Sent to parents & carers on 16/10/26
Weekly Bulletin for Friday 16 October 2026
A highlight of our year so far, was this week’s celebration assemblies, which were held throughout the day yesterday. Hundreds of Year 8 – 11 students were recognised for having good attendance and behaviour last year. We also recognised those young people who have put themselves forward as student council representatives and prefects. We know that the majority of our students are brilliant all of the time, but it is nice to be able to recognise them formally in this way. Further work is being planned by Mr Arrow to continue recognising our students who do the right thing, all of the time, throughout this year.
I was pleased to welcome parents and carers into Westbourne on Tuesday evening this week for the first of this year’s parent and carer forum meeting. The focus of these meetings has been on explaining the actions we are taking to improve Westbourne, to gather individual feedback from parents/carers on how we can continue to improve and answer any questions they may have. It has been a busy start to the term with quite a lot of changes to our routines and systems but things seem to have bedded in well so far, although we will never stop looking for ways to continue to improve. Thank you to everyone who attended, details of next half term’s forum are below.
We say goodbye to Mr Masters this week. Mr Masters, a former Westbourne pupil, joined us last year to lead the Westbourne Inclusion Centre and quickly established himself with staff and students, setting up rugby clubs after school for both boys and girls before moving on to becoming the Assistant Head of the current Year 9 at May half term. We would like to wish him well in the future.
Under 15 Boys Football Success!
Our Under 15 boys played football yesterday – both the A and B teams – against St Joseph’s College, Ipswich. The A team came out 5-4 winners in the South Suffolk Cup to progress into the next round. This was a thrilling game with two late goals being scored, showing unbelievable resilience twice in the game to come from behind. A proper Westbourne performance!
The B team also won 3-1, in a game where they controlled throughout, against very good opposition. Their work rate and togetherness through the game was exemplary.
Credit also goes to St Jo’s for playing very good football in both games and being a very tough opponent to beat.
Celebrating Student Success at Westbourne Academy
This week, we had the pleasure of hosting our Celebration Assemblies for students in Years 8-11, recognising and rewarding the many young people who have demonstrated outstanding effort, commitment and achievement throughout the last academic year.
A remarkable 392 certificates and Year Group PIPs were presented to students who have consistently strived to be the very best version of themselves. The assemblies were filled with pride, applause and recognition as we celebrated the hard work and accomplishments of so many of our pupils.
We were also delighted to recognise the positive contributions students make every day across the academy. This week alone, over 600 Golden Tickets were awarded and 45 positive postcards were sent home to families, highlighting the excellent conduct, effort and attitude demonstrated by our students.
In addition, we took the opportunity to thank our Student Leaders for their dedication and commitment to helping shape and improve our school community. Their leadership, enthusiasm and willingness to support others continue to have a positive impact across the academy.
We would like to extend our congratulations to every pupil who received a certificate, PIP, Golden Ticket or postcard. These rewards reflect the values, determination and positive choices that help make Westbourne Academy a wonderful place to learn.
Parents and carers are encouraged to take a moment to celebrate these achievements with their children. Recognising success, no matter how big or small, helps to build confidence and encourages our young people to continue striving for excellence.
Well done to all of our award recipients. We are incredibly proud of your achievements and look forward to celebrating many more successes throughout the year.
Year 10 RS Visit to Bury St Edmunds
On Wednesday 7 October, a group of Year 10 RS students visited Bury St Edmunds to explore Christian faith and worship beyond the classroom. Their enthusiasm, kindness and maturity throughout the day made them wonderful ambassadors for the academy. Mr Bragg-Welling, Mr Jackson and Mrs Parkinson were very proud of this group of students and produced the following newsletter about their visit:
Newsletter – Y10 RS Visit to Bury St Edmunds 7.10.26
Parent/Carer Forum: Tue 1st December
The first forum for this academy year, which will focus on the recent Ofsted monitoring inspection and our academy improvement plans for 2026-27, will take place in the main hall on Tuesday 1ST December starting at 18:00. To give us an idea of the numbers expected, please fill out our MS Form here:
Registration for Parent/Carer Forum: Tue 1st Dec 2026 – Fill out form
Co-Curricular Programme at Westbourne
A copy of this term’s co-curricular clubs and activities programme can be found here as a downloadable PDF document as well as on our website here:
Co-Curricular & Enrichment – Westbourne Academy
WA Co Curricular Timetable Autumn 2026
Digital Youth Club
Our pupils have been invited to help develop a well-being app that is being used by Suffolk County Council and other schools in the area. The idea is a Digital Youth Club making Social Media a positive space. The wellbeing sessions will take place after school on a Wednesday in the WIC (room S6). Food and drink will be provided and the first session is on Wednesday 21 October.
