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  • West Exe Youth Club Summary...

    Published 27/02/25

    Since starting in February 2024 over 40 different students have been part of the West Exe youth club. They have taken part in lots of fun sports and activities, such as cricket, table tennis and (lots of) football! They have made new friends and played lots of games.

    Young people have had the opportunity to take part in workshops and gain new skills. This has included a workshop on managing anxiety and a nutrition workshop learning about healthy eating. We had conversations about what life is like for a KS3 student, what issues they are facing, and what they would like to change in their community.

    A group of the students then chose to train to become ‘Wellbeing Champions’ learning about mental health and wellbeing; how to look after themselves and support their peers. They designed two social action projects, the first of these being a poster for their fellow students to promote positive wellbeing. They wanted to get across the idea that even small things such as a wave and saying hello can improve how someone feels.

    The second part of their project was based around the idea of helping older, more vulnerable members of the community. They designed wellbeing postcards for members of the Exeter City Community Trust Social Café with positive affirmations and well wishes on. These were personalised for the café members with drawings of their favourite things on. The students then came to the café in half term and delivered the postcards. They chatted to the participants, played games, and helped make the tea and coffee.

    The youth club has been a brilliant experience for students, and it has been wonderful to get to know them and see how much they have accomplished over the last year.

    The impact of the youth club can be summed up by one of the students "Being at youth club has made me feel a lot more confident and happier!”

     

     

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  • 🎸 Petrichor Rocks the Battle of the Bands! 🎸

    Published 12/02/25

    Last night, Tuesday, 11 Feb 2025, 'Petrichor', our incredible Year 11 band, took the stage at the regional Battle of the Bands competition at Uffculme School – and they absolutely smashed it! 🎢πŸ”₯

    After months of dedication and hard work, their performance was nothing short of phenomenal. They truly embodied #BestExe, leaving the judges seriously impressed—especially considering this was their first-ever performance outside of school! 🀩

    The competition was packed with amazing talent, and while they narrowly missed out on a spot in the finals to QE and Kings, they still stood out as one of the best acts of the night. One judge was so blown away that they’re keen to work with our students in the future! πŸ‘

    Thank you to Devon Music Education Hub for organising such a brilliant event that gives our students an opportunity to perform and to Uffculme for hosting.

    Watch this space for an opportunity to come and watch Petrichor perform in our Summer Concert.

    A huge congratulation to Petrichor—you should be so proud! πŸ’™πŸŽ€

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  • Our students had a fabulous last term...

    Published 15/01/25

    Last term saw so much dedication from our students, lots of fun was had and memories made! Here's to the next even better term ahead! Here is a snippet of some of those memories and goals achieved. 

     

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  • West Exe School Celebrates Work of Student Anti-Bullying Ambassadors ​​​​​​​

    Published 15/01/25

    Students and staff at West Exe School are delighted to share that it has become the first school in Devon to be awarded the prestigious Gold award quality mark for their work on anti-bullying.

    The Exeter school received the Gold award from the Anti-Bullying Quality Mark UK (ABQM-UK), a national scheme which endorses how good schools are at preventing bullying. 

    West Exe School, which is part of the Ted Wragg Trust, has a clear Anti-Bullying Strategy and staff at West Exe have been sharing best practice and advice about this with partner schools across the trust.

    Student anti-bullying ambassadors at the school have also received accredited Diana Award training so that they are prepared and equipped with the skills they need to support students experiencing friendship difficulties.  Staff anti-bullying champions also meet with students on a regular basis to ensure student voices are listened to and that areas raised as a concern are reviewed, revised and developed to minimise future issues.
     

    Ofsted inspectors also noted in their last report that at West Exe Pupils’ mental health and wellbeing is a priority and pupils know how to stay safe and keep safe online.

    The ABQM-UK award challenges schools to demonstrate their effectiveness in anti-bullying and the prevention of harassment. School communities that gain the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards can show that:

    • Children and young people come to school without the fear of being bullied or harassed.
    • Staff members respond to all aspects of bullying behaviour and harassment with confidence.
    • Families are confident that they know who to approach about bullying and harassment and that it will be dealt with efficiently and effectively.

     

    Julie Fossey, Headteacher at West Exe School said:

    "I am so proud of all of our staff and students, and especially our anti-bullying ambassadors, for achieving this Gold Award.  It is a testament to how hard they all work to ensure the school environment is a caring one where every child can thrive.  Our ‘kindness elective’ has seen our students visiting local primary schools to deliver anti-bullying strategies and training, ensuring that our wider community are able to benefit too. ”

    Ole C, Year 8 student at West Exe School said:

    ‘I chose to become an antibullying ambassador because I wanted to help people who are struggling with being bullied. My main goal as an antibullying ambassador is to help people who feel like they are alone and to stop people from being targeted.’

    Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

    “The work the West Exe School community has done regarding their anti bullying strategy has been exemplary and I am so pleased that this has been recognised through the Gold Award.  At the Ted Wragg Trust we believe that every child should come to school feeling safe and happy and all our schools work hard to make sure this is the case.”

     

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  • Celebrating Literacy week at WES...

