winter edition 2017 - leigh...
TRANSCRIPT
1
CONTENTS PAGE DETAILS
Page 2 – Key Dates
Page 3 – Remembrance Day
English, Dance
Page 4 – Charity & Student
First Aid
Page 5 – Post 16
Page 13 – Anti Bullying
Fortnight
Page 14 – Physical Education
Page 15 – Graphics &
Photography
Page 16 – Milestone Academy
Page 17 – Behaviour for
Learning
Page 18 – Yr7 Team Building,
Mark Prince Foundation
Page 19 – Bromcom
Page 20 – Drama, Dance &
Music
LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL
WINTER EDITION 2017
Dear Parents and Carers
It is a great pleasure to introduce our Winter newsletter which highlights
some of the academic and sporting success of our young people as well as
their contributions to fund-raising for the Bantubami charity, page 4. There
are so many events that have taken place this year which are contributing
to the social and moral development of our young people and their wider
education both on and off site.
I am proud to write to you as Academy Principal in a year which had already
seen so much success. I am sure you will be aware that we have recently
had a robust Ofsted inspection and I am delighted to announce that Ofsted
have judged The Leigh to be ‘Good’ in all categories. They agreed with our
self evaluation that we have in place a team of fantastic leaders who are
driving forward with further improvements to make our Academy such a
great place to work and learn. Ofsted also highlighted the strength of our
teachers and staff who support students to achieve their very best and give
them guidance as they move into the next stage of their lives. Ofsted
reported that our students enjoy being here and are engaged in their
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
2
January Thursday 4th – Module 3 begins (WEEK 2) Monday 8th – Start of Yr10 & 12 Mid-Year Exams Wednesday 13th – Yr11 & 13 Parent Teacher Day Monday 15th – Act of Kindness Week Thursday 18th - Leigh Trust Spelling Bee Monday 22nd – 23rd - Yr9 Vaccinations Monday 22nd – Parents’ Group Meeting Wednesday 24th - Ski Lessons Tuesday 30th –
• Yr7 ‘What are my skills?’ Workshop
• Rambert Dance Company Workshop
• Ski Lessons Wednesday 31st – Yr9 History Trip to Greenwich February Wednesday 7th – Yr8 Parent Teacher Afternoon Thursday 8th – End of Module 3 Monday 19th – Module 4 begins Thursday 22nd – Yr8 Guided Choices Evening March Monday 5th – Parents’ Group Meeting Thursday 8th – Yr8 Digital Footprint Event Thursday 24th – End of Module 4
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1…
learning and value the opportunities available to them with us. You can
see the full Ofsted report on The Leigh Academy website.
I am also pleased to share with you the news that Faye McGill, co-Principal
has this week given birth to a beautiful baby girl, Zara and both mother
and daughter are doing well.
It really is an exciting time to be at The Leigh as we continue in our mission
to provide the very best educational experience for our young people.
You will be able to read about our annual Remembrance Service at which
visitors from Milestone Academy, Dartford Primary Academy as well as two
veterans representing the British Royal Legion laid wreaths as our
community paid their respects. We have also focused on equality and
diversity and the importance of tolerance and mutual respect for all those
within our Academy community and in the local area.
We have a bumper edition of Post 16 articles, showing the many on and
off site events that take place to support our 16-19 year olds to be
successful in their two years with us and be supported into the next stage
of education, apprenticeships or employment. We have begun teaching
the International Baccalaureate Career-related pathway this year and are
really pleased with the impact that these different IB diplomas and core
courses are having on students learning. See article on page 9 for more
information on this pathway and our IB ‘World School’ status.
We are also revamping our Behaviour for Learning Policy and I ask that all
parents/carers familiarise themselves with the changes (on page 17) which
will be in place from January.
I would like to thank you all for your ongoing support and I wish you all a
very Merry Christmas and a festive start to 2018.
Julia Collins
Academy Principal
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
3
Our Year 7 Challenger students had
the opportunity to meet comedian
and author, Harry Hill, at Wilmington
Academy. Harry Hill had teamed up
with WH Smith to celebrate the
launch of his new book, ‘Matt Mills’.
Our students behaved impeccably
and Harry Hill was very impressed
with their questions and jokes! Jude
Hall (Yr7 Brunel) even got on stage
and told a joke! Lots of our students
took the opportunity to purchase a
signed copy of his book and have
really enjoyed reading it!
