It has been a very busy and positive first week back at school. Students have returned with energy and purpose and classrooms are already full of focused teaching and learning.

Attendance remains a key priority for us. This is not just a school concern but a national one. Every day in school truly matters. Currently we have approximately 75 students absent each day and we see the direct impact this has on teaching and learning. When students miss lessons they miss essential explanations, guided practice and the opportunity to ask questions in real time. Over time this can significantly affect confidence, progress and outcomes.

We absolutely recognise that there can be a whole host of reasons why students may struggle with attendance. There is no judgement, only a shared desire to work together to overcome barriers. We are grateful to the many parents who have engaged in open and constructive conversations with us about attendance and who understand that the message is simply about finding solutions. If you are facing challenges, please do reach out so that we can work together to support your child in being in school as much as possible.

A huge thank you to the staff who supported the recent ski trip. We have heard it was an amazing experience for our students and a wonderful opportunity to build confidence, resilience and friendships.

A reminder to Year 11 parents that Saturday intervention sessions are running each week. We strongly encourage students to attend if possible to secure valuable revision time ahead of the summer examinations.

We will shortly be sharing details of our Easter revision offer and we hope students will fully engage with this opportunity. There are currently many after school sessions available and these provide important additional support at this crucial stage.

We are very proud to be working in partnership with Gildredge House School alongside South Downs Health Centre to secure access to 4pm GP appointments each day for our students. If you are struggling to obtain an appointment with your GP and feel this provision would help, please speak to your child’s Year Team about how to access this support. South Downs Health Centre have also offered to support our parent community with guidance around the Right to Choose pathway. If you would like further information, please contact the Director of Inclusion or your child’s Year Team.

I recently attended a talk for Headteachers in this area delivered by a young carer from another local school. It was incredibly powerful and it opened my eyes even further to how remarkable young people are when they are coping with supporting parents or siblings at home. The resilience and maturity shown was humbling. If you believe your child may be identified as a young carer, please do speak to the Year Team. We need to ensure we are doing all we can to support these individuals and fully understand the barriers they may sometimes face so that we can respond with care and appropriate provision.

I have also been meeting with local Headteachers and LSEAT, the trust who will be leading The Workplace from April, to discuss what our community needs from a local alternative provision. We are hopeful that this collaboration and guidance will help shape a more appropriate and supportive offer for a small minority of our young people.

The Year 10 Senior Prefect application process is well underway. The calibre of applications has been superb and it is going to be a very difficult decision. Thank you to everyone who has applied.

It was also lovely for our Senior Leadership Team to see so many parents at our rewards afternoon tea and we thank you for coming to celebrate with us.

We were disappointed to have a lower turnout for our homework guide afternoon. Parents of students who are struggling to consistently complete homework were contacted and invited to work with us on tackling this concern, but only three parents were able to attend. We are very receptive to feedback about what we can do to better support our community. Please do email talktous@willingdonschool.org.uk to share your thoughts.

Finally, I know a number of you have written to local MPs regarding the recent increase in bus fares. I am sorry that our community is facing this additional pressure and would appreciate you keeping me informed of the responses you receive.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support as we work together for the benefit of our young people.

Best regards,

Mrs May

Headteacher

Year 7 Sparx Reader: 

82% of Year 7 students completed their Sparx Reader homework on time this week. Parents are sent emails by Sparx Reader at the weekend so that they can see students’ progress. Remember the library is available at break and lunch time to complete work on Chromebooks.

World Book Day

Next week is World Book Day and we will be celebrating all the reading that goes on in school every day. KS3 students will receive their World Book Day book token and competitions will be taking place in the library. Head to the library on Monday to get involved. Year 7 also had a fantastic author visit – more details will be revealed next week!

Year 7 Literacy in Coaching Time: Developing Reading Strategy Predicting

This Wednesday’s session was on the developing the reading strategy of predicting.  Well done to students in 7EGA, 7SPA and 7CFA who were all noted for their focus and reflection skills in their Term 4 Literacy booklets.

