Dear Parents and Carers
Thank you for all of your support this academic year. It has been a joy and a privilege to watch our young people grow and develop their abilities and skills and enjoy so many aspects of their school year.
I am looking forward to Activity Day on Friday and the young people and staff ending the year with positive experiences to celebrate their efforts and achievements throughout the year.
We wish those young people and colleagues moving on our very best wishes for their new adventures and look forward to welcoming Year 7 and 12 to school on Wednesday 3 September 2025 and Years 8,9,10,11 and 13 on Thursday 4 September due to our additional TD Day at the beginning of the new academic year.
Take care, have a restful summer and don’t forget to look at our community page for some activities in Chippenham that young people can take part in over the holidays.
Have a lovely break!
Lisa Percy
Headteacher
News Items
Hardenhuish50
We are delighted to share further details of our Hardenhuish50 celebrations on the attached flyers with links to Eventbrite for the Saturday Open Morning and also to our fundraising page for “A flag, a stag and a legacy!”, any donations will be gratefully received and will support us in commemorating our 50 year birthday!
Y12 Business Insights Day
The Year 12 Business students had the opportunity to visit the Business Cyber Centre for a Swindon and Wiltshire Growth Hub Insight Day. The day included a carousel of Q&A sessions with several businesses operating from the space, including financial advisors, space engineering, and catering with additional appearance from Wiltshire College providing students with advice on apprenticeships. These interactions provided valuable insights into different sectors. Students were introduced to the Swindon and Wiltshire Growth Hub team, who explained their roles and the key characteristics necessary for their work. Students also completed a working styles questionnaire, which helped identify their individual working preferences. Based on their results, they were divided into groups and tasked with addressing real-life business scenarios. Each group worked collaboratively to develop advice for new businesses starting out. The day concluded with students presenting their ideas to the team, providing them with practical experience in consultancy and business strategy. Overall, the trip was an enriching experience, giving students valuable exposure to the business world.
Y9 Business Chippenham Folk Festival Project
This week saw the final three Y9 Business classes presenting their projects from this term to design a business that can be run from a van at a festival. The three gallery walks this week were judged by Peter King, the Finance Director of the Chippenham Folk Festival. The entries were incredibly creative with clear unique selling points and pupils impressed with their professional and confident presentations. The Group winners from this week were Sweet Cocoa, Wonderland, Flash, and Sunny Sips with a special commendation for Flour Power, Craft Cab, Fry Wagon and Flamin’ Grills.
Resource Centre News
Book Group this term have been looking at modern interpretations of myths and legends, linking in nicely with the Year 7 Successful Lives Day back in June. The particular favourites from this term’s selection were ‘Medusa’ by Jessie Burton, a Carnegie-shortlisted book from a couple of years ago which was described as a “great read” and “beautifully illustrated”, and ‘Loki’ by Louie Stowell which was hailed as “really funny” and “perfect for fans of Wimpy Kid”.
Book Group will of course be back next year with some more brilliant titles to try on a variety of themes – look out for details early in September.
As the days count down towards the summer, it has been wonderful to see so many students borrowing titles for holiday reading and getting any outstanding books back before the end of term. Thank you for your support with this in recent weeks.
The most popular book this term remains ‘Play’ by Luke Palmer, with several of the other Carnegie titles this year just behind – a fitting reflection of how high the standard was on the shortlist in 2025.
We hope you all enjoy your summer reading and look forward to welcoming you back in September with lots of new titles and plenty of events in store for 2025-2026.
Mr Southwood
Maths News
Music News
Congratulations to the following people for their achievements in Music exams this term.
James Doggett – Grade 8 Violin – Distinction
Lucy Armstrong – Grade 8 Piano – Distinction
Amelie Retter – Grade 4 Flute – Merit
Eleanor Booth – Grade 1 Flute – Merit
Tomass Millers – Grade 6 Clarinet – Distinction
Eloise Lewis – Grade 3 Clarinet – Distinction
Elliot Cole – Grade 4 Trombone – Merit
Noah Irons – Grade 2 Trombone – Merit