Dear Parents and Carers,
RE: Start of term September 2024
I hope that you have all had a lovely summer and that your child is looking forward to returning to the academy.
Start of term
A reminder that new students in Year 7 and Year 12 will be starting with us on Monday 2nd September. Year 7 students should arrive by 8:20am to the front of the academy.
Year 12 students should arrive at 9:00am to reception for registration.
All Year groups of 7 to 13 inclusive will then be full-time in the academy from Tuesday 3rd September. A reminder that students in year 7 to 11 should be at the academy for College line up at 8:20am everyday with registration at 8:30am.
Punctuality
Our aim at the academy is for all students to be in school all of the time and that they are punctual arriving at the academy. Arriving on time to the academy is a basic measure of respect; a core value of The Sir Geoffrey Leight Academy, where every minute counts. The loss of learning is significant with poor punctuality and this can become detrimental to attendance.
We want to ensure students have the best opportunities to reach their potential academically and this begins with being on time, every time to the academy and lessons. We also want to ensure our students have real employability by developing life skills beyond the classroom, and punctuality is just one of the life skills required for future success.
Uniform
A reminder that students in Year 7 to 11 should be in full academy uniform every day in accordance with the academy Uniform Policy.
Students can continue to wear their The Leigh Academy uniform, or can purchase the new uniform items with the Sir Geoffrey Leigh Academy design on from Brigade or TFS; links in the Uniform Policy. Students in Year 12 and 13 should be in business dress in accordance with the published Post 16 dress code.
PE kit does not need to be brought to the academy on your child’s first day.
Chromebooks
Advance notice that students in Year 7 and Year 12 will be allocated their loan Chromebooks devices on Wednesday 18th September. Parents/Carers will be invited into the academy, with your child, for a welcome and an information evening between 4.15pm and 6.30pm. Please save the date and further details will follow. Students in Year 10 will be issued new Chrombooks in the next week with further details to follow.
Students who have an academy Chromebook must bring them fully charged and ready for use on Tuesday 3rd September. Students will be advised in tutor time that they have an updated email address and account details, due to the change in academy name, and these will be active from the beginning of Module one. Students will be supported to log in with new details and passwords and then will be able to access existing accounts and their work. A reminder that no other devices (laptops/ipads etc) should be brought into the academy by students other than the LAT loan device.
Parking
A reminder that at the start of the academic year, it is always particularly busy in our academy and Goals car parks and the surrounding roads. We strongly recommend that you take advantage of our ‘Park and Stride’ initiative. Families are encouraged to use Dartford Football Club’s extensive parking facilities to drop off their child at the stadium, with the student then making their way on foot through the complex to the academy’s Princes Road entrance. This walk takes no more than five minutes, with students met at the Princes Road entrance by members of Leigh duty staff.
We look forward to welcoming students back to the Sir Geoffrey Leigh Academy next week and working in partnership for another successful year ahead.
Your Sincerely
Julia Collins | Principal
