Principal’s Message for Week B, wb 2nd February 2026

Celebration and Recognition of MEA Central’s Achievements

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are pleased to share some national recognition we have received this week that reflects MEA Central’s commitment to inclusion and to securing strong outcomes for all students.

Firstly, we were delighted to receive a letter from the Secretary of State for Education commending the school’s results for disadvantaged pupils. This recognition highlights the impact of our relentless focus on equity, high expectations and excellent teaching, and it speaks directly to the progress our students are making.

In addition, MEA Central has been awarded Centre of Excellence status, building on our recent Inclusion Quality Mark. This award recognises the strength and consistency of our inclusive systems, the way we remove barriers to learning, and the culture we have built where every child is known, supported and challenged to succeed.

Finally, I am resharing our case study recently published on the Department for Education website. Pupil Premium success: building effective school systems – Teaching  This case study complements the awards above and showcases the work we do every day to ensure inclusion is not an add-on, but a core part of how our school operates.

We are immensely proud of this recognition. It reflects the tireless work of our staff, the determination and ambition of our students, and the trust and partnership of our families and wider community. Together, we are proving what is possible when inclusion, excellence and aspiration go hand in hand.

Thank you for your continued support and belief in what we are building at MEA Central.

With warm regards,

Mrs Reynard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inclusion Quality Mark Centre of Excellence status

Following receiving the IQM award, we are delighted to share that our school has now been recognised as an IQM Centre of Excellence. This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring that inclusion is central to every aspect of school life and builds on the strengths identified during our recent assessment.

The IQM Centre of Excellence Award is granted to schools that not only demonstrate outstanding inclusive practice within their own setting but also contribute to the wider development of inclusion nationally. IQM notes that Centre of Excellence schools go beyond their own environment to influence and inspire others by sharing best practice, mentoring colleagues, and engaging in professional networks.

Achieving Centre of Excellence status means that our school:

• Demonstrates sustained, high‑impact inclusive practice, building on the standards recognised through the Inclusive School Award.
• Actively shares and collaborates with other schools through national and local networks, contributing to the wider development of inclusive education.
• Continues to innovate and embed inclusion across leadership, teaching, systems, and community engagement.
• Receives annual review and support from IQM to ensure our inclusive practice continues to develop.

Only a small number of schools achieve this recognition, making it a significant reflection of the dedication, expertise and hard work of our staff, pupils and wider community.

Mrs Reynard commented:

“We are incredibly proud to have been recognised as an IQM Centre of Excellence. This award celebrates the dedication of our whole school community and reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that every child feels included, valued and able to thrive. Achieving this status reflects not only the strength of our provision but also our willingness to share our practice and support inclusion beyond our own school. It is a significant milestone for us, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.”

We are honoured to receive this recognition and look forward to continuing to share our practice, collaborate with other schools, and further strengthen our inclusive provision. After maintaining this status for three years, schools may be considered for IQM Flagship School status, the highest level of recognition within the IQM framework and beyond. This is an award for our whole community.

 

MEA Central- Venue Hire

MEA Central is available to be booked for evening events and events on the weekend. You can hire indoor space, as well as outdoor space. It currently gets booked for sport events, weddings, mehndi's, celebrations and much more! We use an external company called Vivify who manage our building. If you would like more information, you can call them on 0161 694 0111, email support@vivifyvenues.com or visit their website here.

 

Diary Dates 

 

On Tuesday 3rd February, Year 7 Parents’ Evening will take place from 3.15pm. You can make appointments with teachers on Arbor.

 

On Monday 9^th February, MEA Central will hold the Beautiful Work Exhibition for 2026.  Everyone is welcome to attend and children who have work specifically chosen to be displayed will have an invitation sent home too.  It is always a wonderful event, and we look forward to welcoming you.   This event starts from 3.45pm.

 

Women of Troy- Wednesday the 11^th of February at 6pm

• After a brutal war, Troy is in ruins.  Their men killed in the conflict, their city occupied by the enemy

               army: what will happen to The Women of Troy?

• We are excited to invite you to come and see the production and show your support. Students have been rehearsing hard and can't wait to share their work with you, we're very proud of what they have achieved.

Countdown Competition

 

 

Mini House Competition

Thursday 5^th February

Lunchtime 1:30pm - 2pm

Theatre

Each House must nominate 3 representatives for their House team.

There is a form time session for preparation on Tuesday 3rd February.

 

World Hijab Day 2026
On Monday 2^nd February we will celebrate World Hijab Day at MEA Central. Staff and students will be invited to wear a Hijab of their choosing the celebrate the day.

World Hijab Day is observed internationally to promote understanding, respect and religious freedom for Muslim women and girls who choose to wear the hijab. The day was founded in 2013 by Nazma Khan, following her own experiences of discrimination after moving to the United States. The aim of the day is to challenge stereotypes, tackle Islamophobia and encourage conversation and empathy.

Thank you for supporting this important opportunity to celebrate diversity and inclusion within our school community.

