Dear Parents and Carers,

The Year 7 students have coped well with the rainy weather in January / early February, and have continued to work hard in lessons and contribute some excellent points to verbal discussions. 

Several of the Year 7s are making excellent contributions to Student Council. This is an invaluable opportunity for Year 7 students to develop the important skill of speaking up in meetings, and making clear and succinct points. The feedback which we have received on the Year 7s has been excellent.

Miss Perry and Mr Lee (Head of RE) took a large number of Year 7 students to Canterbury, where they had a chance to visit the cathedral and other historic places of interest. It was an excellent day all round and staff were very impressed with the students' behaviour and conduct.

Please do encourage your sons / daughters to participate in the many after school clubs which we run at Cornwallis. These include sports clubs, Art clubs, and Dance clubs. We do not charge for attending these, and they are excellent at helping students develop their talents / interests in these areas.

After half term, several members of the year group will be participating in the Bikeability programme at Cornwallis Academy. This will take place in the week beginning March 2nd. Full details have been sent to those students who have signed up.

We'd like to wish all our students a relaxing half term holiday. We look forward to seeing the Year 7s return on Tuesday 24th February.

Kind regards,

Mr Spurling & Miss Perry

Dear Parents and Carers,

Happy ‘Belated’ New Year to our Year 8 Community.

Year 8 Sporting Events – Football, Netball and Basketball

This term, our Year 8s have experienced a variety of Sporting events, which have given them the opportunity to showcase their talents alongside their teamwork skills. They have done brilliantly and represented our Year Group with outstanding success. It is these types of occasions that make Miss Edwards and I really proud. A special ‘Well Done’ to our Year 8 Basketball Team who have never trained or played before. Mr Jones (Cornwallis Academy Physical Education Teacher) said, “they did very well. After the matches they thanked the referee, thanked the scoring table and were generally a pleasure to take away to the fixture. Their behaviour and attitude were exemplary."

Year 8 Individual Sporting Success – Will Barker and Cadence Watts

Well Done to Will B, who after representing Cornwallis Academy in the Maidstone Schools’ Cross Country Championships, was then selected to represent Maidstone District in the Kent event too – a great achievement.

Also, a huge Well Done to our Cornwallis Academy Swimming Team, who participated in the Kent Schools’ Swimming Championship in Margate this term. There were some noticeable performances across out team but a massive shout out to our Year 8 Superstar – Cadence W for representing our Year Group incredibly well.

Year 8 Rock of Ages – That’s a Wrap

A huge round of applause for everyone who made up the crew in our Christmas Show – Rock of Ages. It was amazing and after 12 weeks of rehearsals and 3 magnificent performances the curtain was drawn on another successful production. A special well done to our Year 8s involved.

Year 8 Attendance and Achievement Update

Well done to all our tutor groups for their continued efforts in attending everyday – even when feeling slightly poorly. At the time of writing this, our winning tutor group is 8CE followed very closely by 8JM, 8RQ/LH and 8SC. Who will take the top spot at the end of the week?

A strong lead for 8FJ too, in the House Point League – Well done to everyone in Miss Johnson’s Tutor Group so far for contributing to this lead.

In preparation for our return on Tuesday 24th February 2026, please could we ask for your support in ensuring that your child is dressed in full, correct uniform, is fully equipped, does not have incorrect eyelashes and nails and is only wearing the allowed items of jewellery. This would ensure that they get off to the best possible start.

Could we also make a plea that if you have any suitable school shoes and Cornwallis Academy school blazers, which are no longer in use, please could you donate them to the Year 8 Team so that we can support those students who forget theirs.

Have a fantastic half-term, stay safe and we look forward to seeing you all return on Tuesday 24th February 2026. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Mr G Robinson – Head of Year 8 and Teacher of Science – grobinson@cornwallisacademy.com

Miss G Edwards – Year 8 Student Support Manager – gedwards@cornwallisacademy.com

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we come to the end of what has been a busy and successful term, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on the many achievements and experiences of our Year 9 students. It has been a long and full term, and I am extremely proud of the maturity, engagement and resilience shown by the year group.

One of the key milestones this term was the Year 9 options process. The options and parents’ evening were very well attended and highly successful. It was wonderful to see students engaging thoughtfully with discussions about their next steps and future pathways, and I would like to thank you for your continued support in guiding them through these important decisions.

This term, Year 9 have taken part in a number of meaningful assemblies. Students attended an assembly focused on Holocaust Memorial, which encouraged reflection, empathy and understanding of historical events and their relevance today. Building on this, a selected group of history students also took part in a Holocaust workshop, where they explored the topic in greater depth and demonstrated excellent maturity and engagement throughout.

We were also pleased to welcome representatives from the University of Kent, who delivered an assembly highlighting future opportunities and pathways into higher education. Following this, a select group of Year 9 students visited the University of Kent campus. This visit was a fantastic opportunity for students to experience university life first-hand and begin to consider aspirations beyond secondary school.

Beyond the classroom, students have continued to impress through enrichment opportunities. A group of students took part in a combined RE and Art workshop, allowing them to explore creative and reflective approaches across both subjects. In sport, the Year 9 boys’ basketball team played their first away fixtures of the season. The team showed great determination and teamwork, winning one game and narrowly losing the second — an excellent start to the season and something to be very proud of.

As we approach the end of term, I would like to thank you for your ongoing support. Your encouragement plays a vital role in the success of your children. Please remember that myself and the Year 9 pastoral team are always available should you need to contact us.

I would like to wish you and your families a restful and enjoyable break, and I look forward to welcoming our Year 9 students back next term on Tuesday 24th February, refreshed and ready for term four.

