{item_alt_tag}

Dear Colleagues, 

Welcome back! I hope you all enjoyed a restful and restorative summer break, blessed with some super weather and, most importantly, plenty of time spent with family and friends away from the hurly-burly of school life. I trust you’ve had the chance to re-energise and are ready to embark on the year ahead with renewed focus and optimism.

We return this September with a genuine strength of spirit—a confidence rooted in the significant successes of last year. Across every phase of education, WeST children achieved outcomes that not only surpassed national averages but also underscored the commitment, skill, and determination of colleagues across our Trust.

At the national level, we begin this academic year with a renewed focus on early years development. To mark the expansion of childcare support this term, the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has written to parents and carers across the country, reaffirming his Plan for Change commitment: by 2028, 75% of five-year-olds should reach a good level of development. The initiatives include:

· 30 hours of government-funded childcare from the end of parental leave until the start of primary school.

· Free Best Start Breakfast Clubs in every primary school.

· Best Start Family Hubs, offering expert advice and services from pregnancy through to school age.

These measures are designed to make family life easier and, crucially, to ensure that no child’s background limits their potential. More details can be found via the Best Start in Life website.

Here in WeST, we started the year with real momentum at our Primary Reading Fluency Conference, held at the Crowne Plaza. The event was alive with energy, collaboration, and professional curiosity. My sincere thanks to everyone who attended and especially to Scott Davies and Rebecca Cosgrave, whose leadership and expertise shaped a day of high-quality training. This programme has the potential to significantly elevate writing outcomes across our schools.

The summer also brought moments of immense pride, as we celebrated the achievements of our pupils in their GCSE and A-Level examinations. These results speak to the resilience of our students, the support of their families, and, above all, the dedication of our staff.

I am delighted to share a snapshot of our collective outcomes across the Trust:

Assessment WeST Average

KS1 Phonics Screening - 91%

MTC (Average Score) - 21.5

KS2 RWM Expected Standard - 70%

GCSE Basics (9–4, Eng & Maths) - 74%

GCSE Basics (9–5, Eng & Maths) - 54%

A-Level Average Points - 34.6

These achievements mark a significant milestone for WeST and demonstrate the impact of collaboration, aspiration, and the consistent drive for excellence that defines our work.

For those of you who are new to the Trust this year, a warm welcome. We would love you to attend one of our induction events, which are designed to help you connect with colleagues, understand the breadth of our organisation, and feel part of the wider WeST community.

Upcoming Induction Events:

· Wednesday 24 September 2025 – Sir James Smith’s School, Camelford | 4:00–5:00pm

· Wednesday 21 January 2026 – Ivybridge Community College | 4:00–5:00pm

· Wednesday 20 May 2026 – WeST HQ | 4:00–5:00pm

As we step into this new year, let’s carry forward the spirit of collaboration and aspiration that has brought us this far. Together, we can continue to raise standards, inspire our pupils, and strengthen our communities.

Here’s to another year of challenge, opportunity, and shared achievement.

With warmest wishes,

Rob Haring

CEO

Word Of The Week!

This week's word is "resilience."

Definition: Resilience is the ability to bounce back from challenges, adapt to change, and keep going - even when things feel tough. It’s not about never falling, but about rising each time with strength, courage, and hope.
Reason: We’ve chosen resilience to begin the term because it reminds us that growth isn’t always easy - but it’s always possible. Whether you're navigating new routines, tackling learning goals, or supporting others, resilience helps us face each day with determination and heart.

{item_alt_tag}

Important Data Protection information - Action needed by all staff

Our email storage policy is changing. From January 2026, no email will be stored in Microsoft Outlook for longer than 2 years. This means that:

  • All emails of 2 years old or more will be automatically deleted from Outlook on 6 January 2026.

  • From then onwards, all emails will be automatically deleted from Outlook 2 years after you receive them.

All staff using Microsoft email need to back up essential emails and/or attachments that are needed long-term to an appropriate storage area (like OneDrive).

The deadline to complete this before the Christmas holiday is 18 December 2025. 

Any emails not backed-up outside of Outlook by then will be lost permanently.

Please click here to see our detailed guidance.

(For now, Callington and Chaddlewood staff using Google Mail rather than Microsoft are exempt, but this will apply when your email is transferred to Microsoft in the future. Separate Google Mail guidance will follow, but consider proactively backing up any important emails from now on.)

Please start thinking and acting on this as soon as possible! Once you have read the guidance linked above, if you are concerned or confused please book onto a support session using the form at the bottom of the guidance page.  

Self-Care September!

{item_alt_tag}
{item_alt_tag}
{item_alt_tag}
{item_alt_tag}