LDBS Academies Trust Autumn 25

AUTUMN NEWSLETTER

LDBS ACADEMIES TRUST

CEO MESSAGE

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An Education for All: How our Inclusive LDBS Academies Trust and LDBS Academies Trust 2 are Removing Barriers and Opening Doors In a world where education can sometimes feel divided by circumstance, need, or geography, our Trusts are committed to a different path, one that reflects our Christian foundation and our shared vision: to provide an education for all, rooted in dignity, compassion, and hope.

At the heart of our work is a simple but profound belief: every child matters. Not as a statistic or a label, but as a unique individual created with purpose and potential. This conviction shapes everything we do—from classroom practice and curriculum design to leadership decisions and community partnerships.

Deliberate Inclusion, Not Accidental Access Inclusion is not an optional extra; it is central to our mission. We actively remove barriers that prevent children and young people from thriving, whether those barriers relate to special educational needs and disabilities, social disadvantage, language, mental health, or life circumstances beyond a child’s control.

Our schools are places where difference is celebrated as strength. Teachers and leaders invest in adaptive teaching, trauma-informed approaches, and personalised support, ensuring every learner can engage meaningfully with their education. High expectations are paired with high support, because equity means giving each child what they need to succeed.

A Community of Care and Belonging Education flourishes in community. We work in partnership with families, local services, churches, and wider networks to create schools that are hubs of care and belonging, places where children feel safe, known, and valued.

This sense of community is grounded in our Christian values of dignity, respect, and service. As Micah 6:8 reminds us: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Justice in opportunity, mercy in understanding, and humility in leadership, these principles guide our vision and practice.

CEO MESSAGE

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Raising Standards While Widening Access Being inclusive does not mean lowering ambition. On the contrary, we believe every child deserves an excellent education, one that equips them with knowledge, skills, confidence, and hope for the future.

Through strong professional development, shared expertise across our schools, and a culture of continuous improvement, our staff are empowered to deliver high-quality teaching for all learners.

Success is measured not only by academic outcomes, but by wellbeing, resilience, character, and readiness for life beyond school. When barriers are removed, potential flourishes.

Looking Ahead with Hope As we reflect on this year, we give thanks for the dedication of our staff, the trust of families, and the courage of pupils who inspire us daily. Our journey towards full inclusion continues, but our commitment remains steadfast: to keep listening, learning, and leading with compassion.

At this special time of year, we are reminded of the power of hope, light, and community. In the spirit of Christmas, we extend warm wishes to all pupils, families, colleagues, and partners: May this season bring peace, joy, and rest. May the new year be filled with renewed strength, shared purpose, and continued progress towards an education system where everyone truly belongs.

From all of us at LAT and LAT 2, Merry Christmas and a hopeful, inclusive New Year.

Christalla Jamil

Christmas Fair Fundraising at MBPS

ST ANN’S

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COMMUNITY & FRIENDSHIP WEEK During our Annual Community & Friendship Week, we celebrated the diversity and richness of our community, reflected on the Christian value of love - and how this compels us to act towards our neighbours, and aimed to use our 'power for good' to uplift each other.

Activities included: creating thank you cards for local people who help us (health centre, library, corner shop etc), making postcards for our neighbours, designing multilingual welcome posters, sharing stories with themes of community, friendship and inclusion. We also ran family workshops focussed on empowering parents to support their children emotionally and socially. The week ended with our National Dress day, where staff and children dressed to show pride in their heritage.

ST RICHARD’S

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AUTUMN UPDATE We have a strong culture for reading at St Richard's School and are very proud. Our annual Autumn Reading Cafe sessions were a huge success again. They ran over the whole week focusing on different year groups each day. They were well attended by many parents and possibly the best turnout that we have had so far. It was a great opportunity for parents to join in with a range of activities with their child and share their pleasure in reading. It was a wonderful experience and thoroughly enjoyed by the children, parents and staff. This year we followed each reading cafe with a 'come dine with me' experience for the parents so they could sample some of our delicious school meals. It was a great opportunity to share the menu choices with the parents and was received well.

We have tried to develop our love of reading and strong culture into the local community. This term we set up a Toddler group which runs every Tuesday morning in our beautiful library. It focuses on a theme and book each week. The book is shared with the children with lots of props and pictures. It is followed by crafts and musical activities. The children have loved coming to this session. It was so successful that we had to do two separate Toddler groups to fit everyone in.

PUBLISHING Continuing our love of reading, the Year 5 children decided to publish their narratives from last half term in the school library. This gave them a great purpose for writing the book and getting to share their fantastic work with others. It even has a barcode on it so children in the school can take out the book and read it at home. The children were very proud of their work and so they should be!

SEND The Autumn SEND coffee morning was well attended by many parents. It was a great opportunity to network and get support on various matters. Three Parent SEN Ambassadors were set up this year to further support other parents. They will be available to offer support and advice with anything SEN related. parents have been encouraged to approach them in the school playground. We are hoping that this adds an additional layer of support for parents and that they find it useful.

ST MICHAEL’S

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AUTUMN UPDATE St Michael’s Celebrates an Outstanding Achievement!

