Sent to parents and carers on 28/03/25
Weekly Bulletin for Thursday 27/03/2025
It has been another busy week at Westbourne and I was delighted to meet with our first set of winners of the Principal’s Commendation yesterday for a hot chocolate. These are awarded for excellent conduct to students nominated by their heads of house. This week’s winners were: Jess G (Ennis), Jess C (Churchill), Euan L (Ramsey) and Lexie W (Nightingale). Well done to them all!
We have recently identified a discrepancy in the way that positive and negative points are showing up in the Satchel One app, with not all negative points appearing. As a result, we have switched off the negative points function. The best place to check your child’s positive and negative points is on MCAS, Satchel One is for checking homework tasks . Thank you to those parents/carers who have been in touch to help us identify this issue.
Some students who are arriving late in the mornings are then not attending tutor time promptly and, as we are currently working hard to eliminate students being in corridors during lesson times and tutor time, we will be asking them to go to the food hall from Monday morning instead. They will be registered by a member of our safeguarding team and supervised until period 1 begins.
For those members of our community who are observing Ramadan, I would like to wish you Eid Mubarak for Sunday.
WA Community Hub: 31 March 2025
Open to all! Our next Westbourne Community Hub event takes place on Monday 31 March 2025 between 15:15 – 16:15. Entry is through the main entrance doors to Reception. Bags of non-perishable food items and feminine hygiene products are available in exchange for a £3 donation (exact change please).
Year 11 Year Group Photo
Kittle Photography will be here on Friday 4 April to take friendship photos of Year 11 during lunchtime in the girls’ gym. Afterwards, during Period 5, their class teachers will escort them to the gym to have their individual green screen photo taken. The resulting images will be used by Kittle to create a virtual year group photo. Students will be given a named photo QR code on the day which they can take home and use to view the photographs and place orders for delivery to school if they wish to do so. Orders delivered to school will be available for collection at the Year 11 Leavers Assembly on 18 June.
Year 11 Leavers Hoodies
Hoodies are now available to order online via Striptees UK, for delivery to school in time for distribution at the leavers assembly on 18 June. A copy of the flyer sent to parents and carers can be found here on our website:
https://www.westbourne.attrust.org.uk/class-of-2025-leavers-hoodie-info/
Year 9 Pathway Evening
A separate communication went to parents and carers of Year 9 students inviting them to the Year 9 Pathway information evening taking place on Thursday 24 April between 18:00 – 19:45. A copy of the email can be found here on our website news page:
https://www.westbourne.attrust.org.uk/year-9-pathway-information-for-ks4/
Year 9 Vaccinations
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.
Year 10 Parent Evening
Parents and carers of Year 10 students have been sent a separate communication 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 will be bookable online:
https://www.westbourne.attrust.org.uk/year-10-parent-carer-evening-3-april-2025/
Year 6 Transition Information Evenings
Parents and carers of Year 6 pupils, who are starting with us in September, are invited to attend one of our information evenings on either Tuesday 22 or Wednesday 23 April depending on which primary school their child attends. A copy of the communication sent on 10 March 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. For more information on what to do and to find out if the changes being made will affect your children’s eligibility, please follow this hyperlink to our website news page:
Eligibility for Free School Meals – Westbourne Academy
Whitton Times
We have been asked to share the Easter 2025 edition of the Whitton Times magazine with our academy community. You can download a PDF copy here:
The Blank Page Project
Suffolk Libraries’ Blank Page Project is back for the Easter holiday! Get involved with creative workshops for 10 to 16 year olds in the library hosted by local artists – a great opportunity to learn something new and take your creative projects home with you! Visit the Suffolk Libraries website to find out more and book your spot!
https://www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/resources/the-blank-page-project
HAF Activities at Easter
School holiday fun awaits with the Suffolk Holiday Activity Programme. Children aged 5 – 16 can take part in a variety of fun and engaging activities which are free for children who receive benefits related free school meals. Full details can be found on their flyer:
HAF Activities Flyer Easter 2025
Please click the link to access their booking system https://eequ.org/suffolkhaf to browse the activities and book on.
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
Teach in Suffolk Event
Inspiration Teaching School Hub and Suffolk County Council are hosting a ‘Teach in Suffolk’ event on 2 April 2025 at East Point Academy in Lowestoft. There will be a range of regional Initial teacher training (ITT) providers in attendance for people to speak to and gather information about training to teach in the region. Those wishing to attend will need to register their interest by completing the Teach in Suffolk event – 2nd April booking form.
Contact: Inspirationteachinghub@inspirationtrust.org
Key Dates 2025
Monday 31 March – WA Community Hub 15:15-16:15
Thursday 3 April – Y10 In-Person Parent/Carer Evening 16:00-19:00
Friday 4 April – Y9 MENACWY+DTP vaccinations 09:00-12:20
Friday 4 April – Y11 friendship & year group photos (Lunch & Period 5)
Mon 7 to Mon 22 April – School closed for Easter holiday
Tuesday 22 April – 1st day of Summer Term 1
Thursday 24 April – Y9 Pathway Evening 18:00-19:45
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 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)
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