Montgomery December 2025 Newsletter

Y R S R A R TM E M RIS 25 0 2 H C my e ad

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One of the most rewarding aspects of being a headteacher is taking the time to reflect upon and celebrate student success.

We are truly passionate about working closely with our families to ensure every student receives the support and care they need to thrive. With this in mind, we are actively preparing for a smooth transition in progress leadership in the new year.

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a headteacher is taking the time to reflect upon and celebrate student success. In this edition of the newsletter, we look back at the outstanding GCSE results achieved by last year’s cohort. Their accomplishments are a powerful testament to the students’ maturity, hard work, sustained focus, and commitment. There is no finer way to validate Montgomery’s improved standards and success over the last decade.

More importantly we proudly acknowledge the achievements of those who worked so diligently to gain the results they needed for the next steps of their life journey and wish them continued success in the future. These students in addition to their lessons, attended revision sessions, interventions and masterclasses as well as revising at home, it was your commitment to improving your grades that took you that extra mile. Montgomery is fortunate to have such dedicated staff, who without question offer an extensive range of additional support but ultimately it is the mature choice of the students to engage and commit.

It was wonderful to see such an overwhelming attendance at the first of our two Parents’ Information Evenings for the Year 11 GCSE preparation programme. Your presence clearly demonstrates the dedication and commitment that will make all the difference this year.

As I’ve previously shared with Year 11 parents, we will be transitioning from Mr. McArdle to Mr. Taylor in January 2026. While we are naturally sad to say goodbye to Mr. McArdle after his over 20 years of dedicated service to Montgomery, we are also proactively and optimistically looking forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead. Mr. Taylor, who also serves as the Senior Leadership link for Year 11, will ensure our students continue to receive strong guidance and focus throughout this crucial period.

We look forward to continuing this important partnership with you!

It’s common for staff to move on to new opportunities at the end of a term, although this is rarer at Montgomery, as many of our team choose to stay with the pupils they enjoy working with so much.

However, we are marking the end of this term with the departure of more than one long-serving colleague. In addition to Mr. McArdle, Mrs. Taylor from our finance department will also be leaving us as she heads into retirement after an incredible thirty years of dedicated service. We wish her all the very best as she looks forward to spending time with her grandchildren and family.

When colleagues who hold such a deep and long history with our school move on, it’s natural that the heart and feeling of Montgomery will change slightly. People like Mr. McArdle and Mrs. Taylor don’t just contribute to their departments; they become part of the very fabric of our community, holding years of memories, wisdom, and dedication that shape who we are.

While we celebrate the new opportunities and well-deserved rest that await them, we also pause to acknowledge their immense legacy.

We know the school won’t feel quite the same, but their positive influence

and commitment to our students will remain a guiding part of our future. We are ready to embrace the next chapter while carrying their spirit forward!

On a final note from me, as we step into January, we are delighted to welcome all our students and families back, ready to embrace the energy and fresh start that the New Year brings.

This is always a wonderful time for setting new goals, and at Montgomery, we are passionately focused on building on the excellent foundation laid last term.

We look forward to achieving great things together in the coming months.

Specifically, we are dedicated to: Elevating Student Success: Our absolute priority remains ensuring every student achieves their personal best. We are committed to providing the targeted support, enriching resources, and inspiring teaching that will drive significant progress across all subjects.

A Smooth Leadership Transition: We are excited to welcome Mr. Taylor into his new role as the Year 11 Progress Leader. His commitment, alongside the rest of our dedicated staff, will ensure a seamless and supportive handover, guaranteeing that our Year 11 students receive the continued, focused guidance they need during this critical time.

Strengthening Our Community: We aim to further deepen the partnership between home and school.

Your involvement is invaluable, and we look forward to more opportunities to collaborate and celebrate the achievements of our fantastic students.

The warmth, commitment, and hard work we see every day from our students and staff make us confident that 2026 will be a year of tremendous growth and success for the entire Montgomery community.

Mr Careless

Uniform at Montgomery Academy All items should have the student’s full name on them.

Main uniform- the following items are essential

Hairstyles must be suitable for the academy environment

Montgomery Academy maroon blazer with logo

If hair is dyed -only naturally coloured dyed hair is acceptable - no other dyed colours or streaks.

White school shirt (open necked blouses and polo shirts are not allowed)

Tramlines or shaved head designs are not acceptable

Black full length regulation school trousers or a Montgomery Academy skirt. (Skirts should be no more than 2 inches or 5cm above the floor when kneeling down)

Plain simple hair bands or hair slides (no flowers/ no scarves).

Plain black school socks OR plain opaque black tights. (No leg warmers or leggings)

Jewellery is restricted to:

Hijabs should be plain, black or maroon.

1 pair of plain gold/silver coloured studs

Montgomery year group tie of the correct colour Sturdy black school shoes (not training shoes) (No white/coloured soles, no stripes, no piping, no logos, no boots, no backless shoes or sandals). A student wearing other footwear for medical reasons should provide a doctor’s note. WE REGRET THAT A LETTER FROM PARENTS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. If a student is not in correct footwear then they will be expected to borrow some shoes from our stock in the standards room.

Outdoor clothing is not to be worn inside the dining rooms or classrooms Hoodies are not allowed in school and should not be worn instead of a suitable outdoor coat.

