25/08/2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we begin the new academic year, I am writing to set out our expectations for behaviour, standards and attendance at Lift Tamworth. Every member of staff is committed to making sure our school is calm, orderly and focused on learning, and we know that we achieve this best when home and school work together. I would be grateful if you could take a few minutes to read this letter with your child so that everyone starts the year with a shared understanding of what is expected.
Our approach is built on three simple principles: Reduce, Respond, Resolve. We aim to reduce the likelihood of disruption of learning through clear routines, respond consistently and fairly when standards slip, and resolve issues so that every young person can get back to learning as quickly as possible. High standards, applied consistently, are what allow every student in our school to learn without disruption.
Term Dates and Key Information
Please note Year 7 and 11 students are due in school on Wednesday 2nd September for an induction day, full school uniform is required.
Autumn 1- Thursday 3rd September- Friday 16th October
Autumn 2- Monday 2nd November- Friday 18th December
Spring 1- Tuesday 5th January- Friday 12th February
Spring 2- Monday 22nd February- Thursday 25th March
Summer 1- Monday 12th April- Friday 28th May
Summer 2- Monday 7th June- Tuesday 20th July
INSET Days-
Tuesday 1st September
Wednesday 2nd September (Year 7 and 11 students are in school)
Friday 4th December
Monday 4th January
Friday 25th June
Wednesday 21st July
Bank Holidays-
Monday 31st August
Friday 26th March
Monday 29th March
Monday 3rd May
Monday 31st May
Punctuality and Attendance
Punctuality to school and to every lesson is expected without exception. The school day begins with Morning Meet or Tutor at 8:30am, and any student arriving after this without a valid reason will be marked late and directed to sign in at Student Reception, where a detention will be issued. Lates to lessons and instances of truancy are logged on Arbor and will be escalated as sanctions at the end of each day, students will be expected to attend catch up learning sessions after school to ensure they do not miss out on key knowledge and content. If the learning sessions are not attended, then the student will have their phone confiscated for the next day and will reset the learning session after school.
Uniform and Appearance
Overall, I am very happy with the standard of uniform and appearance at Lift Tamworth, students look smart and wear their uniform with pride most days. As always, I will work with families to ensure students have access to any support needed around uniform and standards.
A reminder of the essentials:
Blazer worn at all times unless a teacher gives permission for it to be removed (navy Lift Tamworth for Years 7–8, black TEC blazers or navy Loft Tamworth for Years 9–11).
White shirt buttoned to the top and tucked in, with the school tie worn at normal length (down towards stomach area)
Black tailored trousers, and black polishable shoes.
Hoodies and jackets are not permitted in school; coats, hats and gloves are for outdoor use only. Repeated wearing of jackets and coats indoors will end up with confiscation.
Hair should remain one colour, and make-up, nails and jewellery should be minimal and discreet, there has been no change in this from last year.
Students must bring a bag to school containing their Knowledge Pioneer packs, stationery and equipment alongside anything else they need for a day of learning.
Failure to bring all items listed above will result in students being sent home to collect correct items and then return to school, any lost learning time will be made up after school.
Mobile Phones and Devices
Phones, smart watches and headphones must be switched off and out of sight from the moment your child arrives on site until they leave. Any device seen or heard during the school day will be confiscated and returned in line with our mobile phone policy. We would ask for your support at home in reinforcing this expectation. There has been no change to the policy that worked well last year.
Working Together
Since I started in January, I have met hundreds of parents who I hope understand that none of what we are trying to build at Lift Tamworth is about being unnecessarily “strict” — it is about giving every child at Lift Tamworth the calm, orderly environment they need to learn and to thrive. Sanctions are applied consistently and proportionately, and every incident is logged so that we can identify patterns early and put the right support in place. Where a student is finding it difficult to meet our expectations, we will always contact home so that we can work together to help them get back on track.
This teamwork between home and school is absolutely essential. My message to all families is simple, please work with us and not against us, we are here to help and support. My email is [email protected] and I always try to respond to every email I get. As always, we are looking for ways to improve our communication to home and are regularly updating our social media as well as using Arbor to communicate with parents, please ensure you have access to both platforms if you can.
Full details of our expectations are available in the Behaviour & Standards Booklet and will be issued to every student, and our full Behaviour Policy and Uniform Policy is both available from Student Reception or the school website.
Thank you, as ever, for your continued support in helping us maintain the highest standards for every child at Lift Tamworth.
Yours faithfully,
Alex Thorley
Vice Principal, Lift Tamworth
