Kingswinford Newsletter October 2025 by Windsor Academy Trust

24 October 2025

DearParents/Carers,

Welcometotheﬁrsthalf-termlyNewsletterofthisacademicyear.Fornewfamiliestoourschool,unlikethe weeklybulletin,attheendofeachhalftermwesendhomeabumpernewsletter,fullofallofthethingsour studentshavebeenupduringthathalfterm.Asyoucansee,ithasdeﬁnitelybeenabusyhalfterm!

WehavehighexpectationsofallofthestudentshereatKingswinfordAcademy.Thishalftermwehavereally challengedouryoungpeopletobethebestversionofthemselves.Ihavebeencontinuallybeenimpressedwith theircommitment,resilienceandthehardworktheyhavedemonstratedoverthepasteightweeks.Our commitmenttothemistohelpthemfulﬁltheiracademicandpersonalpotentialduringtheirtimeatschool. Whenstudentsfeelempowered,andgive100%efforttoschooltheycanachieveamazingthings.I’mreally proudofwhattheyhavealreadyachievedthisacademicyear.

Iwon’tapologisefortalkingaboutattendanceinalmosteveryweeklybulletinsofar.Ijustcan’tstressenough howimportantitistobesuccessful-bothintermsofexamresultsbutalsoasanindicatoroffuturecareer success.Iaskagainforyoursupportinhelpingyourchildaimfor100%attendanceafterhalfterm.Weare lookingtobuilduponthegoodstartandpushforour97%overalltarget.

IhopeyouenjoyreadingaboutalloftheamazingthingsKingswinfordAcademystudentshavebeenuptothis halfterm.Thankyou,asalwaysforyourcontinuedsupportoftheschool.Ihopeyouhavealovelyhalfterm break.

Bestwishes,

IanMoreton Headteacher

Upcomingevents-

● Startofhalfterm -Monday3rdNovember(normaltime)

● Year11MockExamsbegin-Monday3rdNovember

● StaffINSETday(schoolclosedtostudents)-Friday5th December

● XmasCarolService-Monday15thDecember

● Endofterm-Friday19thDecember

24 October 2025

Ifyoudoneedtoreportachildabsence,dosousing theStudybugsapp.

Ifitisanillness-relatedabsence,youwillalsobesent NHSadviceastowhetheryourchildshouldstill attendschool(oryoucancheckhere)

Absencefromschoolequalslostlearning;lostlearning directlyimpactswhatyourchildwillachieveintheirGCSE examinations,whichwillimpactupontheirfuture.It soonaddsupandmakesadifference.Weneedtowork togethertoensureouryoungpeopleattendbecauseit willultimatelyaffecttheirfuturesuccess.Asyouare aware,weuse‘Studybugs’toreportabsence.Theappwill sendyouNHSadviceonwhetheryourchildshouldstill cometoschooliftheyarefeelingill.

Pleasecheckyourchild'sClassChartsasTutorsare celebratingandsupportingimprovedandperfect attendancewithpositivepoints.Our“RewardsShop” opensregularly-yourchildisabletoexchangetheir pointsforrewardsoftheirchoice.

24 October 2025

It’sbeenanimpressivehalftermforourYear11students,andwewanttotakeamomenttocelebratetheirhard work,commitment,andpositiveattitude.

Firstly,ahugewelldonetoallstudentswhohaveachieved100%attendancethishalfterm.Theirdedication tobeinginschooleverydaysetsafantasticexampleandlaysthefoundationforsuccessinyourﬁnalyear.

We’dalsoliketorecognisetheexcellentengagementinourformtimestudyskillssessions.It’sbeengreattosee studentsactivelytakingpart,developingtheirorganisation,focus,andexampreparationtechniques.These sessionsaredesignedtogiveeveryonethetoolstheyneedtosucceed—andtheirenthusiasmhasmadethema realsuccess.

Finally,abigthankyoutothosewhoarealreadyshowingstrongcommitmenttorevisionandindependent study.Everybitofeffortcounts,andit’sclearthatmanyofourYear11saretakingtheirpreparationseriouslyas theymoveclosertotheirNovembermockexaminations.

Keepupthefantasticwork,Year11—youreffortandresiliencecontinuestomakeusproud.Let’skeepthis momentumgoingrightuptotheendofhalftermandbeyond!

MrCannings

MrHanson

MrsDavies

24 October 2025

King’sQuest

24 October 2025

CelebratingOurKing’sQuestAwardWinners!

Weareincrediblyproudtocelebrateourstudents’hardwork,resilience,anddedicationinachievingtheirKing’s QuestAwardsthisterm.Acrossallfourhouses—Neon,Helium,Krypton,andArgon—studentshavegoneabove andbeyondtoembodytheschool’svaluesofambition,respect,andexcellence.

Theseawards,givenatBronze,Silver,andGoldlevels,recognisethosewhohaveshownoutstandingeffortintheir studies,kindnesstoothers,andacommitmenttopersonalgrowth.