    Published 13/01/25

    It's Literacy Week! πŸ“šπŸŽ‰

    We’re so excited to celebrate the power of reading and the incredible worlds that books open up for us and our students. This week is all about adventures, imagination, and inspiring stories!

    ✨ On Friday, we can’t wait to see our students dressed as their favourite character from an adventure themed book!

    ✨ Whether they’re heroes on daring quests, explorers in fantastical worlds, or mystery solvers, the possibilities are endless!

    Let’s make this Literacy Week unforgettable by celebrating the magic of books and the creativity of our students! πŸŒŸπŸ“–

    Who is your favourite character from a book linked to the adventure story theme?

    Also happening this week:

    Year 7 - Spelling Bee in Lessons (Monday/Tuesday)

    Year 7 - Spelling Bee Final (Thursday)

    Year 8 - Detective Lesson (Monday/Tuesday)

    Year 8 - Murder Mystery Game Final in Library (Friday)

    Year 9 - Adventure Story Genre Lesson/Creative writing

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  • Parent Survey Feedback...

    Published 13/12/24

    We’d like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the key themes from our parent survey which took place earlier this term.  Our staff video version can be viewed here and a transcript of the video is available below.

    Hello West Exe families! It's Joe Bispham here, I'm the Deputy Headteacher for Community and Education and I am just sharing with you some of the feedback you gave us on the Edurio parent survey. Thank you so so much for all of you that took the time to provide that really valuable feedback it makes an absolutely huge difference to what we do here and we really really want to be working with the community to ensure that your child's experience at school is the best it possibly can be.

    Ric Claydon, Head of Year 7:

    We were absolutely thrilled to see that more of you than ever felt really informed and empowered by the work of our attendance team following your feedback last year. We have improved our systems and processes around attendance and we are so pleased that has had the impact we hoped for. We will continue to work hard in this area as children being in school means that they not only get access to all of their brilliant lessons but can also be involved in making memories that will last a lifetime.

    Kelsey Flynn, Head of Year 8:

    Last year you said communications were coming from too many different places, we listened and streamlined our systems so now that we only have one parent app and a fortnightly Head Teacher update. We're so pleased to hear from you that it's having the desired impact and you're telling us you feel much better informed this year and not overloaded with information. The rewards that celebrate good behaviour are particularly positive and we want to let you know even more about this going forward.

    Laura Peacock, Head of Year 10:

    Last year you raised your frustration with not always being able to contact the school and we've been working hard behind the scenes to address this. Over October half term, we had a new telephone system installed, that enables us to answer so many more telephone calls. Obviously it's early days yet, but we're already seeing a rise in the number of calls answered and this will remain a focus for us this year so watch this space.

    Ric Claydon, Head of Year 7:

    You told us that you see lots of opportunities for your child to take part in activities and clubs here at school which we're really pleased to hear. We know that the electives are now just a part of the school culture but there is so much more, from debating to Duke of Edinburgh trips and visits and after school sports clubs. Your children were involved in more than ever before but we are not done yet. We are focusing on widening participation and giving even more experiences that make your child’s school day so special.

    Chris Mayes, Head of Year 9:

    This year some of you told us that you don't always feel confident supporting your child's learning at home or you can't always see how the school's learning approach fits your individual child's needs.

    We are keen to help with both of these things. We are looking at ways to share more tips and ideas with you around your child’s development and learning journey. We'll be back in touch in the summer time about that.

    Joe Bispham, Deputy Head Teacher

    We really appreciate all your feedback and it really does help us to improve all aspects of the school and help us serve the community much better. Some of these things are much longer projects, they will take time, but there are some really quick things we can do to support for example you told us you wanted more notice on key dates and events and things that are happening so we're adding a key dates document to our website that will be really easy to access for you. On top of all of these exciting changes we are also adding our year group on a page, something we're going to be launching over the next few months and over this year which is going to give you an overview of everything's happening with your child’s year group throughout the year so do watch this space and that will be coming your way soon.

    Nicky Lewis, Head of School:

    The parent survey is a fantastic listening opportunity for us to hear from you and take action as a direct result, so thank you once again for all of you that participated. However, we don't just listen once a year, if you have any feedback, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us, we love to hear from you.

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  • Year 7 Christmas card competition...

    Published 06/12/24

    The Christmas Card competition was introduced during our Year 7 welcome week in September. The cards were judged anonymously by our Year 7 tutors, who were highly impressed by the artistic talent displayed by our students. We are extremely proud of Daria for winning the competition. Since moving to the UK from Ukraine, Daria has exemplified the West Exe student attributes, demonstrating resilience and kindness throughout her time with us.

    Families are very welcome to download the electronic version of the Christmas should you wish to print or email this Christmas card to your friends and family.

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  • Young Writers Poetry Competition for all year groups...

    Published 04/10/24

    Here is how to enter:

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  • Singing Yr7's at WES...

    Published 03/10/24

    🎀Our Year 7's are doing a fantastic job of finding their voices in Music. Students have been learning how to warm up safely, sing with confidence as well as singing in parts requiring lots of resilience.