1 wristwatch P.E. Kit (Compulsory)

No facial piercings are allowed

Montgomery polo shirt Plain, black football shorts or skort Hair bobble if hair is long enough to tie back

Trainers Montgomery football socks Football boots and Shin pads P.E. bag large enough to carry all PE attire required for lessons

Students will need an adequate school bag to carry exercise books, A4 folders, P.E. kit and equipment at all times.

Plasters if ears have just been pierced and earrings are unable to be taken out

Montgomery v neck jumper (optional) but must be worn under blazers and not in place of a blazer.

P.E. Kit (Optional) Montgomery ¼ zip tracksuit top Leggings

Plain, black tracksuit bottoms

Nails Nails must appear natural with only nude coloured nail varnish. Acrylic nails must be short in length and be natural/nude in colour.

Students arriving at school with bright coloured nail varnish or inappropriate acrylics will be asked to remove them.

Make up Make up must be minimal and natural, with no false eye lashes. Any students not conforming to this will be asked to remove their make-up.

Progress Tutors will ensure that students for whom they are responsible comply with school uniform requirements at all times. Class teachers will reinforce these expectations with their classes and insist that nothing inappropriate is worn during lessons.

Montgomery Academy Footwear We understand the challenge parents face in wanting to purchase the correct footwear which adheres to the school uniform code. We have tried to help you with this visual guide.

Some footwear labelled as ‘shoes’ or ‘back to school’ in shops does not necessarily meet Montgomery uniform standards and we ask you to please refer to this guidance before making a purchase.

Acceptable Plain black shoes

Not Acceptable Trainers of any type Boots/ canvas or leather pumps

www.montgomeryschool.co.uk

t n e m e Excit

eam T e c n ie c S e h T

The science team continues to grow from strength to strength. Miss Healey and Mr Cooke have successfully passed their training year and are now permanent members of the science team here at Montgomery.

Congratulations to them both! Also, Miss Robertson has returned to the science team at Montgomery. She also trained with us here just over a year ago and it is great to have her back with us.

The science team has lots of experienced teachers alongside young and passionate teachers and we will continue to work well together to give the students interesting and engaging science lessons.

ub l C n o i t c Disse Mr Johnston continues to lead the dissection club at Montgomery Academy for all those students that enjoy cutting things up and love learning about how different organs work.

This half term they have dissected hearts and learned about the various chambers in the heart and how the heart pumps blood around the body. They have also dissected chicken wings to see the adaptations that they have. Later this year they will also be learning about and dissecting lungs, eyes, rats, and much more…

m The Curriculu In science there have been lots of exciting lessons going on. In KS3 all our year groups start off with a practical skills and safety unit that gets increasingly more challenging each year as they develop essential investigate skills.

Year 7 then went on to learn about Particles and Solutions. This includes learning about the different states of matter and their properties as well as investigating how we can separate different mixtures. In Year 8 they have been learning about forces and motion, so looking at how elastic objects stretch and what makes a successful parachute. In Year 9 they have been looking

at how animals are adapted to different habitats in addition to how genes and the environment can affect our characteristics.

Our year 10 and year 11 students continue to prepare for their GCSE exams in Biology, Chemistry and Physics and we will continue to support them in lessons, with their homework and interventions that run during tutor time and after school.

Trip y t i s r e v i Un e g d i r b m Ca

There were eleven of our year 11 students that got the amazing opportunity this term to go to Cambridge University on a Physics trip.

This is the fourth time that Mr Woodruff has led this trip and all the students had an amazing experience.

They stayed overnight at the student accommodation within Churchill Colleges. The next morning, they got a tour of Cambridge itself and then in

the afternoon participated in various workshops at the Cavendish laboratory which included “National Space Academy”, “Domino Printing”,

“Espire education” and much more...

We hope to continue this trip again next year and many more after that.

All students at Montgomery now have access to Sparx Science which is where they complete all of their homework. It also gives then opportunity to do extra independent learning to help them prepare for their assessments or to look back over work they have covered in lessons.

We had a free trial of this last year and the feedback from staff and students was very positive and therefore we have subscribed to it this year as we want the very best for our students. This platform focuses on the key knowledge and skills that students need to be successful in science and therefore will support the students to get the best outcomes that they can get.

Montgomery Careers Newsletter Year 11 Careers Interviews Now Underway

Our Year 11 1-to-1 careers guidance interviews have officially begun. Every Year 11 student will receive a personal appointment to discuss their post-16 options, career interests and next steps.

What Your Appointment Can Help You With.

How to Make the Most of Your Appointment.

If any student feels they need additional support before or after their interview please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I am here to help every step of the way.

Your careers guidance interview can support you with:

Here are a few things to help you to get the best out of your 1-1 interview.

 Understanding your strengths, interests and skills

 Come prepared to talk about subjects you enjoy and what you find challenging

 Exploring sixth form, college, apprenticeship and alternative pathways

 Think about careers, courses, or ideas you are curious about

 Clarifying entry requirements for your preferred options  Discussing career ideas, even if you’re not sure what you want yet.  Help with application planning, timelines and your next steps.  Building confidence around decision-making and future goals

 Bring any questions you may have no matter how small  Be open and honest, the more you share, the more tailored the advice can be  Take notes so you can refer back to your action plan  Follow up afterwards if you need additional support or want to explore things further

Careers Fair Success Tuesday 30th September 2025

A huge thank you to all students and staff who contributed to a fantastic careers event on Tuesday 30th September. We were delighted to welcome an outstanding range of providers, employers and training organisations who shared pathways, opportunities and industry insights. ed: Our visitors includ

Colleges & Training Providers: Blackpool & The Fylde College, Blackpool Sixth Form, Cardinal Newman College, Myerscough College, Preston College, Rossall Sixth Form, UCLAN Employers & Organisations: Army, RAF, Blackpool Police, NHS, Spire Healthcare, Andrew Mellor Vets, Blackpool Transport, DWP, The Grand Hotel, The Grand Theatre, Lancashire Magazine, Haven, Blackpool Football Club, Fleetwood Town Football Club, Preston North End, Victrex, Vercro, Westinghouse, Tradewind.

