Newsletters

20 March 2026

Weekly Updates from the Leadership Team

Welcome to the penultimate newsletter of this half-term. It has been a short half-term, but a busy one. 

Firstly, well done to all of our students who have been taking part in Food Technology practical exams this week, Drama practical exams and Spanish speaking trial exams. The students have done so well, in what can sometimes feel quite intense circumstances. 

Year 11 students have also started the interview process for a place at our sixth form, The Island VI Form, this week. Well done for conducting yourselves so well. If any year 11 students have not yet made their plan for next year, please do have a look at what our post 16 provision looks like; the link can be found here. The Island VI Form is an ideal bridge between school and higher education or employment, and gives students more freedom and responsibility.

Today marks Eid al-Fitr 2026, following the sighting of the moon. Eid al-Fitr is a special occasion for Muslims and is a time for celebration with family and loved ones. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the month of Ramadan, a period of month-long fasting for Muslims around the world, and the start of Shawwal, the tenth month in the Islamic (Hijri) calendar.

Next week students and staff alike look forward to our Celebration Assemblies. They are one of our key opportunities to share more widely the fantastic things that our students do and achieve. They promise to be very uplifting experiences. 

Just a reminder, school finishes for students at 12.45pm (after P3) next Friday, and returns on Monday, 13 April.

We hope you have a lovely weekend. 

Mrs Paul, Mrs Mursell and Mrs Sandiford

Executive Headteacher and Co-Heads of School

Listen Up! Film Project

A group of our students have spent the past three weeks filming with professional filmmaker Bruce Webb as part of Artswork’s Listen Up! project, an initiative centred on youth voice and leadership.

The journey began in autumn 2025, when students met with Artswork to explore the question: “If adults were really listening, what would you say?” From these discussions, students helped shape a brief and invited professional filmmakers to pitch their ideas. After hearing several proposals, they selected Bruce Webb to bring their vision to life.

Since December, students have worked closely with Bruce and Peta Rainford to develop their ideas. With support, they collaboratively wrote an original drama focused on the importance of young people being heard.

During the filming process, students took on roles both in front of and behind the camera, working alongside professional actor Leah Barbara West. This hands-on experience has given them valuable insight into the filmmaking process and the collaborative nature of creative production.

The finished film is set to premiere at Medina after Easter. Later in the year, it will feature in the Listen Up! touring film festival across the Isle of Wight, part of Creative Island’s Can You Hear Us? programme—a six-week celebration of creativity and culture across the Island, funded by Arts Council England.

We are incredibly proud of the maturity, creativity, and professionalism our students have demonstrated throughout this project. Their enthusiasm for future careers in the creative industries has been clear, and this experience has provided them with invaluable skills, knowledge, and inspiration. We look forward to celebrating their achievements when the film is unveiled.

The Island VI Form - Level 2 Access to A Levels Pathway

The Island VI Form have recently launched a new pathway to A Levels that might be of interest to some of our Year 11 students. The Level 2 pathway that they are now offering allows students an additional year to meet the entry requirements and demands of Level 3, A Level courses, whilst still being integrated into the Year 12 cohort with full access to the town centre, Post-16 site. The one-year course allows students to mix English/maths/science resits (as necessary) alongside a vocational course. Providing they then meet the requirements, they can progress to a two-year Level 3 pathway. 

You can find out more about the Level 2 pathway on the Island VI Form website. 

Their final Open Morning Tour of this term is taking place on Wednesday 25 March (next week) and you can book a place here. 

Mr Rock's 100  

We are very pleased to share that Mr Rock, our fantastic Head of PE, is once again taking on a mammoth challenge in aid of the Huntington's Disease Association (HDA). However, this time, we will be hosting the challenge here at Medina College and all students will have an opportunity to get involved!

Mr Rock will be walking 100 miles non-stop on our lower fields on Thursday 30 April and Friday 1 May. He will be walking 100 laps of a one-mile route non-stop, and students from schools across the Island will be joining him throughout the challenge. We will share more details on this with parents after the Easter break and Mr Rock will be leading assemblies in school for the students. 

The HDA is a charity very close to Mr Rock and his family, and we are proud to support him in his fundraising efforts. You can find more details on his Just Giving page. 

Rubik's cube competition

Useful Links

Term Dates and College Day

Attendance

Arbor (Communications and Payments)

Latest News

School Clubs