Weekly Message 225 – 10 May 2024
10th May 2024
It has been an incredibly busy week here at Cams Hill School with this weekly message sharing some of our activities and events with you.
Year 11 pupils have now started their GCSE written papers in the Sports Hall and other exam rooms, starting an intense few weeks. Their focus and attitude have been phenomenal, with so many pupils coming to school early to make the most of their teachers’ expertise in the final revision sessions.
With the Summer Term also comes the Year 10 exams and In-Class Assessments – arrangements for these have been circulated to parents and carers. A Year 10 Information Evening is taking place on 23 May 2024 and this information has also been sent to parents/carers this week.
The sun has also been shining! We ask that pupils to come to school with a named water bottle that can be refilled at break and lunchtime and that jumpers, which are an optional extra in cold weather, are not worn in place of blazers. Thank you for your support with this.
Lost Property – Available to View in Reception
We have a lot of lost property in Main Reception awaiting collection. Parents/carers are very welcome to come into school to look to see whether anything belongs to their child, ahead of the half term holiday when it will be donated and/or recycled.
Please can you ensure that pupils’ belongings are marked with their names which will enable us to return lost items to them. Thank you for your assistance.
Year 10 Athletics – Mountbatten Centre
Thursday was a fantastic day for Athletics for the Year 10 pupils. Many athletes competed in various fields of their choice. Most notable:
M Wiggins came 1st in discus
S Killpartrick came 1st in high jump/100m
N Prince-Collins came 2nd in high jump
S Tiller came 3rd in discus
V de Kok came 1st in 800m
Everyone performed well, with the top two performers in their event recommended for Gosport and Fareham District Athletics
Well done to all participants.
Year 11 Boys’ Volleyball
The Year 11 boys’ volleyball team finished their Year 11 Hampshire Cup run in 3rd position. Good luck to all the boys continuing their volleyball at college and beyond!
Outdoor Wellbeing
This week we have progressed our skills in outdoor wellbeing, lighting a fire. The pupils were all able to confidently discuss the risks and safety precautions needed during our session. They were all very supportive of each other and worked as a wonderful team to light the fire using a flint and steel tool.
It was wonderful to see their resilience, determination, and to hear their words of encouragement towards each other; they had such a sense of achievement and enjoyed watching the flames whilst toasting a marshmallow!
GCSE Art, Graphics and Photography
GCSE Art, Graphics and Photography pupils in Year 11 are now coming to the end of their course after completing a gruelling 10-hour practical exam. They have handed in their coursework, and we are now waiting on a visit from the external moderator.
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Year 11 pupils involved in these exams, we know they are not easy! We had 100% attendance and the pupils conducted themselves impeccably. Whilst we are not permitted to share their final outcome on social media due to exam rules, we are looking forward to sharing their work at our Annual Art Exhibition which takes place after the summer holidays – we will send invitations later in the new year.
We would also like to thank our wonderful families for supporting our pupils. I have heard lots of accounts of dining room tables covered in art materials, collecting crisp packets and family members being asked to pose for photoshoots. Thank you!
Art Club Mosaic Project
Art Club has been focusing on 3D art. This week we had a great afternoon starting a new project, making mosaic coasters.
With thousands of tiles to choose from, we started practising designing and gluing mosaics down on our wooden substrate bases. We learned how to safely use wheeled mosaic cutters to cut tiles, so they fit clearly within our designs. Should any pupil wish to join us, we’ll be continuing this next week, then the week after we will be grouting.
House Results So Far
Huge congratulations to Warrior who are in the lead:
1st Warrior, 9480 points
2nd Victory, 7865 points
3rd Endeavour, 7500 points
4th Invincible, 6555 points
5th Illustrious, 6275 points
Careers Spotlight – What is Labour Market Information (LMI)?
People of all ages, but especially young people, do not always have access to all the information they need to make informed career choices. Vital information like entry routes into a chosen career, opportunities in a certain location and level of competition can be difficult to find, that’s where LMI comes in. It helps to take the confusion out of career planning, job hunting, career progression, and changing career. When people have accurate and up-to-date information, they are better equipped to make an informed choice and to plan appropriately, therefore making navigating the world of work easier for everyone.