Mrs Adams
Yr11 BTEC dance students performed
for 28 yr8 students at Wilmington
Academy. The performance went
extremely well & Tegan Kear and
Nicole Radzan led a very successful
workshop after. Students worked hard
to create and rehearse the work and
as a result the Yr8 students
thoroughly enjoyed the morning.
Mrs. Culling
English
Remembrance Day 2017
Leigh TV is proud to present The Leigh Academy Remembrance Day 2017 in
memory of those who have lost their lives to conflicts around the world. It
is tradition here at The Leigh that on the Friday before Remembrance Sunday
all 1500 students and staff stand on the balconies & winter gardens to
demonstrate their respect for those who have been involved past conflicts.
A ceremony consisting of readings from staff, students and service men from
the local area was given followed by 2 minutes’ silence. Ceramic poppies
from the Tower of London were also planted in the College winter gardens
as a symbol of remembrance and respect.
Dance
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
4
This year, the proceeds of the Christmas Jumper Day will go to Bantabami, an AIDS orphanage in South Africa that
the Academy has been supporting for several years and for whom Post-16 students have been leading this year's
fundraising. One eighth of the population of South Africa is either HIV+ or has AIDS and hundreds of thousands
of orphans have been created because of this terrible disease. Bantabami is a tiny charity that supports the AIDS
orphans of Pietermaritzburg, near Durban, providing food, clothing and other practical support to the orphans, as
well as the grannies who look after them. Without our support, the charity would cease operating, so we thank you
for the donations you have made including those on Christmas Jumper Day this year, which will enable Bantabami
to continue its work in 2018. Ms. Butler
Charity
Over 250 students have participated in critical Resuscitation training via a British Red Cross training programme held
at The Leigh Academy. The day was spent discussing what students would do if they found someone unconscious
and the decisions they would make if they were breathing or not breathing.
Students learned how to place people in the recovery position, monitor someone who was unconscious and
resuscitate a person who was not breathing. The students were keen to ask questions and engaged in lots of practical
exercises as well as discussing first aid & emergency situations.
The two trainers from the British Red Cross commented on the excellent behaviour of students and their enthusiasm
to learn the basic first aid response. "The Leigh Academy students are a credit to the school with so many wanting
to offer help if they found someone in a similar situation”. Mr Lindars
First Aid Training at The Leigh Academy
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
5
In September, we welcomed 126 new students to Post-16, forming our Year 12 cohort for 2017-18. On Day 1, students
were inducted to their new lives as the most senior students in the Academy, learning about our PARADE standards
(relating to Punctuality, Attendance, Role-modelling, Attitude, Dress Code and Equality) and how we use VESPA (Vision
- Effort - Systems - Practice - Attitude) to help students to achieve success. They then spent the afternoon enjoying an
‘Xtreme Vortex’ experience, developing their teamwork skills and personal determination.
On Day 2, students were sent out in tutor groups on a ‘Dartford History Hunt’, whereby they had to visit ten historic
sites in Dartford (having first worked out where those sites were, based on the clues they were given) and then take a
photograph in each location that depicted one of the IB Learner Profile Characteristics. Not only did this help students
bond with their new tutor groups but it developed their research skills, explored their creativity and helped them see
their town in a new light. It was, however, exhausting, with some students covering 8 miles on foot!
Mr Forcella-Burton
Post16
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
6
On 18th October, Year 12 Aspire students - our
highest achieving students at GCSE - visited the
University of Oxford, as part of the Leigh
Academies Trust’s mission to raise aspiration and
prepare our most able students for applications
to Russell Group universities. Despite the
horrendous traffic and awful weather en route,
resulting in a late start in Oxford, the day was a
fabulous experience for our students, all of whom
thoroughly enjoyed the trip, which included visits
to Mansfield and St Hugh’s Colleges. Student
evaluations were overwhelmingly positive, with
one student stating, “I had never thought Oxford
University would be accessible for me before this
trip”.
Early in Module 2, the Year 12 Aspire students were
taken to watch ‘Heisenberg: The Uncertainty
Principle’ in London’s West End. Later that week, they
attended a workshop, learning how to write a
professional theatre review. The next week, they were
sent independently to watch ‘The Woman in Black’
and wrote their own review of the performance. Not
only did they have to plan this final trip themselves
but they had to write their reviews and submit them
for professional scrutiny. Thus developing their
analysis & organizational skills
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
7
Post-16 students lead the way in raising money to sustain the Bantabami Orphanage
In the week running up to World AIDS Day on Friday 1st December, Post-16 students at The Leigh Academy answered
the call to raise enough money to feed, clothe and house the orphans - and the grannies who look after them - of a
South African orphanage for the coming year.
