Students enjoyed a festive Christmas dinner at The Gateway Academy, enhanced by Christmas music and a cheerful atmosphere. Many students and staff wore Christmas jumpers, adding to the sense of celebration, and staff joined students to eat together, creating a relaxed and inclusive environment. It was a lovely opportunity for the school community to come together and celebrate the season.

Year 8 drama students took full creative ownership of their performance by designing and planning the lighting style for their play. They explored how colour, intensity and movement could enhance mood, highlight key moments and support the overall atmosphere of each scene.

This half term, our Year 7 students have been busy developing their practical kitchen skills by making delicious cheese muffins and colourful fruit salads. They learned how to measure ingredients accurately, follow a recipe, and use basic equipment safely and confidently. The cheese muffins were a great introduction to baking, while the fruit salad allowed students to explore fresh ingredients and practise safe chopping techniques. Overall, it’s been a fun and tasty start to their cooking journey!

Year 10 Parents' Evening – Thursday 15 January 2026 16:00–19:00

We are delighted to report on the first highly successful CCF cadet field trip to Thriftwood that took place over the weekend. Students from Years 8, 9, and 10 attended, demonstrating outstanding dedication and teamwork throughout the intensive weekend. The weekend began with essential training, focusing on setting up camp and mastering survival skills. Cadets learned the vital skill of cooking rations in the field and received foundational lessons in basic fieldcraft on how to soldier. It was an early start on Saturday for a refresher on field cooking before a packed day of military skills training, covering the following lessons:

1. Effective military bag packing techniques.
2. Understanding how things are seen (sight and cover).
3. Practical drills on moving in different environments (with and without a weapon).
4. Techniques for camouflage and concealment.
5. Judging distance and using hand signals for silent communication.
6. The practical challenge of making your own shelter (basher).

The day concluded with well-deserved games of football, tug of war and roasting marshmallows around a campfire on Saturday night. Sunday shifted focus to adventure and teamwork with a range of challenging activities, including rock climbing, precision training with air rifle shooting, and the thrilling descent of the zip line.

All students conducted themselves exemplarily throughout the entire weekend and were a credit to the academy. Their positive attitude and commitment to learning were commendable. Looking ahead, the cadets will build on this experience by learning how to safely handle the British rifle (SA80) and will prepare for exciting future trips to live ranges to practice shooting.