 

LGBT+ history month

 

February marks LGBT+ History Month, which we will be recognising in school.

 

LGBT+ History Month provides an opportunity to learn about significant historical events, individuals and movements that have shaped society, and to understand how rights and equality have developed over time. Our approach is educational and age-appropriate, supporting students to become critically informed, respectful citizens.

 

Activities will include assemblies, form time discussions, a library display and themed menu options. These activities are designed to sit within our wider curriculum and school values, encouraging historical understanding, empathy and respect for others.

 

Further details will be shared as plans are finalised. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to help students understand the world they live in.

 

Music month

 

Music Month has been a joyful and uplifting part of life at MEA Central, celebrating the important role music plays in our school identity and the way it makes us feel. At its heart, Music Month is about letting the light in and sharing our love of music as a community.

One of the highlights so far has been a workshop delivered by The Hallé Orchestra, where 30 students experienced what it was like to be part of a three part orchestra. Students explored rhythm, tempo and how musicians respond to a conductor, and they thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We are also looking forward to The Hallé returning for a workshop focused on choir and singing.

Music has been shared across the school in many ways. Form tutors have introduced music that is meaningful to them during form time, and assemblies have featured music from the 1970s to the 1990s, helping to lift spirits and create a positive atmosphere around school.

 

Music Month has been a wonderful celebration of creativity, connection and community.

 

 

Student Wellbeing – Manchester Healthy Schools Parent Event

We’re pleased to invite parents and carers to a relaxed Coffee Morning with Manchester Healthy Schools on Thursday 13th February at 9.30am - 10.30am.

This informal session is a chance to take a pause, connect with others, and focus on wellbeing for the whole family. Manchester Healthy Schools will be joining us to share information about the local offer and the 

If you are unable to attend, Healthy Schools Manchester are running several online sessions this year, to help support parents and carers on a variety of topics. There is a huge list of virtual workshops that are free to attend. Book a space here: Healthy Schools Parents and Carers Online Sessions 2025 - 26

How to Get in Touch with the Wellbeing Team: If you have any concerns about your child’s wellbeing or would like to learn more about the support available, please don’t hesitate to contact us via the school office or via email at wellbeing@meacentral.org.uk

Together, we can help every child thrive - emotionally, socially, and academically. Please find a range of resources in our MEA Central Wellbeing Padlet:

Mental Health Resources for Parents, Carers & Young People

 

 

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

 

 

Online Safety Parent Workshop - Manchester Secondary Schools Date: Tuesday 17th March 7.30-8.30pm  Upcoming Digital Training  To support with online Safety, Katherine Howard from Smooth wall will be hosting the following sessions for parents:   Link: https://smoothwall.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZHVcldULS7mQWPxEQqxgyw	More Online Safety advice:  More online Safety advice can be found on our dedicated web pages: click here
Children and Families support The Manchester safeguarding partnership has a portal which focuses on providing parents support around keeping safe online. https://manchestersafeguardingpartnership.onlinesafetyhub.uk/parent/topics/Parental%20controls Online Safety Hub - MSP

 

 

 

 

 

Parent Voice

 

https://participate.schoolsurveys.com/kSdq0oc1fbLZmR52   

 

 

 

 

 

Head of Year Messages

Year 7 – Ms. S Bryan Strong attendance and punctuality remain a key focus for us. Being in school every day and arriving on time has a significant impact on academic progress, confidence, and wellbeing. Lessons move quickly, and even small gaps in attendance can affect a student’s understanding and momentum. Your continued support in ensuring students attend regularly and punctually makes a genuine difference to their success. This term, we are also placing a strong emphasis on developing a growth mindset, which closely aligns with our school value of Achievement. We encourage students to put in maximum effort, persevere when learning feels challenging, and view mistakes as opportunities to improve. These habits are essential not only for academic progress but also for building resilience and independence. Next week is Reflect Week, during which I will be delivering an assembly focused on helping students understand their first report. Students will be encouraged to look beyond the percentage score and reflect more deeply on how their scholarly habits, such as effort, organisation, behaviour for learning, and resilience, have contributed to their outcomes and how they can improve moving forward. We look forward to welcoming parents and carers to Parents Evening on Tuesday 3rd February from 3:15pm to 6:00pm. This is a valuable opportunity to celebrate the amazing start your child has made and to discuss their progress. Appointments are available but are not necessary, and we would be delighted to see as many of you as possible. We are also excited to share that we have an upcoming Beautiful Work Exhibition. Students whose work is selected will be invited to bring parents along to showcase their incredible achievements. Further details will be shared soon. Thank you for your continued support. We truly value the strong partnership between home and school and look forward to celebrating many more successes with you and your child. Ms Bryan

