Meanwhile, the Eco Warriors concentrated on planning for the upcoming Eco Fest, exploring the “My Money” aspect of the event, coordinating advertising, and engaging with community partners.

Together we raised £100 to support endangered animals and help maintain the protected habitats they rely on — a brilliant result for a winter walk!

It was wonderful to see so many people out enjoying nature while helping to protect it at the same time. Every step really does make a difference.

The standard was incredibly high, making it a truly inspiring occasion — congratulations to all who took part, and especially to our well-deserved winners! This year marked for a special occasion as the Gateway Academy’s internal poetry competition winner Abigail opened the competition with her inspiring poem ‘belonging’ and a group of  Year 7 students performed the fantastic Gateway Poem to close the competition. 

One of the games introduced was the strategic game Mancala, which is widely played across West Africa. Pupils enjoyed thinking carefully about their moves as they tried to outplay their opponents. Another activity was hopscotch using Roman numerals, where children practised recognising numerals while taking part in a familiar playground game.

The ambassadors also organised a competitive round of Pañuela, a lively game played using Spanish numbers, which brought lots of excitement and teamwork. Finally, everyone joined in with a well-loved jumping game popular in the UK –

“England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales…” – a playground favourite that had pupils laughing and cheering.

Our Language Ambassadors have worked incredibly hard to lead these activities. By sharing games from different parts of the world, they have helped celebrate culture, encourage curiosity, and show compassion within our school community.

In the Council Chamber, pupils took part in a lively debate on the proposal of a four-day school week. Sitting where real decisions are made, they confidently presented arguments for and against the motion, demonstrating thoughtful discussion, respect and maturity throughout.

We are incredibly proud of the engagement and professionalism shown by all involved.

The GLC Year 3 pupils stepped into the spotlight during Autumn 2 during a fantastic Nutcracker workshop with the Royal Ballet and Opera! The children took a virtual journey through the history of the company—from Covent Garden to our local community in Thurrock—and discovered the many 'behind-the-scenes' roles that bring a production to life. Highlights included dancing with professional performers and getting an up-close look at real costumes and pointe shoes. These first-hand experiences and performance clips provided wonderful inspiration for the children's writing projects.

The Gators Basketball Club runs Saturday morning sessions and competes monthly in the Harlow Central Venue League, offering regular match play and pathways to compete in European tournaments against top professional clubs.

The program will run every term until the end of the school year and includes a mini league where schools compete in boys’ and girls’ leagues. Two rounds have been played so far, with Herringham currently leading both leagues, closely followed by Lansdowne. With four fixtures remaining, there is still everything to play for ahead of the playoffs and grand finals day.

The program has already increased enthusiasm for basketball across the schools, with several pupils now representing the Gators Basketball Club and winning their first three league games. The club is open to children of all abilities and welcomes new members.

For more information, please contact: gators.basketball.info@gmail.com

Many of the children later shared how proud and brave they felt performing in such a large venue and in front of so many people.

Well done, Year 3!

Tilbury Pioneer Academy finished 28th globally, which means they are the overall GLC winners! 🎉

Here are the final rankings for our schools:
1️⃣ Pioneer – 28th
2️⃣ Lansdowne – 36th
3️⃣ Gateway Primary – 41st
4️⃣ Herringham – 61st

A huge well done to all pupils who participated — fantastic effort across all schools!

We were incredibly proud of how respectfully and thoughtfully they represented their academies — they were a real credit to The Gateway Learning Community and our wider community. Well done to our fantastic Head Pupils.

Thank you for your continued support — we wish all our families a restful and enjoyable half-term break! 🍂😊

We have been working tirelessly to ensure our students maximise learning through the offer of a Summer Holiday School where our aim was to provide ambitious, challenging curriculum activities in order to rapidly improve attainment and support our children’s

wellbeing.  This intensive learning programme focused on English and Maths whilst having a practical approach to learning in a fun and safe environment.  Children were also offered the option to attend a variety of fun, enrichment sessions that included a Food workshop, 32 Challenges led by The Problem-Solving Company, Drumming, Dance, Drama, inflatables, a range of sports sessions and more! 

