Sent to parents and carers on 29/11/24

 

Weekly Bulletin for 28/11/2024

 

It is hard to believe we are only a couple of days away from the start of December and it won’t be long before Christmas arrives!

This week, we have been working with our students on “indoor voices” to help promote a calm environment around the academy, as we know this will help maintain calm learning environments as students arrive to their lessons.

Year 11 benefitted from watching a performance of A Christmas Carol by Quantum Theatre in the Main Hall on Tuesday, which will support them in their studies of this well-known Dickens story, one of the set texts within their English GCSE.

 

Hop to It! Suffolk 2024

Here at Westbourne, we have been lucky enough to secure a stargazing hare which will form part of the St Elizabeth Hospice Wild in Art trail around Suffolk next year but we need our students help. Next week in tutor time, students will find out about the project and what we need from them.

Essentially, we are asking interested students in Years 7 to 10 to design our hare for us.  We will then pick the best designs and use parts of them on our hare.  Winners will also be invited to help paint the hare.

All entries must be handed in to either Miss Feakes, Mrs Roche or Mrs Reynolds by Friday 10 January, so students have the Christmas holidays to think about and perfect their designs.  Templates are available in register folders or can be downloaded here:

Wild In Art Stargazing Hare Template NOV24

 

Christmas Lunch Tickets: Thursday 19 December

The deadline has now passed for pre-ordering a ticket for the Christmas Lunch and the list is closed  Tickets will be distributed in tutor time week commencing Monday 16 December. If your child is having the lunch, please ensure they have their ticket on them as this will enable them to leave lesson 4 slightly earlier than normal on the day.

Please also ensure there are sufficient funds on your child’s dinner money account to pay for their lunch and that they don’t spend it at morning break. Students who are eligible for FSM and who are having the lunch will have the cost deducted in the morning so they cannot spend it at morning break.

 

Clinic Appointments for Missed Flu Vaccinations

If your child missed the flu vaccination team when they visited us earlier this term, parents and carers now have a chance to book a clinic appointment instead here:

https://eastanglia.schoolvaccination.uk/flu/2024/book

 

Year 11 Rewards Trip to Lakeside Shopping

Parents and carers of the 143 students in Year 11 who met the criteria for an invitation to the rewards trip on Monday 16 December will have received a separate email about it and an email from Evolve to give consent.  A copy of the trip invitation can be found on our website news page here:

Y11 Rewards Trip Info: 16 December 2024 – Westbourne Academy

 

End of Term & Start of Term

The academy will close at the earlier time of 13:15 on Friday 20 December after a whole school virtual assembly during period 4. We will email you again separately about the arrangements for the last day of term and also for the first day of term on Tuesday 7 January. Monday 6 January is a staff PD day and we are closed.

 

NDD Pathway

Referrals for Autism and ADHD are accepted through the NDD Pathway. In order to make a referral, you can speak directly to your GP or complete the Parent/Carer Referral form which can be found here:

https://www.suffolklocaloffer.org.uk/health-and-wellbeing/autism-adhd-and-neurodevelopment/the-east-west-suffolk-ndd-pathway

Once you have completed the Parent/Carer Referral form, please email to your child’s HOH who will complete the professional referral form and send both forms off to the relevant services.

Churchill Head of House (green tie): matthew.agate@attrust.org.uk

Ennis Head of House (yellow tie): chris.arrow@attrust.org.uk

Nightingale Head of House (purple tie): aaron.durrant@attrust.org.uk

Ramsey Head of House (red tie): danny.payne@attrust.org.uk

 

Proof of Enrolment at School

If you should need evidence of your child’s enrolment at school for the purposes of applying for universal credit claims or similar benefits, then please send your request to wes-office@attrust.org.uk. These are usually sent by email the same day during term time.

 

Food Hall Menus

The menus on offer for the next 3 weeks in our Food Hall can be found here:

After Christmas, the Food Hall menu rotation will continue with the Week 2 Menu again.

 

Student Absence

Please ensure that 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 – a voicemail can be left 24 hours a day, you do not need to wait until 8.00am to call in.

Early notification will prevent automated text messages being sent / absence calls being made to parents/carers, as these commence from 8.35am each day.

All of the various ways in which you can contact the academy to inform us of student absence can be found on our website here.

Thank you for your support in this matter.

 

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. A copy of the instructions for self sign-up for parents and carers can be found here on our website here:

Cashless System – Westbourne Academy

Reports for students in Years 7 to 10 will be shared with parents and carers before the end of term via the MCAS app.

 

Key Dates 2024/2025

Friday 6 December                 – Y11 Progression Interviews in the Library 9am-3pm

Saturday 14 December           – Christmas Fayre & Community Hub 11am-3pm

Monday 16 December            – Y11 Reward Trip to Lakeside 7.30am-4.30pm

Thursday 19 December          – Christmas Lunch available for ticketholders

Friday 20 December               – Whole school virtual assembly P4 and early close at 13:15

Tuesday 7 January                  – first day back for spring term 2025

Tuesday 14 January                – Y7-10 Careers Fayre in main hall (details to follow)

Thursday 27 February             – Y11 Virtual Parent/Carer Evening 4-7pm

Thursday 13 March                 – Y9 Virtual Parent/Carer Evening 4-7pm

Thursday 3 April                      – Y10 Virtual Parent/Carer Evening 4-7pm

Friday 4 April                           – Y9 MENACWY+DTP vaccinations (new date)

Friday 4 April                           – Y11 friendship & panoramic year group photo p5

Thursday 24 April                    – Y9 Pathway Evening 6-7.45pm

Thursday 19 June                    – Y8 Virtual Parent/Carer Evening 4-7pm

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

Thursday 3 July                       – Y7 Virtual Parent/Carer Evening 4-7pm

 

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