Leigh Academies Trust NEWS Easter 2020 | Issue 17 Young Voices 2020 Happy Another successful trip to the 02 Arena in London, as primary students from Molehill, Tree Tops, Langley Park, Oaks and Cherry Orchard Primary Academies show off their choir talents. Easter Continued on page 10 ... 17 Shaping Lives, Transforming Communities A message from the Chief Executive The COVID-19 worldwide crisis is unprecedented in our On top of this, they will be out of their normal learning lifetime. Every government announcement leaves us aghast routines and still coming to terms with the impact of this at how disruption on this scale could have taken hold crisis on their lives and families. Some will be returning with so little warning. The untold effect on daily life and to face important public examinations in summer 2021 everyone’s futures is unrivalled since 1939 and WWII. and we must do all we can to make sure they are not disadvantaged. Powerful efforts now to plan for the Schools are now at the front-line of supporting the national medium- and long-term will ensure that we are ready by effort to fight the virus. Staff across Leigh Academies Trust the start of the new academic year to emerge stronger than have heard that call. I have been awestruck in recent weeks ever before. to see their selfless efforts to support one another and to help our nation get back on its feet again. We still have Times of crises often bring out the best in us all. People rise a long way to go, but with responses like those we have to the challenge and show their true characters. We will do seen so far, we are sure to win. all we can over the coming months to support the national effort to get our lives back to what we took for granted only The Trust’s efforts fall into two categories: a few short weeks ago. We all have our part to play. Take immediate steps to manage the John Donne’s famous poem, For Whom the Bell Tolls, strikes current crisis: a powerful chord at this moment: This involves providing quality daily online learning for pupils of all ages using Google Classroom and other platforms. At the same time, we are providing safe statutory No man is an island, school-age childcare with a volunteer workforce in our Entire of itself. academies for parents who need it. This offers academic Each is a piece of the continent, subject-based learning, combined with other activities. A part of the main. Initially we are offering this in all academies so that pupils If a clod be washed away by the sea, can attend the centres with which they are most familiar. Europe is the less. As staffing levels become depleted, we will move to a As well as if a promontory were. hub-based model after consultation and in a measured way. As well as if a manor of thine own At the same time, we are offering to extend childcare for Or of thine friend's were. some families into normal holiday periods. On top of this we Each man's death diminishes me, are offering a daily packed-lunch service to all of our pupils For I am involved in mankind. on free school meals (FSM). Once available, we will roll out Therefore, send not to know the government's FSM voucher scheme to affected families. For whom the bell tolls, Lastly, we are working hard on emergency regulations It tolls for thee. to ensure that pupils who would have been sitting exams still achieve the grades that they need and deserve this summer. Even at this difficult time, we thought it was very important Begin planning now for the future: to send you our normal termly newsletter showcasing all the usual items to celebrate across Leigh Academies Trust. We must ensure a strong start to the new academic year Whilst everything seems to have changed utterly in recent in September and get our academies firmly back on track weeks, all of us are confident that we will return to business through a period of reconstruction. September 2020 will as usual before too long. not resemble September 2019, or any other September for that matter. Assuming prolonged disruption to business as usual, children will return to our schools in September having missed scores of normal lessons. All risk having considerable gaps in their knowledge, skills and Simon Beamish understanding. Chief Executive www.leighacademiestrust.org.uk www.leighacademiestrust.org.uk 2 Contents 2 | A message from the Chief Executive 3 | Appointment of Academies Director Appointment of for Medway 4 | New Principal at Wilmington Academy: Academies Director Future Plans for Medway 4 | New Principal at Dartford Primary Academy: Future Plans Following a national recruitment search and rigorous 5 | New Principal at Hartley Primary Academy: selection process involving governors and senior executives Future Plans from across the Trust, Emma Elwin has been appointed Academies Director for Medway. It is heartening yet again 5 | New Principal at Eastcote Primary Academy: to see our own internal talent shining through a field of Future Plans very strong candidates from across the UK. 5 | Leigh Academy Rainham Emma is currently Principal of the Hundred of Hoo 6 | Bearsted Primary