We’re thrilled to share that St Michael’s has been judged Outstanding in all areas by Ofsted! This incredible result reflects the hard work, care, and teamwork of everyone across the school community.

To celebrate, staff came together for a relaxed and joyful gathering—a chance to say thank you, share smiles, and appreciate the effort that made this possible.

We’d also like to give a hugr thank you to the Trust for their ongoing support in morale, curriculum development, and CPD training. These have been key in helping us achieve this success and continue to grow together. A huge well done to the whole team Harvest Giving at St Michael’s This year’s Harvest celebration was a wonderful reminder of the power of kindness and community. Our pupils and families came together to donate generously to the local foodbank—a vital resource that supports many of our own parents and families.

The Harvest service was a joyful occasion, filled with gratitude and reflection, as we celebrated the importance of sharing with those in need. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed and helped make a real difference in our community.

Together, we’ve shown that even small acts of giving can have a big impact!

LONDON MET Junior Road Watch – Visit from the London Metropolitan Police Our Junior Leaders enjoyed an exciting and informative visit from the London Metropolitan Police as part of the Junior Road Watch programme. Officers spoke with pupils about the importance of road safety, highlighting key traffic rules and the real consequences of speeding. The children also had the chance to get hands-on with real police equipment...

MICHAELS

...trying out the speed gun, examining handcuffs, and even trying on parts of the police uniform. It was a highly engaging session that helped our Junior Leaders understand how they can play a vital role in keeping our community safe.

MERIDIAN ANGEL

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AUTUMN UPDATE This term has been full of meaningful learning and memorable experiences across our school community. We began October by welcoming Lenny Alexander, a first-generation descendant of the Windrush, to help launch Black History Month. Over the month, pupils explored the remarkable contributions of the Windrush generation through food, music, clothing, sporting achievements, culture and the theme of rights and respect - their enthusiasm was fantastic!

We were also delighted to have Yossi from Write to Speak for another inspiring series of oracy workshops. Through poetry, performance and creative expression, pupils learned to use their voices confidently and purposefully. The sessions helped develop key communication skills active listening, collaboration and empathy - while reminding our children that their words have power and their voices matter.

Finally, our KS2 pupils had the wonderful opportunity to visit the local care home, supported by the local developers, Vistry Group. Their singing, conversations and warm interactions brought joy to the residents and created meaningful connections between generations.

Their series of visits were a powerful example of our school values in action: Hope, Friendship and Resilience – showing how small acts of kindness can make a lasting difference in the community.

ST PAUL’S AND ALL HALLOWS

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AUTUMN UPDATE

Celebrating Black History Month During Black History Month, our pupils were delighted to welcome students from the LAE (London Academy of Excellence), who shared powerful reflections on what Black History Month means to them and led an energetic African dance workshop for our pupils.

We were also honoured to host firefighters from the London Fire Brigade, who spoke about their journeys into the fire service, the challenges they’ve faced, and the importance of diversity within the emergency services.

We ended the month with our wonderful Cultural Celebration Day, where pupils and staff showcased colourful traditional clothing and displays of pride. It was heart-warming to see our school community come together to celebrate our rich and diverse cultures.

COOKING Our Year 2 pupils have been retelling the story The Tiger Who Came to Tea in their writing. They planned their own tea party and invited their parents to share the stories they had created. The children prepared their own sandwiches, decorated biscuits, and even baked and designed their own cakes. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to showcase their learning and enjoy a special celebration together.

STEM During the term, pupils enjoyed two exciting STEM days delivered by Tottenham Spurs.

The first day focused on robotics, where pupils learned how to programme robots to follow specific routes. On the second day, they visited the Spurs Stadium and competed in a STEM competition against other local schools. We are extremely proud to announce that we have won the Schneider Electric and Tottenham Hotspur Foundation trophy!

HOLY TRINITY

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🔥 Fire Starters in Forest School – Reception Explore the Elements

Empress Wu Class have been fully immersed in Forest School this week, learning how to safely create fire using flint and steel. With careful guidance, teamwork and lots of curiosity, the children explored this fascinating skill, building confidence, resilience and a real sense of achievement. It was wonderful to see such focus, excitement and pride in their learning outdoors.

🥁 Steel Pan Concert Success – A Joyful Celebration of Music

Our Steel Pan Concert was a huge success, with children confidently performing their set pieces to an appreciative audience of parents and staff. The hall was filled with energy, rhythm and smiles as the children showcased their musical talents and hard work. We are incredibly proud of their commitment, teamwork and the joy they brought to the performance.

🔬 Science in Action – Melting, Cooling and Curious Minds

Science came to life as children explored what happens when chocolate melts and then cools to become solid again. This hands-on investigation sparked excitement, thoughtful discussion and plenty of wonder, with a real sparkle in the children’s eyes as they observed changes firsthand. A brilliant example of curiosity-led learning in action!

MILLBROOK PARK

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COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS Our community Christmas Carol event Our Christmas Carol Service at St Paul’s Church was a truly special occasion and a wonderful way to celebrate the season together as a school community.