Bantabami, which is a Zulu word that means “our children”, was set up 19 years ago, by a group of ordinary people in
the small South African city of Pietermaritzburg. There, like every community in South Africa, hundreds of children had
been left orphaned by the AIDS epidemic that has swept through sub-Saharan Africa in the last thirty years. The number
of orphans has only been rising in the last two decades. Most of the children are born HIV+, infected in utero by their
mothers, and are left orphaned when their parents succumb to AIDS, since the South African government does not fund
the antiretroviral medication that prevents HIV from developing into AIDS.
Bantabami is one of thousands of tiny charities that South African citizens have set up to care for the hundreds of
thousands of AIDS orphans now living in the country, who only have very elderly relatives surviving to look after them.
Bantabami provides basic food, clothing and domestic support in the grannies’ own homes and in a network of four
orphanages around Pietermaritzburg. They receive no government support, relying on financial assistance from local
donations and those they receive from The Leigh Academy. The charity cannot save the children’s lives but they can help
to ensure that whatever short lives they live are filled with love, caring and safety.
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
8
Fundraising for Bantabami at The Leigh Academy
Nita Butler, Director of Inclusion at the Academy, is from Pietermaritzburg and,
along with her mother, is a Trustee of the charity. She and Lee Forcella-Burton,
Director of Post-16 at the Academy, have been fundraising for Bantabami for the
last 16 years, with staff and students at The Leigh Academy and another Kent
school, raising in excess of £16,000 in that time. However, Bantabami ran out of
funds in August this year and this crisis led to Mr Forcella-Burton asking Post-16
students to step in and raise £500, which would be enough to ensure that
Bantabami could continue its vital work throughout 2018.
Dozens of students came forward to help, selling World AIDS Day red ribbons and organising a big fundraising event in
the Academy restaurant over lunchtime on Friday 1st December. At the time of writing, staff and students have raised an
incredible £630 in just one week! The total donation of £1138 will mean that Bantabami can fulfil its mission for the
coming year.
Thank you
On behalf of the orphans and grannies, thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and effort and everyone who
donated money - you have all done something truly wonderful and life-changing.
This is only the beginning...
This year’s Christmas Jumper Day - 15th December - will also raise funds for Bantabami, with all the money raised going
to provide a small Christmas present for each of the orphans and grannies, as well as funding further developments of
the work of the charity, enabling them to reach out to yet more abandoned children.
Can you help?
Please look out for future announcements about our work with Bantabami and the ways that you can offer support.
Whether you are an individual, a family or a representative of a business, we would sincerely appreciate your assistance.
If you would like to find out how you can help, please contact [email protected] to find out more.
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
9
Post-16 Open Evening 2017
On 22nd November, the Academy welcomed over 500
visitors to our Post-16 Open Evening, where guests heard
talks from staff and students about life in our Post-16 in the
Lecture Theatre, experienced a presentation in the Post-16
Study Centre about the IB Career-related Programme, visited
an array of subject stalls in the Restaurant (speaking to staff
and students about the 40 courses we are offering in
September 2018) and were treated to refreshments in our
specially set up piano bar, where Year 12 students provided
musical accompaniment to the whole event. We were also
privileged to host Robert Tibbott, a representative from the
International Baccalaureate Schools & Colleges Association
(IBSCA), who spoke about the benefits that following this
pathway has for students as they move onto the next stage
The buzz of excitement and interest was extraordinary, with
visitors commenting unanimously on the fantastic welcome
they had received. This is a typical response we received,
when we asked a visitor how they had enjoyed their
experience:
“The whole evening was warm, friendly and welcoming, from
the moment we walked through the doors. Everyone was happy to share information and seemed caring and
passionate about their subjects. What a great and successful event!.