HeliumHouse

Bronze:AbdoulieBah,SamDobson,AlmaGal,

Silver:KarlaRaybould,DylanShaw,BayleySifford,BryonyWicket,FreyaSmith,DarcieYoung,

Gold: JaziahHopper

NeonHouse

Bronze:JamesBest,IvanBilous,SethDavies,CharlotteHunter,

Silver:Mia-LillyCullis,LeoEastwood,LilyGriffin,MatveiGyrbu,MillieHart,JoshHenson,Ellie-MaiShakespeare,and DyllanThorner.

ArgonHouse

Bronze:SonnumBedi,ImogenJeffs,TateJones,ArpitaNair,DanielLaw,AliceMoth,BiancaTonciu,

Silver:CallumGriffiths,SadieJones,FrankieRatcliffe,PriyaTamber,andHumnaTanveer.

KryptonHouse

BronzePaigeBatham,NicholasRichardson,DaisieBoot,

Silver:BaileyGarratt,DanielGrew,IzzyLock,MaddieLock,JoshuaLowe,JamesSimpson,ImogenWillis

Gold:JamesSergison,andJensonStretton.

AspecialmentionmustgotoourGoldAwardwinners,James,JaziahandJenson whoseoutstanding contributionshaveplacedthemattheverytopoftheKing’sQuestjourney.

Thesestudentshavenotonlyexcelledacademicallybuthavealsodemonstratedleadership,kindness,andan unwaveringcommitmenttoourschoolcommunity.Theyarerolemodelsfortheirpeersandshiningexamples ofwhathardworkandintegritycanachieve.

24 October 2025

LibraryEvents

24 October 2025

PE

RecordAttendanceatPEClubsThisHalfTerm!

ThishalftermhasbeenafantasticoneforourPEclubs,withrecordnumbersofstudentsgetting involved!Ourdanceandbadmintonclubshavebeenespeciallypopular,withmorestudentsthan everjoiningin,showinggreatenthusiasmandenergy.

Ahugethankyoutoeveryonewhohastakenpartinanyofourclubs,yourcommitmentand positivityhavemadethemarealsuccess.

Ifyouhaven’tjoinedaPEclubyet,whynotgiveitagonexthalfterm?There’ssomethingfor everyone,sotakealookatthePEtimetableandseewhichclubmightbetheoneforyou!

GolfClubReturnsAfterHalfTerm!

We’repleasedtoannouncethatGolfClubwillbestartingupagainafterhalfterm!Sessionswilltake placeatKingswinfordGolfAcademyandcost£10persessiononaMondayafterschool3:30-5:00pm.

It’sbeenfantastictoseesomanystudentsalreadyshowinginterestintakingpartanddeveloping theirgolfskills.Ifyourchildwouldliketojoinorbeaddedtothewaitinglist,pleaseaskthemto speaktoamemberofthePEteam.

Placesarelimited,somakesuretosignupsoon.

Netballclub

Netballclubhasbeengrowinginpopularityweekonweek.Year7studentshavebeendeveloping andgrowingweeklyalsowithourexcellentyear10coachImmyFisher.Year8/9scompetedina ﬁxtureafterschoolwithEllowesandplayedexcellent.Eachteamiscontinuingtogrowandafterhalf termwehaveahugeamountofﬁxturestotakepartin,includingyear8/9s,year10/11sandalsoyear 7safterchristmas.'

StayingWarmforPEThisWinter!

Aswemoveintothecoldermonths,wewanttoremindallstudentstodressappropriatelyfor PEsotheycanstaywarmandcomfortableduringlessonsandclubs.

StudentsshouldweartheirPEjumperorjacket,andtheyarealsoallowedtowearblack thermalsunderneaththeirkitforanextralayerofwarmth.Glovesarealsopermittedwhenit’s particularlychilly.

It’sreallyimportantthateveryonecontinuestotakepartinlessonsoutdoorswherever possible,sobeingdressedsuitablyfortheweatherwillhelpeveryonestayactive,focused,and readytolearn.

24 October 2025

PE

GolfClubReturnsAfterHalfTerm!

We’repleasedtoannouncethatGolfClubwillbestartingupagainafterhalfterm!Sessionswilltake placeatKingswinfordGolfAcademyandcost£10persessiononaMondayafterschool 3:30-5:00pm.

It’sbeenfantastictoseesomanystudentsalreadyshowinginterestintakingpartanddeveloping theirgolfskills.Ifyourchildwouldliketojoinorbeaddedtothewaitinglist,pleaseaskthemto speaktoamemberofthePEteam.

Placesarelimited,somakesuretosignupsoon.

FootballResults–ThisHalfTerm

It’sbeenabusyandcompetitivehalftermforourfootballteamsacrossallyeargroups!

OurYear7teamshowedgreatdetermination,gainingvaluablematchexperienceagainststrong oppositionfromDormston,Wordsley,andCrestwood.

