Week 8
Welcome to this week’s bulletin, I hope you enjoyed a restful half-term break. It has been fantastic to welcome students back to school this week and to see them quickly settle back into their routines with enthusiasm and purpose. There have been some exciting events across the school this week, the highlights of which you can read about below.
Wishing you all a lovely weekend and a happy Diwali to those who celebrate.
Mrs Anderson
Headteacher
Attendance Matters: Every Lesson Counts
As we move towards the end of the autumn term, attendance remains one of the most significant factors influencing student achievement. Every lesson builds on previous learning, and regular attendance helps students develop confidence, maintain progress, and avoid gaps in understanding.
The weeks leading up to the festive break remain an important period for learning. Valuable teaching, assessments, enrichment activities, and opportunities to celebrate success continue right up until the final day of term. We would also remind families that holidays should not be taken during term time. Missing school for avoidable reasons can have a significant impact on learning, friendships, routines, and academic progress, particularly when absences occur alongside the natural disruption of the festive period.
Building positive habits around attendance helps young people develop resilience, commitment, and confidence. Thank you for supporting your child to attend every day they can and helping them make the most of every opportunity to learn and succeed.
We’re here to help. If there is anything affecting your child’s attendance, please contact your child’s Tutor, Head of Year, or our Attendance Team. At Watling Academy, we are here to work with you and provide support wherever possible.
Year 8 and 9 MEP Students Explore Chinese Culture
Our Year 8 and Year 9 MEP students took part in a cultural workshop this week, jointly organised by the Confucius Institute at Oxford Brookes University and the Tianyi Pavilion Museum.
During the workshop, students enjoyed a virtual tour of Tianyi Pavilion Museum in Ningbo, Southeast China discovering its rich history and unique book collection. They also recited the Chinese classic Three Character Classic (San Zi Jing), explored a Chinese cultural exhibition and experienced traditional Chinese movable-type printing. The students were particularly fascinated by Tianyi Pavilion‘s ingenious fire-prevention design.
During the printing activity, they worked in groups, arranging characters, applying ink, printing and mounting their own creations. They showed great enthusiasm, creativity and teamwork throughout the experience.
We would like to thank the Confucius Institute at Oxford Brookes University and the Tianyi Pavilion Museum for providing this wonderful opportunity as well as the staff involved in organising and supporting the event. We are very proud of our students and look forward to offering more opportunities for them to learn Chinese, experience Chinese culture and gain a deeper understanding of China.
Citizenship & Politics Students Speak to Local MP Chris Curtis
On Wednesday, GCSE Citizenship students and A Level Politics students had the opportunity to hear from Chris Curtis, the local MP. He spoke eloquently about his role in Parliament, and what his aims are for the local area for the next few years. Chris then took questions from students, and these questions really put him to the test! Students asked him about what the local area is doing to support those contending with homelessness, how to manage situations when you disagree with those who have different political ideas to yourself, and also the biggest achievements and challenges he has faced within his role. The students who attended the talk represented the school fantastically, demonstrating a strong interest in the world of politics, and also in ensuring that our local representatives do all they can to improve the local area. Chris showed a keen interest in learning more about the growth of Watling Academy, and how the new Sixth Form was continuing to expand. We hope that Chris will return in the future to work with our Politics students in the Sixth Form to not only develop their understanding of the subject, but also to hear their thoughts and concerns regarding the future of the city of MK.
Celebrating the Magic on Harry Potter Day
We celebrated Harry Potter Day on Thursday 23rd October, with activities in the Library throughout the day for all year groups, including a quiz trail and ‘Book Chat’ event, expertly planned and hosted by our student Reading Advocates. The day was topped off with an after school event for Year 7, where students got the chance to share their love of all things Harry Potter and put their Hogwarts knowledge to the test, with Harry Potter bingo, quizzes and creative activities. It was fantastic to see the excitement and passion for these books, which continue to capture the imagination of so many students.
Learning to Drive, Driving Tests and Beyond!
For this week’s enrichment session, Year 12 students had an informative session with Matthew Leeden from Drive Johnson. Matthew shared valuable advice on the journey to becoming a confident and safe driver, covering everything from choosing a driving instructor and preparing for the theory test to understanding what to expect during the practical driving test. He also helped students separate driving test facts from common myths and highlighted the importance of road safety, responsibility and learning at your own pace.
For many of our students, learning to drive is an important step towards independence, confidence, and future opportunities. We are grateful to Matthew for taking the time to share his expertise and practical advice with our students.
Watling Academy Careers Fair
We are inviting businesses and organisations from across Milton Keynes and beyond to join us for our Careers Fair which is taking place on Thursday 3rd December, 8:30am-3:15pm. Bringing together students from Years 10-13, the event will give them the opportunity to meet employers, discover different industries and learn about career pathways, including apprenticeships, higher education, and employment.
Whether you represent a large organisation, small business, or specialist industry, we would love to hear from you. Your career journey, industry knowledge and experiences could inspire a young person to explore a pathway they may never have considered before. If you would be interested in attending, please register here: Careers Fair 2026 – Employer Registration
Reminders
Parent Survey
Thank you to everyone who has completed the Watling Academy Parent Survey so far, your feedback is greatly appreciated. For those who haven’t already done so, a gentle reminder that the survey is open until Monday 9th November and gives you an opportunity to share your views on various aspects of Academy life and the experience of your child at Watling. Please take a moment to provide your feedback here: Watling Academy Parent Survey. For more information, please see the letter on ParentMail, originally sent on 14th October.
Sports Results
- Year 7 Girls Netball v Walton High – 5-5 draw
- Year 8 Girls Netball v Walton High – Won 11-3
- Year 10 Boys Basketball v Stantonbury – Won 53-45
- Year 10 Boys Football v Denbigh – Lost 2-0
What’s happening next week?
- Monday 9th November – Week B
- Year 12 & 13 Folder Checks – all week
- Tuesday 10th November–
- Year 7 Knife Crime workshops
- Wednesday 11th November –
- Remembrance Day
- Thursday 12th November –
- A Level Geography trip to Bournemouth Beach
- Year 7 Knife crime workshops
- ESU MACE Debate workshop
- Friday 13th November –
- Year 7 House Day
- Year 7, 11 & 12 Progress Review 1 sent home
Sports Fixtures
- Tuesday 10th November –
- Year 7 Boys County Cup Football Vs Beaconsfield School HOME
- Year 11 Girls 5-a-side Football Tournament AWAY
- All Girls Badminton Vs Denbigh AWAY
- All Boys Badminton Vs Denbigh HOME
- Wednesday 11th November –
- Year 10 Boys Football Vs St Paul’s AWAY
- Year 11 Boys Football Vs St Pauls HOME
- Year 11 Table Tennis moderation Vs Denbigh HOME
- Thursday 12th November –
- U13 Girls County Cup Football Vs Beaconsfield HOME
- Friday 13th November –
- Thornton Trail Cross Country AWAY
We’d love to hear your thoughts on the bulletin. Have you enjoyed reading this? Is there anything else you’d like to see included in future? Should you have any questions, comments or feedback, please do not hesitate to email: communications@watling.academy