National Literacy Trust Survey

KS3 have continued to complete this national survey in reading for pleasure lessons.  Our results will feed into national findings that help to influence how we build literacy skills in the UK.

pastoral-11@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

We have enjoyed welcoming the students back into school this week, as they begin their final full term of their school careers. Largely, students have embraced the challenges ahead and the beginning of the final half term, there is a lot going on and it is going to be a busy one!

Already this week, many students have completed their Languages speaking mock exams, some attended the 'Dear England' production at the New Wimbledon Theatre and others have completed their Dance Exam/Assessment too. Alongside all of the other coursework deadlines, NEA hand-ins and weekly tasks, students have been seen in lessons applying themselves and working hard. A reminder, we have our intervention programme in full swing, with the timetable featured below:

pastoral-10@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Well done to all of our Year 10 students for a good first week back at school and for making such a positive start to Term 4.

This week, we have focused on ensuring that students are meeting our uniform and equipment expectations. The vast majority of Year 10 students have been meeting expectations, and we would like to thank them for their efforts. We appreciate your continued support in ensuring that your child attends school each day fully prepared and meeting these expectations.

During lesson walk throughs this week, students have demonstrated excellent focus and ambition in their learning as they begin preparing for their mock examinations, which start on 13th April. It has been particularly pleasing to see such a purposeful attitude in lessons.

A special mention goes to our Food Technology students, who showed fantastic engagement when observed preparing ingredients for their pasta dishes. It was wonderful to see the pride they took in their work and the care shown in their preparation.

cjohnson@willingdonschool.org.uk

pastoral-9@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students

Welcome to Term 4!

Welcome back, Year 9! We hope you had a restful and enjoyable break and are feeling refreshed and ready for a fantastic Term 4. This is always a busy and important term, and it’s great to see so many of you returning with a positive attitude and ready to learn.

A huge thank you to the overwhelming majority of you who returned in full and correct school uniform, you’ve set a brilliant standard for the year group. Your smart appearance shows pride in yourselves and our school community. We only had 6 students not in correct uniform, which is fantastic and something you should be proud of as a year group. Let’s aim for 100% next week!

A big congratulations to 9TST and 9CFR for winning last term’s challenge!

As a reward, both coaching groups were off timetable for Periods 2 and 3 on the last day of term to watch Shrek. A well-deserved treat and a brilliant way to finish the term, well done for your collective effort and positive contribution!

Congratulations to 9RCR, who won the attendance challenge in the final week of term! The flapjacks were very well received during Monday’s coaching time, a tasty reward for excellent commitment and showing up consistently. Well done.

Congratulations to the five students, Scarlett Isted, Jewel Joby, Flora Palmer, Nate Wellstead and Sophia Beech who enjoyed treats with the Year 9 team in the final week of last term. This was in recognition of their excellent behaviour, positive attitude, and strong achievement.

You represented the year group brilliantly and showed what it means to consistently make the right choices. We are very proud of you, keep it up!

A number of Year 9 students headed to the National Theatre on Thursday to see a performance of Dear England. We look forward to hearing all about it this week, and we’ll be asking one of the students who attends to write a short review for next week’s bulletin. We hope you have a fantastic experience!

Introducing: The “Good Egg” Challenge!

This term, we’re launching an exciting whole year group competition — the Good Egg Challenge.

The goal is simple:

    95% or higher attendance across Term 4

Fewer than 10 behaviour points per

student

For each student who achieves both targets, there will be a special reward event at the end of term  (more details coming soon!).

This challenge is about:

• Showing up consistently

• Making positive choices

• Supporting each other

This week’s assembly introduced our Term 4 focus within the Factors of Excellent Learning: Reflection.

Students were asked to think carefully about:

• How you respond to constructive feedback on your work

• Whether you see feedback as criticism or as an opportunity

• How you can actively use feedback to improve and make progress

Excellent learners don’t just complete work, they reflect, respond, and refine. The way you act on feedback can make a real difference to your progress this term.

Let’s make Term 4 your best term yet, focused, positive, and determined.

Be present.
Be respectful.
Be reflective.
Be a Good Egg.

The Year 9 Team

pastoral-8@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Welcome back. I hope you had a restful break. The sun is shining as I write this, and long may it continue.

