It has been a very busy week at MEA Central!
Year 11 Prom
On Tuesday evening, our Year 11 students celebrated the end of their GCSE journey in style at The Lowry, Salford. The venue looked stunning and so did our students, who turned up in fabulous fashion and showed real class and joy all evening. Highlights included Mr Walker taking to the decks as DJ, proving once again that our staff don’t just teach, they entertain too! Thank you to everyone who helped make it such a memorable evening. (This photo is blurred for photo permissions but students will receive a link to access all formal photos taken on the evening).
Duke of Edinburgh
Our Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh participants set off on their expedition this week showing resilience, teamwork and independence. Carrying all their kit and navigating their routes, they faced the elements and came out smiling. Staff were impressed not only by their map skills but also by their determination to keep going and support each other throughout. Well done to all who took part - you did yourselves proud.
Year 10 Futures Trips
Year 10 students visited a range of local college and universities this week as part of their careers and aspirations programme. They got a flavour of what post-16 life can offer, trying out courses, meeting staff, and finding inspiration for the next steps in their education. We’re proud of how they conducted themselves and the thoughtful questions they asked - it’s clear the future is full of potential for this year group.
Year 6 Transition Day
On Thursday we welcomed our new Year 6 students for their Transition Day, their first taste of life at our school. They spent the day meeting teachers, making new friends, finding their way around, and getting stuck into some exciting activities. It was brilliant to see so many smiles and so much enthusiasm, and we can already tell this is going to be a fantastic year group. A huge thank you to all the staff and student ambassadors who helped make the day such a success.
House Countdown Competition
The House Countdown competition took place this week, with students (and staff!) putting their numeracy and vocabulary skills to the test in a tense battle of wits. With every round, the competition grew fiercer - and the audience more excited - as houses fought for those all-important points. Well done to all who took part and cheered on their teams: it was fantastic to see such enthusiasm and house spirit on display. Congratulations to Simul who came out victorious!
Big Speak Week
We are very excited to launch our Big Speak Week on Monday! The purpose of the week is to bring joy and celebration to the end of the school year by developing our students’ confidence in speaking and listening. Over the course of the week, students will have the opportunity to experience a workshop with a spoken word collective, Young Identity. They nurture and champion the voices of diverse young people through literature, writing and performance. It will be a fantastic opportunity to be inspired by local young people and build confidence in writing and speaking. In addition, the curriculum across all subjects has been adapted for the week to put oracy at the front and centre of learning, and of course there will be plenty of rewards and prizes to be given out over the week. Please look out for next week’s bulletin for pictures and celebrations!
Summer School Trip
A reminder that we require a £15 contribution for students to attend the school trip on 15th July. You can make the payment easily now on Arbor. We look forward to another joyful day! Details will follow next week.
House Competitions – Summer Term Update
Gratitude Card Making
All students participated in the Gratitude Card Making sessions and here are the results! Well done to everyone that got involved - we cannot wait to use them this half term!
House Sports Day – 16th July
A huge well done to every student who participated with enthusiasm and determination in the House Heats. The PE department are finalising the students who have qualified. The main event will take place on Wednesday 16th July at Stockport Harriers Athletics Track. Students have now been made aware of their selection for House Sports Day. Please grant consent for your scholar to attend the event on Arbor – this must be completed by Friday 4th July.
House Extravaganza Day – 18th July
We’ll be finishing the year in style with House Extravaganza Day on the final day of term. This whole-school celebration includes inflatables, table tennis, tug of war, festival-style games and classic sports day events. It will be a brilliant way to wrap up the academic year!
School Orchestra
We will be launching our School Orchestra in September 2025 which is open to all students who play an orchestral instrument at Grade 3 standard or above, (musicians who are working below grade 3 are still welcome to audition!). This exciting new opportunity will give students the chance to rehearse and perform as part of an ensemble, develop their musicianship, and participate in something truly special within our school community. Rehearsals will take place during lunchtime once a week, please see Mr Ryan to collect an information letter or to sign up.
Thank you to everyone who responded to our parent/carer questionnaire about Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) provision at MEA Central. We value your feedback and endeavor to work together with you to ensure your child has the support they need to thrive at school. If you requested a call from the Skyline team, we will be in touch this week.
As the school year ends, we will invite you to contribute to your child’s One Page Profile. One Page Profiles outline a student’s needs and how best to support them and are shared with all staff working with them. Look out for the Microsoft Form to share your contributions.
