Dear Parents and Carers
Charity Week last week was great fun and also raised over £2500 towards our HH50 projects which is amazing!
SAVE THE DATE: we are delighted to announce a second HH50 event to end our 50th Year! We will be opening up the site on 11 July from 10-1pm for the community to come and have a look around, reminisce and see how the school has changed over the last 50 years. There will also be an opportunity to complete the HH50 Treasure Hunt and see our new flag on display.
A reminder that commemorative tea-towels are on sale via Arbor – perhaps an idea for those leaving us in Year 13 to take with them as they begin their new adventures!
On that note, I wish our lovely Year 13 the very best of luck for their exams as they leave us today for study leave. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the Sixth Form Team, and everyone involved in their Hardenhuish journey. Thank you to our Year 13 parents for your support and please do put 10 September 2026 in your diaries for our Awards Evening, when we can celebrate their success.
It has been Culture Week this week and fantastic to see so many young people getting involved in broadening their cultural awareness and exploring different cultures. Thank you to Miss Singer for organising such a varied programme of events and activities.
If you are having a clear out as summer approaches (or your Year 11 are leaving) and come across any outgrown uniform that is in a condition that it could be passed on, please send it into reception as our pre-loved items continue to fly off the shelves – a positive for our purses and the environment!
Lisa Percy
Headteacher
News Items
🌍 Culture Week 🌍
This week, our school has been buzzing with energy as we celebrated Culture Week, a vibrant showcase of the diversity that makes our community so special. Students and staff across multiple departments took part in activities that highlighted different cultures, traditions, languages, histories, and lived experiences.
Throughout the week, students immersed themselves in a wide range of creative and hands‑on cultural experiences. These included chalk rangoli patterns, God’s Eyes weaving, Greek worry beads, batik printing, kente weaving, origami, and diversity‑themed spoken‑word poetry. We also welcomed a talk from a Humanist speaker, enjoyed a calming tai chi session, and saw fantastic engagement at our Appreciation Station, where students shared what they value about different cultures. A highlight for many was the chance to try coconut ladoo, a traditional Hindu sweet that proved very popular.
It has been wonderful to see our school embracing the opportunity to learn from one another and celebrate what makes each of us unique. The enthusiasm from students has been incredible, and the range of activities has helped raise awareness of the rich diversity within our world.
A huge thank you from the PSRE department to all staff and students who contributed, participated, and helped make this week such a success. Culture Week has truly shown the joy that comes from celebrating our differences and learning together as a community.
Community Civic Award Winners 2026
We are thrilled to announce two wonderful successes: Hardenhuish School Parliament, and Anisia Rusu, one of our outstanding Year 11 students, have both been honoured to receive a Chippenham Town Council Community Civic Award.
Hardenhuish School Parliament received the award for their outstanding work driving student‑led initiatives and supporting charitable action across the community. In the past year, School Parliament has raised significant funds for The RISE Trust and the Hardenhuish Educational Trust, and collected hygiene products for Re:Fresh, breakfast items for The RISE Trust, and food donations for the St Peter’s Church FoodBox project. Alongside this, they supported student‑led projects such as The Great Hardenhuish Reading Challenge and led key events including UK Parliament Week and Charity Week. Through these efforts, the School Parliament continues to strengthen participation and foster active citizenship among young people.
Anisia received the award in recognition of her amazing volunteering at the RISE Trust. She began her involvement in 2023 as part of her Duke of Edinburgh Award, and has continued volunteering at the RISE Youth Club every week since. Throughout her time there, Anisia has been an inspiring role model, engaging positively with young people and empowering them to participate with confidence and enthusiasm. Anisia’s efforts have made a meaningful difference to young people within the local community.
Please visit the Chippenham Town Council website to discover more: Community Civic Award Winners 2026 • Chippenham Town Council
Siemens Monument Design Challenge – Lighting Concept Designer!
One of our creative designers, Ayden, has recently been selected by Siemens to collaborate as part of the design team for their new Monument Design! Future, Forward-Facing, Tomorrow is the theme of this exciting opportunity for students to design a lasting monument that will stand proudly at the entrance of Siemens’ brand new £100m facility in Chippenham.
As part of the competition submission, Ayden applied his high quality DT technical drawing skills and material knowledge to visualize and explain his design concept effectively. Ayden’s innovative, sustainable and engineering-minded lighting concept has been selected as part of the overall design and we are so incredibly proud and excited to see the completed monument at the end of the project.
Take a look at Ayden’s dynamic design response below! We wish him the very best of luck for the ongoing development stages of the project, where he will be gaining real life experience of working with the designers and engineers to bring this new monument to life!
Oliver Cross Reaches New Heights
We are delighted to share some top‑tier news about Oliver Cross (Year 11), who is really climbing the ranks. Olly recently scaled success by winning the Under‑17 Welsh Cup (Lead Climbing) and has also secured a solid foothold for the future with a sports scholarship from Wiltshire Council. With British Speed and YCS competitions this autumn, and British Boulder and Lead events next spring, Olly’s progress is clearly on the up — we look forward to seeing just how high he can climb next.
The Scholars Programme Graduation
Last Wednesday marked a fantastic and inspiring day for our Y7 and Y8 Brilliant Club scholars, who proudly attended their graduation ceremony at the University of Bristol. It was a joyful celebration of everything they achieved through the Scholars Programme. Exploring the university and its beautiful buildings – with Wills Memorial being a clear highlight – sparked excitement and ambition, inspiring many students to imagine themselves returning one day as future university students.
Year 7 Athletics Meet Vs Sheldon
Thursday 9th May saw our year 7 and 8s compete in the first athletics competition of the year, and they truly kicked off the season in style. Focusing on track events both year groups ran a combination of sprint and middle and longer distances. The PE team were really impressed with the determination they showed in the races and the teamwork they demonstrated – we loved the enthusiasm, encouragement and excitement!
The results were as follows:
Year 7
| Overall | |
| Hardenhuish | 181 |
| Sheldon | 150 |
Year 8
| Boys | Girls | Overall | |
| Hardenhuish | 85 | 96 | 181 |
| Sheldon | 90 | 84 | 174 |
Athletics club is on Tuesday after school for all year groups – new members always welcome!
Thanks also to the Sports Leaders who came to support the event – they were fantastic as always.
Vacancies – Hardenhuish School