Year8hadamixedsetofresults,battlinghardinclosecontestswithDormstonandCrestwood beforeﬁnishingonahighwithafantastic10–4winoverWordsley–anexcellentteamperformance withhat-tricksfromFinnandOllie!

Year9facedatoughtestagainstCrestwood,whileYear10putinastrongdisplayinanarrow3–2 defeattothesameopposition.

Welldonetoallourplayersfortheireffort, teamwork,andsportsmanshipthroughoutthe term–plentyofpositivestobuildonnexthalf term!

24 October 2025

PE

IntroducingOurNewSportsLeaders!

We’reexcitedtoannouncethatabrand-newteamofSportsLeadershasbeenselectedthisterm! ThesestudentswillbeplayinganimportantroleinsupportingourPEdepartmentbyhelpingat extracurricularclubs,organisingequipment,andencouragingotherstogetinvolvedinsportand physicalactivity.

OurSportsLeadershavealreadyshownfantasticenthusiasm,teamwork,andresponsibility.They’ll behelpingtorunwarm-ups,supportyoungerstudentsduringsessions,andassistwithevents throughouttheyear.It’sagreatopportunityforthemtodevelopconﬁdence,leadershipskills,anda senseofprideinrepresentingourschool.

Ahugewelldonetoeveryonewhoappliedandtothosewhohavebeenchosen.Wecan’twaitto seethepositiveimpactyou’llhaveacrossallourclubsandactivitiesthisyear!

Logan

Luca

Emmy

Soﬁa-Rose

Maddie

Petrina

Arthur

Logan

Lottie

Dylan

Emily

Ava

James

Cameron

24 October 2025

PE

MartialArtsOpportunity

Overthepasttwoweeks,ourYear7studentsatKingswinfordAcademyhavehadthefantasticopportunity totakepartinaseriesoftaekwondoandBrazilianJiu-Jitsu(BJJ)sessionsledbyprofessionalMMAathlete AndyYates.

AndybroughthiswealthofexperienceandpassionformartialartsintoourPElessons,introducingstudents tothediscipline,respect,andfocusthatunderpinbothtaekwondoandBJJ.Throughengagingdrills, demonstrations,andpracticalactivities,pupilsdevelopednewskills,improvedtheirconﬁdence,andgaineda deeperunderstandingofthephysicalandmentalbeneﬁtsofmartialartstraining.

We’dliketoextendabigthankyoutoAndyYatesforinspiringouryoungpeopleandmakingthesessions botheducationalandfun.

IfanyoneisinterestedinjoiningAndy’sclub,theﬂyerisattachedwiththerelevantinformation.Don’tmiss outonafantasticopportunity!

24

October 2025

24 October 2025

Dance

Danceclubhasbeenreallyexcitingsofar,wehavedevelopedacontemporarydanceformental healthawareness,withthechoreographicintentionrelatingtosupportingindividualswho experiencementalhealthproblemsandworkingtogethertoovercomethesechallenges.Students havebeenattendingfromyear7allthewaytoyear10.Afterhalf,termwewillbelookingata numberofdifferentdancestyleslikestreet,freestyle,lyricalandmanymore.

BoysDance

Onthe8thofOctober,8boysinyear7travelledtoWindsorOlympusAcademytoparticipateina boysdanceworkshop.Theywerethrilledtoexperienceawidevarietyofdifferentdancestyles, includingbreakdancingandstreet!Thisexcellentopportunityallowedourstudentstoexperience somethingcompletelydifferentandfun,providingboyswithfundamentaldanceskillswhilst encouragingthemtostartdancingmore!'

24 October 2025

PersonalPotential

ByAshleigh,Year11

WhilstonmyexpeditiontoPeru,IbelieveIdevelopedmanyskillsandattributeswhichhavenotonlycontributed tomyaspireprincipleswithinmyacademiclife,butalsohelpedmetodeveloppersonallyasanindividual.Iwentto PeruwithacompanycalledCampsinternationalforanentiremonthwithotherinspiringstudentstobothtrekup toMachuPicchuthroughtheSalkantaytrek,andtocompleteourpracticalprojectswhichhelpedtoaidthelocal andhighlyruralcommunitieswewerestayingwith.

Firstly,ourprojectworkwastheultimatereasonastowhyIwantedtogoonthisexpeditioninitially.Wevisited3 differentcampsinourtimeinPeru,includingthefamoussacredvalley,whichallhaddifferentpracticalprojectsof theirown.Primarily,wefocusedonhardlabouringjobslikeconstructionandagriculture.Notonlydidwehelpto plasterwalls,buildfoundations,andconstructwalls,wealsoplantedayearsworthofcropsfortheselocalsand furtherdevelopedmoreplantinggrounds.

OurtrektoMachuPicchuwasalltogetherarduousbuthighlyfulﬁlling.Thetrekspannedoutfor4daysandwe spentonaverageeachdaywalking8-11hoursataltitudesrangingfor2000-4000feetandtemperaturesranging from35--4’Cinhighlyruralmountains.Puttingasidethemainachievementsmeandmyteammanagedtoconquer. IalsomanagedtoreachsomepersonalachievementswhilstIwasthere.

