15 May 2026
Dear Parents/Carers
I do hope you are well. As you know, each week, we focus on a key value to support students’ personal development. This week’s value is Tradition. We use this to reinforce our shared expectations around behaviour, routines, and ambitious standards. These help us create a calm and focused environment for learning. The theme of Tradition runs through each of the updates below, as we adapt and shape or develop and strengthen key practices across the Academy.
We are incredibly pleased with how our Year 11 students have demonstrated this value. The majority have made an excellent start to their GCSE examinations. Their punctuality and attendance have been particularly strong. We are immensely proud of their attitude and commitment.
ParentPay Reminder
We would like to remind parents and carers to please check their child’s ParentPay account regularly. We are seeing an increasing number of students arriving at lunchtime with insufficient funds on their accounts. While we will always ensure that no child goes without food, this can become difficult to manage if balances are not topped up and debt builds up over time. ParentPay is a useful tool and can support you to:
- Check your child’s account balance.
- See exactly what your child has purchased at lunchtime.
- Make sure money is spent appropriately, not just on snacks.
We would really appreciate your support in monitoring your child’s account regularly and keeping them topped up.
Free School Meals – New Online Checker
We would also like to share information about a new system that may support some families. A new Free School Meals (FSM) eligibility checker has been introduced, which will make the process quick and simple for parents.
- You need to enter a few basic details.
- The system will check eligibility for you straight away.
- There is no long application process.
👉 You can check your eligibility here: https://fsm.lgfl.net/
We encourage parents and carers to:
- Use the checker if you think you may be eligible and have not yet applied.
- Check again whenever your circumstances change (for example, job, income, or address).
- If your child is eligible, it not only supports them with meals in school, but also provides additional funding for us to help support their education in school.
Update on Mobile Phones in School
We would also like to update you on changes relating to mobile phones in schools.
At present, we operate a “not seen, not heard” policy, with confiscation when students are unable to manage this rule. This means phones should not be visible or used during the school day. However, the government is introducing new legal requirements. In the future, schools will need to ensure that mobile phones are not accessible to students during the school day.
As a result, we will need to review our current approach. We expect to move towards a system where phones are securely stored, for example in a pouch, like those used at NBA. Please be assured that we will:
- Share full details with you before we introduce any changes.
- Explain how the system will work, so that you can support your child.
- Ensure the approach supports learning, safety, and consistency for all.
You can read more about the guidance here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phones-in-schools
Thank you for your continued support. Continually working together, we can ensure all students are appropriately supported to succeed.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs K Wright
Vice Principal | Behaviour & Ethos
