Headteacher's Newsletter

Welcome back West Hatch families. It has been a fantastic start to the academic year, and I am delighted to share some of the highlights from the first half term in this newsletter.

Our Year 7 students have made an exceptional start to life at West Hatch. Many staff have commented on what a positive, polite and enthusiastic year group they are. Their eagerness to learn, willingness to get involved and commitment to doing their best have been evident from the very beginning.

A particular highlight of the half term was seeing so many of our students volunteering at our Open Evening. They were outstanding ambassadors for the school, confidently guiding visitors, sharing their experiences and showcasing what it means to be part of the West Hatch community. Our Open Evening was very busy, we were delighted to welcome so many visitors and to share our commitment to academic excellence, our SPIRIT values and our focus on developing character alongside achievement. You may also have seen recent reports in the press showing that applications for September 2026 places have placed West Hatch amongst the five most oversubscribed schools in Essex. We are incredibly proud that so many families place their trust in us and value the education and experiences we provide.

As you read through this newsletter, I hope you enjoy seeing some of the many achievements, events and opportunities that have enriched school life this term.

Finally, I would encourage you to take part in our new Your Voice Matters survey, featured at the end of the newsletter. Your feedback is invaluable and will help us strengthen the partnership between home and school as we continue to develop and improve West Hatch High School.

Mrs V Schaefer
Headteacher

We wish all of our Year 11 and Year 13 students the very best as they begin their PPE examinations this half term. These exams are an important milestone, providing a valuable snapshot of the learning, knowledge and skills they have developed so far. The outcomes will play a significant role in informing predicted grades, which are used to support applications to sixth form, college and university. We know that this can be a demanding period for students and we are grateful for the support that families provide at home in helping them to prepare and maintain positive study habits. I would encourage both students and parents to make full use of the revision materials and resources available on DPR, while the examination timetables can be accessed via Edulink. With thorough preparation and determination, I am confident that our students will approach these examinations with the focus and resilience that characterise the West Hatch community.

We are looking forward to welcoming prospective families to our Sixth Form Open Evening on Thursday 26th November, from 5–8pm, with presentations at 5.30pm and 6.30pm. This is a great opportunity to explore our successful Sixth Form, meet staff and students, and hear more about the opportunities available at West Hatch.

Congratulations to Ellahe who entered the Young Writers Competition, which attracted almost 700 entries. The theme this year was 'The Light' and whilst Ellahe did not secure the overall prize, her poem was awarded a Distinction, and her work has been published alongside the other successful entries. What a fantastic accomplishment, a copy of the poem is below.

Well done to all the Year 7s who brought in their fabulous projects that they worked on during the summer holidays. We had so many fantastic creations and it made our choice of choosing House Winners very difficult. Congratulations to the following;

Winner for Austen - Yusra Behery

Winner for Brunel - Pari Ruglall

Winner for Fiennes - Roni Ilia

Winner for Newton - Shaélyn Fraser

Winner for Roddick - Bilal Sharif

Overall Winner - Pari Ruglall

Honourable Mentions to those students whose projects were also fantastic and will be displayed.

Honourable Mention for Austen – Bryony Dunlea

Honourable Mention for Brunel – Anna Doychev

Honourable Mention for Fiennes – Antonia Vancea Hiros

Honourable Mention for Newton – Emad Muzammal

Honourable Mention for Roddick – Lily Adshead

Our Spooky Bakes House Competition was another great success this year and we were overwhelmed, not only by the amount of entries, but by the effort our students had gone to in creating their bakes!

The winner of the competition was Priya Kalyan from Roddick House, who received a £20 Amazon Gift Card and our runners up, Ayaan Painchun, Seb Tattingham, Bryony Dunlea and Isla Cooper Phillips all received a £10 Amazon Gift Card. Their bakes are pictured below.

Join us for our PTA Winter Festival on Friday 4 December, 6.00pm-9.00pm. Enjoy a festive evening with entertainment, hot food and seasonal drinks, a tombola and raffle, and a range of stalls from local businesses selling gifts, perfumes, squishies and more.

The highlight of the evening will be a spectacular firework display at 8.00pm. It's a fantastic opportunity to come together as a school community, start the festive season in style and support the work of our PTA. Tickets are now on sale soon via Parentpay.

Well done to Miles Cook, Hristina Dragieva and Macie Maynard who are our Autumn Term Jack Petchey winners.

Over the half term break the Geography department took a number of Year 11 Geography students to the Netherlands. Students got to experience the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, looking at urban areas from the ground and from up high at Euromast, an observation deck looking over Rotterdam.

The group also had the opportunity to explore one of Europe’s largest storm surge barriers protecting the Netherlands from flooding, getting to see how it was built and works. Followed by a walk to the coastline to discover how the Netherlands manages it beaches and sand dunes. There was even time to visit a clog and cheese factory! Some pictures of the trip are below.

Parent Events

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 Online (by appointments)

Friday 4th December – PTA Winter Festival (tickets via Parentpay)

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

Closures and early/late starts

Monday 16th November Inset day - school closed to students

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

Winter break

Monday 21st December to Friday 1st January (school starts on Monday 4th January)

This year, we are launching Your Voice Matters, a new parent partnership programme designed to strengthen the relationship between home and school and ensure parents have a greater opportunity to shape the future of West Hatch.

Our first focus is Communication and Engagement, and we would love to hear your views. Please take five minutes to complete our Parent Pulse Survey: Your Voice Matters – Fill out form this will close on Friday 13th November.

We will also be holding a parent focus group on 26 November, 6.00-7.00pm, to discuss the survey findings and next steps. To reserve a place, please email lchittock@westhatch.net.

Most importantly, we are committed not only to listening but also to acting. Throughout the academic year, we will publish "You Said, We Did" updates so that parents can see the impact of their feedback.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.