February Half Term Newsletter
Posted 13th February 2026
As we have reached the end of another busy half term at TLA, we would like to take the opportunity to share a summary of some of the highlights with you.
Reception Stay and Play
Early in the half term, our Reception parents and carers came for a ‘stay and play’ session in school. The children loved showing their adults the Reception classroom and talking about some of their learning. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend - it brought such joy to the children and the staff.
Exam Preparation
The half term started with mock exams for our Year 11’s who demonstrated exemplary attitudes, engagement and maturity throughout. We are so proud of them as they continue to work extremely hard towards their summer exams. Our Year 6’s are also demonstrating the same commitment towards their SATs. All of our Year 6 and Year 11 students are being supported with interventions and booster sessions to help them achieve the best possible outcomes this summer.
Dance Workshop
On Sunday18th January, our ‘No Bounds’ boys dance group were involved in workshops with professional dancers, followed by a Q&A session before rehearsing on the stage at The Northern Ballet. They finally performed to a packed audience, showcasing their talents in a range of styles. They kicked off a very special evening with an absolutely brilliant performance! We are so proud of their achievements after weeks of commitment to after-school training and rehearsals. Thank you to Mr Barnes for giving up his time to make all of this happen!
MindMate Assembly
In January, the MindMate Support Team delivered an interactive and informative assembly in Primary. The theme was on Resilience - how we can be resilient and how to bounce back from challenges and change. Primary students were set the challenge of being resilient using the strategies taught such as; trying your best no matter what, trying something you have previously found difficult, using mistakes as a chance to learn and accepting the fact that not everything is within our control. It was great to see our Primary students embracing the challenge and putting these resilience strategies into practice!
Religious Education
In Primary, our Religious Education visits to places of worship have continued. This half term Year 5 visited a synagogue to learn more about the Jewish religion, and Year 3 visited the Gurdwara in Leeds to learn about the Sikh faith. They were respectful and curious to learn about new religions and asked brilliant questions about all that they heard and seen.
Pantathlon Winners!
On 28th January, our fantastic Multi-Skills Panathlon team competed against four other secondary schools and, for the second year in a row, they secured 1st place! The team showed outstanding determination, teamwork and resilience throughout every event. Their enthusiasm and sportsmanship were evident from start to finish and they were a real credit to the school. We are incredibly proud of their achievement and the way they represented Temple Learning Academy. Well done, team—champions again!
More Successes
Seven of our Year 8 students have been involved in a national competition which began during our Careers Week in October, when representatives from Netcompany visited school and set Year 8 students a task: To work in groups to design an AI-based solution that would help make Leeds a more economically-friendly, greener and “smarter city”. Students worked in teams, with the winning group from the year group going on to represent TLA in the city final – which they won and progressed to the national final! In the national final, they competed against teams from London, Newcastle, Birmingham and Manchester and we are so proud to announce that we won….TLA are National champions!! Their concept introduced “Bobby and Sally” - Sally is designed to help keep the streets of Leeds clean and litter free, whilst Bobby is a multilingual aid to support elderly people on and off buses, both powered by reusable energy. The idea impressed the panel for its creativity and its strong focus on sustainability and social impact. The students were also supported by industry professional mentors from Netcompany, who worked closely with them and helped develop their use of appropriate technical terminology. The mentors were incredibly supportive and spoke very highly of the students’ engagement and enthusiasm. We are so proud of them!
Student Leaders
This week, our Student Council held its half-termly meeting, where they discussed school life and shared ideas to enhance the overall school experience. Agenda items included the food offered at school, extracurricular opportunities and study support. It was a really positive and productive meeting, and they are already looking forward to the next one.
Last week, 12 of our Student Leaders attended the East Leeds Youth Summit at Leeds Civic Hall. During the event, students had the opportunity to meet the Lord Mayor, speak with local councillors, and take part in debates focused on addressing key issues affecting Leeds. The summit provided valuable real-life experience, allowing students to develop their leadership skills, voice their opinions, and gain a deeper understanding of how local decisions are made.
