Dear Families

As always, I am delighted to share some of the many achievements and memorable moments from across the academy over the past half term.

The Reading Lab
At Wells, it is our ambition to ensure all of our students become expert readers. Reading is the gateway to the curriculum and by ensuring all our students become confident, fluent readers, we are giving them the very best opportunity to secure strong outcomes in their examinations and later life. One of the many ways we bring this ambition to life is through our Reading Lab initiative. This is a programme that we have designed as an academy and we are delighted to have had our first cohort of Year 10s graduate!

Snow day resilience
You’ll recall the snow we had towards the start of term. Despite the impact this had on public transport, I was so impressed by the fantastic resilience displayed by our students. A particular highlight for me was seeing the magnificent snowman that our Year 10s built at lunch time!


Shrek the Musical
A major highlight of the term, as always, was our school production. This year was 'Shrek the Musical' and it was a tremendous success. Whether performing on stage, working backstage or welcoming guests front of house, our students demonstrated extraordinary talent, teamwork and professionalism. I’d like to extend my thanks to all of the staff who generously gave their time since September to produce the show.


Sporting success
This term, our students have represented the academy superbly in sport. Our basketball teams competed against schools across the city and within our Trust, with our Year 8 team in particular excelling in city competitions. Their teamwork and determination was exceptional and we are very proud of how they represented us.

Everyday excellence
I often tell students that one of the best parts of my job is having the opportunity to visit lessons to witness students’ focus and commitment to their learning. Below are just a few moments from lessons over the past few weeks.



Careers Fair
As part of our careers programme, we were delighted to host a wide range of businesses and organisations as part of our Careers Fair. So many students commented positively on the day and said how it had given them ideas about potential career pathways.

Language Ambassadors
Each term I am pleased to see more and more students join our Academy Ambassador programme, including the Year 7s who are the latest members of our Language Ambassadors. Our Language Ambassadors do a fantastic job and support students in the academy who are new to English.


Work experience 
Many of our Year 10s had the fantastic opportunity to visit the offices of Capital One, where they spoke with employees, developed key employability skills and later delivered presentations to their peers. Experiences like these build confidence, raise aspirations and prepare students for life beyond school.

Year 11 updates
This has been a crucial term for our Year 11s, who have completed their final round of mock examinations with real maturity and determination.


It was also a privilege to take a group of Year 11 students to visit the University of Oxford. Students found the visit inspirational and relished the opportunity to learn more about life at university.  


Our Year 11 students have been working incredibly hard with their revision and we have been recognising those who have secured the highest number of points on Tassomai for their independent study efforts.


Ambition
Similarly, our Year 10 students have been revising diligently for their assessments, demonstrating our core value of ambition and setting a fantastic example for students in younger year groups.


Booktalking workshops
Lower down the academy, our Year 7 students have been taking part in reading workshops as part of our celebrations for the National Year of Reading 2026. It has been wonderful to see them developing their confidence in discussing texts and sharing recommendations with their peers.


National School Attendance Award
We are extremely proud to have maintained our position as a top 25% school nationally for attendance, earning the National Attendance Award again. Excellent attendance underpins strong achievement and we are grateful for families’ continued support in ensuring students are 'In School, On Time' every day.


Supporting our community
As an academy we are very proud to work with and support our local community. We loved interacting with families and local residents at our latest food rally.


Next term
Looking ahead, we have another busy and important term. Please remember that the academy reopens on Monday 23rd February. As usual, Breakfast Club will be available from 8am and the gates will open at 8.20am.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.

Best wishes

Mr G Coles
Principal