Many thanks for your continued support.

Mrs Clark-Keen
Head of Year 9

Dear Year 10 Parents and Carers,

As the end of Term 3 approaches, I am sure all our Year 10 students are ready for a well-deserved half term break.  Please note that Monday 23rd February is an INSET Day. Students return on Tuesday 24th February 2026.

Despite the persistent rain this term, our students have been studying hard in lessons, preparing for their PPEs (which are approaching fast!) and engaging in wider school experiences. Students should be revising at home and completing homework as this will support their learning and will contribute to exam success. A particular highlight this term has been the ‘Aim A Little Higher’ workshops. Students have participated in sessions such as how to reach their potential and looked at how money works in the real world.

Thank you to all the students and families that have returned their work experience forms.  Please do contact me if you have any questions or need support with a placement.   

A reminder of the work experience deadlines below:

• Friday 24th April 2026 - Deadline for forms - Both the Placement Checklist Form and the Parent Permission Form must be returned before this date.

• Friday 17th July 2026 – Deadline to return completed Work Experience Diary to Form Tutors on TEAMS.

I hope you all have a lovely half term break and I look forward to welcoming you all back to school on Tuesday 24th February.

Warm regards,

The Year 10 Team 

Key dates

• Year 10 Pre-Public Exams (PPEs) – Monday 20th April – Friday 1st May 2025

• Year 10 Parents evening – Thursday 21st May 2025

• Year 10 Work Experience – Monday 6th July – Thursday 16th July 2025

Dear families,

The year 11 students have had a positive start to 2026. Lessons have been calm and students have been engaged, which helps to maximise their opportunity to succeed when the exams start.

We’re pleased to see that there is increasing attendance to revision sessions at both lunch and afterschool. These sessions are a fantastic way to reinforce learning, fill any gaps in understanding, and build confidence ahead of the GCSE exams, so please continue to attend as we encourage all students to keep up the momentum and take advantage of the extra support available. Every session counts!

On Friday 6th February, students were given the opportunity to explore a college style day or a 6th form pathway by attending sessions led by specialist teachers in those areas. Both attendance and engagement were outstanding, with teachers and students commenting on the success of the day.

There is no wasting time at the start of term 4 with the 2nd round of PPEs commencing for a 2-week period. This is an important set of mock exams that will allow everyone to gauge the level of progress the students have made since Term 2 and provide valuable data to create more bespoke lesson and revision sessions leading into the exam season. Students are encouraged to fully prepare for the PPEs to help give them a clear idea of their attainment and hopefully, increased confidence for the Summer.

The Year 11 pastoral team is incredibly proud of the dedication, effort, and progress students have demonstrated so far. It has been a pleasure to see such a positive and determined attitude across the year group.

Attendance and Punctuality

Attending school every day and arriving on time to lessons is one of the simplest but most powerful ways for students to set themselves up for success. Every school day builds on the last. Missing even a few can cause gaps in understanding, make it harder to keep up, and increase stress. Being present and punctual helps you:

• Stay on top of your work

• Build strong habits and self-discipline

• Take full advantage of support from teachers

• Participate fully in discussions and group work

• Avoid falling behind and feeling overwhelmed

Success doesn't come from just showing up occasionally, it comes from consistency. It is vital that our Year 11 students make the most of every minute they have left at school by being in every day and on time to all lessons.

Uniform and equipment

Uniform for year 11 has been very good, although a minority of students have come into school with trainers on, albeit due to issues with footwear. Full uniform, including wearing blazers, ties and correct footwear is still a requirement for all students until their last exam. If there are issues with wearing appropriate uniform, then parents are required to either call or email the school before the school day as there are sanctions in place for not adhering to the school’s uniform policy, something we want to avoid at this stage of the academic year.

Please remind students that they should be coming to school each day fully equipped. This includes a bag, stationery, pencil case (needs to be clear for exams) and their PE kit on days of PE (Tuesday or Friday). PE remains a compulsory element of school life in accordance with the national curriculum and provides an opportunity to engage in activities to maintain health and well-being outside the classroom.

Key information and dates for Term 4:

-          First Day back: Tuesday 24th February

-          PPE’s: These will begin from the first day back from half-term and will be conducted over a 2-week period (Tuesday 24th February- Monday 9th March).

-          MFL Speaking PPE’s: Tuesday 10th March-Wednesday 11th March)

-          BTEC Results day: Thursday 19th March

-          GCSE PE Moderation Day: Thursday 19th March

-          Parents Evening: Thursday 26th March

-          Performing Arts Exam: Friday 27th March (Lesson 3 & 4a)

-          Year 11 Art Exams:  Monday 30th March and Tuesday 31st March

-          Last Day of Term – Thursday 2nd April

We hope you all have a great and restful half term.

The Year 11 team

Dear families, 

Another busy term for our sixth form community! We had the all important UCAS deadline in January and all applications were complete and sent off beforehand. We are very proud of our students who have had some excellent offers including Medicine. We finished our open mornings and toured more prospective students around our school to lessons in action and talk to our current sixth form students for their invaluable insight.

Our Year 12 and 13 Art students had a trip to London to visit the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Our Kent Panthers Basketball team continue on their winning streak – still undefeated this academic year! We also are very proud of our year 12 student Ben who has been selected for Team GB training for Taekwondo – an amazing achievement and we wish him lots of luck. Finally, we are happy to have a brand new water installation in our sixth form area to assist in reducing plastic waste, a very welcome addition. Wishing everyone a well deserved break next week as next term will bring examinations closer.

Sixth Form Team