Week 32
Hello to our families of Watling Academy, I hope this finds you all well.
As I write this I am feeling a little emotional, as today we officially say goodbye to our lovely Y11 students. I haven’t known them for very long, but I am hugely proud of what they have achieved and how they are approaching their GCSE exams. I wish them all the best for the remainder of the exam season and happiness and success in their next steps.
I’d also like to congratulate our Y10 students who have been on Work Experience this week. We have been receiving some excellent feedback. Thank you for your support, as I know many parents have helped with placements, and a special thank you to Mrs Mahmood for all her hard work in organising this week.
Enjoy the bank holiday weekend and the lovely weather and I look forward to welcoming our students back on Monday 1 June after the half term holiday.
As ever, thank you all for your support.
Mrs Anderson
Headteacher
Here are some more of this week’s highlights.
Year 7 and 8 Success in UKMT Mathematics Competition
Some of our Year 7 and 8 students recently took part in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge, representing the school exceptionally well and demonstrating excellent enthusiasm, resilience, and mathematical thinking throughout the challenge.
We are delighted to share that out of the 64 Year 7 students who took part, 15 achieved Bronze certificates, 13 achieved Silver certificates, and 3 achieved Gold certificates. Among the 64 Year 8 students who took part, 30 achieved Bronze certificates, 15 achieved Silver certificates, and 1 achieved a Gold certificate.
In addition, Melody G (Year 7), Toby L (Year 7), and Harold O (year 8) have qualified for the Junior Kangaroo competition, which is an outstanding achievement and a testament to their hard work and problem-solving skills. We are incredibly proud of all students who participated and the mature attitude they showed towards the event. Their effort and commitment are a real credit to the school.
Year 9 Compete in the Edge Hill University Maths Challenge
Well done to Year 9 students Archie L, Sammy B, Jude S, Bella G, Cora M, Luke M, and Anya‑Grace R for their fantastic efforts in the Edge Hill University Maths Challenge. Our teams performed brilliantly, successfully progressing through the first round before narrowly missing out in the second.
Organisers praised the students for their hard work and enthusiasm, sharing the following message: “We want to express our sincere gratitude for your enthusiastic participation and hard work in this year’s Mathematics Challenge. The level of engagement and the quality of the solutions submitted were truly impressive. It was inspiring to see so many talented students tackling challenging mathematics problems with such dedication and ingenuity.”
We are incredibly proud of all the students involved and look forward to seeing them continue to develop their mathematical skills.
Mr Mason Celebrates DofE 70th Anniversary at Buckingham Palace
In his role as DofE Coordinator, Mr Mason was honoured to visit Buckingham Palace for the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Guests gathered in the beautiful Palace Gardens, where they explored a range of exhibits and activities showcasing the history and impact of the DofE programme, while enjoying tea, cake, and music from military bands. From the West Terrace, HRH Prince Edward delivered an inspiring speech reflecting on the achievements of DofE participants. He was followed by two Gold Award holders, personally selected by the Duke of Edinburgh, who shared their own experiences of the programme.
We hope that our current Bronze and Silver participants will be inspired to continue their DofE journey, pursue their Gold Award, and one day celebrate at events like this as Watling’s very first Gold Award achievers.
Sixth Form Students Practise their Interview Skills
Over the past few weeks, we have been delighted to welcome a wide range of employers, apprentices, and higher education partners into Watling Academy to support our Year 12 students through a mock interview programme. These experiences have been invaluable in helping students build confidence, strengthen their communication skills, and gain a clearer understanding of employer expectations.
Student engagement throughout the process has been excellent, and the feedback provided by our visiting professionals has already had a meaningful impact on students’ readiness for their next steps. We are extremely grateful to all those who generously gave their time and expertise to support our students, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen these partnerships to provide even more opportunities in the future.
Sports Results
- U13 Cricket Vs Lord Grey LOST
- Year 7/8/9 Pickleball tournament. Just for fun, but students did really well at trying something new!
What’s happening after half-term?
- Monday 1st June – Week A
- Academy re-opens to students
- Year 10 MFL Speaking Mock Exams – all week
- Year 12 Folder Checks – all week
- Year 11 GCSE Exams AM: Arabic, Italian, PE
- Year 11 GCSE Exams PM: German
- Tuesday 2nd June –
- Year 11 GCSE Exams AM: Combined Science (Physics), Physics
- Year 11 GCSE Exams PM: Community Languages (Arabic, Urdu, Polish, Persian), Media Studies
- Wednesday 3rd June –
- Year 7 Whipsnade Zoo trip
- Year 11 GCSE Exams AM: Maths
- Year 11 GCSE Exams PM: Geography, Health & Social Care
- Thursday 4th June –
- Year 10 Network Rail Careers Programme
- Year 12 Mock Exam Results
- Year 11 GCSE Exams AM: History
- Year 11 GCSE Exams PM: French
- Year 8 & 9 Hunger Games Book Event
- Friday 5th June –
- Year 10 & 12 Progress Review 3 sent home
- Year 10 Mock Exam Results
- Year 11 GCSE Exams AM: English Language
- Year 11 GCSE Exams PM: Music
Sports Fixtures
- Thursday 4th June –
- U15 Cricket Vs Dr Challoners at Stony Stratford Cricket Club AWAY
