Dear Parents and Carers
It has been lovely to welcome our visitors from China this week and introduce them to life in our wonderful school.
I hope that they have had a good experience of our education system and the UK and wish them a safe journey home after further visits early next week to Oxford and London.
As you will see from the Focus on… below, the Hardenhuish Trust support us in providing funding for resources beyond the general academic provision. Any donations, financial (these can be made as a regular donation or as a one of through our Just Giving page ) or otherwise are always very gratefully received and enable us as a school to enrich our curriculum and school experience of our young people.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rupert (who you will see from the article below has decided to retire!) for all for the help and support he has given our young people (and staff!) during his 12 years of service. We wish him well as he adopts a more relaxed lifestyle!
Many of the practical elements of the summer GCSE exams have been taking place over the last couple of weeks and will continue to do so as deadlines for these are in advance of the summer exams. Thank you for all of your support with these and helping us prepare our young people for these vital contributions to their summer outcomes. Thank you also to our staff who work tirelessly to ensure that are young people have the best preparation and go into these practical exams well prepared and set up to do their very best.
I hope that Year 9 Parents found PPCE useful this week ahead of GCSE Options Evening next Thursday.
Have a good weekend.
Lisa Percy
Headteacher
News Items
Focus on ..Hardenhuish Educational Trust
Hardenhuish Educational Trust is supported by donations and enables us to add to our normal offer with additional activities and resources. This year they have already supported our counselling provision and prizes for the Reading Challenge and are keen to do more so any donations would be welcomed – even as little as 50p or £1 a month.
With over 1600 students on roll even if 25% of families donated £1 each month we could raise £4,800 each year which could benefit the students by supporting more projects. Donations can be made directly to the HET bank account by setting up a Standing Order or with one off payments through Just Giving or CAF Charitable giving. Details can be found on the HET page of the website. If you are making a donation please complete the gift aid form if you can so that we can claim the tax back as well!
The Trust meets three times a year and we are always interested in welcoming new parent trustees to help with bid decision making and fundraising.
Rupert’s Final Report
I have slowed down over the last 18 months so my termly Rupert Reports stopped. I have still been coming in part time assisting with the SEN department. After 12 and a half years’ service as the school dog I am now announcing my retirement, what a fantastic time I have had. Over the years I have enjoyed being fed regular snacks by visitors to Mrs Bennett’s office, attending Geography and Social Science lessons, supporting students with their reading and even going out on trips. During the school holidays I have had the opportunity to travel the country spending each summer in Scotland and this was the first New Year I wasn’t in Cornwall. It wouldn’t be a report without a holiday picture, and this is from October half term and Exmouth.
I wasn’t the slowest dog on the beach, this award went to an elderly labrador who was searching unsuccessfully for any chips that had been dropped. I am looking forward to spending time asleep on the sofa at home, below are some highlights of my time at Hardenhuish School.
Use of Images Procedure
The school is obliged to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 when it takes or publishes images of its pupils, this includes photographs as well as recordings. The school will always try to act in the best interests of the pupils and, as far as it legally can, it will take parental preferences into account. The Data Protection Act gives children rights over their own data when they are considered to have adequate capacity to understand. Most children will reach this level of understanding at around age 12. For this reason, for most pupils in a secondary school it will normally be up to the individual child to decide whether or not to be photographed. Where the school considers that the child does not have the capacity to make such a decision, the school will act as it considers to be in the best interests of the child and in doing so will take account of any stated parental preference.
Prior to a pupil starting at Hardenhuish, an online form is sent to parent to express their preference with regards to the use of images / video. If no preferences are expressed, then we will act in accordance with the principles expressed in our policy. It is important that you make us aware of any safeguarding or other issues that underpin any expressed preference for photos not to be taken. Preferences may be withdrawn at any time in writing to the school.
Please click on the link below to view the full policy:
Use-of-Images-Procedure-June-2024.pdf
Skating to Success
Well done to Year 10 pupil Sapphire Monyard who recently passed her Level 12 figure skating exam!
Yoga Workshop
Year 11 Health and Social Care students enjoyed a workshop from Yoga Practitioners Chie and Fiona this week, who facilitate yoga sessions at the Santasha Studio in Chippenham. During the session the students learnt about the theory of yoga, its origins and broad range of benefits. The students also had the chance to experience some yoga themselves.
Thank you so much for your time, Chie and Fiona, the students really enjoyed your visit, and this will prove invaluable for their Creative and Therapeutic activities coursework.
Visit to Wiltshire College, Lackham
This week Year 10 Vocational Studies students took part in a trip to Wiltshire College’s Lackham campus and were given a tour to find out more about the courses they run there and college life. Thank you for your time, Michael, they particularly enjoyed meeting the staff and the resident animals including Kevin the peacock and the ferrets and learning about the award-winning lemon grown at lackham.
Virtual Rowing!
On Wednesday, some Year 8 students participated in our first virtual rowing competition against a few other schools. The competition consisted of three races: boys, girls, and mixed teams. Here are the results:
Year 8 Girls:
- Lavington – 1813
- Melksham Oak Yr 8 Girls – 1812
- Harden Girls – 1758
- ABB Girls – 1607
Year 8 Boys:
- ABB Boys – 1979
- Harden Boys – 1820
- Melksham Oak Yr 8 Boys – 1801
Mixed:
- ABB Mix – 2825
- Harden Boys – 2697
- Melksham Oak Yr 8 Boys – 2657
Well done to everyone involved in the competition!
School Vaccinations
While your child is in secondary school, they will be eligible to receive their routine vaccinations in Year 8 and Year 9.
The immunisation team is comprised of experienced nurses and support workers and will visit the school several times throughout the school year.
All Year 8 students are eligible to receive the HPV vaccine. HPV is linked to several different cancers such as cervical cancer, some head, neck and throat cancers, genital cancer and anal cancers and is also responsible for genital warts.
All Year 9 students are eligible for their Diptheria, Tetanus and Polio booster (Td/IPV) and at the same time, the Meningitis ACWY vaccinations (MenACWY)
A consent link sent from the school will be sent to all parents with children in these year groups so they can either accept or decline the vaccinations.
Don’t worry if they miss their vaccinations in year 8 and 9, we can continue to catch these up until they leave school in year 11
Please take time to look at the added links to learn more about the different vaccinations.
A guide to immunisation for teenagers and young people (publishing.service.gov.uk)
We look forward to meeting your children.
The Immunisation Team 😊
Tel: 0300 247 0082
| DATE | VACCINE | SESSION |
| Thursday 13th February 2025 | HPV | Session 1 |
| Monday 3rd March 2025 | HPV | Session 2 |
| Wednesday 23rd April 2025 | TdIPV & MenACWY | Session 1 |
| Thursday 10th July 2025 | TdIPV & MenACWY | Session 2 |
PLEASE NOTE THESE ARE THE DATES WHEN HCRG WILL BE IN SCHOOL.
PUPILS WITH CONSENT WILL RECEIVE THEIR IMMUNISATION ON EITHER SESSION 1 OR SESSION 2 DEPENDING ON HCRG CAPACITY AND STAFFING LEVELS FOR EACH DATE.
ALL ENQUIRIES SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO HCRG DIRECTLY.