Upcoming Student Voice Meeting

Our first student voice meeting of the year takes place this week! Tutor reps in Year 7 and 8, along with Year 9 prefects, Year 10 Ambassadors and our Senior Team will meet to discuss the following. Please chat as a tutor group so that they can bring your views to the meeting. 

Enrichment Week

• Thinking about day trips, where would you like to visit as part of character enrichment week? (Remember that any day trip visit should enhance your character in some way.)

• Part of Character Enrichment week is about being charitable and giving back to the community/ environment in some way, have you any ideas about how students could do this in a way that is both fun and challenging?

• Which types of experiences would you most value during Character Enrichment Week?

Environmental Impact of the Academy 

• What do you think the school does well in terms of being sustainable and looking after the environment? 

• What could the school do to be more environmentally friendly and look after our environment? 

Thank you, Mr Atwell

Music Clubs 

Due to the INSET and Year 11 exams this week, there are some changes to extra curricular music this week. 

• Choir - we will rehearse on Thursday this week (8th October) during tutor time. 

• Orchestra - rehearsal cancelled. We will have an extended rehearsal during P1 the following week (Wednesday 14th October) 

• KS3 Band - this will be cancelled this week and will resume next week (Tuesday 13th October) 

Any questions, please let me know. 

Mr Bayliss 

Make Our School Journeys Safer! Join the Modeshift STARS Student Team

Hi everyone,

Do you walk, cycle, get the bus, or get dropped off at school? Ever feel like the roads around school could be safer, less busy, or better setup for students?

We are setting up a brand-new Student Travel & Safety Team, and we want you to be part of it!

Working alongside Miss Easton and a team of staff, you'll help lead the way toward earning our school the Modeshift STARS Quality Mark. This is an official accreditation that gives us a real voice to demand better footpaths, safer road crossings, and improved transport options from the local council.

Why join?

• Make a real difference: Help fix actual traffic and travel problems around our school.

• Great for your CV / Applications: Build leadership, teamwork, and campaigning skills that look fantastic on future applications.

• Lead campaigns: Run fun school initiatives, competitions, and active travel days.

How much time will it take?

Just a short meeting every few weeks, nothing that will interfere with your schoolwork!

Interested?

If you want to be involved or just find out more email Miss Easton - heaston@wardenpark.co.uk.

Let's make the journey to and from school better for everyone!

Thank you, Miss Easton

Road Safety

Following a serious near-miss reported by a concerned member of the public this week, all students are urgently reminded that Broad Street is a busy main road requiring your full attention, and under no circumstances should it ever be treated as an extension of the school grounds.

When departing the academy, you must strictly use the designated pelican crossing, ensuring that you wait patiently for the green pedestrian signal rather than cutting across corners, stepping into moving traffic, or crossing further up the road. Please remember that cutting across the road once lights have turned green places you at extreme physical risk, so we ask every student to act responsibly and demonstrate proper road safety awareness at all times to keep yourselves and our local community safe.

Thanks, Mr Kelly

Entering in the morning

A reminder that if you are in assembly in the morning you enter the assembly hall on the field side. If you want to visit the snack shack you must walk around the assembly hall. 

Students entering the main building (unless dropping items off, using the toilet or going to the library), can come in from 8.35 through the entrance on the canopy side of the assembly hall.

Thank you, Mr Atwell

Library Update - Books for Literacy Sessions

As you know, you are now expected to have a reading book for your literacy sessions in tutor. Failure to have a book will result in a lack of equipment log, and so it is important to make sure you bring a book with you. However, the process of rushing to get a book out before tutor time just to return it at break is not what these sessions are for! So, for the foreseeable future, students can no longer take out books before school. Students are encouraged to get a book out at break, lunch, or after school. You are also encouraged to choose a book you will keep reading, and if you would like recommendations, please ask the library staff and we would be delighted to help you find one to enjoy!

Mx Wedderburn-Bolton

iPad Reminders

We are really lucky to be in an academy where everybody has an iPad. They are a really valuable tool to support your learning.

A few things to remember about iPads are listed below. Please make sure that you are following this guidance.

Before school: you are allowed to use your iPad before the start of the school day. This is likely to include checking your timetable for the day or looking at work that is relevant to your studies.

If you are using your iPad for something that a teacher on duty thinks is not appropriate they will ask you to put your iPad away.

Break and lunch: you are not allowed to use your iPad during break & lunch. This is to give you an opportunity to socialise face-to-face with your friends.

During lessons: when your teacher is explaining something to the class, they will ask you to put your iPad down. This is so that they can be sure they have your full attention so that you do not miss anything important. Please follow these instructions quickly and stick to the iPads down rule.

