Welcome to Woodkirk Academy

FRIDAY 17 DECEMBER 2021

On 3 December, Mr. Jones (principal) wrote to parents stating that we would be offering on-site LFD tests to students on their return after the Christmas break.  We hoped that this would not affect the reopening of the school to all students on 4 January 2022.  

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on Sunday (12 December) evening, we received a significant increase in the number of parents wishing for their son/daughter to receive this test.  Consequently, it will be necessary to change the arrangements for the return of students.  

The school will remain closed to all students on 4 January 2022 as the on-site testing will take place on this day.  Only those students who have been offered a test should attend school at the specified time, after which they will return home.  

Remote lessons will be offered throughout the day via MS Teams; all students have a MS Teams account and should have accessed this during this academic year.  Students will be expected to follow their normal timetable.  Attendance logs will be checked and absences followed up.

If your son/daughter is struggling to access Teams from home, find here a guide with some advice and trouble-shooting tips. Parents - contact your son/daughter’s Head of Year if you believe that he/she will not be able to connect to these lessons.

The schedule of tests will be drawn up during the week ahead and parents will be notified of appointment times via the email address given on the consent form.  Please note: appointments will be offered only to those who completed the consent form prior to the Monday 13 December, 5 pm deadline; or who spoke directly to Mrs Bird, Medical Officer, on Monday 13 or Tuesday 14 December.  

All students not involved in this programme are advised to take a lateral flow test at home prior to their return to site on 5 January 2022.

TUESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER

The vaccine roll out for 12-15 year olds is being organised by the health service.  We await further instruction regarding the role of schools, which we understand will be limited to providing a venue for the vaccinations and gathering parental consent.  School staff will not be involved in the administration of the vaccines.  Further details will be shared with parents when it is known by us.

FRIDAY 23 JULY 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the CEO Principal

Please click here to read a letter from the Associate Principal

FRIDAY 16 JULY 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Associate Principal

FRIDAY 9 JULY 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Chair of Trustees, Leodis Academies Trust 

FRIDAY 28 MAY 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

FRIDAY 14 MAY 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Associate Principal

FRIDAY 23 APRIL 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

FRIDAY 1 APRIL 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

FRIDAY 26 MARCH 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Associate Principal

FRIDAY 19 MARCH 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

FRIDAY 5 MARCH 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

FRIDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

FRIDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

FRIDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

FRIDAY 29 JANUARY 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

FRIDAY 15 JANUARY 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

TUESDAY 12 JANUARY 2021

There will be some changes to timings of the school day with effect from Monday 18 January 2021.  Please click here for details.

FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

TUESDAY 5 JANUARY 2021

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

THURSDAY 31 DECEMBER

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal regarding guidance for students for the start of the Spring Term

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE RETURN TO SCHOOL FROM MONDAY 4 JANUARY

Further to today’s (Wed 30 Dec) government announcement:

• Monday 4 January onwards, only vulnerable students and those of critical workers can attend school. Parents who have completed the critical workers form will be contacted over the coming days with an offer of a place based on the information provided; this includes students deemed vulnerable. All other students will receive their learning via Microsoft Teams. Please do not assume your child has a place in school from Monday 4 January. The Academy will be in touch to directly confirm a place with parents.
• From Monday 11 January, Yr11 and Yr13 will also return to school and attend their lessons;
• From Monday 18 January, all other year groups / students will return to school and attend their lessons.

Once the final plans for the re-opening of Woodkirk Academy in January have been finalised, a full outline will be emailed out to parents and families. In addition, this will be included to this news item.

A full summary of the recent Government announcements about education can be found here on the BBC News website: CLICK TO BE DIRECTED TO BBC NEWS

Department for Education press release - CLICK TO BE DIRECTED TO THE GOV.UK WEBSITE

CLICK FOR TIER 3 RESTRICTIONS

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FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

THURSDAY 17 DECEMBER

The Government’s staggered rollout of coronavirus testing for secondary schools and the arrangements for week commencing 4 January 2021  

The Government has, this afternoon, updated its guidance regarding the start of term in January. The update can be accessed at: GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT - CLICK

If you view the update you will see that the Government has stated that secondary schools will be open from Monday 4 January 2021 to students in examination year groups (Year 11 and Year 13 students), vulnerable children and children of critical workers.   

All other students will receive their learning remotely for the first week of term, from 4 January 2021 – 8 January 2021 and will return to school from Monday 11 January 2021. The CEO Principal and Associate Principal will write to parents to confirm the finer details of this - including the return date for all students and, where a student is learning remotely, to share the details of how to access the remote learning from Microsoft Teams.

