Dear Parents and Families,
As we come to the end of another long and busy term, we have a few updates and reminders to share with you.
In this letter:
Arrangements for the end of term
Arrangements for the start of next term
Key dates in term 3
Congratulations to our Head Pupil and Deputy Head Pupils
Advance notice: changes to schools’ statutory guidance on uniform
Site works and the car park
Arrangements for the end of term 2
The last day of this term is Friday 19 December. We will open at the usual time, but we have altered the timings of the day to allow sufficient time for our Christmas Dinner to be served. There will be one, extended break time between 12.00 and 1.00pm, with the children served lunch in year-group sittings. Tutors are asking their groups to indicate if they would like to have a Christmas lunch on the last day, to ensure our caterers have ordered the right quantities. There is no need to pay in advance. Please note that only Christmas dinner will be available on the last day of term; there will be no cold servery for sandwiches or pasta. The usual range of drinks will be available.
The school will close to students at 1:30pm, and the buses are scheduled to leave at 1:45pm. Reception and the safe hub will remain staffed until 3:30pm.
The school site is completely closed during the winter break. The school’s safeguarding email inbox is monitored throughout the holidays.
Arrangements for the start of next term
We reopen on Monday 05 January 2026 with a staff training day. All students will return to school at the usual time on Tuesday 06 January.
Key dates for term 3
The annual Young Musician of the Year event takes place in the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre on Thursday 29 January.
The Year 9 parents evening (including KS4 preferences) is on Wednesday 04 February from 4.00pm, with more information to follow from Mrs Ashton.
The last day of term is Friday 13 February. We return for term 4 on Monday 23 February with a staff training day. Students’ first day back is Tuesday 24 February.
Term 3 is a busy term for mid-point assessments. Letters specific to individual year groups will follow from the raising standards leaders.
Congratulations to our Head Pupil and Deputy Head Pupils
Our Year 11 prefects have selected their Head Pupil and Deputy Head Pupils. Congratulations to Noah, Keeley, Scott and Phoebe! The head and deputies organise our prefect team to fulfil their leadership responsibilities. They also provide valuable advice and insight for the senior leadership team on the school experience through the eyes of our learners. Our Prefects, heads and deputies have already represented the school brilliantly when we were visited by the CLF Board of Trustees and by Dr Tim Coulson, who is the director general of the DFE’s regional school improvement groups.
Advance notice: changes to statutory guidance on school uniform In November, the Department for Education (DFE) published guidance for schools on applying school uniform policies from September 2026. You can read about this here: Uniform
Here at MWA we will be considering our approach to school uniform to ensure that we are compliant with this guidance, early in the new year. We will be inviting parents and our children to engage with us as we consider the role of uniform in feelings of belonging and pride, as well as in equity and inclusion. Any changes to existing arrangements will be communicated as soon as possible. However, please be reassured that there will not be any new items that must be bought.
Site works and the car park
Thank you for your patience over the past few months as the contractors have been using areas in our car park for their secure compounds as they have been undertaking roofing work. They are due to finish at Christmas, weather permitting of course. We are looking forward to being able to re-open the Key Stage 3 gate between H and B blocks, rather than squeezing all of the children through the smaller gate in the mornings. Thank you also for driving considerately when using our car park whilst pavements and walkways have been unavailable.
We have noticed a rise in the number of parents and visitors parking in bus-bays and across hatched areas. Whilst we hope this will ease as more parking spaces are available, please remember that you must not park in the hatched areas whatever the circumstances. Even a stay of a couple of minutes can have a significant impact on the traffic flow and therefore the safety of our children. Please do not be offended if staff on duty ask you to move out of these areas and into a designated parking bay. Please also respect our air quality by not idling as you wait for your child, and instead turning your ignition fully off.
With thanks, as always, for your continued support.
Mrs H. Jones
Principal
