Sent to parents & carers on 19/09/25
Weekly Bulletin for Friday 19 September 2025
It has been a busy week as usual at Westbourne. On Tuesday, we welcomed colleagues from Academy Transformation Trust who visited to review the progress we are making against our improvement priorities following our Ofsted report last summer.
On Wednesday I led a special Teams assembly with the students to explain the meaning of the Warning Notice letter the Department for Education published last week. I wrote to parents and carers on Wednesday explaining this as well, a copy of the communication can be found here on our website:
Department for Education Warning Notice – Westbourne Academy
Assistant Principal, Mr Cole has been leading assemblies this week regarding the importance of reading and literacy. Mr Arrow is leading an additional assembly today with Year 7 reinforcing our expectations as they get used to their new school.
Thank you to those parents and carers who took the time to raise concerns regarding the offer in the food hall on Thursday last week. Our catering team works hard every day to provide a significantly improved menu compared to previous years but, on this occasion, there was an unusual surge in demand which led to more food having to be rapidly prepared. We are sorry if anyone was unable to purchase the food they wanted. Our systems have been reviewed to prevent this from happening again.
I hope you have a restful weekend when it comes.
Year 6 Open Evening: 2 October 2025
Parents and carers who have Year 6 pupils and who are considering high school transfer for September 2026 are invited to our annual open evening on Thursday 2 October. Full details were sent to parents and carers yesterday about our plans. You can find a copy of the communication here on our website:
Year 6 Open Evening & Early Close: Thursday 2 October 2025 – Westbourne Academy
A reminder that all students will be dismissed at the earlier time of 13:20 on Thursday 2 October to allow our staff and estates team to prepare the academy grounds and facilities.
Westbourne Academy CCF Uniform Return Request
As part of the Westbourne Academy Combined Cadet Force (CCF), we have historically loaned out military uniforms and equipment to our cadets. These uniforms are an important resource, and to continue providing high-quality kit for both current and future cadets, we kindly ask for your support.
If your child has previously been a member of the CCF, or if you are aware of any CCF uniform or equipment loaned from the school that may still be at home, in wardrobes, garages, or storage, please take a moment to check and return these items to the academy as soon as possible.
Returning these uniforms allows us to repurpose and reissue them to new cadets, ensuring everyone has the correct and well-maintained kit needed for their activities.
How to return:
- Uniforms and equipment can be handed in at the school reception or directly to the CCF office during term time/normal school hours
- If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the CCF team via 01473 466129 direct
We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain this valuable resource for our students. Thank you for your support in continuing to make the Westbourne Academy CCF a successful and well-equipped programme. All queries should be directed to karl.carr@attrust.org.uk in the first instance.
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.
Contacting Staff
Good communication is key to a supportive and collaborative relationship between the academy and the home. In this section, we hope to make that process as smooth and as simple as possible. We know that you appreciate how busy the academy’s working environment is and that most staff work to strict timetables. Between the hours of 08:15 and 16:00 the vast majority of us are working with children. Whilst we always endeavour to respond to queries in a timely fashion, clearing emails and responding to telephone queries can take time.
We regret, we cannot accommodate unarranged appointments. If you need to see someone urgently, please telephone the switchboard and ask for the appropriate member of staff or email wes-office@attrust.org.uk and your query will be forwarded. They will endeavour to arrange a mutually convenient appointment at the earliest opportunity.
- We aim to reply to all written communication within 48 hours
- We aim to reply to all telephone communication with 24 hours.
To ensure your communication is answered as quickly as possible, it is important to direct it to the most appropriate person. Very few staff are contactable by telephone because they are classroom based and do not have an office space but they all have an email address. You might find that you need to leave a voicemail for the leadership team and pastoral teams. They will respond as soon as they are able to do so within 24 hours.
