Dear Parents
Sixth Form Open Evening last night was a lovely opportunity to show off our Sixth Form and all it has to offer to our Year 11 for their post-16 studies. It was good to talk to so many of our young people who have clear ideas about their plans for the future, supported by the Careers Fair last week and the conversations that are taking place in their PSHE lessons and Successful Lives at the moment.
I am looking forward to the Christmas Fayre next Friday – don’t forget to buy your raffle tickets for the opportunity to win some fantastic prizes.
A reminder that we finish for Christmas at 12.30pm on Wednesday 20 December.
Have a good weekend – stay warm!
Lisa Percy
Headteacher
Parent Governor Applications – Update
Today is the deadline for the Parent Governor applications however, it came to our attention yesterday that the clerk to governor email address that’s embedded in the letter to parents was not working as it should. This has now been rectified and as a result we are extending the deadline to apply to become a Parent Governor by a further week. Applications are now welcome up to 12pm on Friday 8 December. Please see HERE for the original letter regarding an election for three Parent Governor vacancies.
Focus on …. Friends of Hardenhuish
The Friends of Hardenhuish is a group of parents, staff and other members of our local community who try to organise a number of events across the year to raise money for luxuries that improve life at Hardenhuish. These events have traditionally ranged from Christmas Fayres, to Quiz Nights and Summer Events. In past years, the Friends have raised thousands of pounds which are put back into the School but we also hope that the group is a good way for parents to get more involved in the life of the school and find out more about what we do.
The Friends meet as regularly as parents want (sometimes in person and sometimes virtually), but parents and staff can get involved at any time by helping to run a particular event or selling tickets. To be a friend of Hardenhuish you do not have to be a parent, just interested in the success of the School and its pupils.
Another way parents can support the Friends is through EasyFundraising. This is a way to raise hundreds of pounds without having to spend any additional money yourself. Easyfundraising is a free service that allows good causes such as schools to raise money when their supporters shop online with over 2,700 retailers, including Amazon, John Lewis, Next and Argos. So when, for example, you sign up to a new utility company, buy your weekly online shop or order what you need from Amazon you can raise additional money for the school at no extra cost to yourself if you enter the relevant webpage via the EasyFundraising site. https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/invite/JKWXGB/
This year, the Friends of Hardenhuish are committed to raising fund to support the new fitness suite and changing room refurbishment planned. This year’s first fundraising event is the Christmas Fayre on the 8th December (4pm to 6pm in Peter Thompson Hall) and the Christmas Raffle where you could win a Dyson V15 Cordless vacuum cleaner thanks to the James Dyson Foundation. Tickets are on sale now on Arbor so don’t miss out!
Updates will be sent regularly about future events through the Hardenhuish Headlines but, in the meantime, if you are interested in joining the Friends, please contact Mr Woollin, Deputy Headteacher, for further information.
Focus on …. STEM
Science Technology, Engineering and Math, or rather ‘STEM’ for short.
Year 7 have been having a great time with Science Club with Mrs Palmer and Miss Langridge, using microscopes to look at specimens, and making Rube Goldberg machines.
Year 8 Girls have been getting involved with the cyber first girls challenge with Mrs Harrington, where students have been tackling cyber security-based challenges in teams. Many are hoping to become cyber security champions! Year 8 have also started their STEM club, with Miss Langridge, with students working in groups to solve a problem or answer a question in a large practical project. If successful they will earn a Bronze Crest award. Last years included making this programable car.
In Year 9, Mr Richardson is currently going through the process of selection for the First UK robotics challenge, and 15 students from those who have applied will be building and coding a robot to compete in competitions thought the year. Applications can still go in through the form sent out until 03/11.
Across the whole school maths are currently running a maths club in M4 at lunch on Thursdays for KS4 to help with any students who are struggling with homework or exam questions. Similarly, a maths club is also runs on Monday lunchtimes for all year groups with Mrs Cobb to help with homework and any struggling with maths.
-Rubik’s cube club will be starting on Fridays at lunchtime with the Maths department. Look out for messages in the bulletin.
-DT & Art are running catch up sessions for KS4 students on Tuesday and Wednesday after school for any students who need some extra time on projects or help with anything in C7/8
-Christmas Craft Club has started up again with the DT and Art department, Tuesdays after school in C9 with Mrs. Bush.
For the past two weeks, a large number of pupils in all key stages have been taking part in the ‘UK Bebras’ challenge during their ICT & Computer Science lessons. The competition required pupils to complete a number of timed problem-solving/computational thinking challenges which awards pupils with a score based on their performance. Pupils who score in the top 10% nationally will be invited to take part in the next round of the competition (TCS Oxford Challenge) in early 2024. Well done to all those pupils who took part, and we look forward to seeing the results once they are released. If you would like to learn more about the Bebras challenges or even try them yourself, more information can be found on their website: Welcome – UK Bebras
Become a Wiltshire Youth Councillor!
