Dear Parent/Carer

RE: WELCOME TO THE GATEWAY ACADEMY

Congratulations on your child being offered a Year 7 place at The Gateway Academy.  We are delighted that your child will be joining our Academy community and beginning the next exciting stage of their educational journey with us.

At The Gateway Academy, we uphold the highest standards, guided by our core values of Responsibility, Resilience, Compassion and Aspiration.  These values shape the culture of our Academy and underpin our ambition for every young person who joins our community.  We look forward to welcoming your child and supporting them to develop the confidence, curiosity and determination needed to succeed both in school and beyond.

It has been a privilege to serve as Head of School at The Gateway Academy for almost eleven years.  During this time, I have worked alongside dedicated staff, ambitious students and supportive parents and carers who share a commitment to excellence.  Together, we have built a thriving Academy where student academic progress, attendance, staff retention and staff attendance consistently remain above the national average.

The five years your child will spend with us will help shape both their academic future and their personal development.  We believe the strongest outcomes are achieved when school, students and families work together in partnership.  By sharing this commitment, we can ensure that every young person grows into a confident, responsible and compassionate member of a diverse, fair and inclusive community.

As part of maintaining the high standards we are proud of, we ask that all students and families embrace and uphold the GLC Values that define our Academy.  If you feel that your child may not be able to commit to these expectations, we would encourage you to contact the Local Authority to discuss alternative educational provision.  Our expectations are high because we believe deeply in the potential of every young person entrusted to our care.

We are also proud of the transition programme we offer to support our new Year 7 students as they begin their journey with us.  This includes:

• A one-week Summer School to help students build confidence, develop friendships and become familiar with life at The Gateway Academy.
• A laptop scheme providing every Year 7 student with access to their own device so they can fully engage with the curriculum and develop independent learning skills.
• Parental and Carer GCSE-focused sessions, offering guidance on revision strategies and ways to support your child throughout their secondary school journey.

Further details about these opportunities will be shared with you during the coming term.

We understand that starting secondary school can feel both exciting and a little daunting, particularly if your child did not have the opportunity to visit the Academy last September.  To help you and your child gain a sense of what it means to be part of the Gateway family, we invite you to watch the following short videos.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDFOVP3_K7w.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSBnb4rVtuM&t=10s.

We are excited about the journey ahead for your child and the contribution they will make to our Academy community.  Our commitment is to support every student to develop the knowledge, character and ambition needed to thrive in the wider world.  We very much look forward to welcoming your child into the Gateway family and working together to ensure they flourish both academically and personally.

Details of this letter, together with a very large quantity of information can be found on the Academy’s website.   Please feel free to visit the Academy’s website regularly for updates http://www.theglc-gatewayAcademy.org.uk/.

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact Miss O’Dwyer via email at siobhan.odwyer@theglc.org.uk or telephone 01375 489000.

Yours sincerely

Mrs G McLaughlin

HEAD OF SCHOOL