Your iPad is an expensive piece of kit! Please make sure that you are looking after it carefully. This includes hanging your bag up if your iPad is in it. Bags with iPads in should not be left on the floor.

Thank you, Ms Simmons

Oracy Ambassadors Meeting - Wednesday 23rd September

Please can all Oracy Ambassadors meet for 10 minutes in the Assembly Hall on Wednesday 23rd September at 9:05am (after tutor time) to discuss this years plans.

All to attend please, see list here! 

Oracy Ambassadors should have already signed up to the google classroom and attended the first meeting last year. 

Thank you, Mrs Finley

Reading In Tutor 

Starting from this week, students will have one morning a week dedicated to reading their own books; this will take place on your usual literacy day.

- You will be expected to bring a book to read as part of this session. 

- Your tutor will be checking your reading log. Year 7s, please use the reading log in your new Next Steps Booklet all other year groups please create a copy of this digital version.  

- You will be awarded reading merits for each book completed. These will be turned into raffle tickets at the end of each term, with prizes ranging from book vouchers to Parkes Vouchers!

- You can also earn merits for taking part in our monthly Reading Challenges. 

- This is a session free of digital devices so please read from a physical book.  

If you don't have a book with you, you will be given a yellow log for not having a reading book and invited to the library during lunch time to pick up a book.

Thank you, Mr Kirk

Choir and Orchestra - no rehearsal this week

Unfortunately there will be no rehearsal for choir or orchestra this week as I am speaking in the assembly. 

We will meet as usual next week. 

Choir on Monday and Orchestra on Wednesday. 

Thank you, 

Mr Bayliss 

Entering the Academy in the morning

Are you getting caught up in heavy traffic entering the building by the Assembly Hall every morning?

Did you know you can walk around the school building, past the assembly hall and basketball courts and enter by that direction - this would certainly make sense if you had tutor in the Ferguson building or in History....

Thank you, 

Mr Atwell

Africa Community Day

Africa will be hosting their community day on Wednesday October 7th. 

There will be an African mask-making competition at break-time. 

There will be African-themed food at lunch. 

The annual staff charity football match will take place after school and tickets are available on the Parent Portal.

Thank you, 

Mr Kelly

Access to T7- the new kitchen! 

Please ensure that access to T7, our new kitchen, is via I2/the corridor by the Africa Office.

Please do not access T7 via T6.

Thank you for helping us to ensure that the correct access route is used.

Ms Fitzgerald

Welcome back everyone! 

A short but very important first edition for 2026–2027!

Years 9–11, it is essential that you watch the video message about break and lunch on your year group notices.

There have been some exciting upgrades to our facilities over the summer, along with some important room name changes that you will need to be aware of. If possible, I will share a video reel on Monday, as some areas are still being set up.

The most important information for your return is the room name changes and access information below.

• B3: Mr Watson’s Business, Careers and Enterprise classroom has relocated to the room previously known as H5. H5 will no longer be used as a room name. B3 is now located next to the music rooms, by the Quad.

• RAISE 1: This is a new classroom for our RAISE classes and smaller intervention groups. It is located in the old Additional Learning area and is accessed via the outside canopy opposite the Assembly Hall. Ms Eastin is based here. Miss O'Brien's ofice is also in this new area. 

• RAISE 2: This is another classroom for RAISE classes, as well as some of our smaller Maths and intervention groups. Mrs Francis will be based here. The room is located just down from the Library and Oceania Office, in the room previously known as B3.

• Technology rooms: Those of you studying Food Technology will undoubtedly be impressed by our brand-new kitchen facilities! These improvements have also resulted in some room name changes:

  • T7: This is the new kitchen, converted from the room previously known as I3. Mr Norris will be based here. Access is via I2.

  • T8: This is now the Technology IT room, previously known as T7.

  • T9: This is the Child Development classroom, located next to Art by the main stairs. It was previously known as T8. This change ensures that the room numbers flow logically as you walk through the area.

• AL7 is the new home of Ms Banks, so any EAL sessions willl be timetabled in here, this is accessed by the canopy area outside of the Assembly Hall. 

There have also been some key office moves:

• Mr Sorrell is now based in the old Student Services area.

• Mr Kelly is now located next to Oceania.

• Mrs Griggs and Mrs Hale are now based next to RAISE 1, in the old Additional Learning area.

• We also have a new Assistant Headteacher joining us. Mr Roberts will be based next to Studio B.

If you have any questions or find yourself a little lost, don’t panic—just ask a member of staff. We will be in the corridors to help.

Ms Fitzgerald