Lodge Park Academy Newsletter – Summer Term 2, Week 2 and 3
Dear Families,
Welcome to this fortnight’s edition of the Lodge Park Academy newsletter, where we’re excited to share the many enriching activities and events that have taken place during another busy and positive two weeks in school.
We are proud to share that our Year 11 students have now completed their GCSE examinations. Their dedication and maturity throughout the exam season have been exceptional, and we were delighted to mark the end of this important chapter with a joyful and heartfelt Leavers’ Assembly on Monday afternoon. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate their achievements and reflect on their journey at Lodge Park Academy.
With Year 11 now moving on, our focus turns to Year 10 as they begin the final stretch towards their own GCSEs next year. We look forward to supporting them through the months ahead as they lay the foundations for future success.
This week, preparations for our upcoming Sports Day on Monday 30th June have been in full swing, with students signing up to take part in what promises to be a fantastic day of sport, teamwork, and school spirit.
We also took all of Year 7 on an inspirational visit to Northampton University as part of an "Aspire and Aim Higher" event. The day was designed to raise aspirations and give students a taste of university life, helping them to start thinking about the exciting educational pathways ahead.
Beyond these highlights, the past fortnight has included a wealth of opportunities and achievements across the academy. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Wayne Stevenson delivered powerful RSE sessions to our Year 8 and Year 10 students, focusing on health and well-being. Meanwhile, our Music department led a memorable cultural trip to the Royal Opera House in London to see Carmen, and we hosted a warm and supportive SEND Coffee Afternoon for families and staff.
We were also thrilled to be nominated in multiple categories at the David Ross Education Trust Inspiration Awards, including the prestigious ‘School of the Year’ category, alongside individual nominations for New Teacher of the Year, Pastoral Team of the Year, and Unsung Hero of the Year.
Thank you for your continued support as we head into the final weeks of the summer term. We look forward to sharing more exciting updates in our next edition.
Warm regards,
Lodge Park Academy Leadership Team
The role of an Attendance Welfare Officer
We are fortunate to have recently appointed two new Attendance Welfare Officer’s to join our LPA family.
The role of an AWO is integral to the life of an academy. Our AWO’s aim is to make a difference to the lives of children and young people by breaking down barriers to them attending school regularly and arriving on time. Success at school isn’t only about what goes on inside the classroom it’s also about ensuring that children are happy, confident, settled and attending school so they can fulfil their potential. And that’s where education welfare support comes in.
Our AWOs are school-based; working alongside all staff in the academy, identifying students who have attendance concerns and working with parents to ensure that their child attends school regularly. The safeguarding of the students is paramount to us and our AWOs support our statutory duties by carrying out home visits to follow up on concerns. AWO’s will conduct informal and formal meetings with students and/or students and parents to set targets and help achieve improved attendance. This may mean our AWOs need to liaise with other agencies, such as CAMHs or social care. AWO’s also work closely with our Vice Principal for Attendance, supporting them with strategies to raise the profile and promote good attendance, and with bridging the gap in the attendance of some of the most vulnerable groups of students.
Mr Kevin MacDonald
Many students and some of our families will have already met Mr MacDonald, having started with us after the Easter holidays. Mr MacDonald comes with a wealth of valuable experience having worked in many roles with the Police for 25 years. Mr MacDonald is also a cricket coach and has been a youth football coach. So, as well as his extensive knowledge of Corby he brings a wealth of experience to the role working with young people and families.
Mrs Sharon Brown
Mrs Brown has most recently joined our LPA family, having previously worked in Primary education. As well as being Corby born and raised, this experience provides valuable knowledge and skill set in supporting our young people and their families.
Year 8 Visit to the Houses of Parliament
In November 2024 our Year 8 cohort celebrated UK Parliament Week during whole school Dropdown Day 1 and they had a visit from our local MP Lee Barron. He was so impressed with the conduct and in-depth questions that our Year 8 students asked during the assembly he delivered that he offered them the opportunity to visit the Houses of Parliament and meet him on the day of the tour. Students who were most engaged in the UK Parliament Week activities were the first to be offered this opportunity.
