On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of taking some of our incredible students to Ninja Warrior Walsall as a reward for exceeding expectations last term! 🌟

These students have shown outstanding effort, resilience, and a positive attitude — and this trip was a chance to celebrate their hard work in style! 💪

From obstacle courses to big laughs, it was a day full of fun, challenge, and well-earned rewards. Check out the photos to see them in action! 📸

Keep pushing yourselves — we love recognising your achievements!

We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible success of our very first Trust-wide Spelling Bee – a vibrant event that brought together pupils from all our schools, in a showcase of linguistic talent, nerves of steel, and community spirit.

Over 40 brilliant spellers from Key Stages 2 and 3 took to the stage, each tackling an impressive word list of more than 150 challenging entries. From phosphorescent to megalomaniac, cantankerous, chihuahua, frittata, and hieroglyphics, the competition tested not only vocabulary but also memory, focus, and composure under pressure.

The atmosphere was electric, with supporters gripped from start to finish, watching each round unfold on the edge of their seats. In an extraordinary finish, two winners were crowned – a testament to just how high the standard was. Huge congratulations to our co-champions: one from Etone College and the other from Bloxwich Academy Primary.

Both of them had to complete the tie breaker, spelling as accurately as possible a fearsome word which they had not been told in advance: ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM. Both of them spelled it correctly!

This inaugural event marks the beginning of what we expect to become a favourite in the Matrix events calendar. A huge thank you to all the pupils, staff and supporters who made this possible. We’re already looking forward to next year’s Spelling Bee!

After two terms of tireless dedication, energy, and enthusiasm, our talented students brought the house down with their spectacular performance of High School Musical!

From the opening number to the final bow, the production was packed with energy, emotion, and laughs. The cast and crew worked incredibly hard, and their efforts truly paid off. Audiences were treated to a show that was not only comical and heart-warming but also a testament to the teamwork, passion, and creativity of our young performers.

This musical was more than just a show – it was a celebration of talent, friendship, and the power of believing in yourself. Whether students were acting, singing, dancing, or working behind the scenes, everyone played a part in making this production unforgettable.

A huge well done to all involved – you should be so proud!

All schools across our Trust have been working collaboratively to recognise and celebrate key dates in the PSHE calendar. These are in addition to other events that will also be taking place in our individual schools. We are very proud to share our Matrix Academy Trust Personal Development Calendar which gives details of the events where our schools have come together to produce a wide range of activities for our pupils. These events will be recognised through a combination of assemblies and form time activities as well as their importance being widely publicised through our social media platforms and in schools through displays, posters and TV screens. For some events, there will be additional activities planned such as competitions to engage our learners in the real meaning of these days.

There is a wide range of days recognised to acknowledge different faiths and groups as well as promote very important themes such as equality, diversity, wellbeing and British Values. This project epitomises the real spirit of collaboration in our school as well as our commitment to ensuring that our pupils have the knowledge and skills to not only keep themselves safe but be ready and able to make a valuable contribution to society.

Yesterday, Wednesfield Academy proudly welcomed over 170 primary school pupils through its doors for the very first performance of High School Musical—and what a performance it was! The young audience was absolutely enthralled and captivated from start to finish, showcasing the incredible talent and dedication of our pupils both on and off stage.

From high-energy dance numbers to powerful vocal performances, our cast and crew brought the Disney classic to life in spectacular style, leaving our visitors clapping, cheering and some singing along.

If you haven’t secured your tickets yet, there’s still time to join in the fun! Evening performances continue on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week at 6pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance via ParentPay, or on the door with cash payments.

Don’t miss your chance to see this feel-good production packed with music, dance and Wildcats spirit!

Today, our Year 10-13 students had the incredible opportunity to hear from Daniel Caines, former World & European 400m Champion! 🏅🔥 He shared his inspiring journey, the power of resilience, and the importance of pushing beyond limits. 💪

His powerful mantra says it all:
“Where you start, you start. But where you finish is up to you.” 🚀

A huge thank you to Daniel for motivating our students to chase their dreams and strive for success!

#Inspiration #DreamBig #DanielCaines #FutureChampions #MotivationMatters

Our Hockey Club was back on Friday afternoon after a few weeks break during the mock exams. 

Students from across the school enjoyed a highly competitive game with the green team winning 3-1!

Wednesfield Academy have an excellent working relationship with Bloxwich Hockey Club who play just a mile from the school on Furzebank Way.

