Welcome
Dear Families
It seems that winter has finally arrived this week in Corby with a few flurries of snow greeting students on their arrival to school on Tuesday. Students maintained their standards despite the obvious excitement that this brought. Please encourage students to wear coats to and from school now that the weather is much colder and thank you for supporting us and reminding students of our rule of not wearing coats in the building.
Throughout the week the Academy has seen a buzz of activity with Year 11 students completing their GCSE and Level 2 Qualification Mock Examinations on Thursday and all other year groups completing their KPI assessments throughout the week. We also held our Year 10 and Year 12 Parent Engagement Evening which enabled us to inform parents how well their youngsters have begun their GCSE and Post-16 studies and what are the areas for improvement. Our Year 11 students also had the opportunity to watch a performance of ‘A Christmas Carol’ on Thursday morning which was designed to support their studies and revision in preparation for their final GCSE examinations and be an enjoyable cultural experience.
We are also very proud that our outstanding PE department were recognised at the Northants Sports Awards cementing the school’s position as one of the leading academies in the county for students who are gifted in sport. The Ravens programme continues to flourish and our sports men and women are improving their skills on a weekly basis.
As a leadership team we continue to instill the very highest of standards with regards to uniform, attendance, punctuality and attitudes to learning. Thank you for working with us in relation to this. The majority of the students are responding positively and students are getting to lessons more promptly and looking smart!
We thank you greatly for all your support of our work.
Warm regards
The Senior Leadership Team
Year 11 - Mock Exams
All Year 11 students have now now finished their first mock exam series of the year. Our learners have completed the series fantastically well in relation to their conduct, maturity and attitude.
Following the mock examinations we will be running a mock results day, where students will receive all of their grades at once to mirror how it will be in the Summer. This will take place on Monday 9th December 2024 during the Year 11 morning assembly. This is an opportunity to prepare students for their formal results day in the Summer but also to motivate them to achieve further success between now and that time.
It is important that students reflect on the level of revision they completed in preparation for these mock exams, understanding the strategies that worked well for them, as well as making the necessary changes ahead of the formal GCSE exams in the Summer.
Jack Cronin - Assistant Principal
Sixth Form Open Evening Tuesday 3rd December 2024
Calling all Year 11 students
On Tuesday 3rd December we will be holding our Year 11 into 12 Open Evening. This is aimed at all of our current Year 11 students who have an intention of studying Level 3 qualifications in 2025/26.
Come and see what Lodge Park Academies’ ‘Good’ Sixth Form has to offer and talk with Subject Specialist about how they could support your child in reaching their potential. This evening will be lead by Mr York, Assistant Headteacher (Sixth Form), who will be on had to provide an overview of all the things that are great about youngsters continuing their studies in our bespoke, modern Sixth Form.
The evening runs from 4.30-6.30pm. Please do all you can to come and see what we have to offer.
Mr McGeown – Vice Principal
Please book your place using this link
Year 10/12 Parents Engagement Evening
Thank you to all Year 10/12 parents who supported us by attending Thursday’s Year 10 and Year 12 Parent Engagement Evening.
There was a real purpose to all the conversations that were taking place between our wonderful teaching colleagues and the very many supportive parents that attended.
Your commitment to supporting our work is always appreciated. Thank you.
Mr McGeown – Vice Principal
NN Active Communities Awards Evening
Sports School of the Year
We were honoured to be shortlisted alongside Brooke Weston Academy and Bishop Stopford School for Sports School of the Year at the Northamptonshire Sports Awards last night, and we are over the moon TO HAVE WON!
This award is such a meaningful validation for the dedication and hard work of our superstar students and amazing PE team.
We also want to say a huge thank you to the families of our students for your incredible support in everything we do!
Mrs Morgan Head of PE
Visit from the Member of Parliament for Corby and East Northamptonshire
We were privileged to welcome our local MP, Lee Barron, to Lodge Park on Friday morning.
