Principal’s Message for Week B, wb 19th January 2026 

A successful return with high standards 

Thank you for your continued support in ensuring a smooth and successful return to school this term. The calm, purposeful start we have seen from students has been wonderful. 

As a school, we have returned with a sharp focus on our value of Achievement, with particular emphasis on growth mindset. We are encouraging students to be comfortable with challenge and mistakes, to learn from them, and to keep striving for excellence.  

High expectations and high support go hand in hand here at school, and we are reinforcing our high standards around uniform. These expectations may seem small in isolation, but they matter. Every action is a vote for the person a student is becoming, and consistency in standards of presentation builds pride, self-discipline and readiness to learn. There is a direct link between how students present themselves and how seriously they take their learning and we want everyone to identify as a scholar.  

Thank you for continuing to support us with these expectations. Working together, we set students up for success! 

 

Language and Literacy 

 

Over the course of next week, our Key Stage 3 classes continue to visit the library to loan their next book.  Our aim is for all students to have loaned at least six books by the end of the summer term, and they should be aiming to read it for at least twenty minutes per day.    

 

This month's book display focus is on physical health, sport, and science. The display will be refreshed each week by our student librarians to promote reading in these areas.  We continue to have newspapers in the library to promote an understanding of our wider world and a variety of viewpoints. 

 

The library also has a new and exciting enrichment programme to offer to enthusiastic readers – Shadow the Carnegie Awards.  Students will be invited to read the brand-new titles and participate in the judging process. 

 

 

All members of MEA Central staff promote a love of reading to encourage your child to read more of what they like.  On Wednesday, they will participate in a ten minute ‘Drop Everything and Read’ session during period 3.  This means that regardless of which lesson they are in, they will read their library book for ten minutes, followed by a book recommendation by their subject teacher. Please remind your child to have their book in their bag every day! 

 

Finally, research tells us that attention to careful and precise handwriting will improve a child’s learning of new concepts.  The knowledge organiser retrieval homework is an excellent way to monitor your child’s handwriting and presentation.  Please ensure they are also retrieving knowledge and vocabulary from a range of subjects!   Students will be rewarded for their excellent handwriting in the coming weeks! 

 

 

 

Debate Mate 

 

Debate Mate club is back for the Spring term.  Ms Cooper and Ms Ferry are excited to welcome any students who have a keen interest to debate. Whether that be about the current climate, the school menu or the advancement of technology. Debate Mate has been a valued part of our school community for many years, with our teams achieving outstanding success in competitions. 

  

Through Debate Mate, students will foster skills such as their critical thinking, confidence and their ability to communicate effectively which will hugely benefit them throughout their academic career with us and beyond.  

  

The team have their first competition in the Novice League on the 29th of January which is online and will take place between 3:45-6:00pm. We cannot wait for our students to show their talent and potential. 

 

Holocaust Memorial Day 2026 
On Tuesday 27th January we will be commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day. This will be done through a live assembly led by the history department. There will be opportunities to learn about behaviour in sombre occasions and important histories. As we know from our annual Remembrance ceremony, our pupils know how to take part respectfully and will be informed through history lessons in the upcoming weeks. We look forward to coming together as a community as citizens of the world, to shine a light on injustices and commemorate all innocent lives lost then and today.   

 

A reminder that on Thursday 22nd January, the Year 11 GCSE Preparation Evening and Year 9 Futures Evening takes place from 3.15pm - 5.00pm.  Letters have been sent out with further details.  If you have siblings in the same year group, please make a member of staff aware when you sign in and we can direct you from there.   

 

  

Parent Coffee Events 

We value our partnership with parents and carers and warmly invite you to join us at our Parent Coffee Events. These informal sessions are a chance to meet members of our Senior Leadership Team, ask questions, share your thoughts, and enjoy some light refreshments. We look forward to welcoming you and strengthening our school community together. 

Date	Time	Focus
27.01.26	9:30-10:30	Supporting Reading and Math
13.02.25	9:30-10:30	Wellbeing and Attendance (Manchester Healthy Schools)
25.02.26	9:30-10:30	KS4 Wellbeing and Exam Anxiety (KOOTH
03.03.26	9:30-10:30	SEND and EAL Support
17.03.26	9:30-10:30	Enrichment and Homework
31.03.26	9:30-10:30	Access and Engagement Celebration

 

Parent Voice 

                       

https://participate.schoolsurveys.com/kSdq0oc1fbLZmR52  

 

 

Skyline 

If your child has additional needs or is accessing an intervention in school, they are supported by the Skyline Team.  For more information, please read our SEN Information Report, which is in the Key Information section of our website: SEND-Information-Report-2025-26.pdf 

There will be lots of opportunities to meet the team this 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 

If you require help and support for your child, please access Manchester’s Local Offer website: Manchester Local Offer  

The website features a ‘Family Friend booklet’ which is a free resource providing vital local support, activities, and advice for families, covering things like childcare, school uniform help, health tips, food vouchers, crisis support, and free school meals/transport: Family Friend booklet | Manchester City Council 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Head of Year Messages

Year 7 – Ms. S Bryan  It has been wonderful to see Year 7 attendance reach 95% last week, which is a real achievement and thank you for your continued support. Please do keep this momentum going, as good attendance and punctuality are directly linked to learning time and progress and every lesson really does count.  Our students have approached their first set of Big Tests with excellent scholarly habits, and the feedback on their conduct has been extremely positive. They should be very proud of the mature and focused way they have represented themselves and the year group.  A reminder to parents to please sign your child up to enrichment via Arbor. Our aim is for every Year 7 student to be involved in at least one club, helping to build friendships, confidence and a strong sense of belonging within the school community.  Finally, as part of Music Month, a group of Year 7 students had the exciting opportunity to attend a session with the Halle Orchestra this week. They engaged brilliantly and were a real credit to the school.  Thank you, as always, for your continued support in helping our Year 7 students to belong, thrive and achieve. We look forward to an equally positive and productive half term ahead.