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.
At Hardenhuish, we are looking for two Youth Councillors and a Deputy Youth Councillor. Students wanting to undertake the role, will take part in elections run in school the week commencing 29 January 2024. In the week prior to the election, they are allowed to campaign around the school, and following the elections, votes will be cast on an electronic voting platform. The Youth Councillors will be announced on week commencing 5 February.
Youth councillors are elected to a one-year term and will be asked to commit as a minimum to one evening a month to attend a Wiltshire Youth Council meeting which will focus on issues that are important to young people. They will also be asked to talk about the issues discussed at the meeting at school and represent the views of their peers.
Interested in becoming a Youth Councillor? Email Mrs Auld by 11 December to find out more.
Christmas Jumper Day
Friday 8 December is Christmas Jumper Day! It is normal uniform, but students can wear a Christmas jumper instead of their Hardenhuish jumper to raise money for Dorothy House and Teenage Cancer Trust, our school charities of the year. If you want to get involved then we are asking for a donation of £1 paid on Arbor or in cash.
The School Parliament
EMBRACE DIVERSITY – Check in, Stand up, Call out!
We are a group of year 9 and year 10 student advocates that are aiming to embrace diversity everywhere, but specifically in the school environment. We believe that discrimination is still an issue in our community and that everyone has the right to feel safe.
We have made an art mural and tutor slides to share our message. We are asking you to act and if you see any behaviour that you believe is discriminatory, please:
- Check in- check that the receiver of the discrimination is OK and validate the experience.
- Stand up- defend the targeted person without putting yourself in danger.
- Call out- tell the person doing wrong what they have done and name the behaviour e.g., ‘that’s racist’, ‘that’s sexist’, ‘that’s homophobic’.
This project has been funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and delivered by Mighty Girls. Oskar, Ava, Lily-May, Mila, Tabatha, Beau, Aiyana, Nathan Oliver, El, Macy
The Big Ambition
The Children’s Commissioner for England has recently launched ‘The Big Ambition’ to hear directly from children, young people and parents across the country. Please click on the links below for further information and to complete the survey:
www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/thebigambition
CyberFirst Girls Competition
“In a whirlwind of logic puzzles, cryptography conundrums, and cutting-edge tech challenges, our school’s brightest young minds recently demonstrated their prowess at the esteemed CyberFirst Girls Competition. The event, hosted online from 20 November to 29 November, witnessed an impressive turnout of 38 aspiring girls from diverse backgrounds. Armed with determination and a thirst for technological innovation, each participant contributed during break, lunch, after-school hours, and at home, endeavouring to conquer the intricacies of cybersecurity.
The competition showcased a remarkable display of talent as participants engaged in captivating challenges spanning artificial intelligence, networking intricacies, and the art of secure coding. Their unwavering commitment to mastering the realm of cybersecurity was nothing short of inspiring.
Mrs. Harrington, Computer Science Teacher at Hardenhuish School, shared her insights, saying, ‘The event was a celebration of creativity and determination. Witnessing these young minds delve into complex cybersecurity scenarios and solve them with finesse was truly commendable.’
Rewarding their incredible efforts, the winning national teams will see each member take home a brand-new laptop. Additionally, they stand a chance to secure prize money for our school. In school, the winning team members will each receive 10 ACE points, a prize, and a participation certificate during their assembly. Runners-up will be awarded 2 ACE points and a certificate. These acknowledgments aim not only to recognize their achievements but also to encourage further exploration in the fascinating world of cybersecurity.
It’s worth noting that the girls performed exceptionally well, and we eagerly await news on whether we’ve advanced to round 2. The CyberFirst Girls Competition stands as a testament to the importance of nurturing talent in cybersecurity among our young women. It underscores the significance of empowering them in this critical field, fostering an environment where they can excel and lead the way in safeguarding our digital future.”
Great Debate
It was with great joy that the history department were able to celebrate the return of entering a candidate for the Historical Association’s Great Debate. Elizabeth Slater from Year 13 presented her case for local hero – Victor Cazalet, MP for Chippenham, gay socialite and Second World War soldier. Although she didn’t win the south-west heat, her presentation was truly outstanding and to an audience of academic experts. It will help her with her application to study history at university, but has also put Hardenhuish on the map in terms of local history and representing the school. A truly amazing achievement. We are all very proud of her.