(Lee Forcella-Burton)
Following on The Leigh’s accreditation as an IB ‘World School’ in July, we are delivering 9 IB diplomas; Business
Management, Computer Science, English Lit/Lang, Film Studies, Global Politics, IT in Global Society, Mathematical
Studies, Psychology & Social and Cultural Anthropology this year to Post 16 students & we will be able to expand
our IB offer to include Geography & Economics from September 2018. The IB Career-related Programme is designed
for students aged 16-19. Students who follow this pathway undertake a minimum of two IB Diploma courses, a core
consisting of four components (personal & professional skills, service learning, reflective project and language
development) and a career related study such as a BTEC qualification. This combination of courses develops students
academically through the rigour of the IB diplomacy & provides practical, real world approaches to learning whist the
CP Core helps students to develop skills & competencies required for lifelong learning. If you would like to find out
more about studying the IBCP at The Leigh, then the IBCP brochure is on The Leigh Academy website. If you would
like to apply for a place in our Post 16 for September 2018 then please do so via our academy website.
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
10
Year 13 Higher Apprenticeship Evening, 17th October 2017
The Leigh Academy hosted the 3rd Higher
Apprenticeship evening on the 17th October 2017.
The Restaurant was setup to allow the participants the
opportunity to place their promotional materials in a
way that allowed plenty of access for the students and
parents. We were fortunate to have Ernest Young,
Lloyds of London, Laing O’Rourke, Davis Turner and
many more attend the event, which is organised to get
Year 13 students thinking about possible careers
options for the future. In total, we had in excess of 20
organisations support the event.
Nicola, from Ernest Young, mentioned that a number
of students had applied to EY and it was a great opportunity to talk to the students about the recruitment process.
A4G, a local accountancy firm, recruited two students from the Trust, during the last academic year, proving that targeted
and appropriate career-related events, improve the outcomes for our young people.
One of the students mentioned that he was exceptionally keen on
a career with Davis Turner of Lloyds of London and was positively
buzzing about the prospects of their apprenticeship opportunities.
We opened the event to all Trust students and we were fortunate
to be joined by Mascalls students, who travelled to the Dartford
event all the way from the Paddock Wood area.
The interactive screens were set up to advertise the job opportunity
page of the careers section of the school website to businesses,
students and their parents and carers.
Students are actively applying for jobs, which we are advertising on
the website, and, year on year, it is attracting more opportunities. It
was a very successful evening and I feel certain that some of the
students will gain employment or apprenticeship opportunities,
having attended the event. For further information regarding
careers please contact Lesley Tannock on
Mrs Lesley Tannock
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
11
Year 13 University, Apprenticeship and Employment Convention at The Emirates Stadium
On 29th September, Year 13 students were taken to The
Emirates Stadium in London to experience one of the UK’s
largest higher education, apprenticeship and employment
conventions. Students were able to make face to face contact
with nearly two hundred universities, apprenticeship providers
and employers, with many making valuable connections that
have already led to applications with students being called for
the next stage of the recruitment process.
Higher Education at The Leigh Academy
In late September, The Leigh Academy welcomed staff from the University of Leicester, who came to explain
to Year 13 students why they should consider university, how to select the right course, how student funding
works and how to write a stand-out personal statement. Students
have taken their advice on board and two thirds of our Year 13
cohort are well under way with their applications to university.
We are waiting in anticipation of seeing our first student earn a place
at the University of Oxford. Athavan Ramalingam, a talented physicist
in Year 13, has sent in his application and we wish him well, when the
interview process begins in the new year! Mr Forcella-Burton-Head of
Post16
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
12
BBC News Report
Leigh Academy Post 16 students were interviewed on Monday 4th December by the BBC who are launching a new
initiative about how young people access media and the onset and dangers of ‘fake news’. The students were asked
about their use of media, where they got their news from and their understanding of how they could establish whether
news was fake or from a dubious source. One of our students who is a keen Media enthusiast had the opportunity to
shadow the cameraman and producer and even took an active role in proceedings, noting down questions and names
of participants. As a result, he has been given the opportunity of spending time with the producer at a later date to see
the BBC in action.
The day was a great success and our visitors were impressed with the knowledge and maturity of our students. The
interviewer was Amol Rajan who is the BBC’s Media Editor and works mainly for the highest profile output on BBC
News. He commented on the knowledge and maturity of the students and their confidence in front of the camera. The
footage was shown during the national news broadcast on BBC1 on Wednesday 6th December and was seen by
millions of people throughout the country. Footage can be found here at http://leighacademy.org.uk/2017/12/07/4198/
Mr Shepherd
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
13
The Anti Bullying theme of 'All Different All Equal' has been a focus at The Leigh Academy during Module 2. Students
have enjoyed a range of activities including, changes to the curriculum, focused assemblies and a Tutor Time programme
based around the anti-bullying campaign.