Kamelion is a youth development platform, built in Suffolk, that supports young people’s wellbeing, confidence and personal growth as they navigate the big decisions and changes in their lives.
Over 8 relaxed, practical sessions, students will explore real-life topics including their wellbeing, goals, health and future. Along the way, they will:
- have their voice heard and help shape a platform for young people
- build confidence in sharing their ideas and experiences
- develop their digital skills and confidence
- spend time with peers in a relaxed, supportive setting
Meet the Tutor Evening
Parents and carers of students in Years 7 to 10 received a separate email last week about the above event taking place in school on Thursday 22 October between 16:00-19:00. A copy of the instructions on how to book an appointment can be found here on our website news page:
Years 7 to 10 Meet the Tutor Evening – Westbourne Academy
If you have any difficulty logging in, please email wes-office@attrust.org.uk for assistance stating your child’s full name in the title.
Heads of Year & Assistant Heads of Year for 2026-2027
We are pleased to confirm the Heads of Year and Assistant Heads of Year for September are as follows:
Year Group Head of Year Assistant Head of Year
New Year 7 Mr D Payne Ms L Robbie
Year 7 into 8 Mr J McLean Mrs G Rockell
Year 8 into 9 Mr C Compton New Appointment tbc
Year 9 into 10 Mr M Agate New Appointment tbc
Year 10 into 11 Miss S Bird Miss K Thomas-Astley Mon-Tue-Wed AM
Mrs A Fulcher Wed PM-Thu-Fri
To communicate with your child’s year team, please email wes-office@attrust.org.uk in the first instance and staff will come back to you as soon as they are able to do so.
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.
You can contact the attendance team direct on 01473 466145 or by email wes-attendance@attrust.org.uk
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:
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 than the app. A copy of the self-sign-up instructions can be found here:
Cashless System – Westbourne Academy
NOTE: If you have MCAS, then you won’t receive SMS messages from school so please remember to turn on notifications on your device because any messages will go through MCAS.
Food Hall Menus
The 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
Key Dates 2026-2027
Mon 19 – Fri 23 Oct – Y11 PRE-Week P1-4 in Sports Hall
Thu 22 October – Y7-10 Meet the Tutor Evening 16:00-19:00
Mon 26 – Fri 30 Oct – Half Term Holiday
Mon 2 – Fri 6 Nov – Y11 PRE-Week P1-4 in Sports Hall
Friday 27 November – Staff PD Day (school closed)
Mon 30 November – Flu Vaccines P1-3 (Y10-11)
Fri 4 December – Flu Vaccines P1-2 (Mop-ups all years)
Thu 10 December – Y8 Parent/Carer Evening 16:00-19:00
Wed 16 December – Y8 HPV Vaccines
Fri 18 December – Last Day of Term / Early Close
Mon 4 January – Staff PD Day (school closed)
Tue 5 January – 1st day of Spring Term
Thu 14 January – Y11 Parent/Carer Evening No 2 16:00-19:00
Thu 4 February – Y10 Parent/Carer Evening 16:00-19:00
Mon 8 – Fri 12 Feb – Y11 PRE-Week p1-4 in Sports Hall
Mon 15 – Fri 19 Feb – Half Term Holiday
Thu 25 February – Y9 Parent/Carer Evening 16:00-19:00
Fri 5 March – Y9 MENACWY+DTP Vaccines
Thu 25 March – Y11 Year Group Photo P5
Fri 26 Mar – Fri 9 April – Easter Holiday
Thu 15 April – Y9 Pathway Evening 16:00-18:30
Wed 5 May – Y11 Summer Exam Series starts
Mon 31 May – Fri 4 June – Half Term Holiday
Fri 18 June – Y11 Leavers Assembly 14:15
Wed 23 June – Y6 Transition Day No 1
Thursday 24 June – Y6 Transition Day No 2
Friday 25 June – Staff PD Day (school closed)
Friday 9 July – Year 11 Prom (Venue 16)
Thu 1st July – Y7 Parent/Carer Evening 16:00-19:00
Thu 8 – Sat 10 July – Y10 History Trip/Battlefields
Wed 21 July – Last Day of Term / Early Close
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