Their support made the event incredibly valuable for students exploring their future pathways and feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive.

Future You’ Assemblies Earlier this term, Year 11 students have taken part in Future You assemblies delivered by local colleges.

These sessions offered a deeper look into life after Montgomery, including course options, college life, apprenticeships and long-term career planning. Students were engaged brilliantly throughout.

Enterprise HR Masterclass Our Enterprise students recently took part in an HR Masterclass delivered through our partnership with Haven.

This session gave students a valuable insight into recruitment processes, job applications, interviewing and what employers look for when building successful teams. A huge thank you to Haven for their continued support.

Our Extensive Extra-Curricular Timetable We are incredibly proud of our wide range of extra-curricular activities, designed to support personal development, build employability skills and encourage students to explore new interests. There really is something for everyone, please see the time table below, however if you have any club ideas that are not currently running please reach out.

Extra Curricular Timetable Half Term 1

Grow Throu ghout Life

Taking part in extra-curricular activities helps students to: Develop teamwork, resilience and communication skills

Explore Possibilities Manage

Build confidence and independence

Career

Strengthen college, apprenticeship and job applications

Create Opportunities e Life & Balanc

Work

Discover new passions and talents We strongly encourage all students to get involved and make the most of the opportunities available.

See The Big Picture

The Skills Builder Framework

Our school continues to embed the Skills Builder Framework, a nationally recognised programme designed to help students master the essential skills they will need for the future. These eight universal skills are valued by employers, colleges and universities alike. skills are: r e d il u B ls il k S t The eigh

Students will see these skills highlighted across lessons, extra-curricular activities, careers sessions and personal development opportunities.

By building these skills over time, students will be better prepared for further education, the workplace and life beyond school.

We are incredibly excited for the term ahead and look forward to supporting our students as they grow, explore new opportunities, and take confident steps toward their future.

NG SO ON CO NG SOO I MING M O C SNOGOS OON N I M COMI O C N O O NG SO S G ON CO COMIN

5-Minute Interviews for Year 8 & 9 Our upcoming Haven 5-Minute Interviews for Year 8 and Year 9 students will be taking place soon.

These short, focused conversations are designed to build confidence, develop communication skills and give students an early taste of careers guidance.

They are a brilliant way for our younger students to begin thinking about their strengths and future possibilities.

NEW Partnership with Vinchi We are thrilled to launch a brand-new partnership with Vinchi, an industryleading organisation.

This collaboration will begin with an exciting new project exclusively for Year 8 students giving them real-world experience, opportunities to work creatively and insight into modern industry practices. More information will be shared soon.

Haven HR Ma stercl ass Ha ven H R Mas tercl

Haven HR Masterclass Empowers Students to Build Their Dream Workplace...

In November, Katherine from Haven’s head office travelled from down south to visit 12 of our enterprise students to give them a HR masterclass. This was a great interactive session where the students learned about the people’s business at Haven, they took part in several group activities based around recruitment and inclusion and giving everyone an equal chance. This session ended with the students building their dream work place that involved the name, logo, the company’s vision and HR policies. The students worked great in different teams demonstrating their different skills and will take this forward into future work.

CS5: This is Monty Robotics fifth year of following the national Coding Success programme. This year’s theme is speed.

“

Mission One was to build and program Tracker.’ It is me a ‘Reacti basically ou on r version of th every child d e ‘Bop it!’ toy rove their pa that rents mad w were small! ith when the y

“

School House Challenge with a twist!

The team built and programmed two ‘Reaction Trackers’ for a House Challenge but instead of recoding student’s best reaction times… the challenge was for their tutors!

Thank you to all the teachers and staff we managed to ‘Doorstep’ and who responded with such confidence and enthusiasm! Mrs Taylor, Mr McNiven, Ms Elliott, Ms Robinson, Ms Ryan, Ms Robertson, Mr Sinnet, Mr James and Mr Higgs.

Roboteers: Ellie (Captain) * Charlie * Amelia * Connor * Charlotte * Toby * Ava * Richard *

Coding Success Live! MANCHESTER

Has your school enjoyed the funded STEM programme Coding Success?

Then bring a team of coders to the University of Manchester on 3rd December for a day of fun SPIKE™ Prime challenges, teamwork and friendly competition!

You may remember that for several years the club participated in the national EEP Robotics Challenge.

You may remember that for several years the club participated in the national EEP Robotics Challenge. We were extremely saddened to hear the funding had been cut.

This December we have been invited to participate in the Coding Success Live!

Challenge. Let you know how we get on - next issue!

Taskmaster Education takes the joy and silliness of the TV show and uses it to promote teamwork, critical thinking, creativity, problem solving and communication skills in an almost fun like atmosphere!

HULA HOOP HULA HOOP Hoop!

There it is.

Invent a new and fun hoopla game involving and elaborate scoring system.

Flying High Perform the greatest safety demonstration... should be 1 Itsynchronised have 10 mins to 2 You prepare…

Taskmaster Club is proving to be especially impactful in developing teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Where physical tasks are the focus, it is being used to develop independence, communication and creativity.