This included the 'High Five Hand' task where all 1400 students were asked to create a hand with 5 things that made
them different from everybody else or a personal message on why bullying has no place at the academy. The hands
taking pride of place over the College balconies for all guests, visitors, staff and students to see and ensuring the anti-
bullying message was seen and heard
throughout.
Students participated in workshops on how
to deal with bullies, listened to guest
speakers who discussed the dangers of online
bullying and our Post 16 students also
launched 'Unity' a group to support and raise
the issues surrounding LBGT students.
Mark Prince from the Kiyan Foundation came
back to the academy to promote tolerance,
diversity and relationships and Matt Hamid
from the Imago Community delivered a
passionate presentation about the dangers of bullying and the impact it can have on students’ lives.
Mr Lindars
Anti-Bullying- All Different All Equal
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
14
District Cross Country Championships at The Leigh Academy 2017
On Thursday 16th November The Leigh Academy hosted the District cross country championships for the sixth consecutive
year, this time with a record number of schools and runners taking part. From the 22 schools that attended, 322 runners
completed the mixed terrain course that also included a 400m section through the woods adjacent to the lower field
football pitch. There were many good performances from Leigh Academy students including Isobel Rose in the year 7
girls race, Kye Rossiter in the year 7 boys race, Daniel Fowler in the year 8/9 boys race, Fankie Box finishing 9th in the
year 10/11 girls race and Sean
Powley finishing 7th in the year
10/11 boys race.
The outstanding performance of the
day however, was Archie May’s
victory in the year 10/11 boys race.
His winning margin was over 2
minutes from his closest rival and
Archie now in year 11 ensured that
he has won the race in every year
group since year 7. The Leigh
Academy also had some success in
the team event finishing 3rd in the
year 8/9 boys race and 1st in the year
10/11 boys race. Archie May, Sean
Powley and Frankie Box have now
ensured selection for the Kent
Schools cross country championships
that take place in January.
Congratulations to all participants.
Mr Pickett & Miss Marshall
Physical Education
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
15
Greenwich is world-famous as the traditional location of the Prime Meridian, on which all Coordinated Universal Time is
based. Graphics and Photography year 11, 12 and 13 students went for a visit to record the wonders of this location
and focus on finding evidence of ‘Britishness’, Signs, Graphic Design, History and Fashion. The students drew and
photographed the features of the park, took some extraordinary selfies and climbed the hill to photograph the
cityscape. (Christine Britton)
“People hardened, rusted by salt,
Step into space, sea, sky, expanding horizons.
Stretch into the streets that wind and curl,
Reflected in window panes,
Patterns intersect and overlap.
I stepped through a portal into this world by the sea,
All new to me, but a place that echoes old times past,
Hides old ghosts, barking dogs and doors that creak,
Framed scenes that juxtapose a gritty, rocky beach,
Against kitsch souvenirs and sweets.” By Miss Smith & Ms Britton
Year 11 and 13 Photography visited Whitstable earlier in the term to explore ideas for the theme “PORTAL.”. The students
met local residents and took portraits, ate ice cream, visited the shops and captured the character of this British seaside
town. Liam Waite-Yr11Phtography Student
Graphics & Photography
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
16
From 6th November, sixteen students and six staff from Milestone Academy's main site in New Ash Green moved into
their new home in The Leigh Academy. This specialist space is one of Milestone's three "satellite provisions" and aims to
provide Milestone Academy students with access to inclusion opportunities, independence skills, and social experiences
they might not otherwise have the chance to experience. Over time, Milestone at The Leigh will grow to accommodate
approximately thirty students in three classrooms.
Staff and students at the Leigh Academy have been extremely welcoming, introducing themselves to
all at Milestone at The Leigh, visiting the new classrooms, and joining in conversations on
the school field and quad.
Milestone students at The Leigh were not afraid to admit that there was some anxiety about their first day at the Leigh,
but those feelings soon disappeared. They were especially impressed by the amazing lunches provided by Cucina, as well
as the dignified Remembrance Day assembly attended by all Leigh Academy students.
