Expansion plan for Lindfield Primary Academy

Trust confirms details of LPAs expansion plan

The University of Brighton Academies Trust is delighted that West Sussex County Council have agreed to fund Lindfield Primary Academy in undertaking two temporary bulge years to accommodate the increased demand for places. As a result, the academy will be moving to a 4 form entry academy in September 2021 for the next two years.

The need for a temporary bulge is due to the delayed opening of the new school nearest to Lindfield. West Sussex County Council have plans to open two new primary schools in the locality to accommodate the need for additional primary school places. Alongside welcoming 30 new children into the academy, this exciting development will further support the local community by significantly improving academy facilities in a two-stage approach.

To ensure all children can be taught alongside one another in comparable accommodation, the initial ‘Stage 1’ refurbishments will occur over the summer holidays to create a new classroom for the additional early years class. In the autumn term, a multi-surface play space will be developed to enable early years children to have year round access to an additional secure play area. On the academy field, a multi-surface games area will be established to provide pupils with an all-weather play space whilst the redevelopment is underway. This new play facility may be used in the future to support PE and after school clubs. The music and IT suite will be redeveloped into a new classroom for Key Stage 2 pupils in September 2021.

When ‘Stage 2’ of the project is complete in September 2022, the classroom will no longer be required, and pupils will benefit from a refurbished and enlarged music and IT learning space and the significant investment in new mobile laptops. Although their final location is yet to be confirmed, ‘Stage 2’ of the project will also see the two new West Sussex County Council-approved permanent classrooms being built. This exciting part of the project will start sometime in early 2022, with the completion timed to be ready for September 2022.

In addition to the new classrooms, a large multi-surface play space will be created between the Key Stage 2 and Year 1 learning areas. This will allow for more pupils to experience safe, imaginative play spaces during play time. The academy’s Parent Teacher Association and staff are helping to design these new play spaces. If you have any questions about this exciting development, please get in touch with Alice Allen (Chair of the Local Board) at a.allen@brightonacademiestrust.org.uk.

Lindfield Primary Academy's call to the local community

By Lindfield Primary Academy PTA

At the time of writing, we once again find ourselves still in yet another lockdown. In the summer months the children of Lindfield Primary Academy loved spotting rainbows in the village windows whilst on their daily exercise. With the sun well and truly gone and grey skies a permanent feature, we put our thinking caps on to think of ways to brighten up daily walks.

We want to reach out to our beautiful Lindfield community, and invite you all to decorate your windows with beautiful stars that the children can enjoy spotting whilst carrying out their daily exercise.

Stars can be any size or colour and as many or as few as you like. All stars welcome! Let’s get Lindfield twinkling.

Editor’s note: When you’ve decorated your windows, why not send in a photo (editor@lindfieldlife.co.uk) with you or your children in it – so that we can showcase them in a future issue.

Lindfield Primary County Runners-Up

By James Smyth

Members of Lindfield Primary Academy’s Year 5/6 athletics team were celebrating last month when they were silver medalists at the Sportshall Athletics County Final at K2 in Crawley. After winning the Mid-Sussex event in January the children were hopeful of continuing their success at county level and they did not disappoint. Events included a variety of relays, vertical jump, long jump, javelin and speed bounce, with 24 disciplines in total.

It was an extremely close finish, with the winning school (Thomas A Becket) scoring just ten points more than Lindfield over the entire morning of athletics.

Lindfield has had a history of success at this event and has now finished either winners or runners up three times over the last four years. The academy is extremely proud of all the efforts of the children involved, who have given up dozens of lunchtimes to practise over the last six months. Sophie Russell, who took part in the obstacle relay, speed bounce and six lap parluf said: “We did so well because we worked really hard as a team and did not stop practising. It was so much fun and I haven’t taken my medal off yet!”

Beetle Boy author visits Lindfield school

By Lucy Duncalfe, teacher

As part of our National Book Week celebrations, we welcomed award winning author of the Beetle Boy Trilogy, M.G. Leonard, to Lindfield Primary Academy on 1st May.

Maya led an energetic assembly in which she filled the children’s imaginations with all things beetles! The children were awestruck by her passion and knowledge and enjoyed finding out about her journey to becoming a writer. Year 4 pupils became beetle experts and enjoyed creative writing workshops through which they planned stories based on their chosen beetle heroes. 

Most enjoyable was discovering the gruesome truths about beetle survival!

Maya proved an inspiration to the staff too, delivering a presentation about the importance of immersing children in the natural world and harnessing stories in all their forms from dance, theatre, screenplays and books. Many thanks go to our wonderful, supportive PTA for funding such a fabulous day!

Lindfield Primary Academy girls crowned County Cricket Champions

Lindfield Academy's Cricket Girls

Members of Lindfield Primary Academy’s Year 5/6 girls’ cricket team were celebrating this month when they were crowned County Champions at the Sussex Final in Horsham. The girls went into the event with high hopes after weeks and weeks of practice but were faced with the daunting prospect of playing the best five schools from Sussex at the event. After a convincing win against local rivals and last year’s winners, Birchwood Grove in the first match by 37 runs, the girls continued their great form with victories over Southwater Junior (by 10 runs), North Lancing (by 42 runs), West Park (by 27 runs) and Harlands (by 32 runs) in an action packed day at Horsham Cricket Club.

The whole squad contributed throughout the tournament but special mention must go to Ruby Stedman for her batting and Asha Hinley and Bethan Steel for their fantastic bowling. James Smyth (Year 6 teacher and the team’s coach) was extremely pleased at the conclusion of the event: “After coming runners-up last year, we hoped we may go one better this time around. We are so pleased, the girls should be extremely proud of their achievement.”

Easter Bonnets on parade in Lindfield

By David Tingley

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All schoolchildren in Lindfield waved goodbye to the spring term in glorious sunshine last month, but at Lindfield Primary Academy the warm playground was also bathed in colour as the school held its first Easter Bonnet Parade for over 20 years.

Its return to the school was the brainchild of mums and PTA members Carrie Faraday and Laura Bartlett. “We had originally only intended to run the parade in the playground for Reception children,” Laura said, “but Mr Still [Principal] loved the idea and said he thought all Year groups should get the opportunity to take part.”

The children had a couple of weeks to put their bonnets together at home – with many parents’ manhours too I suspect – before bringing them in on the last morning of term. Key Stage 1 and 2 paraded first, walking around the playground to the whoops and claps of proud parents looking on with cameras at the ready.

[Full article in May's issue of Lindfield Life magazine]

Car Boot Sale at Lindfield Primary Academy

Sunday 14th May 2017

After the success of its Vintage Table Top Sale last year, Lindfield Primary Academy PTA is holding its very first car boot sale in the Academy’s grounds on Sunday 14th May, 9.30am-1pm. It is one of many events in its very busy calendar, alongside discos and film nights for the children, and golf days and a summer ball for the grownups, just to name a few. Emily Hadden, PTA co-chair, explained: “We like to make our events as inclusive as possible, ensuring they attract attention from across the local community, and would love to welcome the people of Lindfield to join us to either take a pitch, pick up a bargain or just come along for a bacon sandwich and cup of tea. All proceeds will go towards the ‘extras’ that cannot be funded directly by the school, as well as much needed equipment that requires our additional input. A BIG ‘thank you’ to Tesco which has kindly donated towards the food and drink at this event.” 

Doors will open at 9.30am. Admission £1. Pitches will be reserved on a first come first served basis and cost just £7 (£10 for a van). Please contact lindfield.pta@gmail.com for more details or to reserve a pitch.