Mr Barron met with Mrs Jones and Mr Kirby to discuss the developments at Lodge Park, and to discuss potential opportunities for collaboration in the future, particularly involving supporting learners with Special Educational Needs, and the local Corby community.
Year 8 had an assembly from Mr Barron, where he spoke about his role as an MP, and spoke passionately about how to make change happen at a local and national level and the potential power when people stand together.
Our learners grilled Mr Barron wonderfully afterwards, fielding him questions on the contentious debate around the incinerators planned for Corby, the new inheritance taxes for farmers and which members of the Royal Family he'd met!!
Why do we do what we do?
This is the first of a weekly edition of 'Why do we do what we do?' This section will detail some of the reasons behind our expectations for learners and the processes of the Academy.
Why are coats not allowed indoors?
Coats are not permitted on grounds of equality and safety. Safety because we are an older building with narrow corridors, and with young adults moving around the building, if we double the size of those young adults by putting big coats on them, it makes the space congested and dangerous. Equality because a school uniform partly exists to ensure that regardless of background and income, all our learners are equally presented. Coats are often branded and therefore introduce a hierarchy of wealth that is at odds with the equal community we aspire for LPA. Coats also cheapen the high standards of uniform we expect of our learners - they need to look great to be great.
We do understand that at this colder time of year, that brings with it a challenge. But, we are working with our trust colleagues on short and longer term heating solutions around the academy to ensure everyone feels comfortable in their school.
Meet our Modern Foreign Language (MFL) Teachers
Hello, I’m Mr Edwards and I am the Head of Languages at LPA. I have been at Lodge Park for 9 years. My passion for France and the French language started during summer holidays spent in France with my family. I studied both French and History at University and I love sharing my love of languages with students. Outside of school I am a huge sports fan. My football team is Sheffield Wednesday who the students tease me about regularly for supporting (well the ones who have heard of them do!). I also love cycling and golf. Before I became a teacher, I was a ski instructor in Canada which is where my passion for teaching began.
Hello. My name is Mrs Langley. I have been at Lodge Park for over 20 years. My primary role is as Assistant Principal for Ethos and Culture, but I am also a French teacher. The things I love most at LPA are working with the Student Leadership and helping students to build confidence in their language skills. In my free time I love travelling and spending time with my dog Theodore aka. Teddy who you can see in the photo. We love going out for walks together and my children are convinced he loves watching the Saints rugby games on the TV at the weekends.
Bonjour! I am Ms. Coulaud, I have been teaching French at LPA since September. I am passionate about travel and animals. Furthermore, I am going to offer a club to learn Spanish starting in January. À bientôt ! 🙂
Red Kite ‘Flags of the World’ Quiz Champions
Last week in the ZONE students and staff tested their flag knowledge by taking part in the house ‘Flags of the World’ quiz.
Over 100 participants spent break and lunch time attempting to identify 35 flags on the picture board. It was a really challenging mix of mostly national flags from across the world, plus the inclusion of an old flag of Northamptonshire, which only one participant correctly identified. Well done to year 8 student Jakub in Red Kite who successfully identified all 35 flags and submitted a perfect score for this house before being crowned quiz champion.
11 students between Kestrel and Goshawk submitted 34 out of 35 correct answers to finish 2nd and 3rd place respectively (Kestrel with 8 students achieving 34/35 compared to Goshawk’s 3). Osprey finished in 4th place with 2 students successfully identifying 33/35 flags.
Well done to everyone who took part. House points will be added to the overall totaliser.
LPA I’m a Teacher Get Me Out of Here – Friday 29th November
I’m a Teacher Get Me Out of Here returns to LPA next Friday (29th November) as staff, and for the first time ever students will take on a series of bush tucker style challenges in return for house points. This year promises to be even bigger than last year with the inclusion of more trials and the opportunity for students to take part alongside staff. There will be a total of 5 trials taking place throughout lunchtime in the main hall, with students participating in both the ‘critter cracker’ and ‘animal encounters’ challenges. This years trials include a mix of eating, drinking and real animal handling activities.
