Sent to parents and carers on 24/10/25
Weekly Bulletin for Friday 24 October 2025
As we approach the end of the longest half term of the year, I would like to congratulate the students who have demonstrated our STAR values throughout the term. Over 400 students will be rewarded this afternoon with a flash reward at lunchtime – for 100% attendance, being on time to and attending every lesson over the past two weeks. At our 100% Club this afternoon, we also recognised over 100 young people who had 100% attendance, no behaviour incidents and 100% punctuality during the 2nd half term of the summer term. Congratulations to them all! These young people represent the best of Westbourne and they are demonstrating the daily habits which we know will add up to excellent outcomes at the end of their five years with us.
On Wednesday this week, we hosted our second parent and carer forum of this academic year. I was able to update parents/carers on the progress we are making on our improvement priorities, which are as follows:
- Implement a clear, consistent behaviour policy and ensure that all staff are supported to apply it effectively to establish a safe, respectful environment for all.
- Improve systems for identifying pupils’ needs in a timely manner. Ensure that staff are equipped to adapt their teaching appropriately so that pupils with SEND achieve well.
- Develop and implement a clear, strategic approach to improving attendance. Identify and address the barriers that stop pupils coming to school and ensure that appropriate support is in place where concerns persist.
- Ensure that early reading support is timely, targeted to pupils’ needs and closely monitored to secure rapid and sustained improvement in pupils’ reading skills.
- Promote a culture of respect, where all pupils feel confident to report concerns and understand and demonstrate inclusion, equality and mutual respect.
- Ensure that language and literacy barriers are removed to allow all English as an Additional Language pupils to fully engage with the academy community.
- Improve outcomes to be in line with or above national Attainment 8 for young people with similar starting points.
On Wednesday afternoon I led staff training with colleagues to feed back on how our new systems are working, gathering views on areas such as our new line ups system, the Year 7 bubble arrangements in S block, our new detentions system, and how we are supporting those students who struggle to connect with our expectations.
As a result of this feedback, we will be making some adjustments to the start of the school day, to ensure that all students are starting the day connecting with our expectations so they can make the most of the education on offer here. To that end, please support us by ensuring that your children have arrived on the school site by 08:25. After this point students will be too late to be on time for tutor time which begins at 08:30 so alternative arrangements will be made. Students who are unwilling to co-operate with staff during tutor time are likely to be placed into seclusion or suspended. We will explain the adjustments to our start of the day arrangements for students who are late and/or uncooperative in a separate communication.
Phone policy update – as you will know from my previous correspondence, we are working with the phone pouch company Yondr to move towards being a phone free school. The process for implementing our new policy on mobile phones will take a few weeks, so we will be finalising arrangements during the next half term and are looking to start using the pouches after Christmas. A copy of my initial communication home can be found here on our website:
Yondr Program for Schools – Westbourne Academy
Finally, I would like to thank you all for your support during this half term and wish you a restful break. We are very much looking forward to seeing everyone when the students return on Tuesday 4 November.
Area Cross County Results
On Thursday 16 October, PE Teacher Mr Brighton accompanied by Mr Payne, took a group of students from all year groups to the Suffolk Area cross country event at the Royal Hospital School. The students all conducted themselves exceptionally and really enjoyed the day. Seven students are to be congratuled on qualifying for the next round in January and we will update you on the outcome after the event.
Year 11 Resources
Mr Payne would like to share the following presentation resource with parents and carers of Year 11 students. It contains useful information on how to apply for post-16 places as well as an update on how behaviour and rewards will be monitored after half term. You can watch the video here:
SENDIASS Sessions for Parents and Carers
Booking is open for two online sessions for parents and carers, hosted by SENDIASS.
Personalised Stories to support social communication
12 November 2025 (10:30am – 11:30am)
Register for session
Understanding Children and Young People’s Behaviour as a Communication Need
19 November 2025 (10am – 11:30am)
Register for session
Helpline: 01473 265210
Email: enquiries@suffolksendiass.co.uk
Text: ADVICE4ME to 87007
Suffolk SENDIASS website
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.
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 new 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
Nasal Flu Vaccination Mop-ups
Monday 15 December is the date when students in all years have an opportunity to get the nasal flu vaccine if they missed it in October. Students with parental consent will be collected from class by a member of staff. Please ensure your child knows beforehand if you have given consent for them to have the vaccination. A copy of the email sent to parents and carers with instructions on how to give consent online can be found here on our website:
Flu Vaccination for Years 7 to 11 – Westbourne Academy
Any queries about the vaccine or giving/declining consent should be made direct to Vaccination UK on 01449 701430 or by email to suffolk@v-uk.co.uk. Their online form does not always work properly for some devices.
Year 8 Parent/Carer Evening: Thursday 6 November
The online appointment booking system is now open for the above event. A copy of the instructions sent to parents and carers can be found here on our website news page:
Year 8 Parent Evening: Thursday 6 November 2025 – Westbourne Academy
The Class of 2026 Prom
Mrs Woodhouse would like to send a final reminder for anyone who has yet to pay the deposit for their Prom ticket. The deadline has been extended to Sunday 2 November for anyone who has forgotten to do so and would like to attend.
Once we have the final numbers, Mrs Woodhouse will be meeting with the Prom Committee to start making arrangements for what will be an amazing night. She would like to say a huge thank you to all the students who have volunteered to help her with the organisation. Mrs Woodhouse has never had so many students offering to help and this is indicative of just how wonderful our Y11s are.
Key Dates 2025-26
Monday 27 – Friday 31 Oct – Half term holiday
Monday 3 November – Staff PD Day (school is closed)
Thursday 6 November – Year 8 Parent/Carer Evening 16:00-19:00 (information to follow)
Wednesday 26 November – Parent/Carer Forum 16:15-17:00 (registration form to follow)
Monday 15 December – Flu vaccination mop-ups
Wednesday 17 December – Parent/Carer Forum 16:15-17:00 (registration form to follow)
Friday 19 December – Last day of the autumn term with early close at 13:20
Monday 5 January – Staff PD Day (school is closed)
Tuesday 6 January – First day back for all students
Monday 12 January – Y9 MENACWY+DTP vaccinations (info to follow)
Thursday 15 January – Y11 Parent/Carer Evening No 2 16:00-19:00
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
Lettings queries to wes-lettings@attrust.org.uk
MCAS, online payments and data information queries to: wes-data@attrust.org.uk
Safeguarding queries to wes-safe@attrust.org.uk
SEND queries to: willow.piper@attrust.org.uk