Latest Letter

LTP 368

Dear Parents/Carers

As we approach the end of this learning block, I want to share some important updates and news regarding the Academy. We will break up for the half-term holiday on Tuesday 19 May and welcome the children back to school on Monday 8 June.

Site Safety, Safeguarding, and Respect

The safety and well-being of our children and staff is always our primary concern. Recently, we have witnessed a few concerning behaviours on the school grounds that I must address.

Firstly, please ensure that at drop-off and collection children are not running, scooting or cycling on the school premises. We recently had an incident where a child on a scooter, who was being rushed around a blind corner, nearly collided with a toddler. We also had an incident of a child running around a corner into a toddler, knocking them to the ground. Both behaviours are highly dangerous.

Secondly, we must insist that parents strictly adhere to a blanket ban on all mobile phone usage whilst they are on the school grounds. Because mobile phones are recording devices, any use of a phone on site presents a significant safeguarding and privacy risk. Therefore, it is strictly prohibited to have your phone out for any reason, which means that making or receiving phone calls is banned alongside taking photographs or recording videos. Please ensure that your phones are safely put away during drop-off and collection.

Thirdly, and most disappointingly, there have been instances of foul and abusive language directed at our staff by parents who have been politely challenged on rule breaking. Let me be absolutely clear: We have a zero-tolerance policy for this. Our staff work tirelessly for your children, and any parent who abuses them will face an immediate ban from the school site. I appreciate that the vast majority of you are incredibly supportive, but I must ensure that our school remains a safe, respectful environment for everyone.

Finally, I must also address a deeply concerning trend among the student body. We have recently seen a rise in the use of racist language within the school, which has already resulted in several child suspensions. Racism in any form will absolutely not be tolerated at The Premier Academy. We are an inclusive community, and any perpetrators engaging in racist behaviour or using racist language will be held fully to account with robust disciplinary action. Respect for one another is non-negotiable.

To reinforce all of these expectations and ensure everyone is clear on our policies, we will be installing new signage around the school site in the coming weeks. 

Uniform Updates and Cost Savings 

At The Premier Academy, we believe that a school uniform fosters a sense of belonging and equality. However, we also recognise the rising cost of living and are committed to ensuring that the cost of uniform does not place an unnecessary financial burden on our families.

Effective immediately, we have removed the requirement for individual name embroidery on PE kit items to ensure that costs remain manageable. This change follows a price increase from our supplier that we have declined to pass on to you. All kit items will now feature the Academy logo only. The office staff will contact parents/carers who currently have pending orders.

Because children now come to school in their PE kit on PE days, we expect there will be fewer mishaps and lost items. That said, all uniform will still need to be clearly labelled. To make this as easy as possible, I highly recommend using a Stamptastic device, which allows you to quickly stamp your child’s name onto their clothing. You can find their products here:

https://stamptastic.co.uk/?srsltid=AfmBOoofXwOwuBqme1xL5Cu8PumX6bw4l6T-4MfV_8V8oNC838vrbP13

Temu also produces them at a fraction of the price.

Looking Ahead: Transitions and Hitting the Ground Running 

Next week, the children will be meeting their new teachers. When we return on 8 June, the children will officially be promoted to their new classes. We do this so that they can hit the ground running; we do not want anyone taking their foot off the accelerator in Learning Block 1!

Academy Leadership and Staffing Updates 

When we return in June, you will notice a transition in our leadership structure as we move into an exciting new phase for the Academy.

Olivia Cain and Amy Taylor will be stepping up to take the operational lead in the school. Collette Butler will be transitioning from her current highly visible role to focus entirely on school improvement. To support this, I will be overseeing and evaluating this new leadership structure over the next twelve months to ensure it provides the absolute best stability and progression for our children.

We also have some staffing changes to announce. Sarah Lee will be leaving Year 6 to step into the role of SENCO, which perfectly aligns with her professional expertise. Tanya Mcalister will be taking the reins as the Year 6 Team Lead, and she is very much looking forward to guiding the team.

We will be saying farewell to a few familiar faces. Tiegan is taking a sabbatical down under for the autumn term, Michael Classon is moving on to a well-deserved Assistant Headship in Luton, Carla is leaving to pursue her dream of becoming a social worker, and Sam is also departing for new Adventures – although I do constantly remind them all that the grass is definitely greener here at TPA! Especially the false stuff.

We wish all our departing staff the absolute best in their future endeavours, and we look forward to welcoming three new fantastic recruits to the teaching team in June.

Upcoming Events and a Personal Milestone 

Looking ahead to the new learning block, we have our highly anticipated Sports Days and the school BBQ to look forward to. We will also be saying ‘adios’ to our Year 7 children as they complete their primary education with a final performance and celebration on Thursday 23 July. I have attached a calendar for the next learning block to this letter so please do review it and save the dates.

On a personal note, September will mark my 25th year at TPA. A quarter of a century has certainly flown by and considering the amount of grilling I do at the summer BBQ, I suspect it might be time to invest in a new apron to properly reflect the milestone whilst I train up the next Sultan of Sizzle!

Fact of the Week 

Roughly 1.6 million years ago there is evidence that humans started cooking their meat with controlled fire. This single act led to a major advancement in the evolution and growth of our brains because the energy that used to help us consume difficult-to-digest raw foods became freed up to grow our brains. The cooking of meat made proteins much easier to digest.

Logic therefore dictates that the more you spend at the BBQ on sports day, the cleverer you will leave TPA!

Word of the Week

Shigging

Bottom of Form

Verb

 Shigging is a term used in the competitive barbecue circuit to describe the practice of visiting a rival’s cooking area to secretly observe, snoop on, or learn their techniques, recipes, or tricks

 “After some Thursday night shigging‘ at the competition, I finally figured out how they get their brisket so tender.” 

Joke of the Week 

I told a BBQ joke once but it went up in smoke. 

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Have a wonderful break when it arrives.

Best wishes

Warren Harrison
Chief Executive Officer