Last week we had an inspection from the Hampshire Inspection and Advisory Service (HIAS). Two members of staff (both ex Headteachers who are now consultants/inspectors) came into the school to visit lessons, walk around the school during break/ lunchtime, speak to students and meet with staff. They then provided feedback to the Senior Leadership Team and will write a report which we will share with you in due course. During the inspection they focussed on the following themes:

  • Quality of Education (which includes the curriculum, Teaching and Learning)
  • Staff Professional Development
  • Inclusion (including SEND provision in classrooms and during interventions)
  • Attendance
  • Mental Health
  • Work with outside agencies and Alternative Provisions.

Overall the feedback was extremely positive and the inspectors commented that the visit was an ‘uplifting experience’. We would like to share some of the quotes with you below, however, further communication of the detailed outcomes will be shared soon.

  • ‘This was a very positive monitoring visit’.
  • ‘There is a positive culture throughout the school’.
  • ‘Lessons are both calm and purposeful’.
  • ‘Appropriate behaviour management is used by staff’.
  • ‘The site was quite and calm during social times’.
  • ‘The school is truly inclusive’.

This week there have been a number of trips and visits taking place. Year 7 have been to London to the visit the Natural History Museum and Science Museum for Geography and Science – Staff commented on how engaged students were and what a pleasure it was to see them interacting with the exhibitions. Year 9, 10 and 11 Drama students visited the Mayflower Theatre on Thursday to see War Horse – A member of the public stopped Mrs Chalk on the train and said ‘You have a very well-behaved bunch of students with you there – I hope they enjoyed their trip!’

On Friday the Mental Health Support Team trained 15 of our students to be Student Wellbeing Support Ambassadors. These students are looking forward to being able to provide peer to peer wellbeing support every Friday lunchtime in the Student Hub after half term.

Another big ‘thank you’ to all the students who have taken part in Student Voice activities and Open Morning tours this week. You are truly fantastic ambassadors for the school and we have been inundated with positive comments.

A reminder that the school will close at normal time on Friday 25 October and re-open after half term on Monday 4 November 2024.

Next week is WEEK 2

 

Question of the Week

Please select your answer in the form below, all fields marked * are required and to help prevent SPAM this form is protected by Google reCaptcha v3.

23-Weekly Message Question
Has your child visited Proud Friday?

Each week we will ask parents/ carers a question in the Weekly Message – This will either be about a topic we are focussing on or an aspect of our school improvement plan. We would appreciate it if everyone answers it when reading the Weekly Message.

 

Events w/b 21 October

Year 10 PR1 and Year 11 PR1 Progress Reports will be emailed home during the week.

Monday 21 October – Netley Abbey Junior School Transition Assembly – Miss Cambridge

Monday 21 October – Year 11 Progress Report Assembly

Tuesday 22 October – Hamble Primary School Transition Assembly – Miss Cambridge

Tuesday 22 October – Year 11 Celebration Assembly

Tuesday 22 October – Year 7 CAT catch up day

Wednesday 23 October – Year 9 Celebration Assembly

Wednesday 23 October – Teachers from non-feeder schools in school to see Year 7

23 – 25 October – Year 11 Work Experience

Thursday 24 October – Final Open Morning for Year 5/6 children and their Parents/ Carers

Thursday 24 October – Bursledon Junior School Transition Assembly – Miss Cambridge

Thursday 24 October – Year 10 Celebration Assembly

Friday 25 October – Year 8 Celebration Assembly

28 October – 1 November – Half Term.

 

Future Dates

4 November – Autumn Term 2 begins – Week 1

4 November – Progress Report 1 for Year 8 will be emailed home during the week

5 November – D of E launch in the Main Hall for Year 10

13 November – Year 10 Achieving Excellence Evening

 

Letters

You can find all letters sent home over the week here – https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/letters-to-parents/

As a reminder there is a tab on this page for each year group, so that you can see exactly what has been sent home each week to all Parents/ Carers.

The canteen menus can be found here: https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/food-and-drink/

Please check your child’s Attendance regularly on Class Charts

 

Theme of the Week – Celebration and Rewards

Next week brings both the end of the first half term of the new school year and a chance for us to celebrate the achievements of the students across every year group at The Hamble School.  It is fantastic that in just 8 weeks we have already seen how students have really embraced the opportunities available at school. They have worked hard and demonstrated a positive attitude, which is required to succeed now and in the future.

