Why Choose Leigh Academy Tonbridge?

Our Curriculum

Our Values

At Leigh Academy Tonbridge, our core values of integrity, courage and imagination underpin all that we do. Our mission is to teach those that we have the privilege to care for, to do the right thing, to make courageous choices and to ignite their curiosity and imagination.

Integrity 

• We teach our pupils to be good citizens of the world and make good choices
• We build strong, meaningful connections with the community
• We do what we say we will

Courage

• We know that to really try, sometimes you will fail which takes courage but provides growth
• We choose courage over comfort in making the right decisions
• We are not afraid to be different and try new things

Imagination

• We help every individual to ignite their imagination in a way that is meaningful and unique to them
• We know that there are always new and different ways to teach, learn and communicate
• We encourage creative thinking at every level celebrating the power of curiosity and a sense of wonder

The LATon Way

At Leigh Academy Tonbridge (LATon) we set the highest of expectations to ensure that every pupil excels across all aspects of academy life.

We pride ourselves on a high-expectations learning environment, where excellent standards of behaviour and attitudes are the norm.

Our view is that lessons will be free from disruption and that all students have the space and time to focus on maximising their effort to secure exceptional progress.

Our approach to pastoral care and support ensures that we truly know each student as an individual. Understanding their needs and personality means we can provide the highest levels of personal guidance and development. We know that in order to learn and achieve, students need to be confident, feel safe, secure and well looked after.

Students’ health and wellbeing provides the foundation for their future success. We teach them how to lead healthy lives, have positive relationships and how to manage the challenges that modern life will inevitably throw at them. We have a permanent mental health practitioner employed by the charity Place2Be on-site supporting students with drop-ins, group sessions and extended counselling sessions.

As an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme candidate school, we ensure all students develop all the skills of the IB Learner Profile in order to be successful in their future lives.

All students at Leigh Academy Tonbridge will:

• Experience a broad and deep curriculum encouraging a rich knowledge base for all students, including those with SEND and from disadvantaged backgrounds;
• Build a global character base through the learner profile;
• Secure a strong foundation for progression that promotes independence;
• Be literate, numerate and digitally literate;
• Meet the high expectations for behaviour and achievement;
• Develop their mental, physical, cultural, social and moral development;
• Take advantage of careers guidance and development opportunities.

Life Outside the Classroom

We know that learning does not just take place in the classroom. We firmly believe that exciting opportunities not only bring learning to life, but make lifelong memories.

Different life experiences help students to life, but make lifelong memories. to develop high levels of self-esteem, resilience and confidence. Such experiences help us to achieve a main ambition – to find that one thing that each student excels at. For some this will be academic, but for others it could be creative, musical, sport, cultural or environmental.

Alongside the formal curriculum, LATon students learn new skills and develop their knowledge through involvement in a variety of clubs and team activities. During their time here, students have the chance to take part in a variety of trips and visits both at home and abroad, to learn about different cultures.

We operate an extended day once a week where students have the chance to elect an activity of their choice – creating an opportunity to learn a new skill or simply immerse themselves and realise their personal interests. This is an important way in which LATon students learn key skills such as decision-making, self-belief and risk-taking.

Schools Within a School

Secondary schools can be overwhelming for young people making the transition from small primary schools to large schools with cohorts of up to 300 students in a year group. This scale enables schools to provide a broad and diverse curriculum but also presents a challenge – how will every child be truly known? Leigh Academy Tonbridge is organised into two colleges – Delphi and Lyceum. Each college provides pastoral care to approximately 250 students, led by the Head of College (Vice Principal) and Deputy Head of College (Assistant Principal). Each college is also supported by a Director of Progress and two Student Support Managers.

Students are placed in mixed ability form groups and have dedicated form time each day where they follow a set curriculum. All students, regardless of college, access the same academic and pastoral curriculum across the academy. The college model means that every child will be known, understood, cared for and feel motivated and challenged to succeed.

Our Colleges: Lyceum and Delphi

The first formal academy (‘akademia’) was established by the ancient philosopher, Plato in 387 BC. It was the first example of a setting with a clear distinction between teachers and students and even of the first formal curriculum. It is this etymology that inspired the naming of our two colleges: Lyceum and Delphi.

• Lyceum College – one of the ancient world’s key centres of philosophical debate, Aristotle’s Lyceum in Athens hosted the most celebrated thinkers of the time providing them with a stage to inspire great debate and learning.
• Delphi College – considered by the ancient Greeks to be the centre of the world, the classical city of Delphi was home to one of the greatest stages ever known. Here, in a magnificent theatre built into the mountainside, audiences were inspired by great actors, musicians and academics.

Our colleges will provide the young people at Leigh Academy Tonbridge with a stage for their own futures.

We Transform Lives

Our staff of highly qualified, dynamic teachers care about and believe in every student. They are motivational role models who know how to bring the curriculum to life and inspire success. They have a passion for their specialist subject which means they know how to engage students and capture their imagination through brilliant learning experiences.

Lessons at LATon are planned around delivering knowledge and developing skills in an engaging and interesting way. We appreciate the importance of knowing every student well and responding to their individual needs through targeted teaching.

We use a range of ways to ensure we understand your child’s progress. We assess the impact of our teaching through formal assessments, as well as regular testing. Gaining a clear insight into students’ progress means we can constantly evaluate our lessons and personalise our approach.

Each student is issued with a Google Chromebook in Year 7 to support their studies as they progress through the academy. This facilitates their digital literacy, providing them with necessary technological skills which offer an advantage in the modern world of work.

Homework plays an important role in supporting learning and also in ensuring we help students to be independent and develop important selfmanagement skills. This also means students and their families have constant access to the tasks, deadlines and resources that teachers set through Google Classroom.

Through ongoing professional development, we put educational thinking at the forefront of our teaching strategies, as well as harnessing traditional ways to keep learning relevant and finding ways to unlock the potential in every student.

Our highly experienced learning support staff work alongside students to make sure there are no barriers to their success. Specialist support is promptly put in place to ensure students with additional needs realise their academic and social potential.

Throughout their time here, the curriculum is complemented by high-quality careers education where work placements are completed by all in all key stages; one-to-one careers appointments and regular use of electronic platforms guide their aspirations for the future.

Transition

We have developed a finely-tuned process to make the transition from primary school to secondary a seamless experience for students and their families. Leigh Academy Tonbridge is proudly non-selective and as such, students will be offered places without reference to gender, faith, aptitude or ability.

Applications for places in Year 7 should be made by completing the local authority’s School Common Application Form. Applications for places ‘in-year’ or to other year groups can be made directly to the academy. Please see our website for the admissions criteria and information about how places are allocated.

Once a place has been offered, we begin working with you and your child(ren) to ensure their smooth transition to secondary education. We provide a full induction programme that begins with a Spring welcome evening. To complement the academic information provided by teachers in their primary school, we spend time visiting our new students, as well as having individual meetings with you as a family in order to make sure we know your child well before they start their life with us.