Principal's update - 6 March 2026

Hello Unity Community!

Welcome to this week’s update. I would like to begin by saying a huge well done to Year 11. Over the past two weeks, our students have worked incredibly hard during their mock examinations. Attendance was 4 percent higher than last year’s cohort, and the amount of revision taking place outside of lessons has been outstanding.

In a couple of weeks, we will be sharing mock results with you at our Results and Revision Evening. This is another important step as we move toward the final GCSE examinations, which begin in around six weeks.

This week we also welcomed the Year 6 students who were offered places at Dixons Unity on Monday. All families should now have received their welcome pack, and further information about next steps will follow shortly.

It has been a busy and positive week across our community. On Tuesday, we held our Community Iftar, where many families and colleagues gathered to mark the holy month of Ramadan. On Thursday, a group of Year 10 students took part in the Landsec Challenge, and I am delighted to share that our Year 10 boys group won the competition. We are incredibly proud of them. Today, two of our Year 11 students had the opportunity to visit 11 Downing Street for a tour of Parliament and refreshments with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves. This was an amazing experience, and I look forward to hearing all about it on Monday.

Next week, alongside our usual excellent lessons, students will take part in several enrichment opportunities. These include an art visit to Armley, the Year 9 King's Trust event, and a Leeds City College trip for some of our students who speak English as an additional language.

Last week, a parent asked what happens on teacher training days, so I wanted to explain this clearly. We have several types of training days throughout the year.

1. The first type happens at the start of the year; these are our staff induction days. Staff prepare their classrooms and lessons, and leaders use the opportunity to communicate priorities and provide training that supports staff to deliver these effectively.
2. The second type is our Trust Conference Day, which took place at the end of last term. This is a valuable opportunity for staff from across our trust to come together, share experiences, explore best practice, and align ourselves around common goals.
3. The third type is our Data and Planning Day. Our most recent one focused on assessments for Year 7 and Year 9. Staff analysed the data and planned lessons aimed at closing gaps and accelerating progress. In addition, we have been working on ensuring that we have a clear understanding of what outstanding lessons look like in each of our subject areas.

I know that training days can sometimes be inconvenient for families, and I appreciate your understanding. They have been, and continue to be, a vital part of our improvement journey at Dixons Unity, and they directly support the quality of education we provide.

You will be aware from this week’s communication that next week will be my final parent update. I hope to be able to introduce Mr Inman, our new Principal, at that time.

Until then, I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I look forward to seeing you next week.

Mr Jacobs