Area Cross Country
Last week saw over 40 Hardenhuish students represent the school at the area cross country championships. The event had been postponed due to the weather and also had to be relocated to Kingsbury Green School in Calne, so all runners were facing an unknown course. Every single runner did the school proud 19 runners finishing in the top 20, who should go on to be selected to represent their district at the county Championships to be held at Hardenhuish in January. We had full squads in all races apart from the Inter girls with the following results
Minor Girls 7th
Minor Boys 2nd
Junior Girls 4th
Junior Boys 4th
However a special mention must go to our inter boys team who finished 1st with a combined finishing total 35 for the top 6 runners in the team. The breakdown was 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 10th & 11th! Very impressive indeed! Well done to all runners.
Mr Brailey
U13 Girls Football Tournament
Congratulations to all of the year 7 and 8 girls who represented Hardenhuish at the U13 Girls Football Tournament at Kingsbury Green Academy on Wednesday 22 November.
The two teams were – A Team – Maria M, Madisson F, Will M, Sufia N, Patricia M, Grace H, Marth L, Phoebe A and Esmie B,
B Team – Harper J, Erin S, Arabella G, Amy P, Abigail A and Darcie W.
A Team Results
HH v KGA drew 0-0
HH v Abbeyfield won 1-0
HH v Sheldon won 2-0
HH v Corsham lost 0-2
HH v Malmesbury won 1-0
Overall finished in 2nd place
B Team results
HH v Malmsbury won 2-0
HH v Corsham lost 1-2
HH v Sheldon won 2-0
HH v KGA won 3-0
The B Team finished in 1st place.
A fantastic set of results with a very talented and determined group of players. We are looking forward to watching you progress through the rest of the season. Mrs Place
Year 7 Rugby Team
The Year 7 rugby team won the District Tournament on Wednesday afternoon. After defeating KGA 6-0, Malmesbury 13-0 and Kingdown 7-0, they went into the next round without conceding a try. Honourable shout outs to Will T and Fraser A who scored a handful of tries, with Benjamin E and Mitchell B making some big tackles to make sure the team didn’t concede. The Year 7’s then went onto beat Corsham 6-1 in the semi-final before defeating a well organised Royal Wooten Bassett team 2-0 in the final. Isaac G scoring in the corner before Horatio C found the try line after an impressive solo run topped off a great afternoon in Devizes. The Year 7 boys were crowned Champions with many teachers from various schools commenting on the togetherness and ability of the group. Well done boys!
Badminton England Tournament
Pupils Imogen Drew and Caleb Lai recently competed in the Devon Bronze U17 & U13 Badminton England tournament. Imogen won gold in girls doubles and bronze in girls singles (U17). Caleb won gold in consolation boys singles and bronze in boys doubles (U13).
Tae Kwon-Do Success
Hardenhuish pupil Imogen Drew recently competed in the EMAP Taekwondo championships winning Gold in the high kick and Silver in the sparring, an amazing result. Congratulations Imogen.
Year 8 Netball match report
The Yr8’s had their Area Netball Tournament this week and did themselves proud with some very strong performances throughout the matches. The girls all worked tirelessly in very cold conditions and stayed positive even when they couldn’t feel their fingers.
The A team started against a very strong Kingsbury Green side and couldn’t quite get into their normal play resulting in a loss for our first game. Despite this the girls dug deep and went into their next matches with a determination to do their best, which led to convincing wins against Corsham, Malmesbury, Abbeyfield and St Marys. They made fantastic interceptions and were consistent in shooting. Our last match was against Sheldon and it was an exciting end to end game. The final score was 5-5 meaning that Hardenhuish came 3rd overall in the tournament.
The Huish B team finished in 2nd place after accumulating 3 wins and 1 loss across the afternoon. The girls took feedback on board and really implemented it in each game they went into. They worked hard and thoroughly deserve their medal!
Results
Huish 5-4 Sheldon-MVP Layla
Huish 4-5 St Johns-MVP Matilda
Huish 6-3 Malmesbury- MVP Layla
Huish 8-0 Corsham- MVP Lucy
Well done to all of the girls involved. We were really impressed with their effort and teamwork. They did themselves and Hardenhuish proud!
Lost Property
Please see below guidelines on how lost property at Hardenhuish is dealt with, which we hope you will find useful:
Where items have been lost/mislaid, pupils should:
- Retrace their steps and visit the classes/areas where they think the item may have been left.
- If unable to find, report the lost item(s) to main reception, providing as much detail as possible. Please note that items can take several days to be brought up to reception, so it may be worth re-visiting a few days later.
Where items are named, a message will be sent to the pupil asking them to collect from reception.
Items are kept for a term, after this any unclaimed non-uniform items are donated to charity (with the exception of jewellery, glasses and electronic items such as phones. Items of uniform are kept as spares.
Please could you ensure that all items worn or brought to school are clearly labelled with the pupils names.
Thank you for your support
Vacancies
Vacancies – Hardenhuish School
Calendar