The Lenham School Newsletter

Term 1 - Autumn Edition

'Looking back to Ofsted'

Dear Parent/Carer,

What a brilliant first term we have had here at The Lenham School. There are so many wonderful memories that I look forward to you all exploring as you read through this. However, I am going to focus in on one.

I have helped lead schools in the past that have had a strong sense of House identity, rather than structuring their schools within year groups. I have always known it would work, but even I have been surprised by the speed at which this has become established. Children have bought in completely to the structure and the vast majority are already oozing passion for their House! This has been most obvious at our TLS Inter-House Football League that has been running at lunch time. There has been passionate support each and every day, as well has heroic performances from children of all ability, pushing to contribute to their new House.

Last summer, when we launched the Houses, we held assemblies about the House names. We decided to name these Houses after people from the local community who have contributed significantly to the area’s history. There is so much about the local area that the children should be proud of. I thought it would be nice to share some of that with you here:

Brockwell House: Named after a local family that have been donating money to young workers in need of financial support since the 1600s.

Chilston House: Named after Viscount Chilston, who led the Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance during WWI.

Essinger House: Named after a wonderful woman who fled from Germany and set up a new school in the local area to support children fleeing from Europe.

Maylam House: Named after a local woman who led the charge in setting up a Voluntary Aided Hospital in Lenham during WW1 to support those injured in Ypres and Loos.

Nepean House: Named after a long serving Vicar in Lenham, who studied at Oxford, played international football and county level cricket.

We should all be proud to be representing our local community. I could not be happier with how this year has started and I am truly excited for the terms ahead. Thank you all for your support this year and I hope your wonderful children have a great half term!

Mr Ferguson - Headteacher

welcome

Welcome to the first newsletter of the school year. It is a great opportunity to look back on what has been a great Term for TLS!

Celebrating Success: GCSE and Sixth Form Achievements

This summer, both our Key Stage 4 and 5 students had plenty to celebrate with fantastic exam results. At GCSE, we saw a significant increase in top grades, with many students achieving the results they needed for the next stage of their learning journey. Sixth Form recruitment has remained strong, with many choosing to stay as part of the TLS family.

Our Sixth Form results were equally impressive, with students confidently moving on to universities and colleges across the country. We wish all our leavers every success and look forward to welcoming prospective Year 11 students and families to our Sixth Form Open Evening on Tuesday 25th November.

Good luck to all leavers

We are so proud of you

We saw some amazing GCSE results

We saw so many high grades

Preparing for success: Year 10 & 11 Information Evenings

Students in Years 10 and 11 recently attended our annual Information Evenings with their parents. These sessions shared key updates about the year ahead, exam preparation tips, and strategies for success.

Year 11 students also took part in a Subject Fair, giving them the chance to discuss progress directly with their teachers. With their first set of PPE Mock Exams scheduled after half term, students have been actively revising—attending weekly sessions, completing independent practice, and using learning platforms such as Sparx, Seneca, and GCSEPod.

It was a great opportunity for parents and students to find out more

Year 11 Afterschool Revision has begun

Opening Our Doors: Year 6 Open Evening Success

Our recent Year 6 Open Evening was a huge success! The school buzzed with energy as we welcomed over 500 visitors and had a record-breaking 200 student guides and helpers.

Visitors praised our students’ manners, the enthusiasm of our teachers, and the welcoming atmosphere. Guests even enjoyed a sneak preview of this year’s school production, Footloose. Following the event, six Open Mornings have allowed families to experience TLS in action—many leaving inspired and eager to join our community next September.

It was a fantastic night

It was so good to welcome visitors to our school

Our helpers showed what makes this school 'Great'

Building Success: Launch of the House System

This term marked the exciting launch of our new House System: Brockwell, Chilston, Essinger, Maylam, and Nepean. Each house provides students with a sense of belonging, support, and friendly competition.

We’ve already seen the start of some intense inter-house football matches, with more events to come throughout the year. The enthusiasm and team spirit have been incredible!

