Walton Academy

🎉 National success for Walton Post 16 student Sarah!

We are delighted to share that Sarah, a year 12 photography student, has won the prestigious No Place Like Home art and poetry competition, organised by the Sanctuary Foundation.

Sarah's powerful photographic piece, inspired by her experience of growing up as a Slovakian in the UK, explores identity, belonging and what it means to live between cultures. Her work was selected from entries submitted by young people across the country and is now on display at the British Library as part of National Refugee Week.

Sarah attended the prize-giving ceremony in London on Tuesday, where she discovered that she had won.

Congratulations, Sarah, on this incredible achievement. We are so proud to see your creativity, talent and personal story recognised on a national stage. 📸👏

🍎 Today is National Thank a Teacher Day 🍎

Today, we would like to recognise and thank all of the staff who help make Walton Academy a great place to learn, grow and succeed.

Whether they are teaching lessons, supporting students behind the scenes, preparing meals, keeping the academy running smoothly, maintaining our facilities or providing guidance and encouragement throughout the day, every member of Team Walton makes a valuable contribution to the experience of our students.

We are incredibly proud of the care, dedication and enthusiasm our staff bring to Walton Academy each day, helping young people to achieve their best and make the most of the opportunities available to them.

🎭 Congratulations to Austin on this fantastic achievement!

We are incredibly proud to see one of our Walton Post 16 year 12 students win Best Individual Youth Performance at the NODA Awards. A well-deserved recognition of his talent, dedication and hard work.

Well done, Austin – what a brilliant achievement! 🌟

📸 No filters. No editing apps. Just light, chemicals and creativity.

Last week, year 10 photography students stepped into the darkroom to experience traditional analogue photography firsthand. From creating photograms to developing photographic prints by hand, students explored the techniques that shaped photography long before the digital age.

These specialist workshops gave students a deeper understanding of the art and science behind photography while developing valuable skills for their GCSE studies.

We are incredibly fortunate to be able to offer darkroom photography as part of both our GCSE and A Level photography courses, giving students the opportunity to explore traditional techniques alongside contemporary photographic practices.

Bonjour from Normandy! Year 8 students have arrived and their French adventure is underway. 🐠🦈

After crossing the Channel, the group enjoyed their first visit of the trip, exploring a fascinating aquarium and seeing a wide variety of marine life from around the world.

Students are now looking forward to an exciting few days of cultural experiences, historical visits and opportunities to practise their French language skills.

We hope everyone has a fantastic time and look forward to sharing more updates from France soon! 🇫🇷

🚑 Real-world experiences. Incredible opportunities.

Recently, Walton Post 16 students took part in immersive ATACC trauma care training simulations, working alongside emergency care professionals and supporting realistic emergency scenarios as casualty actors. From an illegal rave simulation to a large-scale train crash exercise, students gained valuable experience while developing confidence, teamwork and communication skills.

Read more about this unique enrichment opportunity and see what our students got involved in:

👉 https://www.walton-ac.org.uk/walton-post-16-students-take-part-in-atacc-trauma-care-training-simulations/

Photo credit: Sarah Balazikova

A great way to start the new term — celebrating three Walton Academy students recognised by LiNCHigher as Service Child Champions. 🌟

Astro has been recognised for creative achievement, while India and Jasmine were celebrated for their sporting success — all reflecting the talent, dedication and resilience within the Service child community.

Congratulations to all three students on this fantastic recognition — a brilliant achievement and very well deserved! 👏💙