Weekly Message 249 – 20 December 2024
20th December 2024
Christmas Concert at Carleen Care Home
As we reach the end of the Autumn Term, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to every member of our school community—pupils, staff, and families for their hard work, dedication and positive contributions over the past months. Together we’ve achieved so much and our collective efforts have been instrumental in making this term a success.
The school will be closed to pupils from Monday 23 December 2024 to Friday 3 January 2025 and will reopen on Monday 6 January 2025 – Week B. We ask that all pupils check their timetables ahead of returning to school as there have been some changes, to ensure they are prepared for the subjects they have on their first day.
Please refer to the school’s calendar on the website for further information about events and activities taking place over the coming year. We remind pupils, parents and carers that the next INSET day is taking place on Friday 31 January 2025.
We wish you all a restful and enjoyable Christmas break and a Happy New year and thank you once again; we look forward to an exciting and successful new term in the year ahead.
Celebration Assemblies
This week we held our Christmas Celebration Assemblies. These special assemblies are always joyful, and this year’s didn’t disappoint. It was amazing to be able to reward so many pupils for a range of accolades – hard work, kindness, attendance, progress.
There were so many messages from class teachers recognising the hard work pupils are putting in – they were really excited to see their names in lights! Richly deserved. Merry Christmas to you all from the pastoral teams.
Dance Pupils – Christmas Showcase
Year 10 GCSE pupils and some of our Year 9 pupils went to Havant and South Downs College (HSDC) to watch their Christmas showcase ‘tinsel & twilight’ this week and they absolutely loved it! The talent demonstrated by the performers served to inspire and show them a range of styles and dance works. After the performance, four of the students led a workshop focusing on technique and teaching some rep from the show. The pupils had a great time, and all worked really hard, encouraging one another and enjoying the challenge!
Choir at Carleen Nursing Home
Pupils visited Carleen Care Home on Thursday to perform a short Christmas Concert of solo songs, hand bells, hand chimes and singing together as a Key Stage 3 Choir. The set included some Christmas carols and some popular songs. The pupils enjoyed bringing their festive spirit to the residents and staff at the care home.
Year 10 Hospitality and Catering
Year 10 Hospitality and Catering pupils were proud to cater for the Cams Hill Christmas Concert last week. They created a delicious range of interval canapés which comprised of meringue kisses with homemade lemon curd, Parkin with ginger, mini brownie with gold leaf, mini filo mince pies with cranberry and orange and mini caramel eclairs. In addition to demonstrating a wide range of technical skills they also showed a tremendous sense of team and superb organisational skills.
Year 9 Fundraising for Performing Arts
This week, three Year 8 joined forces to support P. Ives in raising funds for performing arts at Cams Hill. Their creative efforts, including making sweet cones and organizing a “pie the teachers” event, brought in nearly £150. Fantastic work!
Nurture Group Christmas Celebrations
The Nurture Group thoroughly enjoyed their Christmas Party this week. They played party games, ate and drank plenty as well as listening to Christmas music and opening presents from the Nexus Academy staff. A fab time was had by all! We wish all of our Nexus pupils a wonderful Christmas break and look forward to seeing you all in the new year 🎄🎅🎁
Year 10 Work Experience
Year 10 pupils will be completing a week of work experience from Monday 31 March-2025 to Friday 4 April 2025. Work experience forms should be completed and returned by Friday 31 January 2025. The Christmas break is an ideal opportunity for pupils to reach out to family, friends and local businesses to secure a placement. Parents/carers are welcome to email careers@camshill.com if they have any queries regarding work experience.
Enterprise Advisors
Calling All Alumni
Calling all alumni! Did you complete an apprenticeship after your time at Cams Hill School? If so, we would love to hear from you via careers@camshill.com
Maths Countdown
Sports Results
There were no matches this week
CAMHS Events
CAMHS host a variety of events throughout the year. For information and to book a place go to www.hampshirecamhs.nhs.uk/events/ – some events have a small charge to cover costs, some discretionary free tickets are available.
How to cope when your child can’t: Four one-day events focused on parents/carers
understanding their own needs, and learning strategies to look after themselves as they support a young person with their own mental health needs.
Tickets £25 incl coffee and lunch.
9.30am – 3.15pm
- Thursday, 30 January 2025 Proteus Creation Space, Council Rd, Basingstoke RG21 3DH
- Thursday, 8 May 2025 St Peter’s Catholic Church Conference Centre, Jewry St, Winchester SO23 8RY
- Thursday, 23 October 2025 Colbury Memorial Hall, 133 Main Rd, Totton, Southampton SO40 7EL
- Tuesday, 2 December 2025 Waterlooville Community Centre, 10 Maurepas Way, Waterlooville, PO7 7AY
Embracing Autism: Three days that focus on skills and strategies, for parents, carers and professionals supporting an autistic young person. Hampshire CAMHS Colleagues will be hosting these days alongside parents / carers with lived experience.
