We were delighted to host our Interfaith Iftar at MEA Central on Wednesday, bringing together students, families, staff, and members of our local community in a warm celebration of unity and understanding. The evening provided an opportunity to honour the spirit of Ramadan while also recognising the diverse beliefs and traditions that enrich our school. By sharing food, conversation, and reflection, we strengthened the values of compassion, respect, and togetherness that define our community. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to making this special event possible and look forward to building on this meaningful tradition in the years to come.
We were delighted to host our inaugural Her Career, Her Voice event, which brought together 25 inspirational women from a wide range of careers to share their experiences with our Year 9, 10 and 11 girls.
The event created a powerful space where the wisdom and journeys of accomplished women met the ambitions and potential of our students.
Through talks, performances and shared conversations, the morning celebrated our school values - particularly participation - and highlighted the importance of lifting others as we rise. It was a proud moment for MEA Central, reflecting our commitment to inclusion, aspiration and ensuring a fantastic future for all of our young people.
Developing effective independent learning habits is an important skill for our scholars. We know that this helps them to secure exceptional exam results and to thrive as college and university students. Independent learning also builds confidence, as students recognise how much they know and can do in the classroom.
We also appreciate that supporting a teenager to build these habits at home can sometimes be challenging. If you are every concerned that your child is not coping with the homework being set, please contact the class teacher of Head of Year.
In school we have a range of support available:
MEA Central’s Annual House Spelling Bee Competition - Words to Practice!
We are thrilled to announce that we will be launching our annual Spelling Bee Competition for Year 7 and Year 8, designed to encourage our students to develop their spelling skills and broaden their vocabulary. This competition will begin with semi-finals during form time on 24th March.
Each form tutor will select students who demonstrate the strongest spelling knowledge of the words from the official wordlist (see below). This year, many of our chosen words are from the students’ knowledge organisers, giving students a fantastic opportunity to apply what they’ve already learned. The winning students will then go on to represent their House team in the final competition.
The grand finale will be held during lunchtime on 26th March. We look forward to celebrating our talented spellers and hope to see many students inspired to take part in this fun and challenging event. Thank you for your support in encouraging your child to practice and participate.
Below is the list of words students need to know for the competition ( they do not need to be able to recite the definitions):
Learning a new skill or discovering a hidden talent is excellent for positive mental health and wellbeing. Our enrichment programme has a wide range of opportunities outside of the classroom across the arts, sports and academic endeavours to help students explore their interests and build confidence. We currently have spaces available in our Skateboarding enrichment which is run by a qualified coach from Projekts Skate Park. If your child would like to take part you can sign them up on Arbor.
Following our World Book Day celebrations, our students have continued to heed the theme of, ‘If you’re into it, read it.’ There has been an increase in students sharing and recommending subject-related book recommendations in the library and they will have another opportunity to talk to their teachers about books related to their interests in tomorrow’s ‘Drop Everything and Read’ session. We have seen an increase in students bringing their reading book into school as part of their normal school equipment.
Thank you for your continued support with this. Please note, students in Years 7 and 8 all received a World Book Day book voucher which can be redeemed for a free book. This should be used by the 15th March.
In addition, we held another author event in school this week. Twenty-seven Year 9 students attended a talk and workshop with Lucas Maxwell, author of ‘A Million Tiny Missiles All at Once.’ He explained where his inspirations came from and how the publisher Chicken House, helped him to publish his dream book.
Finally, your feedback about reading is always very much appreciated. We would be very grateful if you could complete this short feedback form.
Year 9 Team Update
It’s been a fantastic week for Year 9 at MEA Central, and a very “jam-packed” one too!
On Tuesday, we had Lucas Maxwell, author of A Million Tiny Missiles All at Once coming to school to talk about his book, teenage mental health and building resilience with a selected group of Year 9. Ms Smith, our librarian, has reported back and said our scholars were fantastic and really impressed Lucas with their participation. We encourage all parents and carers of the children that met the author to talk to them about the session and to get them to read the copy of the book they received for free from Lucas Maxwell himself.
On Thursday, we held the first ‘Her Career, Her Voice’ an event bringing together inspirational women from a range of professions to speak with our students about their careers, ambitions and experiences. It was amazing to see our girls engaged in some meaningful career conversations with our visitors.
We finished our week with some very exciting news shared with the whole year group, as Mr McCullough launched our first-ever plan for Year 9 scholars to do one day of Work Experience as an introduction of what they will do in Year 10. Please read all communication from school carefully in the upcoming weeks as we share more news on this exciting opportunity with all of you.
Good news and celebrations
Attendance by Form
Our attendance and punctuality at school as a whole year group keeps improving every day. This is the clear product of our work as a team formed by the school, our students and you, the parents and carers. You can see the attendance by form for the last week:
9Armitage - 100%
9Duffy - 90.3%
9Eliot - 91.7%
9Heaney - 92.3%
9Morrison - 96.3%
9Naidu - 95.8%
9Rumi - 90.5%
9Sissay - 92%
Excellent efforts from 9Armitage this week! We will leave some sweet treats in your form next week as a ‘thank you’ for your efforts.
Last week’s CAP leaderboard:
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Logan R |
7 |
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Youssef S |
7 |
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Eric |
6 |
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Lilly S |
6 |
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Imaan A |
5 |
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Fezan |
5 |
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Emad |
5 |
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Ted |
5 |
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Isabella |
5 |
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Ibrahim H |
5 |
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Safaa I |
5 |
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Zain K |
5 |
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Lukasz |
5 |
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Aabid |
5 |
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Owais |
5 |
Thanks to all of you for living by our school values of Citizenship, Achievement and Participation every day and showing everyone how a true Year 9 scholar does it!
