Sent to parents and carers on 2/05/25
Weekly Bulletin for Friday 2/05/2025
As the weather has warmed up we have adjusted the uniform expectations so that jumpers are now optional and students need to have their blazers with them, but do not need to have them on. The reason for keeping blazers with them is because if the weather cools we will expect students to start wearing their blazers again. Shirts must remain tucked in and ties worn properly.
During the hot weather a significant number of our students would benefit from carrying a reusable water bottle, which they can fill up in one of our water fountains at break or lunchtime, to avoid buying bottled water and then throwing the plastic bottle away afterwards.
As mentioned in my email last week, we are developing plans to move from the current house system to a new year group based system. If you would like to offer your thoughts on the plans, including identifying strengths of the current system you would like to see kept, and areas for development you would like us to consider, there is a short online feedback form here. It should take you no longer than five minutes to complete:
https://forms.office.com/e/M5XDSxR6Wa
It has been wonderful continuing to meet our Principal’s Commendation winners every Friday, who truly represent our STAR values. This week’s winners are:
- Churchill – Victory C for being a great student and for helping with the Easter raffle before half term
- Ennis – Andrew F for consistently good behaviour, always attending his lessons, setting a good example and for always doing the right thing
- Nightingale – Nichola B for always having a positive attitude.
- Ramsey – Saskia K for being a great role model and for helping out with a new student
Finally, we are now entering GCSE season with our Year 11s. We have seen a number of speaking and practical exams this week, with many students staying for Period 6 revision sessions and attending our Night Club revision in the LRC after school to independently revise. Good luck to all of our Year 11 students and keep going!
UKMT Maths Challenge Success
This week, a group of our high-achieving Year 7 and Year 8 mathematicians took part in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge organised by Mr Noble. This is a national competition for schools that encourages mathematical reasoning, precision, and problem-solving. We are incredibly proud of all the students who took part and represented the school so brilliantly. Well done to everyone involved!’
Spare Uniform
If you have any spare school uniform that your child no longer needs, we would be very grateful for any donations. Please drop them off at Reception during term time for the attention of Mrs Clarke. Thank you for your support.
Household Support Fund Extension
Suffolk County Council (SCC) is pleased to confirm that the Government announced an extension to the Household Support Fund from April 2025 until March 2026. Whilst there has now been a reduction in the funding allocation to SCC, they confirm that funds have been made available for SCC to extend the support provided to low-income families in receipt of Free School Meals (FSM).
Families should be aware that there may be reductions in funding available from the Government in the future and this could impact on the provision of discretionary vouchers after March 2026. SCC will provide discretionary grant vouchers for the May half term 2025. The grant will be issued as a £15 supermarket voucher for each eligible child from their provider Pluxee to cover the 1-week May half term.
Below is a letter from SCC that schools have been asked to share with families of children who are eligible for FSM:
SCC Letter To Families Re May HT25 HSF Issue
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 w/c 22/4/25
- academy attendance across years 7-11 for the year to date is 87.6%
- academy attendance across years 7-11 last week was 88.8%
- 775 students across the academy had 100% attendance to school last week
- the best House attendance was Nightingale with 91.8%
- the best year group attendance was Year 9 with 90.3%
- the best tutor group for attendance were HL1 with 99%
- 348 students did not receive a single late mark last week and had both 100% attendance and punctuality to lessons
- the best House for punctuality to school and lessons was Nightingale 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 Nightingale, with 100 students achieving this impressive feat.
- 98 students currently have 100% attendance to school this academic year
Praise & Reward Update
- 838 students received positive points during last week in their lessons for exemplary behaviour or attendance
- 12, 825 positive points were awarded to students during last week
Suffolk Parent Carer Forum Survey
Suffolk Parent Carer Forum are pleased to share that The SPCF Annual Survey 2025 is now live.
“We are gathering the experiences of parents and carers on Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) in the last year, to influence positive change in Suffolk for children and young people. The survey is open from 1st – 31st May to all Suffolk based parents and carers who have children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
You can start the survey by clicking this link:
https://forms.office.com/e/1XtzZ3LXeJ
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:
- 6 May – menu 3
- 12 May – menu 1
- 19 May – menu 2
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 26 May – Half term week (school closed)
Monday 2 June – Students return for 2nd half of summer term
Tuesday 17 June ` – Y10 Geography field trip
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
Friday 20 June – Staff PD Day (school closed)
Monday 23 June – Y10 Geography field trip
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