Year 8 account of the trip:-
I really enjoyed this trip, and knowing quite a bit about politics probably helped with that. We started off with the history of “the lobby room” which was very interesting as it held a lot of history and stories about how the Houses of Parliament used to be a palace. Next we moved on to the House of Commons and its incredible history. It was bombed back in World War II. What I thought was nice was that the tour guide let us come up with our own fun laws, and he explained how the members of parliament would have voted on them - the 'yes' and the 'no' sides. Lastly we moved to the House of Lords which was full of history, artifacts, sculptures and paintings. One of my favourites was the painting that depicted the Battle of Waterloo, which was a nice end to the tour. Absolutely amazing trip and big thanks to all involved! John M
Year 7 Visit to the University of Northampton
On Tuesday, 17th June 2025, 87 Year 7 students had the opportunity to visit the University of Northampton for a day of exploration, inspiration, and hands-on learning. The goal of the trip was to raise aspirations and give students a first-hand experience of university life.
During the visit, all students took part in a guided campus tour and attended a talk by a current first-generation university student—someone who is the first in their family to go to university. This session was particularly powerful, giving students a relatable insight into the possibilities that higher education can offer.
Students then enjoyed subject taster sessions, including an introduction to parapsychology, where they explored topics such as ghosts, déjà vu, telepathy, and psychic phenomena. Three out of the four groups also took part in a Law taster session, competing in Taskmaster-style challenges designed around legal concepts. Not only did students learn about the legal system in an interactive way—they also outperformed the teachers in the challenges!
The fourth group explored Sports Science, participating in a series of physical tests to measure agility and vertical jump height. It was a fun and energetic session that gave them a glimpse into the science behind athletic performance.
Feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive. Many described the day as “amazing” and expressed how much they valued the experience. Several said they’d love to take part in more opportunities like this in the future.
Jennie Corner - Academy CEIAG Coordinator
Lodge Park CCF on Parade
On Sunday, June 8th Lodge Park Academy's CCF took part in the Armed Forces Day parade in Kettering Town Centre. Our cadets joined with cadet forces from all over the county in a parade alongside the Royal Anglian regiment to commemorate Armed forces day.
With their boots polished and drill well rehearsed, our cadets performed immaculately, on what was a very hot afternoon. Despite this heat, the cadets could not be faulted, marching with pride, meeting dignitaries and supporting one another throughout the parade.
We are all extremely proud of every cadet that paraded.
Contingent Update
On Wednesday, the contingent saw a flurry of promotions following the parade and recent shooting results. We would like to congratulate our 4 newest Lance Corporals on their promotions, LCpl Szedlak, LCpl Searle, LCpl Griffiths and LCpl Kommareddy.
The contingent also saw a number of our Lance Corporal being promoted to Corporal. We would like to congratulate Cpl Wright, Cpl Uncu, Cpl Andoni , Cpl Mihai and Cpl Kisekka
These promotions are well deserved after months of hard work.
Our eyes are now focused on the up coming Summer Camp where our cadets will be put to the test with everything they have Learnt in the past 12 months.
2nd Lt Wilson - LPA CCF
David Ross Education Trust - Inspiration Awards 2025
On Thursday 12th June, the David Ross Education Trust held its Inspiration Awards in which the trust recognised individual Teaching and Support staff, Academy Teams, and its Academies for outstanding achievements throughout the academic year.
This year, a number of Lodge Park Academy staff and teams were recognised, and we were thrilled to have been shortlisted in five categories. We also had school awards to give for best support staff member and best teacher. In addition, we were fortunate enough to have some staff members nominated for Pearson awards, and those staff received certificates for being Highly Commended.
Above everything it was an opportunity to celebrate the LPA family, the way staff and students have come together this academic year, working hard on our incremental improvement towards being the best school in Corby, Northamptonshire, England and the UK....
Nominees and Winners
Congratulations to Aimee Smith, whose effort, care and quality in the classroom was recognised by the trust in her nomination for New Teacher of the Year. The profession is tough, and all teaching colleagues will know how super tough that first year is, and the hours it takes to get your craft right. Aimee is a credit to our profession, and her commitment to her learners and being the best history teacher she can be, all the hallmarks of a wonderful teacher. Thank you, Aimee.
A huge well done and thank you to our nominee for Unsung hero of the year - Maureen Leer. Maureen is FUNDAMENTAL to so much of the secret engine behind the magic of the classrooms - routinely going way, way above and beyond her role to support, to help and to put out fires that no one else had spotted.