Personally,talkingtopeopleIdon'tknow hasalwaysbeenawkwardanddifficultforme.However,goingtoPeru withoutknowinganybodythere,Ipushedmyselftotalktoothersandendedupspendingmytimeonmy expeditionwithawholeteamofamazingfriendsandpeers,andstilltalktothesefriendstodaymonthslater. Notonlywasitanunforgettableexperienceinthesensethatitwasabsolutelybeautifulandculturallyrich,itwas alsounforgettablebecause,unliketheuk,Peruisadevelopingcountry.Tosaveparagraphsupon paragraphsof explanationastowhythishasanddidaffectmeinmydailylife,Ihavetriedtosimplifyitinafewwords.We’veall beentoldatsomepointinourlives,atleastonce,thatweareprivileged.Whetherthatbethroughourabilitytogo toschool,haveexpensiveclothesandbelongings,oreventhroughjusthavingaroofoverourheads.Mostofus havehearditbefore.However,uponcomingbackfromPeru,Icanhonestlysaythatithaschangedmyperception ofmosteverydayessentialswithinmylife.

IfIhadn'tbeenabletoexperiencethatcultureshock,IwouldneverhavebeenabletosaytodaythatIamtruly gratefulforthelifethatIgettolive.Tohavegoodfood,cleanwater,awarmhouse,afamily,friends,andeven school.Ibelievethat PeruhasultimatelychangedmebothasapersonandmyoverallmindsetinmostthingsthatI donow.Ihavecomebackwithmorecompassion,resilient,agoodcommunicator,ateammate,andcourageousin tryingnewunexpectedthings.

I'vecompletedmyexpeditionnotonlytoPeruandtothetopofMachuPicchu,butmyexpeditioninexploringmy personalpotential.I’veclimbedmymountain.Howareyougoingtoclimbyours?

24 October 2025

SparxMathsistheplatformwhereourstudentscompletetheirindependentlearningeach week,andwe’rethrilledtoseesuchafantasticstarttotheyear!Thistoolhasbeenproven toboostGCSEresults,socongratulationstoallthestudentswhohavebeenputtingin greateffort.

Studentsearn‘XP’bycompletingquestionsassignedashomeworkorindependentlearning tasks.Belowarethetop10studentswiththehighestXPearnedsofarthisyear—welldone toeveryoneonthelist!

PetrinaAmrevweatefa 12521

HaoyangZeng 9702

EthanWong 6725

TheoGrewal 6529

OliviaConnop 6070

GeorgiaTodd 5579

HumnaTanveer 5554

ZhiChen 5380

SkyleighMorris 5330

MiaCarr 5112

MrsRobins

24 October 2025

WAT-a-MovieWinner

The winner of the WindsorAcademyTrust 'WATa Movie' last year was our very own Lucy Hatton. Lucy won the truist wide competition with her powerful short film titled 'Behind the Mask' which we celebrated at the end of the academic year.

Part of her prize was to co direct the KingswinfordAcademy promotional film for 2025/26. Lucy joined WATMarket and Communications Officer Mr Elford in creating the film last month.

In true form, Lucy got stuck in with giving Mr Elford her vision of shot composition and instructed students on what she wanted in each shot. She is clearly a director in the making! Well done Lucy.

24 October 2025

InspiringFutures:ASuccessfulPost-16andCareersEvening

Students,parents,andstaffgatheredthisweekforanincrediblysuccessfulPost-16andCareersEvening, exploringtheexcitingopportunitiesavailablebeyondYear11.Theeventgavestudentsvaluableinsightintoa widerangeofpathways,includingA-levels,T-levels,andapprenticeships,aswellascareersinengineering, healthcare,andthearmedforces.

Ahostoffurthereducationprovidersandemployersattended,offeringadviceandguidanceonnextsteps. Studentshadthechancetoaskquestions,comparequaliﬁcations,andgainadeeperunderstandingofwhat eachrouteentails.

Theatmospherewasfullofenthusiasmasstudentsengagedinmeaningfulconversationsabouttheirfutures. Manyleftfeelinginspiredandmoreconﬁdentaboutthechoicesahead.Staffalsohighlightedtheuseof Unifrog,theschool’scareersplatform,tohelpstudentsexploreoptionsandrecordachievements.

Theeveningwasaresoundingsuccess,showcasingtheambitionandcuriosityofourstudents.Withsomany possibilitiesonthehorizon,thefuturelooksbrightforournextgenerationoflearners.

24 October 2025

Year10WorkExperienceLaunch

Thisyear’sworkexperiencewilltakeplacefromMonday29thJunetoFriday3rdJuly2026.Pleasenote thatthisisearlierthaninpreviousyearsandnotduringtheﬁnalweekofterm.

Workexperienceisaninvaluableopportunityforstudentstogaininsightintotheworldofwork,develop theirindependence,andstartbuildingtheskillsandconﬁdencetheywillneedforlifebeyondschool.