Just this week we have seen 153 students pass the 250-point mark to gain their Bronze Award. 22 students have achieved more 500 points to gain their Silver Award! Students can get reward points through class work; positive contributions around school; involvement in activities and volunteering, and many more activities.

It has been an awesome start to the year and there will definitely be plenty more success stories and celebrations rewarded and handed out in the future.  Students are currently being given the opportunity to volunteer as Student Council representatives, so if they are keen and want to do their bit, then we would love for them to get involved! Speak to Mr Clark-Lyons or your tutor for more details.

Tutor time – Personal Development Programme:

Next week in tutor time, students in Years 7-10 will be looking at success and celebration. They will cover:

  • How success can look different for different people
  • Evaluate their first half term of academic year 2024-25
  • Plan for next half term by setting targets/ goals.

Success comes in different forms, both within the academic curriculum as well as the wider curriculum. It’s important to identify when we have been successful and to celebrate our own and others’ successes to continue building a positive community where everyone is valued for their contributions.

 

This Week at the Dinner Table…

  1. What are you proud of this half term?
  2. How many reward points have you achieve this half-term?
  3. How could you get more reward points next half term?
  4. What are you looking forward to during the half term holiday?
  5. How will you relax and re-charge during the half term holiday?

 

Year 11 Update and Mock Exam Information

Students will begin their Mock Exams on Monday 11 November. There are some practical exams before this. They have been given a paper copy of their Mock Exam timetable and this has been distributed to Parents/ Carers via email.

Last week many families joined us for the Achieving Excellence Workshops to support students with revision – feedback on the night was very positive. The resources from this evening have been emailed home. During lessons and tutor time over the last week (and into next week), students have also been taught a variety of revision techniques and how to write a revision timetable. Please do ask your son/ daughter to see their revision timetable.

On Wednesday students took part in a PSHCRE Day themed around exams. They listened to inspirational speaker Charlie Walker (https://www.cwexplore.com/) and consultant Sally Wheeler from Raise Education Trust. Our Teaching and Learning Coaches also provided practical revision workshops and our PE Department (as well as Yoga Instructor, Chloe Wheywell) provided hints/ tips on how to ensure that you look after your mental wellbeing during the exams.

Mock Exam Equipment

In order to prepare for the Mock Exams over half term, students need to ensure that they have the following:

  • At least two black pens
  • An HB pencil
  • Rubber
  • Ruler
  • Pencil sharpener
  • Scientific Calculator
  • Maths equipment – Protractor, compass
  • Highlighter pen
  • All equipment needs to be stored in a clear, transparent pencil case (or plastic wallet)
  • Clear water bottle without a label.

We have already given students some revision resources such as folders, notebooks and flashcards during the PSHCRE Day. However, if you feel you need more support with resources, please do email general@thehambleschool.co.uk FAO Mrs Barkshire.

Please note that Tuesday/ Thursday intervention will not run during the exam period between 11 November and 22 November. However, it should be noted that many exams start during tutor time and continue past the end of the school day, therefore students must be in school at 8:30pm and be prepared to stay until the end of the exam. Timings are indicated on the exam timetable.

 

Achieving Excellence Evenings

Our Achieving Excellence Evenings have always been very popular with Year 10 and 11 students; however, we are pleased to announce that due to the appointment of our Key Stage 3 Raising Standards Leader – Mr Leonard-Rendell and our Key Stage 4 Raising Standards Leader – Miss Balch, we now have staffing capacity to offer these to all year groups.

The dates for the evenings are listed below. Please do put these in your diary and we will send out further details on the themes and how to sign up nearer the time. Please note that these evenings are for students and their Parents/ Carers.

All evenings will start in the Main Hall at 5:30pm. We anticipate that they will normally last for a maximum of 2 hours.

Date Year Focus
Wednesday 13 November 10 Core – English, Maths and Science
Tuesday 28 January 11 Core – English, Maths and Science
Tuesday 25 February KS3 – 7, 8 & 9 Core – English, Maths and Science
Tuesday 18 March 7 Study Skills and Homework
Wednesday 23 April 11 Wellbeing – Power to Perform
Tuesday 29 April 8 & 9 Study Skills and Homework
Thursday 22 May 10 Study Skills

Please do join us for these events as they really will support your child’s learning and increase their outcomes.

 

Iceland 2025

A reminder that a letter was sent last week to all students who expressed an interest in the Iceland 2025 Geography Trip. The deposit is due on Monday 21 October via Scopay. We have to confirm the booking with Discover the World on Tuesday, therefore unfortunately any deposits after Monday will not be accepted.

