Good afternoon,

As we move further into the term, it has been another busy and positive week across the school. Excitement is building as we look ahead to next week’s performances of Matilda — the stage is now set, and our students and staff have been working incredibly hard in rehearsals to bring the production together. We are all looking forward to what promises to be a fantastic show.

Thank you to the many parents and carers who attended the Year 10 Parents’ Evening this week. These events are a valuable opportunity to discuss progress and next steps, and we greatly appreciate your continued support and engagement.

Finally, well done to our Year 11 students who completed their mock examinations. They have approached this important period with maturity and focus, and we wish them the very best as they approach their final exams.

Information for Parents/Carers of all years

Online Safety Update – Be Aware of Apps that Promote Live Video Calls

There has been discussion in the news about access to social media for under-16s and we have all seen the impact of ‘School Wars’ these last few weeks.  While the internet and social media can be good to create opportunities to connect, create and explore, we need to be aware of how it can expose them to unsuitable content and experiences that can lead to them being unsafe.

During this week, we have been alerted to some concerns about the dangers of specific websites and apps that have affected young people locally.

These websites and apps are exposing children to the risk of connecting with strangers through live video calls. In 2023, a website called Omegle was closed due to reports of young people being matched with strangers, often adults and consequently exposed to inappropriate and dangerous material and connecting with people who were putting them at risk of being exploited.

There continues to be copycat website/apps that use the same model. One has a similar name, Omegle along with others such as OmeTV, Monkey or Thundr TV. These all set an age limit of 18+ but it is very easy for younger children to bypass this.

The organisation ‘Internet Matters’ allows parents to search for apps and check their status and any recommendations. It also has a wealth of advice to support parents.  Apps and platforms safety hub | Expert advice | Internet Matters

Helpful advice:

• Don’t mention OmeTV, Monkey, or Thundr TV directly as we don’t want to signpost it to the children if they are not aware of it
• Ask your child if they are using any live chat apps
• Ask your child what websites they are accessing
• Check your child’s device history
• If your child tells you that they have been on any of these apps - please ask them about it to find out more
• Check for apps and their age restriction
• Look for apps that allow any sort of live chat and remove them from your phone
• Block inappropriate apps or websites in your security settings on your child’s device
• Contact our safeguarding@westfield.chorustrust.org if you have any questions or want to report any concerns

I hope this information is of help to you but please feel free to share it with other friends and family members if they think it would be helpful.

 

Y9 GCSE Photography

GCSE Photography students are now working on their Development Unit. This is the final unit of work before students sit their two-day GCSE examination. By this stage, all observations and written work should be complete.

If your child has any outstanding work, it must now be completed during the after-school intervention sessions, which take place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00–4:00 pm in the Art rooms. Work can also be accessed and completed at home via Teams.

The GCSE Photography exam dates are:

20th and 21st April – 9X1

22nd and 23rd April – 9Y1

27th and 28th April – 9Y2

 

Y11 GCSE Art

Y11 GCSE Art students are now working on their Development Unit in lesson. This is the final unit of work before students sit their two-day GCSE examination. By this stage, all artist link sheets and observations should be complete.

If your child has any outstanding work, it must now be completed during the after-school intervention sessions, which take place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00–4:00 pm in the Art rooms.

The art exam dates are the 29th and 30th April.

 

Matilda The Musical

Westfield School presents Tim Minchin's Tony Award winning musical 'Matilda Jr'. Performed by our very own Westfield students and inspired by the beloved Roald Dahl book and film adaptation.

Matilda is the story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.

Join us as our Westfield students perform their version of the show.

Tickets are now on sale for each performance:

Wednesday 18 March https://matilda18march.eventbrite.co.uk

Thursday 19 March  https://matilda19march.eventbrite.co.uk

Friday 20 March https://matilda20march.eventbrite.co.uk

 

Year 8 HPV Vaccinations

The School Age Immunisation Team will be visiting school on Monday 16 March to administer the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine. Consent can be given using the following link and use the school code SF145562 :-https://www.sheffieldchildrensvaccinations.co.uk/Forms/HPV

 

Living With Teenagers Event – Parent Hub

Living with teenagers is a group programme offered to parents/carers of young people aged from 12 to 16 years old. The course is led by trained EPEC (Empowering parents, Empowering Communities) parent facilitators and aims to support you to manage both you and your teen’s feelings, communicate and interact positively with your teen, use positive behaviour management strategies and manage parental stress.

The programme starts on Tuesday 14 April 2026, 10:00 am - 12:15 pm at Vestry Hall, 2 Burgreave Road, Sheffield, S3 9DD and continues for 8 weeks.

For more information or to book, please contact Sheffield Parent Hub on 0114 205 7243 or email SheffieldParenting@sheffield.gov.uk

 

Good news stories

Year 11 Food Practical exams

Congratulations to the Y11 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition students, who completed their food practical exams over the last two weeks.  The students had to make three, highly skilled dishes with accompaniments of their own choice, within three hours.  To achieve the higher marks, students had to make everything from scratch and the kitchen was full of handmade pastas, pastries, breads and cakes, with some students even making their own mayonnaise, butter and mozzarella cheese. 

Mrs Hogan, Miss Oates  and Miss Shirtcliffe are immensely proud of the students and commend them all on their creativity and hard work, as well as their excellent behaviour and attitude to learning.

 

Year 11 Apprenticeships: Be Inspired event

Year 11 students visited the annual Apprenticeships: Be Inspired Fair 2026 this week. The event is organised by Opportunity Sheffield and was held at Canon Hall Medical Arena in Sheffield.

The event brings together employers recruiting apprentices with students in Year 11 and above who are considering the apprenticeship route. Employers attending offer a range of apprenticeship opportunities across sectors. The careers team will be running some follow up apprenticeship skills sessions in school this month.

 

Dates for your diary

16/03/26 – Year 8 HPV vaccinations

16/03/26 – Duke of Edinburgh parent meeting

17/03/26 – Year 11D Geography educational visit

18/03/26 – Year 11A Geography educational visit

18/03/26 - Year 10 Get Up To Speed educational visit to Magna

18/03/26 – 20/03/26 – Matilda school show

23/03/26 – Dortmund trip parent meeting

24/03/26 – Year 11B Geography educational visit

25/03/26 – Year 11C Geography educational visit

26/03/26 – Higher level maths educational visit

30/03/26-10/04/26 – School holiday

 

Reminder of our contact emails

safeguarding@westfield.chorustrust.org

attendance@westfield.chorustrust.org

enquiries@westfield.chorustrust.org

sendadmin@westfield.chorustrust.org

 

As always, thank you for your ongoing support.

Mrs G A Jones