Leeds Apprenticeship Fair
This week, we took 50 Year 10 students to the Leeds Apprenticeship Fair, where they had the opportunity to explore a wide range of apprenticeship pathways and career options. Students spoke with employers, training providers and colleges to learn more about future opportunities, entry requirements and the skills needed for different industries. The visit was a valuable experience that helped students broaden their understanding of Post 16 options and start thinking more confidently about their next steps.
Student Takeover Day
Our Primary Student Takeover Day took place on 30th January! Our Primary phase students applied to take over a variety of roles across school. These included Teaching and Learning, Pastoral, Administration, Site Team, Catering, Safer Schools Support and even Principal! They spent time with the staff members finding out more about their roles and what it might be like to work in that environment. It was such a fantastic day and really helped the students understand the world of work and processes involved!
Helpful Heroes
Last week, our Reception children had a visit from the firefighters of White Watch at Killingbeck Fire Station! As part of their learning theme, 'Helpful Heroes', the children asked questions about the different ways firefighters can help us. White Watch kindly brought their fire engine to school as part of the visit and the children were able to try out using the water hoses and explore the fire engine. Reception had a wonderful time learning all about how firefighters keep us safe and the important job they do in our local community.
We Love TLA Day!
Today, Friday 13th February, is ‘We Love TLA day’ and we have been celebrating everything we love about our incredible school. We have enjoyed a non-uniform day, heart-shaped treats and activities to show what we all love about TLA – all whilst raising money for The British Heart Foundation.
It has been another incredibly busy few weeks and everyone is ready for another rest so that we are ready and refreshed to go again in half term 4. Wishing you all a wonderful half-term break. We look forward to welcoming all of our students back on Monday 23rd February 2026.
Goodbye to our CEO
In January, our Red Kite Learning Trust Youth Board met at Temple Moor High School. As part of the meeting, the board said their goodbyes to Mr Sheriff who is retiring today, after many years of service to teaching and to our Trust. You can read his goodbye message below, and an introductory message from our incoming CEO – Mr Ian Tucker.
Attendance Notice
Attendance remains our number one priority as a school as we see how much any absence impacts on your child's progress and attainment. Remember, missing a day here or there is like missing an episode of your favourite TV programme - it can be hard to know what's going on!
Message from Richard Sheriff OBE
Last summer I shared the news with colleagues and our schools that I planned to retire from leading our Trust. It is almost 40 years since I started as a teacher and 25 years since I first had the privilege of leading a school. Over the last ten years I have had the opportunity to lead our Trust and work with a group of great schools, their staff teams and the inspiring young people they serve. We have come a long way in that time and, although there is much left to do, now seems a good time to step away and bring in new energy and ideas. When we appointed our first headteacher who knew me as their headteacher I knew my time had come!
I am delighted that the Trustees were able to appoint an outstanding person to replace me and it has been a pleasure working with Ian Tucker over the last few months preparing for him to join us. Finally, I would like to thank all our parents, carers, young people and those in our wider communities for all the support and kindness I have received over the years. It really has been a huge privilege, and I look forward to watching the Red Kite Learning Trust flourish in the future.
Message from Ian Tucker
It is a real honour to introduce myself to you as the incoming Chief Executive Officer of Red Kite Learning Trust. Over the past few months, I have had the privilege of working closely with Richard Sheriff and colleagues across the Trust, and in doing so I have gained a deep appreciation of the strong values, high expectations and moral purpose that underpin Red Kite’s work.
The Trust’s commitment to nurturing ambition and delivering excellence for every child resonates strongly with my own beliefs about education. I am passionate about ensuring that all young people, regardless of background, are supported, challenged and inspired to achieve their very best, and that our schools remain places where children feel safe, valued and able to flourish.
It is a privilege to follow Richard’s outstanding leadership and to build on the strong foundations he and our schools have established. I am also delighted to be returning to my Yorkshire roots as I take up this role from the middle of February. I look forward to working in close partnership with our parents and carers, and to meeting many of you over the weeks and months ahead as we continue to strengthen and grow the Red Kite Learning Trust together.
