week to get settled in and prepare classrooms ready for our opening day for children on Wednesday, 6th September. It will be a very busy week, but the staff are all keen to get going and teachers have already been working together in their teams to organise resources and planning and ensure that they are well prepared for the September start.

Ahead of the first day, the school will be open to parents and children from 2pm on Tuesday, 5th September so that they can familiarise themselves with the building, see their classrooms and ask any last-minute questions. Teachers will also be holding a welcome meeting for parents of children in Early Years and those in KS1 during the afternoon.

The official opening ceremony of Cherry Orchard Primary Academy is planned for Friday, 29th September, with further details to follow.

inspirationacademy @ THE LEIGH UTC


Bearsted AcademyA secondary special school for the region based at J7 of the M20, near Maidstone. The new special academy will work in close partnership with LAT’s doubly-outstanding Milestone Academy to off er excellent opportunities for some of the region’s most vulnerable pupils. Bearsted Academy will open in September 2018 in brand-new, state-of-the-art premises. LAT’s bid was given full support by Kent County Council.

Leigh Academy Blackheath (LAB) is set to open at Victoria House, Blackheath, in September 2018. Constructed in 1909 as accommodation and mess quarters for offi cers from the Royal Army Medical Corps at Woolwich Barracks, Victoria House will serve as LAB’s temporary home until September 2020.

Over the next twelve months, a full refurbishment of the building and grounds, including the installation of an outdoor multi-purpose games area, science laboratories and large classrooms, will ensure LAB’s founding students enjoy high-quality facilities from day one.

Providing the local community with 180 Year 7 places in September 2018, LAB will reach full capacity in September 2022. The P-16 provision of 250 places will open in 2020 when LAB moves to its permanent home on Old Dover Road (ODR), Blackheath.

LAB is working closely with the Education and Skills Funding (ESFA) Agency to design and build the new campus on ODR. Plans include provision for LAT’s small-school model and extensive facilities for use by the local community.

LAT to open three new free schools

Leigh Academies Trust (LAT) has been authorised by the central government to open three new free schools by 2019 in the latest round of applications. This is a huge vote of confi dence in LAT’s current rate of success and its ability to deliver brand-new schools for the region.

An update on Leigh Academy Blackheath

Medway AcademyA new secondary school for Medway, with an intake of 180 pupils per year and sixth form.

The new school will be a brand-new build located in either Strood or Rainham. LAT has the full backing of Medway Council and will now work with them to agree the fi nal site for the academy. Medway Academy will open in September 2019, with a grammar stream for more-able pupils across Medway.

Maidstone Primary AcademyThis brand-new primary, with 60 pupils each year, will share a site with Bearsted Academy at J7 of the M20. Like Bearsted Academy, it will open in September 2018 and will help to meet the growing demand for primary school places in Bearsted and north Maidstone.

In addition to these new schools, LAT will open Leigh Academy Blackheath at a temporary site on Shooters’ Hill Road in Greenwich in 2018. The brand-new secondary academy will move into permanent, purpose-built premises at Old Dover Road in Greenwich by 2020.

Taking all of these projects together, it is quite clear that LAT is much-favoured as one of the region’s most successful and well-regarded multi-academy trusts. We continue to work hard to help shape the lives of young people through high-quality education and, in doing so, to transform the communities in which they live.

We have pleasure in announcing the appointment of Emma Smith as Principal (Designate) for Leigh Academy Blackheath


Please contact us: t: 01322 626 609e: [email protected]

Leigh Academies Trust, Green Street Green Road, Dartford, Kent DA1 1QE t: 01322 620 586 e: [email protected] w: www.leighacademiestrust.org.uk

Miss Charles and her form students (Galileo College) at Long� eld Academy receive a British Council e-twinning national award

Long� eld Academy celebrates International Award!Long� eld Academy worked in partnership with 20 schools in 20 di� erent countries in Europe to create an outstanding project using the e-twinning platform to communicate and create a book. The project entailed writing to penpals and � nding out about the 20 countries, including Slovakia, Romania, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden… Students also wrote an e-book about their virtual adventures around Europe in 40 days.

Miss Charles, Long� eld Academy, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the e-twinning National Quality Label and to win a national prize. To secure the National Quality Label is a real honour for the students and teachers who participated in the project. The e-twinning project has helped students improve their knowledge and understanding of di� erent cultures and develop their writing skills.”

On Monday, 12th June, Year 4 and 5 pupils from Molehill, Oaks and Tree Tops Primary Academies visited Kidzania, London. Leigh Academies Trust paid for the visit as a way of exposing children to a range of potential career paths. The children had the chance to experience a choice of 60 di� erent post-education activities, ranging from news reporting to multi-drop delivery, air-conditioning engineering and university.

Many of the children left Kidzania with a much more focused idea of what they would like to be when they are older.

“I didn’t know before today that I wanted to be an animator, but now I do!”.

Following the visit, Year 5 are taking part in their annual writing week with a focus on their experiences at Kidzania and both Years 4 and 5 are completing units of work on the idea of employment.

Primary Students visit KIDZANIA, London

The Leigh UTC Teaching Assistant Awarded Kent TA of the Year 2017Leigh Academies Trust and The Leigh UTC are proud to announce that Keeley Bowen, Teaching Assistant at the college, was selected from a highly competitive � eld of nominated professionals for the prestigious title of Kent Teaching Assistant of the Year at the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards 2017.

The award recognises Keeley’s hard work in supporting students and parents at The Leigh UTC. Keeley received her award at a gala event, hosted by the Kent Messenger at the Mercure Great Danes Hotel, Maidstone, on Friday, 19th May 2017.

As well as winning the overall award for the county, Keeley was also awarded Teaching Assistant of the Year for Dartford and Gravesham, having been nominated by a number of students and colleagues at The Leigh UTC. The judging panel were particularly impressed that one of Keeley’s colleagues said, as part of the nomination process, that “Keeley has the magic touch for building amazing relationships with both students and parents.”

Leigh Academies Trust is a registered company, company no 2336587. An exempt charity.

MolehillPrimary Academy

leigh academies trust summer 2017...

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