Westronglyadvisethatstudentssecuretheirplacementsandreturntheircompletedplacementforms beforeChristmas.TheﬁnaldeadlineforallplacementformsisMonday23rdFebruary2026.Forms shouldbereturnedtoeitherMsWoodhouseorMrDimmock.Thisensuresthatthereisenoughtimeforthe externalcheckstotakeplaceandforanyissuestoberesolved.

Toensurethesafetyofallstudents,placementsshouldbelocatedwithinDudleyMBC.Thisisessentialfor insurancepurposesandallowsplacementstobeproperlychecked.Allplacementswillbeassessedbyan externalagency,whowillconﬁrmthattheworkplacemeetsthenecessaryhealthandsafetystandards beforeanystudentcanattend.

Itisimportanttonotethatstudentsareresponsiblefororganisingandsecuringtheirownplacements. Theschool’sroleistoprovideadviceandsupportwherenecessary,buttheresponsibilityofcompletingthe formslieswiththestudent.Toassistwiththis,wehaveattachedalistofpreviousplacementsand contactswhichmaybeahelpfulstartingpoint.

24 October 2025

BBCCareersTalkInspiresStudents

StudentshadtheexcitingopportunitytoattendaBBCCareersTalkthisweek,deliveredbyBBCBitesizein partnershipwithTechniciansUK.Theeventencouragedstudentstothinkabouttheirfuturecareerpathsand introducedthemtothewiderangeofopportunitiesavailableinmedia,technology,andcreativeindustries.

ThesessionhighlightedthattheBBCisn’tjustmadeupofpresentersandproducers—itdependsonadiverse teamofskilledprofessionalsincludingtechnicians,engineers,designers,anddigitalspecialists.Studentsalso heardfromrepresentativesfromWestMidlandsTrainsandlocalgraphicdesigners,whodiscussedthetechnical andcreativeskillsneededintheirindustries,andhowtheserolescontributetoshapingtheworldaroundus.

Alongsidethetalks,studentsexploredhowtousetheBBCBitesizeCareerswebsite—abrilliantresourcethat helpsyoungpeople:

● Discoverdifferentjobrolesandindustries

● Hearreal-lifestoriesfromprofessionals

● Understandwhichsubjectsandskillslinktospeciﬁccareers

● Plantheirownroutestowardfuturegoals

Theeventgavestudentsfreshinspirationandaclearersenseofdirection.AsoneYear 10studentreﬂected,“It’s helpedmethinkdifferentlyaboutwhatImightwanttodoafterschool.”

Sessionslikethisremindstudentsthatexploringcareersisnotjustaboutchoosingajob—it’saboutdiscovering theirpassions,developingskills,andimaginingthepossibilitiesahead.

24 October 2025

RaisingAspirationsandFuturesattheUniversityofCambridge

Earlierthisweek,ourYear10studentshadtheincredibleopportunitytovisittheUniversityofCambridge. Walkingthroughhistoriccolleges,exploringlecturehalls,andhearingfromcurrentstudentsopenedtheir eyestowhatispossiblewhenambitionmeetsdedication.

Experienceslikethisaredesignedtoinspirestudentstosetaspirationaltargets,bothacademicallyand personally.Byseeingﬁrst-handtheopportunitiesavailableatworld-classinstitutions,ourstudentsare encouragedtodreambigger,workharder,andbelieveintheirpotential.

AtKingswinfordAcademy,wearecommittedtonurturingambitionandshowingourstudentsthattheir dreamsarewithinreach.Visitslikethishelplaythefoundationsforconﬁdent,motivated,andfuture-ready youngpeople.

24 October 2025

Kingswinford’sstudentsaspirationstaketothesky-VirginAtlanticTalk

FormerStudentInspiresPupilswithVirginAtlanticWorkshop

WeweredelightedtowelcomebackformerKingswinfordAcademystudentBen,whonowworksforVirginAtlantic inLondon,todeliverafantasticcareersworkshopforourstudentsthisweek.

BensharedhisjourneyfromKingswinfordtotheskies,offeringaninspiringinsightintotheaviationindustryandthe widerangeofexcitingcareersavailablewithinit.Studentslearnedabouttheskills,teamwork,anddedication requiredtobepartofVirginAtlantic’sworld-classteam,fromcustomerserviceandengineeringtooperationsand cabincrew.

Thesessionwasabrilliantopportunityforstudentstoaskquestions,explorefuturepathways,andseehowpassion andhardworkcantakethemanywhere—eventhousandsoffeetabovetheground!

We’resoproudofBenandgratefulforthetimehespentinspiringthenextgenerationofKingswinfordstudentsto aimhighandchasetheirdreams.

24 October 2025

CelebratingOutstandingAttendance

WearethrilledtocelebratethefantasticattendanceacrossKingswinfordAcademythishalfterm!Atthetimeof writing,anincredible440studentsareontrackfor100%attendance—atestamenttotheircommitment, resilience,andpositiveattitudetowardslearning.