Year 8 have started the term very positively. We are extremely pleased with the behaviour seen in lessons so far. Students are demonstrating excellent personal values and a strong attitude to learning, which has been wonderful to see.

This week has already been full of enriching activities. On Thursday, a group of students attended a theatre production about Gareth Southgate and the rise of the England football team, led by Mr McCarthy. We also welcomed visitors from the Water Agency, who delivered an engaging workshop focused on water conservation and the impact of climate change. Students explored rainfall data, discussed the importance of conserving water, and took part in hands on activities including shelter building and creating simple guttering systems to channel water. The group leader personally commended our Year 8 students for their outstanding engagement and conduct. We are very proud of them.

Attendance last term remained below our 95% target. While we appreciate that there are seasonal coughs and colds circulating, but it is vital that students attend school as regularly as possible. Congratulations to 8NWE, who achieved 96% attendance and won the attendance challenge in the final week of last term, a fantastic achievement.

To further promote excellent attendance and behaviour, we are launching the “Good Egg Challenge.” Students who achieve 95% attendance or above this term and receive no more than 10 behaviour points will be rewarded with a film event on the last day before the Easter break. We will also continue to run additional challenges throughout the term to recognise and reward those who consistently make positive choices.

A special well done to our highest achievers from the end of last term:

Grace W

Jai D

Louis L

Jasmine R

Roxy S

All received chocolates and treats in recognition of their effort and commitment. Your hard work does not go unnoticed.

Looking ahead to next week, clubs are continuing as normal. Please ensure students are completing their homework regularly. A reminder that Homework Club runs in IT2 on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:00–4:00pm, supported by our Learning Mentors. We strongly encourage students to attend if they would benefit from a quiet, supportive space to complete their work. Establishing strong homework routines is key to continued success.

Thank you for your ongoing support. We hope you have a lovely weekend.

The Year 8 Team

pmuller@willingdonschool.org.uk

pastoral-7@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Welcome back to Term 4 and some sunshine!!! We hope you all had a lovely restful half term, and thank you for your support in ensuring our Year 7’s have come back to school looking super smart.

It has been a relatively quiet week within the year group, however the winners this week for ‘treats with the team’ went to Owen H, Noah W, Poppy T, Lewis B and Scarlett M who all received a well deserved chocolate bar! A reminder that this is for those students that score in the top 5 places for achievement awards in the previous week.

If you would like to become a Dream Maker and help to bring joy and hope to over 150 families supported by Children with Cancer Fund, please contact fundraising@childrenwithcancerfund.org.uk. To find out more about the work of Children with Cancer Fund, visit their website www.childrenwithcancerfund.org.uk.”

Dear Parents/Carers and Students,

Year 10 Work Experience / 18^th – 22^nd May 2026

Further to previous communication in December, please see the below reminder regarding the agreement forms that

must be signed before work experience placements can proceed.

Once health and safety visits have been made to the placements, and the work experience team at East Sussex

County Council have approved them, you will receive an email with three forms to complete. These forms include:

• Parent/Carer Agreement

• Safeguarding Agreement

• Emergency Medical Contact Form

Additionally, your child will receive a Student Agreement by email. These emails will be sent from noreply@eprospectus.co.uk.  This will also require signing by your child.

What You Need to Do:

1. Open the email and click on the link for each of the agreements.

2. Carefully read through the agreements and fill in the required information.

3. At the bottom of each agreement, click the blue ‘Sign’ box.

4. You will be prompted to type your name in the top box, which will create an e-signature.

5. After signing, click ‘Confirm’ to complete the process.

Examples of the process can be found in the screenshots below:

The Parent/Carer Agreement, Safeguarding Agreement, Emergency Medical Contact Form, and Student Agreement must be completed before your child's work experience placement can take place. These emails will continue to be sent out in the coming weeks, once the placements have been confirmed and approved by the work experience team at East Sussex County Council. 

If you have any questions or need further clarification, please don't hesitate to contact me using the details below.

