At Westbourne Academy, we are proud of our vertical tutoring system and we hold a virtual House assembly every Monday for students in Ramsey, Nightingale, Churchill and Ennis.
The focus of assemblies is based on the principles of STAR.
S – Be safe
T – Be thoughtful
A – Be accountable
R – Be responsible
House assemblies for students in Years 7 to 10 take place weekly. Ennis and Nightingale are on Tuesdays during tutor time and Ramsey and Churchill are on Wednesdays during tutor time.
Year 11 students meet with Mr Hawkes on a daily basis for achievement and progress assemblies as part of their morning meeting time at 8:30am. We also hear regularly from our Higher Education Champion for the eastern region who will be raising aspirations for students in Years 9, 10 and 11 as part of our careers programme.
Other themes that have been featured in assemblies include national HATE crime awareness week, anti-bullying week, Young Carers Day and National Road Safety Week. To mark Armistice Day in November, History teacher Mr Archer, shares an outstanding assembly with us on the facts behind the Great War and its impact on the nation and on Ipswich in particular.
At the beginning of every term, the Principal delivers an assembly to each House where they take a moment to outline any developments, expectations or areas of focus. We learn about STAR and LORIC and the ways in which their ethos can be applied every day, by everyone, in small but meaningful ways. We learn about kindness and how this may be shown to those around us, at home and at school and how it should be expected in return.
At the end of every term, Houses recognise the achievements of their students and the House as as whole and a range of certificates are presented. Each House has a chosen charity for whom fundraising events are organised. Every year in September, the academy community holds a huge cake and bake sale in aid of MacMillan.
At the end of the autumn and summer terms, the academy community of staff and students assembles together in the sports hall or virtually for a whole school assembly. In the summer term, there is a palpable sense of excitement, when the winning House for sports day is announced. Churchill have won sports day for 7 consecutive years but were beaten by Nightingale in July 2022 and 2023.
