Sent to parents and carers on 13/02/2026
Weekly Bulletin for Friday 13 February 2026
It is difficult to believe that we are already at half term. It has been a transformative start to 2026 for Westbourne, as our students have now managed six weeks without using their phones during the school day. Staff continue to see improvements in students’ concentration in lessons and their interactions during social times. There has been a significant reduction in conflict, both between staff and students and students and their peers.
If you would like to know more about why we have decided to bring in this change, I would thoroughly recommend listening to author Dr Jonathan Haidt talking to Dr Rangan Chatterjee on this podcast:
If you have more time, I recommend reading Dr Haidt’s book, The Anxious Generation, which covers the impact of an unrestricted smartphone-based childhood on young people’s wellbeing.
I will be congratulating the students for their tenacity in adapting to this new expectation during the start of term assemblies we are planning on Monday 23 February.
On Wednesday this week, we hosted Mr Robinson and Mr D’Cunha for our third Academy Improvement Board (AIB) visit of the year. The AIB was formed in place of our governing body following our Ofsted report in June 2025, to bolster leadership and governance of the school. Mr Robinson and Mr D’Cunha both have extensive experience of being headteachers in local secondary schools, and this complements the support we already receive from Academy Transformation Trust on our improvement journey. Thank you to all the students who spoke with our visitors and made them feel welcome as they considered the improvements we have made since last June.
As we approach a very short 5-week half term after next week’s holiday, it is very exciting to be able to look forward to our production of Shrek Jr. It has been delightful to see the dedication of the students and staff who have been working tirelessly since last summer to get the production ready. I hope to see everyone there.
Finally, I would like to thank you all for your support this term. It is clear that we are moving forwards as a school community and that our students do thrive when there is a strong partnership between the student, the school, and the parents/carers. I hope you have a restful break with your families.
Attendance Update & Student Rewards
- Yesterday, 163 students attended our 100% Club, which celebrates all students with perfect attendance, behaviour and punctuality over the course of each half term. Congratulations to all those who qualified and attended – we hope you enjoyed your pizza, doughnut and drink!
- Today, 49 students will be receiving a free early lunch having handed in at least one completed STAR Card last half term, as well as having 95% attendance at school for that period.
- As of yesterday, 537 students are still on track to complete the fifteen-day Triple F attendance challenge. All students who complete the challenge will be rewarded on Friday March 6th – just 5 more school day get ups to be a winner! Look out for news after half term about our Easter flash reward challenge for attendance!
- 316 students have attended school every single day since the Christmas break and 489 have 95%+ attendance, equivalent to a maximum of just one day off in that period. Congratulations to all students this applies to on an excellent achievement.
- 130 students have attended school every single day since the start of the academic year in September – this is truly remarkable and every student who maintains their 100% record until the end of the year will be rewarded with a £20 voucher to say well done!
- 405 students in the academy have 97%+ attendance for the year so far – this is equivalent to a maximum of just 2.5 days off since September.
- 487 students in the academy have 95%+ attendance for the year so far – this is equivalent to a maximum of just 4.5 days since September.
- Last Friday, we reached the halfway point of the school year, and all parents/carers should have received a year-to-date attendance report for their child. Westbourne Academy looks to operate a ‘support first’ model, understanding that there can be barriers to attendance experienced by some students.
Should you wish to discuss the report, or reach out for academy support in regards to attendance issues, please email Mr Smith, Assistant Principal: andyg.smith@attrust.org.uk
Food Technology Lessons for Years 7 to 10
Please be aware that there are no Year 7 to 10 cookery lessons for the next three weeks due to Year 11 Hospitality & Catering exams taking place in C27/c28. Please tell your child not to bring ingredients or come into the food technology rooms whilst the exams are on. Practical lessons will start again Monday 9 March.
Tickets for Shrek the Musical!
Tickets for our academy production of Shrek the Musical are now on sale at a cost of £8 per person. They can be purchased online through Ticketsource: www.ticketsource.co.uk/westbourne-academy-att
The show is on over three nights after February half term: Wednesday 25, Thursday 26 and Friday 27 February 2026. Start time 19:00. Raffle and refreshments will be on offer during the interval. All are welcome for what looks to be a series of hugely enjoyable and entertaining performances.
UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge Success
This week, a group of our high-achieving Year 9 and Year 10 mathematicians took part in the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge. This is a national competition designed to promote mathematical reasoning, precision, and sophisticated problem-solving skills.
The Challenge is renowned for its rigorous questions that require depth of understanding and logical thinking beyond the standard curriculum. We are incredibly proud of all the students who participated and represented the school with such commitment and resilience.
A particular congratulations to the following students for their outstanding achievements:
Gold: Ahmed R
Silver: Mahdi A, Freya R, & Luca P
Bronze: Jasmin C, Nathaniel G, Jeevan S, Matei P, Alfie D, Andrew F, Martin M & Hartley T
Well done to everyone involved. Their hard work and enthusiasm for mathematics is a credit to the academy.
Parent/Carer Forum: Wednesday 25 February
Our next parent/carer forum takes place on Wednesday 25 February at the later time of 17:15. During this meeting Mr Higgon will go through the progress we are continuing to make following our Ofsted inspection in June and answer any questions parents/carers may have about our ongoing efforts to improve the school.
