Dear Parents and Carers
Thank you for your support of Charity Week this week which has involved a fantastic number of activities to raise funds for The Rise Trust. Please see below for further details. A massive thank you to Mrs Auld and the School Parliament for all of their efforts to make it such a fun week and also encourage us to dig into our pockets and support a local charity.
I am looking forward to the Dance Showcase next Tuesday evening – tickets are still available on Arbor!
A reminder that we break up for the Easter break next Friday at 3pm and return back for Term 5 on Tuesday 22 April.
I hope those of you attending the Quiz tonight have a fun time!
Have a good weekend.
Lisa Percy
Headteacher
News Items
Focus on – Young Carers
We have continued to support our Young Carers within the school with a weekly Drop-In session, where our students get creative in C Centre.
These workshop lunchtime sessions promote support and friendship and allow students to come together with those in similar situations. This was demonstrated by drawing, printmaking, clay work and Van Gogh inspired Sunflowers created by our young carers.
We have promoted the Carer Support Wiltshire Young Carer activity ‘Capture the Moment’ photography workshop over half term for these students at Lacock Abbey.
Focus on – PSHE
PSHE, which stands for Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education, is taught at Hardenhuish School to provide students with a comprehensive education that goes beyond academic subjects. The primary goal of PSHE is to equip students with essential life skills and knowledge necessary for their personal development and well-being. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including mental and physical health, relationships, financial literacy, and citizenship, aiming to empower students to make informed decisions and navigate the challenges they may encounter in various aspects of their lives. By addressing social and emotional aspects, promoting healthy lifestyles, and fostering a sense of responsibility and citizenship, PSHE contributes to the overall development of students, helping them become well-rounded individuals capable of handling the complexities of the modern world.
Charity Week 2025
Charity Week 2025 has been a fun-packed week of fundraising led by representatives from School Parliament and the Year Councils.
This week we turned the school pink in celebration of our school charity The RISE Trust. Pupils led Charity Week assemblies and took part in tutor time quizzes and a whole-school game of Guess Who? There were a wide variety of activities to participate in, including Bake-off, penalty shoot-outs, dodgeball, tag rugby, football, and netball, a Mario Kart tournament, busking, a book sale, and loads of amazing food stalls to experience.
Throughout the week we have been fundraising for our wonderful school charity The RISE Trust and raising awareness of their important work in the local community. Members of the RISE team have enjoyed visiting the school this week and getting involved.
Thank you very much for supporting Charity Week 2025!
Battlefields 2025
The annual pilgrimage to the battlefields of France and Belgium took place on Thursday 20th March for four days. Alongside the mainstay visits of the Somme and Ypres, we managed to visit Sheffield Park Memorial – the home of the Pals Battalion sites during the first day of the Battle of the Somme and Pozieres Memorial. The group were exceptional and embraced the sense of responsibility in finding relatives, whilst learning about the First World War. The highlights of the tour were taking the group into Wellington Quarry under the town of Arras, vising ten cemeteries and memorials where relatives were named or buried and representing the school and country at the Last Post on Saturday night. Our pupils were respectful, inquisitive and engaged with the different sites we visited, and I hope that one day they are able to replicate elements of the tour and pass on the stories they learned to keep the concept of remembrance alive. The experience is something that lives with the participants for a long time and I can honestly say the best part was seeing a group of pupils rise early on two mornings to take a special tour of the village we were staying in whilst the others were in bed. It was a privilege to run this tour and share the stories with our wonderful pupils.
Mr Arkinstall
Great Big Dance Off – Monday 17 March 2025
This term our KS4 Advanced Competition Team and Dance Company participated in the southwest regional heat of the Great Big Dance off at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon.
Our Dancers competed against 15 secondary schools in the upper category of the competition. The standard of the competition was extremely high, and our dancers showed exceptional commitment, resilience and dedication, putting in hours of rehearsals behind the scenes. We are extremely proud of the effort given by the girls who just missed out coming close runners up to competing in the regional finals, scoring incredibly high for technique, creativity and complexity.
Well done girls!
Vacancies – Hardenhuish School