School Newsletter
Good afternoon,
It has been a short but busy week in school. The whole‐school flu vaccinations took place, and we are grateful to everyone for helping the process run so smoothly. With just one week left before we break for Christmas, there is a festive feeling throughout the building as pupils and staff look forward to the celebrations ahead.
Storm Bram has brought wet and windy conditions, meaning we’ve had to follow our wet-weather plan during lunchtimes, this means that we keep everyone inside the building. I would appreciate you talking to your children and young people about how to manage the day when they cannot go outside and reminding them that there are spaces in school for them to sit and talk or take part in activities.
A reminder that school will close for the Christmas holidays on the 19th December and we look forward to welcoming everyone back on 5th January.
Information for Parents/Carers of all years
Out of Classroom Expectations
I wanted to share the work that we have done together as a school to agree our expectations for behaviour outside the classroom. There will be a whole school assembly, and children will have a copy in their planners too. I would appreciate your support to reinforce these expectations. From Monday 15th December, we will have use of our main hall at lunchtime for activities and packed lunches/grab bags. Once this is open, we will be keeping hot food in the dining hall (some students have other arrangements as reasonable adjustments). This will allow us to supervise the hall, dining hall and main deck and keep other areas out of bounds except for wet lunchtimes. After Christmas, we have Sheffield United Outreach staff in school at lunchtime and will be running their Premier Kicks programme in school for a group of students.
Fire Alarm Activation
On Thursday last week the fire alarm was activated either by accident or deliberately. Any deliberate act will lead to the most serious consequences for that child or young person. I want to reassure parents and carers that we would never schedule a fire drill in the awful weather we encountered on Thursday last week. The children and young people were fantastic despite the weather – please pass on my thanks to everyone that behaved so well and evacuated the building so quickly. We are still investigating the incident and will be in touch with the parents of anyone involved.
Christmas Jumper Day
Friday 19th December will be Westfield Christmas Jumper Day - Non-uniform day. Students are kindly asked to donate £1 either on the gate via collection buckets or via parent pay. All proceeds will go towards purchasing a memorial bench for Elemie Wainwright and we have a group of Year 8 students working hard to make this happen. Thank you to Kier for agreeing to donate to the bench too.
NOMO APP - No More Missing Out
Year 9 and Year 10 students have been issued a postcard informing them that they are able to download the NOMO App free of charge. The research the team will get from this project will be very interesting to Schools and parents/carers. More information can be found here: https://yesnomo.com/
Year 9 Guest Speaker Wednesday 17th December
During Period 1, all Year 9 students will be in the main hall for a guest speaker called Ross from Bravand, a digital design and build agency based in Sheffield. This is part of the 'Build my skills' programme Year 9 have been enrolled onto in collaboration with ESH group. Students are encouraged to complete a check point activity after each session, the links are below. Please encourage your child to complete the activities at home. Those who complete them to a certain standard will be invited to an extended careers event at Skills Street later in the school year.
Checkpoint 1: https://www.eshgroup.co.uk/bms-cp-1/
Checkpoint 2: https://www.eshgroup.co.uk/bms-cp-2/
Year 10 Work Experience
Students were briefly introduced to the work experience offer at Westfield in assembly last week. Year 10 will be invited to take part in one week's work experience taking place on 18th -22nd May 2026. Students will be given help, guidance and support from January onwards to help the secure a placement. All the documentation for this process will be introduced via an online platform called UNIFROG from January.
Year 11 Apprenticeship Advice
Websites
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Local – www.sheffieldapprenticeships.com
Sheffield Council Apprenticeship service
If you have any questions or need assistance with your apprenticeship, please contact Harry McGregor at: apprenticeshipready@sheffield.gov.uk.
Virtual event - Apprenticeships: Build Your Future Today
Date: Wednesday 21st January 2026
Time: 4:30 – 6:00pm
Location: Online (link provided before event)
This event is the perfect opportunity to find out more about apprenticeships and prepare for the Be Inspired: Apprenticeships event on Thursday 6th March 2026. You’ll hear directly from employers and current apprentices about:
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What apprenticeships are really like
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How to get ready and stand out in applications
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The skills and qualities employers are looking for
Register now to secure your place: Apprenticeships: Build Your Future Today - Universe
Any questions about the event please feel free to get in touch at apprenticeshipready@sheffield.gov.uk or harry.mcgregor@sheffield.gov.uk
Year 11 Personal Statements and Sheffield Progress
Year 11 have been writing their personal statements in form time this week for Sheffield Progress. This is an important step in applying for a post-16 course or apprenticeship and students need to have finished their statements before sending their application/s. Please see the attached personal statement template for those who still need help to write a personal statement.
All Year 11 form groups should have had an introductory session to Sheffield Progress. If your child has not had the opportunity to log-in, or has forgotten their username or password, please ask them to pop into the Careers Hub, located on the top deck outside English. Courses starting in September 2026 are now live on Sheffield Progress. Students can browse and apply for Sixth Form and College courses. Please remember to check the grade entry requirements for each course before applying. Students can find their Most Likely Outcome (MLO) grade under the qualifications section of the website. The careers department are on hand to support all students through the process and check each application before they are sent onto post-16 providers. The deadline for students wanting to apply for Sixth Form is Friday 9th January 2026. The deadline for students wanting to apply for college is Friday 30th January 2026.
For all careers queries, please contact: careers@westfield.chorustrust.org
Good news stories
Ethan Shines at the 33rd Junior European Open 2025
Ethan, currently in Year 11, recently took part in the prestigious 33rd Junior European Open in Málaga. He had an incredible experience, performing exceptionally well against a highly competitive field. Out of 173 talented players, Ethan finished an impressive 28th — a remarkable achievement, especially as one of the youngest competitors, with many participants aged 17 and 18.
Throughout the championship, Ethan played on several world-class courses, gaining valuable experience and learning a great deal along the way. His strong performance and the insights he gained have only strengthened his determination to pursue a future and career in golf. He should be extremely proud of his accomplishments.
Community Thanks for Student Kindness
We were recently contacted by a local resident who wished to thank one of our students for his kindness during a worrying moment.
On 17 November, her husband, who lives with Alzheimer’s, did not return from his daily walk. Feeling anxious, she asked a passing student whether he had seen him. The student immediately offered to go to the nearby park to look for her husband and return with any news. Although she declined, she was deeply moved by his calm, caring response.
She also wished to thank a former Westfield pupil who lives next door, who went out searching toward Rother Valley after finding her distressed.
Her husband returned home safely, and she shared how grateful she is for the kindness shown by these young people.
We are extremely proud of their compassion and the positive example they set within our community.
Westfield Shines at Sheffield Cross Country
Over several Saturday mornings this term, a dedicated group of Westfield students have proudly represented our school in the Sheffield cross country races. Whatever the weather—rain, mud, wind or cold—our runners brought their own sunshine through their effort, positivity and unwavering commitment.
We are incredibly proud of each and every one of them. Their determination and team spirit have been fantastic to see, and their progress across the season has been inspiring.
Year 7 Representatives:
Harley, Pheobe, Evie, Ben
Year 8 Representatives:
George, Ezra, Daniel, Henry
To follow their journey and see highlights from the events, please visit our Instagram page.
Dates for your diary
School Holiday – 22 December 2025 – 2 January 2026
06/01/26 – Photography mock exam (Y band)
09/01/26 – Photography mock exam (X band)
Reminder of our contact emails
safeguarding@westfield.chorustrust.org
attendance@westfield.chorustrust.org
enquiries@westfield.chorustrust.org
As always, thank you for your ongoing support.
Mrs G A Jones
