Lodge Park Academy's Newsletter – Summer Term
Dear Families Welcome back! A new term always brings with it fresh possibilities and an opportunity for our students to re-evaluate what it means to be part of a community. Diversity remains a key facet of our development at Lodge Park Academy and I would like to share “Eid ul-Adha Mubarak” with those members of our collective who have just celebrated Eid al-Adha (the “Festival of Sacrifice”) over the half-term break. We continue to celebrate the pluralism and cultural richness of our Lodge Park family, with a clear understanding of the actions and selflessness inherent in making sure that every one of our members has a voice. The American philosopher, sociologist, and psychologist, George Herbert Mead argued
“Society is unity in diversity”.
Almost one-hundred years later, the then American president – George H.W. Bush – echoed the beauty of these thoughts:
“We are a nation of communities… a brilliant diversity spread like stars; like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky”.
We seek to nurture each spark without losing sight of what unites us. We celebrate the inclusive nature of our society, allowing us to celebrate events such as International Pride month, which begins on Monday 1st June (with the UK mirroring the initiative in July). This coincides with the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots, a series of liberation protests for gay rights, seeking to achieve an equality that we now accept as the norm. We want our students to appreciate the history and humanity behind driving such social change. We finish this first week back with another message of remembrance, to commemorate the anniversary of the D-Day landings on Saturday 6th June. The importance of this historical event cannot be underestimated. The sheer scale of the largest seaborne invasion in history, the symbolic value of championing a liberal democracy, the embers of hope fanned for the oppressed people of Europe – the list (like the courage of the individuals concerned) seems endless. In particular the fortitude of brave and noble people, willing to sacrifice everything for the freedom of others, is a lesson that we want to share with all of our family. It is the memory of these people and events that define us. It is the freedom to be our true selves, to be blessed with faith, to develop relationships, that unites us. Best Wishes,
Lodge Park Academy Leadership Team
We're recruiting Governors!
Up until now, as we've been a school with a 'Requires Improvement' Ofsted rating, we've had an AIB (Academy Improvement Board) made up of leaders of DRET. The intent behind this was through the pooling of the expertise and experience of school improvement together, Lodge Park could rapidly make the gains that we all want for our students.
But, now we've had the equivalent of a 'Good' inspection (and much more than 'Good' in a number of areas!) we can now move to a more traditional Governance model!
So, we are looking for passionate parents to sit on our ASC (Academy Scrutiny Committee). No specific expertise is required and full training and support for effective governance will be provided. All you need is a passion to see Lodge Park become the best it's ever been for our students.
If you are interested in being a part of this, please do let me know via jkirby@lodgeparkacademy.co.uk.
Thanks all!
JK
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 last 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 ..........
"If I were to check the contents of your mental and emotional backpack right now, what would I find?“ You may be carrying more than you realise every day, we walk around carrying invisible weight — unspoken feelings, old memories, expectations, and “I’ll deal with it later” thoughts. It's where we store experiences that emotionally overwhelm us. These can be truly challenging experiences but they can also be experiences that would hardly have been a problem for someone else, but are very much a problem for us.
Character isn't just about big achievements; it’s the sum of your everyday habits, the respect you show to others, and how you act when no adults are looking. It represents your internal moral compass—your honesty, empathy, and courage—which dictates how you treat others and make decisions. It differs from personality, which refers more broadly to how you outwardly behave or express yourself.
Integrity: Who you actually are. It remains consistent whether acknowledged or ignored, and exists in private decisions. Reputation: Who others think you are. It relies on public opinion, narratives, and social media. The Disconnect: You can have integrity but a bad reputation if misunderstood. Conversely, you can have a great reputation but lack integrity if you engage in unethical behavior behind the scenes. The ideal balance would be that your reputation is an accurate reflection of your integrity. In a highly transparent, hyper-connected world, the two increasingly merge. However, under pressure, you are often tested to choose between the two—compromising your integrity to protect a positive public image, or doing the right thing despite the potential hit to your popularity.
