Weekly Message 213 – 26 January 2024

26th January 2024

House Points Averages per Pupil for This Week

Year 7 5.27 points

Year 8 3.12 points

Year 9 7.82 points

Year 10 3.39 points

Year 11 2.28 points

Attendance

Dates Total Attendance

This week 91.1%

Same week last year 91.1%

We have had a very productive INSET Day today with teachers training in collaboration with colleagues from across Fareham and Gosport. Colleagues have been focussing on expertise and resource sharing, moderation (for non-exam assessed work), SEND provision, Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) and subject specific pedagogy. This work continues throughout the year as part of the Fareham and Gosport Collaboration.

Please be advised that the next INSET Day will take place on 12 March 2024 and it the last one of the school year.

We remind parents and carers that the pavement on the westbound side of the A27 will no longer be accessible to pupils once they have arrived in school on Monday 29 January 2024; pupils will need to use the alternative route to travel home. Full details have been shared with parents/carers in our letter dated 19 January 2024.

Learning Toolkits

Key Stage 4 pupils continue to build their Learning Toolkit with revision skills that can be applied to all subjects and core curriculum knowledge. Year 10 have explored what makes an effective revision card and Year 11 are beginning to explore how to use different revision materials effectively to build on prior learning. Copies of all resources used with pupils are available on Pupil Zone.

Parents/carers in Year 11 have been invited to register their interest in an Online Learning Toolkit Workshop, please check correspondence dated 23 January 2024 further information.

Youth Speaks

On Tuesday evening we took two teams of pupils to Youth Speaks competition. It was a wonderful evening, and both teams did incredibly well in their debates against local schools including Crofton, West Hill Park, and Boundary Oak.

The Intermediate team consisted of L Radford, L Harvey and S Kapasi. They did an exceptional job, especially where they were the first to go up. Although they did not win, they did Cams Hill School proud and engaged in a beautiful debate about technology.

The Senior Team consisted of A Law, J Moorhouse and N Jones. The girls had raced back from Science Live to compete, with the help of our own Mrs Jones, and were amazing. They came second overall and were praised highly by the mayor of Fareham who came to speak to them personally after the event.

Our groups went in with positivity and kindness and showed the highest amount of teamwork. They really represent what it means to be Cams Hill and it was a joy to witness. We are all incredibly proud of them.

Uniformed Services Cook-Out

This week Year 10 pupils from the Uniformed Services class took part in some outdoor cooking to understand the difficulties of cooking in a unconventional environment.

Durning this task the pupils cooked/burnt pasta with chorizo in a tomato and basil sauce. They then needed to wash up using limited resources.

They all seemed to enjoy themselves and importantly they learnt new skills such as teamwork, timekeeping, and multitasking.

Neurodiversity Parent Support Group

On Thursday, the school held its inaugural Neurodiversity Parent Support Group meeting. The meeting was well-attended and initial feedback from attendees has been very positive. The group are planning to meet once per term this academic year. Thank you to all who attended and shared their valuable experiences and insights.

Citizenship Day

On Tuesday, pupils took part in another Citizenship Day, focussing on the legal system, providing pupils with vital skills and knowledge that will help them in the wider world. Pupils had classroom-based lessons instead of their usual timetabled lessons and listened to a range of visitors.

Portsmouth College delivered a session to all pupils, with an interesting case for pupils to explore. Key Stage 4 heard from a lawyer who shared their experiences of working for the Crown Court and within corporate law, and Key Stage 3 heard from a local police officer. All our speakers were able to give pupils insight of the law beyond the classroom, and a new perspective on the legal system. An incredibly engaging day, and we look forward to the next one!

Science Live

Forty-six pupils from Years 10 and 11, travelled to Brighton to see Science Live on Tuesday. They joined another 1500 pupils from schools across the region who watched presentations from some renowned and inspiring scientists who are leaders in their field.

The conference was held in the iconic Brighton Dome which was designed as the Prince Regent’s riding stables and completed in 1805. It was converted to a concert hall in 1866 and was restored in 2002 to become one of Brighton’s most popular venues.

The guest presenters were Lord Robert Winston (Professor, Medical Doctor, Broadcaster and Politician), Professor Andrea Sella (Research Chemist and Broadcaster), Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock (Space Physicist and Broadcaster), Dr Giles Yeo (Principal Research Associate in Metabolic Diseases, Broadcaster) and Professor Sophie Scott (Research Fellow in Brain Sciences, Broadcaster). Each had their own unique style of presentation. We heard about how they first became interested in their field of study and what they are researching now. Everyone had an enjoyable and interesting time.

Cams Hill Community Mural

There was a real buzz in the air this week as we welcomed back Portsmouth based graffiti artist Luke Storkey to paint our latest mural. Year 7 pupils were given the opportunity to design a large-scale outdoor mural to spread the idea of positivity around Cams Hill School. The Art Department was delighted with the enormous number of wonderful entries and six designs were selected. This resulted in a design that combined and united different elements into one final idea.

The winners were Harrison S, Lydia F, Emily C, Sharlie C, Preston I and Matthew G.

The pupils met our graffiti artist on Thursday and each spent time learning the skill of spray painting. The weather, albeit a bit drizzly to start, did allow for the design to be spray painted on our school site.

We would like to thank all pupils who created designs; we do hope to create more murals around school in the future. We would also like to thank the pupils who came out at break and lunch to speak to Luke and ask questions about the Live Art, he had a great time and is looking forward to a return visit.