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Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

I hope you and your families enjoyed a restful and refreshing Easter break. It has been lovely welcoming students back into school this week, and we are already moving at full pace into the summer term.

Over the holiday period, the site was far from quiet. Staff ran a number of revision sessions for Year 11, which were very well attended and have given students a strong start as they head into their final stretch before exams. Alongside this, our premises team worked hard on improving the school environment. You may notice fresh paintwork around the building, as well as new wall art installed in DT, Food, and Art. Students have responded really positively to these additions.

We were also fortunate to work with 'SuDs for Schools', who generously provided us with new planters. Students had been asking for more seating around the site, and these planters include integrated benching, which has already proved popular.

A huge well done to the staff who led the recent trip to Valencia. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive: students had a fantastic time and represented the school impeccably throughout. We have more exciting opportunities ahead, including the Year 7 visit to Hampton Court next Friday and the Year 9 trip to the Imperial War Museum on Monday.

On Tuesday, we welcomed Sussex Police and their drugs dog as part of both our RSHE and CEIAG programmes. The visit supported students’ understanding of personal safety, the risks associated with drugs, and the role of the police, while also offering insight into policing as a possible career pathway. Working with Sussex Police strengthens our RSHE curriculum and reinforces key messages around wellbeing and responsibility. The visit was an educational and preventative measure, helping to promote a safe environment for everyone within our school community.  The visit went extremely well, and officers commented on the excellent behaviour and attitude of our students.

This week, I also sent a letter to all Year 11 families encouraging students to give their very best in this final term. I hope you have had the chance to read it together with your child. We will be meeting with Year 11 parents either next Monday from 3.30pm-4.30pm or Wednesday from 6pm to 7pm to go through exam arrangements, expectations, and the support available.  Please complete the google form shared by Mr Cain to confirm your attendance at one of the meetings.

We will also be hosting a RSHE Parent Forum online on Monday at 6pm. This session will outline our approach to the curriculum and highlight any updates from the Department for Education regarding specific topics. If you would like to attend, please complete the Google form on the item on page 3.

Next Wednesday at 8.30am, we will be holding further parent tours. These are a great opportunity to see the school in action or to speak with members of the senior leadership team. We would be delighted to welcome you.

Finally, with the warmer weather arriving, please ensure your child brings plenty of water to school so they can stay hydrated throughout the day.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

Best wishes,

Mrs May
Headteacher

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Dear Parents/Carers,

Parent Forum

We are writing to invite you to our fourth Parent Forum this academic year.  These forums are a fantastic way to keep you updated with our school improvement plan and national educational policy.

Monday, 20th April 2026

6pm – 7pm - By Zoom

1.  RSHE

Please be reminded that these forums are not an occasion to discuss individual students. Please refer any individual issues to your child’s Tutor or Head of Year.

If you would like to attend the above Zoom Parent Forum, please complete the below google form and a zoom code will be emailed to you.

Parent Forum - Monday, 20th April 2026 6pm on Zoom - RSHE Focus

If you are unable to attend this forum, we will place any relevant powerpoint slides on the school website for you to view.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs E May
Headteacher

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Parent Tours during the school day 2026

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New Wall Art

We have had some fantastic Wall Art installed over the Easter Holidays in DT, Food and Art and we are so pleased with it. It looks superb!

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New Planters from SuDs for Schools

On their return from the Easter Holidays, students will have seen some enhancements to our outdoor facilities.

A series of outdoor wooden planters with seating available to supplement our existing picnic benches, provides our students with more opportunities for getting some much needed outside air at breaktimes.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the 'Suds for Schools' group (Sustainable Drainage Systems for Schools) who worked with a number of our students in, designing the sustainable, water saving project, and who then accessed an environmental grant to provide and install all of the planters/seating.

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We are pleased to announce that Zara and Bonnie will be performing in the Wizard of Oz show this month at the Devonshire Park Theatre. Zara will be performing as Dorothy and Bonnie will be part of the ensemble.

We're wishing them all the best!