P P

* Ewan * Charlie * Charlotte * James * Amelia * Nathanael * Evan * Leo * Lucy * Alfie * Flo * Richard * Toby * * Connor * Colin * Nathan * Lucas * Teighlor *

A huge well done to the dedicated students at Montgomery Academy for taking part in vital Mini First Aid training last week!

Montgomery Students Master Life-Saving Skills At Fylde Coast Academy Trust, we are incredibly proud to see our secondary school students developing such crucial, life-saving skills. Learning first aid empowers young people with the confidence and knowledge to act effectively in an emergency, making a real difference in their communities and beyond.

This initiative truly embodies our commitment to nurturing responsible, resilient, and community-minded individuals across all our academies.

It’s a fantastic example of practical education in action! A big thank you to Andrea Kyriakou at Mini First Aid Lancashire for facilitating such important training.

Congratulations to all the Montgomery Academy students involved – you are truly prepared to make a positive impact!

23 23 YEARS Countless Memories YEARS

MR MCARDLE BIDS MONTGOMERY GOODBYE

The old cliché, ‘all good things must come to an end’ rings true when I try to put my thoughts together to write this piece.

My time at Montgomery is coming to an end. I am extremely sad to be leaving this wonderful school, however the homeland call is strong and it’s time for me and my family to pack up our stuff and return to Ireland.

I first walked through the gates of Montgomery in September 2002 with a fresh face, a full head of thick black hair, with not a grey in sight and I’ll be walking out those same gates at Christmas 2025 with a not so fresh face and with very little hair. But what I do have are memories - friendships, laughs, tear’s, weddings, funerals, births, arguments, tantrums, new year 7’s, saying goodbye to year 11’s, the sheer joy of watching those year 8 and 9’s finding their feet and their voices, the sudden maturity of being a year 10, the hard work and the Blackpool kids.

My god the Blackpool kids – they can drive you round the bend but they are a fantastic breed. I’ve met some of the most brilliant, talented, inspirational students in my 23 years here. Every day is different, every day brings a challenge and every day brings a smile to my face. I’ve met lots of disengaged kids as well over the years, but these kids, each and every one of them have something about them, an ambition and we as teachers want to bring those ambitions to fruition. I hope that every single student that I’ve come across is able to say – ‘yep that McArdle man has left me with something to think about, something to strive for, something to remember.’

In 2002 I started off teaching PE and Leisure and tourism with some of the most amazing colleagues who I still work with today (Miss Smith, Mrs Ewing, Mr Houlihan) . What a department to start my journey. The longevity and loyalty of this group of

people is something we should all be very proud of. I then ventured into humanities and in 2005/6 started teaching BTEC Travel and Tourism – I’d found my niche, I loved it, the students loved it and the subject went from strength to strength. Miss Firth was the teacher who brought these ‘new’ BTEC’s to our thinking. Mrs Fernandez, Miss Smith, Mr Wilson, Miss Madej and myself were tasked with introducing them to the school. Health and social, Sport, Business, Construction and Travel and Tourism – good times.

2007/8 saw me into the pastoral side of school. I became a year head, something I thought I would enjoy, something that would bring the best out in me. Probably one of the best decisions in my teaching career. I’ve had the privilege of leading 4 different year groups through their schooling journey from year 7 through to year 11.

The joy it brings to see a child join us and leave as a young adult is fabulous.

In 2018 I started teaching some maths and this gave me a whole new lease of life. I’ve loved being involved in the maths department which is so brilliantly led by Mrs Whittingham.

Now it happened that I needed some help with my maths lessons, yes, I grasped the content, yes, I could teach a lesson but I needed help on how to deliver and that help came in the shape of Mr Fernandez. He was an absolute star in helping me from day 1. Thank you, Mr Fernandez, your dedication and commitment to the school is phenomenal.

Some of my best memories of Montgomery are from the pastoral side of things. I have been very lucky to have been surrounded by supportive staff in pastoral, Mr Emery, Mr Morton, Mr Feeley, Mr Wilcock, Miss Holden, Mrs Hughes, Mrs Watson, Mr Burns from the early days to the absolute dream team that we have currently.

We are very lucky at Montgomery that we have a senior management that see and understand the importance of pastoral care and in my time at the school have always had staff available ready and willing to help any student that needs it – Mr Byrne, Mr Burrows and his team, Mrs Chandler and her team, Mrs Chapman you are wonderful colleagues who go above and beyond when the students need it the most – thank you for all the help, guidance and support you have shown our students and myself down through the years. As year heads we have the added bonus of having a pastoral manager for each year group. These individuals are absolutely fantastic, the work they put into our students on a day-to-day basis is unbelievable.

I have been very lucky to have had in my opinion the best – Miss Sharpe. She has been an absolute dream to work with over the last 15 years. I will miss her greatly, but I know she will continue to deliver for our students on a daily basis. Miss Sharpe, you are an absolute diamond.

To past students – thank you. You’ve taught me more than you’ll ever know, and for that, I’ll always be grateful.

To current students – I’m sorry to be leaving, but I hope you understand my reasons. I wish you every success in whatever path you take.

To my current Year 11s – go out there and smash those GCSEs! You’ve got just 4½ months left – give it everything, leave nothing behind, and grab every opportunity that comes your way.

To my past year groups – thank you for helping me grow as a teacher, for letting me into your lives, and for making the journey so rewarding.

