We have had a busy and eventful week in school, filled with student achievement, community engagement, and exciting opportunities for our young people.

We are delighted to share that our new Student Leaders have been selected. After a rigorous selection process, these individuals stood out for their vision and dedication to our school community.  Huge congratulations to Sophie P, Honor B and Harry R-A.  These students have already shown exceptional commitment to school life, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact they will make as they step into their new roles.  Thank you to all the students who applied, we had an exceptionally strong field of applicants.  More information on the Deputy roles and other opportunities are detailed on the Year 10 post.

On Monday, we celebrated over 40 students and their parents at our Rewards Afternoon Tea. It was a wonderful opportunity to recognise students who consistently demonstrate our school values. Thank you to all the families who joined us.

Congratulations to the Year 10 boys who won the Eastbourne Cup on Tuesday, winning 9-8 on penalties after a 1-1 draw!   Well done also to the Year 9 boys who won the Eastbourne Cup in a 5-2 victory on Wednesday, to go alongside being top of the Eastbourne League this year too!

We’re incredibly proud of both teams for all their hard work and teamwork throughout the season.

I attended the ASCL Conference on Thursday and Friday this week with other Eastbourne area Headteachers and unions.  Participating in these national forums ensures our leadership remains at the cutting edge of educational provision and enables us to unpick some of the topics in the government white paper, such as social media in schools, the new expectations on the curriculum, new plans on SEND, and looking at the new progress measures for schools, which are helping us continue to develop the best possible environment for your children to thrive.

Looking ahead to next week, we have our Year 7 Parents’ Evening on Thursday 19^th March.  We look forward to welcoming Year 7 families into school.  This is a great opportunity to discuss progress and celebrate achievements.

Next Friday is Non‑Uniform Day for Comic Relief.  Students are invited to wear their own clothes and help raise funds for this important cause.  Please ensure you have paid your yearly contribution, if you are able to.

We also welcome any last minute sign offs on the Parent Charter, we are still waiting on 255 families to sign the agreement.  Here is the link again:   Willingdon Community School - Parent Charter Agreement

Thank you for your continued support.

Best wishes,

Mrs May

Headteacher

Underwired Musical Theatre Club Registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfv_xq6y4XL8RGjsRmJyI6RBJC-rvdrpJRMES2spQfCW_pxFQ/viewform

Commencing Monday 9th March - complete the form and just turn up

We are currently short-listing books for the #WCS27 Challenge and building our wish-list for our new stock order. If you have a book recommendation for the school library tell us here.

Year 8 Online Author Visit: Shadower’s Choice Webinar with Nathanael Lessore, Theo Parish and Tia Fisher

An engaging webinar exploring the importance of libraries and where authors find inspiration. Students were able to discuss what they would include in their dream library and why comfortable spaces are important for reading with focus.

Year 7 Literacy in Coaching Time: Developing the Reading Strategy of Inference

This Wednesday’s session was on the developing the reading strategy of inference, drawing conclusions based on evidence from the text. Students continued learning these reading strategies in context through their project on explore, Matthew Henson.  

pastoral-11@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Students have been working exceptionally hard again this week, again with lots of assessments both in class and for others counting towards their final GCSE grades. Monday-Thursday this week saw Food Tech students complete their 2^nd NEAs, preparing food and dishes to showcase their cooking and presentation skills as part of their coursework pieces. Staff working within the Food Tech department have shared how mature the students have approached the assessments and how brilliant the standard of cooking has been.

pastoral-10@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Well done to Year 10 for a successful and very busy week at school. Students have taken part in a wide range of activities including trips, sports fixtures and other events, and they have represented the school extremely well.

Firstly, we would like to congratulate all students who applied to be part of our Student Leadership Team. We had an exceptionally strong field of applicants. A special well done goes to Sophie P, Honor B and Harry R-A, who have been selected as our new Head Students. Congratulations also to the students who have been chosen as Deputy Head Students. Mrs Collins is currently welcoming students to interview for one additional Deputy Head Student position and 12 Assistant Head Student posts, and we look forward to seeing more students take on these leadership opportunities.

cjohnson@willingdonschool.org.uk

pastoral-9@willingdonschool.org.uk

Well done to all Year 9 students for another positive week in school. There have been some fantastic achievements across the year group!

Congratulations to 9BMA, who achieved the highest attendance this week with an excellent 97%. Great effort from everyone in the form for showing up, being on time, and ready to learn. We need to see this momentum continue across the year group as we move towards GCSEs.