Members of staff will be in school as normal during the week commencing 4 January 2021 and will be on hand to support students as best as they are able to remotely. We appreciate that this change is short notice and may inconvenience you, and we know that you will agree with us that it is essential that we closely follow the Government guidance regarding COVID-19 in order to safeguard our students, staff and the wider school community.

Please be reassured that we will provide details of the arrangements for any testing that is to be carried out (with parent’s consent) in due course; the information from the Government is currently rapidly evolving in respect of this and, therefore, we are unable to share any details of this at this stage. If parents have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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Friday 11 December

Please click here to read a letter from the Associate Principal

Friday 4 December

Please click here  to read a letter from the Associate Principal

Please click here to read a letter from the Leeds School Immunisation Team

Thursday 26 November

Please click here to read a letter from the Associate Principal.

FRIDAY 20 NOVEMBER

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal and Associate Principal

Year 10 students will continue to work from home during next week, returning to school on Monday 30 November.  The number of positive cases in Year 10 has risen to 14 throughout the week; there are 10 students still awaiting a test result; and 60% of students in year 10 are currently being asked to self-isolate at home.  This extended period of time away from the school building, along with the national restrictions, will significantly reduce the amount of contact students will have with others and will help to prevent the spread of infection within the community.  Teachers will continue to deliver live lessons to students through Microsoft Teams and these will follow students’ normal timetable.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.

13 NOVEMBER 2020

Please click here to read a letter from the Associate Principal

6 NOVEMBER 2020

Please click here to read a letter from the Associate Principal

Please click here to read FAQs from Leeds City Council regarding clinically extremely vulnerable children

23 OCTOBER 2020

Please click here to read a letter from the Associate Principal and Principal

LETTERS FROM THE ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

16 October - please click here

9 October - please click here

2 October - please click here

LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL AND ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

25 September - please click here

STUDENT ABSENCE REFERENCE GUIDE

Please click here  to view the student absence reference guide

LETTERS FROM THE ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

18 September - please click here
11 September - please click here

14 SEPTEMBER - UPDATE

A reminder of the arrival and start times for students in YRs 7 - 11:

Students must not arrive to school earlier than the time allocated above. Understandably, some students are travelling on the bus network and, as such, may arrive much sooner than the published start times.

Since the Academy reopened on Tuesday 8 September, it has been a challenge to meet the demands of students arriving early and is imposing additional pressures on the school. Therefore - and in order to reduce the likelihood of spreading the virus - from WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER, any student arriving before their allocated start time, will now be asked to wait in the Front Yard with their year group (or the Middle Yard if Year 7). Students will be in a holding area as set out in the diagram below. It is worth recognising that this holding area will be open regardless of the weather situation.

Students will be permitted to enter the building to access their lesson from 8.40am. 

1 SEPTEMBER 2020

Please click here  to read a letter from the Principal with regard to students' return to school from 8 September.

Please click here  to read updated behaviour guidance.

WEDNESDAY 15 JULY

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal which provides details of the planned return for all year groups in September.  Please click on the links below for this letter by year group:
Year 7     Year 8     Year 9    Year 10      Year 11     Year 12    Year 13

FRIDAY 10 JULY

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal.

FRIDAY 3 JULY

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal.

THURSDAY 2 JULY

Guidance for parents – children attending out-of-school settings during the COVID-19 outbreak

Please click here to read government guidance for parents which covers changes to after-school clubs, holiday clubs, tuition, community activities and other out-of-school settings for children.

FRIDAY 26 JUNE

Please click here  to read a letter from the Principal.

FRIDAY 19 JUNE

Please click here  to read a letter from the Principal.

Please click here to view the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Coronavirus (COVID-19) booklet for parents.

FRIDAY 12 JUNE

Please click here  to read a letter from the Principal.

THURSDAY 11 JUNE

Please click here  to read a letter from the Principal about partial re-opening to Years 10 and 12 students.

Please click here  to view the Student Behaviour & Discipline Policy Addendum for updated behaviour guidance relating to the return to school following the COVID-19 school closure.

FRIDAY 5 JUNE

Please click here  to read a letter from the Principal.

TUESDAY 2 JUNE

Woodkirk Academy's proposed plan for partial re-opening to Year 10 and Year 12 students from 15 June 2020.