The new House System has launched so well

Sporting Success: A Strong Start to the Season

TLS has made another positive start to the football season following last year’s successes.

Year 7 claimed victory against Knole Academy with a 1–0 win.

Our Under-16 Boys triumphed in a closely contested match against Norton Knatchbull.

For more sports updates, visit our Sports Page on the school website.

Such a strong start to the football season

Inspiring Creativity: Author Visit for year 8

Year 8 students were thrilled to welcome author Frank Cadaver, known for his gripping and darkly humorous stories. Frank shared his journey to becoming a writer and offered insight into how everyday observations can be transformed into eerie, compelling tales. It was an inspiring experience for all!

Frank Cadaver explained how he plans out a good story

Year 8s took a lot out of the experience

Sixth Form Bonding: Outdoor Learning at Go Ape

Our new Sixth Form students took part in an exhilarating outdoor learning experience at Go Ape! The day was filled with physical and mental challenges designed to build teamwork, confidence, and resilience. Experiences like this help our students develop valuable life skills and strong friendships.

Students really enjoyed their day

So good to see our 6th Form grow

Celebrating Languages and Culture

As part of our annual tradition, the Languages Department organised a series of exciting activities for the European Day of Languages. Highlights included the popular Charity Cake Sale (raising funds for the Macmillan Coffee Morning) and participation in the Maidstone Linguistics Olympiad hosted by New Line Learning.

Congratulations to Gracie, Peggy, and Bella, who achieved joint second place at the Olympiad—just three points behind the winners! Also, congratulations to Alicia, Isabella, Josh W, Josh F, Seren and Erin who won prizes for their amazing cakes.

So many impressive cakes

Gracie, Bella and Peggy represented TLS at the Olympiad

Giving Back: MacMillan Coffee Morning

We were proud to host another successful Macmillan Coffee Morning, raising over £450 for charity. The event brought together parents, local residents, and staff for cakes, conversation, and a raffle—all served by our wonderful students.

It was great to give something back

Recognition and Awards: Excellence in Education

We��re delighted to announce that TLS has received two prestigious national awards for our commitment to both student development and staff training:

Excellence in Pupil Development Award (EPDA) from Optimus Education, recognising the wide range of opportunities and support offered to our students.

PTI Leadership Mark for 2025–26, celebrating our high-quality staff training, engagement in action research, and collaboration with leading schools nationwide.

These achievements reflect the dedication and passion of our entire school community.

We are really proud of achieving these awards

How to Find Out More

Please feel free to join our Facebook Page The Lenham School | Maidstone | Facebook to keep up to date with all the exciting things that are happening both in and out of the classroom.

Second Hand Uniform

Details of how to access our second-hand uniform is available on our school website. With the continued rise in household costs, we hope this initiative can make a small difference by helping some of our families to access free uniform https://www.thelenham.viat.org.uk/1850/uniform.

Dates for the Diary - Term 2

3 November - Start of Term 2

3 November - 6th Form Trip to Royal Holloway

4-7 November - 6th Form GCSE Resit Exams

7-11 November - Year 11 PPE Mock Exams

12 November - Year 12 CCCU Event

14 November - Dance Dash

17-21 November - Book Fair

17 November - Year 7-11 Flu Vaccinations

17 November - Dance Trip JV Studios

19-20 November - Year 8 Consultation Evening

21 November - Year 9 History Trip to Ypres

25 November - 6th Form Open Evening

27 November - Harry Potter World Trip

27 November - Year 9 STEM Day

29 November - Lenham Lights Performance

1 December - Year 10/11 Globe Players Performance

4 December - Year 9 CCCU Trip

8 December - Over 60s Afternoon Tea

9 December - Year 12 STEM Day

10 & 11 December - Year 11 Geography Trip to Stratford

17 December - Christmas Lunch

19 December - End of Term 2

We hope you all have a well-deserved half term break and look forward to welcoming you back on Monday 3 November.

.

The Lenham School Website