With over 100 family members joining us, the church was filled with warmth, joy and festive spirit. Our amazing choir sang beautifully and made us incredibly proud, creating a really memorable atmosphere for everyone present. Afterwards, families were able to enjoy mince pies and refreshments, giving time to chat, reflect and celebrate together.

The children especially loved Reverend Jo’s interactive service. Through unwrapping presents, each carefully linked to the Christmas story, Reverend Jo brought the message of Christmas to life in a way that was engaging, meaningful and very child-friendly. The children were captivated and clearly enjoyed being active participants in the service.

It was also lovely to reflect on how much this event has grown since our first Carol Service last year.

Seeing so many families come together again this year shows just how valued this tradition is becoming, and we very much hope it will continue to grow in the years ahead.

MILLBROOK PARK

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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT We are incredibly proud of the way our Breaktime Project has been embraced by our school and wider community. What began as a simple idea to better support children’s interaction and play at lunchtimes has grown into something truly special.

Thanks to the generosity of families, staff and friends of the school, we have received a wonderful range of physical donations – from LEGO and board games to small-world toys and creative resources – all of which are already helping children to play together, share, collaborate and build positive relationships.

Alongside this, we are absolutely delighted to share that we have now raised just over £2,500 in funding for the project. This incredible amount will allow us to continue developing purposeful, inclusive and engaging lunchtime opportunities that support children’s social skills, confidence and wellbeing.

We are genuinely overwhelmed by the kindness shown. This project is a powerful example of what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared goal: supporting children to feel happy, included and successful during every part of the school day. Thank you to everyone who has contributed in any way – your support is already making a real and lasting difference.

ST ANDREW AND ST FRANCIS

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A FOND FAREWELL On Friday 27th November, our KS2 pupils gathered at St Andrew’s Church to celebrate St Andrew’s Day—a special occasion made bittersweet as Fr Colin shared the news with staff that he will be retiring at the end of this term. Fr Colin has been the heart and soul of our school and parish community since 2004, and his absence will be felt profoundly by pupils, staff and families alike. A true fountain of knowledge, he enriched the service by telling us that, 138 years ago to the week, pupils from our school raised the impressive sum of £51 to purchase the church’s font—a wonderful reminder of our deep and historic connection to St Andrew’s Church.

Fr Colin’s weekly Masses in school, where children joyfully brought Bible stories to life, have been a cherished tradition loved by pupils, staff and parents alike. Beyond his services, Fr Colin has been a constant source of support, kindness and encouragement, championing inclusion and faith at every opportunity. His impact on our school is immeasurable and we are truly grateful for his dedication and love.

Fr Colin’s final service with us will take place on Friday 19th December during our Carol Concert in the church and we warmly invite families to join us in celebrating his incredible contribution. We wish him every blessing for the future and know he will always hold a special place in our hearts.

ST ANDREW AND ST FRANCIS

GHANA We are proud to share that our school’s unused furniture has found a new home in schools across Ghana! This wonderful initiative was made possible thanks to Mrs. Agbugba’s mum, whose strong church links and unwavering commitment to rebuilding educational resources and facilities in her home country have turned this vision into reality. By repurposing our furniture, we are helping to create better learning environments for pupils thousands of miles away—a true example of community and global solidarity.

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STANWELL FIELDS

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PARTNERSHIPS Building Strong Partnerships to Enrich Learning and Community at Stanwell Fields CE Primary School This term at Stanwell Fields CE Primary School, we have focused on strengthening partnerships with local organisations to enhance opportunities for our pupils and support our wider community. These collaborations reflect our commitment to ensuring every child flourishes and that we play an active role in promoting social mobility and community wellbeing.

Partnering with Heathrow Airport We are delighted to announce that Stanwell Fields has become a partner school with Heathrow Airport through their Giving Back Programme. This exciting initiative will provide tailored support and outreach to benefit both our pupils and the local community. The partnership includes: Funding opportunities for key school projects Interactive workshops to inspire and engage pupils Classroom support from volunteers Governance roles to strengthen leadership Access to the expertise of Heathrow Rangers to improve school facilities and sustainability development Our Headteacher, Mrs Stilwell, met with Becky Coffin, James McKenzie-Boyle, and Sarah Shah from Heathrow to officially announce this partnership. We are thrilled about the variety of initiatives this collaboration will bring, including workshops for our children, visits to the airport, and support for sustainability projects within our school.

Heathrow’s commitment to giving back to the community is truly inspiring, and we look forward to the positive impact this partnership will have on our pupils. In line with our vision to promote social mobility, we hope this relationship will encourage our children to aspire to careers at the airport, opening doors to exciting futures.

STANWELL FIELDS

SUPPORTING FAMILIES Supporting Families Through the Salvation Army In addition to our work with Heathrow, we have also formed a meaningful relationship with the Salvation Army in Staines-upon-Thames. This partnership enabled over 40 families from Stanwell Fields to benefit from their Christmas Present Appeal, receiving gifts for their children and a £40 Tesco voucher to help towards Christmas dinner.

For some of our families, this support will make a huge difference in creating a magical Christmas. We are deeply grateful to the Salvation Army for their generosity and commitment to helping those in need.

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