Dear Parents and Carers
The Dance Show last night was marvellous and showcased some amazing talent. Thank you to Miss Birchall for all of her hard work in making this such a success.
The Civic Awards recently awarded to School Parliament and Anisia have been celebrated in a lovely article in the latest edition of Bath Parent Hardenhuish students win Chippenham civic awards.
Well done to everyone who has been taking external exams so far. The exams team, who I would like to take the opportunity to thank as well, have spoken very highly of the young people and how mature and prepared they have been for their exams and how well they are conducting themselves.
Thank you for responding to my request for pre-loved uniform. If you do find any that could be passed on, please do send it into the main office. Linked to this ,if your young person has borrowed a tie, please could you remind them to return it (or them as some have borrowed multiples!). We are spending a lot of money on ensuring our young people meet our high uniform standards, but this spend could be reduced if the borrowed ties can be returned.
Lisa Percy
Headteacher
News Items
Focus On RSE
Relationships, Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education are taught at Hardenhuish in line with the government statutory guidance that became a legal requirement in September 2020. This guidance reflects the government’s commitment to providing a comprehensive and age‑appropriate curriculum that supports the evolving needs of young people.
Our RSE curriculum equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to build healthy relationships and make informed decisions. At Hardenhuish, RSE covers topics such as consent, healthy and unhealthy relationships, online safety, understanding diversity, and raising awareness of drug and alcohol misuse.
Ensuring students receive accurate, relevant and up‑to‑date information is essential in promoting a positive, respectful culture and empowering them to make responsible choices that support their personal development. We are also proactively reviewing and updating our curriculum in preparation for the revised government RSE guidance coming into effect in September 2026, ensuring that our provision continues to be fully compliant, responsive and aligned with best practice.
By integrating RSE across the curriculum, we aim to prepare our young people for the challenges they may encounter and foster a culture of understanding, empathy and inclusivity.
Improving School Food Standards in England: Consultation
The government are currently proposing to update school food standards that will:
- Support healthier school breaktime and lunchtime food options.
- Increase fibre, reduce sugar and restrict foods high in fat, sugar and salt.
- Promote healthy, nutritious and appealing food.
- Are inclusive of children with different needs, cultures, allergies and diets.
The government would like to hear from students and parents/carers to inform the final food standards for schools. The consultation is currently running until Friday 12th June 2026. If you would like to provide your insight to help inform new standards, the consultation can be accessed via the following link:
School Food Standards: updating the legislative framework – Department for Education – Citizen Space
Blake Hill Farm Trip
Some of our Year 7 students enjoyed a trip to Blake Hill Farm last Friday. This was hosted by staff who work for the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.
Blakehill Farm was once an airfield during the Second World War and many aircraft took off from here as part of the D Day landings. It is now the UK’s largest grassland restoration project and one of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s largest reserves.
During the trip, the students had a tour of the farm site to learn about the equipment they use to care for the land and agriculture as a career. They met some newly born calves and fed some of the calves’ mums. They also used binoculars to spot wildlife and enjoyed exploring the surrounding meadow. A big thanks to our hosts for their time. The students had a great day in the sunshine.
Junior Maths Challenge
Last Wednesday, 68 pupils from Years 7 and 8 took part in the Junior Maths Challenge – a demanding set of problems designed to encourage pupils to think about mathematics in a different way.
Some examples of the questions pupils tackled can be seen below. Solutions and additional papers can be accessed via this link: Competition Papers – UKMT
The results achieved by the pupils are very impressive. 15 pupils achieved a Bronze certificate, 11 were awarded Silver, and 2 gained Gold, qualifying them for the next round. Congratulations to all involved!
U13s Girls Cricket Round Up
The U13s girls’ team has been regularly attending training and getting their bowling practice in, and this week was the week that the girls attended their annual outdoor cricket event-and what an event! They produced a fantastic display of fielding and batting skills throughout the whole day. They were able to secure wins against Commonweal and Swindon Academy and losing narrowly to St Johns by 2 runs in the group stages. The girls did enough though to secure a quarter final game against Corsham where they triumphed again with some fantastic bowling to secure the win. The semi-final pitched us against our local neighbours Sheldon who were able to take the win. The girls performed very highly all day and showed fantastic effort in very tricky weather conditions.
The PE department are very proud of them and can’t wait for the next event. Special mention to Mr Scott who came down to the event to support the girls-it was hugely appreciative.
Rounders Varsity vs Sheldon
Kicking us off in style last week was our Year 9 and 10 rounders team who were magnificent, taking catches and striking with power and poise. They really showed a great team spirit and backed it up with fantastic results with Huish taking a 1-0 lead in varsity as they won all four matches.
This week was the turn of our Year 7 and 8 teams who for most was their first experience of competitive rounders. The Year 7 teams were able to secure a 2-2 draw of games in the Varsity series, but it was clear that these teams have so much potential. The girls picked up tactics and rules very quickly and were able to score well and field tightly. The Year 8 team had an unlucky result playing a very strong Sheldon team and were not allowed to find their rhythm with their batting due to very good bowling-congratulations to Sheldon taking a 0-1 win their series.
We are looking forward to the next games and the annual area tournaments!
Go Team Huish!
Vacancies – Hardenhuish School