To my colleagues, past and present – it’s been an absolute blast.

To all the parents – keep pushing, keep supporting, and keep believing in your children.

Everything we do here is for them. With your support, these five years at Montgomery can be the foundation for a truly fantastic life.

And finally…

Thank you, Montgomery.

It’s been an honour.

Take care and God bless, Mr McArdle

The UK Bebras Challenge This November, all our students took part in an exciting worldwide competition called Bebras. The Bebras Challenge is an international event held in over 30 countries, with more than 3 million students participating globally each year.

The aim of the challenge is to test and develop computational thinking skills through a series of engaging logic puzzles. Students have 45 minutes to solve as many problems as they can, using creativity, reasoning, and problem-solving strategies rather than coding knowledge.

We are proud of our students for embracing this challenge and demonstrating their ability to think critically and logically.

Competitions like Bebras help prepare learners for the digital world by strengthening skills that are essential in computing and beyond.

st 1 2 h t r e 10 b m e v No 25 20

Annual GCHQ Christmas Challenge December 10th Week During the week of 10th December, all students in Years 7, 8, and 9 will take part in the exciting GCHQ Christmas Challenge – a nationwide event designed to test problemsolving skills through a series of festive puzzles.

What is GCHQ?

The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is one of the UK’s three Intelligence and Security agencies. Their work spans counter-terrorism, cyber security, serious crime prevention, and even protecting the NHS. Using cutting-edge technology and teamwork, GCHQ helps keep the UK safe.

This Year’s Challenge

Students will tackle seven puzzles aimed at ages 11–18. The ultimate mission? Crack all seven puzzles and use the card’s front cover to reveal a secret hidden message!

This year’s card features three unique cover designs created by the GCHQ team, each hiding an extra festive puzzle for an added twist.

Teamwork is Key

The challenge is designed for collaboration – just like at GCHQ, where diverse skills in maths, languages, computing, and analysis come together to solve complex problems. A mix of minds is essential to succeed!

We can’t wait to see our students put their creativity and problemsolving skills to the test. Good luck to all teams!

BRITISH

SIGN LANGUAGE CLUB 2024-2025

Some students from the 2024-2025 BSL Club practicing their fingerspelling, playing BSL whispers and showcasing their certificates for their competency in fingerspelling and basic conversations skills.

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Sign L a n g u age Week

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All welcome so come and join the group for some fun, learning a new skill and making new friends. I’m looking forward to meeting you!

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13TH- 19TH NOVEMBER

TRANSGENDER AWARENESS WEEK

To celebrate the week, the students at LGBT+ club created posters.

Students focused on researching people throughout history who transitioned and their achievements in life.

Returns!

After a 20-year break, Monty’s Got Talent will be making a triumphant return on 18th December 2025, and we anticipate a fantastic evening of entertainment!

Auditions and call backs have taken place and the line up has been whittled down to around 12 acts and groups ready to take to the stage, showcasing incredible talent, showmanship, and hard work. From gymnastics and dance to live bands and solo performances, the variety is amazing.

Highlights will include a variety of modern

hits from Billie Eilish to classics from Les Misérables, proving the creativity and skill of our students.

The performers are working independently, rehearsing tirelessly to provide a polished show. Support from staff, parents, hopefully a full house, will make the evening a true celebration of our school community.

We’re already looking forward to Monty’s Got Talent 2026, and thinking ahead to how we can make it even bigger and better!

Artificial Intelligence

Working in teams, they developed AI-driven solutions to real-world problems, designing prototypes, logos, and marketing plans before pitching their ideas to a panel of expert judges.

The event showcased their creativity, teamwork,

COMPUTING VISIT

On Monday Year 11 Computer Science students took part in an inspiring workshop at Blackpool & The Fylde College, exploring Artificial Intelligence and Careers in Tech.

and communication skills, while giving them valuable insight into the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in today’s digital world.

A huge thank you to Blackpool & The Fylde College for hosting such a fantastic experience!

Year seven cyber day A small group of our Year Seven students recently had the fantastic opportunity to visit Blackpool and the Fylde College for an exciting computing-focused day. The trip was designed to inspire young minds about the world of technology and the career opportunities available in our local area.

The day began with an engaging talk on cybersecurity and the wide range of job prospects within the tech industry. Students learned how vital these roles are and how they can shape the future of digital safety.

Next, the students worked in small teams to code Spheros using Scratch, navigating them around a map. This hands-on activity encouraged creativity, problemsolving, and collaboration as they brought their coding skills to life.

After lunch, the challenge intensified! In groups of five, students faced ten computing

challenges to complete within an hour. Their teamwork and determination were incredible to watch. We are delighted to share that, among all participating schools, Montgomery finished in both first and second place—a truly outstanding achievement!

Throughout the day, our students demonstrated enthusiasm, resilience, and a willingness to engage with new material. It was a pleasure to see them working so well together and embracing every challenge.

Well done to all involved—you made us proud!

Brent J, Monty Class of 2020 demoing his game at Play Expo Blackpool, receiving great feedback from gamers and the legendary, John Romero (creator of DOOM).

Join us at Montgomery Academy for our annual School Musical!

We’d love to see you there.

Tuesday 10th February 2026 Wednesday 11th February 2026

Time: 6:30pm

Tickets are £4 and can be bought on the door or through MCAS.

Raising money for the school charities

MONTGOMERY ACADEMY PASSION

PROJECT CLUB

We are lucky enough to be working with The Teenage Market Poulton.

