Principal’s Message for Week B, wb 3rd February 2025
Praise Week
We have really enjoyed our half termly Praise Week at school, where we celebrate and uplift the achievements, efforts, and positive qualities of our scholars. Throughout the week, we’ve focused on fostering confidence, kindness, and a sense of belonging through CAPs, Shout Outs, Postcards and recognition to celebrate everyone living our scholarly habits or showing improvements. To finish off the week, I would like to praise every single scholar at MEA Central. It is a privileged position to be a Principal of a school with 1050 amazing young people and I know all our staff are feeling very proud of our students this week.
Beautiful Work Exhibition
On Wednesday the 12th of February, we are hosting our Beautiful Work Exhibition, where we will proudly display beautiful work which has been created by our students. The event starts at 4pm and the last entry is at 5.45pm. Refreshments will be provided.
Music Month
The Halle Orchestra delivered a fantastic Djembe workshop recently as part of Music Month. In just two hours, students had created and performed a composition. The students really enjoyed working with professional musicians from the orchestra. The Halle team were also very impressed with our students, saying...
‘Thank you very much for taking part in our Creative Music Workshop project. Ric and I really enjoyed the session and were very impressed by the pupils' music knowledge! They knew many of the Italian words for dynamics and tempo, beyond what we normally find in a Year 7 group. We had a lovely time and hope the pupils enjoyed it too!’
Attendance
Punctuality
As we move through the school year, we want to take a moment to highlight the importance of punctuality. Arriving on time to school and each class is not only polite and respectful, but it also directly impacts students learning and attainment.
Punctuality is also a key factor when it comes to applying for colleges. Colleges always request attendance and punctuality data for all applicants. Please continue to check your child's planner and Arbor profile to ensure they are being punctual to school and lessons. By doing this, you are supporting your child build positive habits which will serve them well in the future.
Please get in touch with your child's year team if you require any support.
Mr. McCullough
Library
Our library has continued to be an incredible resource for supporting our students’ reading and scholarly habits. Our key stage 3 classes are currently revisiting the library with their English class to loan out books in-line with their reading age. Whilst many books have been loaned, some have not yet been returned to the library. Please can we ask that you check at home for any school library books and return to the library as soon as possible. Mrs Smith, the librarian, will also be contacting home for outstanding loans – please check your emails. Furthermore, we are offering rewards for those who bring their books back in time!
A reminder for parents, below are some supportive services available to young people and parents, should they be struggling with their mental health:
Support for young people
Young minds offer support to students online. If you would like more information, please head to the website:
Support for parents
If parents would like to further their understanding of mental health and how best to support their young person, see this link below:
There are 35 topics to explore, from mental health, exam stress, vaping, social media and more - this will hopefully give you some really helpful information!
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-a-z-mental-health-guide/
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Head of Year Messages |
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Year 7 – Ms. C Gates Year 7 have demonstrated that by working hard, they can achieve great things as they have received some excellent Big Test results this week. It has been wonderful to see their resilience and dedication in responding to feedback, showing a real commitment to improving their learning. A huge well done to all our scholars for their positive attitude throughout this process! Next week, Year 7 will take part in Reflect Week, where they will spend time thinking about their results in more depth. This is an important part of the assessment cycle, helping students to set goals and continue making progress. Students will also receive their reports and write a reflection week summary in form time so please check this. Please add the Parents’ Evening on 25th February to your diaries! It will be wonderful to see as many parents and carers as possible to celebrate Year 7 Ms Gates and Ms Thompson |
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Year 8 – Ms. Bryan It has been another fantastic week for Year 8, and I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the great progress we’ve seen. Firstly, I’m pleased to report that our students have been attending school with great consistency, and we’ve seen a noticeable improvement in punctuality. It’s fantastic to see so many students arriving on time, ready to learn and make the most of their school day. Thank you for your continued support in reinforcing the importance of punctuality at home! This week, we have been focusing on “Reading for Pleasure” across the year group. It’s been wonderful to see so many students engaging with books, and we hope to continue to cultivate a love of reading in Year 8. We believe that reading for enjoyment not only enhances literacy skills but also fosters imagination and empathy. We would love your support in encouraging this initiative at home. If possible, please encourage your child to set aside some time each day for reading, whether it's a book, magazine, or even an article of interest online. Let’s help them discover the joy of reading beyond the classroom. Thank you once again for your ongoing support. We look forward to seeing even more growth in Year 8 as the term progresses!
S.Bryan and Mx Umpierrez |
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Year 9 – Mr C Blackburn I have been so proud of Year 9 this week. Every student has engaged fantastically in live assemblies, focus groups and their futures. I have been even more impressed with their Scholarly Habits around school ,which has resulted in an increased CAP count and reduced incidents. This week in forms we launched two competitions based on teamwork and belonging.
Every student has their part to play in achieving. In terms of 'Scholar Of The Week' starting from the week commencing the 20th of January the winners are below. Postcards have been sent home.
Have a great week!
Mr Blackburn and Mr Roberts |
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Year 10 – Mr J Roper WOW - What a fantastic Progress Exam week Year 10!!
All the staff that have invigilated or been into the exams have all been so impressed with our year 10 scholars – a mature and responsible attitude throughout the week.
As I stated in several assemblies - we wanted it to be your "opportunity to shine" and they really have all week. From visiting forms and seeing independent revision taking place, social times with small groups huddled around revision materials...to our scholars attending extra revision sessions - all year 10 have really shown their maturity and capability in preparing for the exams. Attendance and Punctuality has been outstanding throughout the week which has also played an integral part in the success of the week.
Enjoy a relaxed weekend – our students deserve it!
Mr. Roper and Ms. Renshaw |
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Year 11 – Mr J Rooza
As we move into the final stretch of Year 11, it’s been another fantastic week of focus, dedication, and hard work from our students. With the GCSE exams fast approaching, it’s inspiring to see so many students attending intervention sessions, engaging in independent study, and striving to be the best they can be. A key date for next week is the Year 11 Milestone Event on Thursday 6th February, 4pm-5pm. This is a vital opportunity for students and their families to come together as we prepare for the final months of Year 11. We will be sharing essential revision strategies, key information about the exams, and the best ways parents can support their child at home. Success in Year 11 is a team effort, and by working together, we can ensure every student is fully equipped to achieve their potential. At our school, we are committed to ensuring a fantastic future for all, and this event will help lay the foundations for students to leave Year 11 with confidence, success, and the best possible opportunities ahead. I strongly encourage all parents and carers to attend - your support makes a real difference. As always, thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions or need further guidance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch
Mr Rooza & Mrs Costello
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