Useful links for parents/carers - social media focus
We understand and empathise with how challenging raising teenagers in the midst of the social media era can be. Here are some interesting articles that might help you understand how some apps work.
Snapchat: Parent's Guide to Snapchat
TikTok: Parent's Guide to TikTok - ConnectSafely
Apps for parental controls on phone Online Safety Hub - MSP / Family Link from Google - Family Safety & Parental Control Tools
Our Year 10 scholars will be embarking on their work experience placements on the week beginning 23rd March. You and your child should have received a letter outlining our expectations. This is a wonderful opportunity to develop crucial transferrable skills, support future college applications and build their C.V. To ensure all students make a strong start we ask that they contact their work placement to confirm their expectations, such as arrival time and expected attire. If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please contact school and we will do our best to support.
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Head of Year Messages |
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Year 7 – Ms. S Bryan This week, our Year 7 students have truly demonstrated our school value of Participation through their engagement in important community events.
On Monday, students showed their support for International Women’s Day, taking time to recognise and celebrate the achievements and contributions of women around the world. On Wednesday, many members of our Year 7 community joined the Community Iftar event. It was a wonderful opportunity for students and families to come together, share food, and learn more about the significance of Ramadan. Events like this help strengthen the sense of belonging and respect that we aim to build within our school community.
Our House Art Competition has also officially begun, and it has been fantastic to see the creativity and enthusiasm already coming through in the entries. Many students have started working on their pieces, and the effort and imagination on display are impressive. Keep up the fantastic work, we are excited to see the final pieces! As we continue through the term, we would also like to remind parents and carers of the importance of consistent attendance. Even when a child has a minor illness, attending school where possible helps ensure they do not fall behind their peers and allows them to remain engaged with their learning.
Finally, today we complete our Spring 2 CAP count, and we would like to celebrate our Top CAP Students of the Week for their continued effort, participation, and positive contributions to Year 7: Awais Well done to all of them for setting a fantastic example.
Thank you to all our students for another positive week, and we look forward to continuing to see Year 7 demonstrate our values in the weeks ahead. |
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Year 8 – Ms. C Gates This week it has been wonderful to see all of our scholars participating in so many areas of school life. We began with a very powerful assembly and form session celebrating International Women’s Day, where students explored how to be an ally and celebrated the many reasons to feel proud as a woman. We have also started our preparation for House Art with a form session, and I would encourage as many students as possible to get involved with an individual entry to earn extra house points. We have already had an amazing entry from Faith Tabois which is a brilliant start to the competition! It was also wonderful to see so many students at the community Iftar on Wednesday. I always feel incredibly proud to work in a school with so much culture, and it is truly special to see how we share and celebrate this as a community. We have had a very big push on equipment this week. Every student has now been given a planner, red book and knowledge organiser if they did not already have one. It is vital that students bring these to school every day so they are fully prepared to learn. I would be really grateful if you could support us by checking that this equipment is in their bags each morning. Ms Gates and Mr Chowdhury |
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Year 10 – Mr C Blackburn It has been wonderful to welcome Year 10 back for Spring 2. The year group have made a strong start, and we are looking forward to a positive and successful half term. This week, students received their first set of Progress Exam results, showing grades 1–9 for the very first time. We have encouraged all students to stay positive and remember that feedback is a gift. It helps them see what is going well and what they can do to improve. Please support your child in creating clear, realistic targets and reflecting on the excellent guidance shared by Mrs Gibson. Scholarly Habits We continue to emphasise the importance of building strong scholarly habits. All students should be aiming for Grade 1 habits, as these give them the best chance for success now and in the future. Scholars should also complete five pages of retrieval practice in their red books each week and be fully equipped and organised for every lesson. Attendance Matters Attendance is absolutely vital. Every single day in school makes a huge difference to your child’s final grade. Colleges also look closely at attendance and punctuality when offering places. Please ensure your child attends daily so they are fully prepared and have the best chance of securing a place at their first‑choice college. Belonging in School MEA Central is a school for everyone. We want every student to feel a sense of belonging. Getting involved in clubs, enrichment activities, and house competitions is a great way for students to build confidence and feel connected to our community. Work Experience – Starts 23rd March Year 10 work experience starts on 23rd March, and we are excited for the opportunities ahead. Following last Friday's assembly, please ensure your child has contacted their placement to confirm:
Being prepared will help students feel confident and make the most of this valuable experience. Thank you for your ongoing support, it makes a huge difference to Year 10’s success. Best wishes, |
Year 11 – Mr J Roper
We are delighted to announce that Prom has officially been launched during our recent Year Group Assembly! We are incredibly excited to celebrate this special milestone with the students on Thursday 2nd July at the Royal Nawaab Pyramid. More details will follow in a letter explaining the event and the structure of payment.
Across all subjects, students continue to demonstrate real dedication in both their classroom-based lessons and the additional support sessions. A reminder that Period 6 plays an integral role in preparing every pupil for their upcoming exams and attendance is compulsory. It is essential that these sessions are attended by your c as they often are sessions that consolidate learning in a subject area or topic.
As we begin to approach the full GCSE exam season, I will be writing to you again next week to provide vital information, including all key dates for Y11 events. This will also include the GCSE exam window, so please keep an eye out for this communication. Having now completed the most recent series of Progress Exams, pupils will attend a Results Event on Monday 23rd March, where they will receive their results and feedback from this latest assessment period.
Thank you for your continued support as we work together to ensure the very best outcomes for all our pupils.
Mr Roper & Ms Renshaw