Newsletter, 18th March 2022

Good afternoon,

I hope that you and your family are well and that you have had an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful spring weather.

YEAR 11 PARENTS’ EVENING & EASTER SCHOOL

Parents/carers of Year 11 students attended their final parents’ evening at Westfield on Thursday of last week, and took advantage of the opportunity to have important conversations about how to best prepare for the exams that begin in just five school-weeks’ time. To support these preparations we are please to be able to confirm that well be able to offer a range of revision opportunities in school over the Easter holidays, with sessions taking place for different subjects on 8 days over the two-week break.

We will share details of the timetable for these sessions with Year 11 students, parents and carers soon.

GYMNASTICS EVENT

Thank you to our fantastic sports leaders who led a brilliant gymnastics event for children from our local primary schools last week. Our Sports Leaders provide excellent role models to these younger children, many of whom will become Westfield students themselves in the not-too-distant future.

YEAR 7 FOOD BANK DONATIONS

Thank you to our kind and generous Year 7 students who have been bringing in Easter eggs that will be donated to a local foodbank. The fantastic array of chocolate treats have been collected and displayed outside my office – the only downside of which is the constant temptation to eat chocolate! Well done, Year 7, for collecting such a large collection for families who will certainly appreciate them.

SPORTING SUCCESS

Congratulations to one former student and one current student at Westfield for breaking into the first team squad at Sheffield United. Our Year 11 student Chene Muir is now part of Sheffield United Women’s first team squad. And former student Oliver Arblaster should be congratulated on making the match-day squad for the Blades’ last two first-team fixtures.

Both of these young athletes have won recognition at international level. We are all very proud of them!

KIND WORDS ONLY

Well done to our Year 7 students who have responded really well to the ‘Kind Words Only’ initiative that has been led by Mrs Margereson and Mrs Robinson. Growing up and starting secondary school can be difficult, and often young people can make mistakes by being unkind to each other, sometimes in person but increasingly through social media. Our Year 7s have responded very well to assemblies that have focused on how unkind words and actions can make others feel. Students in Year 7 have stuck ‘Kind Words Only’ stickers on their planners in support of the initiative. Students who show the most commitment to the initiative in and out of class will be rewarded at the end of this term.

With many thanks for your continued excellent support.

Joe Birkbeck

Head of Westfield School