Please click here 

PLEASE SUBMIT NO LATER THAN FRIDAY 5 JUNE, 9am

MONDAY 1 JUNE

Leodis Academies Trust
Extending Provision - Re-opening of Schools

Please click here  to read a letter to parents.

MONDAY 25 MAY

We have received the updated information with regard to secondary schools being asked to provide face-to-face support for Year 10 and 12 students from 15th June.  We are considering the implications of this for students and staff and will be in touch week commencing 1st June with further details.

Thank you for your patience  

FRIDAY 22 MAY

Please click here  to read a letter from the Principal

FRIDAY 15 MAY

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal.

THURSDAY 14 MAY

Advance notice: WOODKIRK ACADEMY IS CLOSED DURING THE MAY HALF-TERM PERIOD.

MONDAY 25 MAY - FRIDAY 29 MAY

SUNDAY 10 MAY

Following the prime minister's announcement on Sunday 10 May, 2020, please read below the response from the Principal, Mrs Barton:

"You will be aware that the government has updated the national guidance with regards to Covid-19. The prime minister outlined that students facing examinations next year may spend 'some' time with their teachers prior to the summer break.  We are now considering this guidance and will inform parents, once we know more, prior to opening. This will also include our plan to address it.  Until then, these students must remain at home until further notice. 

Please note that the Academy is still closed to the vast majority of students, and will operate, as in previous weeks, for the foreseeable future.  Updates will be shared via the website, text and e-newsletter, as required."

W/B: 11 MAY 2020

Home-learning link

7 MAY 2020

Please click here  to read a letter from the Principal.

W/B: 4 MAY 2020

Home-learning link

SAFEGUARDING CONCERN ABOUT A STUDENT AT WOODKIRK, EMAIL THE DETAILS TO: safeguarding@woodkirkacademy.com  

1 MAY 2020

Please click here  to read a letter from the Principal.

29 APRIL 2020

Student Finance : university or college tuition fees

Students in England are encouraged to apply now for student finance.

The Student Loans Company has confirmed that the application service will remain open to students as part of its response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and are encouraging students in England to apply for student finance as soon as possible to ensure their finances are in place for the new academic year.

New students are being asked to submit their applications before 22 May 2020. 

Applications for student finance can be made by clicking here

27 APRIL 2020

GOVERNMENT-BACKED HOME-LEARNING.
Launched 20 April 2020

BBC BITESIZE DAILY LESSONS

OAK NATIONAL ACADEMY DAILY LESSONS

LEEDS CITY COUNCIL

LEEDS CITY COUNCIL - LINKS TO SUPPORT HOME LEARNING

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24 APRIL 2020

Click here to read a letter from the Principal

17 APRIL 2020

Click here to read a letter from the Principal.

Please click here to view a guide on what constitutes a reasonable excuse to leave the place where you live.

9 APRIL 2020

BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND - FRIDAY 10 / MONDAY 14 APRIL

Due to the limited number of students accessing childcare through Woodkirk Academy, the school will close Friday 10 and Monday 13 April. The Academy reopens to Key Workers and vulnerable students on Tuesday 14 April.

Many parents working in these critical sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home. And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be.

Please, therefore, follow these key principles:

• If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be. 
• If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker and there is no appropriate childcare at home, then educational provision will be available for them.

Please contact the Academy if you feel your childcare needs can only be met by Woodkirk Academy (0113 887 3600)

Leeds Domestic Violence Service

We know this will be a difficult and worrying time for those living with domestic abuse.  Click here for details of support available to you.

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3 APRIL 2020

Click here  to read a letter from the Principal

Letter from Ofqual to GCSE, AS and A Level students - please click here  to read

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1 APRIL 2020

Click here  to read Newsletter - Special COVID-19 (safeguarding) updates

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30 MARCH 2020

NEWS UPDATES

27 MARCH 2020

Please click here  to read a letter from the Principal.

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25 MARCH 2020

Year 11 BTEC Health & Social Care and BTEC Business students' results will be available on OPT on Thursday 2 April.  Click on 'useful documents'  to view.

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24 MARCH 2020

NEWSLETTER FROM WOODKIRK ACADEMY

Stay-at-home-and-away-from-others guidance (gov.uk)

Further to the announcement on Monday 23 March by the Prime Minister, please find a link to an outline of the guidance which is being enforced.

It is essential that we all observe these clear instructions. Whilst it can be easy to ask your child to socialise with their friends, this goes against the instructions. Adults and children should NOT socialise with people outside of the household. These measures are crucial to prevent the spread of the virus. 