Your first point of contact for day-to-day matters is your child’s form tutor followed by the appropriate Assistant Head of Year. You can find our most recent list of staff here on our website along with hyperlinks to staff email addresses:
Meet the Staff – Westbourne Academy
Year 11 Geography Field Trips
Students who are studying GCSE Geography in Year 11 are invited to attend one of two class field trips to Felixstowe on either 24 or 25 September. Details about the trips were sent to parents and carers last week and a copy of the communication can be found here on our website news page:
Classes 11B & 11D -Wed 24 September
Classes 11A & 11C – Thu 25 September
Any Y11 Geography students who are not attending one of the above trips will attend school as normal. Any queries regarding the trips. payment or giving consent via Evolve should be directed to Georgia.Kelly@attrust.org.uk in the first instance.
Post-16 Provider Open Evenings for Year 11
On Thursday, Mr Payne shared information with Y11 students and their parents and carers about the various open evenings taking place this year at post-16 providers. A copy of the communication can be found here on our website news page:
Post 16 Applications and Open Events 2025/6 – Westbourne Academy
School Photos
A reminder that Kittle Photography will be with us on Friday 26 September to take new photographs of all students and they will be escorted to the Girls Gym by their class teacher when it is their turn. On the day, students will be given a named QR code to take home so that parents/cares can purchase copies of their child’s photos online. There will be an opportunity for sibling group photos to be taken at lunchtime. Siblings will need to manage this themselves. Students should please wear their full academy uniform for the photograph. Any photos or merchandise that is ordered will be delivered free to school and distributed after October half term.
WA Community Hub
Monday 29 September is the date set for the next event. Queries may be sent to opal.degville@attrust.org.uk. The dates for this year’s Community Hub events can be found here on our website:
WA Community Hub Diary Dates for 2025-2026 – Westbourne Academy
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:
The Department for Education (DfE) has updated the Free School Meals (FSM) guidance to confirm that all households in receipt of Universal Credit will be entitled to receive FSM from the start of the 2026/2027 school year. They have also extended transitional protections until the end of the 2025/2026 school year.
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 that the app. A copy of the email and instructions sent to new Year 7 parents and carers can be found here on our website latest news page:
Cashless System – Westbourne Academy
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:
Catering & Food Hall – Westbourne Academy
Year 11 Prom
A copy of the information about Year 11 Prom on Friday 10 July 2026 can be found here on our website news page:
Year 11 Prom: 10 July 2025 – Westbourne Academy.
All queries should be directed to Marianne.woodhouse@attrust.org.uk in the first instance.
SENDIASS Sessions for Parents & Carers
Booking is open for SENDIASS’s
popular Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment webinar which explains the purpose, threshold, and process of an EHC needs assessment and how you and your child are involved. This was co-produced separately by SENDIASS with both parents, carers and practitioners and all are welcome to book.
EHC Needs Assessments
8 October 2025 (6pm – 7:30pm)
Register for session
Helpline: 01473 265210
Email: enquiries@suffolksendiass.co.uk
Text: ADVICE4ME to 87007
SENDIASS website
Fish, Fun & Film Friday
We have been asked to share information about the above monthly meeting on the fourth Friday. This is being hosted at Castle Hill URC and full details can be found here on their flyer:
Castle Hill Fish Fun & Film Friday
Key Dates 2025-26
Wednesday 24 September – Y11 Geo field trip (classes 11B & 11D)
Thursday 25 September – Y11 Geo field trip (classes 11A & 11C)
Friday 26 September – Whole school photos
Monday 29 September – 15:15-16:00 WA Community Hub
Thursday 2 October – 16:00-18:30 Year 6 Open Evening (early close at lunch)
Monday 6 October – Y7-8-9 flu vaccinations (information to follow)
Monday 13 October – Y10-11 flu vaccinations (information to follow)
Wednesday 15 October – 09:00-14:00 EAL Parent/Carer Hub (information to follow)
Thursday 16 October – Year 11 Success Fayre 18:00-20:00 (info to follow)
Wednesday 22 October – 16:15-17:00 Parent/Carer Forum (provisional date)
Monday 27 – Friday 31 Oct – Half term holiday
Monday 3 November – Staff PD day (school is closed)
Wednesday 26 November – 16:00-17:00 Parent/Carer Forum (registration form to follow)
Monday 15 December – Flu vaccination mop-ups
Wednesday 17 December – 16:00-17:00 Parent/Carer Forum (registration form to follow)
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