Some of the students at Passion Project Club are working on their Passion Projects to create a business and finalised products to raise money for the school charities.

Passion Project Club is an extended project that is graded and is a great talking point for college and university interviews (it’s easy to give a great interview when you have a Passion Project to talk about).

The Teenage Market event will be taking place on

Saturday Saturday February February 7th, 7th, Teanlowe Teanlowe Shopping Shopping Centre Centre Poulton Poulton 10am-3pm.

10am-3pm.

Students will receive a certificate for completing a Passion Project and a printed portfolio of the project and research to use as a talking point for college/ university interviews.

Students will have the opportunity to plan, design and gain experience of setting up a small business.

Students will be able to design printed promotional for their stalls to promote the businesses they’ve setup.

Other schools will be participating alongside us.

There’s The Bell Podcast

Meet our podcast t eam!

ummer, we s re fo e b t s ju r, a e Earlier this y our very own t: c je ro p w e n g in launched an excitodcast, ‘There’s The Bell’. community a high school p t gives our school

ns. e podcas ts, for students, th ningful conversatio Created by studen ideas, share stories, and spark mea ore fresh space to expl

Each episode features students discussing current topics, school events, and issues that matter to young people today. We also plan to interview students and staff, giving everyone a chance to have their voice heard. From light-hearted chats to thoughtful debates, the podcast has quickly become a creative outlet and a place to celebrate the energy and perspectives of our school.

As we head into the Christmas season, we’re looking forward to producing even more episodes in the new year. Whether you’re interested in media, journalism, or just enjoy good conversation, we’d love you to listen in — and maybe even get involved!

REMEMBRANCE 2025

On Friday 7th November, Montgomery Academy opened its doors to the local community and invited them to join the school in a service of remembrance.

Members of the army, air, sea and police cadets, as well as scouts and guides took part in the service, with our local primary schools also joining us, to make it a service for all generations. We were very pleased to welcome Reverend Johnny from All Hallows Church and ex-head of History Nigel Duckworth back to the school to present during the service alongside Mr Wade and Mr Morton. We were also honoured to welcome a number of veterans who chose to join us and take part in the Last Post ceremony at 11am, with the bugle played by our very own Miss Farnworth.

This year's theme was heroes, with the focus on being not only on national heroes, but local heroes too. Stories were shared of Blackpool heroes, by Mr Wade and Reverend Johnny, with attendees reflecting on what heroes were. The cadets, as well as the veterans led the Last Post service, followed by 2 minutes of silence, allowing guests to reflect on the stories heard during the ceremony.

The service was opened and closed by the incredible Montgomery choir, performing "Bring him home" from Les Miserable, and "We'll meet again." It’s safe to say Mrs Smith and her choir sang beautifully, with very few dry eyes in the house!

Following the service, the guests were treated to scones, complete with jam and cream! These scones had been prepared

by Montgomery food-tech students, with the support of Miss Barrett. These were welcomed, enjoyed and compliments sent to the chefs!

Mr Wade and Mr Morton would like to thank all of the staff and students who helped make the ceremony a success but a special mention must go to Miss Hughes, Mr Higgs, Mr Hayes, Mr Evans, Mrs Hobbs, Miss Barrett and Mrs Smith for all their contributions.

We look forward to welcoming our community and guests again next year to join us in our next service of remembrance.

Montgomery Weekly House Challenges

Every Monday morning, students receive the weekly house update during tutor time. This includes reminders about extra-curricular clubs, events taking place during the week, and recent world news stories linked to a British Value— encouraging students to discuss the story and consider concepts such as individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance.

Alongside this, students are set a weekly challenge from a different curriculum area. These challenges are either completed as a whole class or by sending selected students to departments around school. Points are awarded for participation, and the winning house is rewarded with a tutortime breakfast each half term. Last half term winners were Blue House tutor groups!

place so challenges that have taken e us ho e th of e m so on te Here is an upda

far this year:

COMPUTING STUDENTS TOOK PART IN A PYTHON CODING CHALLENGE. They had to follow Python code to guide themselves through 15 levels, reading and interpreting code to successfully navigate each stage.

Well done to Blue House, who were the overall winners!

hi!

Modern Foreign Languages

The whole-school Modern Languages quiz saw tutor groups answering questions on European languages and culture—from “Which language has the most native speakers in Europe?” to “Which European country has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh?”

CONGRATULATIONS TO PURPLE HOUSE, WHO WON THIS CHALLENGE!

H O U S E C H A L L E N G E – A RT

This week, students were invited to create a pumpkin inspired by Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama in the Art Department. Well done to everyone who took part—students in Blue House were voted to have created the best-looking pumpkins!

Congratulations to Taylor M, AnastasiaGrace C, and George T, who were selected as the winners of the Art and Design Poppy Competition.

Every entry has been displayed in the Assembly Hall, and the work looked fantastic! This whole-school challenge attracted a huge variety of entries—from LEGO battlefield scenes to painted canvases and 3D poppies. Well done to all who participated; Blue House were voted the most creative overall!

POPPY COMPETITION

House Challenge

During the Maths challenge week, students from each year group took part in the Prime Number Challenge in the Maths Department.

Each morning, students were given prime-number problems and worked together to solve them.

Well done again to Blue House, with students from Years 7 to 10 coming out on top!