Courage: Having the bravery to stand up for peers, even when it’s not the popular thing to do. Compassion: Recognizing that everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Small acts of kindness leave lasting impacts. Consistency: Doing the right thing even when it's inconvenient.
Character is decided in the split-second choices you make - An ideal response to this scenario would be:- Assess and Act: Ignore the laughter, kneel down, and begin gathering the items. This minimizes the student's embarrassment and shows them they aren't alone. Handle the Crowd: Simply saying, "Excuse me, watch your step," or "Could you give us a moment to grab these?" is usually enough to stop people from walking over the items and make them realize their laughter is uncalled for. Offer a Reassurance: A quick, "Don't worry about them, let's get these back in your bag," helps de-escalate the student's anxiety and offers comfort.
Where do our staff and students think they are on the Character Mountain? We should be aiming for point 4 or 5 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.
- We need to 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.
- Learn from each and every experience we have and how you act in these situation builds on our character.
- Focus our efforts as successful people concentrate on specific, meaningful goals rather than being distracted.
In school things to consider would be…
- Behaving in the right way inside and outside the classroom
- supporting a local charity event
- how we treat others whether that be peers or members of staff
- taking part in a House competition even if it is something new that is outside our comfort zone (showing LPA courage and LPA resilience)
- supporting your peers in times of trouble
All of these build on our character and support us in becoming the best version of ourselves. DON’T PUT OFF TODAY WHAT CAN BE DONE TOMORROW!
"Operation Tides"
Our Police Community Support officer Steve Coles has been in school this week delivering assemblies to Years 7, 8 and 9 on "Operation Tides" sharing information on laws regarding and illegal riding of e-scooters and e-bikes. He has asked us to share with you the below media release. Police operation in Corby urges parents to talk to their children about e-scooter and e-bike safety Police officers in Corby have launched an operation which aims to tackle the illegal riding of e-scooters and e-bikes. Operation Tides prioritises education and engagement with young people before progressing to targeted enforcement. As part of the operation, officers from the Corby Neighbourhood Policing Team have been visiting all the secondary schools in the town to talk to students about the legislation surrounding e-scooters and how to be safe riding e-bikes. Letters and leaflets highlighting the legislation will be distributed to all Corby and Corby village schools for them to pass onto parents/guardians, and during this time, officers will be stopping people using e-scooters or e-bikes and also giving them an information leaflet which will warn them of the upcoming crackdown. From this week the Police team have progressed to the enforcement stage of the operation. Now anyone found to be riding an e-scooter or e-bike illegally will have their vehicle seized and a ticket issued. Neighbourhood Policing Inspector in Corby - Matt Rock said: “In recent months, we have received several reports from members of the local community concerned about young people riding e-scooters and e-bikes in the town. “Of particular concern is the use of high‑powered or modified e‑bikes that exceed legal limits and privately‑owned e‑scooters, which are not permitted for use on public roads or pavements. “We know many young people see e-scooters and e-bikes as a convenient way to get around, but many are unaware of the laws and the very real risks involved. “Our priority through Operation Tides is to educate and engage first, working with schools and parents to make sure children understand how to stay safe and what is legal. We urge parents and guardians to have open conversations with their children about the dangers of riding illegal e-Scooters and e-bikes. “From June, we will take firm action against illegal use, so please don’t be one of the people we seize a vehicle from. “Our aim is always to prevent serious injuries and keep Corby’s roads and pavements safe for everyone, and we’re hoping that this operation will do just that.” Rules around e-bikes and e-scooters E-scooters are classed as motor vehicles under the Road Traffic Act 1988. This means the rules that apply to motor vehicles also apply to e-scooters, including the need to have a licence and insurance. There are two ways of using an e-scooter:
- by privately owning one
- by renting one through an authorised rental scheme
It's not currently possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters which means it’s illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces, such as parks, street pavements, and shopping centres. If you use a privately-owned e-scooter in public, you risk the vehicle being seized under S.165 Road Traffic Act 1988 for having no insurance. You can rent e-scooters via e-scooter company Voi in Northamptonshire but only if you are aged 18+ and hold a valid full or provisional driving licence. In the UK, you must be at least 14 years old to legally ride an e-bike. The e-bike must have a maximum motor power of 250W and a top assisted speed of 15.5 mph.
