Christmas 2025 Newsletter
Posted 19th December 2025
We have reached the end of another incredibly busy term at Temple Learning Academy!
Battlefields Trip
On the very final day of last half term, our Year 10 and 11 History students set off on their battlefields trip. They had the most incredible time exploring the World War One battlefields in France and Belgium, as well as visiting Sanctuary Wood, Hill 62 Trench Museum, the Menin Gate Memorial and the Langemark German Cemetery.
Two of our students represented TLA by laying a wreath during the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. They also enjoyed a visit to a Belgian Chocolate Shop and a French supermarket! As expected, all of our students behaved brilliantly and made TLA so proud during this unforgettable trip!
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day was marked in school with special assemblies, a minute’s silence and a wreath making competition, where each class in school made a beautiful wreath which was placed at the front of the Heart Space on Remembrance Day.
We had another very special assembly on World Science Day – with lots of exciting experiments demonstrated!
Our sports teams continue to go from strength to strength, with some great wins against local schools this half term.
Anti-Bullying Week
Anti-Bullying Week, which this year had the theme of ‘The Power of Good’, began with Odd Socks Day on Monday 10th November and ended with ‘Children in Need Day’ on Friday 14th November with a non-uniform day in our primary phase. There were lots of exciting activities across the week and we raised lots of money for charity.
Arts at TLA
Our Primary and Secondary Arts council members have been elected for this academic year, and their first task was to create some welcome plaques to put around school, in a range of different languages – these were so creative and detailed – well done Arts Council! Our Creative Club have also been very busy this half term creating some amazing fireworks pictures, using lots of different materials.
Our Year 11 artists and photographers. along with many of the year 10 artists visited The Hepworth in Wakefield to experience the artwork of Barbara Hepworth and the other artwork on show. This ties in well with their coursework and enabled them to sketch from life, take photographs and make notes. The experience of seeing drawings, paintings and sculptures first-hand is invaluable. The pupils were, as usual, a credit to themselves and the school and this trip really helped to enhance their appreciation of Hepworth's artwork as well as the artwork of other artists.
Sporting Success
This term, one of our incredibly talented Year 10 students signed a contract with Leeds Rhinos. Faith has been at TLA since Year 2, and we are so very proud that all her hard work, dedication and talent have paid off! Well done, Faith! We have also celebrated Joy and Gracious – two sisters in Years 8 and 10 respectively – who have both achieved places in the Leeds Netball development squad. What an incredible array of talent we have at TLA!
Raising Awareness
Our Year 9s have been working exceptionally hard this term taking on a range of fundraising activities in support of Andy’s Man Club. As part of their Excellence Programme, they have explored the importance of mental health while developing their leadership skills to plan, organise, and deliver a variety of events, including Dodgeball the Teacher, guess the sweets in the jar and a mini sports day.
By choosing to support Andy’s Man Club, they are helping to raise awareness of a charity that offers free, safe, and confidential spaces for men to talk, connect and find support. Their efforts not only raise vital funds but also play a key role in challenging stigma and encouraging open conversations around mental health within our school community. We are incredibly proud of their dedication, compassion, and commitment!
Net Company Smarter Cities
Seven of our Year 8 students represented Temple Learning Academy outstandingly well at the Net Company Smarter Cities final last week. After weeks of dedicated lunchtime rehearsals, they delivered an impressive presentation in the competition’s final round, and won! Their hard work, confidence and teamwork shone through, and we are incredibly proud of their achievement. Their victory has earned them a place in the national final which is to be held in the new year.
Christmas Festivities
Christmas festivities have been in full swing over the last couple of weeks – Reception worked really hard to learn all of their songs and lines for The Wriggly Nativity and it was wonderful that so many of our parents and carers were able to join us for the performance. The children were amazing in the Nativity, and we are so proud of all of them! Reception also enjoyed a trip to the local post-box to post their letters to Santa and we held our annual Christmas Fair last week, which was a huge success, and attended by Santa himself!
Our Year 10 pupils enjoyed a meaningful opportunity to work alongside Year 2 children this week, helping them to make Christingles and explain their symbolism. Together, they explored how the Christingle represents Jesus as the light of the world, God’s love for creation, and the importance of sharing hope and kindness with others.
Lillian in year 5 won the competition to design a Christmas Tree topper for the tree in the dining room – she showed some wonderful creativity, and her design has proudly been on display in the diner for the last two weeks!
Our Year 7s went on a trip to the panto (oh yes they did!!) – they had the best time watching a performance of Snow White on the annual trip to the Bradford Alhambra Theatre. The performance was full of energy, excitement and plenty of laughs that had students and staff joining in every step of the way. Everyone enjoyed the classic panto fun, and the ice cream made the interval even sweeter! It was a fantastic outing and one of the highlights of our school calendar.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
At Temple Learning Academy, we are proud to continue building a community where every child truly belongs.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) work is embedded across lessons, the wider curriculum and school life, helping pupils feel safe, respected and represented. Through weekly guidance sessions, inclusive classroom teaching, enrichment opportunities, extra-curricular activities and termly whole-school assemblies, pupils learn to value differences, challenge stereotypes and develop respect for others. We continue to expand this work across all subjects and experiences, and we look forward to celebrating our diverse community together during our annual Culture Week in the summer term. We warmly invite our school community to engage with our EDI vision by learning from one another and celebrating who we are and what we achieve together.
Parents and carers will have opportunities to be involved as this work develops. To read more about our full vision and objectives for the next two years, click here.
Attendance and Punctuality
As I’m sure you are aware, attendance is our number one priority at Temple Learning Academy. As we are approaching assessments in the Spring for Reception, Year 1, Year 4, Year 6 and Year 11, we are urging all our students to attend every day. This maximises their learning opportunities, and most importantly, ensures your child is feeling confident and prepared in the run up to their assessments. Even if your child is not in one of those year groups, their learning builds up each year to support them in their external exams. Every day counts!
Punctuality to school is also very important. The start of the day is when we set up your child’s day, and ensures they are ready for learning. We also begin learning, including interventions, promptly so it’s vital your child is at school ready for an 8:20am start. Please see our Facebook page for further information on our graduated approach towards addressing punctuality.
We know there have been a lot of illnesses in the run up to Christmas, and we wish our families a restful and healthy holiday break to support a positive start to the New Year. Please be reminded of when it is suitable to send your child to school if they are unwell as according to the NHS. Please be reassured that we will always look after your child if they feel unwell at school, and will contact you should they need to come home.
Please remember, Monday 5th January 2026 is a staff training day. The first day we will welcome back all our pupils is Tuesday 6th January 2026.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very happy and healthy New Year.