Tickets are on sale now at:

https://trafalgartickets.com/.../the-wizard-of-oz-tickets

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Parenting today can feel overwhelming — especially when childhood looks so different from what we grew up with. There’s no manual, and it can be hard to keep up with the fast-changing digital world your child moves through every day. This guide aims to make those conversations easier and help you support your child with confidence.

Parents and carers guide

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We’re excited to let you know that our Activity Day is back again this year, with a huge range of exciting trips and activities taking place on Tuesday 21st July 2026!

Please take some time to look through the Activity Day booklet (attached to this email) with your child and discuss which trip they would be most interested in attending. There’s a great range of options on offer, so we encourage everyone to explore the choices carefully. Please do also note the cost and method of transport for each trip, and be mindful that all trips / activities may be subject to change.

All trips and activities will go live on ParentPay on Friday 1st May 2026, giving students time to consider their options and continue building their reward points. Those with the highest reward points may earn themselves a free or discounted trip, so it’s a great opportunity to make the most of their efforts over the past academic year.

We look forward to another successful Activity Day!

(You can also view the Activity booklet by visiting our website https://willingdonschool.org.uk/key-information/our-letters)

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It has been a joy to welcome our students back after the Easter break, and we are extremely proud to see such strong attendance across all year groups. This week, our students have consistently demonstrated resilience, determination and a positive commitment to their education.

A huge congratulations goes to Year 7, who have achieved an outstanding 97%+ attendance, a fantastic achievement to celebrate. Year 10 students deserve special recognition for their excellent attendance throughout the mock examination period, showing real maturity and understanding of the importance of being present at this crucial stage of their learning. We are also delighted to see Years 8, 9 and 11 recording a significant increase in attendance, highlighting the collective effort being made across the school community. Thank you to all parents and carers for your continued support in promoting strong attendance and helping our students thrive.

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Visit our website for further details on the excitement new clubs listed below plus many more https://willingdonschool.org.uk/learning/enrichment-programme

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Children’s Cooking Classes – Register Your Interest!

We’re planning some fun, hands-on cooking classes for children at Willingdon Secondary School and would love to hear from you!

If you’re interested in a place for your child(ren), please email kavi@cookstars.co.uk to let us know.

Once we have an idea of numbers, we’ll be in touch with full details and booking information.

Spaces are limited to just 15 children and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis – so don’t miss out!

We plan to start this club on Tuesday after school from

3pm – 4pm after the Easter break.

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Golden Nugget Idea:   Read the lyrics of a song you like. What do you notice?

Year 7 Literacy in Coaching Time: Developing Reading Strategies with a New Text

This Wednesday’s session introduced The Beck by Anthony McGowan. Students will be exploring this book throughout this term. Bring your fishing knowledge!

Well done to 7SPA, who received a green learning walk for their excellent engagement and vocabulary work.

Fantastic engagement from 7CFA and 7EGA on their class library journey.

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Sparx Reader

Year 7 have achieved 90% completion rate on Sparx Reader for a homework that students had three weeks to do. Please help students get back into good careful reading habits. Schedule in regular Sparx Reader times: one session or several smaller sessions. Remember Chromebooks are available in the library for students to complete careful reading at break or lunchtime.

#inmyshoesWCS

This term’s #inmyshoesWCS reading challenge is focusing on the theme of moments of sadness. Students are supported by termly reading conversations in their weekly reading for pleasure lessons. See Edulink for further details.

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Author visit this month Year 9 and Year 10:

Keep an eye-out on ParentPay for opportunities to purchase books by the visiting authors. Check out the library for clues to the author visiting in July.

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tcain@willingdonschool.org.uk

pastoral-11@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

We hope that all students and parents/carers had a relaxing and enjoyable Easter holidays.