David Ross Education Trust - Team of the Year 2025
Our wonderful and very special pastoral team were awarded Team of the Year across all DRET schools. What a wonderful thing to say about one of our own teams.
Honestly - we could not be prouder of Team Pastoral. I see and hear and read all they have been through each and every day of our journey, and honestly, they're heroes - every one of them. We are blessed to have such patient, resilient, caring and supportive staff who are utterly invested in wanting the best for our youngsters, and believing in the potential of every one of them.
David Ross Education Trust - Sporting Academy of the Year 2025
Our PE team. Good lord - more trophies than PSG this year!!! Fresh after their Gold Kite Mark for sport (the only secondary in Corby to be awarded this!), and winning Sporting Secondary School of the year for North Northamptonshire, they've now gone and won the DRET award for Sporting Academy of the Year! The accolades speak for themselves - this is a team defined by quality and commitment and expert leadership. A shining light we are very, very proud of.
Lodge Park Academy Awards - 2025
Then we have our Teacher of the Year, Andy Edwards. By any measure, the man is a stallion of Education. Absolute quality in the classroom, reliability, embedded routines, deep subject knowledge, deep pedagogical knowledge, beautiful relationships, expertise in engineering not just compliance but behaviour for success. And all done with kindness and a calm, no-fuss attitude. A wonderful colleague.
Finally, we have our support staff member of the year, Donna Gilding. Our inclusion team is getting increasing national recognition for its quality - be it from our local MP asking our team to drive national policy, or our RISE lady who wanted to send her trust SENCO to Lodge Park to learn from our team! And Donna is right at the heart of that success story, fundamental to its growth, and it's success and utterly student centered in everything she does. Her work and her belief in our learners takes down barriers for our SEN learners and enables them to be successful.
Pearson Education Certificates - 2025
We were also proud to hand out on behalf of Pearson a number of nomination certificates and certificates of excellence to...
Sharon Smith: Nomination for Unsung Hero
Thomas Stokes: Nomination for Support staff of the year
The Inclusion team: Nomination for Award for send & Inclusive Practice
Teacher of the Year Certificate of Excellence: Emily Morgan
Teaching Assistant of the Year Certificate of Excellence: Michelle Elliot
Unsung hero Certificate of Excellence: Sarah Flynn
Unsung hero Certificate of Excellence: Donna Gilding
Award for SEND & Inclusive Practice Certificate of Excellence: Ute Steenkamp
Join Our Seneca Learning Community – Support Your Child’s Learning at Home
We are delighted to invite all parents and carers to join the Lodge Park Academy Seneca Learning Community at www.senecalearning.com. This is a powerful tool that allows you to support your child in completing additional learning outside the classroom – helping to reinforce key concepts and prepare for assessments.
If you have not yet accessed your child’s Seneca account, you will have received a new invitation from us to join. We kindly ask for your support in accepting this invitation and becoming part of our growing community.
Why is this important?
With over 450 parents and students already actively engaged, and more than 110,000 hours of student learning recorded across this academic year, Seneca has proven to be an incredibly successful platform – especially in Science, Geography, and History. As we prepare for the 2025/26 academic year, we are aiming to develop this further, building on the momentum and positive outcomes we’ve seen so far.
How can you help?
Please ensure your child can access their Seneca account at senecalearning.com. If they have trouble logging in using their school email address, they can easily reset their password by selecting ‘forgotten password’ on the login page.
By joining our Seneca Learning Community, you will not only receive insights into your child’s progress but also gain the ability to support their independent learning more effectively.
We appreciate your continued support and will keep you updated with further developments as we approach the end of the academic year.
Together, let’s continue to build a culture of independent learning and academic success at Lodge Park Academy.
Thank you in advance for your support
Mr M McGeown - Vice Principal – Quality of Education
🎉 We are proud to announce that Lodge Park Academy has been awarded the School Games GOLD Mark Award for the 2024/25 academic year! 🥇
The School Games Mark is a government-led award scheme that recognises schools for their commitment to the development of sport and competition both within school and the wider community. We’re thrilled to have been recognised for our dedication to school sport.
This year has been filled with sporting success, with a standout achievement being named Sports School of the Year at the Northamptonshire Sports Awards🏆
Our students’ enthusiasm, dedication, and team spirit have been truly inspiring- and we couldn’t be prouder of everything they’ve accomplished.
