The Lenham School

Newsletter

Term 4 - Spring Edition

"Be here for your friends and be here for your futures… but when here, we need to work hard…"

Dear Parent/Carer, I have toured more people than ever around our school this term and I am so proud of what they are seeing. In particular, I am amazed but the determination that our Year 11 students are showing in their lessons. They are pushing themselves in a way I have never seen here before. It is the start of their GCSE summer, and this will be a summer that tests their academic stamina more than it has ever been tested before. Academic stamina is the ability to stay focused, keep trying, and work through challenges over time. It is not about being naturally clever; it is about effort and persistence. In school, students need this skill to read difficult texts, solve complex problems, and complete longer pieces of work. Without stamina, it is easy to give up when learning becomes hard. Like fitness, academic stamina builds gradually. The more students practise concentrating, working independently, and tackling challenging tasks, the stronger it becomes. Over time, students grow in confidence and learn that struggle is a normal part of learning, not something to avoid. In today’s world, I see too many people focus on results, and especially quick results! Life doesn’t work like that! As parents and educators, we should encourage students to value effort, take on challenges, and develop good study habits. By building academic stamina, young people gain the resilience and focus they need to succeed not only in exams, but in life. Mr Ferguson - Headteacher

welcome

Once again, it has been an incredibly busy and successful term at The Lenham School. Across all year groups, we continue to see students engaging positively with their learning, taking pride in their achievements, and contributing to our strong school community.

Attendance Matters

Attendance remains a key whole-school priority. Mr Ferguson launched the term with assemblies reinforcing the importance of being in school every day. The link between attendance and outcomes is clear: students who attend regularly achieve better results and are better prepared for future opportunities. Just as importantly, being in school supports wellbeing, friendships, and a sense of belonging. This term we have:

Launched School Streaks, rewarding consistent attendance
Continued to promote strong attendance habits across all year groups
Embedded attendance incentives for Year 11 through the Passport to Prom

Year 11 students can earn discounts on their prom ticket through consistent attendance and engagement with intervention and revision sessions. The response from students has been very positive, and we are seeing more students in school, in lessons, and ready to learn.

Be Here

Year 11 - Class of 2026

Year 11 have had a pivotal term as they move closer to their final examinations. Students completed their final round of PPE mock exams with excellent conduct, recognised by external invigilators. This has provided a clear platform for the final phase of preparation. Support in place includes:

Weekly PD intervention sessions in English, Maths and Science
Afterschool revision sessions across subjects
Virtual English and Maths sessions every Sunday
A structured programme of Easter Revision sessions

Students also benefited from a visit from William Wadsworth (Exam Study Expert), who delivered sessions on effective revision techniques and exam preparation. This was followed by our Mock Results Evening, where students and families engaged in meaningful conversations about next steps. We are now entering the final phase. The focus is clear:

Students using their PLCs (Personalised Learning Checklists) to identify gaps
Increased independent practice
High-quality feedback to address misconceptions quickly

This is a crucial period where consistent effort will make the difference.

Students really found out what works

Reading culture & World Book Day

Reading continues to be a central focus at TLS. World Book Day (5th March) provided an opportunity to celebrate this, alongside:

Visits from authors such as Paul Cree
The opening of our new library space, giving students a dedicated environment to read, reflect, and learn

Our approach is clear: strong reading supports success across the entire curriculum.

Have you joined the local library?

Mathematics focus & Olympiad

Mathematics continues to be a key priority. In the lead-up to Pi Day, students took part in:

Times Tables Rock Stars competition
The TLS Maths Olympiad

The Olympiad challenged students to:

Apply maths in unfamiliar contexts
Work collaboratively
Think strategically under pressure

House Results: 1st – Maylam 2nd – Nepean 3rd – Chilston 4th – Essinger 5th – Brockwell A fantastic event showcasing teamwork and mathematical thinking.

The competition was tough

Sixth Form Success

Year 13 students have achieved excellent BTEC results this term and are on track for outstanding outcomes this summer. Our Sixth Form continues to grow, offering strong academic and vocational pathways, with a clear focus on:

University progression
Career readiness
High-quality outcomes

If your child is considering Sixth Form, please contact Mr Errey (d.errey@thelenham.viat.org.uk) for more information.

So many good results

So proud of our students

This summer will be a 'vintage' year

STEAM at TLS

STEAM continues to thrive across all key stages. Year 7 STEAM Day included:

Engineering challenges
Robotics with BAE Systems
Coding with UcanToo
F1: Race to the Line
The Astrodome

Students demonstrated excellent maturity and engagement throughout. Sixth Form STEAM Event: Delivered in partnership with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, students explored real-world problem solving and applied learning in practical contexts.

Students really engaged in the day

Our visitors commented on how well our students conducted themselves

So many fun activities

Year 12s enjoyed their day

STEAM is so important at TLS

Year 10 - Tower of London

Year 10 History students visited the Tower of London as part of their GCSE studies. Students explored over 1,000 years of history, including:

The role of the Tower in Tudor England
The Crown Jewels

Their focus and conduct were excellent, making it a highly successful trip.

Students were so focused

They enjoyed seeing the 'Crown Jewels'

The visit helped prepare students for their GCSE

Parental Podcast

We continue to strengthen our partnership with parents through our TLS Podcast Series. Current episodes support:

Year 10 and 11 revision
Supporting reading at home

Upcoming topics include:

Health and nutrition
Year 6 transition
Careers and Sixth Form
Attendance

TLS - No Nonsense Podcast

The Podcast series will help parents

Sporting Success

This term has seen a real shift in sport at TLS—not just in results, but in attitude. Across all year groups, students have shown:

Greater commitment to training
Improved teamwork and communication
A strong sense of pride in representing the school

The progress of our teams—particularly those who have developed from challenging seasons last year—has been fantastic to see.

Year 9 – A Season to Be Proud Of

A special mention must go to our Year 9 football team, who have shown incredible development this season. After finishing bottom last year, the team have:

Improved their results significantly
Built strong team cohesion
Reached the semi-finals in style

Their 7–2 win over Valley Park was a standout performance and a reflection of their hard work and determination.

Rugby – Strength and Resilience

Our rugby teams continue to represent the school with pride.

Year 7: Joint 3rd place – a fantastic achievement in their first year of competition
Year 10/11: Through to the final on 23rd April

The physicality, teamwork, and resilience shown by these teams have been outstanding.

Representing TLS with Pride

One of the most pleasing aspects this term has been how students conduct themselves:

Supporting each other during fixtures
Demonstrating respect to opponents and officials
Showing resilience in both victory and defeat

They are excellent ambassadors for the school.

Staff & Student Commitment

A huge thank you to:

Staff who give up time to run fixtures and training
Students who consistently attend practices and represent the school

This collective effort is what drives the success we are now seeing.

PSA continues to be a success

Year 9

Year 7

Our Year 8 Team

The students are really enjoying Rugby

vacancies

If you are interested in joining our team, teaching or non teaching, please see our vacancies page., please see the vacancies section for further details.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We wish all students and families a restful and enjoyable break and look forward to welcoming everyone back next term.

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 5

20 April - Start of Term 5

21 April - Dan Abnett Author Visit

21 April - VIAT Speaking Competition

23 April - VIAT Music Concert at Invicta Grammar School

29 April - Year 7 Trip to Wingham

29-30 April - New Year 7 Meetings

1 May - Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award

4 May - School Closed

6 May - Year 6 Welcome Evening

22 May - Last Day of Term

We hope you all have a well-deserved break and look forward to welcoming you back on Monday 20 April.

.

The Lenham School Website