On Wednesday Miss Cambridge (Headteacher) and Mrs Craggs (Chair of Governors) attended the Hamble Parish Council Community Awards ceremony. Miss Cambridge was nominated for leading the school through a period of transformational change over the last two years and the positive impact that this has had on so many students (and staff). The school was nominated for our community work at the forefront of the campaign against the Urban Quarry. Congratulations to everyone and it is great to see the school being recognised in such a positive way in the community.
On Thursday we celebrated the 80th Anniversary of VE Day. Mr Andrews (Assistant Headteacher) led assemblies on VE Day last week and we came together as a school on Thursday at 12 noon for the two-minutes silence to remember those who served during World War II.
On Thursday we also welcomed a number of colleges, apprenticeship providers and workplaces into school for our Careers Fair. Year 9 visited the stalls during the school day and Year 10 had the opportunity to attend with their Parents/ Carers before Parents’ Evening. Feedback both from the providers and from students and Parents/ Carers was very positive. The providers commented on how polite and well-bannered our students are and students and Parents/ Carers said the event was really useful. Thank you to the Careers Team for arranging everything.
Year 10 Parents’ Evening was very well attended and we look forward to seeing students and Parents/ Carers at our important Achieving Excellence Evening later on this half term as the Year 10s begin to make the transition to Year 11 and their final GCSE year. It was also good to see so many Year 10 students taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Practice Walk at the weekend.
Year 11 made an excellent start to their written GCSEs last week and have been attending Top Ups and Warm Ups. Today (Sunday) they were in school for last minute English and Maths hints/ tips.
At this time of year staff give up a considerable amount of their own time (for free) to run Extra Curricular activities such as DofE and revision sessions. They really do appreciate the Special Recognition cards from students, Parents/ Carers and the wider community. Please do nominate a member of staff, if you have a chance to do so: https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/staff-recognition/
Next week is WEEK 1
Curriculum Information
You said that you would like more in depth information about curriculum areas. So once a fortnight we will now showcase a department and share a video about what students are learning. This week we will focus on Computer Science.
Curriculum Introduction: Computer Science
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 12 May
Monday 12 May
Year 11 GCSE English Literature Exam (AM)
Year 11 GCSE Computer Science Exam (PM)
Tuesday 13 May
Year 11 GCSE Religious Studies Exam (AM)
Year 11 GCSE Combined Science Exam (PM)
Wednesday 14 May
Year 11 GCSE Geography Exam (AM)
Year 11 GCSE Media Exam (PM)
Thursday 15 May
Year 11 GCSE Math Exam (AM)
Friday 16 May
Year 11 GCSE History Exam (AM)
Year 11 GCSE Business Exam (PM)
Saturday 17 May
Year 10 D of E Practice Walk
Future Dates
For all Year 11 GCSE Exams, please see the Top Up and Warm Up/ Exam Booklet.
Thursday 22 May
Year 10 Achieving Excellence Evening – 5:30pm. Sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/whZun3vvsD
Friday 23 May
Last day of Summer Term 1 – Students will finish at the normal time of 2:55pm.
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 – Mental Health Awareness
As we head into next week, our school will be focusing on an incredibly important topic: Mental Health Awareness. This year’s national theme encourages us all to consider the vital role of empathy and understanding when someone is finding things difficult.
Our assemblies will introduce this theme to all students, highlighting the significance of recognising when a friend, family member, or even ourselves might be struggling. We will explore the subtle signs that someone may not be okay and emphasise the power of simply asking, “Are you alright?” and truly listening to the response.
Throughout the week, our tutor programme will delve deeper into practical strategies for supporting our own and each other’s mental well-being. Students will participate in activities designed to foster open conversations about mental health, reduce stigma, and build a supportive school community. We will discuss healthy coping mechanisms, the importance of self-care and how small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
We will also be ensuring that students know where they can go to seek support, both within school and in the wider community. We will share details of our in-school support, trusted online resources and national helplines. Our aim is to empower students with the knowledge that they are not alone and that help is always available.
We encourage you to continue these important conversations at home. Creating a safe and open environment where your children feel comfortable discussing their emotions is invaluable. By working together, we can ensure our young people feel supported, understood and equipped to navigate the challenges life may bring.
Child Mental Health Awareness Week – Resources
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week. There are lots of very useful resources available to Parents/ Carers online. In order to support with this, our website has links for Parents/ Carers should they require support from outside of school https://www.thehambleschool.co.uk/getting-mental-health-support-parents/
Another organisation which Parents/ Carers may find helpful is Young Minds https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/ Young Minds offers advice for both Parents/ Carers and young people and has a range of useful resources available to read or download.
This Week at the Dinner Table…
Questions from Young Minds to ask your child if they are struggling with their Mental Health:
- How are you feeling?
- How would you like things to be different?
- How are you sleeping?
- How has your appetite been?
- Have you tried calling a Helpline or using the Kooth App?
- Is there anything you want to talk about?
- How can I help?
This is a really good link: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-mental-health/
Changes to the School Badge
We are currently consulting Parents/ Carers on changes to the school badge. This will be a phased change from September 2026; so a new blazer/ blazer badge purchased for September 2026 will have the new badge. There be no need to purchase any replacements as the badge will be phased in over time.
Please vote to indicate which badge you prefer – The examples are for the blazer; however, we will also review all other branded clothing. Please be assured there will be no extra cost to Parents/ Carers. The deadline for voting in the survey is Friday 16 May 2025.
https://forms.office.com/e/wwh2NrwDY8
Vision
If you have not had a chance to complete the Vision Survey, please do so here by the end of the week (Friday 16 May 2025): https://forms.office.com/e/ijvvcky5Zv
Celebrating Success
Thank you to everyone who has shared their children’s successes outside of school – We love hearing about your achievements. This half term we will be showcasing all the Good News stories from students in our Newsletter. Please do email communication@thehambleschool.co.uk by Monday 19 May 2025 if you have any further stories to share.
Year 11 Update
Well done to all our Year 11s for their dedication to revision and hard work. Please do continue to follow the Top Up and Warm Up booklet and ensure that you attend the after school and weekend sessions.
A reminder that there will be revision at half term available in school. We are just finalising the schedule and will email this out to you in due course.
Year 10 Update
We would like to welcome all Year 10 students and Parents/ Carers to our ‘Achieving Excellence Evening’ on Thursday 22 May 2025 at 5:30pm. This is our first event to support with the Year 10 to 11 Transition. It will also be a great opportunity to develop revision skills and techniques ready for the Year 10 Exams which start w/b 16 June. We will be sending out a timetable in due course, but please be aware that these will run the same as full Mocks and students will take exams in the Sports Hall/ Progress Zone.
1500 Points Summary
Thank you to all students who completed the Rewards Survey. The overwhelming response was the students are very happy with our current system. We asked them what additional rewards they would like for achieving over 1,500 points. The results suggested a new Pin Badge would be ideal and an extra celebration assembly with a treat. This will be actioned for Summer Term 2.
House Bulletin
This week in tutor time, tutors will be going through the House Bulletin with students. There are a number of events coming up:
- Bridge Building Competition
- Football Competition
We will be sharing all the details in tutor time this week.
Celebrating Achievements
The students listed below achieved the most reward points this week – Well done to you!
- Year 7 – William T 7-2
- Year 8 – Emilia P 8-6
- Year 9 – Alicia K 9-1
- Year 10 – Ruby C 10-2
- Year 11 – Emilio N-Y 11-8
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/
We have recently added information about a number of free parent/ carer courses or events to this section of our website.
