Sent to parents and carers 21/03/25

Weekly Bulletin for Friday 21/03/2025

 

Thank you to the parents and carers who have fed back regarding the communications we have recently started sending out regarding punctuality and positive/negative points.  Some parents have identified a discrepancy in the way MCAS and Satchel One report positive and negative points and we are working on rectifying this.  Please do continue to use these communications as a discussion point with your children, it is helping to ensure students strive to be on time to their lessons.

This week’s assemblies have been led by Miss Gill and they focussed on the topic of child exploitation.  It is really clear that modern teenagers often find themselves in an online world linked to devices that simply didn’t exist when we, as parents, were growing up and that there are people in the world who try to exploit this for their own motivations.

I held a special assembly on Wednesday this week following some poor behaviour at lunchtime from a small number of our students.  Although it might be fun on a hot summer’s day in the garden or the park, water fights are really unhelpful in schools as they lead to students either attending their lessons soaking wet, or attempting to use lesson time to dry off their clothes.  As a result, we have banned water fights and incidents of students throwing water will be logged as a Serious Incident and those students will be issued a lunch detention the following day.  Students who ignore staff instructions will be sanctioned for defiance and spend time in seclusion, or potentially even suspended.

Finally, we had an unplanned fire evacuation on Tuesday this week.  I have explained to the students that the fire alarm should only ever be set off if there is an actual fire. Any inappropriate use of the alarm will lead to a suspension, due to the severe risk to Health and Safety of unnecessarily evacuating over 1000 people and the potential for the fire service to be called out to a false alarm, meaning genuine emergencies might not get the help they need.

 

Year 11 GCSE Maths Walking Mock

Year 11students are invited into school to complete a walking mock on Friday 28 March (the staff PD day). This will involve all Year 11 students with higher students (x1, x2, y1, y2) being in the main hall, foundation students (x3, y3) in A29 and Foundation students (x4, y4) in A21. Parents and carers of Year 11 students have already been sent a separate communication about this and a copy may be found on our website news page here:

https://www.westbourne.attrust.org.uk/year-11-gcse-maths-walking-mock/

 

Year 8 Careers Visit to the University of Suffolk

On Tuesday 18 March, Mr Payne accompanied a group of 13 Year 8 students to the University of Suffolk so they could find out about the range of career opportunities and pathways available to them in the future, either teaching or supporting the running of a large academic organisation. You can read the full report with photos on our website news page here:

https://www.westbourne.attrust.org.uk/y8-careers-visit-to-the-uos/

 

Year 10 Hospitality & Catering Trip

Parents and carers of Year 10 students who are studying Hospitality & Catering have been sent details this week about a Food & Farming visit to Hollow Trees Farm on 18 June 2025. A copy of the communication can be found here on our website news page here:

https://www.westbourne.attrust.org.uk/food-and-farming-student-day-hollow-trees-farm/

 

Easter Egg Raffle in Aid of St Elizabeth Hospice

Thank you to the staff at Westbourne who have kindly donated chocolate Easter Eggs for the raffle being organised by Miss Feakes in aid of St Elizabeth Hospice.  Tickets for the Easter Egg raffle go on sale to students during tutor time next week and the draw will take place on 3 April. Tickets are 20p for one ticket, 50p for a strip of 5 and £1 for 3 strips (15 tickets). Exact change/cash only please.

 

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 / 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: 10/03/25

  • academy attendance across years 7-11 for the year to date is 87.7%
  • academy attendance across years 7-11 last week was 87.6%
  • 704 students across the academy had 100% attendance to school last week
  • the best House attendance was Nightingale with 88.9%
  • the best year group attendance was Year 7 with 89.6%
  • the best tutor group for attendance was E9 with 97%
  • 385 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 Ramsey House
  • the best year group for punctuality to school and lessons was Year 11
  • the best House for 100% attendance and 100% punctuality last week was Churchill, with 74 students achieving this impressive feat.
  • 112 students currently have 100% attendance to school this academic year

Praise & Reward Update

  • 858 students received positive points during last week in their lessons for exemplary behaviour or attendance
  • 13,500 positive points were awarded to students during last week

 

Year 9 Pathway Evening

A separate communication will be going out to parents and carers of Year 9 students early next week inviting them to the Year 9 Pathway information evening taking place on Thursday 24 April between 18:00 – 19:45. This event will give students a chance to learn more about the subjects on offer to them at Key Stage 4 by speaking directly with subject specialists about their potential choices.

On Monday 31 March, Year 9 will have an assembly in tutor time with Mr Clarke and Mr Hawkes informing them about the upcoming pathway information evening and what they need to take into consideration when making their choices. Parents and carers will receive a separate communication before the Easter break about the pathway colour that their child has been allocated ie red, blue or green.