To give us an idea of the numbers expected, please register your attendance on our online MS Form here:
Registration for Parent/Carer Forum: Wed 25 February 2026 – Fill out form
Entry is via main Reception at 17:15. Staff will meet you on arrival and take you through to the Food Hall. The Main Hall will be preparing for Shrek the Musical’s opening night at 19:00.
The dates of future parent/carer forums for 2026 are as follows:
- Wednesday 25 March
- Wednesday 29 April
- Wednesday 20 May
- Wednesday 17 June
Suffolk Parent Carer Forum
The February 2026 edition of the Suffolk Parent Carer Forum newsletter has been published and is ready to view. Inside this issue, you will find information and updates from support services operating across Suffolk, alongside a guide to free events and activities scheduled for the upcoming school holidays.
Click here to view – SPCF February 2026 Newsletter
Also attached is information on their Sleep and Reasonable Adjustment workshops during March and April for parents and carers which will be available via Teams and require you to register, details are in the PDFs with this email.
For your information, SPCF will be closed from Friday 13th February and return on Monday 23rd February.
WA Community Hub Events 2026
Open to all! Our next Westbourne Community Hub event takes place on Monday 23 February 2026 between 15:15 – 16:10. Entry is through the main entrance doors to Reception. Bags of non-perishable food items and feminine hygiene products are available in exchange for a £3 donation (exact change please).
Contact: opal@degville@attrust.org.uk
The dates of community hub events for 2026 are as follows, all are welcome between 15:15-16:00:
- Monday 23 February
- Monday 23 March
- Monday 27 April
- Monday 1st June
- Monday 29 June
- Monday 13 July
Student Absence
Please ensure if your child is absent from the academy, that you have notified the attendance office at the earliest opportunity on each day they are not going to be in school, in order to prevent the automated text messages being sent or absence calls being made to parents/carers – these commence from 8.35am each day.
The ways in which you can contact the academy to inform us of student absence can be found on our website here.
Applying for Free School Meals
You can apply for free school meals online direct with Suffolk County Council. You will get an immediate response and confirmation email after you have completed your application. You will not be able to apply over the phone because you need to provide an email address, password and sign the declaration stating that you have parental responsibility. Follow the link below which will take you to the SCC website:
Contact: freeschoolmeals@suffolk.gov.uk
MyChildAtSchool (MCAS)
If you have not yet registered, please do so at your earliest convenience to ensure you have access to all the academy’s communications and services. We recommend that parents and carers use the website version of MCAS rather than the app as the website offers greater functionality than the app. A copy of the self-sign-up instructions can be found here:
Cashless System – Westbourne Academy
NOTE: If you have MCAS, then you won’t receive SMS messages from school so please remember to turn on notifications on your device because any messages will go through MCAS.
Food Hall Menus
The new menu on offer at break and lunch in our Food Hall can be found here on our website. The menus rotate every three weeks and new menus will be introduced after half term:
Catering & Food Hall – Westbourne Academy
Key Dates 2025-26
Monday 16 – Friday 20 Feb – Half term week (school is closed)
Monday 23 February – 1st day back for Spring Term 2/2026
Monday 23 February – WA Community Hub 15:15-16:00
Wednesday 25 February – Parent/Carer Forum at 17:15
Wednesday 25 February – Shrek the Musical 19:00
Thursday 26 February – Shrek the Musical 19:00
Friday 27 February – – Shrek the Musical 19:00
Thursday 5 March – Y9 Parent/Carer Evening 16:00-19:00 (info to follow)
Thursday 26 March – Y10 Parent/Carer Evening 16:00-19:00 (info to follow)
Friday 27 March – Y8 HPV Vaccinations (info to follow)
Monday 30 March – 1st day of Easter holiday
Monday 13 April – 1st day of summer term for students
Thursday 30 April – Year 9 Pathway Evening 16:00-18:00 (info to follow)
Monday 4 May – Bank Holiday UK (school closed)
Monday 25 – Friday 29 May – Half term week
Thursday 11 June – Y7 Parent/Carer Evening 16:00-19:00 (info to follow)
Friday 10 July – Y11 Prom (All Manor of Events 19:00-10:45)
Friday 26 June – Staff PD Day (closed to students)
Friday 17 July – Last day of the summer term
You can view our academy events calendar, together with term dates and PD days, on our website here:
Academy Calendar and Term Dates – Westbourne Academy
Kind regards
Mr M Higgon
Principal
Academy vision: Westbourne is an inclusive academy. We support all students, regardless of starting point, to achieve their potential and develop the skills necessary for employment and life.
Academy values: Be Safe, Be Thoughtful, Be Accountable and Be Respectful.
General queries to: wes-office@attrust.org.uk or 01473 742315
Attendance or Absence queries to: wes-attendance@attrust.org.uk
Exam queries to: anna.fulcher@attrust.org.uk
Lettings queries to wes-lettings@attrust.org.uk
MCAS, online payments and data information queries to: wes-data@attrust.org.uk
Safeguarding queries to wes-safe@attrust.org.uk
SEND queries to: willow.piper@attrust.org.uk