We’d like to start this week’s Community Bulletin by saying a huge thank you to the staff who gave up their time over the Easter holidays to run revision sessions for our Year 11 students. Their commitment and support made a real difference as we also recognise the students who attended these sessions. It was fantastic to see so many taking their studies seriously and making the most of the opportunity to improve over the Easter break. They approached the sessions with great maturity, and this is something we have continued to see in lesson drop-ins throughout this week. Since returning, the vast majority of students have been focused, working hard, and showing a real determination to improve their outcomes.

On Monday, we also distributed the leavers’ hoodies. It’s been great to see students wearing them with pride, they were clearly pleased to receive them!

Looking ahead to next week, we will be hosting two Exam Information Evenings on Monday, 20th April (3.30-4.30pm) and Wednesday, 22nd April (6-7pm). These are being offered at different times to help accommodate parents’ and carers’ schedules, but will be the same messages in both so you are only expected to attend one. During these sessions, we will cover the following topics:

Effective revision techniques

Strategies for dealing with exam stress

Ways parents and carers can support students

Exam day processes

Motivational tips for the final few weeks

We really hope you can join us at one of these sessions. Staff will be available to answer any questions you may have, and we kindly ask that you complete the Google Form so we can plan accordingly, light refreshments will be available on arrival: https://forms.gle/KGCnfCKsMLRBGVrB8

You will also find below an overview of the GCSE exam timetable for this exam series. While students have their own personalised timetables, we hope this overview is helpful:

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Finally, our Grade-Up intervention sessions are continuing this term, alongside our Saturday morning sessions (10:00–12:00). Please use the link to register your interest so we can estimate numbers: https://forms.gle/b7gnC6xdNKZ8EqHr8

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We look forward to welcoming many of you into school for the exam information evenings next week.

The Year 11 Team

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Year 11 Yearbook 2026 - Google Forms

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lgordon@willingdonschool.org.uk

pastoral-10@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Well done to all of Year 10 for a very successful first week of their mock examinations. A total of 12 exams have been delivered this week, and the vast majority of students have conducted themselves extremely well throughout the process. We have also received very positive feedback from exam invigilators regarding students’ behaviour and attitude.

We wish all Year 10 students the very best of luck for their second week of mock exams next week. Please see below the timetable for the exams scheduled in the coming week.

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It was a pleasure to support our Travel and Tourism students during their visit to Thorpe Park on Tuesday. The 20 students who attended represented the school brilliantly and conducted themselves exceptionally well throughout the trip. They gained valuable insight into how a theme park operates, as well as key aspects of customer provision within the industry.

During lesson walkthroughs this week, it has been fantastic to see such strong focus from Year 10 students, who have been highly engaged in their learning. A particular shout out this week goes to Year 10 English students that were observed sharing excellent ideas and confidently articulated their responses when analysing texts and responding to teacher questioning, well done Year 10! During coaching time this week, students have been learning about careers in space. Following the successful completion of the NASA Artemis II project, students have been learning about all the jobs and career opportunities there are in this industry.

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Well done to 10DLE coaching group for winning the Sparx Maths homework competition this week with 10PHI close behind in 2nd and 10AME in 3rd place! 55% of the 10DLE coaching group achieving 100% with their Maths homework and won the biscuits this week.

YEAR 10 WORK EXPERIENCE As Year 10 continue to prepare for their Work Experience placements (18th–22nd May), please remind them to regularly check their school emails, complete their Work Experience placement agreement, and make telephone or email contact with their employer for the week to introduce themselves and discuss expectations for their week.

Thank you for your continued support.

The Year 10 Team

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REMINDER: Please can you ensure all students have contacted their work experience placement

Dear Parents/Carers,

Year 10 work experience / 18th – 22nd May 2026

During today’s coaching session, Year 10 students were reminded that they will need to contact their work experience employer ahead of their May placement to confirm their working hours and dress code.

They have been given the employer’s contact information and asked to contact them by Friday 17th April. Along with this, they received a short guide with example wording to help them feel confident when phoning or emailing (examples below). They were also advised to use a personal email address, as employers cannot reply to school email accounts for safeguarding reasons.