Year 8 – Ms. C Gates  It was so wonderful to see so many parents and carers at Parents’ Evening on Tuesday. It was a fantastic evening to celebrate the achievements and successes of Year 8. Thank you so much for your ongoing support in helping our scholars reflect on the year so far. Year 8 continued to think about their reports in form time this week with two sessions to reflect on their strengths and areas for development from this set of Big Tests. All students have completed a reflection sheet so please ask them about it!  We have also launched our House Poetry competition this week, which was a huge success last year. Students can get involved in a number of ways to earn house points and showcase their creativity. It’s a brilliant opportunity for Year 8 to demonstrate the value of participation and contribute to their house community.  Ms Gates and Mr Chowdhury

Year 9 – Mx Umpierrez  I would like to start by saying a huge thank you to all of you for your swift and thoughtful responses to the uniform, attendance and behaviour concerns the Year 9 team have raised with you this week. Keeping the standards high, especially as we start such a crucial half term for all Year 9 scholars, is going to make a real difference in your child’s progress and future. Your support does not go unnoticed, and, as I’ve said before: we could not do it without you.      We had a jam-packed week in form times, with the highlights being all Year 9 scholars taking part in “Have Your Say Day” on Tuesday, a theatre assembly on KS4 options and the Futures Evening with Mrs Reynard on Thursday, and a Head of House Assembly on the new House competition on Friday – more news on this in the coming weeks!      This week I wanted to share some shoutouts with all of you:       Participation by Year 9 scholars was excellent during our new Boxing Club. A huge thank you to Hussein, Mohammad K, Muhammad M and Moid for attending and living by our school values during the evening.       The Drama department brought in an external Theatre workshop by PaperBirds. The scholars taking part in this were excellent during the workshop and, in the words of Ms Tetlow, showed skills and knowledge on par with GCSE Drama students. A huge well done to: Isabel, Sophie B, Jalen, Lucia, Minnie, Sophie C, Noah B, Dipsan, Woodrow and Mason for your engagement.       Another massive well done to Ibrahim, Sam and Kamran for accessing our After School Study Club (also known as Homework Club) most days of the week and working on your homework independently. We are very proud of your hard work and dedication!     It has been great to see the numbers of scholars accessing our enrichment offer go up this half term, but we would like to see these numbers grow even more! Just a reminder that taking part in after-school clubs will help your child build confidence, develop social and teamwork skills, and discover new interests and talents beyond the classroom. These activities also encourage a sense of belonging to the school community, improve wellbeing, and have a positive impact on motivation and engagement with learning.       If you have any feedback or questions on our enrichment offer, do not hesitate and get in touch with us.       Hope you all have a great weekend.       Thanks,    Mx Umpierrez and Mx Eastwood    Year 9 Team

Year 10 – Mr C Blackburn  This half term, some key themes come to mind: Growth Mindset, Preparation, Achievement, Resilience, and Positive Attitudes. Adopting these characteristics will be essential for success in the upcoming Progress Exams, which begin on 22nd January. The first Sports Hall exam will take place on 26th January, and letters have been sent home with the below timetable. Please ensure your child reads their timetable carefully and prepares by revising.  We strongly recommend using the Leitner System for revision, as shown below. Silent entry into the exam hall is vital, students must enter in complete silence to maintain focus and fairness.  Feeling nervous about exams is completely natural. Being organised, creating a revision timetable, and talking to someone about any worries can really help reduce nerves. Little and often revision using the strategies shared by Mrs Kilty and all the available resources will set students up for success.  Everything students do in school now matters, behaviour, attendance, and punctuality reports are shared with colleges, so please support your child in giving themselves the best possible advantage. All the hard work and grit shown now will make everything easier later. Please see the timetable below.        Year 10 have already had a fantastic start to the term, and we are excited to build on this early momentum throughout 2026.  Thank you for your continued support.  Best wishes,  Mr Blackburn and Miss Kreszentia

Year 11 – Mr J Roper    

 

As we move into week 2 of the term, it’s vital to remind ourselves of the foundations that we have built which we know will help every student succeed. Attendance and punctuality remain key priorities for us in Y11 —being in school, on time, every day ensures that no learning opportunities are missed and sets the tone for success. This links directly to making the most of Period 6 sessions, which provide invaluable extra support and preparation. Alongside this, online learning platforms like SPARX and GCSE Pod offer extended learning opportunities that can make a real difference when used consistently. 

While academic progress is essential, we also recognise the importance of taking time to relax and reset. It’s been fantastic to see some of our Year 11 pupils embracing this balance by attending the new Boxing Club—a great way to stay active and focused. As we talk and work with the students about revision and finalising their College applications it is so important that they understand the need to take time for themselves as the year progresses. 

Finally, let’s not forget the importance of maintaining our high standards of uniform. Looking smart isn’t just about appearance; it’s about pride, professionalism and acting as role models for the younger year groups at MEA Central.  

Together, these habits—attendance, engagement, balance (work/rest and relaxation) and pride in our uniform - help us build a culture of excellence. 

Thank you for your ongoing support. 

Mr Roper and Ms Renshaw