Students who are interested in taking part must complete the online consent form which has been sent out to all parents.
This is a ticketed event and access to watch the action unfold will only be granted if you are in possession of a ticket by meeting the academy’s attendance and behaviour expectations.
House Indoor Rowing
House Indoor Rowing took place at LPA this week as students and staff went head-to-head in a number of individual sprint and house team relay races.
There were 15 races in total, held in the main hall in front of an audience. Each House were assigned a virtual rowing boat, connected to their respective rowing machines so students and staff spectating could see the action unfold on the big screen.
Kestrel dominated the competition picking up a total of 41 competition points across the event to secure 1st place. Red Kite finished in 2nd place followed by Goshawk and Osprey in 3rd and 4th place respectively.
LPA House Christmas Party
The LPA House Christmas Party is just around the corner and will be taking place on Thursday 19th December. This is a ticketed event and open to all students who have met the LPA behaviour and attendance expectations, on a first come first serve basis.
Tickets will be on sale from Wednesday 27th November 2024 at £4 (£1.50 free school meals) and will include a full Christmas dinner with all the trimmings plus access to a variety of Christmas games and prize draws in the main hall. Be quick as there are only 200 spaces available in both KS3 and KS4/KS5 party’s (400 places in total across the Academy).
To secure a space for your child payment must be made via MCAS by Wednesday 4th December
In the build up to the party each tutor group will receive their very own miniature Christmas tree to decorate. Within tutor groups students, tutors and Heads of House will work together to come up with individual themes before creating decorations to bring the theme to life. House points will be awarded to the best trees when brought down to the party.
LPA House Championship Totaliser
The gap at the top of the LPA Totaliser is closing fast with Kestrel gaining ground on Goshawk week by week. Kestrel put in another dominant display this week to win the House Indoor Rowing and are now just 20 points off top spot. The biggest movers this week were Red Kite who managed to secure maximum points through their house quiz success and a 2nd place finish in the rowing.
With only 4 weeks to go until Christmas and a host of big competitions coming up over the next few weeks, who will be top at the end of term?
SEND Coffee Afternoon - Wednesday 4th December 2024 2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
We are very pleased to be able to invite you to our SEND Coffee Afternoon.
This will be a great opportunity for parents/carers and children who are supported for their educational needs and attend Lodge Park Academy. You will have the oportunity to meet one another, share experiences and ask questions. Our SEND team will be available to discuss support in a relaxed and friendly environment.
Refreshments will be available. Please confirm your attendance to: YDrabwell@lodgeparkacademy.co.uk, by Monday 2nd December 2024
We look forward to meeting you!
Forthcoming dates:
- Thursday 6th March 2025 2:30p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- Wednesday 11th June 2025 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Year 7 Brass Workshop
7X/Mus1 enjoyed a fabulous session with Brad Turnbull on Tuesday, our Brass teacher from Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust. They learnt about different brass instruments such as the trumpet and trombone, and learnt how sound is produced by a combination of vibrations and different length piping. Next week they will all begin learning how to play the P-Buzz which is exciting plastic instrument to develop a perfect embouchure for learning a brass instrument.
Kettering Carol Service Friday 6th December 2024
The LPA Choir will be accompanied by all Year 7 students on Friday 6th December to sing at the DRET Carol Service at St Peter and St Paul's church in Kettering.
Parents are warmly invited to join us!
The Carol service will begin at 1:30 p.m. and doors will open at 1:15 p.m. .
We hope to see you there!
Uniform – Winter Coats and Hooded Tops
As the winter weather draws in, please can we ask that you do all you can to support the school in ensuring that we maintain the highest of standards with regard to uniform.
