It was excellent to see students back in school last week. Our Year 8 students completed some of their exams and will continue with Science on Monday. We were delighted to welcome Year 6 Parents/ Carers to our Welcome Evening on Tuesday and it was good to meet the families who will make up the Class of 2030.
Well done to all our Year 11 students who started their GCSEs last week. The MFL students completed their speaking exams and we will continue with Art, Photography and Polish this week. It was also good to see Year 11 Parents/ Carers and students at the final Achieving Excellence Evening on Wednesday.
A reminder that Year 9 Exams start this week and we look forward to seeing Year 8 and 9 Parents/ Carers at the Achieving Excellence Evening on Tuesday.
Next week is WEEK 1
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.
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 28 April
Monday 28 April
Year 8 End of Year Science Exam
Year 11 GCSE Art & Design exam
Tuesday 29 April
Year 9 End of Year Maths Exam
Year 11 GCSE Art & Design Exam
Year 8&9 Achieving Excellence Evening at 5:30pm – Sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/XAyHRcEENc
Wednesday 30 April
Year 9 End of Year English Exam
Year 11 GCSE Polish Exam
Year 11 GCSE Photography Exam
Thursday 1 May
Year 9 End of Year Science Exam
Year 11 Photography Exam
Year 8 HPV immunisations
Friday 2 May
Year 10 Trip to Harry Potter Studios
Future Dates
Monday 5 May – Bank Holiday
Thursday 8 May
Year 11 GCSE Drama Exam
Year 9 Careers Fair during period 5
Year 10 Careers Fair after school
Year 10 Parents’ evening
Friday 9 May
Year 11 GCSE Business Studies – Paper 1
Letters
You can find all letters sent home over the week here – https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/letters-to-parents/
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 – Use of Language
As we look ahead to next week, our focus across the school will be on the powerful theme of ‘Words Have Meaning’. This will be explored in both our assemblies and the tutor personal development programme, providing students with valuable opportunities for reflection and discussion.
During assemblies, we will be introducing the concept that the words we choose carry significant impact. We will explore how language shapes our understanding of the world and influences our interactions with others.
Throughout the week, the tutor programme will delve deeper into various aspects of this theme. Students will be encouraged to consider the nuances of language and how different words can evoke different emotions and interpretations. A key focus will be on discriminatory language and its harmful effects. We will be discussing what constitutes discriminatory language and why it is unacceptable within our school community and beyond.
Furthermore, the tutor sessions will empower students to become ‘upstanders’ rather than ‘bystanders’. We will explore practical strategies for challenging inappropriate language and supporting those who may be targeted. This will involve building confidence in speaking out.
Finally, we will be emphasising the need for mindful communication. Students will be encouraged to carefully consider the words they use when speaking to their peers, teachers, and the wider community, fostering a culture of respect and empathy.
We believe that this focus on ‘Words Have Meaning’ is crucial in developing responsible and thoughtful young adults. We encourage you to discuss this theme with your child at home to reinforce the messages being shared in school.
Uniform
A reminder that jumpers are optional and do not have to be worn under blazers. As the weather gets warmer we suggest that students may want to leave their jumpers at home. Blazers must be worn at all times moving around the site but can of course be taken off when students are in lessons.
We would like to give you advance warning of changes to our Uniform and Behaviour Policy from September 2025. From September, students will not be able to wear garments such as jogging trousers, tracksuit bottoms and sports shorts under their school uniform. If these are visible, students will be required to correct this or be placed out of circulation until such time that this is rectified.
Currently, the school’s Behaviour Policy states that students are allowed to carry a mobile phone for use to/ from school, however they must be in their bags during the school day, turned off. From September 2025, mobile phones that are seen out of bags and on students, for example in blazers or pockets of trousers, will be confiscated until the end of the school day.
Rewards
Students were notified on Friday if they have achieved enough points for the end of year Rewards Trips. Well done to you all.
Further information about selecting which trip students would like to attend and practical arrangements will be emailed home in due course.
Year 11 Prom invites will be distributed to students with 1,500 points in the next week. To support students to achieve their total we will be running Double Points Week this week on all points for Year 11 only.
Year 9 Exams
Last week we went through exam regulations and equipment with Year 9 students. During this week students will complete exams in all subjects. English, Maths and Science exams will take place in the Sports Hall and all other subjects will be in normal lessons.
The dates/ times are listed below:
- Tuesday 29 April (11:20am) – Maths
- Wednesday 30 April (9am) – English
- Thursday 1 May (11:20am) – Science
Teachers will inform students when exams will take place during the week in other subjects and these will be added to Class Charts.
It is important that students have all the equipment they need for the exams. Please ensure they have the following basic items:
- A clear pencil case or plastic wallet to store equipment
- Two black ball point pens
- Calculator
- Pencil
- Rubber
- Ruler
- Clear water bottle (without a label).
Exam Stress
Some more helpful tips to help with exam stress…
We all talk about breathing when we are feeling stressed or anxious, it may be helpful to know why thinking about our breathing helps you.
- Breathing is proven to help reduce stress and calm your mind
- Breathing improves your ability to make decisions
- Breathing reduces ‘racing’ thoughts through your mind
- Breathing increases your ability to focus and listen
- Breathing increases your general intellectual capacity.
How does breathing help your body?
- Calms the heartbeat
- Increases energy
- Reduces the levels of cortisol (the ‘stress’ hormone)
- Improves sleep
- Strengthens the immune system
- Reduces blood sugar levels
- Reduces fat in the body
- Reduces pain.
So the next time someone says to you breathe try this simple activity (in fact ask them to try it with you)
- Sit or lie somewhere comfortable
- Close your eyes
- Take a moment to just ‘be yourself’
- Breathe in for five seconds * and then…
- Breathe out for five seconds
- Continue this for five minutes.
Give yourself some daily care:
Think about what simple, everyday things you could do to care for yourself. These aren’t necessarily just things you enjoy doing (although they should certainly be that too), they should be things that nourish you and prioritise you and meet your needs.
- It could be taking a bath
- Going for a walk
- Making yourself a lovely nutritional meal or snack
- Meditating or listening to a podcast or using a relaxation App.
Is there something you could do right now to prioritise yourself and your wellbeing?
If you need inspiration ask your friends or any members of staff, we all want you to do well and we are all here to help.
Year 11 Charity Football
It was an absolute pleasure to see some of the Year 11 boys arrange and play in a Charity Football match over the Easter holidays. The boys started the idea as a ‘kick around’ but it soon grew into a big event. The teams – Vante FC and Good Boys of Follands played a full 90 minutes with the final result being 2-0 to Follands.
Apart from the Year 11 boys, approximately 200 of our students, from all year groups, attended as spectators and it was wonderful to see all this support. The atmosphere was great, students cheered on the players and were very respectful.
The event raised in total £2112 and with charity fundraising matching from the business of one of the Parents, this brings the total to just over £4000 – a huge success for the boys and the charity.
All proceeds are going to The Rainbow Centre, a charity that supports adults and children with neurological conditions. There is still time to donate if you are able to https://www.justgiving.com/page/rachael-ives-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL&utm_campaign=015
Well done to all the students involved. Mrs Barkshire.
Rewards
The students listed below achieved the most reward points this week – Well done to you!
Ava-Rose W – 7-3
Isaac C – 8-8
Bethan W – 9-1
Troy P – 10-7
Aaliyah M – 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/
