Dear Parents and Carers
Thank you for your support this term and in particular for all of your kind words and messages over the last couple of weeks. This has been a difficult time for our whole school and wider community and I hope that the February break will provide the opportunity for some rest and recharge for us all.
Today has been a wonderful opportunity to remember Shayne with our non-uniform day alongside Kingsbury Green where he was a pupil previously, and start to look ahead to a more lasting tribute. We have greatly appreciated the support we have received from the school and wider community and we are very grateful for the flowers that have been placed; however, as they are now fading, they will need to be removed over the half‑term break. We are working closely with the family and friends of Shayne to decide how we can best remember him in school. Arrangements are being made for a circular tree bench with a commemorative plaque to be installed in memory of Shayne, around the tree where flowers were placed. We are also planning future events including a basketball match that will be held in his memory.
Please find attached a letter from Pete Foster, our Neighbourhood Policing Inspector.
Take care and have a restful February break, let’s hope for some kinder weather and the sun continues to shine!
Lisa Percy
Headteacher
News
Focus on Revision
In order to support our students in achieving their potential, one of the key skills we practice in school is that of Revision. Revision in its simplest form is reviewing or revisiting previous work with the aim of embedding this knowledge.
All of our students receive advice and guidance in how to revise through the Successful Lives Program, which is delivered in tutor time. This ranges from the Year 7 students learning about study skills, to Year 11 students looking into more specific techniques, such as flash cards, retrieval practice and looking at some websites.
One of the key things we want our students to understand is that it is important to balance the type of revision that they are undertaking.
Students can think of breaking revision into three parts:
• Looking over the content
• Practising the skills
• Checking if they have understood correctly.
When the time comes for students to start their revision, it can potentially be a stressful time. If your young person is finding the pressure of exams stressful, there is useful advice for parents on how to support their child on the NHS website Help your child beat exam stress – NHS (www.nhs.uk). There is also a lot of support available in school, through the tutor, the Pastoral Manager, Learning Manager, Subject Teacher or SEN Department.
Year 11 pupils can also refer to their Revision Routes booklets, which serve as a useful guide to revision skills as well as information regarding the timing of different subjects’ revision sessions in school so pupils can plan their weeks around when they can get extra support.
Focus on – Rewards and Sanctions
Rewards and sanctions play a crucial role in shaping behaviour and maintaining a positive and productive learning environment in schools. They serve as tools to reinforce positive behaviour and discourage negative behaviour, and help to establish expectations for behaviour in the school community.
Rewards and sanctions also contribute to the social and emotional development of young people. Positive reinforcement can enhance a student’s self-esteem and confidence, and can encourage positive values such as respect, honesty and cooperation. At the same time, appropriate sanctions help young people to understand the importance of accountability and responsibility.
At Hardenhuish we have a variety of different rewards for pupils and students. This may be a phone call or email home to congratulate a young person on their achievement or effort, or they may be awarded an ACE under one of the following categories:
- Achievement
- Citizenship
- Effort
ACEs can be worth between 1 and 3 points, and pupils have a running total which shows their total number of ACE points achieved over the year. ACEs can be used to lead to other rewards such as entries into year group raffles or Governors Awards. In the Sixth Form, students can be given raffle tickets to go into prize draws.
When responding to negative behaviour incidents, there are different levels of sanctions including C1s, C2s and C3s. These may be issued for incidents in lessons such as missing homework or disruption, or for issues outside of lessons such as defiance of staff instructions. If pupils are issued with a C1 they may be given a break or lunchtime detention, while a C2 will lead to an after school detention for up to 1 hour. During these detentions school staff may hold a restorative conversation with the pupil, to discuss the circumstances around the incident, how the situation may be repaired and start the process of rebuilding the relationship if required.
Higher level incidents such as extreme defiance, bullying or physical incidents between pupils may lead to a day in Reset, where pupils are removed from lessons and social times for a fixed period of 1 day. During this time, pupils are provided with work from the lessons that they have missed. In some instances, the decision may be made to suspend a pupil, where they are not permitted on the school site for a set period of time. Work will be emailed home for the pupil to complete.
There is further information about the principles behind the rewards and sanctions at Hardenhuish and further details of rewards and sanctions in the Positive Behaviour Policy.
Wiltshire Youth Council Election Results
Wiltshire Youth Council is a group of young people aged between 11 and 17 that have been elected by their peers to represent their school. It gives young people the chance to have their say on decisions made by Wiltshire Council and to help to allocate funding to projects that are important to them and their peers.
This term, our prospective Wiltshire Youth Councillors for Hardenhuish took part in a week of campaigning where they shared their manifestos during tutor time and took part in a hustings where voters could find out more about their views and how they hoped to represent their peers. Pupils could then vote in elections for their chosen candidates.
We were really impressed with the campaigns ran by each pupil, and a record number of votes took place. We would like to wish congratulations to Cullin, Louis, and Scarlett who were elected as our Wiltshire Youth Councillors for Hardenhuish.
Health and Social Care News
Year 11 health and Social Care students have enjoyed a visit from Becky Avery, this week to learn about the process of Hypnotherapy and its physical, intellectual, social and emotional benefits for those who access it, as well as the career path into the profession. Becky Avery is a qualified solution-focused hypnotherapist and former nurse with a passion for helping people understand how the mind and body work together. She recently spoke to Year 11 students about hypnotherapy, exploring its role in managing stress, improving focus, and supporting overall wellbeing. Becky enjoys making complex health and science topics accessible and engaging for young people
As well as helping to inform their final coursework task, the students were able to take part in some activities to help their wellbeing and manage any potential stress they may be feeling around the forthcoming exams.