Evenmoreimpressively,manyofthesestudentshaveimprovedtheirattendancebyover10%comparedtolast halfterm(seelistbelow).Thisshowsrealdeterminationandagrowingunderstandingofhowbeingpresent everydaysupportssuccess,progress,andwellbeing.

Excellentattendanceiskeytoacademicachievementandpersonalgrowth,andit’sinspiringtoseesomanyof ourstudentsstrivingtobeinschooleverysingleday.Wearesoproudoftheirdedicationandthesupportof familiesinhelpingthemachievethismilestone.

24 October 2025

Enrichment-AutumnHalfTerm1

Wehavehadnearly3000studentvisitstoourenrichmentclubsthishalftermwhichhasbeen fantastic!MissAbel(AssistantHeadforPersonalPotential)said“Ithasbeenreallywonderfultosee suchasenseofbelonginginourschool!Somanystudentshavechosentodeveloptheirpersonal potentialbyjoininganewcluborcontinuingtoimprovetheirskillsandinterestsinoneofour40clubs thathavebeenonofferthishalfterm.Itisproventhatbeingengagedinanenrichmentclubimproves attendance,wellbeing,academicachievementandsupportsarangeofskillsthataretransferable acrossourcurriculum,supportingourstudents’futuredevelopment.

Herearesomeoftheexcitingthingsourstudentshavebeenenjoyingthishalfterm!

24 October 2025

Enrichment

-continued

24 October 2025

Enrichment -continued

Developingachild’spersonalpotentialisjustasimportant tousasdevelopingtheiracademicpotential!Therearean arrayofbeneﬁtstostudentsjoiningourenrichment programme,someofwhichareoutlinedbelow:

Socialskills

Extra-curricularactivitiescanhelpstudentsbuildconﬁdenceandsocialskills,whichcanbeimportantfor studentstonotonlyfeelhappy,safeandincludedbutalsosupportsthedevelopmentoftransferable skillsthataidsprogressinallcurriculumareas.Studentscanalsointeractwithpeerswhosharesimilar interests,whichcanhelpthemfeellessisolatedandmakefriends.

Academicperformance

Senseofbelonging

Beingpartofagroupcanhelpstudentsfeelasenseof belonging,whichcancontributetotheirself-esteemand conﬁdence.

Skilldevelopment

Extracurricularactivitiescanhelpstudentsdevelopnewskills andabilities,suchasteamwork,timemanagement,and networking.

Attendanceatextracurricularclubscanalsosupportand furtherenhancethestudents’Aspireskillswhichassiststhemin preparingfortheirfuture.

Extracurricularactivitiescanhelpstudentsapplyskills they'velearnedinclasstoreal-worldcontexts,whichcan boosttheiracademicperformance.

Balance

Extracurricularactivitiescanprovideabreakfromacademicwork,whichcanhelpstudentsmaintain motivationandpreventburnout.

Ifyouson/daughterwouldliketojoinanenrichmentclubafterhalftermthenpleaseaskthemto seeMissAbelorMrPerry.

24 October 2025

EnrichmentSuperstars!

Congratulationstothefollowingstudentsforbeingnominatedbytheirenrichment clublead,forshowingincrediblecommitment&enthusiasmthishalfterm:

24 October 2025

Enrichment -

continued

StudentreﬂectionsonourEnrichmentProvision

“Starlightbandisanexcellentopportunityfortalentedandaspiringmusicianstotakepartin duringTuesdaylunchtimesbecauseitbuildsconﬁdenceandfurthersyourmusicalability.Itallows youtoshowcaseyourindividualtalentsaspartofagroupwithsimilarinterestswhichinturn strengthensyourcollaborativeskills.BeingintheStarlightbandallowsmetopursuemyinterestin musicasIhavebeenabletoperformatmanyeventssuchasOpenEvening,andinnineweekstime attheannualCarolConcert,whichwouldn’tbeopentomeotherwise.Extracurricularactivitiesare imperativetoschoollifeastheyallowyoutohighlightyourhobbiesandcapabilitiestofuture academicproviders.Starlightbandisavailabletoanyonewithapassionformusicandan enthusiasmtoparticipatemoreinschoollife.”

Priya

Instrumentaltuition2025-2026

Ifyourson/daughterwouldliketolearntoplayaninstrumentorhavevocaltuitionintheSpringtermthen youcansignupforlessonsbyaccessingDudleyPerformingArtswebsite(seethelinkbelow).Enrolmentfor thespringtermstartsafterhalfterm.

https://www.dudley.gov.uk/things-to-do/dudley-performing-arts/information-for-parents-and-young-peopl e/music-lessons-in-schools/

Itisproventhatinstrumentaltuitionsupportsskillsthataretransferableacrossallcurriculumareasand achievementsarehighlyrecognisedbyuniversities.Musictuitionalsohassupportivestrategiesthatare conducivetopositivewellbeingandmindset,aswellasenjoyingthebeneﬁtsthatMusichastooffer.Ifyou wouldlikeanyfurtherdetailsinregardstoinstrumental/vocaltuitionthenpleasecontactMissAbel.