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
LPA READERS RECOMMEND...
BOOK TITLE: The Divergent Series AUTHOR: Veronica Roth GENRE: Dystopian I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK BECAUSE... Hot take but it’s like the Hunger Games but better!! I read this series when I was in Year 7 and I have re-read it and re-watched the movies many times since. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT FROM THIS BOOK? The whole series is an interesting deep dive into personality types and how modifying personalities could, or in this case couldn’t, avoid war and conflict. WHAT IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THIS BOOK? A city is divided into factions based on personality types. Beatrice Prior is born into the Abnegation sector, where she has to be selfless, wear grey, spend her free time doing charity work and rarely looking in the mirror. When she is 16, she has a test to tell her which faction she should choose, but this test is confusing and reveals that she could be potentially dangerous. The rest would be spoilers! WHO DO YOU THINK WOULD ENJOY THIS BOOK? People with good taste in books 😊- All year groups, as I say I’ve enjoyed this as a Year 7 and as an adult! FAVOURITE QUOTES “If my entire life is like this, loud laughter and bold action and the kind of exhaustion you feel after a hard but satisfying day, I will be content.” Thank you for Miss Smith (Teacher of History) for sharing your recommendation.
DRET Musician of the Year 2026 Launch
Our annual competition for our young instrumentalists has launched this week, and all our instrumental players are invited to take part! There are 3 categories (foundation, intermediate and advanced) where the focus is how musically students play rather than the technical difficulty alone.
Last year, we very nearly won the highly coveted, title of 'DRET Musician of the Year' with excellent performances from Year 11 alumni Jennie and current Year 12 Richard.
Help is on hand from the music team, including making a good quality recording, and the closing date for entries is 19th June. Please encourage your young musician to get involved, and good luck!
Mrs Olner - Director of Music
House Championship 2025/2026
Guess the Scores - (Road to World Cup)
The Football World Cup gets underway next week at 8pm on Thursday 11th June and we are delivering a House 'score prediction' competition for all 72 group stage matches. To enter all you have to do is submit a score prediction for each of the group stage by scanning the QR CODE. House Points: Once the group stages are finished all of the points will be accumulated before awarding the following house points: 1st place - 125 House points 2nd place - 75 House points 3rd place - 50 House points Bonus Points: The House with the most players who finishes above the House 'Gamesmaster' will also receive 5 House points. This competition is open to all staff, students and wider families. Please share this with your families. We must receive your submission before 8pm on Thursday 11th June to enter.
House Road to World Cup – Football Tennis
The first event of the House ‘Road to World Cup’ competition got underway at LPA this week as House teams went head-to-head in doubles Football Tennis. The event was split into four individual year 7, year 8, year 9 and year 10 competitions with each house playing each other in a round robin format. Following a number of closely contested match ups, it was Osprey and Goshawk who dominated to the competition to each secure victories in two of the four competitions. Osprey were crowned champions of the year 7 and year 10 competitions with Goshawk winning both the year 8 and year 9 competitions. Points were accumulated across the four competitions to determine the overall winner and it was Goshawk who secured victory by just 3 points to Osprey overall. Kestrel finished in 3rd place, followed by Red Kite in 4th. Overall Points Table: 1st – Goshawk – 27 points 2nd – Osprey – 24 points 3rd – Kestrel – 12 points 4th – Red Kite – 9 points
Top Bin Challenge (Road to World Cup)
The next event in our House ‘Road to World Cup’ competition takes place next week as students and staff across all year groups have the opportunity to showcase their football skills, in our very ‘Top Bin’ challenge. From the penalty spot, participants will put their accuracy to the test in attempting to find one of the top corners. Attempts that successfully find the ‘top bin’ net will be awarded points, with the House with the most ‘top bins’ being crowned champions. Competition to take place on the Astro!
