Dear Parent/Carer
Return to school and student expectations
We are looking forward to welcoming students back for the new academic year, with Year 7 and 12 students returning on Monday 1 September 2025 and Years 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13 returning on Tuesday 2 September 2025.
New Year 7 – on Monday 2 September the side gate will be open from 8.20am so that students can enter the site. Year 7 students will attend a short assembly and will be informed of their tutor group and meet their tutor. No PE kit is required until this first appears on your child’s timetable. Year 7 students should bring a packed lunch until we have text you to say that the process of taking your son’s/daughter’s biometric finger image to set up ParentPay accounts is complete. Your son/daughter will come home with a letter with the details of how to set the account up. If your son/daughter receives free school meals this will be provided for them.
As I hope you have seen in the local news, we are once again celebrating another incredibly successful series of public examination results, with some of the best results ever across our KS4 and KS5 cohorts. We are extremely pleased to see so many of our Post 16 students taking up their places at many of the top universities across the country and, of course, excited to welcome so many of our students back into our Sixth Form to continue their successes at Leigh Academy Wilmington.
As we prepare to welcome students back, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of some key aspects of our school processes, and highlight some changes from previous years. Due to some changes, and to ensure clarity for all, I would ask that you read these carefully and ensure your child is clear on our expectations.
- Uniform expectations:
All students must attend school in full school uniform: School blazer, college tie (for boys/optional for girls), white school shirt, black trousers or the Leigh Academy Wilmington skirt, black/white socks or black tights and black school shoes. To provide additional clarity:
- Trainers will not be permitted – any student presenting in trainers will be provided with alternative black shoes.
- Blazers must be worn at all times. Students can ask to remove their blazers during their lessons.
- Ties must be worn at all times. The tie should be worn showing a minimum of seven stripes on the main body of the tie.
- Skirts must be the school’s permitted skirt (purchased from TFS or Brigade only). Skirts must not be rolled or altered and must be knee length.
- If wishing to wear a jumper, students must wear the branded version, or a plain black v neck jumper which is only to be worn underneath the blazer and must not be worn in place of a blazer.
New for 2025-26: If a student is regularly spoken to with regards to their skirt being rolled and has received multiple logs for uniform infringements, parents/carers will be contacted to be informed of this repeated uniform infringement, at which point it will be explained that if the student continues to roll or have their skirt altered, they will receive a two-week skirt ban and will be required to wear trousers before then being given another opportunity to wear the correct uniform. Please check the length of your child’s skirt before they return.
Our updated Uniform Policy for September 2025-26 can be found in the policies section of our website.
- Equipment:
All students must attend school with all compulsory equipment every day: A school bag large enough to carry an A4 folder, a fully charged Chromebook, a black pen, a red pen, a pencil, a ruler, an eraser, a scientific calculator, an AR book (year 7 and 8) and their full PE kit on the days they have PE.
All students will be given a paper copy of their timetable, this should be saved as your child’s screensaver on their Chromebook at the beginning of the school year. Whilst students may also choose to retain the paper copy of their timetable, this should not be the only copy as timetables will not be freely reprinted. Please ensure your child completes the recording of their timetable. It may also be beneficial to hold a copy at home for use when preparing their school bag for the day.
Chromebooks should be used for educational purposes only and in line with the Home Academy Agreement and the Acceptable use of Technology Policy.
- Behaviour and sanctions
The school has a number of ways to recognise and celebrate the great behaviour, hard work, consistent effort and academic achievement of our student community. These include merit points, postcards home, certificates of achievement and attendance, scholar badges issued during awards assemblies, and for students in Year 11, 12 and 13 the opportunity to gain ‘Reach for the Stars’ rewards.
Students are expected to behave appropriately and abide by the guidelines laid down in the Home Academy Agreement and our Behaviour For Learning Policy. Please take time to read through the Home Academy Agreement with your Child. This lays out expectations for students, parents and the academy, to ensure that a positive partnership is fostered. Through our commitment to these values, we will foster a harmonious, responsible and aspirational community, prepared for the challenges of the future.
To ensure clarity and consistency we have established five In-Class Expectations and five Out of Class Expectations:
In-Class Expectations:
- Arrive at lesson equipped and ready to learn.