"Milestone and the Leigh have had a great working relationship for a long time," says Kyle Marsh, Director of Milestone
at The Leigh. "We are looking forward to building on this great relationship as we fearlessly pursue inclusion and
collaboration activities across both Academies." Mr Marsh
Milestone Academy
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
17
It was great to see the launch of the Post 16 Unity group with so many people involved and ensuring our LBGT students
are supported. It was also great to see lots of our most vulnerable students being supported by their peers and ensuring
bullying is not tolerated across all Colleges, with our Anti-Bullying focussed theme this module.
In the future there are lots of new initiatives planned to ensure that Behaviour, Welfare and Safety of our students remains
a top priority. Students will be involved in future events with Bikeability Level 3 courses being set for students who ride
to The Academy, we've also been selected to be the pilot school for the new KCC Travel ambassador scheme. The Leigh
Academy Student Voice team have been asked to plan and create resources for safe travel to and from school. Diversity
Role Models will also be visiting us late in December with the theme of anti-bullying being revisited.
Finally, in February I am hoping to set up a variety of schemes with local charities to support the homeless, disability
groups or children in need support groups as part of the 'Act of Kindness' week. If parents/carers would like to be
involved, please do contact me on [email protected].
At the start of Module 3, we will proudly be launching ‘The Leigh Academy League of Excellence’. This updated reward
system will see each student achieve a score based upon three major elements. Students will be awarded a score based
on their modular attendance (100% = 100 points), their overall attitude to learning score within their modular report
added to their behaviour points score for the module. Students are continuously awarded points or achieving an R1 (10
points), R2 (20 points, R3 (30 points, R4 (40 points) or an R5 (50 points). However, points are now deducted if a student
is given one of the five consequences for negative behaviour S1 (-10) S2 (-20), S3 (-30), S4 (-40) or an S5 (-50). Your child
would have received a letter at the end of Module 2 explaining the new behaviour policy and heard a presentation during
college assemblies explaining this. If you didn’t receive the letter, then please do log on to the school website where you
will find all letters that have been sent out. I thank you in advance for your support as parents/carers for our Behaviour
for Learning Policy. It is vital that students know that we are working in partnership with home to support our young
people. You can find more details of the new process & policies on The Leigh Academy website under ‘policies’. Can I
also ask for your support in speaking to your child about their behaviour to & from the academy. We are often contacted
by members of the public who praise our students, for example by giving up their seat on the bus for an elderly passenger,
but we all too often get contacted by members of our local community who report unacceptable behaviour. Whilst we
do speak to students in the academy & will set sanctions for students who bring the academy into disrepute, we would
ask for your help to enforce this at home. Mr Lindars
Behaviour for Learning, Welfare and Safety
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
18
The Leigh Academy are proud to be working alongside
former World Boxing Champion Mark Prince. Twenty
fights, nineteen victories and fifteen knockouts later, his
career included two international belts and a bruising,
single loss in a World Title light-heavyweight
fight. Prince was on the cusp of superstardom when a
terrible knee injury prevented him from fighting
again. And yet his biggest challenge was yet to
come. In 2006 his son Kiyan, a promising young
talented footballer signed to Queens Park Rangers
Football Club, was fatally stabbed outside his school in North London. It marked the beginning of a journey and a
commitment to use Kiyan’s legacy to help inspire, challenge and educate the youth who are not fulfilling their potential
in school or who may be tempted with engaging in anti-social behaviour. Mark set up the Kiyan
Foundation (http://www.kiyan.org/) and has been recognised for his work by winning national TV awards in recognition
for his hard work, passion and dedication to the fight against knife crime.
Mark’s success in boxing was built on his core strengths of being a natural fighter and being able to bounce back
positively from adversity. His positive personality is infectious and students of all ages have been lucky to meet with him
over the past few weeks. Mark has delivered 3 powerful assemblies and demonstrated his passion and belief that all
students have an inner ability to be a champion in their own way. Mark was so touched by the response to his story from
Leigh Academy students he has agreed to deliver an 8-week mentor and life skills programme to a selection of Y10
Year 7 Team Building
On Friday 10th November 2017 Miss Austin, Mr Piggott and Mr Crouch accompanied 24 Year 7 students to the
Bowles Outdoor Activity Centre for the weekend.
All students took part in a range of activities including rock climbing, raft building, orienteering and learning how
to make a campfire. All students enjoyed the weekend and were extremely tired but feeling proud of their
teamwork and individual achievements. Ms Austin
Mark Prince – Kiyan Foundation
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
19
students. This has been well attended, with students keen to develop their fitness alongside
strengthening their mind, resilience and ability to support the less vulnerable students. At the
end of the 8 weeks, parents will be invited to attend a presentation and witness the
students achieve recognition for making their own personal changes as well as completing
the course.