9.30am – 3.30pm
- Friday, 14 March, 2025 Proteus Creation Space, Council Road, Basingstoke RG21 3DH
- Wednesday, 9 July, 2025 Waterlooville Community Centre, 10 Maurepas Way, Waterlooville, PO7 7AY
- Friday, 14 November, 2025 St Peter Church Conference Centre, Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8RY
Understanding ADHD: A day that focuses on skills and strategies, for parents, carers and professionals supporting a child with ADHD. Hampshire CAMHS Colleagues will be hosting this day alongside parents / carers with lived experience.
9.30am – 3.30pm
- Wednesday, 14 May, 2025 Thorngate Hall, Bury Road Gosport, PO12 3QX
- Wednesday, 24 September, 2025 Proteus Creation Space, Council Road, Basingstoke RG21 3DH
PACE – Parent and Carer Events:
- Thursday, 23rd January 2025 Alton Alton Maltings, Maltings Close, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 1DT
- Thursday, 27th February 2025 Basingstoke Queen Mary’s College, Cliddesden Rd, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 3HF
- Thursday, 26th June 2025 Andover Winton Community Academy, London Rd, Andover, Hampshire SP10 2PS
- Friday, 7th November 2025 Lyndhurst Lyndhurst Community Centre, Central Car Park, High Street, Lyndhurst SO43 7NY 2025
Menu w/c 6 January 2025
Some things to look forward to on the first week back….
- Loaded Fries
- Warm chocolate Brownie & Ice Cream
- Apple Crumble & Custard
- Sausage and Egg Breakfast Muffin
Whole School Letters Published This Half Term
Below is a list of letters emailed to all parents/carers this half term together with the date and time they were sent. If you are unable to find any of the communications, please email office@camshill.com and we can send you a further copy.
Pupils’ Timetables – 20/12/24 1600
End of Autumn Term – 20/12/24 1205
ClassCharts Access Restored – 17/12/24 1345
Non-School Uniform Day – 13/12/24 1205
Detection dogs visit – 3/12/24 0916
OFSTED Inspection – 2/12/24 1100
Attendance Matters – 26/11/24 1348
Christmas Concert – 19/11/24 1004
Christmas Lunch, 11 December – 8/11/24 1801
Odd Socks Day, 12 November – 8/11/24 1700
Non- School Uniform day, 15 November – 8/11/24 0905
Remembrance Day – 5/11/24 1405
Uniform Expectations – 31/10/24 1318
Homework for Learning – 28/10/24 1414
Statistics
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/carers to check in with their child to see whether they are accessing these resources routinely and to encourage the best use of them.
If there are issues with access, please bring this to the school’s attention as soon as possible so that we can help.
MathsWatch
Average number of questions answered per pupil this week
Year 7 21.4 questions
Year 8 18.6 questions
Year 9 4.8 questions
Year 10 2.4 questions
Year 11 5.8 questions
Highest Number of questions answered by one pupil this week
Year 7 185 questions
Year 8 192 questions
Year 9 49 questions
Year 10 40 questions
Year 11 49 questions
Over 50% in Maths Homework
Year 7 59%
Year 8 64%
Year 9 54%
Year 10 33%
Year 11 32%
Over 75% in Maths Homework
Year 7 47%
Year 8 47%
Year 9 33%
Year 10 16%
Year 11 18%
100% in Maths Homework
Year 7 25%*
Year 8 22%
Year 9 20%
Year 10 5%
Year 11 1%
*For example, this figure means 25% of Year 7 got 100% in their homework tasks.
Figures in green indicate maintaining or an increase from last week.
Not all Maths homework is set on MathsWatch, which is likely to affect the averages.
Maths Homework Club is open to all Years on Wednesdays in ICT2 until 4pm.
Year 11 Maths Revision on Mondays – see schedule in Maths classrooms for details.
Calculators and other equipment for sale
Casio fx-83GT scientific calculators can be bought via Scopay and collected from the Finance Office. Prices of these and other items for sale are shown below:
Casio fx-83GT scientific calculator- £9.00
Pre-packed pencil case – £2.50
Pair of compasses – 29p
Protractor – 9p
100 blank flashcards – £1.00
A range of GCSE Maths revision materials for KS4 use – See Scopay for details
Please note that pupils in Years 9 and 10, who are currently in middle sets for Maths are covering the Higher tier syllabus. This will be shown as Intermediate on the assessment feedback sheet that gets emailed home.
Educake – Science
Average number of questions answered per pupil this week
Year 7 28 questions
Year 8 34 questions
Year 9 34 questions
Year 10 59 questions
Year 11 78 questions
Highest number of questions answered by one pupil this week
Year 7 660 questions
Year 8 258 questions
Year 9 180 questions
Year 10 198 questions
Year 11 2062 questions