Principal’s Message for Week A, wb 29th June 2026
Warmer Weather: Thank you and Uniform
Thank you for your support during this week's exceptionally warm weather.
Our students and staff have adapted incredibly well, allowing learning to continue while we made sensible adjustments to keep everyone comfortable and safe.
As you are aware, as the temperatures have remained high, we introduced temporary changes to our usual expectations. Over the course of the week, these became increasingly flexible, with students arriving in a wide range of clothing including football shirts, tracksuits, sliders and, memorably, even a sombrero or two! We have also seen some clothing that is not really appropriate for a school environment, including some items that are more revealing than we would normally permit.
We completely understand that families were simply trying to help their children stay cool, and we have approached these situations with sensitivity and common sense. However, as the weather is now forecast to be much cooler from Monday, it is the right time to return to our usual standards.
From Monday, students should return to wearing the normal school uniform. As a reminder:
Students may wear a short-sleeved white school shirt.
Black or grey tailored school shorts are permitted.
Blazers are not required for the rest of term
Sliders, sportswear, football shirts and other non-uniform clothing should not be worn.
Hats and sunglasses may be worn when outside only
Thank you once again for your continued support and understanding. We are grateful for the way families have worked with us to ensure students remained comfortable while maintaining a positive learning environment throughout this unusually warm week. As always, we appreciate your support in helping us maintain the high standards of dress and presentation that contribute so positively to our school community.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday.
Experiences, Trips and Visits
This time of year is a busy one at school as we endeavour to take advantage of good weather and more flexible curriculum time to give students a range of amazing experiences to develop their cultural capital and reward them for living our values.
So far this term, students have taken part in:
Year 7 Visit to the Central Library, Manchester
Year 10 Educational and Cultural Visit
Year 10 Photography Visit to Victoria Baths
Year 11 Leavers Day
Year 9 Cricket Fixture
Year 10 Visit to the Museum of Science and Industry
Animation Nation Workshop
Year 7 Geography Rivers Fieldwork Visit
Ian Murphy Artist Workshop
Greater Manchester Athletics League Competition
India v Bangladesh at Old Trafford Cricket Ground (Student Flag Bearers)
Still to come this term:
Big Speak Week
Year 8 Formby Beach Visits
Sparx Rewards Trip
Year 9 Cricket Semi-Final
Year 11 Leavers' Prom
Year 10 History Visit
Year 10 Geography Fieldwork Visit
Year 10 ASDAN Trip
Year 8 Wimbledon Trip
KS3 Rewards Visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Year 10 Xaverian College Taster Day
MEA Central Track and Field Day at Stockport Harriers
House Extravaganza
Year 8 & 10 Joy and Belonging Trip to Alton Towers
Year 7 & 9 Joy and Belonging Trip to Blackpool
We are proud to offer so much to our students! Please ensure you have read any letters associated with any of these events and that you pay your contribution for the end of year theme park trips. You will always find photographs on our Instagram account @meacentral
Summer 2 house competitions are here!
The race for this year's House Cup is entering its final and most exciting stage, with three major events still to come before a winner is crowned.
Big Speak Week
From Monday 6th July – Friday 10th July MEA Central will hold its annual Big Speak Week, where students will have opportunities to develop their oracy skills across the classroom.
As part of this event, we are excited to welcome Odd Arts into school on Wednesday 8th July. Odd Arts are a theatre company who use the power of theatre to challenge inequities and create opportunities for individuals facing the greatest levels of discrimination and challenge. Their website is here: Home - ARTS
Odd Arts will deliver a session to the boys in every year group exploring male identity and tackling misogyny. The girls will explore similar themes in sessions delivered by our teachers.
Track and field day
On Wednesday 8th July, approximately 200 students from Years 7–9 will represent their houses at our annual Track and Field Day. Students will compete in a range of athletics events, including sprints, middle-distance races, jumps, throws and relay races.
To ensure every student has the opportunity to earn a place, trials have been taking place during PE lessons over the recent weeks. Students selected to represent their house will receive an invitation letter on Friday 26th June and are encouraged to wear house colours on the day.
House extravaganza
Our House Extravaganza on Friday 17th July will provide opportunities for all students to contribute points to their house through a range of fun activities, including inflatables, classic sports day events, dodgeball, tug of war and Festival Square challenges.
It is all to play for!
With house point totals incredibly close, every point earned could make the difference. The House Interform World Cup football at lunch, Track and Field Day and House Extravaganza will all contribute towards the final standings. Alongside, House attendance to school and CAPs earned by each house.