 

Year 9 Vaccinations

A reminder that the school nursing team will be with us on the morning of Friday 4 April to give MENACWY+DTP vaccinations to Year 9 students who have had parental consent given in advance. A copy of the communication sent to parents and carers on 7 January can be found here on our website news page:

https://www.westbourne.attrust.org.uk/year-9-menacwydtp-vaccinations-2/

All queries about consent and the MENACWY+DTP vaccination should be made direct to hct.csaissuffolk@nhs.net. Academy staff cannot take consent or withdraw your child. The NHS portal will close on 4 April 2025. Students will be collected from class by one of our exam invigilators as and when it is their turn to be taken to see the nursing team in the library.

If you have given consent please ensure your child eats breakfast on the day and wears a short-sleeved shirt please.

 

Year 10 Parent Evening

Parents and carers of Year 10 students have been sent a separate communication today about the parent/carer evening on Thursday 3 April between 16:00-19:00. This is an in-person event in the main hall and appointments with teachers are bookable online. A copy of the information sent can be found here on our website news page:

https://www.westbourne.attrust.org.uk/year-10-parent-carer-evening-3-april-2025/

 

Friday 28 March: School Closed

We are closed on Friday 28 March 2025 for a staff training day. No students in Years 7 to 10 will be in school but Year 11 students are invited to attend a walking GCSE mathematics mock exam paper between 10am-12 noon. School opens as normal for all students on Monday 31 March.

 

Easter Holiday: School Closed

We are closed for the Easter break from Monday 7 April to Monday 21 April 2025 inclusive. Any communications sent to school will be actioned when staff return to work.  Students and staff return for the first day of the summer term on Tuesday 22 April at the usual time.

 

Year 7 Intake for September 2025

We are pleased that the number of places offered to Year 6 pupils starting with us in September is almost at PAN (224 maximum). Last week, we wrote to Year 6 parents and carers with information about the transition process and the two information evenings taking place after Easter.  A copy of this communication can be found on our website news page here:

https://www.westbourne.attrust.org.uk/year-6-transition-to-westbourne-academy-september-2025/

 

 Eligibility for Free School Meals

A parliamentary debate regarding Free School Meals took place on Tuesday 18 March 2025 in Westminster Hall. Stephen Morgan MP, the Under-Secretary of State for Education made the following statement:

“Transitional protections were put in place to ensure that children whose families were moving from legacy benefits to universal credit did not lose out. We will move to the next phase of transitional protections from 31 March, and I can assure hon. Members that no pupil will feel any change until after the summer. As with all Government policy, we will keep our approach to free school meals under review.”

Therefore, although Suffolk County Council (SCC) has not been informed directly by the Department for Education (DfE), they are adopting the view that transitional protection for Free School Meals (FSM) will be ending on 31 March 2025.

This means any pupil confirmed as eligible for free school meals from 1 April 2025 will be subject to ongoing checks by SCC FSM team to confirm continued eligibility.

This will not impact any children who are already confirmed as eligible. These children will maintain their eligibility until the end of their current phase of education. At that point, they will be re-assessed for their eligibility status by SCC FSM team.

This will apply to all Year 6 pupils moving into Year 7 in September 2025. These pupils will then be subject to a check by SCC over the summer and then ongoing checks to confirm continued eligibility.

Suffolk County Council has asked schools to remind parents and carers, who do not have a current claim or eligibility for FSM, to apply for FSM between now and the end of March 2025 if they think their child may be eligible, to ensure their claim and future funding are protected. Only applications processed before 1 April 2025 will maintain transitional protection. 

Please visit Apply for free schools meals – Suffolk County Council (suffolk.gov.uk) to submit an application.

The Government have not currently provided updated FSM guidance and therefore SCC does not have information, at this time, on the regularity of the checks or whether there will be any other changes to eligibility or processes.

SCC will update schools once the guidance is published and if you have any queries in the meantime, please send them to the free School Meals Team at freeschoolmeals@suffolk.gov.uk

 

 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 24 March – menu 2
  • wc 31 March – menu 3
  • wc 22 April – menu 1

 

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

Friday 28 March                      – Staff PD Day (school is closed)

Monday 31 March                  – WA Community Hub 3.15-4.30pm

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

Friday 4 April                           – Y9 MENACWY+DTP vaccinations

Friday 4 April                           – Y11 friendship & year group photos (Lunch & Period 5)

Tuesday 22 April                     – 1st day of Summer Term 1

Thursday 24 April                    – Y9 Pathway Evening 6-7.45pm (details to follow)

Monday 16 June                      – Y10 Geography field trip (details to follow)

Tuesday 17 June          `           – Y10 Geography field trip (details to follow)

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

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

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

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 4-7pm

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