Open Events

In Year 7, all students will access Drama, Music and Dance through the performing arts curriculum. Students have 3 hours of curriculum time for performing arts across each two-week timetable cycle. Like the rest of our Key Stage Three curriculum, our performing arts curriculum is underpinned by the IB Middle Years Programme. 

By the time the students reach Year 10, Drama, Music and Dance will be available to study as individual GCSEs or equivalent qualifications as one of their two option subjects.

We have a wide range of opportunities within the performing arts and we hope to expand this even further as we grow our curriculum. Current opportunities include Choir, Rock Band and from September 2023, we will be expanding this offer even further. 

All students currently have the opportunity to sign up to instrument lessons with Kent Music Services. Students can access drums, keyboard, guitar, ukulele and singing lessons.

Students’ work should be showcased throughout the academy to inspire the rest of the community. We plan to grow the arts in the academy to offer textiles, ceramics and photography as part of the key stage three curriculum. We will look to expand the GCSE offering by the time the students reach Year 10.

The library will be redecorated as part of the refurbishment plan for early 2023. This will include upgrades to the furniture and substantial investment in the library stock to ensure it provides a stimulating environment for our students to further develop their passion for reading and to provide a calm, purposeful environment for independent study.

No, every student is issued with a Chromebook completely free of charge and they are insured against theft and accidental damage. All we ask is that they are charged every night and that the students bring them to school every day.

There are plans for a near £1 million investment in the site. This will ensure that many areas are refurbished (including new carpets and ceiling tiles), all toilet facilities are upgraded to ensure that both girls and boys have access to toilet facilities that are clean and safe. Further to this, the landscaping around the site will be improved to ensure there are more locations for outdoor seating and that some of the playgrounds are repurposed for a wider range of uses.

The curriculum is already planned and is in operation for the current Year 7. This has been planned with a co-educational cohort in mind and careful consideration has been given to the appropriate selection of texts and other content. 

We have proactively recruited teachers with experience of working in mixed schools (this includes Mr Crow, Principal, Mrs Gray, Vice Principal and Ms Kane, Assistant Principal). 

Social times will be split so that Year 7 will only be on their break with Year 8 students, this means supervision ratios will be very high and that the feeling of a busy academy will be significantly reduced. Furthermore, one way systems are in operation in all of our buildings to minimise congestion in corridors to further ensure that the students can move around the site with ease. 

Finally, through our assembly and personal development curriculum, we will actively be educating the existing students to ensure that our future female students are treated with respect and dignity at all times.

Being recognised for doing the right thing or pushing yourself to excel builds self-esteem and confidence. Ask any student here and they will mention the reward breakfasts (a full English breakfast served in the restaurant)! But we do more than reward ourselves with food. We reward Integrity, Courage and Imagination in our students with Achievement Points. Celebration and Good News assemblies, Stars of the Week, Mr Crow’s Golden Tickets, reward events and trips are regularly arranged across the academy. Great attendance, an amazing piece of work, showing respect, resilience or representing our academy are just some of the reasons for  celebrating our students and their contributions to our community.  

We believe that every student at Leigh Academy Tonbridge has the right to be educated in a calm, supportive and disruption free environment. We ask that all students come to school every day smartly dressed in the correct uniform, properly equipped, homework completed and ready to learn. If that is not the case, it may be necessary to give a student a behaviour point or set a same day after school detention. We will always try to work closely with the student and their parents/carers to ensure that the reason for any sanction is understood and that it serves as an opportunity to reset and refocus for future learning.

The academy understands the need for mobile phones particularly when students are travelling to and from school. However, once the pupils arrive on the academy site, phones should be switched off and left in their school bag. Any messages that students need to communicate home can be done so by the reception staff. Messages from home to students can also be communicated in this way. Reception is staffed all day, from 8am – 4pm. Telephone number: 01732 500600.

Being recognised for doing the right thing or pushing yourself to excel builds self-esteem and confidence. Ask any student here and they will mention the reward breakfasts (a full English breakfast served in the restaurant)! But we do more than reward ourselves with food. We reward Integrity, Courage and Imagination in our students with Achievement Points. Celebration and Good News assemblies, Stars of the Week, Mr Crow’s Golden Tickets, reward events and trips are regularly arranged across the academy. Great attendance, an amazing piece of work, showing respect, resilience or representing our academy are just some of the reasons for  celebrating our students and their contributions to our community.  

• Breakfast, break and lunch club. These are safe spaces for students who need a quieter start to the day or a quiet place to eat lunch and socialise.
• Literacy, numeracy and social and communication interventions held during tutor time.
• All teachers are trained in Quality First Teaching to help students with dyslexic traits.
• Access to colured overlays and colured books when needed.
• Access to the Read Write toolbar extension to help support dyslexia with coloured screens, comprehension and spelling.
• Students with an SEND need will have a Pupil Passport detailing strategies which work best for them. This is circulated to all members of staff who teach your child.
• Access to the SENCO to discuss your child’s needs and concerns

Students should arrive in school by 8.40am, ready for the first lesson to commence at 8.45am promptly. For Year 7 students the timings of the day are as follows:

On Thursdays all students stay for a further 50 minutes for our Enrichment period, which offers students the chance to try a range of extra curricular activities (e.g. chess club, tinker club, debating club, a range of sporting activities, Duke of Edinburgh, Combined Cadet Force or CCF) that may ignite a new passion or develop new skills.

Every day the academy remains open to students until approx 4.15pm so they can access the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) to do homework or additional study. The LRC is also open most break and lunch times for the same reason.

For the first few weeks at Leigh Academy Tonbridge, as part of the transition process, Year 7 students may go to break and lunch a few minutes earlier than the older students. They may also be allowed to leave school a few minutes early at the end of the day.  

Homework is a vital tool to allow students to practice new skills and to secure knowledge they have learnt in class. All homework will be accessible on the students’ chromebooks. In most cases it will be submitted online. Parents and carers will also be able to access the online homework system to help them support their children. Teachers will set and explain homework in lessons and will give clear guidance on when it needs to be completed and how long it should take. Students will have a minimum of three days to complete their homework. In year 7, each piece of homework should take approx 30mins to complete. The Learning Resource Centre is open at break, lunch and after school (except on Thursdays) if students want or need support to do their homework in school. Failure to complete homework may result in an after school detention, but teachers would rather students talk to them if they are struggling or do not understand what is required.

We pride ourselves on our pastoral staff and structure here. Every student will know who their key staff are from day one at Leigh Academy Tonbridge and will know where to find them if they have any worries or concerns. Parents/Carers too will know who they can contact. Educating our students to be responsible and kind global citizens is at the heart of what we do. We do not tolerate bullying (repetitive, intentional hurting of another), teasing or “banter” in school, but we need to know about it to act. We also work hard, through lessons, assemblies and by staff modelling, to create an inclusive, respectful and caring culture throughout the academy

There is an extensive range of extracurricular activities that change each term. Here is a selection of clubs that are currently running; Rugby Academy, Chess Club, Cinema Club, Homework Club, Combined Cadet Force, Duke of Edinburgh, Pageturners Book Club, Basketball Club, Badminton Club. Clubs are delivered after school and during lunchtimes. We also have a number of different enrichment clubs that run on a Thursday. Each term a new schedule is displayed around the academy, promoted to the students and placed on the academy website.