24 October 2025

ActiveLearningWeek2025

Lastterm,weendedouracademicyearwithavibrantandexciting‘ActiveLearningWeek’.Studentsin KeyStage3tookpartinresidentialtripstoDisneyland,Barcelona,NewquayandBeaudesertCampas wellasbeinginvolvedinourPledgeWeek,‘Pic‘n’Mix’programmeand‘K’fordProject’.

OpportunitiesincludedDukeofEdinburghstyleexpeditions,themeparks,museumtrips,visitstothe zooandsafariparks,WarwickCastle,WestonsuperMare,Blackpool,SurﬁnginCornwallandGoKarting tonamebutafew!

OurActiveLearningWeekprovidesavarietyofactivitiesthatenablesourstudentstogainasenseof belonging,developstheirinterestsandenhancestheirAspireskills.Studentsreallyenjoyedlearning outsideoftheirnormalclassroomenvironment,aswellasmakingnewfriendshipsandsteppingoutof theircomfortzones!

OurActiveLearningWeekisauniqueopportunitythatweprovideforourstudentsandwehopethe

24 October 2025

Enrichment

-continued

24 October 2025

ActiveLearningWeek2026

WeareexcitedtolaunchActiveLearningWeek2026afterhalfterm,startingwithourfabulous residentialpackages.Thisyear,weareofferingresidentialtripstoRome,Madrid,London,Newquay, BeaudesertCampandDisneylandforourKeyStage3studentsandforourYear10students.Allof thedetails,includingourYear7&Year8PledgeweekopportunitiesandourYear9Pic‘n’Mixwill bereleasedafterhalfterm!

24 October 2025

PersonalPotentialSpotlight!

CongratulationstoDan(4thfromtheleft),whorecentlyperformedatthe125thanniversaryof WestBromwichAlbionplayingattheHawthorns. DanplaysdrumsforBlackCountryBrass,who wereaskedtoplayatthematch.Theyperformedacoupleofshortsetsinthemainreceptionarea andfanzone,intheleaduptothematch,thenafewsongsonthepitchbeforekickoff.

ManycongratulationstostudentswhohaveorwhoareabouttotaketheirMusicgraded examinations!Youareaspiringforexcellenceandwe.Natwaittohearaboutyourachievements!

BestwishesforthestudentswhoareperforminginWestSideStoryaspartofaregionalMusical Theatregroupandtoallofthestudentswhoareplayinginsportingﬁxturesoverthenextfew weekswiththeircommunityteams.

24 October 2025

SchoolProduction

KingswinfordAcademypresentsHighSchoolMusical

Wearethrilledtoannouncethatourschoolproductionthisyearis‘HighschoolMusicalJr’ aschosenbyourcast.Wewereblownawaythatover100studentsauditionedforournext showandwereprivilegedtohearandseesuchtalentedstudents!Detailsaboutticketswill bereleasedafterChristmas!

24 October 2025

StudentLeadership2025-26

WearedelightedtohaveappointedourYear11PrefectTeamthisyear!Itwasaprivilegetohavereadthe outstandingapplicationswereceivedfromourYear11studentswhoarekeenandenthusedtomakeapositive differencetoourschoolcommunity.Congratulationstoallofthestudentswhowereselected.

AtKingswinfordAcademy,weprideourselvesonourengaginganddiversePersonalPotentialprovision.Onekey aspectofPersonalPotentialisourStudentLeadershipprogramme.Weknowhowimportantitistosupportour studentsinbecomingpositiverolemodelsbothwithinourschoolcommunityandbeyond.Providingstudent leadershipopportunitiesiskeytoourstudents’schooljourney.Theyassiststudentsindevelopingessentiallifeskills, fostersapositiveandinclusiveschoolculture,andboostsacademicengagement.Byparticipatinginroleslikeour StudentSenate,SportsCaptains,Wellbeing&Anti-BullyingAmbassadors,CivicLeaders,Curriculum&Enrichment AmbassadorsandourECOAmbassadors,studentsbuildconﬁdence,learntocollaborate,andgainastrongersenseof responsibilityandownershipovertheireducationandexperiences.

Manycongratulationstoallofthestudentswhohavebeenselectedfortheseroles.Welookforwardtohearing aboutyourprojects,experiencesandtheimpactyouaremakingonourschoolcommunityinournextnewsletter!

HeadGirl-Alice HeadBoy-David

DeputyHeadGirl-Priya DeputyHeadGirl-Arpita

DeputyHeadBoy-Ben DeputyHeadBoy-Zak

24 October 2025

StudentLeadership2025-26-Continued

HeadSeniorPrefect-Imogen

SeniorPrefectsLily,Lola,Ismail,Charlotte,Levi,Ayaan,Sowaibah,Elina&Maryam

Prefects-Miley,Maka,Aishah,Emily,Hannah,Paige,Elizabeth,Leah,Daisy,Alma, Riley,Romie,Jamie,Mia&Martha

24 October 2025

HospitalityandCatering

InHospitalityandCateringyear10havebeenlearninghowtotemperandpipe chocolate.Year11havebeendemonstratingtheirlearntskillsandpracticingfortheir controlledassessmentchosendishes.Greatskillsks4,welldone.