Thank you, Becky it was so helpful for the students, and they really enjoyed your visit.
The students also enjoyed a Workshop facilitated by Tai Chi Practitioner Jean Harvest. They learnt about the origins of Tai Chi and its physical, intellectual, emotional and social benefits and had the chance to try some of the movements. This was very helpful for their final coursework task as well as lots of fun. Thanks so much for your time, Jean – this was much appreciated by the students.
CERN
On the main day of our trip- after a late night, an early breakfast, and a pit-stop at a Swiss supermarket we were finally CERN-bound. Our visit to CERN was split into two parts – or three depending on how much time we spent in the gift shop.
The first part was the ‘museum’ aspect of CERN. We had a couple of hours to look around the exhibitions, some showing the key aspects of CERN itself like the science behind the particle accelerators and others the discoveries researchers there were hoping to make- such as determining the origins and fate of our universe. The creative use of LEGO, projectors and camera equipment really stood out and allowed the exhibitions to be as immersive and interesting as possible.
The second and more exciting part of our visit was the incredible opportunity to travel a few miles down the road into France and have an expert-led tour of one of the particle accelerators itself: the CMS or ‘Compact Muon Solenoid.’ This accelerator and the researchers operating it deal specifically with trying to discover “new physics” such as understanding Dark Matter or observing the interactions between two Higgs Boson particles. The teachers with us remarked that this particular experience was rare as there are so many requirements to be met before visitors could see the accelerator. We were incredibly lucky to have been able to see it in person and learn about how it was built, and how it works at a fundamental level.
Overall, this trip truly was an inspiring experience for all of us students, especially those of us hoping to pursue STEM in higher education, to see our studies applied in a tangible way, and what the future holds for future research in the field of particle physics.
Privacy Notices
Privacy notices are documents that inform individuals about how we collect, use and protect personal data.
Our aim is to provide clear information about the personal information that we are using and the reason for using it. Please click on the links below to access our privacy notices.
Privacy Notices – Hardenhuish School
If you should have any questions, please email admin@hardenhuish.wilts.sch.uk
Safer Internet Day – 2026
Safer Internet Day took place on Tuesday 10 February, with this year’s theme, ‘Smart Tech, Smart Choices’. In keeping with this message, pupils have attended assemblies over the past few weeks focusing on the spread of misinformation online, including conspiracy theories and biased viewpoints.
Social media provides a powerful platform for young people to express themselves and learn about the wider world. However, it has also become a space where misinformation and disinformation can spread rapidly, often making it difficult to determine what is factual. Conspiracy theories are particularly prevalent online, and some of the most harmful have contributed to division within society, fuelling anger and hostility based on false or misleading information.
The increasing use of algorithms on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok means users are shown content that the platform predicts will keep them engaged. These systems are designed to maximise viewing time and interaction, not to assess the accuracy of the content. As a result, users are often exposed to one-sided perspectives, making it less likely that they encounter balanced viewpoints or the full context of an issue. Finding others online who share our opinions does not necessarily mean those opinions are correct.
During assemblies, young people were encouraged to remain vigilant when consuming information online and to consider the following:
- Check the source – where has the information come from?
- Look for bias or satire – is the content presenting a balanced view?
- Check the date – is the information current and still relevant?
With the continued development of algorithms and the rapid rise of AI technologies, distinguishing fact from fiction is becoming increasingly challenging. By staying vigilant, thinking critically and remaining open-minded, young people can better navigate misinformation, conspiracy theories and AI-generated content.
Below is a useful resource from National Online Safety (NOS) on fake news and online scams:
Tim Phillips – Curriculum leader for ICT & Computer Science
Music Exam Results
Congratulations to Lara Fosker for achieving Distinction for her Grade 8 Singing Music Theatre exam.
Year 7 Girls Football vs Sheldon
Hardenhuish 5–1 Sheldon
The Year 7 girls made a strong start to their football season last week with a well‑deserved 5–1 win over Sheldon in very challenging weather conditions. Despite the wind and rain, the team worked well together and adapted their play by moving the ball into space effectively. Clara made several important saves in goal, while Alice impressed in defence, organising the back line confidently. Amara and Lucy used their positional awareness to help keep Sheldon to just one goal. In midfield, Annabelle, Amelie, and Amelie put in plenty of hard work to support the forward line of Maizey, Mya, and Isla. The team combined for some well‑worked goals, with a few nice individual moments too.
A solid performance all round—well done, girls. Looking forward to the next game!
Anyone else who would like to join the team or just play football we have football club on Tuesday after school 3:15pm-4:15pm
A Swimming Success
Year 9 pupil Isaac Wheadon recently attended the Somerset County Championships, competing over the past three weekends in the 14 year old age category, where he delivered a fantastic performance and achieved the following results:
50m Freestyle – 🥇 1st place
100m Freestyle – 🥇 1st place & was 3rd place JUNIOR COUNTY CHAMPION (15 & under) — an incredible achievement, especially as he reached the podium ahead of all but two 15‑year‑old competitors.
200m Freestyle – 🥇 1st place
50m Breaststroke – 🥈 2nd place
50m Backstroke – 🥈 2nd place
100m Backstroke – 🥈 2nd place
50m Butterfly – 🥈 2nd place
100m Butterfly – 🥇 1st place
200m Individual Medley – 🥉 3rd place
400m Individual Medley – 🥉 3rd place
His performances over these past three weekends reflect not only his dedication to training but also the support and encouragement he receives from the school community.
Next up are the Regional Championships in April and then hopefully onto Nationals in July. Congratulations Isaac!