Newsletters

25 September 2026

Weekly Updates from the Leadership Team

Welcome to our weekly update. 

On Tuesday evening, we had the pleasure of inviting Year 6 students and their parents/carers into school to show them what Medina has to offer. We were delighted with the feedback that we received about how much students enjoyed numerous interactive Science experiments, the wide variety of sports in the Sports Hall, the array of Creative Arts and Technology activities (including the fresh scones!), the range of Maths and Computer Science tasks and the breadth of English and French activities. Being able to show how much our students can embody our school values of Ambition, Courage, Confidence and Kindness. Special mentions must also go to our six amazing students that took to the stage and spoke in front of an audience of prospective families. Ranging from Year 8 to Year 13, they spoke eloquently in their own words about their own experiences. They were a real credit to themselves and to us. We still have some upcoming Open Mornings available if anyone missed the opportunity to visit us. 

We are now over halfway through this first half term so we will be sending out a letter to all parents/carers with a reminder of our basic expectations and key dates for already calendared events between now and Christmas. Parents of Year 11 students will also already have received a letter regarding our upcoming Revision Evening on 7 October and Year 7–10 parents will have received a letter about a fantastic exclusive performance that will be happening in the Theatre on Thursday. Following the event, a full write-up will be published. 

Assemblies this week were on the topic of learning habits. It is really important that students understand how and why good learning habits will pay dividends in the long term and really help ensure that each individual student can reach their full potential. 

Please keep an eye on our website for full details of our extracurricular offer – it is a great way to get more involved in school life and share experiences with students who have similar interests.

We hope you have a lovely weekend, and we look forward to welcoming all students into school on Monday, on time, in full uniform and ready to learn. 

Mrs Paul, Mrs Mursell and Mrs Sandiford

Executive Headteacher and Co-Heads of School

You can report any absence / medical appointment on your Arbor app or by calling college on the dedicated absence line 01983 538055.

If your child is not well enough to attend school, please ensure that a reason is provided with as much detail as possible so we can code accordingly. We also request that medical evidence is provided so we can authorise where appropriate.  If you do not report any absence or respond to an absence query, this may result in it being recorded as unauthorised.

As we enter the cold/flu season, it is important to maintain good standards of personal hygiene and this includes handwashing.  Guidance from the NHS on whether you should send your child into school if they are unwell can be located here.

If you wish to discuss your child's attendance, please contact their Head of Year in the first instance.  Many thanks.

Yr 10 boys football match 

The Year 10 boys’ football team played against Lift Ryde on Wednesday afternoon in an evenly matched game, with Medina securing the win with two goals.

A particular highlight was tricky winger Sam scoring his first goal for the school! 
Well played, lads!

Free School Meals Update: Expansion from September 2026 

Starting in September 2026, all families receiving Universal Credit can get free school meals, regardless of household income.

Meals are also available to families receiving:

• Asylum support

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Pension Credit (Guarantee Element)

• Support under No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) criteria

How to claim: Free school meals are not applied automatically. You must submit an application so your eligibility can be verified by the school or local council before meals can start.

The link to the online application can be found here: Free school meals - Isle of Wight Council 

We will be running a drop-in session on Wednesday 30th September from 09:30-12:30 for anyone who would like help completing the application.  Anyone attending will need to have an email address in order to complete the application.

Missing Baritone 

A much-loved musical instrument has gone missing while at school. It is a Thomann Ukulele Lute Baritone, kept in a black carry case, belonging to one of our students.

If anyone has seen it or may have picked it up by mistake, we would be very grateful if you could let us know.

Many thanks.

Winter Production

We completed the casting for the winter production of 'Little Shop of Horrors' this week.  A huge thank you to all involved, with particular congratulations to our leads Lana Gardner, Henry Walker, Keryn Reed, Avalon Ruler, Abbie Carver, and Tyler Nihell.  The performance will take place on the evening of Thursday 10 December at Medina Theatre.  Tickets available soon!

Message from the Southampton Family Trust

We wanted to let you know that both our Parenting Children with ADHD and Parenting Children with Autism courses for Hampshire families are now fully booked.

However, parents and carers are very welcome to attend our free online seminars. These are standalone sessions covering a range of topics relating to parenting and supporting neurodivergent children. There is no need to book a place in advance – parents and carers can simply use the Zoom details provided on the attached flyer to join on the day.

The upcoming seminars are:

• An Introduction to Parenting Children with ADHD (diagnosed or suspected)
  Thursday 8^th October, 7.30 - 9.00pm
  Online via Zoom

• An Introduction to Parenting Children with Autism (diagnosed or suspected)
  Thursday 22^nd October, 7.30 - 9.00pm
  Online via Zoom

• Understanding Demand Avoidance in Neurodivergent Children (diagnosed or suspected)
  Thursday 12^th November, 7.30 - 9.00pm
  Online via Zoom

• Understanding Masking and Burnout in Neurodivergent Children (diagnosed or suspected)
  Thursday 26^th November, 7.30 - 9.00pm
  Online via Zoom

• Emotionally Based School Avoidance
  Thursday 10^th December, 7.30 - 9.00pm
  Online via Zoom

Contact us at:  info@sftrust.org.uk Website:  www.sftrust.org.uk    

Arbor App

Arbor is a free online portal that we use at Medina College to communicate with parents. It offers a range of online features and services, including: 

• Monitor your child’s attendance, achievement and behaviour
• View your child’s timetable and homework assignments
• Ensure the contact and medical information we hold is up-to-date
• Make payments for trips, school supplies and school meals

We urge all parents to download the Arbor App to your phone (available on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store) and enable push notifications. 

To get started, you will need to register using the login details and the link that the school has sent you. This will take you to the browser version of the Parent Portal where you need to set up a password. 

For full instructions on how to get started, please visit the Arbor Parent Portal.

All school payments now need to be made using the payments section within Arbor. This includes payment for school lunches.

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