St Leonards C of E Primary Academy

01/09/2026

⬇️ Free School Meal changes ⬇️

31/08/2026

29/08/2026

A couple of days ago, the DfE published The Back-to-School Reset Guide — practical advice from psychologist Dr Martha Deiros Collado to help parents support children as they return to school.

It covers things like:

🕐 Getting back into school routines
🎒 Building independence through small choices
💬 Talking about worries without making predictions
👋 Making those tricky goodbyes easier
❤️ Helping children manage anxiety about the new school year
🧘 Giving them time to unwind after school

I thought it was really useful — but also thought, this is quite a lot for a parent to take in.

So, ChatGPT and I turned the key messages into a simple one-page poster for parents.

If you’ve got parents who are finding the return to school particularly challenging this week, it might be a useful thing to send them.

Sometimes a few simple, practical ideas are all a parent needs. ❤️

📄 The original DfE guide is here: The Back-to-School Reset Guide (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a856b28c9205b515d421e7d/The_back-to-school_reset_guide.pdf)

Feel free to share the poster with your parents or colleagues.

28/08/2026

SuDS for Schools Project

We are delighted to have been involved in the SuDS for Schools project. During the summer term, our Year 5 pupils took part in an exciting workshop where they learned about sustainable drainage and helped create designs for improvements around our school.

Over the summer holidays, large planters were installed across the school site as part of the project. We are especially proud that some of the children's own ideas have been incorporated into the final designs too (see the planter in the Year 1 area).

The SuDS for Schools project brings Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to schools across the Eastbourne and Hastings areas. Funded by the Department for Education, the Environment Agency, and Southern Water, the project aims to design and install nature-based drainage solutions that help manage surface water while also creating engaging, hands-on learning opportunities for children.

The project is led by Blue Heart alongside its partners Our Rainwater (community engagement and design) and Meristem (detailed design and installation).

We look forward to seeing the planters develop over time and to the continued learning opportunities they will provide for our pupils.

For more information about the project, please visit: SuDS for Schools - Blue Heart.

02/08/2026

This summer, no child should go hungry. ❤️

If you’re struggling over the school holidays, please remember that The Grumpy Cook is offering free lunches for children, Monday to Saturday. Plus we do free breakfast cereals and toast in the morning too.

🍽️ No referrals. No forms. No questions asked. Just come in and we’ll make sure your child has something to eat.

For families heading to the park, beach or simply wanting to collect food to take away, don’t forget you can also pre-order our Family Picnic Boxes. They’re available to order online with 24 hours’ notice and are perfect for feeding the whole family.

💚 If you’d like to help, you can also Pay It Forward by sponsoring meals for local children. Every donation goes directly towards making sure no child goes hungry this summer. www.grumpycook.co.uk

📍 The Grumpy Cook
1a Robertson Street, Hastings

Together, our community has already made an incredible difference. Let’s keep going and make sure every child has food on their plate this summer. 💚

29/07/2026

This Friday at the Grumpy Cook, not only free food for children but free activities too.

Come along and have some fun.

The Grumpy Cook, 1a Robertson Street, Hastings, TN34 1HL

24/07/2026

Tables & chairs for collection - Free.

Car park open until 4pm today, 8am to 3pm on Monday.

22/07/2026

We will see you on the other side!

Have a great summer 😎

21/07/2026

🌿✨ A Wonderful New Space for Our School Community! ✨🌿

Today we were delighted to officially open our new Sensory Garden, with the ribbon being cut by the Mayor.

This beautiful space has been designed to provide a calm, inclusive and engaging environment where pupils can explore nature, support their wellbeing, and enjoy moments of reflection and sensory discovery.

We were pleased to welcome guests who were involved in the building, donating and fundraising to celebrate this special occasion and to showcase the positive impact the garden will have on our children for years to come.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped bring this project to life through their hard work, generosity and support.

🌱 Developing wellbeing
🌸 Encouraging exploration
🦋 Creating opportunities for learning and reflection

We look forward to seeing our pupils enjoy this fantastic new addition to the school.