This week our Year 11 students finished their Mock Exams. They have been working hard over the last few weeks and we are now finalising their marks which will be sent home in their Progress Reports next week. Students were back in afterschool intervention on Tuesday and Thursday this week. It was good to see attendance at intervention at 90% – We are very grateful to staff who give up their time to provide four additional sessions a week for Year 11 free of charge.
As we approach December we have lots going on in school. We hope you received the Christmas letter which was emailed home yesterday – We would be delighted to see you at some of the events over the next few weeks. Please do sign up.
We are currently completing stakeholder surveys – Staff have completed these over the last week and Parents/ Carers and students will be sent full surveys over the next few weeks. We would encourage all Parents/ Carers to visit the school during our Parent Forum (on 12 December) to see the school ‘in action’ before your complete the survey – Details are included below.
Finally, this week we were made aware that Cemex has appealed Hampshire County Council’s decision to reject the proposed quarry next to the school. Whilst this is disappointing and concerning for the school, we will once again work with the resident’s group to ensure that our students and the wider community are protected. You can find out more about the appeal here in the Southern Daily Echo – https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24758219.cemex-submit-appeal-unsuitable-hamble-quarry-plan/
Next week is WEEK 2
Question of the Week
This week we would like you to complete the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Survey here: https://forms.office.com/e/FdNwumusaN
Events w/b 2 December
W/b 2 December – Year 7 Review assessments. Details of revision required for each subject are available on Class Charts.
Tuesday 3 December – The Collaborative Music Concert – Featuring Hamble Primary School & Netley Abbey Junior School at 5pm in the main hall. The Hamble School concert is at 7pm in the main hall. Tickets are still available on TicketSource: https://www.ticketsource.eu/whats-on/southampton/the-hamble-school If you are attending, please bring cash to purchase refreshments from the PTA Stall.
Thursday 5 December – Year 12 Certificate evening. Former students and Parents/ Carers must be seated in the main hall by 6:50pm.
Friday 6 December – Start of the Nasal Flu Vaccinations, if you have completed the online consent.
Future Dates
Monday 9 December – Nasal Flu Vaccinations continue for those who have completed the online consent.
Tuesday 10 / Wednesday 11 December – Christmas Lunch. Tickets are still available on Scopay.
Wednesday 11 December – Community Carols at 3:130pm in the main hall. This is a free event and the whole community is welcome to attend. Please sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/gEY1YcsSyK
Friday 13 December – Parent/ Carer Christmas Coffee Morning at 11:30am. Sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/6w8j7EWbTM
Friday 13 December – Christmas Jumper Day. Please bring £1 on the day or make a donation on Scopay for Save the Children, alternatively you can bring in a non perishable item for our school Food Bank.
Friday 13 December – The School Food Bank is open for collection. Please email ttonner@thehambleschool.co.uk to arrange collection and ask for her at reception.
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
This Week at the Dinner Table…
- What interests you?
- What are your current skills?
- What kind of personality do you have?
- What further education or training will you need after school to fulfil your career goals?
- What is your ultimate career aim?
Theme of the Week – Careers
During tutor time and assemblies of the next two weeks students will be focussing on Careers. As part of Personal Development they will be looking at what careers may look like in the future. Students will explore how technology is advancing and how that may impact on the jobs they might apply for in the future. Students will also have assemblies on employability skills and how they can make sure they are ideal candidates for employers.
For more information Careers and how you can support your child, visit the BBC website https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zfr4scw the Careers section of our website https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/careers/
Additional Assemblies
Next week, as part of our focus on supporting students to keep themselves safe, Year 9 will have the first assembly from PC Paul Richards on anti-social behaviour and knife crime. PC Paul Richards is from the Hampshire Police Education Partnership Team and is able to link the assembly to the Hampshire Police initiative ‘Operation Sceptre’ in a bid to prevent young people being drawn into knife crime. Other year groups will have this assembly in the final week of this half-term.
Apprenticeship Opportunities
If your son/ daughter is interested in an apprenticeship, please do look at the advert below and register by emailing maritimeeducation@baesystems.com
Parent Forum
We will be hosting our December Parent Forum during the school day. The forum will take place on Thursday 12 December at 9:15am until 10:30am. As usual we will be providing an update on the last month is school, but we will also be giving Parents/ Carers the opportunity to tour the school during a normal school day. This means you can see the school ‘in action’ and visit classrooms across different departments. To sign up to this month’s Parent Forum, please complete the form here https://forms.office.com/e/unqdqy1KTU
PTA
The PTA will be working hard over the next few weeks to support the school at events. They are also hosting the first ever Year 7 and 8 Christmas Disco on Thursday 19 December. Tickets are available on Scopay for this event and are priced at £6 (this includes at soft drink and the covers the cost of the DJ).
The PTA is also keen to hear from Parents/ Carers and would like to know what other events families would like them to arrange. Please complete the quick survey here: https://forms.office.com/e/FdNwumusaN
Tips for Exam Stress
This week our Year 7 students will complete assessments in class. Here are some hints and tips to support them (and other year groups) with exams.
You can look after yourself in different ways:
- Make time for things you enjoy. Find ways to release stress and celebrate progress. You could listen to music, draw, cook, play with a pet or go for a walk. You can try things alone or with friends.
