Headteacher's Newsletter

It has been a genuine pleasure to welcome our students back to school and to extend a particularly warm welcome to the many new families who have joined our community this September.

Our Year 7 students have made an exceptional start. From the moment they arrived, they have demonstrated enthusiasm, confidence and a readiness to embrace all that secondary school has to offer. I have been especially impressed by their smart appearance, positive attitudes and engagement in lessons and around the school. They have settled quickly into life at West Hatch and should be incredibly proud of how well they have started their journey with us.

As we begin the new year, we are also celebrating some truly outstanding achievements from the summer examination season. Our students attained excellent outcomes across a range of qualifications, with results that significantly exceeded national figures. These achievements are a testament to the hard work and determination of our students, the unwavering support of their families and the dedication of our staff. We are immensely proud of what they have accomplished.

At West Hatch, we greatly value the support, insight and encouragement that parents and carers provide to our students and our wider school community. The partnership between home and school is one of the most important factors in helping young people thrive.

This year, we are launching Your Voice Matters, a programme of parent engagement activities designed to provide even more opportunities for parents and carers to share their views, contribute ideas and help shape the ongoing development of our school.

Building on the many ways that parents already engage with the school, we are introducing a new programme of parent engagement activities this year. Each term, we will focus on a key area of school life:

Autumn Term - Communication and Engagement

Spring Term - SEND and Inclusion

Summer Term - School Environment, Wellbeing and Future Development

Throughout the year, parents and carers will be able to contribute through:

• Short Parent Pulse surveys
• Themed discussion groups and events
• PTA and Parent Governor engagement
• School communications and online feedback opportunities

We are particularly keen to hear from as many families as possible, ensuring that a wide range of experiences and perspectives help inform our thinking and future planning.

Just as importantly, we will share the themes that emerge from parent feedback and, where appropriate, the actions we take in response. Through regular ‘You Said, We Did’ updates, we hope to demonstrate how parental views continue to contribute to school improvement.

West Hatch has always been strengthened by the support and commitment of its families. I look forward to working together over the coming year as we continue to provide the very best education and opportunities for our young people.

Thank you for your continued support.

Best wishes,

Victoria Schaefer

Headteacher

We are thrilled to share the exceptional academic outcomes achieved by our pupils in 2025-6. These results reflect not only the hard work and determination of our students, but also the dedication of our staff and the support of our families.

• Grade 4 and Above: Nationally, 67.1% of GCSE grades awarded were a Grade 4 or above. At West Hatch, 81% of all grades met this benchmark—an outstanding achievement that places us significantly above the national average.
• Grade 7 and Above: Nationally, 21.8% of grades were a Grade 7 or higher. At West Hatch, 25% of grades reached this level, demonstrating the high aspirations and academic strength of our pupils.
• English and Maths (Grade 5+): West Hatch ranked 13th in Essex (80 schools) for students achieving Grade 5 or above in both English and Maths, and 5th among non-selective, non-faith schools.
• ALPS Score: Our ALPS score of a 2 places us in the top 10% nationally for value-added progress, meaning our students are making significantly more progress than their peers with similar starting points.

This is a powerful endorsement of the quality of teaching and support at West Hatch. These results are more than just numbers, they represent the belief that every student can succeed, and the collective effort of our entire school community to make that belief a reality

At West Hatch, we are proud of the continued strength of our Sixth Form, where students are supported to achieve their personal best and prepare for ambitious futures. Our 2026 results reflect both academic consistency and the value we add to every learner’s journey – there was even an improvement of last year’s excellent results. Top 25% Nationally for A Level Progress: Our provisional ALPS score of 3 for A Levels places us in the top quartile nationally for student progress. This is a significant improvement from previous years and well above the national benchmark of 5. It shows that our students consistently make better-than-expected progress from their starting points.

High Pass Rates Across the Board: 98% of students achieved A* to E grades, outperforming both the national average (97%) and the Essex average (89%). Our A* to C pass rate remained strong at 80%, with almost half of all grades (48%) awarded at A* to B. Many subjects exceeded these already impressive figures. Students secured outstanding individual outcomes, enabling them to progress to a wide range of ambitious destinations, including Cambridge University, Medicine degrees, and high-quality apprenticeships with both national and local employers. These exceptional results reflect the personalised support, expert teaching and high expectations that are at the heart of our Sixth Form provision

We are proud to announce that our students taking the LAMDA qualification have achieved some fantastic results. Thank you to Miss Kay for all her hard work in helping the students achieve these grades. This qualification is an internationally recognised award in speech, communication and performance, offering graded exams from beginner to advanced levels that develop confidence, oracy, and performance skills.

