Dear Colleagues, 

As we approach the close of another busy and rewarding academic year, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on all that we’ve accomplished together—and to offer my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for your exceptional commitment, resilience, and teamwork.

This year has been filled with moments of joy, growth, and achievement. Whether you’ve supported children in the classroom, led staff through challenge and change, managed projects, or kept everything running smoothly behind the scenes, your contributions have made a meaningful and lasting difference. It has been a privilege to work alongside such a dedicated and passionate group of professionals.

Thanks to your collective efforts, the children in our care continue to go from strength to strength. Our Phonics Screening Check (PSC) results were outstanding—90.3% of Year 1 pupils met the expected standard, a full 10 percentage points above the 2024 national average. In Key Stage 2 SATs, we set a bold target of 70% and achieved 69%, outperforming the 2025 national average of 62%. With a few script reviews still pending, there’s every chance we may hit that original target.

Looking ahead, we await the GCSE and A-Level results in August with cautious optimism. Our secondary leaders, teachers, and support staff have done everything possible to set our students up for success, and I sincerely hope that our Year 11 and Year 13 students receive the outcomes they so richly deserve.

This week, we held a celebration event for our Primary Headteachers—a wonderful afternoon to reflect on this year’s achievements and to recognise the collective leadership that continues to drive improvement and ambition across our schools. I’m incredibly grateful for the strong sense of shared purpose that defines our work.

We also mark two significant transitions this term. After nearly 25 years of dedicated service to Yealmpton Primary School, Julie Tomkins is retiring. Julie has been a much-loved and deeply respected presence in the school and wider community. Her warmth, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to children’s learning and wellbeing have touched countless lives. Julie’s legacy is profound, and we wish her a joyful and fulfilling next phase in her life, knowing that her influence will continue for many years to come.

We also bid farewell to Phil Banks, who is leaving WeST to take up the post of Chief Executive Officer at another South West Trust. It has been a real pleasure to work alongside Phil and have him as a valued member of our team. Throughout his time with us, Phil has brought not only a cheerful disposition, but also a consistent sense of belief, hope, and optimism. His commitment to building a culture of belonging has resonated across our schools and Trust-wide work.

Phil has established strong, supportive, and professional relationships with those he leads, and his impact on the leadership development agenda, particularly through the delivery and growth of our NPQ programmes, has been outstanding. Feedback from participants has been consistently glowing, and his influence in this space will be long-lasting.

Phil leaves us during a time of strength—our primary outcomes remain significantly above national averages, and all 23 WeST primary schools are now judged ‘Good’ or better by Ofsted.

On behalf of us all, thank you Phil. We wish you every success in your new role and all the very best for the future.

As we close out the year, I hope you find time over the summer to rest, recharge, and enjoy well-earned time with friends and family. The work we do is challenging, but it matters deeply—and it only works because of the collaboration, aspiration, and shared purpose that you bring to it.

Thank you for being part of WeST.

With warmest wishes,

Rob Haring

CEO

Don't Delay - Register for iTrent Multi-Factor Authentication Now!

To enhance security and meet new legislative requirements, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is now required to access the Employee Self-Service function in iTrent.

This means that since 1st May, all users have been required to authenticate using a second method - typically a smartphone app - when logging in.

While most staff will find this familiar, we understand that a small number may need support. Please note: we are in the process of implementing SMS authentication specifically to support those who do not have a smartphone. Email-based authentication is only permitted in exceptional, pre-approved cases due to its lower security, and thus higher risk of payroll-related fraud which occurs as a result of compromised email accounts.

We strongly encourage all staff to register for MFA before the end of the school year.

Instructions for setting up authentication via your smartphone are below.  SMS instructions will follow next week and will also be circulated in schools shortly.

Compliance checks are due in September, and registering early will help avoid delays - school offices, IT, and HR support will be limited at that time, so resolving any issues now, in advance, is essential.

To download the instructions, please click here.

INFORMATION: 

The Authentication App can be downloaded from either the Apple App Store or the Android Play Store on any supported device.

Need help? Contact your school’s administrator or IT support in the first instance.

Ivybridge - Student Visit to 10 Downing Street

Students from Year 12 and 9 were excited to be invited to visit 10 Downing Street recently to take part in the ‘Lessons at 10’ programme. ‘Lessons at 10’ is designed to inspire children and encourage a love of learning by bringing schools from across the UK into Downing Street so that they can experience a lesson in one of the state rooms. Students arrived at the famous gates of 10 Downing Street and were warmly greeted by the Number 10 staff who showed them to their classroom for the day, the state dining room, normally host to international dignitaries and diplomatic meetings. The Head of History and Politics Adam White would today use this room for a lesson on the power and role of prime ministers over time. In these grand surroundings students demonstrated the qualities of leadership by discussing and debating a wide range of ideas. Following the lesson students enjoyed an extended exclusive tour of Downing Street even being given the chance to talk to the staff who work most intimately with the current prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer.

Speaking about their visit Adam White, Head of History and Politics said, “this truly was a memorable visit at every step from walking through the black door, to meeting Larry the Cat, to having lunch in the private gardens of Number 10 and 11 in the summer sunshine. At every turn the events team made us feel welcome and showed us hidden parts of our national history. One of the most iconic moments was entering the White Room and sitting in the chair of the prime minister only usually seen on the news reports, which just a few days later would host the French President Emmanuel Macron.”

If you’re interested in organising a day like this for your students, please use the link below to find out more: 

Application Form (Page 1 of 4)

On Saturday, some very lucky year 5 pupils from Ermington made the journey to Wimbledon on ladies final day. The children had an amazing time, watching the men's doubles wheelchair final and boy's final on court number 1, then watching the women's final on the very famous hill at Wimbledon.  An amazing experience with memories made for a lifetime! 

Ivybridge - Year 12 Summer Fayre

The Year 12 Summer Fayre, which was held on Monday 14th July raised an astonishing £575 for the charity Papyrus in less than two hours. The students had voted to support Papyrus as their chosen charity at the beginning of the year. Together with over £350 raised from Bake Sales the total amount now stands at £950. We are very proud to be able to donate this to a charity which supports good mental health and wellbeing. We understand that the money will help to fund a 24/7 phone line. Students clearly enjoyed the Fayre. Music was provided by the RSL music group, Toby, Summer, Ace and Maya. Stalls varied from karaoke, to shooting rugby balls, to a photo booth and even throwing wet sponges at Mr Willow. Special mention should go to the Year 12 tutors for their organisation and support, to the Year 12 student council, to the Sixth Form team and to Myrtle, Imogen and Lars for supervising the cake stall, and Orla, Teagon, Amy and Amber for their help on the payment desk. The students were engaged, participating and we think, enjoying themselves!

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Send in your article by 2 PM every Thursday by emailing admin@westst.org.uk, and we’ll consider it for publication in the following Friday edition. Submissions should be clear, engaging, and relevant to our audience.

Jump Back Up July!