- Make contributions and work towards success.
- Listen to others, respond appropriately when invited to, and be kind.
- Remain seated and focused throughout the lesson, sitting as instructed by the teacher. 5. Follow all instructions from staff the first time.
Out of Class Expectations:
- Wear the full school uniform correctly at all times and remove your coat before entering the classroom.
- Move around the building purposefully and quietly, taking the most direct route between lessons.
- Treat the academy’s facilities with respect.
- Respect others, allow all to feel safe – be kind.
- Follow all instructions from staff the first time.
4. Additional expectations:
Mobile phones: Mobile phones are permitted on the school premises but must be kept within a student’s school bag at all times (including before and after school whilst on the premises). Headphones must be stowed in your son’s/daugher’s bag. Students are not permitted to carry their mobile phone in their trouser or blazer pockets. If a mobile phone is seen or heard, or if we become aware that a child has used their mobile phone on the school site, at any time, it will be confiscated. You will then be contacted to come and collect your child’s mobile phone from reception.
Smart watches are not permitted.
Social media: Students are reminded that good conduct also applies to their engagement on social media. They should not set up or be associated with (including following) any accounts which are derogatory to other students, staff or the school. Any accounts linked to bullying, fighting or containing students’ or staff photographs will be reported and sanctions applied. We ask that you monitor your child’s online activity and check all age restrictions and associated risks. The minimum age for most social media platforms is 13 years of age.
Jewellery: Students are not permitted to wear rings, bracelets, necklaces or facial piercings. Students are permitted to wear a single pair of small stud earrings and a non-smart watch. If jewellery is worn to school, it will be confiscated. If confiscated, jewellery will be returned at the end of the student’s day at the end of the school week. Usually, the end of the school week is a Friday
Make-up: Make-up is not permitted for students in Years 7 and 8. If students in Years 7 or 8 wear make-up, they will be expected to remove it. Students in Years 9, 10 and 11 are permitted to wear make-up providing it is discreet. False eyelashes are not permitted. Any student arriving at school with false eyelashes will be instructed to remove them. If a student cannot remove their false eyelashes, they will remain in the reflection room until they are removed.
False nails and nail polish: Students are not permitted to wear false nails or nail polish. Any student wearing false nails or nail polish will be instructed to remove them. If a student cannot remove their false nails or nail polish, they will remain in the reflection room until they are removed.
- Punctuality and attendance
Punctuality: Our school day starts at 08:30 and therefore all students must be on site by 8.25am at the latest. Any student arriving from 08:31 will be marked as late. Earlier this academic year the Government’s Department for Education issued new statutory expectations on schools that any child arriving 30 minutes after the beginning of the school day must have their attendance marked as unauthorised for the first half of the school day. A reminder, we respond to lateness to school in the following way:
Late arrival between 08:31 and 08:45 = students will be issued with a 15-minute ‘late gate’ detention on the same day.
Late arrival between 08:46 and 09:00 = students will be issued with a 30-minute after-school detention on the next available day.
Late arrival between 09:01 and 09:15 = students will be issued with a 45-minute after-school detention on the next available day.
Late arrival after 09:15 = students will be issued with a 75-minute after-school detention on the next available Friday.
Attendance: We will continue to insist on the highest possible attendance for all students and therefore will not approve requests for holiday during term time. Any student who was attending the school as part of a temporarily reduced timetable is expected to attend school for the full school day from the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year unless contacted by a member of staff before the beginning of the school year.
- Curriculum Changes
Due to the structure of the school curriculum, student groupings may change as part of the transition between academic years. These changes are carefully planned to enable us to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum, and to ensure that all students continue to be well supported in their learning and personal development.
Please be assured that any changes are made with careful consideration and in the best interest of all students. We appreciate your understanding and support.
You will be able to view your child’s timetable via the My Child at School (MCAS) from Monday 1 September 2025. Please do review this and check your child knows which room their tutor group has been timetabled, to ensure your child knows where to go on the morning of Tuesday 2 September 2025. Details of MCAS accounts will be sent to parents/carers in due course.
We wish you all a fantastic final weekend of the summer break and look forward to welcoming our students back for the start of the new academic year.
Yours faithfully
Mr M Gore | Principal