24 October 2025

Year10ArtPhotographyStudentsExploreLongExposureTechniques

OurnewYear10GCSEPhotographygrouphashadabusyandexcitingstarttotheterm,divinginto theworldofdigitalphotography.Recently,studentstookpartinasuccessfulandengaginglesson focusedonlongexposuretechniques.Theyexploredhowtousecamerasettingscreativelyto capturelightandmovement—animportantskillindevelopingtheirtechnicalandartisticabilities.

24 October 2025

UniformPolicy

Therewerenosigniﬁcantchangestoouruniformpolicythisacademicyear.Wearecompliantwiththe DfE’sdesiretokeepbrandeditemstoaminimum.Thefullupdatedpolicyispublishedonourwebsite.

Inadditiontoourapprovedsuppliers,non-compulsoryitemscanbepurchasedfrommostsupermarkets.If youhaveanydifficultywithuniform,particularlyﬁnancial,pleasecontacttheschoolwhowilltreatsuch incidentsasconﬁdential.

–TheSportsShopKingswinford

–TotallyUniformKingswinford

–KingswinfordAcademySwopShop-Weoffersustainableoptiontoswopuniformwithschool inreplacementforanotherpre-loveditem,pleaseaskreceptionformoreinformation.

24 October 2025

ASPIREtoExcellence-OurExpectations

Ready,Respectful,Safeisourapproachtoeverythingwedoinschool. Wehaveworkedhardtoembedourroutineswithinallaspectsofour schoolenvironmentandthebeneﬁtscanbeseenthroughout.Wewould liketothankeveryonefortheircontinuedeffortandsupportwiththis.

StudentsMissingfromLesson

Wetreattruancyfromlessonsseriously;thisisofgreatconcern,asweare unabletoaccountforyourchild'swhereaboutsduringtheseepisodes. We haveworkedwithourcommunitytoensurestudentsareawareofthe consequencesshouldtheytruantfromlessons.Studentswillbechallenged inlinewithourbehaviourpolicy.InitiallythiswillbetimeintheRefocus Room.However,shouldtheissuepersistsitmayresultinpotentialsuspensionfromschool.Wetrustwecan replyuponyoutospeaktoyourchildabouttheseverityoftheissue;studentscannotachieveiftheyarenotin lessonsandthereforewillnotunlocktheiracademicandpersonalpotential.

ToiletPermission

Weencouragestudentstoaccesstoiletsbeforeandafterschool,duringsocialtimesand,wherepossible, avoidingtoiletuseduringlessons.Youareabletotrackyourchild'stoiletuseduringlessonsbylookingatClass Chartsand“ToiletPermission”.AsIamsureyouappreciatelostlearningdirectlyrelatestostudentprogressand wewelcomeyourcontinuedsupportintrackingyourchild'stoiletuseviaClassChartsandencouragingyour childtoaccessthetoiletsawayfromlessons.

MobilePhones

Wehavea“GatetoGate”expectationwithregardtomobilephones,studentsmustensuretheyareswitched offandplacedintheirschoolbag,attheschoolgatebeforeenteringtheschoolsite.Theymustremainswitched offandintheirbagsuntiltheyleavetheschoolsiteandareoutsideoftheschoolgatebeforeusingthem;this alsoappliestoallafter-schoolactivities.

Ifyouneedtocontactyourchildforanyreason,thismustbedoneviaschoolreception.

24 October 2025

InitialTeacherTrainingatWindsorAcademyTrust

AspartofWindsorAcademyTrust’s(WAT)partnershipwiththeNationalInstituteofTeaching(NIoT)asan AssociateCollege,applicationsforourInitialTeacherTrainingprogrammeareopenfrom7thOctober2025for ourSeptember2026intake.

OurInitialTeacherTrainingisafullyimmersiveschool-centredprogramme,withschoolplacementsavailablein oneofour15schools.Applicantswillbeabletochoosetheirmainplacementschoolwhenapplyingandwewill endeavourtodoourbesttoplaceapplicantsintheirﬁrstchoiceschool.Ourtraineesarementoredbyexpert WATcolleaguesandhavecentraltrainingonceaweek.

AllofourteachertrainingcoursesleadtoQTS(QualifiedTeacherStatus),aPGCE(PostGraduateCertificatein Education)and60Master’sLevelcredits.InterestedapplicantscanfindoutmoreviaourInitialTeacherTraining webpageandcanapplyviatheDfEApplywebsite.Youcanfindususingourprovidercode2HEorsearchfor NIoTatWAT.

Toﬁndoutmore,pleaseemailusatteachertraining@windsoracademytrust.org.uk