We are currently seeing an increase in the amount of students that are arriving to school in hooded tops or sporting jumpers which students then expect to be permitted to wear inside the school building. Hoodies are not permitted in school and coats are not to be worn in the building.
Please be aware that we expect all students to be in our designated LPA Uniform at all times; outdoor jackets are not permitted inside the school building. This is no different to the expectations in many schools up and down the country.
Where students are finding the weather to be cold, please be advised that we have an LPA jumper that can be worn above the shirt and tie and beneath the blazer. However, no other jumper will be permitted. Students may wear a plain white t-shirt under their school shirt as an extra layer if they feel the cold.
Thank you for your support with this.
The Senior Leadership Team.
Attendance
As many of you will be aware from publicity in the press, and letters we have sent out previously, the government have significantly toughened the law in relation to school attendance and have now published revised guidance which has become mandatory from September 2024.
From September 2024, schools have to consider a penalty notice if a pupil misses 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. Half of a day (am or pm) is considered as a ‘session’. The threshold of 10 sessions can be met with any combination of unauthorised absence, for example, eight sessions of unauthorised holidays in term time and two sessions for other unauthorised reasons would trigger a penalty notice.
The ten school week period may span different terms or school years, for example: 2 sessions of unauthorised absence in the summer term and a further 8 in the autumn term.
National Framework for Attendance Penalty Notices (fines)
The new penalty notice regulations are:
- Each parent will be issued a separate penalty notice, for each child who is absent. For example, 2 parents and 3 children, each parent will receive 3 penalty notices for £160 each, with a family total of £960 in fines.
- The fine amount will be £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days, reduced to £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days.
- The first penalty notice will be considered your first offence.
- The next time an offence occurs, within 3 years of the date the first penalty notice is issued, the fine amount will be £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days, with no reduction.
- The third time an offence occurs this will be presented to Magistrate’s court for prosecution.
Where a child is absent, and it is believed they are absent without valid reason, we will carry out a home visit and see the child on or before the third school day of absence. If the absence meets the thresholds explained above, you will be issued fixed penalty notices as detailed above.
Please review any holiday plans you have for term time this year to ensure you are not issued with a penalty fine or prosecuted in the Magistrates’ court.
The above rules also apply to punctuality as registers must close at the end of our tutor period. Arriving to school after this time will result in an unauthorised absence. To enable our morning registration (AM) to begin promptly, we require all students to be on site for 8.30 a.m. This is the time your child must be in school, ready to be marked into registers. Therefore, we ask that you ensure your child arrives at 8.30 a.m. and they are with their tutor by 8.40 a.m. at the latest.
Your child must register with their tutor and attend P1 to ensure their ‘present’ marks are captured within the AM registration period. Your child must attend afternoon registration and P5 to ensure their ‘present’ marks are captured within the PM registration period. Even if your child is on site they will not be registered unless they are in their tutor room and classrooms and an unauthorised mark will be given. Ten unauthorised sessions in a ten school week period will result in a fixed penalty notice.
Pupils who attend school regularly will achieve higher grades than those pupils who don’t. In the summer of 2024 pupils at Lodge Park who had above 90% attendance achieved half a grade higher than those who below this.
If you require any support or advice please get in touch via email us on attendance@lodgeparkacademy.co.uk
SWI UNIFORM SUPPLIER
Sixth Form Open Evening Tuesday 3rd December 2024 - 4.30 pm - 6.30 pm
SEND Coffee Afternoon - Wednesday 4th December 2024 2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Kettering Carol Service Friday 6th December 2024 - doors open at 1:15 p.m. Service at 1.30 p.m.
Academy closes to students on Friday 20th December 2024
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Contact Us
Telephone: 01536 203817
Email: lpa-enquiries@lodgeparkacademy.co.uk
Please be aware this mailbox is monitored by a number of individuals, please do not disclose any confidential information.
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Visit our website at www.lodgeparkacademy.co.uk
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