Headteacher Grainne McLaughlin congratulated the Year 11 cohort on their achievements and praised their dedication:
"I congratulate our 2025 Year 11 students for the outstanding progress and success they have achieved during their time with us. I am proud of our students; their determination and ambition make them an inspiration to our academy and wider community."

Ms. McLaughlin also paid tribute to the wider academy community:
"Such success would not have been possible without the commitment of our exceptional staff, the support of parents and carers, and the encouragement of our community. Together, we have created an academy where young people excel academically, creatively and on the sports field.”

Viki Reid, CEO of the Gateway Learning Community (GLC), also commended the students:
"What a wonderful day for our Year 11 students and their families. I am extremely proud of the excellent GCSE results they have achieved. This success is a reflection of the hard work and resilience they've shown both in their academic studies and across their wider achievements. It is also a reflection of our brilliant teachers, our inspirational leaders, and all their parents and carers who have supported them to consistently improve upon their best. We are confident that they will go on to achieve incredible things personally and become active and thriving citizens."

The Gateway Academy’s strong results highlight the academy’s growing reputation for academic achievement and student success, both locally and nationally.

Those who came to the Summer Arts Festival were treated to a sneak preview of all the GLC primaries singing and dancing together.

The programme culminated in a fantastic graduation ceremony at King's College, back at school family members joined our young scholars for a well-deserved celebration and certificate awards event.

We're incredibly proud to share that all participants passed the programme, achieving degree-level gradings.

A huge congratulations to all our talented Year 5 pupils on this outstanding achievement!

Throughout the year, our pupils have been immersed in the arts—from dance and drama to poetry, music, and modern foreign languages. The festival was the perfect stage to highlight their dedication and passion.

The creativity and confidence on display reflect the spirit of the GLC community—inclusive, expressive, and full of heart. A huge congratulations to all our young artists and the dedicated staff who helped bring this vision to life!

Take a look!

Kinetika is passionate about bringing communities together through creative walking experiences across Thurrock. Working alongside their team, our pupil leaders have co-designed and led walks at each other’s schools, all inspired by the theme of the Thames Estuary.

This social action initiative has given pupils the opportunity to express their ideas, celebrate their local environment, and take the lead in engaging their school communities. Thanks to their creativity and leadership, each walk has been unique and memorable.

Huge congratulations to the winners:

🏆 Year 2: Tilbury Pioneer Academy
🏆 Year 4: Lansdowne Primary Academy
🏆 Year 6: Herringham Primary Academy

Well done to all participants for showcasing incredible talent and teamwork! ✨

It was great to see increased attendance across The GLC for World Book day — well done!

Attendance:
LPA – 97.1%
TPA – 96.2%
HPA – 95.3%
GPFS – 94.6%
GA – 92.8%

The competition aimed to promote teamwork, problem-solving skills, and a love for mathematics amongst the pupils. They were encouraged to work together and support each other, showcasing not only their maths abilities but also their teamwork and communication skills.

After a day of intense competition, the results were announced:

• 1st place - Little Thurrock Primary School 
• 2nd place - West Thurrock Academy
• 3rd place - Shaw Primary Academy 

They were awarded a trophy for their outstanding performance. All participants received certificates to recognise their hard work during the event.

Thank you to everyone who helped support this wonderful event run smoothly.

What an inspiring moment for our own Bloco players, showing them the incredible possibilities that lie ahead and motivating them to keep practicing and embracing every musical opportunity that comes their way!

A huge thank you to Lee for sharing his expertise and passion with us. Your words have sparked important conversations and will continue to inspire our learning community moving forward!

The Eco-Warriors learnt about conservation and how it plays a huge part in protecting our planet. The children gained insight into endangered species and their declining numbers. By partaking in the Colchester Zoo outreach program, the children understood the value of the practices and how to contribute effectively to wildlife preservation efforts.

Professionals shared insights into their daily work, along with the paths they took to get to their current roles, including education, training, and previous jobs.

The week aimed to inspire pupils, showing them the variety of career possibilities and the steps they can take to prepare for the future. We are incredibly grateful to all the professionals who took time out of their day to make a difference and help inspire the next generation.