A big well done to 9CFR, who are once again this week’s Sparx Maths champions. Your continued commitment to completing your maths work is fantastic to see, keep up the great effort!

Congratulations to Issac S, Edward D, Harry S, Grace B and Masha W for being the top achievers in the year group this week. Your hard work, focus and positive attitude are a great example to others.

Lesson walk-throughs this week have been amazing. It has been fantastic to see the focus and commitment that students are showing in their lessons. In particular, the MFL lessons stood out, where all students were fully on task and engaged in their learning. Well done for showing such a positive attitude in the classroom.

This week’s assembly was delivered by Mr Gardner and focused on International Women’s Day. The assembly explored the important contributions women make around the world, while also highlighting the inequalities that women still face globally. The theme was then carried through into coaching time, where students discussed the difference between being a bystander and an upstander when faced with discrimination against women. This led to some fascinating debates in coaching groups, with students sharing thoughtful ideas and perspectives.

Don’t forget that the Good Egg Challenge is continuing this term. Students can take part by maintaining 95% or higher attendance and keeping their behaviour points below 10 across the term. Keep making positive choices and showing great commitment, there is still plenty of time to qualify!

Congratulations to the Year 9 boys’ football team, who won the Eastbourne Cup with an impressive 5–2 victory. An outstanding performance from the team! Even better, they are now top of the Eastbourne League. A brilliant achievement for the squad and a great moment for Year 9 sport.

Let’s keep the momentum going next week, aim high with attendance, keep up with Sparx Maths, and continue representing Year 9 with pride.

Have a great weekend.

The Year 9 Team

YEAR 9 – IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM AND HOLOCAUST EDUCATION SESSION

Monday 20^th April 2026 7.00am – 5.30pm

Dear Parent/Carer,

We are arranging a trip for Year 9 students to visit the Imperial War Museum in London. As part of the trip, students will have time to explore the displays which include exhibitions on World War One, World War Two and Peace and Security 1945 to 2014.  This is a fantastic opportunity to support and enhance your child’s knowledge of 20^th century History and for them to engage with historical artifacts from photographs and letters to a Spitfire and a T34 tank. During the day the students will also engage with museum staff who will run an education session focused on the Holocaust, students will then have an opportunity to visit the Holocaust gallery.

The coaches will be leaving from school promptly at 7.15am, so students will need to arrive and register with staff in the canteen at 7.00am.  Please consider how your child will get to school, as the coaches have to leave Willingdon before the school buses arrive.

We anticipate arriving back at school at approximately 5.30pm.  Students are expected to wear their school PE kit so that they are easily identifiable and so that they have comfortable walking shoes for the museum.  A packed lunch will be required.  If your child is entitled to free school meals, please indicate this when you make your payment on ParentPay and this can be collected before we depart.

If your child suffers with travel sickness that requires medication not currently held in school, they will need to take the medicine before they travel in the morning and you will need to provide the medication in a named box, to be administered by a member of staff, before we travel back.  If medication is required, please indicate this when you make your payment on ParentPay.  Students with asthma should carry their inhalers with them.

We have 44 places on the trip.  The cost for the whole trip is £40.50, which covers all travel and venue costs.  To confirm your child’s place on the trip, would you kindly pay via ParentPay. The payment will secure your child’s place on the coach and the trip will operate on a first come first served basis.  ParentPay will open on Monday, 16^th February at approximately 3pm.

If you have any questions or queries please contact Ms Hardwick jhardwick@willingdonschool.org.uk or Mrs Hughes lhughes@willingdonschool.org.uk.

Poor behaviour/low attendance will not be tolerated at Willingdon Community School. Therefore, we reserve the right to cancel a student’s participation in a trip if behaviour /attendance does not reach our expected high standards.

Please ensure all medical information held on Arbor is up to date before the trip date.

Kind regards,

The History department

Willingdon Community School. 

pastoral-8@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

I would like to start by saying a huge well done to all of our Year 8 students. Over the past couple of weeks they have set a fantastic standard for the rest of the school, particularly when it comes to attendance. For the last week and a half, Year 8 attendance has averaged over 95% every single day, which is an excellent achievement.

A big thank you to parents and carers for your continued support in ensuring that attendance remains a priority. Having students in school consistently is vital for their learning and will have a positive impact on their future achievements, particularly as they move closer to choosing their options and eventually sitting their GCSEs.

It has also been a pleasure completing daily learning walks with Miss Turner, where we have seen many Year 8 students engaged in their lessons, actively participating in class discussions and using whiteboards to share their ideas. It is fantastic to see such positive engagement in classrooms.

