At the end of last week we announced that the school had received an Ofsted Monitoring visit on 2 February 2024. We were delighted with the feedback and believe that the letter highlights the rapid significant improvements which have been made since January 2023. Ofsted particularly noted the positive changes in the areas of curriculum, SEND, leadership and behaviour. You can read both the letter from Ofsted and a letter from Miss Cambridge (Headteacher) and Mrs Craggs (Chair of Governors) here – https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/ofsted-report/
Last week we had a number of events happening across school. On Monday we welcomed Cllr Prad Bains and Cllr Alison Holland to the school to discuss the proposed urban quarry. On Tuesday students from Year 9 took part in a careers event at Fareham College. The whole school came together for World Book Day on Thursday and we would like to thank Mrs Kirby (LRC Manager) and the English Team for their hard work making this day so fun. We were also pleased to see so many parents/ carers at Year 8 Parents’/Carers’ Evening on Thursday. Well done to the Year 11 students who have now completed their Mock Exams – The invigilators commented that they were impeccably behaved throughout and worked incredibly hard in their exams.
This week we have a Cluster INSED Day with our feeder primary schools on Friday 15 March, so we will be closed to all students on this day.
Next week is WEEK 1
Events w/b 11 March
w/b Monday 11 March – Year 10 Review Assessment Week.
Tuesday 12 March – Year 9 University of Southampton Learn with Us Trip (selected students).
Wednesday 13 March – Year 8 and 10 Rotary Competition (selected students).
Wednesday 13 March – African Adventures Trip Parent Information Evening, 6pm, Main Hall, (see letter previously emailed home).
Thursday 14 March – Red Nose Day.
Thursday 14 March – Year 9 and 10 International Women’s Day – Cooper Vision Trip (selected students).
Thursday 14 March – Year 7-9 British Science Week – Eddy Henbury Visit.
Friday 15 March – Cluster INSED Day. The school is closed to students on this day.
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
Question of the Week
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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.
This Week at the Dinner Table
Last week was National Careers Week. Here are some questions, you could ask you children at the dinner table to get them talking about their future…
- Do you remember what you wanted to do when you were little?
- What do you think you would like to do in the future?
- What is your favourite subject?
- What jobs are you interested in?
- What interests you about these jobs?
Theme of the Week
Assemblies – Pi Day
Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π. Pi Day is observed on March 14 since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant figures of π. This week Mr Dryden (Head of Maths) will deliver assemblies to students in Years 7, 8 and 9.
Year 10 will have a college assembly this week and we will welcome staff from Barton Peveril to deliver this. Year 11 will continue to focus on revision and the countdown to their GCSEs.
Personal Development – Sleep
In the Personal Development sessions during tutor time, students will focus on Sleep Hygiene and focus on the question: How can I reclaim my sleep? The mental health benefits of good sleep include boosting our mood, reducing stress and helping with anxiety. The NHS suggests five key principles to help with better sleep:
- Have good sleep routine (sleep hygiene)
Having a regular routine helps to improve sleep. It’s sometimes called sleep hygiene. A good sleep routine should include having a set time to start winding down – and a way to relax is important too. Going to bed and getting up at fixed times is another good sleep habit. Ideally, a sleep routine should be the same every day, including weekends.
- Relax, unwind and try meditation to help you sleep
Remember, your sleep routine starts before you get into bed, so build in time every evening to relax. Avoid electronic devices at least an hour before bed, as mobiles, tablets and computers all throw out blue light that stops sleep. Reading, listening to soft music or a podcast, or sleep meditation can all help if you have trouble sleeping.
- Try mindfulness for sleep
Anxiety, worry and stress can affect how well we sleep. Luckily, there are things you can do daily to help manage your worries, like talking to someone you trust or writing in a notebook about your concerns. If you often lie awake worrying, set aside time before bed to make a to-do list for the next day – this can be a good way to put your mind at rest.
- Create the right sleep environment
It’s generally easier to drop off when it’s quiet, dark and cool – although the right sleep environment is personal, so try different things and see what works for you. Silence is golden when it comes to sleep for many of us, so wearing earplugs, putting your phone on silent (or out of the room entirely) can keep things quiet. Good curtains or blinds can help to keep a room dark and avoid unwanted lights by keeping clocks out of view and phones facing down. Make sure your room is the right temperature for you and well ventilated, as a cool room is usually better to sleep in than a hot or stuffy one. Some people also find it helps to play music for sleep, such as ambient sounds like rainfall, gentle music or white noise.