 

Zanzibar

If your child is going on the Zanzibar Trip the first instalment payment was due on Tuesday 8 October and this has now passed. Please ensure the full instalment of £665 is paid on your child’s Scopay account so that we can pay African Adventures on their behalf.

If you or your child make the decision to withdraw from the trip, we must be informed immediately, you may also be subject to a 5% cancellation fee. Please also be aware that deposits are non-refundable and not transferable to another trip. Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Barkshire via general@thehambleschool.co.uk if you have any questions or queries.

 

Year 7 Homework Support for Parents/ Carers

Unlock Your Child’s Math Potential!

Has your child transitioned to secondary school, and you’re feeling a bit anxious about supporting their math journey? Worry no more! Multiply is offering a FREE online session designed to bridge the gap between primary and secondary school numeracy skills. Join us and empower your child to excel in math with confidence.

Content

Discover the 6 key areas of secondary school maths:

  • Get hints and tips to support you and your child
  • Know where to look for useful school resources
  • Receive a FREE CGP KS3 maths knowledge organiser
  • Date & Time:  5th November 2024 at 09.30-10.30hrs or Date & Time:  7th November 2024 at 17.00-18.00

Location: Online via a Teams Link

How to Book

Register your free place ASAP using the link below: https://forms.office.com/e/TwH70pQbzA

 

Parent/ Carer Guides

Check out these really useful Parent/ Carer Guides online to support you with a variety of topics such as:

  • Revision
  • Next Steps and Careers
  • Personal Development

Visit the website below to find out more:

https://www.theparentsguideto.co.uk/14-16-years-old

 

Maths Reminder

A reminder that your son/ daughter must bring their Scientific Calculator to school every day. This is vital for Maths but is also used in other subjects such as Science and Geography. If you need to purchase a Scientific Calculator, please go onto Scopay.

 

Careers

Applications are now open for Barton Peveril College for the academic year 2025-26. Please click here for more information: https://applyto.barton.ac.uk/

 

We hope our Year 11 students have a wonderful time on Work Experience this week (Wednesday-Friday). If you have any questions, please email general@thehambleschool.co.uk FAO Mrs Turner. Any students who did not sign up to Work Experience will need to be in school as normal for lessons/ revision sessions. Intervention will run on Thursday 24 October 2024.

 

University of York Research

 

Year 10 History Update

The History Department use Edexcel examination board for our GCSE course. It has been decided, in the best interest of your child, that we will move over to the AQA examination board after October Half Term.

The main reason for this is that we feel the AQA examination board will provide your child with the greatest chance of success moving forward. AQA is used widely across The Hamble School in multiple subjects and as a department we are confident that this change will support students to achieve the very best outcomes.

The skills they studied in Year 9 and at the start of Year 10, are used in the AQA GCSE History specification, so they are well prepared to start the course at this point. Please feel free email general@thehambleschool.co.uk and mark FAO Miss Bailey.

Please note that there will be no change for Year 11 – They will continue to study Edexcel.

 

Communication

When contacting the school, please use general@thehambleschool.co.uk rather than sending emails to individual teachers/ staff. This means that we can track and monitor a response. It also means that someone else from the team will pick it up, if a member of staff is not in school.

You will notice over the next few weeks that we will be sending communications via email and Class Charts. We are trialling the use of Announcements on Class Charts – We ask Parents/ Carers to check Class Charts every day, so we hope this will mean that letters/ messages get to you quicker.

At the end of the trial period we will ask for your feedback.

 

Individual Student Achievements

Football

Last Friday two of our Year 8 students were lucky enough to be selected to be flag bearers for the England U21’s team at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth. Rico and Charlie, were able to meet some of the England players and got to go out onto the pitch. An amazing opportunity for them and something they will always remember.

Rico and Charlie are currently playing with the Bournemouth Academy team – this week they take on Southampton in their fixture.

