May Half Term Newsletter

It has been a short but incredible half term since we returned from Easter, as our children continue to embrace all the opportunities offered to them to gain memorable and meaningful experiences. #

At the start of the half term, our Reception class were awarded with the certificate for ‘Best Attending Class of the Half Term’ for the previous half term. Well done Reception and keep it up!

Surprise visitor

Friday 24th April was an afternoon of high excitement in Year 3, when they received a visitor by the name of Mr Wembley! He had come to school to celebrate one of our students - Daley - for his incredible behaviour and personality while attending the Leeds United Healthy Holidays camps that have been running at TLA for the last 3 years.

Mr Wembley eventually removed his disguise to reveal Anton Stach - the Leeds United first team player and German international! Anton invited Daley to be a mascot at Wembley for the Leeds United vs Chelsea FA Cup semi-final game, and walk the team out onto the pitch - which he did, alongside club captain Ethan Ampadu, as well as giving him a pair of his boots! A massive well done to Daley and truly deserved, we had no doubt you would bring the energy to the team we get to see every day. We are so proud of you!

Continuing with the sporting theme, on the evening of Friday 24th April, 24 children from Years 5 and 6 made the trip across Leeds to spend an evening at AMT Headingley Stadium. They made their way onto the pitch prior to the Leeds Rhinos vs Catalans game to sing two songs to their parents & carers waiting eagerly in the stands. Following the performance, the students were able to enjoy the game with their families and friends. To top it off, Leeds Rhinos won 46-4, so a great night all round! Well done to all the children who took part. They were, as expected, a real credit to our school. Keep your eyes peeled for more Leeds Rhinos tickets becoming available in the near future!

PGL 2026

Our annual Year 9 PGL trip departed on 24th April – taking 40 students for a fabulous weekend in Lincolnshire. They had an unforgettable residential visit, packed full of fun and exciting challenges. Throughout the trip, students embraced new experiences, taking part in activities such as climbing and stand-up paddleboarding – which inevitably resulted in plenty of soaking wet students! They also showed great focus and determination during archery and rifle shooting sessions. The giant swing on the final day proved to be a real highlight, with even the brave TLA staff getting involved. They were lucky to enjoy lovely weather across the visit, and the trip ended on a high with a lively disco where students showcased their best dance moves.

Y1 Hindu Workshop

At the end of April, Year 1 had a fantastic time learning about the Hindu religion from our visitor who hosted a Hindu workshop for them. They heard a traditional Hindu prayer and practiced Hindu meditation. The children had a wonderful time and asked so many great questions.

Textiles Trip

On 6th May, our Year 10 Textiles students had a very informative and interesting visit to Abraham Moon & Sons. As one of the last fully vertical mills in the UK, it was amazing to see the entire fabric-making journey, from raw wool arriving at the mill to beautifully finished fabrics transformed into luxury clothing and homeware. Our students gained a real insight into traditional craftsmanship, modern textile production and the heritage of British manufacturing.

Student Council

We held our half-termly secondary Student Council meeting in April, where students came together to discuss a range of important topics and share ideas for improving school life. A key focus of the meeting was attendance, with student councillors being set a task by Mrs Flower to gather research and feedback from students within their form groups.

Councillors also discussed proposed government changes to school lunches and began considering ideas and suggestions for next academic year. In addition, students received updates on actions and progress made since the previous meeting, continuing to ensure that student voice remains an important part of decision-making across the school.

Read Write Inc

Our Reception class invited their parents and carers in this half term to see a Read Write Inc lesson. The children loved showing their adults how they are learning to read and write. Thank you to the parents and carers who were able to join us!

Whitby Residential

Year 5 had an absolutely brilliant time on their Whitby Residential. They bravely took on the 199 steps up to Whitby Abbey, took part in lots of sporting activities, including bowling and crazy golf, enjoyed a very blustery walk around the town centre and warmed up with a delicious mug of hot chocolate every evening! They had a wonderful time making memories together.

More trips

Years 7 and 8 have had two exciting trips this half term! Six of our Year 7 students represented the school brilliantly at the Red Kite Alliance Science competition. Competing against 13 other schools, our team achieved second place, narrowly behind Allerton Grange. Students took part in a series of quizzes as well as Biology, Chemistry and Physics challenges, demonstrating excellent scientific knowledge and problem-solving skills. In addition to being runners-up, the team was also awarded the certificate for Outstanding Teamwork and Collaboration. A fantastic achievement that reflects their enthusiasm, cooperation and determination!

Twelve of our Year 8 girls attended the annual Girls in Tech event at the Asda Conference Centre, where they had the opportunity to explore a wide range of careers and opportunities within the technology industry. Students worked alongside professionals from several different companies, taking part in activities and discussions designed to inspire and encourage future aspirations in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). We were incredibly proud to hear that a number of the companies and adults involved commented on how brilliant our students at TLA are; praising their enthusiasm, confidence and engagement throughout the event.

SATs and GCSEs

Well done to Year 6 who have approached their SATs with such a mature and confident attitude. Their reward was a trip to Temple Newsam Park for a picnic and games to unwind after an intense week! We are so very proud of them all.

Year 11 students have approached the first three weeks of their GCSE exams with incredible maturity and effort. So many of them have been arriving at school early to revise, enjoy breakfast with their peers and receive last-minute tips and support from their teachers and friends prior to an exam.

Whilst we try to do everything within our powers to keep students calm, there is no doubt that external exams can, for some, raise levels of anxiety. If this is the case, and you feel that your child could do with some additional support, please do let us know and we will do everything we can to help further.

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Attendance

As you will be aware, Attendance is our top priority – if you’re not in school, you are not learning! We are really proud of your children for their improvements in attendance over last half term. We have noticed that when they have good attendance, they are more confident, happier and thrive more in their learning! We still have upcoming exciting opportunities and experiences during next half term, and would hate for your child to miss out. As we go into the second half of the summer term, we know that we are preparing our students for upcoming successes in their final assessments for the year. These results are used by your child's teachers and other adults to provide support for them going into next academic year. This means that every single day at TLA is so important.

Please be aware if you do choose to take your child out of school during term time for a holiday, we are bound by Leeds City Council to process fines where applicable. Watch out on social media for attendance incentives and rewards as we approach the end of the school year! Keep up the fantastic work - we love to see your child at TLA every day!

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful half-term break and we look forward to welcoming all of our students back on Monday 1st June 2026.

Please remember that school will close for the summer holiday at 12:30pm for Primary and 12:45pm for Secondary on Friday 17th July.