Newsletter, 5th November 2023

Good afternoon,

I hope that you and your family are well and that you are enjoying a happy and safe bonfire weekend!

ATL & Reward Trips

All our students have now received their Attitude To Learning reports from last half-term and have been using Personal Development Time (form time) to reflect on their ATL grades, and to identify their own strengths and areas for development. Parents/carers should also have received a copy of these reports electronically. As ever, we’d encourage families to have conversations about areas where students have excelled and areas where they could improve.

Last year, in response to student voice, we celebrated the students with the very best ATL scores by inviting them on rewards trips – and this is something we are continuing this year. Four of these rewards trips will take place this half-term, and those students who have been invited have already received their invites. These students richly deserve their rewards, and the good news to all other students is that, by showing an exceptional attitude to learning and earning lots of stamps this half term, they may earn a place on the next trip. The criteria for securing places on the trips for Years 8 – 11 is as follows:

Y8 Ice Skating Trip – 29th November

Students with invites have an ATL of ≤1.45 or are in the top 6 for stamps in their form and have under 10 corrections.

Y9 Air Haus Trip - 28th November

Students with invites have an ATL of ≤1.45 or are in the top 6 for stamps in their form and have under 10 corrections.

Y10 Ice Skating & Xmas Market Trip - 6th December

Students with invites have an ATL of ≤1.33 or are in the top 6 for stamps in their form and have under 10 corrections.

Y11 Hollywood Bowl & Xmas Market Trip - 19th December

Students with invites have an ATL of ≤1.22 or are in the top 5 for stamps in their form and have under 10 corrections.

We are in the process of planning the trip for our Year 7 students – this will take place in January.

Dance Festival

Congratulations to our fantastic Year 9 Dance students who last week attended a Dance Festival at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Our dancers opened the show, and Ms Wright reported that the standard of their performance and their enthusiasm throughout the event was outstanding!

Mock Exams

Mock exams begin next week for our Year 11 students, as students who study French or Spanish will begin their speaking exams. The following week, all students will sit exams across a range of subjects. Our Year 11s know that these exams are not only crucial in their preparations for external exams in May and June but will also be used by teachers to give students predicted grades for use in their applications to sixth forms and colleges. We know that students in other year groups will be respectful during this important exam period and will understand that at various times certain areas of school will be out-of-bounds as we create a silent environment for exams to take place.

Year 7 Netball

Well done to our fantastic netballers in Year 7 who took part in their first fixture last week. Despite being beaten in their opening game, our team should be proud of their performance and, if they continue to work together and show a brilliant attitude, they can expect great success in future fixtures!

Attendance Breakfasts

Next week, the forms in each year group who have achieved the best attendance will receive a celebratory breakfast provided for their form. As we all understand, students who attend school have a much greater chance of success than those who do not attend well. The graphic below demonstrates the impact that just a few days out of school can have on your child’s attendance.

Science Club Success

Students who attend our weekly science club led by Ms Marchant and Ms Allsop will have their brilliant work recognised at the University of Sheffield’s BioFest event. Our students have been working on a project based on food security. They have been visited by researchers from the University and have created artwork on this theme, which will be featured in a film to be shown at the event. We are very proud of our young scientists!

Ukraine Fundraising

Well done to Mia in Year 8, who along with her sister has raised an amazing £1070 towards aid and sports equipment for children in Ukraine who have been impacted by the ongoing conflict in the region. Mia continues to raise money for the charity Ukraine Relief. Visit their website to find out more about how the charity are supporting the Ukranian people.

With many thanks for your continued excellent support.

Joe Birkbeck

Head of Westfield School