Sent to parents and carers on 24/04/26
Weekly Bulletin for Friday 24 April 2026
This week, Mr Smith has been talking to students in assemblies about their attendance and how we can work together to encourage them to attend more regularly. There is a direct link between good attendance and the level of academic success which unlocks opportunities for students at the end of Year 11. We have asked tutors to make contact with certain students in their tutor groups to offer support in improving their attendance. We are conscious that this needs to be a joint effort between school, parents/carers and the students themselves. We have seen an improvement in attendance at the start of term, so we need to encourage this to continue.
On Tuesday and Wednesday evening this week, we welcomed the parents and carers of our incoming Year 7 students for September, as they attended our information evenings, finding out more about the journey we are on as a school and important information in advance of the two transition days in June.
KS3 EAL Students Enjoy Inspiring Visit to BBC Radio Suffolk
On Tuesday 21st April, a group of KS3 EAL students took part in an exciting and inspiring trip to BBC Radio Suffolk, bringing to life three weeks of creative journalism work completed in school.
The visit was the culmination of a project led by BBC journalists Jon Wright and Cad Taylor, who had spent several weeks working with students to introduce them to the world of podcasting. During their time in school, students explored what makes an engaging podcast, learned how to use professional recording equipment, and developed valuable interview skills. As part of this process, they conducted interviews with three members of staff, gaining confidence in speaking, listening and questioning in an authentic context.
The trip to BBC Radio Suffolk gave students a unique opportunity to see how their learning connects to real-life careers in media and broadcasting. Students were treated to a guided tour of the building, learning about the different roles involved in running a radio station and seeing how programmes are produced behind the scenes. The highlight of the visit was the chance to step into the recording studios and “take to the mic”, recording their own voices in a professional broadcast environment.
Students behaved impeccably throughout the visit and represented the school with pride. The experience was both educational and highly motivating, particularly for our EAL learners, who were able to develop their English skills in a meaningful and memorable way.
Overall, the trip was an amazing experience and an excellent example of how enrichment opportunities can inspire confidence, creativity and ambition in our students.
Parent/Carer Forum: Wednesday 29 April
Our next parent/carer forum takes place on Wednesday 25 March at the later time of 18:15. During this meeting Mr Higgon will go through the progress we are continuing to make following our Ofsted visit 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 29 April 2026 – Fill out form
Entry is via main Reception at 18:15. Staff will meet you on arrival and take you through to the Main Hall.
The dates of future parent/carer forums for 2026 are as follows:
- Wednesday 20 May
- Wednesday 17 June
Free Child Mental Health Workshops for Parents/Carers
Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Psychology in Schools team would like to share details of their upcoming workshops for parents and carers. These can be booked for free on their Eventbrite page. Workshops include:
– Understanding and Supporting Your Child with Self-Harm (Wed 29 April)
– Tools for Managing Worry and Uncertainty in Young People (Thu 30 April)
– Supporting Your Child to Manage Their Big Feelings (Mon 18 May)
– Understanding the Adolescent Brain (Tue 19 May)
– Supporting Your Child with Bereavement (Mon 22 June)
– Supporting Your Child with Anxiety ((Tue 23 June)
– Managing Changes and Transitions as We Enter the Summer Holidays (Wed 8 July)
Information on all their workshops, past and present, as well as workshop recordings, can be found on their website: https://buff.ly/tYizS1Y
WA Community Hub Events 2026
The dates of community hub events for 2026 are as follows, all are welcome between 15:15-16:00:
- Monday 27 April
- Monday 1st June
- Monday 29 June
- Monday 13 July
Changes to the SEND System from Suffolk County Council
The government is proposing changes to the SEND system. Nothing has changed yet – and your views matter from the very beginning.
Please complete the Suffolk Local SEND Reforms – Parents and Carers Survey and share your thoughts, views and ideas. Please respond by Thursday 30 April 2026 to help shape Suffolk’s SEND Reform Plan. To find out more information about SEND reforms, please visit SEND reforms – Suffolk Local Offer (suffolklocaloffer.org.uk).
SENDIASS Sessions for Parents and Carers
Booking is open for parents and carers, hosted by SENDIASS, where specialist teachers from the Social, Emotional and Mental Health Service will explore ways to help children and young people to understand and manage their feelings and strategies schools may use.
Supporting children and young people to manage their emotions
7 May 2026 (10 – 11:30am)
Register for session
Helpline: 01473 265210
Email: enquiries@suffolksendiass.co.uk
Text: ADVICE4ME to 87007
SENDIASS website
Suffolk PACT
Bec Jasper, Co-Director PACT Parents and Carers Together CIC, has asked schools to share details with parents and carers about their organisation.
PACT is a local community interest company which was founded in 2013 in Suffolk to provide support for parents and carers of children and young people with a mental health issue (diagnosed or undiagnosed). They have a self-referral system and there is no cost for parents as they are funded by local and national grants, local commissioners and The National Lottery.
PACT offer facilitated group support, online and face to face drop-in sessions and walk and talks in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Needham Market and Lowestoft, 1:1 individualised support, local training/workshops with facilitation and written and practical resources on many subjects around mental health and well-being.
May Day Bank Holiday
The academy will be closed for one day on Monday 4 May as it is a UK bank holiday. Tuesday 5 May is a normal school day.
Household Support Fund: May Half Term
The Household Support Fund (HSF) provided by the Government ended on the 31 March 2026 and this has been replaced by the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). Suffolk County Council (SCC) is pleased to confirm that funds have been made available to extend the support provided to low-income families in receipt of Free School Meals (FSM).
Therefore, discretionary grant vouchers will be provided for May half term 2026. The grant will be issued as a £15 supermarket voucher for each eligible child from our provider Pluxee to cover the 1-week half term.
Letter To Families HSF Vouchers May Half Term 2026
If any families are not currently eligible for free school meals but need support, please visit Suffolk County Council’s Public Health Team who operate the Local Welfare Assistance Scheme (LWAS) and may be able to provide financial support. Please see the website page at Cost of living support – Suffolk County Council for further support and information.
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 27 April – WA Community Hub 15:15-16:00
Wednesday 29 April – Parent/Carer Forum 17:15-18:00
Thursday 30 April – Year 9 Pathway Evening 16:00-18:00 (info to follow)
Monday 4 May – Bank Holiday UK (school closed)
Wednesday 20 May – Parent/Carer Forum 17:15-18:00
Monday 25 – Friday 29 May – Half term week (school is closed)
Monday 1st June – WA Community Hub 15:15-16:00
Thursday 11 June – Y7 Parent/Carer Evening 16:00-19:00 (info to follow)
Wednesday 17 June – Parent/Carer Forum 17:15-18:00
Friday 26 June – Staff PD Day (closed to students)
Friday 10 July – Y11 Prom (All Manor of Events 19:00-10:45)
Monday 13 July – WA Community Hub 15:15-16:00
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