Swimming

Congratulations to the following students who travelled to the Arun Leisure Centre with Hamble Aquatics Swimming Club at the end of September for the September Sizzler. Their achievements are fantastic and we would like to celebrate their outstanding effort. We are so proud of you:

  • Joe T – Personal Best in Boys 200m Freestyle, Boys 50m Breaststoke, Boys 100m Backstroke, Boys 50m Butterfly, Boys 50m Backstroke, Boys 100m Freestyle, Boys 50m Freestyle, Boys 100m Individual Medley. Gold Medal in Boys 100m Individual Medley. Silver Medals in Boys 100m Backstroke, Boys 50m Backstroke. Bronze Medal in Boys 100m Freestyle.
  • Isabel W – Personal Best in Girls 200m Freestyle, Girls 50m Butterfly, Girls 50m Backstroke, Girls 100m Individual Medley.
  • Daisy B – Personal Best in Girls 50m Breaststroke, Girls 50m Backstroke.
  • Beth T – Personal Best in Girls 50m Butterfly.
  • Bella H – Personal Best in Girls 200m Freestyle, Girls 50m Breaststroke, Girls 100m Breaststroke. Bronze Medals in Girls 50m Breaststroke, Girls 100m Breaststroke.
  • Alessandra J-W – Personal Best in Girls 100m Butterfly, Girls 100m Backstroke, Girls 50m Backstroke. Bronze Medal in Girls 100m Backstroke, Girls 50m Backstroke.

Diving

Well done to Ella S who continues to excel in Diving. She travelled  to London earlier this term to train at the Olympic Pool and take part in seminars with both the Aquatics GB Head Coach and Paris 2024 Olympic Medallist Anthony Harding.

 

 

Transition Challenge

This week we will be handing out prizes to all the students who completed out Year 6 to 7 Transition Challenge over the summer. Year 7 have settled in so well over the last 7 weeks and we are proud of everything you have achieved in your first half term at secondary school. We will be sharing all their new challenges in the newsletter this half term.

 

Acne Care Study

We have recently been approached by The Acne Care Online team. They are currently working with the University of Southampton on a study around acne care. The aim of this project is to test how well the Acne Care Online website supports people with acne to obtain and use effective acne treatments. Acne Care Online particularly focuses on regular use of topical treatments and avoiding side effects. This could improve the health of people with acne by increasing use of effective treatments and also help to reduce overuse of long-term oral antibiotics.

Please see below information from the organisation:

Invitation for your teenager to take part in the Acne Care Online Study

We are helping researchers from the University of Southampton and the NHS to test how a new website can support young people with acne. The research team are looking for young people aged 13-18 years that may have spots or acne to take part in a study. We are writing to all parents of students in this age group to let them know about the opportunity to take part.

Happy for your teenager to find out more?

If you are happy for your teenager to find out more or sign-up, please forward them the following link: www.acnecare.org.uk?id=USC004

If you have received more than one copy of this email, please note that only one person per household will be able to take part in the study.

Want to find out more?

If you want more information before you decide whether you’re happy for your teenager to be invited, you can scan the QR code below or visit www.acnecare.org.uk?id=USC004for more information.

You can contact the research team by calling 02380 590742, sending a message to 07584 865230 or emailing acnecare@soton.ac.uk if you have any questions.

 

Rotary Shoebox Appeal

The final collection date for the Rotary Shoebox Appeal is on Monday 21 October. We have already had a large number of completed shoeboxes handed in by students but we are also looking for more! We still have plenty of empty shoeboxes, we just need your contributions to fill them.

For each shoebox completed, students will not only be given reward points on Class Charts, they will also be added to the House points total as part of our House competition this half term.

If you would like to add any contributions, please support your child in bringing in on Monday items that fit the ‘allowed items’ list here: https://www.rotaryshoebox.org/. Items should be in ‘new’ or ‘as new’ condition. If any items are brought in after Monday, unfortunately we will not be able to accept them.

 

Sanctions and Internal Suspension

As you know, we pride ourselves on maintaining high standards of behaviour. The vast majority of our students are hardworking, polite, and well-behaved and earning many positive points.

However, it any children do not follow the school rules, we have a system of sanctions which includes Internal Suspension. To further support our expectations, we will be making a change to the Internal Suspension provision. Starting after half term, Internal Suspension will begin at 8:30am and conclude one hour later than the normal school day (3:45pm on a Monday and 3:55pm on Tuesday to Thursday). If your child is booked into Internal Suspension they will not be able to leave until the later time unless it is an exceptional circumstance (such as a Medical Appointment, which cannot be rearranged).

 

Half Term Clubs and Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading Over Half Term

We know that reading is great way to relax. Please do check out our ‘Recommended Reads’ over half term. Take a trip to our library before we break up on Friday and get a book to read next week. https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/library/recommended-reads/

 

Rewards

The students listed below achieved the most reward points this week – Well done to you!

  • Year 7 – Zoe G 7-1
  • Year 8 – Lazlo F 8-8
  • Year 9 – Layla K 9-3
  • Year 10 – Zhao Xing C10-9
  • Year 11 – Marley LM 11-7

 

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-support/