    All the students are really becoming wonderful singers!

    Watch this space for the Christmas concert where they will be showing their talent.

    Don't forget the choir is free for all to attend every Friday after school in MU1, no need to sign up just come along.🎡

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  • The Ted Wragg Choir

    Published 12/09/24

    Do you enjoy singing?

    We welcome students from Year 6 - 13 to get involved in this exciting free activity led by a fully trained vocal coach... more information below:

     

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  • Exeter students take part in national programme to raise aspirations...​​​​​​​

    Published 10/09/24

    Year 9 students Zack, Daisy and Maisie from West Exe School, part of the Ted Wragg Trust, travelled to London last month to celebrate their success taking part in the AQA’s Unlocking Potential Programme.

    They spent the day having fun at London Zoo along with their mentor paralympian David Hill as part of his work with the Dame Kelly's Trust, AQA’s Unlocking Potential Programme is run by the trust. 

    They had a great time visiting the zoo, along with students from 27 schools across the country.  London Zoo is home to over 10,000 amazing animals from tiny marching leafcutter ants to a giant 193kg silverback gorilla. 

    The Dame Kelly Holmes Trust was set up in 2008 by double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes. It supports retired athletes as they transition from sport, and uses their skills and experience to transform the lives of young people through mentoring programmes.  The AQA Unlocking Potential programme, run jointly with the trust aims to bring out the best in young people so that they can achieve their goals.  

    The mentors know what it takes to overcome adversity and have the will to succeed not only in sport, but in life too.  Paralympic swimmer and triathlete David Hill grew up by the sea where he learnt to swim at a young age. Despite being born with no left forearm, David was earning swimming badges by the age of 3! His talent was nurtured until David qualified for the 2004 Paralympic Games. He was world silver medalist in swimming in 2006 and took bronze medals in 2009 in both European and World competitions.

     Julie Fossey, Headteacher at West Exe School said:

    “Everyone at West Exe is so proud of Zack, Daisy and Maisie for their participation in the AQA Unlocking Potential Project.  The social action projects they have taken part in this year from cooking hot meals for the homeless to collecting over 250 pairs of socks for St Petrocks have been amazing, they very much deserved a brilliant day out in London!”

     

    Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

    “It’s great to hear that these West Exe students got to spend some valuable time with their mentor while enjoying a visit to London.  Raising aspirations for the young people of Devon is central to the Ted Wragg Trust and it’s lovely to see schools working closely with organisations with this as their mission.”

     

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  • Exeter students achieve brilliant exam results at WES...

    Published 22/08/24

    Students and staff from West Exe School, part of the Ted Wragg Trust, have been celebrating exceptional GCSE results today (22nd Aug.) 

    Students achieved a fantastic set of GCSE results, with 69% of children achieving a grade 4 or higher in GCSE English and Maths, and 53% achieving a grade 5 or higher in both subjects. In addition to this, nearly one third of all entries taken at West Exe achieved grade 7 or higher. They have risen magnificently to meet the unprecedented challenges of the last five years.

    At West Exe School they are committed to educating children so that they live great lives and go on to make the world a better place.  West Exe demonstrates its love by having the highest expectations of young people because they want them to achieve truly great things – and they do; in fact, they are consistently the school that outperforms the national average for results.

    It was no surprise then to see many happy faces at West Exe today with:

    • Poppy O who achieved an incredible ten grade 9s.
    • Charlie and Freddie J with shared nine grade 9s and six grade 8s between them.
    • Ally R who achieved ten GCSEs grade 7-9 with a brilliant five grade 9s.
    • Samuel E who achieved 4 strong passes after just a short time in the UK. We are so proud of him and all he has worked for.

    Julie Fossey, Headteacher at West Exe School said: "I am so proud of our West Exe class of 2024. These results are a powerful reminder of what you can achieve when you set your mind to something. However, these results are just one chapter in the story of our students’ lives. So today as they celebrate with family and friends, I encourage them to continue to aim high, stay curious, and never stop believing in themselves. I know our students have a bright future ahead and I wish them all the very best in their chosen next steps!"

     

    Moira Marder, Chief Executive Officer of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

    “Huge congratulations to everyone collecting results today.  I am incredibly proud of our students' GCSE results this year.  Their achievements are a testament to their hard work, resilience, and commitment.

    “I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our dedicated teachers and supportive parents, whose unwavering encouragement has been instrumental in these achievements. I am excited to see what our students will accomplish next."

     

    Siobhan Meredith, Executive Director of Education at the Trust praised students for their “ambition and resilience” and noted that “school teams will be working closely with all students in the coming days to ensure they are able to take the next step of their choice, continuing to give them all the support they can towards the next stage of their journey.”

     

    The twelve Ted Wragg Trust secondary schools are the Plymouth-based Marine Academy Plymouth, All Saints Academy, Lipson Co-operative Academy and Tor Bridge High; Queen Elizabeth’s School, Crediton; Cranbrook Education Campus; the Exeter-based schools, Isca Academy, St James School, West Exe School and St Luke’s Church of England School; and Honiton Community College and Sidmouth College in East Devon.

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