Weekly Message 184 – 28 April 2023
4th May 2023
House Points Averages for This Week
Year 7 5.41 points
Year 8 5.28 points
Year 9 3.19 points
Year 10 3.76 points
Year 11 1.32 points
Driving past the school, you may have seen that the groundworks on our top field for our 3G pitch are well underway. We are so excited about this development as a facility for our pupils as well as members of our wider community. We look forward to updating you as work progresses.
On Monday, we welcomed into school the parents and carers of our new Year 7 September intake – Class of 2028 – for the first event of the transition programme. It is always lovely to meet with new members of our school community and recognise that moving to secondary school is a big step. We endeavour to make sure that pupils feel ready to hit the ground running in September.
Looking to next week, we remind parents/carers that the school is closed on Monday 1 May 2023 as it is a Bank Holiday.
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Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Last Friday, we took 16 pupils on a practice expedition in the New Forest for their Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award, where we refreshed orienteering and camping skills. The pupils then spent Saturday walking and navigating themselves to the various checkpoints which they did successfully. The staff supporting and supervising were all very pleased and impressed with the pupils’ attitude and ability.
On Saturday, 66 pupils took part in the practice expedition for their Bronze Award. During the day, all groups coped well with the orienteering and they were able to put up a tent and cook for themselves on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. A huge well done to all involved.
The assessment weekends are coming up in May for the Bronze Award and in June for the Silver Award, which we are all looking forward to very much.
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Year 9 Trip to Marwell Zoo
The H side of Year 9 had a fabulous fieldwork day at Marwell Zoo this week. The weather held off well enough for us to collect primary data for an in-depth analysis back in class. Pupils will use their data to uncover whether animals considered to be endangered attract more visitors than those of least concern. The geography team look forward to taking the C side of the year group in a couple of weeks’ time.
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Year 11 Art, Craft & Design, Graphics Communications and Photography
April 2023 has seen the re-introduction of the 10-hour externally set exam for the Art & Design specifications across the country and in our very own school. For the past three years, Year 11 pupils have submitted coursework only, for their final GCSE grade.
The Art Department has been thoroughly impressed with the pupils taking these exams. They have conducted themselves in an exceptional manner and should be extremely proud of themselves.
Please do look out for details of our Class of 2023 Annual Art Exhibition which will take place in October 2023 where we will be showcasing the pupils work. We wish them every success with the remainder of their exams.
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Uniformed Services Trip to Portsmouth Dockyard
The Uniformed Services pupils were lucky enough to visit the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth this week where they had the opportunity to learn about the rich history and traditions of the Royal Navy.
Pupils were completely immersed in the atmosphere the Mary Rose Museum created and had a chance to join Nelson’s Navy and explore his flagship HMS Victory; it was decided by all that they would not have enjoyed life on board. We were also lucky enough to get a glimpse of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Finally, they were enlisted into the Victorian Navy having a chance to explore the first iron clad ship, HMS Warrior. They agreed conditions on board were better than on HMS Victory, however, they still all agreed they would have found life on board a challenge. The day was made up of laughter, smiles and most importantly, learning.