LMI can include information like:
- The industries and businesses that operate in a certain location.
- The types of jobs that exist and what they involve.
- How many of those jobs there are.
- The skills that are currently or will be in high demand.
- Typical rates of pay.
- Career progression opportunities
Based on LMI, you can decide things like:
- Are there job opportunities for me where I live, or do I need to consider relocating for the career I want?
- Does the pay for my dream career align with how much I’d like to earn? If not, am I okay with that?
- How long will it take me to rise through the ranks in my career to my desired position, and am I willing to do the work to get there?
- How competitive is my industry? Do I have a backup plan if it doesn’t work out in the way I want it to?
- Is college, university, an apprenticeship, or working my way up from an entry level job the right path for me?
(Information taken from Youth Employment What is LMI, How Can It Help Young People, and How Do You Use It? (youthemployment.org.uk))
LMI for All is a useful website which has a “Careerometer”. Careerometer can be used to explore and compare key information about occupations. By typing in a title of a job, the widget provides a series of options to choose from. You can then look up other occupations and compare. Explore LMI data – LMI For All Explore LMI data – LMI For All
Other useful websites for further information are: Careerpilot : Plan your future work & study, Prospects.ac.uk, Explore careers | National Careers Service
Attendance Spotlight – Attendance Codes
Schools must take an attendance register twice a day, which is a legal document kept for 5 years. Any absences will be recorded with a specific code depending on the type of absence. Absences fall into two main categories:
- Authorised – those for which school can give permission
- Unauthorised – those for which they cannot
There are several codes used for recording attendance and absences. Here are the most common:
- Code M: appointment with a doctor or dentist, etc.
- Code I: genuine illness.
- Code G: unauthorised holiday.
- Code L: late before register closes.
- Code U: late after register closes. (0900) This counts as an unauthorised
- Code O: other unauthorised absence, or no reason given.
Looking at this from a parent’s/carer’s perspective, it is essential that you let us know the reason for absence, otherwise it has to be marked on the register as an ‘O’. Unauthorised absences, which includes Code U for later arrivals after the register closes, are the reason that some parents/carers have been fined or taken to court for their child’s poor attendance.
If you are concerned about your child’s attendance and/or punctuality, please get in touch with the school and speak to your child’s tutor, year team or the attendance team. We are here to support.
Menu
Weekly features:
- New Chef’s Pod Beef Chilli Nachos with Salsa, Sour Cream & Guacamole
- New Banoffee Milkshake with a Biscuit Topping (Friday)
Statistics
House Points Averages per Pupil for This Week
Year 7 7.33 points
Year 8 4.42 points
Year 9 3.82 points
Year 10 4.31 points
Year 11 1.46 points
Attendance
| Dates | Total attendance |
| This week | 91.6 |
| Same week last year | 92.9 |
MathsWatch and Educake
These are two online resources that we expect pupils to be accessing routinely with homework set by teachers and independently to support their progress in Maths, Science and other subjects. We ask parents to check in with their child to see whether they are accessing these resources routinely and to encourage best use of them.
MathsWatch
Average number of questions answered per pupil this week
Year 7 7.0 questions
Year 8 7.4 questions
Year 9 2.4 questions
Year 10 1.5 questions
Year 11 6.4 questions
Highest number of questions answered by one pupil this week
Year 7 283 questions
Year 8 60 questions
Year 9 144 questions
Year 10 19 questions
Year 11 85 questions
Not all Maths homework is set on MathsWatch, which is likely to affect the averages.
We are currently running a trial on a website called Maths Kitchen for KS4 classes.
Highest number of marks achieved by one pupil this week on Maths Kitchen
Year 10 69 marks
Year 11 118 marks
Educake – Science
Average number of questions answered per pupil this week
Year 7 24.42 questions
Year 8 13.36 questions
Year 9 13.89 questions
Year 10 44.83 questions
Year 11 120.10 questions
Highest number of questions answered by one pupil this week
Year 7 181 questions
Year 8 158 questions
Year 9 292 questions
Year 10 550 questions
Year 11 1409 questions