- Talk to others about how you feel. Connect with other people, especially people who are going through the same thing.
- Try to find balance. Take regular breaks and be realistic about what you can do in a day. Keep things in perspective and remember that exams won’t last forever.
- Take care of your physical health. Make sure you get enough sleep, food, water and exercise. If you take regular medication, keep up with your routine.
- Focus on yourself. Try not to compare yourself to others. Think of things you like about yourself and what you’re good at – this can help boost your confidence.
On the day of your exam
To help cope with stress on the day of your exam, you could:
- Prepare your items the night before. Get everything you need ready to take with you, like pens and water for your exam.
- Start your day the best you can. Try to eat breakfast and make sure you have enough time to arrive at your exam without rushing.
- Try to ground yourself with a breathing exercise. If you feel overwhelmed in the exam, try to breathe in through your nose for 4 counts, hold it for 2 counts, and breathe out through your mouth for 4 counts. If you repeat this, it can slow your breath and help keep you calm.
- Take your time. Read the exam carefully and plan what you need to do before answering.
- Remind yourself that it’ll be over soon. You’ve done your best and that’s all you can do.
Please remember we are all here for you, so if you have any worries ask your tutor or another member of staff for help.
A Message from the NHS
In recent years there has been a decline in the number receiving routine vaccinations, seeing a spike in infections such as measles and whooping cough. Uptake of the adolescent vaccines given in school, are also currently below the level required to prevent the spread of disease.
Whilst we continue to focus our resources on increasing consent form returns and vaccine uptake in the year the vaccine is due (HPV in year 8 and the 3-in-1 booster and MenACWY in year 9), this year we will also be introducing a process for self-consent.
The self-consent process will involve those pupils in Years 10 and 11, where their Parent/ Carer has not submitted a consent form, with either a yes or no consent decision, despite repeated reminders having been sent to them.
Where no consent form or communication is received from the Parent, the nurse will meet with the young person in school as planned, provide information about the overdue vaccines, and discuss this with them. Where they are assessed as being Gillick competent, and they consent to the vaccine, it can be given in school or later if they request to delay it. Where the young person does not consent to the vaccine this will be recorded in their health records.
Please note that this is a message from the NHS and not The Hamble School. If you have any questions or concerns, please find below the contact details for the School Age Immunisation Service. You must contact them directly as we cannot answer any questions related to immunisations, as a school we simply provide a room for the School Age Immunisation Service and send communication from them to Parents/ Carers.
Tel: 02382 318318 www.hiowhealthcare.nhs.uk
Year 11 Update
Year 11 are now getting back into normal lessons following the Mock Exams. We are having a real focus on Homework and Equipment this December. On Friday we launched Double December – Students will get double reward points for handing in homework on time and to a good standard, as well as having all their equipment. Being organised with these aspects of learning, will help them with preparing for the future. We also explained to students that this also means double negatives for not doing homework or coming to school without a bag/ pen and the required equipment.
To help with homework, Miss Balch will be supervising the Progress Zone every lunchtime which will now run as a space just for Year 11. They can go in there with their lunch and complete Homework/ Revision. This means that every child has a quiet space available to get on with their work.
Tuesday and Thursday afterschool intervention continues this week and will be on every week until the end of term. Please ensure that your child attends. After Christmas the subjects will change.
Finally, we were delighted to announce to Year 11 on Friday that the Class of 2025 Prom will be on Friday 4 July 2025 at the Hilton Ageas. We are looking forward to this event.
Big Congratulations to Our First CyberFirst Girls
The Hamble School proudly entered its first teams into the CyberFirst Girls Competition, which concluded on Wednesday. A huge thank you and congratulations to the 28 girls who took on a wide range of challenges. We are incredibly proud of their efforts! The results are announced on Monday.
We are Proud!
Congratulations to Ella S in Year 8
Ella travelled up to London a few weeks ago to compete in the London Legacy Open which is a prestigious Diving event, drawing over 130 participants from 13 clubs across 6 countries, including the UK, USA, Sweden, Czech Republic, and United Arab Emirates.
The 2024 edition of the London Legacy Open saw participation from some of the sport’s top talents, including senior and junior medallists from the European Aquatics Championships, European Games, and Olympic Games.
Ella managed to reach the finals and score a personal best in all three of her events securing qualifying scores for the British Elite National Championships held in April 2025.
She really enjoyed meeting GB athletes Andrea Spendolini Sirieix and Noah Williams who won medals at Paris Olympic Games this summer. Well done, Ella. We are proud of you.
Well done to Connor M in Year 11
Connor M in 11-6, performed more Mayor’s Cadet duties a few weeks ago when he attended the Fareham Remembrance Service. He also delivered a reading in the church in front the Mayor, other local dignitaries and officers and staff from HMS Collingwood. He was praised on his confidence, bearing and general presentation. Congratulations, Connor. We are proud of you.
Rewards
The following students achieved the most rewards points in each year group last week:
Year 7 – Isla T 7-6
Year 8 – Patrick H 8-7
Year 9 – William W 9-8
Year 10 – Sonny McC 10-2
Year 11 – Nate M 11-6
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/
