Lodge Park Academy's Newsletter – Spring Term
Dear Families, A key figure in the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-nineteenth century, Ralph Waldo Emerson once declared,
"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be."
A key part of that decision-making process is being experienced by our Year 9 students this term, with assemblies, taster sessions and an Options Evening on Thursday 5th March. This will culminate in them choosing their GCSE subjects and – in many cases – taking the first few steps down a career or vocation path. For some of our learners it might be the first time that they have paused to fully consider a future that exists beyond the here and now. We always aim to support our charges, and it is not chance, serendipity or simple coincidence, that sees this process linked to National Careers Week and a range of relevant activities across their subjects.
In the process of celebrating opportunities and the possibilities available through education, it is worth noting that such freedoms have not always been accessible to everyone. This week also culminates in International Women’s Day (8th March) and an awareness that terms like ‘equity’ and ‘equality’ have often proved elusive to many across our society. House assemblies have been educating our students in understanding the importance of making such words a reality for everyone in our family and the wider community. The language and literature available in Women’s History Month equips our students with a fairer, more nuanced narrative.
“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly - they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.”
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World. We often use the phrase ‘family’ when we refer to the Lodge Park community, with our focus on positive relationships and mutually constructive interactions. This term is not restricted to ideas of lineage and genealogy, rather it defines our connections to each other. It allows our students to celebrate their unique sense of self while appreciating the common traits that bind us. This is the very process we champion for World Book Day (5th March):
“The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. Now here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out and taken yours.”
- Alan Bennett, The History Boys. So please join us, connect with a book this week, and help us improve the choices and chances of our students. Best Wishes,
Lodge Park Academy Leadership Team
Table Talk
This week we've had a huge focus on responsibility - particularly around students taking ownership of their mistakes, taking responsibility for the consequence of them and learning from the experience so that they don't make the same mistake again.
This need for students to learn responsibility is, of course, absolutely essential to them, growing into citizens capable and ready to be independent, respectable, and law-abiding citizens.
Round the dinner table this week, it would be excellent to discuss with your child the criticality of responsibility: - How can they show it in their day-to-day life? - What are examples from the 'real world' where responsibility is integral? - Why is it so important to be responsible?
Why We Do What We Do
House Assemblies bring a sense of belonging for our students, and our four Houses bring together one community at Lodge Park Academy. This week during our House assemblies we embedded the following so that all students are on the same page of understanding of Why We Do What We Do .......
Why do we have LPA Reads? When your tutors read to you this is an important way to help you build language skills. It exposes you to new words and ways of using language. It also helps you learn general information about the world, which makes it easier for you to learn about new subjects. It demonstrates proper pacing, tone, and expression, showing how to be "real readers". It introduces complex vocabulary, sentence structure, and academic language, improving comprehension and foundational skills. It ensures everyone has access to the benefits. Moreover, LPA Reads creates shared experiences, sense of belonging, and a love for books, making reading a pleasurable experience. What helps you to thrive and flourish at school? Thriving at school involves having positive relationships and positive behaviour in a supportive environment. You need to have healthy routines, (sleep, diet, exercise), engage in enrichment clubs, develop resilience, focus on a growth mindset, have a sense of belonging, and there needs to be strong parent-teacher-student communication to foster academic and emotional growth.
The Betari box is a simple model that helps us to understand the impact our attitudes and behaviours have on those around us. How do we break the cycle of conflict? We need to remember that our attitude good or bad affects those around us. The next time we are in a negative frame of mind we need to stop and think about why we are feeling that way and consciously try to break out of the cycle by trying to focus on something positive. We all have a choice in how we respond when someone else is feeling negative. At school students often face moral dilemmas that relate to honesty, loyalty, fairness, responsibility, empathy and peer pressure.
Parents - We observe how our parents act and what they say. Family members - Interactions with siblings and extended family provide early lessons in sharing, empathy, and handling conflict. Friends - Play a crucial role by acting as sounding boards, model positive social behaviour, and challenging our perspectives. They help us navigate ethical dilemmas and encourage us to align your actions with our values, effectively helping us become better versions of ourselves. LPA Staff - Reinforce social rules, fairness, and cooperation and provide guidance during complex ethical dilemmas, both in school and beyond. Other Adult role models - Leaders, public figures, or historical figures who demonstrate strong, consistent moral behaviour. Faith - A structured framework for ethical behaviour, stories that teach moral lessons, and shared values that reinforce what is considered "good" News - Presenting ethical dilemmas, showcasing different perspectives, and highlighting social issues that require critical thinking and empathy.
Learn from Experience Use situations and circumstances that arise in everyday life proactively to learn the difference between right and wrong. Doing so over time instills morals and ethics about honesty, integrity, respect, compassion and perseverance to take forward into our future. Our moral compass shows us the direction we are going in at any one moment in time. It can point us in the right direction but it can’t make us go there.