Well done to the students below;

Skylar Dentith Acting Grade 2 - Solo -Distinction

Chenaya Lamappuge Acting Grade 2 - Solo- Merit

Sophie Fineman Acting Grade 3 - Solo - Distinction

Matt Docius Acting Grade 4 - Solo - Distinction

Josh Myronidis Acting Grade 4 - Solo - Merit

Edwina Tam Acting Grade 4 - Solo - Distinction

Jessica Gouveia Acting Grade 4 - Solo- Merit

Rayden Harris Acting Grade 4 - Solo- Distinction

Rebecca Ashton Acting Grade 4 - Solo- Merit

Siyaa Chakravarty Acting Grade 4 - Solo -Distinction

Sophie Fenton Acting Grade 4 - Solo - Distinction

Keira Jeebun Acting Grade 2 - Solo -Distinction

A reminder we have our PTA, "Friends of West Hatch" chaired by Sabrina Khan and Nicole Tamblyn. They have lots of plans for upcoming events this academic year so if you would like to know more and get involved —whether that’s lending a hand at events, sharing ideas, or simply staying informed about what they do please email: friendsofwesthatchhighschool@gmail.com

I would like to take a moment to highlight the important work of our safeguarding and pastoral team, who play a key role in supporting the well-being and success of our pupils.

These dedicated professionals work diligently to ensure that our pupils are safe, supported, and able to thrive. The safeguarding team ensures that robust policies are in place to protect every student, while the pastoral team provides emotional support, helping pupils navigate challenges and build resilience.

Together, these teams are a vital part of our school community, working behind the scenes to create an environment where students feel secure and able to focus on their education. They are trained to respond effectively to any issues that may arise and offer the care and guidance our pupils need to succeed.

Head of Year 7: Mrs Agyei-Osafo

Head of Year 8: Mr Limon

Head of Year 9: Mr Blain

Head of Year 10: Mrs Reid

Head of Year 11: Miss Young

Head of Y12 & 13: Mr Windsor

Head of Austen: Miss Parmar

Head of Brunel: Mr Zohrabi-Redwood

Head of Fiennes: Ms Lord

Head of Newton: Miss Tindides

Head of Roddick: Miss Duddridge and Miss Chipperfield

Our SPIRIT values are at the heart of everything we do at West Hatch, shaping our culture and enriching the experiences of all our students. Through assemblies, our House Point system and the Rewards Shop, we actively encourage and celebrate the positive qualities that help students succeed, not only in their learning but also in their lives beyond school.

In July, we were delighted to host our Year 7 Graduation Day, a special occasion that celebrated the achievements, growth and progress of our students throughout their first year at West Hatch. It was a wonderful opportunity to recognise the many successes of a year group that has embraced school life with enthusiasm and determination.

We have high expectations of all our students and are proud of the strong standards we uphold in both uniform and behaviour. Our SPIRIT values underpin these expectations and help to create a positive environment in which every student can thrive. We encourage all parents and carers to take the time to read our Behaviour Policy, so that we can work together in partnership, with a shared and transparent understanding of the standards and expectations that support success at West Hatch.

Congratulations to Ambika, Katie and Sienna who are our Senior Ambassadors this year. I look forward to working in partnership with them as they represent our student body.

See below for details of our extra curricular clubs for this term. Please note there maybe a few more clubs to be added so look out for any updates later in the term.

Please find below reading lists from our Librarian suggestion a selection of books your child may be interested in reading.

Parent Events

Wednesday 17th September - Year 10 Information Evening

Thursday 24th September - Year 6 Open Evening (5-8pm)

Tuesday 29th September - Year 11 Information Evening

Friday 16th October - West Hatch Rocks - (tickets via ParentPay)

Thursday 19th November and Friday 20th November - Yr. 7 Aspirations Days (by appointments)

Thursday 26th November - Sixth Form Open Evening

Thursday 3rd December - Yr.11 Parents Evening (by appointments)

Wednesday 9th December -Friday 11th December - School Musical (tickets will be via ParentPay)

PPE Examinations for Yr.11 and 13

Wednesday 4th November -Friday 13th November

Closures and early/late starts

Wednesday 16th September Inset Day - school closed to students

Thursday 24th September - early finish at 12.30pm due to the Year 6 Open Evening

Friday 25th September - later start at 10am

Monday 16th November Inset day - school closed to students

Friday 18th December - early finish at lunchtime for the winter break

October half term

Monday 26th October to Tuesday 3rd November (school starts on Wednesday 4th November)

As we look ahead to another exciting year at West Hatch, I encourage every student to embrace the opportunities before them and strive to be the very best that they can be. By living our SPIRIT values each day, showing determination, kindness, integrity and respect, our students will continue to grow as successful learners and responsible young people. Together, we will ensure that West Hatch remains a community where everyone is supported, challenged and inspired to achieve their very best.