Please read the guidance very carefully (summary)

23 MARCH 2020

Years 11 and 13 parents - please click here  to read a letter regarding examinations.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “Tomorrow, all schools will be closed except for vulnerable children and those of critical workers. If your work is not critical in the response to Coronavirus then please keep your child at home. This will help to halt the spread of the virus, protect the NHS and save lives.
“We will be closely monitoring what is happening in schools and will ensure they get the support they need in the weeks and months ahead.”

22 MARCH 2020

Details on exams and grades announced by the government.

CLICK for further details on arrangements for exams which have been cancelled to fight spread of coronavirus

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EXAM SITUATION

20 MARCH 2020

3pm

Final update letter from the Principal, Mrs Barton -  CLICK HERE - 20 MARCH

LINK TO SCHOOL WORK RESOURCES

STUDENTS ATTENDING SCHOOL ON MONDAY 23 MARCH - PLEASE BE AWARE THE GATES FROM SCARBOROUGH STREET ARE CLOSED. Access to the school can only be made from Rein Road.

9am

GOVERNMENT KEY WORKER LIST (CLICK)

Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home. And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be.

Please, therefore, follow these key principles:

• If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
• If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them. 
• Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions. 
• Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults. 
• Residential special schools, boarding schools and special settings continue to care for children wherever possible.

GOVERNMENT KEY WORKER LIST (CLICK)

Please be aware that Woodkirk Academy is still experiencing a partial closure. As such, Year 12 students are again being asked to work from home. Apologies for this continued inconvenience during these unique and difficult times. Best wishes.

19 MARCH 2020

Please click here   to read a letter from the Principal

PLEASE COMPLETE AN IMPORTANT QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT YOUR JOB / OCCUPATION. In advance of the government's announcement of who is defined as a 'Key Worker', this will allow us to compile an important database beforehand so we can act swiftly before the weekend. CLICK HERE 

18 MARCH 2020

TEXT SENT TO PARENTS

UPDATE FROM WOODKIRK ACADEMY: As with today, The Academy will be open on Thursday for all students EXCEPT Yr12. In due course, additional information regarding the government announcement will be shared with parents via a letter home and added to the school website. Please allow us time to consider this communication and we ask for your patience by not contacting school for information

17 MARCH

Please click here  to read a letter from the Principal  

GOVERNMENT ADVICE: Self-isolate

Regrettably, but in line with government advice and guidance, we have taken the very difficult decision to cancel the production.

The cast and staff have been informed and they are all aware.

There will be a full refund.

16 MARCH 2020

Further to the announcement by central government  on Monday 16 March, we would advise any parent who understandably chooses to self-isolate their child to access BBC Bitesize in order to continue a learning experience from home. 

13 MARCH 2020

Please click here to read a letter from the Principal, which has been distributed by student post today.

12 MARCH 2020

We are aware of the decision made to close schools in the Republic of Ireland.  We are continuing to monitor the recommendations and instructions from the UK government and will respond accordingly.  As such, the school remains open for students and staff.

The Government has announced that school trips abroad should be cancelled as part of the ‘delay phase’ of the government’s plans to tackle COVID-19  (Coronavirus).  It looks like this will affect the ski trip to Canada.  We know parents will have a number of questions, as do we, and we would ask that parents bear with us whilst we look into this further in order to respond fully. Miss Mills will be contacting the ski company and we will be in touch in due course.

5 MARCH 2020

We are aware that some parents and students are anxious about what’s being called the “Coronavirus” and the stories in the press about schools closing or keeping students off school. 

We wanted to provide some clarification on the actions we are taking as an Academy. 

It is important to note that viruses such as the coronaviruses are quite common across the world. This particular strain can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems and there is no evidence that children are more affected than other age groups – very few cases have been reported in children.  

The Department for Education has issued guidance to schools and as an Academy, we will be following this guidance. 

The full guidance can be found at:  CLICK FOR GUIDANCE

We currently have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) so there is no reason to close the school or keep any students off school. If there are any confirmed cases, Public Health England will contact us and issue guidance on next steps.  The current guidance is to avoid infection as you would with any cold or virus by:  

• washing hands often with soap and water (or alcohol sanitiser);

• covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throwing it in the bin. 

Essentially: “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it.”

Please rest assured that the safety and welfare of students and staff areof paramount importance. We will continue to follow guidance from the DfE and Public Health England. 

If this advice changes, we will let you know.