CARD COMPETITION Now on the run up to Christmas we have launched the Art Department’s annual Christmas Card House Competition. Students have been tasked with creating a design to be printed and used as our official Montgomery Christmas cards. Each year, students send cards across the Fylde Coast to local businesses and to care and nursing homes, where some residents may not otherwise receive any Christmas cards. Entries may be drawn, painted, digitally created, or submitted as photographs of local scenes or festive decorations.

ALL ENTRIES SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO MS FARNWORTH

RIDING HIGH...

Ava’s Strong Finish to a Successful Season This summer was an exciting and successful season of competition for Ava, highlighted by strong performances in multiple horse shows.

Recently, she placed 3rd at Pony Club, a result that reflects steady progress, consistent training, and developing partnership with her wonderful pony, Skye.

Throughout the season, Ava competed across several events and classes, gaining valuable experience and confidence along the way.

Ava is now awaiting the final points result for the summer season, looking forward to seeing how the overall standings reflect the hard work and dedication put in over the past months and if she will receive another trophy to add to her growing collection.

Montgomery Students Netball Superstars!

4 of our Montgomery students have had the amazing news of being selected to play in the Lancashire County Academy Squad for this season - Yr 9 students Ruby D and Ruby C, Yr 8 student Holly M and Yr 7 student Ella C. All 4 girls also play for Wyre where their U12, U13 and U14 teams have recently qualified in the Manchester Thunder Performance League! Incredible!

RUBY D

RUBY C

ELLA

HOLLY

To top it off Ella has also been selected for the Leeds Rhinos U11 Netball Squad, this is an incredible achievement and reward for all the hard work, commitment and passion Ella has consistently shown!

Montgomery Shines at the Blackpool Schools’ Festival of Dance.

On Thursday 13th November, 24 talented students from Years 7–10 took to the stage at the iconic Winter Gardens to represent Montgomery Academy in the annual Blackpool Schools’ Festival of Dance. This year’s theme, “Move Through the Movies,” saw 23 schools from across the town come together to celebrate creativity, performance and a shared passion for dance.

Supported by staff members Miss Ryan and Mrs Campbell, the Montgomery dancers showcased an exceptional routine to the soundtrack of Charlie’s Angels that highlighted not only their technical skill but also their dedication, teamwork and confidence. Their performance lit up the stage and was met with huge applause from the packed auditorium.

Although the festival does not crown winners, Montgomery certainly delivered one of the standout secondary school performances of the evening.

The students demonstrated professionalism throughout the long day of rehearsals and the late evening performance, representing the

academy with pride.

Their hard work in the lead-up to the event truly paid off, and we are incredibly proud of each and every one of them.

A huge well done to

our dancers, and thank you to the staff and families who supported them. Their passion and commitment continue to showcase the very best of Montgomery Academy.

Ellis P Y10 Beats North West Boxing Champion

Ellis P of year 10 had a fight recently against a North West Champion and took the unanimous win in all 3 rounds.

Leading up to this fight Ellis suffered an injury and wasnt able to train 100%, the night of the fight wasn’t plain sailing either. Ellis quickly adapted to the pressure and got his head in the game, showing the resilience and ability he has! A true champion, one to watch…

Girls Football

Girls Football

Our first fixture of the year was our year 10 girls football tournament at Aspire!

9 of our year 9 girls played in a football tournament at Aspire.

YEAR 10 - 1ST PLACE

We had 5 rounds against some solid teams! Short 8 minute games meant we had to go hard from the whistle… we took 6 players & had no subs! The girls were incredible!

Our team consisted of; Jenna W, never backed down, great tackling and switching play! Caitlin W, super mean saves! Literally only 2 goals got past her! Chloe R, some strong tackles, fancy ball skills and great crosses! Natalia G, great defence, mean tackles and some great passing skills!

Darcy K & Imogen B, no words for Imogen & Darcy other than WOW! They were strong fierce girls who were role models to all! solid pair and a great duo (as long as their on your team) 17 goals between them!!

We played against…

South Shore 5-1 win - Darcy 2 Imogen 3 Aspire 2-0 win - Imogen 1 Darcy 1 Armfield 2-2 draw - Imogen 1 Darcy 1 Unity 8-0 win - Imogen 3 Darcy 4 Jenna 1 Highfield 1-1 draw - Darcy A lovely evening and some great company the girls did us proud and we WON!!!

YEAR 9 - 5TH PLACE!

They all gave it their all and never gave up! True resilience There were some strong teams and our girls didn’t make it easy for them. Unfortunately, the win wasn’t for us that night.

The girls were; Keelee R - super talented really strong player came up against her match a few times but held her own and was our top goal scorer!

Faith H - some great tackles and cheeky heel kicks.

Isla S - wow was fierce in net and didn’t shy away from any shot!!!

Lola R - played well out with some good passes, wow played amazingly in net!!

Abigail M - some strong tackles, really gave it her all!

Mia L - great movement and some good passes!

Jemima N - some strong shots!

Emma M - some great tackles!!

Olivia D - what a girl, so strong and determined and she got her goal!!

A fantastic evening spent with the lovely hardworking girls - all winners in my eyes

Girls Football

YEAR 7- 1ST PLACE!

Girls Football

YEAR 8 - 2ND PLACE!

Wow, the girls showed grit and determination in their Blackpool schools football tournament against 6 other schools...

They worked really well as a team and never gave up.

They won 3, drew a couple and lost 1. We played the tournament fairly, each girl had equal timings and they all showed their true strengths!

Edith H in net was insane - she saved so many shots, only conceded 4 absolute cannon balls!

