Week 37
As we reach the end of another lively and memorable week, I’m pleased that the temperatures have dropped to a bearable level! The week has been filled with inspiring trips, unforgettable events, sporting triumphs, and some impressive displays of language brilliance. We were thrilled to welcome our future Year 7 students for their transition days on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Monday evening, new parents and carers visited Watling on a very hot day for an information event.
Our building project reached another milestone, with all external and internal walls being installed on our Sixth Form building. This is a significant moment for the project, which continues to progress well. We are delighted to be working with Qube, a local company, to deliver this project.
Lockdown practices
Before the end of term, we will be holding a practice of our lockdown procedures in school. This is a practice that has been planned throughout the year and is part of our normal health and safety procedures intended to keep everyone safe. As you will have seen from local coverage, there have been a few incidents of required lockdowns in other MK Schools this week. I want to reassure all members of our community that these events did not involve or impact Watling Academy, however it does demonstrate the importance of making sure that we all know what will happen during a real lockdown situation.
During a full lockdown, students and staff will be informed via a tannoy announcement to “commence lockdown procedures”. Students are required to sit on the floor, away from classroom doors. Staff will lock doors and close blinds in rooms. Once a lockdown is over, this will be announced over the school tannoy. After our practice, students will be able to return to their normal lesson and the day will continue as normal. If a student is concerned about this, they will be able to seek support from their Tutors or our fantastic pastoral team.
Please be aware that during a lockdown or lockdown drill, mobile phones will not be in general use across the school. We therefore ask that you refrain from calling the school during this time and kindly remind your child not to use their phone either. We understand your natural instinct to check that everyone is safe, but maintaining silence on all lines is essential to ensure our procedures run smoothly. Rest assured, as soon as the lockdown is lifted, we will communicate with you immediately to confirm the safety and well-being of all students and staff. Thank you for your support with this.
Year 11 Prom
Last Friday we held our very first Year 11 prom at Chicheley Hall. Set against the stunning backdrop of a historic venue, the evening was a celebration of achievement, friendship and the shared journey of our first-ever cohort of students. From the elegant setting to the beautiful outfits and celebratory atmosphere, it was a night that will remain a highlight of their school experience.
A heartfelt thank you to all who helped organise the event and to the staff, students and families who made it so special. We wish our Year 11s all the very best as they take their next steps.
Watling Winners at the MK Athletics Competition
On Wednesday, over 60 talented athletes proudly represented Watling Academy at the MK Athletics Fed Cup held at Stantonbury Stadium, competing across a variety of track and field events. Our students gave it their all and did us proud. Our relay teams did well with Year 7 girls and boys teams winning and Year 8 girls and Year 9 boys coming second in their races, plus a special mention to our Year 10 boys relay team (Abiola, Zeyn, Max L & Maxwell – pictured below) who not only won their event, but did so in record time! We also celebrated a number of individual event winners—huge congratulations to each of you and well done to everyone who took part. The full list of champions is shared below. Out of 17 secondary schools across Milton Keynes, Watling Academy proudly placed 4th overall—an outstanding team effort!
- 100m – Abiola, Aubrey
- 200m – Maxwell, Shanae
- 300m – Maisam
- 400m – Max L
- 800m – Nicole, Yvie
- 1500m – Charlie
- Long jump – Zeyn
- High Jump – Zhane
Student success at the Foreign Language Translation Bee National Final
On Monday 30th June, four of our Year 9 students—Ben, Edith, Talasya, and Mishika—represented Watling Academy at the University of Cambridge in the Stage 4 National Final (South of England) of the Routes into Languages Foreign Language Translation Bee.
This year marked the exciting debut of Mandarin in the competition, and our students rose to the challenge brilliantly. Each competitor worked against the clock to translate as many sentences as possible into Mandarin across a range of time frames—an impressive linguistic feat.
We’re proud to share that Mishika achieved an exceptional second place nationally—a remarkable accomplishment and a first for Watling Academy in reaching the top three at the National Final. Please join us in congratulating all four students on their incredible achievement and for being such fantastic ambassadors for the school.
Thank you to the staff and families who helped to facilitate this opportunity and to Ms Chen, our Mandarin Assistant, who spent many afternoons practising with students.
MEP China trip
On Wednesday, we waved off some of our Year 9 students as they set off on an incredible journey to China as part of the Mandarin Excellence Programme.
Accompanied by Mr Brown, Mr Mason, Mr Scott and Ms Zhao, the group first flew to Beijing where they had a 4 hour layover before flying on to Kunming, in beautiful Yunnan Province, where they are being hosted by Kunming University of Science and Technology. Arriving yesterday after a 20 hour journey, students got some much needed rest before waking up to an impressive breakfast buffet at the hotel which included a variety of Chinese dishes and drinks for them to try.
This trip is a fantastic opportunity for our students to immerse themselves in language and culture, build global connections, and grow in confidence through unforgettable experiences. We wish them a fantastic trip and look forward to seeing more photos along the way. You can follow their progress with regular updates on our Facebook page.
Respectful communication
I’d like to thank parents and carers for supporting our staff and trusting us to use our experience and professional judgement in running Watling Academy. While the vast majority of our parents and carers communicate with staff in a respectful and constructive way, it is unfortunate that our team does sometimes have to deal with rude, aggressive, or even threatening behaviour. This is neither fair nor acceptable. Staff are not expected to tolerate such behaviour—telephone calls will be ended immediately, and any visitor behaving aggressively will be asked to leave the school site. In serious or repeated cases, a communication ban may be put in place.
Our staff work incredibly hard to support your children, and they deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect at all times. We truly appreciate the support of our parent community and know that we are stronger when we collaborate and work positively together. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for everyone.
Reminders
Library books
Please ensure students have returned or renewed any overdue library books before the end of term. Students have a chance to win House Points and prizes for their form for returning books. If you have a lost or damaged book you may provide a replacement copy to clear your library account. Please speak to the Library staff about any issues with the books on your account.
Summer uniform
Next week is due to be hot again, so we will keep current arrangements for uniform in place. Students are not required to wear a tie, blazer or jumper to school. Please also remind students to bring plenty of water with them. I will keep an eye on the predicted temperatures and update you if any further changes need to be made.
Wishing you a restful and enjoyable weekend,
Mrs Fry
Headteacher
MK Athletics Fed Cup winners:
- 1st – Year 7 Girls Relay
- 1st – Year 7 Boys Relay
- 1st – Year 10 Boys Relay – with a record time!
- 2nd – Year 8 Girls Relay
- 2nd – Year 9 Boys Relay
- Event winners:
- 100m – Abiola, Aubrey
- 200m – Maxwell, Shanae
- 300m – Maisam
- 400m – Max L
- 800m – Nicole , Yvie
- 1500m – Charlie
- Long jump – Zeyn
- High Jump – Zhane
What’s happening next week?
- Monday 7th July –
- MEP China trip continues all week
- Thursday 10th July –
- Year 10 Health & Social Care First Aid course
- Academic Mentoring afternoon
- School closes at 12:30pm
Sports Fixtures –
- Monday 7th July –
- Year 7 open football trials
- Tuesday 8th July -
- Year 8 Cricket Vs Shenley Brook End AWAY
- U16 Girls football trials
- Wednesday 9th July –
- U14 Girls football trials (rescheduled from 1st July)
- Year 9 & 10 Netball
- Friday 11th July –
- Year 7 Cricket tournament AWAY
