Dear Parents and Carers,

I am delighted to share some fantastic feedback following our International Baccalaureate (IB) Evaluation visit last Thursday and Friday. We welcomed two IB educators to the academy to see our Middle Years Programme (MYP) in action across Key Stage 3, and we couldn’t be prouder of the result.

The visitors spent two full days immersed in LA Mascalls life—visiting lessons, observing breaks and lunchtimes, and meeting with our governors, parents, and many of our wonderful students. While the formal report will follow, their verbal feedback was fantastic:

• A Warm Community: They were struck by how welcoming the academy is, highlighting the positive way our students interact and the genuine, supportive relationships between staff and pupils.

• Breadth of Opportunity: Our curriculum really shone; they were impressed by the practical skills our students develop and our extensive co-curricular programme. In fact, they enjoyed the atmosphere so much they mentioned wishing they could return for our OnMas Festival at the end of the year!

• Celebrating Achievement: It was a pleasure to have them join one of our College Celebration Assemblies. They highly commended our rewards programme and the way we recognise the hard work of our young people.

This visit was a brilliant opportunity to showcase the vibrant learning environment we strive to create every day. My thanks go to the staff and students who made such a lasting impression.

As a large staff body of almost 100 members, we naturally see some changes throughout the academic year. While we always strive to minimise disruption to learning, at times, these adjustments are unavoidable.  Looking ahead to Module 4, I am pleased to announce the return of Mrs. Alldridge, Teacher of Drama and former Deputy Head of Post 16. She returns from maternity leave having successfully achieved her SENCO qualification and will be taking on the vital new role of Lead Practitioner – Inclusion, supporting our SEN and Inclusion provision.

With Mrs. Alldridge’s return and two other members of staff heading off on their own maternity leave, we have had to make some adjustments to student timetables. We have done everything possible to limit the number of teacher changes; however, it is impossible to avoid this entirely. Students will receive their new timetables next week before we break for half term, allowing them to be fully prepared for the new module.

Please be assured that Key Stage 4 and 5 students have predominantly kept the same teachers to ensure continuity during such crucial stages of their education. We appreciate that mid-year changes are not always ideal, but they are necessary to maintain the high standard of support and teaching your children deserve.

On a celebratory note, we have recently held our module assemblies to recognize the outstanding efforts of our students. I am thrilled to announce that our very first Silver award has been presented to Lauren in Year 9.  This is a wonderful achievement, and while many other students are now catching up quickly, Lauren has already set her sights on the Gold award by the end of the year. The race is officially on to see if she will be the first student in Mascalls history to achieve it!  It is a joy to see our students pushing themselves to reach these milestones. 

Thank you for your continued support of the academy.

Warm regards,

Mrs Brooks 

Principal