Aria M, Mia C and Millie G were all outstanding players! They scored 11 goals between them.

Georgia S with her mean tackles is now looking into joining a team which is what it is all about!

Molly B and Mischa SF took some hits in defence and switched up play for us on many occasion.

Ava B, Hollie R, Eva M and Bella F all gave it their all with some fab passing and tackling, it was tough out there!

NETBALL

TOURNAMENTS

A fab night and once again a lovely group of hardworking and resilient girls!

A strong 2nd place!!!

Our year 7 girls have played their Blackpool schools football tournament and what a pleasure it was.

They played with grit and determination in some games, the parents also were on edge at points.

The girls in the team were; Erica D, Olivia B, Ava TP, Eleanor H, Casie A, Brooke H, Bella H, Harmony M, Matilda W and Erica W. All the girls really got stuck in, worked as a team and really enjoyed it! Well done to them all, especially Matilda our GK who played on after a bad tackle and made some amazing saves.

Results; we won all games and drew 1.

V Aspire 7-1 Eleanor Ava Olivia Brooke V Highfield 3-0 Olivia V St George’s 1-0 Olivia V Unity 4-2 Erica D Bella V Armfield 5-0 Olivia Eva Erica Brooke V St Mary’s 2-2 Brooke Bella The girls also had a great day in the freezing cold conditions at Stanley Park in the Blackpool FC EFL Cup 2025. A mixed bag of wins, draws and defeats for the group with lots of goals scored.

The girls faced up against 11 other teams in what was a very talented tournament, finishing 7th out of 12.

The older girls also enjoyed a local friendly with St Mary’s in wet and cold conditions this term. A game full of goals for both teams and an experience for the girls to play together.

The girls have started their netball tournaments at Stanley Park and been playing against schools from Blackpool.

NETBALL TOURNAMENT

These are Armfield, St Georges, St Marys, Highfield, Unity, Aspire and SSA. The girls have been training hard and we have taken 2 teams for each year groups to these competitions to allow for more students to be involved!

This is inline with our School Games Mark Gold award where all our extra curricular training and competitions are as inclusive as possible, focusing on the holistic development of experiences in PE and life long participation, not just the winning, although we do love a win ;-)

Year 10+11 Netball

Year 10 1st place

STAR PLAYER

Eleanor H

Again, we had amazing interest, with 13 players. Some quality netball played from both teams, who played 5 back to back games! The games were short which meant the goals had to come quick! Some strong scores against St Marys 8-0, Aspire 10-1, Highfield 8-0 and the toughest game vs Armfield 4-2.

They all demonstrated fantastic teamwork, confidence and love of the game! Watching the girls play was such a privilege, they never gave up even when they were frozen solid! #resilientqueens!

Congratulations to our Year 10 squad: Our year 10 players were: Darcy K, Courtney G, Imogen B, Mia W, Chloe R, Jenna W, Eleanor H, Caitlin W, Isla B, Peyton K, Holly S, Hannah M, Eliza C.

Final Blackpool Schools’ Tournament

Year 11 2nd place

STAR PLAYER

Louise S

Our Year 11 netball team took to the courts at Stanley Park last night for their final Blackpool Schools’ Tournament.

We were incredibly proud to have 12 players representing the school — a fantastic achievement and the first time in several years we’ve had such strong numbers at this stage.

This allowed us to enter two teams of six, giving all players increased game time and valuable experience.

Both teams started strongly with impressive wins against Armfield, finishing 10–0 and 9–6. St Mary’s, fielding five district players, proved a tougher opponent, and although the results didn’t go our way, the girls showed great resilience and teamwork throughout.

This year group have demonstrated exceptional

commitment to school sport, and we are grateful for their dedication, positive attitude, and talent over the years.

Congratulations to our Year 11 squad: Olivia M, Evie P, Ava B, Ruby L, Summer L, Poppy G, Jessica B, Alesha C, Macie C, Chelsea C, Orlaith B and Louise S.

Year 9, 8 and 7 tournament is coming up, we wish them luck! News to follow, watch this space!

PE Extra Curricular Clubs Come down to our PE clubs during break, lunch or after school, we would love to see you! Activities change every half term in line with the Blackpool Schools Competitions. Clubs after school are 3-4pm meet in the changing rooms.

We currently have trampolining, basketball, dance, netball, badminton and football clubs! Please see your group tutor or a member of the PE team for the timetable!

Competitions at the moment for the girls - Netball on Mondays, held at Stanley Park and Basketball for the boys on Tuesdays also at Stanley Park.

After Christmas we move onto badminton also held at Stanley Park, Mondays for the girls and Tuesdays for the boys. We are limited to taking 10 players per year to these competitions.

cher a e t E P r u o y t e l Please are interested. know if you

Adventure, Achievement and Teamwork at Fairhaven Lake....

This term we have taken 66 year 10 and 11 Sports Studies students to Fairhaven Lake for their R187 assessment in an outdoor adventurous activity.

All of our students performed amazingly, applying their safe and mature behaviour whilst on and off the water. They all really embraced the concept of being assessed and took it all in their strides! For our year 10 students this was their first achievement towards their final grade! We are so proud of them! They provided fun, laughter and great team work! The weather was lovely and I managed to avoid getting pushed in on some occasions

A huge success, fantastic scores and amazing lifetime memories! Here’s some photos.

Thank you Montgomery Academy would like to Thank Lancashire Magazine Andy the meat man MCKS Charity and various private donations For supporting us to make some of our families Christmas more special.