This week we also had the pleasure of taking Doug, our school dog, around to some lessons. Students really enjoyed meeting Doug, and some of our reward students were even given the opportunity to spend time walking him around the school grounds as part of their rewards.

Last Friday, we held our Rewards Assembly, where many students achieved their Bronze and Silver awards. Congratulations to everyone who received an award. A special congratulations also goes to Bethany N, who won the £10 Amazon voucher, drawn from students with consistently high achievement.

On Monday, we hosted an afternoon tea event after school for students who have been consistently making positive choices. It was lovely to see so many Year 8 students attend, where they had the opportunity to spend time with members of the Senior Leadership Team and Head of Years. It was a great opportunity to celebrate their success and to thank them for representing the school so positively.

On Wednesday, the following students were recognised for their outstanding behaviour, achievement and attendance:

• Ziva T

• Theo T

• Leonard P

These students enjoyed Chocolate with the Head as part of their reward.

This week’s chocolate treats with the Team winners were:

• Ziva T

• Leonard P

• Adam P

• Louisa M

• Suki L

Congratulations to all of you.

A big congratulations also goes to our Year 8 students who represented the school in an inter-school gymnastics competition this week. They performed fantastically and represented the school with great pride.

We would also like to wish good luck to Jude T, who is currently in Portugal representing Brighton at a football camp where he will be taking part in international games.

Zak S has also recently had football trial opportunities with Fulham FC, so we are keeping our fingers crossed and wish him every success.

Finally, a huge congratulations to Calista S-S, who competed in a show jumping competition over the weekend. Calista achieved first place, beating a number of adult competitors and winning by four points. Her round included 18 fences and a two-phase course, and she won £150 and a gold medal. We are extremely proud of her achievements and it is fantastic to see one of our students competing at such a high level.

As we head into the final two weeks of term, we look forward to maintaining the excellent attendance, behaviour and effort that Year 8 students have been demonstrating.

Thank you again for your continued support.

The Year 8 Team

pmuller@willingdonschool.org.uk

pastoral-7@willingdonschool.org.uk

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Well done to Rudi, Bobby, Zephyr, Amelia and Willow for being this week’s students who were nominated for ‘Treats with the Team’, and getting the most amount of achievement points in the year group last week.

There are just over 2 weeks left of the Easter Egg attendance and behaviour challenge, so just a quick reminder that to qualify, students must have an attendance figure of above 95% for term 4 and have received 0 behaviour points for this term as well.

Finally, a reminder about the Year 7 Positive Progress Thursday, 19th March. We hope to see as many parents and carers there as possible. The evening is aimed at discussing your child’s progress. Slots to speak to teachers are filling up fast, so please log into EduLink and book your appointments as soon as possible.

The Year 7 Team

Please see above information regarding the Year 10 Taster Day at BHASVIC on 15^th July.

Please note that bookings go live at midday on 16^th March and there are limited spaces available.

The booking form will automatically close once the limit has been reached and BHASVIC will not be able to operate a waiting list.

Watch this video to see why:

https://youtu.be/vBqgF0qi3UY

Resources for families —

Any queries, please contact Post16.Transport@eastsussex.gov.uk.

Our shortlisted winners from the Year 9 round have been rehearsing ready for next week’s Eastbourne final and preparing to film entries for the Globe Theatre competition. Please remember to complete consent forms so that students can attend these events.

Sparx Reader

Parents are sent an automated email by Sparx Reader on Saturday’s so that they can see how students are progressing. This is a great opportunity to help parents support students in the completion of their careful reading skills. Please be aware that Edulink submission is self-led and ticked by students and is not an indication that a task is necessarily completed.

World Book Day Tokens:

Last few days to use up these tokens in book shops. If you need a token, please collect from the library.    

In coaching time and the Year 10 assembly this week, the theme has been International Women’s Day. Mr Gardner led an assembly for the year group, and students took part in discussion based activities reflecting on the importance and impact of this global event.

We have also seen an improvement in student uniform standards. Please continue to reinforce to your child the importance of arriving at school fully prepared, with a school bag containing the equipment needed for learning, and wearing the correct uniform at all times, including their blazer.

Finally, as Year 10 mock exams begin on April 13th, we would appreciate your support in encouraging your child to prepare effectively. During coaching time we have shared a range of revision strategies with students, which we hope they are beginning to implement as part of their preparation.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to another successful week ahead for Year 10.

Year 10 Team

FREE, spoken word, music and performance skills workshops for 13 - 18 year olds this April and May. This opportunity is open to all young people in Sussex who want to develop their skills, tell their story on stage and build their confidence. 

