Welcome to the 2023/4 Academic Year!
I hope that you have had a good summer and your young people have had a good first week back in school.
It has been lovely to see Year 7 finding their feet and settling in so well and Year 12 getting used to their new environment!
The Year 13 Awards evening last night was a lovely occasion and opportunity for us to send our young people off to their new adventures with our congratulations for their amazing results back in August and our very best wishes for all that is to come.
Thank you for your support in helping us to establish our key expectations. We have relaxed uniform over the last couple of days due to the unusually warm weather but uniform will return to normal on Monday.
Please could you use the drop-off considerately at the beginning and end of the day to ensure the safety of our young people.
The extra-curricular list has been published for this term and can be found below. It is packed full of opportunities and I am excited to hear about everything that are young people get up to outside of their lessons.
Extra-Curricular – Hardenhuish School
Please see below the first of our “Focus on.. “ items where we will be providing some background information for some of the key areas, events and activities that happen during the year.
Have a good first weekend of term – I know that our young people and staff are looking forward to it to recharge their batteries for the coming term!
Lisa Percy
Headteacher
Focus On… School Development Plan
This is the document that we use to plan the areas we are going to work on over the year. We use our evaluation of the previous year (including exam result analysis amongst many other things) to decide what our priorities for development are linked to our summary diagram:
This year our main priorities will be :
- Adapting our practice – ensuring that the needs of all young people are met in the classroom
- Reading – encouraging reading for pleasure and also within curriculum areas
- Expectations – keeping our standards high particularly with uniform, attendance, behaviour and books
British Nutrition Foundation
Please see below some useful healthy eating advice that Mr Langley our Catering Manager thought it would be useful to share.
As children get ready to start school again, the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) has complied some quick tips for parents to ensure they can offer children a healthy and nutritious diet.
A spokesperson for the BNF said: “It’s important that children have and maintain a healthy balanced diet. Not only will a balanced diet help ensure that they get all the nutrients they need for their growth and development, it can also help to set up healthy habits. Here are some top tips to make healthy eating easier as you get back into the school routine this September.”
Breakfast – be prepared
Mornings can be super-stressful, trying to get everything organised to get out the door on time. Anything you can do to set up a healthy breakfast beforehand can help.
You could put cereals, toast toppings and fresh or dried fruit out first thing or even the night before so that children can serve themselves as soon as they are ready. You could prep the night before by making some overnight oats that can be kept in the fridge, ready to be served at breakfast time.
Lunches – find your balance
If you’re making a packed lunch, it’s all about the balance of the main food groups. You can include:
- A starchy food like bread, pittas, wraps, couscous, pasta or rice – go wholegrain if you can
- Protein from foods like beans, lentils, fish, eggs and meats
- Veg such as cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks or peppers and some fruit
- Dairy or alternatives as a snack, such as cheese or yogurt or have milk as a drink
Hydrate
Children need about six to eight drinks across the day and water and milk are the best choices as they don’t contain free sugars. You can offer juices and smoothies too but it’s best to have no more than one small glass (150ml) a day, because they contain sugars and can be acidic. Reusable water bottles are great for children to take to school so that they can have water throughout the day.
Snack smart
Young children have small stomachs and so healthy snacks between meals can help add essential nutrients. Stock up on healthier options so that you have something on hand to help resist pester power for sweets. You could try fresh fruit, cheese balls, mini sandwiches, wholegrain crackers or fruit loaf.
Eat together
As a parent or carer, you are the most important role model for your young child. Eating together is a great opportunity to show children how to eat well, not just tell them. It’s not always easy if you have a hectic after-school schedule but making some time during the week to eat together, without distractions like TV or phones, is an ideal way to support healthy eating as a family.
Plan ahead
You can also try meal planning for the week. Organising beforehand can help with planning meals, setting aside the ingredients needed, and will also help with having a variety of foods during the week.
The BNF website (www.nutrition.org.uk) offers advice on not just healthy eating but also meal planning.
Installing Office at Home
Every Hardenhuish pupil, student and member of staff are entitled to install Microsoft Office at home on personal devices. Please read the attached for further information:
What’s on Information