LPA Sports Newsletter - Term 5
Please find below the link for the LPA Sports Newsletter - Term 5 - Alternatively you can find it on our Academy website. https://lodgeparkacademy.co.uk/docs/newsletters/sport_newsletters/Term_5_Sports_Newsletter_2025-2026.pdf
LPA Sports Timetable - Term 6
Music Clubs Timetable - Term 6
Enrichment Timetable - Term 6
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. We have introduced 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
Minecraft
Minecraft continues to be a highly popular platform for children, combining creativity, problem-solving and social interaction. While the game can offer positive opportunities for learning and play, features such as public servers, multiplayer modes and in-game communication can create safeguarding challenges. Our latest #WakeUpWednesday guide supports educators and parents in understanding these risks and helping children play more safely. The guide explores: • Public server communication and contact with unknown players • Griefing, disruptive behaviour and online conflict • In-game spending and subscription costs • Addictive gameplay loops and balanced screen time • Safer settings, private servers and suitable game modes With clear, practical advice, the guide helps adults set boundaries, encourage safer choices and support responsible Minecraft use. Access the guide: https://vist.ly/54tfx #Safeguarding #OnlineSafety #Minecraft
Supporting Neurodivergent Friendships
When we picture children being friends, we tend to picture the same thing: chatting, playing together, sitting in a group at lunch. It’s a particular kind of friendship - visible, social, reciprocal in recognisable ways. But that picture leaves out a lot of children. For many neurodivergent young people, it sets a standard they’re constantly measured against and found wanting - not because they don’t have meaningful connections, but because their connections look different. This resource is about learning to see neurodivergent friendship for what it actually is, rather than what we expect it to be. Because when we look more carefully, we often find something richer than we assumed. To continue reading this article please click on the link below and continue on our website. https://www.lodgeparkacademy.co.uk/docs/send/Supporting_Neurodivergent_Friendships.pdf
Career Days offers a series of online work experience and Career Days designed specifically for students aged 13–18. These live, interactive days give students a chance to: • Learn about a specific career from industry professionals • Understand day-to-day life, entry requirements, and pathways • Complete practical work experience tasks • Ask questions in live Q&A sessions • Receive a personalised certificate for UCAS or CV use . We’ve got a range of upcoming Career Days that might suit different interests — all taking place online and accessible from anywhere:
- Performing Arts Work Experience & Careers Day – Sunday 18th October 2026
. Details, dates & registration: Career Days Why this might benefit students: ✔ Career insight - live expert input and real-world context ✔ Work experience evidence for UCAS & applications ✔ Accessible for students anywhere - no travel required ✔ Suitable across Years 9–13
Community Events
We are urging North Northamptonshire families, parents, carers, children and young people to complete our special educational needs and disability (SEND) survey.
We’re inviting you to take part in this important survey about local services for children and young people with additional / special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Whether you’re a parent, carer, or young person yourself, your views and experiences really matter to us. This survey is your chance to share what’s working well and what could be betterwhen it comes to support from education, health, and social care services in our area. By taking a few minutes to tell us your thoughts, you’ll be helping to shape the future of SEND services, ensuring they truly meet the needs of children, young people, and families like yours.
Why is your voice so important?
Because real change starts with real stories. The more we hear from families, the better we can understand what matters most. Your feedback will help us:- • Highlight what’s going well • Identify areas where support needs to improve • Develop better policies and services that reflect the needs of our local SEND community All responses are anonymous and confidential and will be used to make sure services are responsive, inclusive, and focused on what families and young people truly need. The results of this survey will be processed into a report by an independent company and will be shared with you and the Local Area Partnership. We will also share the results with the Department of Education, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission. Your voice shapes our tomorrow and together we can build a better, more supportive future.
Take part in the survey:
https://npcv.co.uk/send-annual-surveys-2026?fbclid=IwY2xjawSLxUNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETAxcXUzbTAweGZiMkVoU3Ruc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHiBn_71ZaSGs1dA_PbQSKr_tTTg4QZ-6VIsSxw3oQTMXJDMOpqdErmwFy-sT_aem_ZBbodyN7aP1r3u_b95RHWg The surveys is open until 5th August 2026, and support is available for anyone needing help to complete it or for those who require the survey in an alternative format (such as paper, large print, or other languages).
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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