Academy (all-though) Academy (HoH) in Medway. She has been 6 | Snowfields Academy instrumental in the academy’s journey from ‘special 7 | Stoke Primary Academy judged ’Good with measures’ to the 2018 Ofsted inspection, which assessed Outstanding Leadership and Management’ HoH as strongly ’good’ across the board, with ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted leadership and management. HoH joined Leigh Academies Trust (LAT) in January 2019 and has continued to go from 8 | Milestone Academy Judged ‘Outstanding‘ strength to strength ever since. by Ofsted for the Third Time 8 | Milestone Students and Staff Attend Emma will be responsible for all seven LAT academies in Commonwealth Day Event Medway, working closely with principals, governors and senior leadership teams to drive further improvements 9 | LAT Five-a-side football events across the board. From her leadership of an all-through 10 | Young Voices 2020 academy, she already has excellent knowledge, experience 10 | Mathematics Mastery and skills across the full age range. 11 | Medway Training Schools Alliance (MTSA) This is the Trust’s third Academies Director appointment 11 | Kent and Medway Training (KMT) to add capacity to the central team as the organisation 12 | International Baccalaureate Primary Years continues to grow and develop. From September, our Programme Update from around the Trust team of Academies Directors will be organised to oversee academies as follows: 12 | International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Tracey Trusler 12 | LAT Apprenticeships North West Kent and South East London 13 | Third College Building at Wilmington Debbie Biggenden Academy Central Kent and Special Academies 13 | New Building at Dartford Primary Academy 13 | Milestone @ Dartford Primary Academy Emma Elwin 14 | New Building at Leigh Academy Blackheath Medway (LAB) The Trust will comprise nearly 30 academies in September 14 | Marden Primary School (MPS) and Leigh with Bearsted Primary and Snowfields Academies opening Academies Trust as new free schools and Marden Primary proposing to join 15 | Longfield Academy’s Young Ambassador, Max LAT. Emma’s appointment adds additional strength and further consolidates the hugely positive union of Leigh 15 | The Leigh Academy Students Enter Logo Academies trust and The Williamson Trust, which took place Design Competition for Bluewater Refill Me just fifteen months ago. Campaign 16 | LAT Conference 16 | Mental Health Training Opportunities 17 | Vision 2025 2 Shaping Lives, Transforming Communities 3 New Principal at Wilmington Academy Future Plans Mike Gore Mike Gore has been leading Wilmington Academy It is feedback such as this that drives teachers’ passion as Principal since June 2019. Starting from firm, for the highest quality of education for all. fertile ground, he and his team have built a culture that provides opportunities to enrich teaching and Wilmington continually strives for excellence through learning at the academy through exploration and its current aims for 2020: discovery. A growth mindset permeates through each of Wilmington’s four colleges while developing key ം Secure IB MYP authorisation; International Baccalaureate (IB) learner traits such Continue to develop international links with as communication, collaborative learning and other ം a partnership school in another country; experiential learning skills. ം Pursue a nationally-recognised well-being award Four College Motto’s from the National Children’s Bureau; ം Implement a robust three-year curriculum at KS3 and Minerva: ‘Believe in Yourself’ a two-year Key Stage 4 from September 2020; Apollo: ‘Anything is Possible’ ം Continue to improve student outcomes in all Jupiter: ‘Don’t just fly, soar!’ Key Stages; Olympus: ‘Strive Further, Reach Higher’ (Post-16) ം Complete the new Jupiter building; and With an unyielding belief in the IB philosophy, staff ം Continue to provide visual and performing arts have seen at first hand the transformational impact opportunities such as the production of Oliver! that students gain from an IB education. In January, the the musical. academy underwent a quality assurance review from ‘Challenge Partners’, who captured the following quote As a member of Leigh Academies Trust for nearly eight from one of the Year 8 students: years, Mike continues to be ambitious and is driven to ensure that the academy is true to the Trust’s motto: ”The Middle Years Programme character traits help us to be ready for the real world, and the academy cares a lot about us and what we want to achieve in life, not only ‘ Shaping Lives, about our results.” Transforming Communities’. New Principal at Dartford Primary Academy Rebecca Roberts Rebecca Roberts joined Dartford Primary Academy in The vision for DPA’s future is one in which children, by September last year with a vision to make the academy accessing an International Baccalaureate education, will the best in the local area, offering its children the start to understand how they can change the world for best curriculum, the strongest starting point and as the better.