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A Message from Principal, Mr Martin

I am delighted to share with you how wonderfully the new term has begun. It has been a genuine pleasure to welcome back our students after the summer break and to welcome the new Year 9 and Year 12 students into our community. They have returned with enthusiasm, focus, and a positive attitude that bodes well for the months ahead.

Reflecting on our recent achievements, I am immensely proud to announce our outstanding GCSE, BTEC, and A Level results from this summer. We secured an impressive 72% of students achieving grades 9–4 in both English and Maths, positioning us as one of the top-performing schools within the Local Authority. Even more impressive, we achieved 1st place in the Local Authority for A Level results this year, a testament to the dedication of our students and staff alike.

Our vibrant school community is already buzzing with activity. Auditions for this year’s pantomime, Beauty and the Beast, have now concluded, and rehearsals are well underway. We look forward to a spectacular production that will showcase the talents and hard work of our students.

Sport is back in full swing too, with some outstanding performances to celebrate in all year groups. Our Y10 netball team secured an incredible 73-0 victory, while the Y9 rugby team triumphed with a resounding 83-14 scoreline, and the Y11 boys played the postponed U15 county cup, from last season, with a resounding 5-0 victory at Cranfield FC. Our new swimming team went to Watford on Saturday for the regionals and came back as regional relay champions. Such achievements highlight the energy and commitment of our young athletes.

Last week, I had the privilege of leading assemblies focusing on our core value of Empathy. This week, we welcomed Camps International, who delivered inspiring sessions about the upcoming 2027 trip to Cambodia. These assemblies continue to encourage our students to think beyond themselves and develop a global perspective.

This week, we hosted the first of two Open Evenings for prospective Year 8 students and their families. It was wonderful to hear the glowing feedback from parents, who praised not only our students and staff but also our exceptional facilities. All applications need to be submitted by 31st October.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us nurture a thriving and inclusive school community. I look forward to sharing more exciting news with you in the coming weeks.

Messages From Heads of Year

Year 9, Mr Rich

A warm welcome to our wonderful Year 9s. As the new school year begins, it's been truly impressive to see how quickly and positively our newest cohort has settled in. From the moment they walked through our doors, they have demonstrated an outstanding level of maturity and enthusiasm, embracing the new challenges and opportunities that SWA life presents. Their proactive approach to getting to know their new surroundings, teachers, and classmates has not gone unnoticed. It’s clear they are eager to learn and ready to make a significant contribution to our school community, and support their peers as they do so.

The exemplary behaviour of our Year 9 students has been a consistent highlight over the first few weeks of term. They have shown incredible respect towards staff and their peers, both in and out of the classroom. We have observed a genuine sense of kindness and consideration as they navigate the social dynamics of a new environment, helping each other find their way and supporting one another in their studies. This supportive and friendly attitude is a testament to their excellent character and bodes well for their future success at our school.

Students have already begun engaging with our wide variety of extracurricular activities and clubs, from entering into our sporting community to building madcap ideas with our STEM clubs. We do not doubt that this cohort will continue to thrive and achieve great things in the years to come. We look forward to watching them grow, both academically and personally, and we are excited to see the positive impact they will have on our school community.

Year 10, Miss Joy

Year 10 has made a fantastic start to the term! Every student has warmly welcomed me to Samuel Whitbread Academy. I am extremely excited about the year ahead, and honoured to represent them as Head of Year.

My first impressions have been very positive; the engagement in lessons and conduct around the school has been outstanding. This year has seen them start their GCSE options subjects, and they are thriving. It is a breath of fresh air dropping into some lessons and having conversations with them.

The dedication to extracurricular clubs has been exemplary, with lots of the year group taking part in Netball, Football and Rugby fixtures and winning them, so well done!

It was lovely to see so many Year 10s helping out on Open Evening this week. You truly are a talented bunch!

Keep up the good work.

Year 11, Mrs Godfrey

We are so pleased with the fantastic start Year 11 students have made this term; they have shown real focus and maturity as they step into this important year. With mock exams beginning the week commencing 17th November, now is the perfect time for students to build good revision habits. To help with this, we encourage them to attend the supportive after-school sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, where they can catch up on work and strengthen their preparation.

A big thank you to all parents and carers for the encouragement and support you give at home; it makes a real difference in helping our students feel confident and ready for the challenges ahead.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your child’s tutor or subject teachers.

Year 12, Mr Tonking

Our Year 12 students have made a fantastic start to the year. We have been really pleased and impressed by their conduct and integration into our Sixth Form community.

We have an important assembly on Friday, 3^rd October with a presentation from National Rail on Degree Apprenticeship opportunities. We will continue to offer more of these opportunities throughout their time with us, and we recommend students to check their year group Google Classroom for any posts and updates.

For those taking BTEC courses, we feel it is important to stress the importance of meeting deadlines. We hope to address this with the students in a future assembly, so everyone understands the exam board rules.

Year 13, Mrs Hoad

Year 13 have really hit the ground running, and are getting ready for university and apprenticeship applications. On Thursday, 11^th September, we held an online Information Evening for parents and students to attend, and we gave a presentation about Next Steps and what Year 13 involves. The presentation was sent out to parents after the event, and key information such as how to access information about student finance and our key dates for the year, are included.

We will soon send out their first report of the year (16^th October), and our PRE is a week after, on the 23^rd October. We encourage students to talk to their subject teachers during October about their UCAS predicted grades so that there are no surprises when they finish their university application. Appointments are now bookable for sending their application, and they can visit Miss Collins in the office to make their appointment with a member of the Sixth Form team.

We continue to work in tutor period each morning on careers education, PSHE, relationship education and other useful discussions. Parents/carers and students are reminded that attendance by 8.20 am each morning is compulsory.

Many of our students have now passed driving tests – well done everyone – and car permits for parking on site are available from the Sixth Form office. This term will progress really quickly, and we will get to November (IPEs) at pace – the timetable for which will be released soon.

Academy News

A Celebratory Start to the School Year

September at Samuel Whitbread Academy always begins with a sense of excitement, and this year was no exception.

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Discovering the Power of Physics

Year 11 & Sixth Form students explore where Physics can take them.

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Creativity Blooms this September at SWA

The Art & Design department has had an excellent start to the new school year.

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Whitbread Racing: New Car, New Season Ahead!

This September, the Whitbread Racing Team proudly took delivery of their brand-new kit car, which they will be preparing to race in the Green Power Series 2026.

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Open Evening 2025

Our first Open Evening of the year took place on Tuesday, 23rd September, and it was truly a remarkable evening.

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Summer MFL Challenge Winners!

Congratulations to Max and Amelia, who participated in the French MFL Summer Challenge and completed the highest number of tasks. Well done to both students on this fantastic achievement!