Welcome Back!
We are delighted to welcome students, staff, and families back for the start of a new academic year. The return to school always brings with it a sense of excitement, fresh opportunities, and the chance to set new goals. Whether joining us for the first time or returning after the summer break, we look forward to a successful and enjoyable term ahead.
We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate our Year 11 students on their outstanding exam results. Their hard work and determination have truly paid off, and we are incredibly proud of their achievements. These results are a testament not only to the commitment of our students but also to the dedication of our staff and the support of Parents/ Carers. Further information can be found here: https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/examination-results/
Our staff will be in school tomorrow to complete final preparations for the term ahead. All students return to school on Thursday 4 September at 8:30am.
This newsletter contains a few key reminders for the start of term. Further information about the year ahead, including details of our policies and processes, will be shared with families at the end of this week.
As we begin this new term, we look forward to building on our success and working together to achieve excellence for all our students.
Thursday 4 September
Students in all year groups return to school on Thursday 4 September and must be in their tutor rooms (or the hall for Year 7) by 08:30am. This means that they need to be on school site by 8:25am so they are not late. Year 7 tutors will meet their tutees in the hall and escort them to their tutor rooms. We will also have staff on the gate to help students.
All other students should know where they are going and use the tutor group information sent out before the summer. Please look at our website (or the information below) if you are unsure: https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/pastoral-care/
On Thursday students will start in extended tutor time, so that paper copies of timetables and planners can be handed out. We will also check uniform and equipment.
Thursday 4 September will be Week 1.
Uniform
All students must attend school in the correct uniform including a blazer, white shirt, clip on tie in the relevant House colour, black trousers or The Hamble School Thornton skirt, black socks or tights and polishable black school shoes (not trainers).
School jumpers are optional and cannot be worn in place of a blazer.
False nails, coloured nail polish and eyelashes must be removed before students return to school. Jewellery is limited to a wrist watch and one small set of stud earrings in the lobe of the ear. Hair must be of a natural colour. Further information on uniform can be found here https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/uniform/
We would also advise you to check this page if you are unsure about which shoes are acceptable.
Students who arrive in incorrect uniform on the first day will be loaned items, if available. Payments for uniform that is not returned will be added to the student’s ScoPay account balance.
If you are having financial difficulty in providing uniform, please email general@thehambleschool.co.uk in the first instance.
Mobile Phones and Smart Watches
Mobile phones and smart watches must be turned off and in school bags during the school day.
There has been a lot of information shared in the media around the use of mobile phones in schools recently. While phones can offer educational benefits, it is recognised that they can also pose challenges related to distraction, cyberbullying, and safeguarding. We are already a mobile phone free school. However, we acknowledge that for students, the distraction of having a phone on them can have a significant impact on their learning.
The Hamble School is committed to providing a safe and distraction free learning environment for all students. As such, we are going to carry out a trial involving students not having access to their mobile phone each day. The trial will take place from Autumn Term 2 with a group of student and Parent Voice volunteers. Further information about this will be circulated again (it was sent out at the end of term) in the next Weekly Message.
Equipment
Students are required to bring the following equipment to school every day:
- Plain school bag (ideally a rucksack) which is large enough to carry books, equipment and PE kit.
- X2 Pens (black or blue)
- Pencil
- Coloured pens
- Eraser
- Glue Stick
- Green pen
- Purple pen
- Highlighter
- Pair of compasses
- Protractor
- Ruler
- Sharpener
- Water bottle
- Students also need a scientific calculator for Science and Maths. You can purchase the correct version (Casio CLASSWIZ fx-83GT CW) on the school Scopay system
- Named Hamble Zip Wallet – Year 7 will be issued with this free of charge. If any other students have lost their wallet from last year, a replacement can be ordered on Scopay.
Tutors will check equipment regularly. We want students to be learning from the start of every lesson – If a child does not have a pen, this means that the teacher has to hand out equipment and this delays the start of lessons. From Thursday tutors will issue students with a pen if they do not have one – You will then be notified on Class Charts and charged 20p per pen issued.
Dates for your Diary
Each week we will highlight ‘dates for your diary’, in the Weekly Message, however, we advise you to save our calendar link in browser: https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/calendar/
Assemblies and Tutor Programme Theme of the Week
This week and next week, our school theme is all about new beginnings. It’s a fantastic time for a fresh start, whether your child is just joining us or returning for another year. Our school motto, ‘Achieving Excellence Together’ is more than just a phrase; it’s a commitment we all share. It reminds us that our collective effort—from students and staff to you, our Parents/Carers —is what makes our school community so successful. By working together, we can help every student reach their full potential.
Next week, our Headteacher, Miss Cambridge, will lead assemblies for all students. She will be introducing and reinforcing our school’s shared values: We Care, We Aim High, We Learn and Achieve Together. These values are the foundation of our school culture and guide everything we do. They help create a supportive and ambitious environment where everyone feels valued and inspired to succeed.
Following the assemblies, tutor time will provide an opportunity for students to delve deeper into how they can actively live these values every single day, both in and out of the classroom. We are excited to see our students embrace these principles and work towards a successful and fulfilling academic year. We look forward to partnering with you throughout the year to help your children thrive.
Rewards
Rewards, positive recognition and celebrating success are important aspects of school life at The Hamble School.
The purpose of our rewards system is to:
- Give students recognition for their efforts throughout the year
- Make them feel valued
- Build confidence
- Motivate them to achieve.
Details of our reward system are available on the website: https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/rewards-recognition/ and you can see how many points your child has gained each day on Class Charts. We will send out a reminder of Class Charts logins (and issue them for Year 7) later in the week.
Rules
All students at The Hamble School are expected to follow our school rules of ‘Ready, Respectful, Safe’ – Further details of these rules will be available in our child’s planner (to be issued on Thursday) and on our website: https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/ready-respectful-safe/
If a child does not follow these rules, they will be issues with negative points. Any child who receives -2 in a day is expected to stay for a next day after school detention for 30 minutes. We hope that this will not happen to your son/ daughter, however, if a detention is issued, you will be notified on Class Charts.
Food and Drink
Our canteen in the main hall serves food/ drink before school, at break time and lunch time. In addition, the catering pods are available at break and lunch time serving a range of different options from sandwiches to a selection of hot food. Menus and price lists can be found on our website: https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/food-and-drink/
Communication
The partnership between school and Parents/ Carers is very important and we believe that students achieve the best possible outcomes when we all work together as ‘Team Hamble’. If you have any questions or concerns, your first point of contact is your child’s tutor – Please contact them via general@thehambleschool.co.uk
Due to teaching commitments tutors are unlikely to be available to take telephone calls or attend Parent/ Carer meetings (unless arranged in advance) during the school day.
We can’t wait to see everyone on Thursday. Please do email general@thehambleschool.co.uk if you have any questions. We will write to you again with further information about this academic year later in the week.
Support
If you or your child would like support with wellbeing, please check out the links of our website: https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/student-wellbeing-resources/