Led by Young Writers Collective and AudioActive, Amplified is a platform for young creatives to express themselves through spoken word, poetry, lyrics and performance. Young people choose what they want to write about, and how they want to share it.  The best way to find out what the project is about is by watching a film about Amplified here 

This project is supported by Arts Council England. 

When?

Workshops will start on Wednesday 15th April 2026, 5.30pm - 7.30pm and continue on Wednesday 22nd April, 29th April, 6th May and 13th May. 

The rehearsal will take place on Saturday 16th May 2.30 - 5pm and the performance 

Where?

The workshops and performance will take place at The Birley Centre, 4 Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne BN21 4EF. This is a wheelchair accessible venue, close to Eastbourne railway station and city centre. 

Who? 

Anyone aged 13 to 18 can sign up to take part. Spaces are limited.

Workshops will be led by poet and professional writer Roy McFarlane and singer/songwriter Cate Ferris, plus guest leader playwright and screenwriter Suhayla El Bushra and a team of mentors. The team will support participants in the journey from blank page to performing on stage on Saturday 16th May. 

Do you need to be good at writing to take part? No! 

Do you need to be musical to take part? No! 

You choose what you want to say, and how you want to say it, whether that is through poetry, music, comedy, storytelling or rap and our team will support you through the process.  

Find out much more info and answers to other frequently asked questions here. 

Support with travel expenses and free food included! 

Find out more and sign up at https://www.youngwriterscollective.org/amplified Spaces are limited, so sign up before 1 April 2026 is recommended.

Hello CWCF Volunteers!

Exciting times here at Children with Cancer Fund as we prepare to take part in not one but TWO fun-packed carnivals this summer!

But to make these events a success, we rely on the kindness and generosity of our volunteers. We are looking for people to join us at Eastbourne Carnival on Saturday May 23rd and Bexhill Carnival on Saturday July 25th. Bexhill has chosen Children with Cancer Fund as one of its charities of the year, and we will receive half of all the money collected on the day. So we want to get as many people out there on the day as possible!

The carnivals have similar themes this year - Lights, Camera, Action (Eastbourne) and MOVIES (Bexhill). And as a children’s charity, what better genre of film for us to explore than children’s classics? If you would like to dress up as a character from a children’s film, we would love to see the results - think princesses, superheroes, Disney Villains, animals, characters from literature who made it on to the silver screen. Let your imagination run riot! However if fancy dress is not your scene, dressing in your CWCF tops/tabards will be great too! And if you have any children who would like to take part, please feel free to bring them along.

There are no limits on the number of volunteers who can join us on the day - the more the merrier!

However, please note that we will not be using lorries in either procession, so you will need to be able to walk the routes (comfy shoes are a must!)

The Eastbourne Carnival route runs from the Wish Tower Slopes to Fisherman’s Green (around 1.5 miles) while Bexhill Carnival is less than two miles (map below). Bexhill starts and finishes at The Polegrove sports ground where will be holding a teddy bear tombola (my colleague Ella will be appealing for volunteers nearer the time.)

There’s no need to register, but if you would like to come along, please email community@childrenwithcancerfund.org.ukso we can get an idea of how many people are interested. Please state which event you will be interested in joining.

Thank you so much once again for all your support and I hope you will be able to join us for the party!

Laura Cooke

Community and Challenge Events Fundraiser

Throughout the year, we look to keep you as up to date as possible on how your child is progressing at school. 

We do this through sending home 3 reports per year, as well as having positive progress parent evenings that give you a chance to communicate with your child's teachers. 

A reminder of the dates the reports are sent home, and of the parents evenings that we have throughout this year, please see the table above. As always, if you have further questions or want more information about how your child is doing you can contact us via email.

On Friday, GCSE PE students completed their practical moderation for an external examiner. Having travelled from London to observe the students in a range of sports, she too fed back that students were polite, well-mannered and performed well in the sports on show. We are proud of the Year 11 students taking these final weeks so seriously and applying themselves to get as many marks as possible to get the best possible outcomes for themselves.

We have a lot still taking place before the Easter Holidays in 2 weeks time:

• Further in class assessments taking place

• BTEC Dance Final Performance

• Non-Uniform Day for Comic Relief

• GCSE Drama Practical Exam

With all of the events going on and so much preparation happening for their GCSEs, the attendance of all students is vital to maximise opportunities as well as the potential of achieving the best possible outcomes. We are pleased to notice the levels of maturity increase in students and are keen to see this continue in the final few weeks.

The Year 11 Team