Mr Lindars
As part of The Leigh Academy’s continued drive to improve our communication systems, we are pleased to launch My
Child at School to our parents. This will give parents a real-time view on assessment, timetable, rewards and
consequences and other key data about your child.
The primary contact for each child has been emailed a user name and password to access the system
at https://www.mychildatschool.com
If you have any questions or issues in accessing the system, please
contact [email protected].
Ms Forde
Bromcom-My Child at School
A reminder to all parents/carers collecting or dropping off their children that there is a one-way system in place in
the car park and a maximum speed limit of 5mph. Please be considerate of each other and our students to ensure
that all children are safe on our site. Also please do not park in the disabled parking bays unless you have a Blue
Badge on display, otherwise you will be asked to park elsewhere. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Car Park Safety
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
20
Who needs Santa when you have Kieran Drew raising The Leigh Academy’s Christmas spirits through The Christmas
Variety Show 2017. There were Christmas solos sung with a live student band; spectacular dance routines from the year
9s and 11s; alongside well timed comedy sketches from year 11s and 12s. This whole show was organized, produced and
technically constructed by Kieran Drew for his BTEC technical set-up assessment and he did a sterling job with no hiccups
on the night. You may think this is easy, but in the 24 hours leading up to the show everything that could have gone
wrong technically did through no fault of the school! The sound cables broke hours before the production; the lights in
the theatre suddenly stopped working for the first time ever; students called in sick; and the set went missing!? These
were all problems no one could predict or control, but Kieran worked through them one at a time, calmly, with humour
and only mild hyperventilation at points. In all the shows I have done at The Leigh I have never seen one person faced
with so many technical hurdles so he did brilliantly, with support from Miss Burton and Mr Quinton.
The Christmas Variety Performance exploded into action with the year 9 dancers performing ‘Play’ with their shimmering
glitter costumes, which set the bar high for the rest of the show. The ladies were synchronized and dynamic, as were all
the dance routines created by Mrs Culling.
Megan Skalska opened the numerous solo numbers with a cheeky rendition of ‘Santa Baby’, which made us all smile.
Then we changed gear into the first of a very funny run of comedy sketches from Callum Bultitude and Tom Carey. This
was followed by heart felt solo from Eden Reece with a song performed from ‘Les Miserable’. Our hearts were won by
the Key Stage 3 Leigh Choir VOX, (Abigail Aferi, Vanessa Madora, Victoria Notarianni, Summer Rayfield and Ewelina
Zarebska) with their take on Conor Maynard’s Ed Sheeran mashup.
And so the show went on with more outstanding live music from the band and vocalists with a sound team of musicians
including: Rishi Achadoo, Emily Friend, Brima Koroma, Brooklyn Oliphant, Megan Skalska, Abilash Thanabalasingam,
Emmanuel Owomoyela, Ayodele Omololu, Joshua Pedro, Keeley McDonald, Rosabella Camm, Frankie Vilday, Kyle Prangell,
Kenndrick Dimanlig, Tommy-Lee Taylor, Jack Williams, Manny Hedges and Cameron Perry.
From the Drama Learning Area came comedy sketches from the west end musical ‘A Comedy About a Bank Robbery’
which were expertly performed by Callum Bultitude & Eden Reece with pristine timing and hilarity. Callum included a
very powerful and moving solo performance from the musical ‘Dear Evan Hansen’.
Drama, Dance & Music
THE LEIGH ACADEMY NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017
21
The dancers performed a variety of pieces including @Chorus Line’, ‘Plastics’, and a Bruno Mars number. Each dance was
performed in a different style and was extremely creative & dynamic.
The Grand Finale was performed by Manny Hedges playing ‘Last Christmas’ by Slade in his now familiar anarchic singing
style, which got everyone on their feet cheering and clapping. It was an amazing end to the show and very typical of a
Leigh Production.
To all the performers, teachers and audience involved, especially Kieran Drew, we would like to say well done and thank
you.
After Christmas we will be starting work on our next big performing arts performance of the musical ‘GREASE’ so auditions
will open in January for ALL years. Mrs Wilson, Mrs Hannam, Ms Burton & Mrs Culling)