Newsletter 23.05.2025

Dear Parents & Carers,

Good morning, I hope this letter finds you all well and that you have all had a good week.

I wanted to start this newsletter by firstly acknowledging all our students for their continued hard work in lessons, their continued effort and for their ability to respect and tolerate each other in our small school community.

This half term has been a positive one and I have loved the fact that our students have fully engaged with our new lunchtime walking club, otherwise known as ‘The Red-Hot Chilli Steppers’! Alongside this, we have had a great uptake for the gardening project which has proved to be incredibly popular amongst our students and staff.

Staff News

Before the Easter holidays, our current Deputy Headteacher Will Riley was successful in becoming the Head of School at a new OFG primary school in Bradford. The Beacon school which is due to open in September will cater for primary aged students with ASC and other complex needs. We wish Will success in his new role and look forward to hearing the news of how he is getting on in due course.

This has meant that I have now been successful in appointing two new Deputy Headteachers at Armley which will strengthen the senior leadership team and allow us to continue to make progress and grow across all areas of the school.

I am incredibly pleased to announce that Jess Bowstead was appointed to Deputy and has already begun in role. Jess has proved herself to be a strong senior leader and has brought a new dynamic to the school leadership. I have no doubt that Jess will be a huge success.

Matthew Pearson was also appointed to the second Deputy post, and Matt brings a wealth of experience from across the city of Leeds. Matt is currently Vice Principal at Stephen Longfellow Academy, which is part of the Gorse Academies Trust. The school is an alternative provision for students that struggle to cope in mainstream schools, so his background will benefit the school massively.

On slightly different staff note, Martin Jones our temporary site manager will be leaving us in June to begin his retirement. Martin stepped into the role as an agency staff member in September and has been nothing short of amazing. He has been a pillar of support for the school and has ensured that we are compliant across all areas of H&S. Martin has spent his career in engineering and to have had someone of his calibre on our team has been amazing. I know the staff and students all love Martin, and he will be missed across the entire school community. We wish Martin all the best for his retirement and thank him for all his hard work.

Should you have any questions regarding this, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at school.

Summer Exams

Some of our older students will be sitting their functional skills exams in Maths and English in June. As we are not a JCQ registered examination centre yet, these exams will be done off site at a local OFG school. We wish all the students sitting these exams the best of luck.

Term Dates for the Academic Year 25/26

Finally, the new term dates have been uploaded to the school website for parents to view.  Important Information – Armley Grange

Just a reminder that the school will re-open to students after the half term holiday on Monday the 2^{nd of} June. This was previously a teacher training day; however, it was changed to allow for a longer Easter break. Therefore, we will expect all students in on Monday the 2^{nd of} June.

I hope you have a lovely half term break,

Best wishes,

James