Dear Families

As we close another term here at the academy, I am, as always, thrilled to share some of the highlights and developments that have taken place over the past few weeks!

Launch of the Science Ambassador Programme
As you know, we are working to develop a range of meaningful leadership opportunities for students in all year groups. As part of this, we were proud to launch our Science Ambassador Programme. Their first assignment was to plan a series of experiments for our younger students to complete within science lessons as part of our Science Week celebrations, which was a huge success! Alongside our Student Ambassadors and Reading Ambassadors, we look forward to further expanding our leadership programme later in the academic year.


Tutor reading and World Book Day
Each morning at Wells, students are read to by their form tutor. It's such a lovely, calm start to the day that is proven to develop students' vocabulary and reading fluency. More importantly though, it's an opportunity for us all to get lost in the magical world of a story!
Once again, we had a fantastic day celebrating World Book Day. I enjoyed joining other members of staff in our 'masked reader' activity where we read to students 'The Hitchhiker' by Anthony Horowitz (one of my favourite short stories)! Another highlight was being visited by our Reading Ambassadors, who delighted our staff with sweet book-themed treats! 


Ramadan
As you'll be aware, many students and staff have observed Ramadan over the past few weeks. It has been lovely to see students and staff come together at lunchtime. It makes me proud to be a part of such an inclusive community and thankful to our staff for facilitating these opportunities for our students. 


Duke of Edinburgh's Award
This term we officially launched the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Students and staff spent a very wet weekend outdoors as they began preparations for their Bronze expedition! I look forward to more updates in the summer term!


Sporting Achievements
Students at Wells continue to shine on the field and court. This term, students in all year groups have competed in numerous football, badminton and basketball tournaments, competing against their peers within Greenwood Academies Trust and other students in the city and region. It's always lovely when we win, but, crucially, we always remind students that representing the academy is an incredible achievement in itself!



Brilliant Work
As always, I've had the pleasure of witnessing exceptional teaching and learning across all subject areas during this half term. I am continually inspired by the dedication of our expert teachers and it's a joy to see our students so focussed and engaged in their learning. Those of you that follow our social media channels will agree that the quality of the work that students are producing in lesson is exceptional. 


Breakfast Bonus Month
In response to student feedback, we launched our Breakfast Bonus Week this term which was an expanded menu in addition to our usual Breakfast Club offer. We know that students learn better when they've had a decent breakfast and so we are proud to offer this provision. Due to its incredible success, it turned into a month-long celebration of delicious morning meals! After Easter, we're introducing a brand-new project which we are calling, Grab and Go on the Gate! As part of GAGOTG, we'll be offering students the chance to grab a breakfast snack and drink on the main gate before starting their day. This initiative aims to ensure all students are suitably fuelled and ready for learning from the moment they arrive!

Year 8 Parents' Evening
It has been incredible to see the ever rising number of families joining us at our Parents' Evenings. We were delighted to break a new record in terms of attendance to our Year 8 Parents' Evening. Please accept my thanks for engaging positively with our staff and supporting your child's academic journey. A special thanks to our Student Ambassadors who attended our recent event to serve refreshments to their teachers! 


Zero to Hero
As always at the end of the term, we celebrate our Zero to Hero programme. Over two hundred students were rewarded for consistently demonstrating our Learning Habits and fully embodying our core values. Winning students each received an Easter Egg and the top 10 students in each year group enjoyed a film afternoon in recognition of their achievement


Easter Masterclasses for Year 11
During the Easter break, we have put together a programme of masterclasses and intervention sessions for our Year 11s as they approach their summer examinations. If your child is in Year 11, please ensure they attend any of the sessions they have signed up to or been asked to attend. Students know which sessions they are expected to attend. Thank you so much to our dedicated staff for coming into the academy to support our Year 11s during the Easter break.

Uniform and PE Uniform
As you know, we place a real emphasis on our students looking smart in Perfect Uniform. In our continued drive for excellence, we are focussing on raising the standards of our PE uniform next term. Please ensure your child has the complete PE kit ready for the start of the new term. Expectations can be found in our Family Handbook and below:


Finally, we look forward to welcoming students back to the academy on Monday 15th April 2024. As always, the gates open at 8.20am. Students arriving after 8.30am are considered late. For now, may I take the opportunity to wish you all a happy and restful Easter break. 

Best wishes

Mr G Coles
Principal