Dear Families

As always, I am delighted to share some of the many achievements and memorable moments from across the academy over the past half term.

Reading progress 
You will be aware of our ambition to ensure all of our students become expert readers. Reading is the gateway to the curriculum and by ensuring our students become confident, fluent readers, we are giving them the very best opportunity to secure strong outcomes in their examinations and later life. One of the many ways we bring our ambition to life is through our Reading Lab initiative. This is a programme that we have designed as an academy and we are delighted to have had our first cohort of Year 10s graduate! We are incredibly proud of them.

Resilience
At the start of January, we were greeted with snowy weather. and I was struck by the fantastic resilience our students demonstrated. Despite the cold conditions, they approached the week with positivity and maturity. A particular highlight was seeing students come together to build a snowman on the school field!


Shrek the Musical
A major highlight of the term, as always, was our school production. This year was 'Shrek the Musical' and it was a tremendous success. Whether performing on stage, working backstage or welcoming guests front of house, our students demonstrated extraordinary talent, teamwork and professionalism. A huge well done to everyone involved!


Sporting success
Our students have also represented the Academy superbly in sport. Our basketball teams competed against schools across the city and within our Trust, with our Year 8 teams excelling in city competitions and our Year 9 teams performing brilliantly in Trust competitions. Their teamwork, sportsmanship and determination were exceptional, and we are very proud of how they represented us.

Everyday excellence
In the classroom, students continue to demonstrate excellent focus and commitment to their learning. Below are just a few moments from lessons over the past few weeks. 



Careers Fair
We were delighted to host a wider range of businesses and organisations as part of our Careers Fair. Our visitors generously gave their time to inspire our students. Events like this are invaluable in helping students think ambitiously about their futures and understand the many pathways available to them.

Language Ambassadors
We are also proud to be expanding our Language Ambassadors programme.


Work experience 
Many of our Year 10s had the fantastic opportunity to visit the offices of Capital One, where they spoke with employees, developed key employability skills and later delivered presentations to their peers. Experiences like these build confidence, raise aspirations and prepare students for life beyond school.

Year 11 updates
This has been a crucial term for our Year 11s. Our Year 11 students have completed their final round of mock examinations with maturity and determination.


The next term will be absolutely critical as they move into the final stretch before their GCSE exams. We look forward to welcoming Year 11 families to our upcoming Revision Evening, where we will share practical guidance on how best to support students during this important time. It was also a privilege to take a group of Year 11 students to visit University of Oxford. We want all of our students to be ambitious for their futures, and we are proud that former students have gone on to study at Oxford. We would love to see many more secure places at their first-choice universities and destinations.


Our Year 11 students have been working incredibly hard with their revision, and we have been recognising those who have secured the highest number of points on Tassomai for their independent study efforts.


Similarly, our Year 10 students have been revising diligently for their assessments, showing real maturity as they prepare for the demands of Key Stage 4.


Lower down the school, our Year 7 students have been taking part in Book Talk workshops as part of our celebrations for the National Year of Reading 2026. It has been wonderful to see them developing their confidence in discussing texts and sharing recommendations with their peers.



We are extremely proud to have maintained our position as a top 25% school nationally for attendance, earning the National Attendance Award again. Excellent attendance underpins strong achievement. We are grateful for your continued support in ensuring students are 'In School, On Time' every day. 


Supporting our local community remains a key priority, and we were pleased to continue this commitment through our Food Rally initiative this term.


Looking ahead, we have another busy and important term. A reminder that the academy reopens on Monday 23rd March. As usual, Breakfast Club will be available from 8am, and the gates will open at 8.20am.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.

Best wishes

Mr G Coles
Principal