Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope that you managed to enjoy a safe and peaceful Easter break with your loved ones.
I would like to share some updates and reminders with you as we look forward to welcoming all our students back to school on Monday 15 April.
Easter School
I was pleased to see the very good turn out of Year 11 and 13 students to the revision sessions we offered during the holidays. Well done to all the students who attended. It takes a lot of commitment to give up one’s holiday time for revision, and so I hope that staff and students who participated found it impactful and the work done will contribute to greater successes in the summer.
Reset
As is our usual practice, we will be having year group assemblies on Monday to remind students of our expectations and to facilitate our journey towards school improvement. Amongst other things, we will be emphasising our core values of RAC (Respect, Aspiration and Care). We will also be talking to students about STAR expectations (Sit up, Track the speaker, Ask and Answer questions, Respect) when in lessons, as well as conduct in and around the academy.
We will also be enforcing our uniform expectations, including checking on uniform standards, fake eyelashes, nail polish, incorrect school shoes and so on. Our school uniform identifies us as a community of learners. Therefore, we expect all students to wear the school uniform with the pride it deserves. It is for this reason that uniform infringements will be challenged and non-compliance sanctioned as per our behaviour policy. Please ensure that your child arrives at school on Monday fully compliant and ready to learn as students who are not appropriately dressed for school, as per our academy expectations, may be sent home.
Attendance
Pupils’ attendance at Longfield Academy continues to be a key priority as students cannot ‘Achieve Beyond Expectations’ if they are not in the building to learn. The majority of students attend regularly and have attendance above the 95% threshold we expect. I thank you for your support in encouraging this with your child. As you will no doubt agree, high rates of attendance are crucial factors that would facilitate our students’ chances of thriving at school, enhance their mental wellbeing, and eventually help them to be successful in the world of work.
Frequent absences are a barrier to learning. Often, much of the work the student misses during their period of absence results in gaps in their learning, leaving them at a significant disadvantage in relation to their peers. Research suggests that a child who averages 80% attendance during their secondary school career effectively misses one whole year of education and this significantly reduces their chances of securing good outcomes at the end of Year 11.
As a school, we will continue to work closely with parents and carers to ensure that all our students have excellent attendance. Where a student’s attendance falls below 90%, the Students Services Mentor for their college will contact you and will work with you to improve the situation. However, we will also enlist the support of our Attendance and Welfare Officer and indeed Kent County Council in cases where attendance concerns persist. This may result in us applying for penalty notices through Kent County Council – something we would like to avoid.
Chromebooks
Chromebooks remain an essential part of our teaching and learning strategy. We pride ourselves on being a technologically intelligent school. In lessons, students use their Chromebooks to research, build their learning resilience by engaging in differentiated tasks as well as developing their independence. Teachers may also need students to engage in interactive activities such as quizzes at various points in the lesson. It is therefore vitally important that all students bring their Chromebooks to school, fully charged, every day.
Countdown to Year 11 & 13 Examinations
Our Year 11 and 13 students have now entered the final stages of their preparation for the summer exams, with the first main examinations taking place in just four weeks’ time. As an academy, we do not want to leave any stones unturned in our bid to ensure best outcomes for our students. We will therefore continue with our after school and Saturday school revisions, and I encourage you to ensure that your child, should they be invited, takes advantage of these opportunities to master examination skills. For most sessions, students will be carefully targeted based on the strengths and areas for improvement identified from their recent Pre-Public Examinations (PPEs). Please contact Mrs Shanthan if your child has not been invited for a session you feel they would benefit from so that they may be included. Additionally, please contact Mrs Shanthan (for year 11) and Mr Jarvis (for year 13) if you would like us to arrange one-to-one tuition sessions for your child via MyTutor. This will be funded by the school but spaces are very limited so will be offered on a first come first served basis. Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s college if you require any support or advice during this period.
The examination season can be a very anxious and difficult time for students as there is so much at stake. It is with this in mind, that we will be hosting a final Year 11 interactive parents’ event, on Thursday 18 April, to talk about revision strategies and our plans to support you and our students in these last few weeks before the examinations and during the examination season. I look forward to seeing most of you then. Year 11 and 13 students will crown their time at the academy with our annual prom on 27 June and 4 July respectively.
SLT Drop-In Sessions
Our next SLT drop-in session will be held on Monday 22 April between 4.30-6.30pm. This is an opportunity for parents and carers to come into school to discuss any issues regarding their child’s education with a member of the senior leadership team (SLT). As part of our efforts to improve communication with the parents of students with a SEND need, our SENCo and colleagues from our SEN department will be around to host a brief talk about how we support your children as well as answer questions you may have. Please email our office at info@longfieldacademy.org if you would like to meet a member of the SLT or attend the SEND meeting.
As we look forward to another very successful module, I would like to thank you for your continued support. Together, we will work to ensure that all our students Achieve Beyond Expectations.
Yours faithfully,
Dr F. Donkor
Principal