There will be lots of opportunities to meet the team in the next academic year; we attend all key parent events, so please come and say hello!
Please contact the Skyline team directly if you have any questions, or would like to book a meeting with Ms. Earle, the SENCo: skylineadmin@meacentral.org.uk
Safeguarding
Support for young people and parents
A reminder for parents that on our school website, there are a range of resources available for students and parents.
We have a Padlet page that is regularly updated! It covers topics from mental health support, online safety, family / housing support to information around bullying.
Please explore these resources and get in contact if you have any questions!
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Head of Year Messages |
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Year 7 – Ms. C Gates Year 7 have had a big week with lots going on! They have been fantastic during their Benchmark Tests, showing focus and maturity as they completed them like true scholars. All students have also taken part in Reflect Week and received their reports. It was wonderful to see them taking the time to reflect on their progress and to celebrate how far they’ve come this year. As we approach the end of the academic year, we want all students to finish strong. This means continuing to demonstrate excellent scholarly habits in every lesson, showing focus, effort and pride in all that they do. We are reminding students to keep the main thing the main thing—staying committed to their learning right to the end. We have Big Speak Week coming up where students will be taking part in oracy-focused tasks across all subjects and engaging in exciting extracurricular opportunities such as workshops. It's a fantastic chance for students to practise their communication skills and show confidence in their learning. Ms Gates |
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Year 8 – Ms. S Bryan
This week, I’ve been extremely impressed by the way our Year 8 students have conducted themselves during the benchmark tests. Their focus, determination, and maturity truly reflected our values – they were scholars in every sense and did us all proud. A huge well done to each and every one of them!
Special congratulations go to our fantastic Year 8 cricket team, who competed in the final against Manchester Grammar School on Monday. It was a close and exciting game, and although we didn’t come away with the win, reaching the final is a massive achievement – the first MEA Central team to do so. We are incredibly proud of them!
Attendance continues to be a real strength across the year group, which is brilliant to see. As we know, strong attendance, combined with excellent behaviour and punctuality, sets the foundation for success as our students prepare for the transition to Year 9. We are continuing to focus on our core value of Participation, and we’re excited about the upcoming events that will give students the chance to get involved and make lasting memories. These include:
We hope Year 8 thoroughly enjoy these experiences and make the most of every opportunity that comes their way.
Well done, Year 8 – keep up the fantastic work!
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Year 9 – Mr C Blackburn Year 9 Update: Preparing for Year 10 and Celebrating Success Year 9 continue to make great strides as they prepare to step up to Year 10. Over the past week, students have completed their Benchmark Tests, helping them become familiar with exam routines and expectations ahead of their GCSE journey next year. Their focus and maturity throughout the process have been impressive.
The final two weeks of term bring some exciting opportunities. In the penultimate week, we will launch Big Speak Week, where students will take part in a variety of engaging tasks designed to develop their oracy and communication skills. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to build confidence and express themselves in different ways.
To round off the term, the final week will include a reward trip to the Pleasure Beach, a well-deserved celebration of their hard work and progress this year. Well done to all our Scholars of the Week for both last week and this week, your effort and achievements are recognised and appreciated.
Finally, a huge shout out to our prefect applicants, there were some truly outstanding interviews and presentations. We are very excited about what next year will bring with such strong student leaders stepping forward. Thank you for your continued support,
Mr Blackburn
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Year 10 – Mr J Roper WOW....What a fantastic week it’s been for our Year 10 students! This week has been packed with enriching opportunities that have showcased the ambition, independence and enthusiasm of our pupils. Many of them had the chance to visit a range of colleges and universities, gaining valuable insights into future pathways and raising aspirations for life beyond MEA Central. These visits sparked thoughtful questions and inspired many to start thinking seriously about their next steps.
The week concluded with exciting Geography and History field trips to Salford Quays and Chester, where students engaged excellently with the learning opportunities outside the classroom. We’ve also seen outstanding levels of independent work across lessons, with students showing great focus and their ability to take ownership of their learning in preparation for Y11 and next year.
In this week’s assembly, Ms Kilty shared important information about Review Week, highlighting how this is a key part of the assessment cycle. She reminded students that 100% attendance is crucial at this time, as it gives them the best chance to make meaningful progress and demonstrate their full potential.
Finally, a special mention goes to the students who completed their Duke of Edinburgh expedition—a truly fantastic achievement! Their teamwork, resilience and positive attitude throughout the challenge were exceptional. Well done to all involved!
Mr Roper & Ms Renshaw
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