Phone call example

“Hello, this is (Your Name) and I’m a student from Willingdon Community School. I will be completing my work experience at your company from 18th – 22nd May, and I wanted to introduce myself and ask a couple of questions. Could you let me know the working hours and if there’s a specific dress code that I should be aware of please? Thank you very much for your time. I look forward to meeting you."

Email example

Dear [Employer's Name],

I hope this email finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I am a student at Willingdon Community School. I will be completing my work experience with your company from 18th – 22nd May 2026 and would like to introduce myself ahead of my placement.

To help me prepare, could you please provide some details regarding the working hours and any specific dress code expectations for the role?

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,

(Your Name)

(Your Contact information)

Please encourage your child to contact their work experience placement to confirm their arrangements. If your child is placed in a school, college or nursery, please be aware that these settings may be closed for the Easter holidays, from Monday 30th March to Friday 10th April, so responses may take a little longer.

There may still be agreement forms that need to be completed by you or your child. If you haven’t yet signed these, please check your email inbox, and ask your child to check their school email, for any messages from noreply@eprospectus.co.uk. All forms can be signed electronically.

If your child needs help contacting their placement, or if you have any questions about the information above, please feel free to get in touch using the contact details below.

Kindest regards,

Sarah Rooney
Careers Adviser

Tel: 01323 485254 ext 281

Email: srooney@willingdonschool.org.uk

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Mr Keast and Ms Johnson - Joint Head of Year 9

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lkeast@willingdonschool.org.uk

cjohnson@willingdonschool.org.uk

pastoral-9@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Welcome back, Year 9! We hope you had a restful break and are ready to make a strong start to Term 5. This is an important stage in your journey, there are now only two more terms until your GCSE courses begin, so what you do now really matters.

A big well done to 9CFR for winning the attendance challenge, an excellent achievement and a great example of commitment. Attendance is key to success: every lesson builds your knowledge and confidence, and missing school can quickly make things harder. With the better weather arriving, there should be fewer seasonal illnesses around, so we expect to see strong attendance across the year group, be here, be on time, and ready to learn.

In assembly this week, we focused on the importance of strengthening your learning by revisiting what you have been taught and completing homework on time. These habits make a real difference and help knowledge stick. We also discussed the importance of revision, and during coaching time this term, you will be given practical tips on how to revise effectively as part of becoming GCSE ready.

We also want to highlight the importance of building resilience. As you move closer to GCSEs, challenges will increase, but so will your ability to overcome them. Keep going when things feel difficult, stay positive, and don’t give up, this is how real progress is made.

Finally, congratulations to Zara P on securing the role of Dorothy at the Devonshire Park Theatre this month. This is a fantastic achievement, and we wish you every success with your performances.

We would also like to draw parents’ attention to the Careers Fair taking place on 28th April at Eastbourne Sports Park, which Year 9 students have been invited to attend. This is a valuable opportunity to explore future pathways and aspirations.

Let’s make this a focused, positive, and productive term. Keep aiming high and supporting one another.

The Year 9 Team

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SPACES STILL AVAILABLE

Dear Parent/Carer,

Year 9 - Big Futures Show – Tuesday 28th April 2026

I am writing to inform you of an exciting opportunity for our Year 9 students.

The Big Futures Show is a careers event which is organised by the Eastbourne Education Business Partnership and comprises of approximately 80 stands representing local companies, colleges, and sixth forms.

Your child has the opportunity to attend this event, which offers valuable insight into future pathways. Students will be able to meet representatives from prospective colleges & sixth forms and take part in interactive sessions led by visiting companies.

The date for the show is Tuesday, 28th April and is being hosted at Eastbourne Sports Park, Cross Levels Way, BN21 2UF. We will travel there by coach for a slot, from 9.30-11.00am, then return to school for the remainder of the day.

There are 45 spaces available, and it is therefore on a first come first served basis. We kindly request that each student pays a contribution of £10.70, payable via ParentPay, to cover the entrance fee and transport costs. This will be live on ParentPay at 9am, on Monday 30th March.

If you would like your child to attend, but require support with payment, please do contact me on the below email address.

Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours faithfully,

Sarah Rooney

Careers Adviser

srooney@willingdonschool.org.uk

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aroche@willingdonschool.org.uk

pastoral-8@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

I would like to warmly welcome the students back after what I hope was a restful and enjoyable Easter break. Hopefully, everyone had the opportunity to relax, recuperate, and make the most of the lovely weather.

I would like to begin by saying how well Year 8 have returned to school. Attendance has risen to 96%, which is fantastic, and behaviour has been excellent. During recent learning walks with Miss Turner, I have seen outstanding conduct from students, with a real eagerness to engage in lessons, ask thoughtful and inquisitive questions, and maintain strong focus in class. Well done to all of Year 8 for such a positive start.

A special congratulations goes to the students who took part in the Valencia trip during the final week of last term. They represented both their families and the school exceptionally well. The trip was a great success, with students experiencing a range of cultural activities, including meals out and a fantastic paella making class, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Although students returned tired, I hope they were able to recharge over the holiday.

A big shout out to 8JWI, who in the last week of term achieved over 96% attendance and won the year group attendance challenge. They will be receiving biscuits this week, well done!

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Congratulations also to the 4 Year 8 students who achieved the highest number of achievement points in the final week of term.

I would also like to recognise Jade K in Y8, who, alongside her brother and scout group, donated over 70kg of essential food and toiletries to Eastbourne Food Bank. It is fantastic to see students contributing so positively to their community, well done Jade.

Finally, congratulations to Calista SS for her excellent performance in her horse riding eventing competition, where she placed 4th out of 25 competitors. She has now qualified for the national finals at Hickstead, an outstanding achievement.

As we move into the new term, the field is now open and the weather is improving. Students are reminded to attend in full school uniform, including wearing their blazers.

Thank you for your continued support. I wish you all a restful weekend and look forward to the exciting events planned over the coming weeks.

Kind regards,

The Year 8 Team

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Mrs Naylor & Mrs Muller - Joint Head of Year 7

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lnaylor@willingdonschool.org.uk

pmuller@willingdonschool.org.uk

pastoral-7@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Welcome back from the Year 7 team!

We hope that you have all had a relaxing fun Easter break.

The Year 7s have come back brilliantly, uniform has been impeccable and most have been fully equipped for lessons. Attendance has also been excellent this week from Year 7, hitting above 96% on all days and even 97.1% on Thursday.

It's been great to be able to get the students onto the field for breaks and lunches. Please be aware, if students wish to play football, they need to bring their own football in, as we do not loan these out. We are also encouraging the Year 7s to self-referee their own matches in a fair manner.

This week has also seen the start of the next rotation of lessons such as food tech, music tech and computer science. We hope the students enjoy their new subjects and teachers, and show ambition in them all.

Finally, a BIG welcome to Catherine Belbin who joins the Year 7 coaches,  and takes over from Mrs Stables. I know her new coaching group has made her feel welcome.

The Year 7 Team

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Globe Theatre, Thursday 18th June 2026

Dear Parent / Carer,

The Globe Theatre, London, is showing a performance of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and the English department would like to offer your child the opportunity to attend. As the text is studied in Term 6 for Year 7, we are pleased to be able to offer the chance to Year 7 students.

We will travel by coach from school to the Globe Theatre at approximately 9am to arrive in time to have lunch, which students will need to bring with them, prior to the matinee performance. We shall then return to school by coach at approximately 7pm.  Students will need to bring a packed lunch.

The cost of this trip is £46.20, which includes return coach travel, the theatre ticket and insurance. Payment should be made via ParentPay. Places are limited so you are advised to make your payment as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. This will be available to book on Tuesday, 21st April from 3pm.

Poor behaviour/low attendance are not tolerated at Willingdon Community School.  The school reserves the right to cancel a student’s participation in a trip if behaviour /attendance does not reach our expected high standards.

Yours sincerely,

Miss Elliott
Teacher of English

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Community Posts

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Volunteer opportunities with Children with Cancer