All pupils and staff are entitled to three free sessions, for more information please contact Mr Hill within the academy for more information.

The theme for the 2025 Turing visits was ‘not just tourists’. We wanted to encourage our pupils to not just visit a place, but experience the cultures within it immersing themselves in daily life through food, religion and cultural activities.

Our first Turing visit for 2024-2025 was for Year 12 pupils travelling to Morocco. We spent a week in Marrakesh and the surrounding areas learning about life in this country. 

Food plays an important part in any culture. During our visit, we attended a cooking class where we learned about traditional Moroccan dishes, what the Common ingredients in Morocco are and how these are prepared in line with religious rules. We enjoyed trying the dishes, with Chicken Pastilla (a sugary pastry filled with chicken) and Beef Tagine being particular favourites. Some pupils experienced their first McDonalds ever as Moroccan McDonalds serves Halal meat which is not common in the UK.

We tried our hand at using Arabic to communicate with locals. We also attended a calligraphy class where we learnt about the types of Arabic script, the traditional inks and pens before having a go at writing our names in Arabic. The biggest challenge was remembering to write right to left! 

We travelled to Marrakesh during the holy month of Ramadan, and so we were able to experience the regular call to prayer. Many of our tour guides and hosts were able to talk about the importance of Ramadan to Muslims and we were able to respect our tour guides by not eating and drinking in front of them and allowing them to break fast in the evening. A number of pupils were able to enter the Koutubia Mosque in Marrakesh to pray and were blown away by the sheer scale and size of the mosques with hundreds of Muslims praying together. 

Marrakesh is very different to the cities and towns that we live in, it is much busier and noisier! We were able to experience the souks and markets seeing differences in the ways that goods are sold - we didn't see one supermarket ! Many of us tried our hand at bartering for souvenirs and sunglasses, with the Wednesfield pupils in particular discovering new haggling talents. We found it tricky as it involved a lot of confidence but we did manage to get some real bargains!

Thankfully we were able to escape the hustle and bustle of Marrakesh for the calm of the Jardin Marjorelle, a peaceful garden once owned by Yves Saint Laurent , a great space to regather our thoughts before heading back out into the city.

Over our last 2 days, we ventured out of Marrakesh to experience rural Morocco. We headed into the Atlas Mountains where we hiked up the Imlil valley to see the highest peak in Morocco, Mount Toubkal. Whilst on our hike it started to snow – which was totally unexpected. We all had to show a lot of reliance climbing the steep hill but were greeted with amazing views. We were able to discuss the similarities and differences between life in the UK and life in Morocco with our guides. We were surprised on the way up the mountain to get stuck in a traffic jam of sheep! On the way down we found a common language with some local boys playing a quick game of football.

Our final night was spent in the desert. A complete contrast to life in the mountains, we enjoyed an off road adventure to get to our campsite where we were able to relax in the comfort of luxury tents. We were treated to Moroccan music on the Oud and drums before we tried some of the moves! We especially enjoyed the traditional hats with tassels to spin around our heads.

By immersing ourselves in Moroccan life, we learnt lots about this remarkable part of the world as well as gaining a greater understanding about our own cultures and practices. We didn't just visit Morocco - we lived Morocco! 

Wednesfield Academy is celebrating being graded ‘Good’ by Ofsted in all areas – for the first time in its history. 

The academy was graded ‘Requires Improvement’ when last inspected while in its previous trust, in November 2022. In January 2023, the school joined us. Ofsted inspectors fully recognised how much Wednesfield Academy had improved since joining the Matrix family, observing that: 

“The school has undergone a significant period of change and development since the previous graded inspection. The school has rapidly raised expectations around learning and behaviour and has developed a highly ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils achieve well and are well prepared for the next stage of their lives.” 

You can read the full report HERE

Our Chair of Trustees, Sir Mark Aspinall, said: “It’s all about the children. That sounds obvious, but schools can lose sight of what is important. Clear and decisive leadership, with a pupil-centred approach, has ensured Wednesfield has been able to improve both rapidly and sustainably. I could not be more proud of everyone involved.” 

Ofsted Letter

Miss Batten had the privilege of visiting Edward the Elder Primary School on Monday 17^th March to work with Year 4 on their drama skills. The drama workshop involved creating slow-motion scenes which was enjoyed by everyone! We look forward to working with Edward the Elder Primary School later in the year as well delivering Design and Technology, PE and Science workshops!