- Do not force sleep
If you’re lying awake unable to sleep, do no not try to force it. If you’re tired and enjoying the feeling of resting, then sleep may naturally take over. But if you cannot sleep, get up and sit in a comfy place and do something relaxing, like reading a book or listening to quiet music. Only go back to bed when you feel sleepier.
Further information on Sleep Hygiene can be found on the NHS website here: https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/how-to-fall-asleep-faster-and-sleep-better/
Red Nose Day
As a school we aim to teach the importance of thinking of others less fortunate than ourselves – as part of this, the school will be supporting Red Nose Day.
On Thursday 14 March we will be hosting the Comic Relief Big Bake Off where students can bring in cakes to sell to raise money for the cause. The Cake Bake will be run as a House Competition with every student who bakes cakes earning house points and competing for certificates. The categories are:
- Most impressive structural design
- Most impressive artist
- Most colourful cake
- Biggest cake
- Funniest cake
There will also be a student selected as the ‘Star Baker’ within each House. Any student wishing to bring in cakes should bring them to the main hall before school on that day. Please ensure any reusable cake boxes are named. Students should collect their cake boxes, after the sale, at the end of the day.
The cakes will be available to buy in the main hall during break time and lunch time of the 14 March. Pieces of cake will be sold for 50p or £1 depending on the size – this will need to be brought in as cash on the day as these cakes cannot be sold through our cashless catering system.
We do hope that you will encourage your child to take part but there is no obligation to do so. On the day, the dress code for students will be their normal uniform. We look forward to an enjoyable and successful fund-raising event.
British Science Week
It’s British Science Week! The theme this year is ‘Time’! Therefore this week in science lessons, all of our Year 7, 8 and 9 students will be taking part in challenges and competitions related to the theme, to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of British Science Week. We will have a guest speaker to show the students some great STEM experiments, and showcasing different STEM careers. The students will also be discovering and building their own skills and qualities; such as collaboration on design, communication of ideas, and such other skills required in science careers and other STEM disciplines.
Science and Engineering Day – 16 March
Saturday 16 March is the University of Southampton’s Science and Engineering Day.
Run in parallel with British Science Week, Science and Engineering Day is a completely free fun-filled event, celebrating all things science and engineering! Giving young people a chance to see science up close. Explore over 140 activities, including workshops, shows and laboratory tours of the state-of-the-art facilities at the Highfield and Boldrewood Campuses at the University. No prior knowledge required. Free tickets can be booked through the festival website: www.sotsef.co.uk/SED .
There’s even a competition to a win a family pass for the Winchester Science Centre for those who travel sustainably to Science and Engineering Day. www.sotsef.co.uk/SED/find-us
Year 11 Update
Afterschool intervention will take place on Tuesday and Thursday.
On 22 March students will receive their mock exam results in a Results Assembly, these will then be emailed home to you on the same day with predicted grades. There will be a Parents’ Evening on Wednesday 27 March – This will be the final formal opportunity for parents/ carers and students to receive individual feedback before the real GCSEs start.
There will be intervention offered throughout the Easter holidays and students will be sent a bespoke timetable early next week.
In assembly on Friday we talked to students about the exciting events coming up for the Class of 2024, including the Prom. A reminder that this is on Thursday 4 July at the Ageas Hilton Hotel. Students are working hard to achieve Prom Points and from now until Easter they can gain +20 points for every lesson they work hard in and every piece of homework/ revision which is completed to a good standard. They will also gain +20 points per Easter intervention session attended.
Final GSCE timetables will be distributed in the next few weeks, but it is important to note that the last exam contingency date is Wednesday 26 June, therefore holidays should not be booked before this date.
Celebrating Achievements
A reminder that we celebrate achievements every Friday with our award recognition system and Proud Friday. This week over 35
students attended Proud Friday.
Find out more here: https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/rewards-recognition/
The students listed below achieved the most reward points this week – Well done to you!
- Year 7 – Lazlo F 7-8
- Year 8 – Ethan L 8-1
- Year 9 – Evie M 9-6
- Year 10 – Wiktoria B 10-8
- Year 11 – Frederick F 11-4
You can say ‘thank you’ to a member of staff here: https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/staff-recognition/ they really do enjoy receiving these each week.
Support
If you or you child would like support with wellbeing, please check out the links of our website: https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/student-wellbeing-support/
We have recently added information about a number of free parent/ carer courses or events to this section of our website.
