Latest News Updates | Friday, 5th September

🌟 Celebrating Academic Success

Their perseverance serves as an inspiration to their peers, and we encourage all students to continue engaging with SPARX to support their learning and progress.

Student Voice

Cultural Capital Day – Friday 11th July

On Friday 11th July, our academy held another successful Cultural Capital Day, where students across different year groups took part in enriching and educational trips across London and further afield. From museums to theme parks, the day offered our students opportunities to expand their cultural horizons and connect classroom learning to the real world.

Here’s what some of our students had to say:

• “Absolutely amazing. I would do it again. 10/10.” – Keira, Year 10 (now Year 11)

• “The experience was really good, interesting shows and very interactive.” – Sarahjane, Year 10 (now Year 11) (Madame Tussauds)

• “It was adventurous and I learned about the history of British art.” – Marwa & Jashandeep, Year 10 (now Year 11) (Maritime Museum)

• “I had a great time looking at the London landmarks.” – Uthman, Year 8 (now Year 9)

• “It was a thrilling experience at Thorpe Park.” – Amelia, Year 8 (now Year 9)
  

• “It was really fun, I loved the illusions and interactivity.” – Chelsea, Year 8 (now Year 9) (Twist Museum)

• “I had a lot of fun, enjoyed the Greenwich part too, and mostly the exhibition.” – Bryan, Year 8 (now Year 9) (Maritime Museum)

We’re so proud of our students for representing the academy so well and embracing the opportunities to learn beyond the classroom.

Thank you to all staff and families who supported this fantastic day.

🚀 Strive Corner: Extending Your Child’s Learning 

Each week in Strive Corner, we’ll spotlight either an exceptional piece of student challenge work or a useful tip to support independent thinking and stretch learning further.

This space is designed to celebrate subject passion, curiosity, and learning that goes beyond the core curriculum. Whether it’s showcasing outstanding work or sharing simple strategies, our aim is to provide a glimpse into how students are challenging themselves — and to inspire the same enthusiasm and depth at home.

Students Take Part in LAT Maths Feast

Students from Years 7, 8, and 9 took part in an exciting LAT Maths Feast competition at the end of Module 6, joining peers from other schools across the Leigh Academies Trust. The event featured four challenging rounds of mathematical tasks, testing students’ problem-solving, reasoning, and collaboration skills.

Throughout the day, our students worked in teams to tackle puzzles, logic problems, and real-world maths scenarios. It was a highly enjoyable and enriching experience, giving pupils the chance to stretch their mathematical thinking beyond the classroom.

The atmosphere was vibrant and full of healthy competition, and students represented our school with great enthusiasm, teamwork, and resilience. Events like this help to foster a love of maths and build confidence through shared success.

Well done to all who participated – you did us proud!

Attendance: We commend students who have shown exceptional commitment by maintaining excellent attendance records. Their consistent presence in school not only supports their learning but also sets a positive example for their peers.

Achievement and progress: Students who have demonstrated significant academic growth and dedication to their studies were recognised. Their efforts reflect the high standards we uphold and the importance of continuous learning.

Living our values: Special recognition was given to students who consistently embody our school values. Whether it’s showing kindness to others, demonstrating courage in challenging situations, or displaying resilience in their studies, these students inspire us all.

We are incredibly proud of all our students and the positive impact they have on our school community. Their achievements remind us of the importance of fostering an environment where effort, respect, and kindness are celebrated.

Thank you for your continued support in encouraging and celebrating your child’s successes.

📚CPD Corner: How we support Teachers

As you know, all students at LABex have their own personal Chromebook which they use regularly in every lesson. To help support the learning of all students, there are digital tools available for students to use to enhance their learning.

Read&Write 

Read&Write is a literacy support tool that offers help with everyday tasks like reading text out loud, understanding unfamiliar words, researching assignments and proofing written work.

When students are reading a document or an article, they can click the purple Read&Write icon in the top right corner and this tool bar will drop. On the tool bar, they have the option to highlight words, have the tool read them the text and use the picture dictionary.

The most commonly used tool is the dictionary. Students can highlight a word and use the dictionary tool to define the words. The definitions are student friendly and accessible.

During the last full week of Module 6, Year 8 Historians were given a text about the key consequences of the French Revolution. Students were encouraged to use the Read&Write tool and the dictionary function when reading. Students did not know what the word ‘guillotine’ meant so teachers asked students to use both the dictionary and picture dictionary tools to support them.

Here is the website for Read&Write if you want to explore digital tools further. 

Sparx Maths Club

We are pleased to let you know that the Sparx Maths Club is open to all students. The club will begin on Thursday, 11 September, running from 3:20pm to 4:00 pm, and will take place weekly.

Mr Parajuli  |  Coordinator of Learning Maths

SEND

A warm welcome to our new Year 7 students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We commend the enthusiastic start they have made in overcoming challenges related to finding classrooms and navigating our expansive school site. It has also been a pleasure to meet so many parents during our transition programme, fostering a supportive community for our children. Please look out for details of our SEND coffee morning on 17th September, designed specifically for Year 7 parents to engage and connect.

In our commitment to personalised learning, all educational plans for our students will be shared via the EDUKEY Provision Mapper platform. You will receive detailed information about your child’s support and progress in due course, ensuring you remain actively involved in their educational journey. 

Interventions will commence from Week 2 of this term. If your child will be accessing any new interventions, you will be informed promptly. We are pleased to continue our popular programmes, Lexia and Reading Wise, though the specific days may vary and students will attend as normal, no notification of these will be sent to parents as they are ongoing.  Students will be advised of their schedules, and their timetables will be updated to reflect these changes. Many of the intervention sessions have now moved into a larger classroom with designated areas, providing clarity for students about where to go and what they will be focusing on during each session.

Again this year we are delighted to continue to benefit from having a Speech and Language Therapist (SALT), who works with small groups as well as with students on a 1:1 basis.

This academic year, we are also fortunate to continue receiving support from an educational psychologist, who will implement Friends Resilience and ELSA interventions. This important support enabled many students to access high-quality interventions last year, leading to notable success.

We are also thrilled to share the achievements of our Year 11 SEND students in their recent examinations, which included GCSEs and BTEC qualifications. Their hard work and dedication have proven that, despite any challenges they may face, they can achieve well and make significant progress. We look forward to building on this success together in the current academic year.

Thank you for your continued support.

Mrs Baldock  |  Deputy Head of Petworth College and SENCO