Dear Parents
Thank you very much for all of your support during Term 4. It has been a busy term but a positive one with all year groups working hard and lots going on around normal lessons to enhance their school experience and also make sure that we all have some fun.
Charity Week is a good example of this and also was a fantastic display of the generosity of our community raising an incredible £2550 for the Teenage Cancer Trust and Dorothy House – a school record!
When we return after the Easter break, jumpers will be optional, but please could you remind your young person that other uniform expectations (skirt length, ties tied appropriately, correct footwear etc.) remain high and there will be a particular focus as we begin Term 5 on them looking their best and representing Hardenhuish well by wearing their uniform correctly and with pride.
Thank you for your support with sharing these expectations.
Have a restful Easter break and I look forward to welcoming the young people back to school for Term 5 on Monday 15 April.
Lisa Percy
Headteacher
News Items
Focus on …..Activity Days
Following on from our previous Focus on Trips and Visits, where we talked about the value and importance of opportunities outside of the classroom and beyond the schools site, we like to end our year with Activity Days for Years 7-9. These give an opportunity for each year group to celebrate their year and have a positive end to the academic year, setting them up positively for the beginning of the next academic year. Our Learning Managers come up with activities which they think their year groups will enjoy being mindful of keeping the costs as manageable as possible. The Year 9 trip to Alton Towers has already been launched and the Year 7 trip to Cotswold Wildlife Park and Year 8 to Paulton’s Park will be launched after Easter. We would encourage young people to participate in these whole year group trips but will be offering an on-site offer for those young people not attending. If you have any questions regarding Activity Day, please direct these to Year Teams in the first instance.
Vapes
We are aware of a very small number of pupils who may be in possession of vapes on the school site. Vapes are on the list of banned items on the Positive Behaviour Policy, and where we suspect that a pupil may have a vape in school, we reserve the right to search pupils’ belongings for any vaping equipment. We will be using metal detectors as part of this searching protocol. If a search is undertaken, we will always contact parents with the outcome.
First World War Battlefields Trip March 2024
This year’s history trip to the Battlefields of Belgium and France was the school’s largest yet. 96 pupils, 10 staff and an additional guide made up the group. They stayed in two different locations this year to give more time to the Somme and Belgium respectively. All pupils engaged very well with the experience and took to paying their respects well. Our first stop from Calais was Wellington Quarry and Arras, followed by a moving visit to their first cemetery at Serre Road. This was where most pupils heard the story of the young Horace Isles who was killed at the age of 16, having joined up two years prior. Day two we moved to Newfoundland Park, Ulster Tower, Vimy Ridge and Thiepval, where pupils looked for photos of the missing from the Thiepval Memorial. On the third day we explored Belgium, centring our visit to the town of Ypres and locations nearby, including Hooge Crater, Tyne Cot cemetery, Messines Ridge and the Menin Gate. For the Last Post, three of our students represented the school in laying a wreath. On the final day pupils experienced the German cemetery of Langemarck and then finished by exploring Talbot House, a place where soldiers relaxed from the war, leaving their worries at the door. It was the perfect place to leave their visit and return home.
The best part of the trip is always visiting pupils’ relatives who are buried in cemetery sites and this year we managed to visit five graves, which added another level of impact to an already emotional visit.
I wish to thank the staff for their tireless efforts in supporting the group and in helping to run the event.
From a teacher and guide point of view it is fortunate to know that as the years go by and as we move further away from the events of the First World War, someone will retell the stories and remember those that gave their lives for ours today.
Health and Social Care Visit
Year 10 Health and Social Care students have benefitted from a visit from Tracy Evans over the last two weeks. Tracy works for Wiltshire Council as an Advisory Teacher for children and young people with physical and medical Needs within early years settings, schools and colleges. She discussed how she works with children and young people with a broad range of needs, their parents and carers, as well as teaching and support staff to put in a range of support to ensure they can access mainstream education opportunities. During the visit students also had the chance to explore some of the adapted equipment that can be used to help people to prepare food, and found out about how small adjustments can make a huge difference to empowering people and developing independent living skills. Thank you for your time Tracy, they all really enjoyed your visit and it will prove so helpful for their understanding of the values of care and working within the health and social care sector as a whole.
Music Exam Results
Y12 Student Joshua Bailey recently achieved a merit in his Grade 4 Clarinet Exam.
Sports Leadership
It’s been a busy week for our Hardenhuish leaders! Last Friday they led an Easter themed event for nearly 300 primary pupils from local schools which involved explaining and leading a range of Easter based sports challenges. This included leaders from Years 8,9,10 and 12 and the enthusiasm they showed was fantastic! One of the primary pupils said they had the “doublest, best day” and another was “bursting with fun and excitement!”
On Monday 25 March the Year 10 netball leaders were in action, helping to umpire, score and coach at the primary netball festival. They were incredibly professional, ensuring games were umpired effectively and fairly, whilst also helping the younger pupils to improve their netball skills.
Congratulations to everyone who has been involved in supporting these events (and previous primary sports events). The feedback from visiting primary teachers is always positive and our leaders have proved themselves to be excellent ambassadors for the school and outstanding role models for younger children in Chippenham.
Year 7 and 8 Rugby
On Wednesday 27 March our Year 7 and 8 girls rugby team took to the field to take on Sheldon in a friendly match. Even the pouring rain couldn’t dampen their spirits as they tackled, rucked and ran into space looking for tries at every opportunity. The team encouraged each other throughout and showed determination and energy. The final score was a draw, making rugby the winner!
Many thanks to Tim Dunford from Chippenham Rugby for all his efforts in training the girls and also refereeing the match.
Vacancies – Hardenhuish School