Year 8 – Ms. C Gates   This week, the Year 8s have truly lived the value of participation. It has been wonderful to see so many students engaged in lessons and the wider curriculum. We have begun our preparation for the Beautiful Work Exhibition, and this year we will have a dedicated Year 8 Beautiful Work Board featuring pieces selected by myself and Mr Chowdhury. This will support a strong finish to the half term, with a clear focus on PRIDE and progress in our books.   We have also continued our preparation for the House Poetry competition in form time, with all forms completing their entries this week. The enthusiasm, creativity and teamwork shown has been exceptional, and I am very excited to see the finished performances. I also had the pleasure of announcing our Project Central winners. We had an incredible 72 entries, all of outstanding quality. Well done to the following students who achieved 1st, 2nd or 3rd place in their form: Kaydee, Sam, Niamh, Faryal, Rahib, Aliza, Thalia, Tasfia, Sanduli, Bushra, Umarah, Ayaan Shah, Yusuf Haque, Zaydan, Maheen, Eli, Sofie, Noura and Salma. A special shoutout also goes to Florence Perry, Hawa Chowdhury and Amani Ibrahim, who produced work with fantastic detail and demonstrated excellent subject knowledge through their labels.   Ms Gates and Mr Chowdhury

Year 9 – Mx Umpierrez This week we have seen our Year 9 scholars truly ‘Achieving’, working hard in their lessons, and very engaged in their first interviews with their Futures Coaches. We are very excited to see how their Key Stage 4 journey takes shape!   By now, you should have received an email from school with all the information you need to choose your child’s options for KS4, but just in case you missed this, please see the link from our website here: Year 9 Futures - MEA Central   A few key reminders on the Futures Process:    Options are not first-come-first-served. Deadline to fill in the options form is 27th February 2026.  We will only allocate students to their lessons once all forms have been submitted. We encourage all parents and carers to discuss interests, strengths, and future ambitions with your child to support their decisions.    We have now given new red books and knowledge organiser folders to all scholars who have misplaced these over the course of Autumn 2. We kindly ask all parents and carers to ensure these are kept safe as they are an essential part of the MEA Central scholar’s learning experience in and outside the classroom.    A note on planners, any misplaced or damaged planners will have to be bought by your child in our Student Gateway using their Arbor account credentials. If you are in a position where you need support buying these, do not hesitate and get in touch with the Year 9 team.    A reminder that students who are given an overtime must be at the overtime room by 15.05. Students who are not at the overtime room by 15.05, will be sent home and their overtime will be upscaled for the following day.   A final reminder that next Monday, 2nd of February, all year 9 scholars will be spoken to by the NHS in school as they are providing vaccinations for DTP/ACWY. These are routine, safe, and effective vaccines offered in schools (typically Year 9, ages 13-18) to protect against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, and four strains of meningococcal bacteria. We would like to ensure this is attended by as many Year 9 scholars as possible, so please ensure your child is in school, and on time.   Hope you all have a great weekend. Year 9 Team Mx Umpierrez and Mx Eastwood

Year 10 – Mr C Blackburn This week has seen Year 10 complete their first Progress Exams in the Sports Hall. Each student received an official exam timetable with their allocated seat number, and exams were supervised by trained invigilators, making this experience a true and realistic reflection of what they will face in Year 11. Firstly, I want to express how proud I am of the resilience, maturity, participation, and drive your children have shown throughout the week. The way the year group has handled the pressure and pace of exam week has been exceptional. Myself and all MEA Central staff have been genuinely impressed by their positivity, calmness, and determination to do their best. I have every confidence that the Class of 2027 will be excellently prepared by the time they reach Year 11. Their attitude this week shows they are well on the path to achieving excellent outcomes and securing a fantastic future. As we move forward, I would like to encourage students to continue revising, little and often. Embedding strong revision habits now will make a huge difference as they progress through the year. To recognise their hard work and dedication, the entire year group enjoyed a pizza reward during P5 on Friday, which was thoroughly deserved. Thank you for your continued support. It makes a tremendous difference. Best wishes, Mr Blackburn and Miss Kreszentia

Year 11 – Mr J Roper  

 

 This week has been an exceptional one for all year 11 and it’s only right that we celebrate the fantastic efforts shown by the students.

Attendance has remained above an impressive 97.6% every single day, demonstrating the dedication our young people have to their learning. High attendance isn’t just a number—being in school consistently is one of the most significant factors in making real academic progress. Every lesson attended means stronger understanding, improved confidence, and better outcomes.

In addition, Period 6 attendance has been exceptional, with pupils showing real maturity by attending all three sessions this week. This level of commitment is a testament to the responsibility they are taking for their own learning. Period 6 provides valuable extra support and stretch and it’s fantastic to see pupils making full use of it. As always, this progress is strengthened even further when pupils complete their homework and engage with SPARX regularly. The combination of great attendance, active participation in Period 6 and consistent independent study is what leads to success.

Finally, a second reminder, some students in Year 11 may be eligible to sit a GCSE in their home or heritage language this year. Students wishing to be considered must complete an after‑school assessment on Monday 3rd March, assessing Reading and Writing only. (The GCSE exam will assess Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.)
To find out whether the exam boards offer a GCSE in your child’s language, please email exams@meacentral.org.uk

 

A huge well done to everyone—let’s keep the momentum going!