We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm students continue to show for the House system. These events are a fantastic opportunity for students to demonstrate our values of participation, resilience and teamwork while making lasting memories with their peers.
Good luck to all three houses!
Joy and Belonging Trip
A reminder to parents and carers that we are kindly requesting a contribution of £35 towards our Blackpool and Alton Towers trips on Wednesday 16 July. These payments can be made via Arbor under the "trips" tab.
These trips are a longstanding highlight of the school calendar and provide students with a fantastic opportunity to celebrate their hard work, make lasting memories with friends and enjoy a rewarding end to the academic year.
As a school, we subsidise a significant proportion of the overall cost to ensure as many students as possible can take part. We would therefore be very grateful for any contributions towards the trip, as this support helps us to continue offering these valuable experiences to students in future years.
Year 9 Weekly update
A huge well done to all of our Year 9 students for keeping “The Main Thing The Main Thing” in the middle of a heatwave and for the fantastic effort they have continued to show in lessons. Their resilience, focus and positive attitude have been evident throughout the warmest week of the year so far.
All students have now received their Key Stage 4 option allocations. We understand that despite all students receiving options they chose as a first or second preference, some may still wish to request a change to these. If this is the case, please be reminded the only way to submit a request and explore whether a change is possible is by completing the form found at the bottom of the Year 9 Futures Page. Deadline to submit this form is 3rd July.
Finally, a reminder that our Year 9 Parents’ Evening takes place on 30th June. This is an excellent opportunity to meet the team, discuss your child’s progress and raise any questions or concerns you may have regarding Key Stage 4 and the next stage of their journey. We look forward to seeing many of you there.
Have a wonderful weekend.
The Year 9 Team
Mx Umpierrez and Mx Eastwood
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Head of Year Messages |
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Year 7 – Ms. S Bryan/Mrs.K Park
This week, all Year 7 scholars received a copy of their recent report and have taken time to reflect on the progress they have made during the second half of the academic year. Parents and carers should also have received a copy via email.
We are incredibly proud of our Year 7 scholars and the effort, resilience and determination they have shown throughout their first year of secondary school. They have embraced new challenges, developed positive relationships and worked hard to thrive in a new environment.
As we look ahead to Year 8, we encourage our scholars to continue demonstrating the excellent habits they have established this year, particularly in relation to high standards of uniform, being fully equipped for learning, living our school values and actively participating in all aspects of school life.
We are excited for the opportunities that lie ahead and look forward to the fantastic events planned for the remainder of the academic year as we work together to finish the year on a high.
Thank you for your continued support in helping our scholars achieve their very best.
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Year 8 – Ms. C Gates
I would like to start by saying well done to all our scholars who showed excellent resilience during the heat! There has been a range of participation opportunities for students to turn up, join in and stand out this week. During form time, students have been engaging in sessions linked to South Asian Heritage Month, Numeracy, and World Refugee Day, helping to broaden their understanding of the world around them.
We are also excited to launch our House Track and Field event and House Extravaganza. Students have already been trialling during PE lessons, and it has been fantastic to see their enthusiasm. We are looking forward to seeing who will go on to represent their House. Additionally, our Formby Beach trips began this week for Band A, providing a brilliant enrichment opportunity for students.
As we approach the end of term, this is our final push on attendance. We are incredibly proud of the improvements across the year group and want to keep this momentum going. Every day in school counts, and strong attendance will ensure students finish the year with a fantastic overall percentage and in the best possible position for September.
Ms Gates and Mr Chowdhury
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Year 10 – Mr C Blackburn Dear Parents and Carers, I would like to congratulate Year 10 on the fantastic way they have approached their first round of Progress Exams. Students prepared well, behaved impeccably, and remained focused and motivated throughout the exam period, even during the recent sweltering weather. Their resilience and determination have been outstanding, and I am incredibly proud of the way they have conducted themselves as true scholars. This gives me great confidence as we look ahead to Year 11 and the successes to come.
As we move through the remainder of the half term, our key focus is on attendance, punctuality and participation. These three areas are essential for continued success, ensuring students are present, on time, and fully engaged in every lesson will make a significant difference to their final outcomes and future opportunities.
On the Horizon – Important Dates & Opportunities There are many exciting opportunities coming up for Year 10:
These events provide fantastic opportunities for students to both celebrate their hard work and continue exploring their next steps beyond MEA Central. Thank you for your continued support, continue to be wonderful, Year 10!
Best wishes,
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