We are not born with character and our character is not fixed. It is formed little by little, day by day, through deliberate, consistent efforts rather than sudden changes CHOICE NOT CHANCE! All of our daily choices, especially when no one is watching build our character. Focus on building key values such as our LPA values of Respect, Resilience, Aspiration, Ambition, Courage and Gratitude (Not forgetting there are many other values. For example, determination linked closely to resilience, kindness linked closely to Gratitude, and many more. We can consciously change and improve who we are to match the person we want to become. We need to learn from each and every experience we have and how we act in these situation builds on our character. We need to focus our efforts since successful people concentrate on specific, meaningful goals rather than any distractions.
In It to Win It!
Students with 100% Attendance each week receive a ticket in the colour of their House to enter into the "In it to Win it" machine. This gives them the opportunity at the end of the academic year to win: 1) A £100 shopping voucher 2) A tablet or 3) The student can enter their ticket into the Corby Food Bank slot. All donated tickets across the year will be counted up and this number of items will be given to the Corby Food Bank. In addition to this, the name of one student each term is drawn from the Attendance slot to receive a £10 voucher. The winner for Term 3 was Maccie B. Mr Kirby awarded this to Maccie during morning line-up on the Tennis Courts this week. Congratulations to Maccie!
Attendance Update
We would like to share our weekly Attendance milestones with our parents. Whilst sharing the milestones for House Tutor groups, we are proud to share with you the amazing students who have 100% attendance at the Academy, year to date. It is never too late to improve your child's attendance. If you have any questions regarding your child's attendance, please feel free to contact the Attendance Team at the Academy. attendance@lodgeparkacademy.co.uk
Lodge Park Academy - Weekly Sports Round Up
School Games - Year 8 Boys Sports Hall Athletics Well done to the Year 8 Boys who represent LPA at the Sports Hall Athletics at the School Games on Monday. They gave 110% in every race, jump and throw, showing incredible determination and resilience from start to finish. Competing at the School Games is a Fantastic achievement in itself.
School Games Year 7/8 Girls Dodgeball Well done to the our Year 7/8 Girls Dodgeball team who took part in the Dodgeball Tournament at the School Games on Wednesday. They did really well winning 4/5 of their group games putting them in first place with an impressive goal difference of 35 going into the semi finals. They worked well as a team with some great catches and teamwork meaning they finished 2nd overall.
Year 8 County Cup Netball Well done to the Year 8 Girls who took part in their County Netball competition on Thursday. In the windy conditions the girls work well as a team with some fast plays down the court and some great shooting meant the girls Won 3 games, Drew 1 and Lost 4 meaning they finished 5th overall in their group.
Year 9 Boys Football vs Weldon Well done to the Year 9 boys who played their first District game of the season in the wet and windy conditions against Weldon Village Academy. The boys gave it their all never giving up helping them to be victorious winning 2-1 , with goals coming from Nicolas and Leo.
A-Level Music Recital
LPA families are warmly invited to attend our upcoming music recitals celebrating our talented and hard-working students which take place during March. Our A-Level recital is on Monday 16th March starting at 4.30pm in the hall which we expect to last around an hour. What is an A-Level Music Recital Exam? An A-Level Music recital exam is a pivotal event for students studying advances music courses. The recital exam serves as both a culmination of their hard work and a demonstration of their technical and expressive abilities on their chosen instrument or voice. During the recital, students are expected to perform a diverse repertoire, often spanning different musical eras and styles, to showcase their versatility. It provides a platform for students to express their artistic identity and gain valuable performance experience, which is crucial for those pursuing higher education or careers in music. Preparing for such an event involves rigorous practice, careful selection of pieces, and collaboration with our Musician in Residence. This public performance is their final preparations before performing for the visiting examiner. We look forward to welcoming you.
Mrs E Olner - Teacher of Music
Year 11 GCSE Music Recital
Our Year 11 GCSE recital is on Wednesday 25th March starting at 5pm which we expect to last for around 90 minutes. This recital will be recorded for coursework purposes. We welcome you to come and join us celebrating our talented Year 11 Musicians.
Mrs E Olner - Teacher of Music
LPA House Championship 2025/2026
House Winter Games
What an opening week of term it was for Red Kite who climbed two places, up to second position now in the LPA House Winter Games medal table following double gold in the Boccia competition. Kestrel entered the half term break well clear at the top; However their lead has been cut considerably following results from the Boccia competition this week. With only two Winter Games competitions remaining it is still too close to call who will be crowned champions. Each gold medal is worth 5 points. Silver medals are worth 3 points and Bronze are worth 2 points. The House with the highest points total at the end of the games will be crowned LPA Winter Games champions. Indoor Hockey and Sportshall Athletics are the final two competitions taking place over the next two weeks.