As part of the award application, we demonstrated strength in four key areas: participation, competition, inclusivity and extra-curricular opportunities. We’re delighted that the collective efforts of our students, staff, and wider community have been recognised.
A huge thank you to everyone who played a part in this achievement- we’re already looking forward to going for gold again in 2026💪🏽
#SchoolGamesMark #GoldAward #LodgeParkSport #StudentSuccess #ProudToBeLPA
Friendship Community Afternoon
Results from our Friendship Community afternoon, saw two groups of students designing a eco-friendly packaging for Sega's new game "Planet Simluator".
Well Done to the following primary school entrants Corby Primary School and Woodnewton, prizes will be delivered to your students.
To Celebrate Maths Weekly Achievements
Lodge Park Academy Bright Sparx
Each week, our students at LPA, complete maths questions for their homework on Sparx. Some students answer additional questions, further increasing their mathematical knowledge. The maths team would like to celebrate these students and recognise their dedicated work.
House Bottle Rockets – Friday 20th June
House Bottle Rockets took place at lunchtime today, as students across all year groups came together to showcase their science skills.
Each house team attempted to launch 3 rockets as far as they could using water and air pressure.
As a team, houses had to select a suitable bottle before working out how much water and air pressure needed to successfully launch their rocket as far as possible. The house with the furthest launch were crowned champions, with bonus points awarded to the house team with the furthest combined distance across their 3 attempts.
Full results will be revealed during the house champions reveal assembly in a couple of weeks’ time.
LPA’s Got Talent – Thursday 26th June 2025
Next week at LPA, students will take to the stage in the eagerly anticipated LPA Talent Show.
Each house will select 3 performances to perform in the show, on the main stage in front of a live student audience.
This is a 500 house point competition, which could be pivotal in the final positions in this year's LPA House Championship.
LPA – Helpful contacts
MASH
Safeguarding concerns 0300 303 1965 Report a concern or request support | Northampton Children's Trust
Childline
Telephone Number: 0800 1111 Childline | Childline
Police (non emergency)
Telephone number: 101
Police (emergency)
Telephone Number: 999
NHS
Telephone number: 111
Young Minds
Mental Health Crisis Support Text: YM to 8528
Online Mental Wellbeing Community
Website: www.kooth.com
Youthworks Mental Health Support
www.youthworksnorthamptonshire.org.uk
Online Health Advice
NGAGE
A free and confidential service providing advice, information, education and structured support to young people in relation to drug and alcohol use https://aquarius.org.uk/our-services/young-peoples-services/northampton-yp/
NDAS
NDAS offer refuge, outreach and groupwork programmes to men and women impacted by domestic abuse. We also support children to recover from the trauma of witnessing the abuse. NDAS offer a 24 hour helpline as well as several drop in services throughout the county. https://www.ndas.co/
Housing Support
Free information and advice to anyone who is homeless or worried about becoming homeless https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/housing-options/housing-advice
SWI UNIFORM SUPPLIER
https://www.lodgeparkacademy.co.uk/docs/term_dates/Lodge_Park_Academy_Term_Dates_2024-2025.pdf
Lodge Park Academy Closes - Tuesday 22nd July 2025
.
Contact Us
Telephone: 01536 203817
Email: lpa-enquiries@lodgeparkacademy.co.ukPlease be aware this mailbox is monitored by a number of individuals, please do not disclose any confidential information.
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/lodgeparkpe?igsh=aDJxcDJzc3ozd3No
X / Twitter:
https://x.com/lodgeparkacad?s=20
Facebook:
https://m.facebook.com/lodgeparkacademy
Visit our website at www.lodgeparkacademy.co.uk
.
Credits:
Created with images by CattaC - "A close-up of businesswoman's hands gently cradling figures of people, symbolizing unity, diversity, and inclusivity. Supportive and caring atmosphere." • BillionPhotos.com - "Campus." • Andrii Savchuk - "Mystical forest with sun rays piercing through dense trees" • Natalia - "wellness concept. A family-friendly company event promoting bonding activities and shared wellness practices, wellness concept balance work-life balance, inclusive corporate initiative" • Muhammad - "Hands holding colorful paper chain people outdoors." • umut hasanoglu - "Wooden signpost with arrows pointing towards help, guidance, support, and advice against a bright blue sky with clouds." • thodonal - "Concept of information" • alice_photo - "Contact us business icon on computer keyboard with the globe"