Kindest regards,

Sarah Rooney

Careers Adviser

Email: srooney@willingdonschool.org.uk

Tel: 01323 485254 ext 281

Re: Year 10 Careers Fair – Thursday 12^th March

SPACES STILL AVAILABLE

On Thursday 12^th March, Year 10 students will have the opportunity to attend a careers fair at Eastbourne Sports Park. The event will allow students to speak with a wide range of further and higher education providers, training organisations, and local businesses. This trip has been kindly arranged by Ratton School and is free of charge.

Students will travel to Eastbourne Sports Park by coach for a one-hour session during the school day and will return before the end of the school day. A selection of the organisations attending the fair is listed below.

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

Yours faithfully,

Sarah Rooney

Careers Adviser

srooney@willingdonschool.org.uk

Congratulations to the following Year 11s who recently achieved the Willingdon 7 Award! They are the first!

Ava J

Roshan K

Poppy B

Jessica B

They’ve worked so hard to complete their activities in record time. We as a school are very proud of them. A huge well done!

All photos must be school-related memories and suitable for publication by Willingdon School. Any images deemed inappropriate will not be included in the final version.

You may submit up to 5 photos via the Google Form: Yearbook Memories 2026

If you have any questions or would like to amend photos you have already submitted, please email, resources@willingdonschool.org.uk and we will be happy to help.

More details on how to order a Yearbook  will follow in due course.

Thank you,

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxXYTUOPDerl8ndPyfX36OWuMD1HjpQ368yt7C8wj96oRmHw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=114013619321446161685

Please encourage your child to embrace this challenge so they can take part in the Easter Eggstravaganza on the last day of this term!!

The Year 7 Team

Extraordinary Parent Forum for Years 7-10

Dear Parents/Carers,

We are writing to invite you to an in-person Parent Forum. 

The focus of this Parent Forum will be the new mobile phone pouches that we will be implementing in Term 6.   The company we will be using is called YONDR. 

Please come along to the Parent Forum to find out more information and how this will impact your child.  We will also have a representative from YONDR at the meeting where they will be able to answer any questions you may have.

Tuesday, 3^rd March 2026

6pm - 7pm

In the School Hall

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

If you are able to attend the above Parent Forum, please complete the below google form.

Parent Forum - Tuesday 3rd March 2026 6pm

If you are unable to attend this forum, we will send out further information in our Community Bulletin.

Yours sincerely,  

Mr Tom Cain
Assistant Headteacher

We are also looking forward to our Year 10 Positive Progress Evening next week, Thursday 5^th March.

Appointments are currently live and available to book via Edulink One for our Year 10 Positive Progress Evening which is on Thursday 5^th March, from 3:15pm to 6:15pm.

A short guide on how to make a booking can be found here: https://youtu.be/d99kiS3BLWw?si=CNtu7xAZRtHRpmFM

Please note that all bookings must be made through Edulink One, not Arbor. At present, Edulink One remains our main parent portal until such time as Arbor provides similar features within their parent app. If you have forgotten your Edulink login details, you can reset your password by clicking ‘Forgotten Password’ at the login screen.

 If you require further technical assistance with Edulink, please contact our IT support team by email at help@willingdonschool.org.uk or by phone on 01323 481100 between 8:00am and 4:00pm. We strongly encourage all parents and carers to attend, as these meetings will help ensure your child receives the very best support, both at school and at home. Parking will be available on the school playground.

Well done to 10ARA coaching group for  winning  this week’s Sparx Maths homework competition, 65% of the coaching group achieving 100% with their Maths homework, we hope you enjoy your biscuit reward!

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you all next week at our Year 10 Positive Progress Evening.

The Year 10 Team

Thank you.

We were very excited this week to welcome Suds4Schools in to work with 120 of our Year 7 and 8 students on creating sustainable design installations for our school.  It was absolutely amazing to see the students understand contemporary issues and lead on designing appropriate infrastructure for the benefit of the whole student community.  The designs have all now gone off to the University of Exeter for assessment before being passed to the project engineers who will build and install our students' creations.   Thanks to all involved in this terrific project, watch this space and we'll keep you posted!

We are looking forward to the term ahead and working with the students as we approach the final few weeks and months before the GCSE Exams begin. We thank parents and carers for their support and hope that all enjoy the weekend ahead.

The Year 11 Team