Sent to parents and carers on 25/04/2025

 

Weekly Bulletin for Friday 25/04/2025

As we begin my third term as principal at Westbourne, I have been reflecting on the progress we have made as an academy since I joined in September.  There are several areas where we need to see further improvements, including in how we support our students pastorally and how we improve behaviour. This term, I will be working with my senior leadership team and colleagues from Academy Transformation Trust to make changes in these areas that will lead to a better experience of Westbourne for our staff and students. I have outlined the areas we are looking at in assemblies this week, and will share further details with you in a separate letter which will be sent out shortly.

It was wonderful to welcome the parents and carers of next year’s Year 7 to the academy on Tuesday and Wednesday night this week. They visited to meet key staff from the senior leadership team and find out more about coming to Westbourne ahead of the Year 6 transition days in June.

I was really pleased to see so many parents and carers at last night’s Year 9 pathways evening.  This is a crucial time for our Year 9s as they make their GCSE options choices, and the first time for many of them that they can have a say in what lessons they study in school.  For some students, the choices they make in the next couple of weeks will lead on to a career related to one of the subjects they choose.  For all, the next two years will be the most important of their academic career so far, as they approach college applications during Year 11 ready for post-16 study and apprenticeships.  I hope that everyone found the evening useful, and I would encourage parents and carers to speak to their children about their choices as Mr Hawkes and Mr Clarke advised in the talks.

 

Year 9 Pathway Update

It was so nice to see so many parents and carers of our Year 9 students attend the Pathways Evening on Thursday 24 April. Please see below the dates when Year 9 students will be choosing their options in their Enrichment lessons:

Before selecting their options, students need to remember:

  • Have they enjoyed and performed well in their chosen subjects in Years 7-9?
  • Have they read the course outline and spoken to teachers about the subject? Does it fit with their working style?
  • Do their choices support any post-16 study plans or future career aspirations?
  • Does the combination of subjects chosen offer a broad skills base?
  • It is their own choice and about their own lives

Key Stage Four study is a two-year process and it is vital that students are supported to make the right subject choices for them from the very start of that time.

 

 

Uniform: Jumpers Optional

Due to the warmer weather we are currently experiencing, jumpers are no longer compulsory around the academy.  Students are still expected to wear their blazers and have their shirts tucked in.  Students may ask their teachers for permission to remove their blazers if they are hot in a lesson.

 

Multi-Faith Prayer Room

We are pleased to let you know that we are introducing a Multi-Faith Prayer Room at school, available for students to use during lunchtime. This space has been created to support the spiritual and personal well-being of all our students, offering a quiet, respectful environment for prayer, reflection, or meditation—regardless of faith or belief.

We understand the importance of allowing students the opportunity to practice their faith, and we are committed to creating an inclusive school environment that values and respects our diverse community.

If you would like us to ensure that your child is able to access this provision at lunchtime, please could you ask them to see either Mrs Woodhouse or Mrs Islam.

 

 

Reminder: Toilet Pass Annual Audit Response Due

A reminder that if you received a communucation before the Easter break regarding the Toilet Pass Annual Audit, the deadline to respond is Tuesday 6 May.

Please ensure your response is submitted by this date so we can keep our records up to date. If you have already responded, thank you!

Responses should be sent to: wes-medical@attrust.org.uk  If you have any questions or need support, feel free to get in touch.

 

 

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.

 

Attendance Matters “Attend today, achieve tomorrow” 

“Education is your passport to the future, and good attendance is the stamp that gets you there.”

 

Attendance Focus for last week before Easter break w/c: 31/3/25 – 4 days

  • academy attendance across Years 7-11 for the year to date is 87.6%
  • academy attendance across Years 7-11 last week was 85.9%
  • 698 students across the academy had 100% attendance to school last week
  • the best House attendance was Nightingale with 87.0%
  • the best year group attendance was Year 7 with 87.5%
  • the best tutor group for attendance were C7 with 96%
  • 780 students did not receive a single late mark last week and had 100% punctuality to lessons
  • the best House for punctuality to school and lessons was Churchill House
  • the best year group for punctuality to school and lessons was Year 7
  • the best House for 100% attendance and 100% punctuality last week was Ramsey, with 85 students achieving this impressive feat
  • 99 students currently have 100% attendance to school this academic year

Praise & Reward Update

  • 804 students received positive points during last week in their lessons for exemplary behaviour or attendance
  • 13, 770 positive points were awarded to students during last week

 

 

WA Community Hub

Our next community hub event takes place on Monday 28 April 2025 from 15:15-16:15. All are welcome! 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).

 

Co-Curricular Clubs

Our list of free co-curricular clubs and activities has been updated for the summer term and can be found here on our website news page:

Co-Curricular & Enrichment – Westbourne Academy

 

Food Hall Menus

The menus on offer for the next three weeks in our Food Hall next week can be found here: Catering & Food Hall – Westbourne Academy:

  • wc 22 April – menu 1
  • wc 28 April – menu 2
  • wc 6 May – menu 3

 

 

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 that the app.

A copy of the email and instructions sent to parents and carers can be found here on our website latest news page:

Cashless System – Westbourne Academy

 

 

Key Dates 2025

Monday 5 May                        – UK Bank Holiday (school is closed)

Monday 26 May                      – Half term week (school closed)

Tuesday 17 June          `           – Y10 Geography field trip No 1 (details to follow)

Wednesday 18 June                – Y11 Leavers Assembly 11:45 -13:00 in main hall

Wednesday 18 June                – Y10 Food & Farming visit to Hollow Trees Farm

Thursday 19 June                    – Y8 In-Person Parent/Carer Evening 16:00-19:00

Monday 23 June                       – Y10 Geography field trip No 2 (details to follow)

Friday 20 June                         – Staff PD Day (school closed)

Tuesday 24 June`                    – Y10 post-16 taster day at Northgate 6th Form

Wednesday 25 June                – Y10 post-16 taster day at SNC

Wed 25 & Thu 26 June            – Year 6 Transition Days for pupils offered a school place for Sep 2025

Friday 27 June                         – Y11 Prom at All Manor of Events Henley

Monday 7 – Fri 11 July            – CCF Central Camp (Cumbria)

Thursday 3 July                       – Y7 In-Person Parent/Carer Evening 16:00-19:00

Tuesday 8 July                         – Y10 post-16 taster day at Suffolk One

Thu 17 – Sat 19 July                – Y10 History trip to Battlefields

Tuesday 22 July                       – Last day of 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 

MCAS, online payments and data information queries to: wes-data@attrust.org.uk

SEND queries to: opal.degville@attrust.org.uk

Lettings queries to wes-lettings@attrust.org.uk

Safeguarding queries to wes-safe@attrust.org.uk