Boccia
Double Delight for Red Kite who secured two gold medals and a huge 10 points to their overall medal table score. On Thursday this week each House went head-to-head in a KS3 and KS4 round robin Boccia competition where Red Kite dominated both events to shoot up the table. Not only have Red Kite made significant progress in the Winter Games medal table they also secured 100 House points as champions of the Boccia competition. Goshawk secured second place ahead of Kestrel in third. Osprey finished in fourth place on this occasion and will be looking to bounce back in the Indoor Hockey next week.
House Winter Games – Indoor Hockey
The penultimate competition of the LPA House Winter Games takes place on Thursday and Friday next week. House teams will go head-to-head in Indoor Hockey taking place in the gym during lunchtime. Students who wish to represent their House team in this event must inform their tutor or Head of House. House teams require a minimum of 5 players. Two more gold medals up for grabs – who will be top of the medal table this time next week?
‘Reflections’ House Photography Competition
We are extremely excited to reveal the theme for this year’s house photography competition – ‘Reflections’. Throughout this term and into the Easter Holidays we are looking for creative photos that captures this year’s theme, Reflections – This is open to interpretation but could include creative skills using water, mirrors, shiny objects etc. Last year’s photography competition was extremely high with well over 100 submissions and we are excited to see this year’s entries. The competition is open to all students, staff and wider family members. A maximum of 5 photos per person will be accepted. All photo entries must be sent to: housechampionship@lodgeparkacademy.co.uk including your name, year group and house team. Deadline is 5.00pm on Friday 17th April 2026.
‘Just Dance’ House Competition Returns
The eagerly anticipated ‘Just Dance’ House competition returns this term. The competition will be taking place at the end of term in the main hall, on the stage in front of a live audience. If you wish to perform in this years competition you must send your selected song from to: housechampionship@lodegparkacademy.co.uk by Friday 27th March. Participants will need to perform a ‘Just Dance’ song either individually or as a group of up to 8 (participants DO NOT need to be in the same tutor or year group but must be in the same House).
LPA Sports Timetable - Term 4
Enrichment Timetable - Term 4
The academy would like to increase the attendance at the non-Sports Enrichment clubs and we have been listening to Student voice on the clubs they wish to attend. Therefore, we will shortly be including some additional clubs and in Term 3 we introducin an Enrichment Attendance card. When students attend 6 sessions of any Enrichment club and get their card signed by the Enrichment teachers they will hand this card into Student Reception and it will go into a prize draw taking place at the end of each term. We will also count up cards at the end of the term and House points will be rewards (House in 1st place 25 points, in 2nd place 15 points, in 3rd place 10 points, in 4th place 5 points)
Support & Information for Parents
Feeling a sense of belonging plays a vital role in children’s wellbeing, confidence and gives them the ability to thrive, both academically and emotionally. This weeks #WakeUpWednesday guide explores why belonging matters and how small, everyday interactions can make a meaningful difference in helping children feel accepted and included.
Recently rising in popularity among children and young people, Wizz is a social networking app that allows users to chat live with people from around the world. In similar fashion to a dating app, it facilitates conversations with people that users would not ordinary meet – but of course, making connections to individuals online bring its own self-evident potential safety issues. While Wizz makes use of face recognition technology to assesses users’ age and group them by age group – but the software is far from perfect and is no guarantee that some individuals won’t attempt to exploit the app for sinister purposes. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide examines Wizz in detail, identifying pitfalls that parents and carers should be aware of. In the guide you’ll find tips on a number of potential risks such as catfishing, explicit content and “sextortion”, and examines how trusted adults can take young people to avoid these possible threats.
Community Events
Deep Roots Tall Trees are delighted to be working with Beth Hodgson from Ruby Slippers Theatre to offer this fun, fast-paced and creative Matilda-themed musical theatre workshop for children. In just one morning, participants will learn songs, rehearse scenes and bring moments from Matilda the Musical to life, working together towards an informal performance at the end of the session. Guided by Beth's expert and friendly approach, children will explore character, storytelling, singing and simple staging - all centred around this much-loved story. It's a brilliant opportunity to build confidence, develop performance skills and enjoy being part of a team. Date: Saturday 28th February, 10.00am to 12.30pm Venue: Ennerdale Community Centre, 39 Ennerdale Rd, Corby NN17 2EA Ages: 7-13 Open to all abilities, including children and young people with additional needs. No previous musical or theatre experience required - just enthusiasm and a willingness to join in! Cost: £3.75 online (advance booking) £5 on the door (cash only, subject to availability) Register via: https://bit.ly/drttmusicals This session is delivered in partnership with Maggie's Music and Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust, and is made possible thanks to the generous support of Corby Town Council. Best wishes NMPAT Professional Services Office
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/2025_2026_Academic_Calendar_v1.pdf
Lodge Park Academy Closes - Thursday 2nd April 2026
Lodge Park Academy Re-Opens -Monday 20th April 2026
Bank Holiday - Monday 4th May 2026
Lodge Park Academy Closes - Friday 22nd May 2026
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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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