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Welcome to the May issue of our COAST magazine packed full of news stories. To jump straight to our year group news click Y7, Y10 or Y11. For subject news click Maths, RS, Food, Computer Science, Science, Geography. For our SEND update click here.

Students graduate from the prestigious Scholar's Programme

On Friday 19th May, we were privileged to be invited to Jesus' College, University of Oxford for our astounding Year 9 and 10 students to graduate from the prestigious Scholar's Programme in style. We had an amazing campus tour, visited the Bodleian library (one of the oldest in Europe) and saw Oxford from above when we climbed up to the university roof! We met some of the first-year students and many of our own students have new aspirations with Oxford in their sights... we are so very proud of their hard-work, it was a pleasure to celebrate them with certificates, speeches and of course cake!

Our students were also invited to be spoke-scholars at the event and both Elena in Year 9 and Jack in Year 10 eloquently shared their experiences with all of the attendees to rapturous applause. Taylor, one of our Year 10 graduates who especially appreciated the opportunity to be part of the programme, also took the chance to share his experiences on the day.

Next year, we plan to provide this fantastic experience to even more Year 9 and 10 students. Many thanks to the Brilliant Club for making The Aspirational Scholars Programme such a resounding success.

Attendance Reward

The attendance team ran a reward on Wednesday 24th May for all students who have 95-100% attendance with a visit from our local ice cream van. We rewarded over 470 students – which is nearly half of the school cohort. The students enjoyed socialising together in the sunshine with an ice cream. Well done to you all and we look forward to celebrating again for the end of term rewards in July.

Coronation Afternoon Tea

I was lucky enough to be chosen in a ballot to share an afternoon tea with The Lord Mayor of Southampton, Jacqui Rayment, on Wednesday 3rd May. Copious amounts of food and tea were consumed while chatting with the 40 Southampton residents who had also been selected to share time with The Lord Mayor.

One lady recalled her experience of lining the London streets on 2nd June 1953 to witness Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation and how she often reflected on this wonderful experience of pomp and pageantry.

The Lord Mayor gave a wonderful tour of her Parlour giving an insight into her experiences over the last year with anecdotes and stories full of wit and humour - a good time was enjoyed by all.

Claire Moore, LSA

Southampton FC player, Mohamed Elyounoussi, visits OA Sholing

Southampton FC player, Mohamed Elyounoussi, visited our Year 8 boys football team on Monday 24th April for a Q+A session and a kickabout in the sports hall. The students were visibly star struck, asking excellent questions and showing off their skills. The Saints striker was a class act, answering the questions openly and honestly, and impressing us with his talent.

Academy Principal, Mr Brown said;

"What a privilege to meet Mo Elyounoussi who surprised our Year 8 football team. I was inspired and humbled by his story. So good to meet a top league player who is willing to talk so openly and honest. Thank you also to Saints Foundation for organising the surprise. An event not to be forgotten by the students and staff alike."

Jack in Year 8 commented;

"I've never met a Saints player, my heart was pounding."

Elite Athlete Visit

On Monday 22nd May, we welcomed British athlete, Katie Stainton to our school. Katie has competed for Team GB on several occasions, including participating in the Commonwealth Games and European Championships. As a heptathlete, she competes in seven events: long jump, high jump, shot putt, javelin, 100m Hurdles, 200m, and 800m.

Her expertise shone through as she led sessions to almost 200 of our students, these included masterclasses in the long jump and high jump.

Katie also led an assembly centred on aspiring to be the best person you can be and recovering from failure and setbacks.

Thank you to all students who participated, Katie was thoroughly impressed by the ability of all of you!

Year 7 Life at OAS

This half term we have thought about the upcoming July transition days and how Year 7 will play an important role in making the Year 6 students feel welcome at OAS.

Year 7 are excited about welcoming the Year 6 students and Year 7 are looking forward to sharing with Year 6 their experiences of their first year at OAS. The Year 7 Tutor Reps and Anti-Bullying Ambassadors will play a central part in supporting the Year 6 students throughout the two days.

Year 7 continue to remain top of the school for the number of positive reward points earned per student and this reflects Year 7’s positive attitude to learning.

Year 7 have also remained top of the school for having the best attendance, and 7VN are to be congratulated as they have remained the tutor group with the best attendance in the school!

Our top thirty Year 7 students with the most reward points in the year group are listed below.

Well done Year 7. Keep up the good work!

Mrs Rolls, Head of Year 7

Year 10 Life at OAS

It's been another busy term for Year 10 with students headed to the coast and New Forest on the Geography trip, others working with Saints Foundation, Fit 4 Life in school and visiting colleges on open days. I am very pleased to have an excellent team of student leaders in place who, after a rigorous selection progress, were awarded their positions as Prefects, Senior Prefects along with Head Boy, Head Girl and their deputies. The groups have begun their planning and are discussing student journalism opportunities and charity events including staff versus student sports challenge. The well-being group will be providing a presence around the school at break and lunchtimes and will be supporting our new intake of students on their transition days and onwards.

I was pleased to be able to invite a group of students to a rewards trip to Thorpe Park at the end of the summer term. These students were chosen from a large group of Year 10's with excellent attitude to learning as shown through the number of House points they have received, along with excellent attendance and punctuality. Research has shown that students with 90% attendance achieve on average one grade lower than their peers in each GCSE subject they take and we need to encourage and reward students who attend regularly to ensure that all can meet their potential when it comes to their GCSE's which will have started a year from now.

Students will be taking their Year 10 exams in the fortnight beginning 19th June. These will be the first full set of exams that students will sit in the sports hall under full exam conditions and will give you and their teachers an idea how they are performing in relation to their expected grades. It's important that students revise carefully for these exams so that they are prepared as they can be. The revision that they do now is worth it as it mean that they are well prepared for learning in next year and will have more information stored in their long term memories which will make the preparation for their final exams easier. As I keep reminding Year 10 in assemblies, we want them to be the best they can be. With this in mind, there will be a range of catch up and support activities organised for students after the exams are completed to support students who do not meet their expected grades and I will be in touch with you about that at the start of the Autumn Term of Year 11.

I'll conclude by saying well done to our Student Leadership Team for being chosen and for their work so far. They are:

If you do have any questions regarding your child’s education, please do not hesitate to contact their tutor or email year10@oasissholing.org

Mr Wilkinson

Year 11 Life at OAS

“Be bold, be courageous, be your best.”

I would like to say how amazing our Year 11 have been during these gruelling last few weeks whilst they take their GCSEs. They again have done all of us proud and finally embarking on their last journey with us here, whilst preparing for life outside of school.

Having the privilege of being their Head of Year for nearly five years, it is with great sadness yet jubilation that they are finally heading out of the door on their way to becoming amazing young adults. I cannot put into words how so very proud and excited I am for them and the journey that they have had. I would like to say “thank you” to our parents and without you this would not have been possible.

We have been busy as usual with master classes running each day and the turnout has been extraordinary. We have been providing breakfast each morning for all of our students including pastries, fresh fruit, and cereal bars to build up their energy for the examinations ahead.

The Religious Studies department gave our Year 11s a survival gift bag in preparation for their exams.

Sticky notes for all their great ideas. Love hearts because we love them. A candle to lighten up your day when things get tough.

The weather forecast appears to be sunny and warm, so make the most of it. After half term we will continue with our examinations leading up to the last exam which is on the 21st of June.

I will also be sending a letter out after half term to update parents on key dates and final arrangements.

Have a lovely and well-deserved break!

I would normally do shout outs for some of our students, however, this time I would like to do a “Shout Out” for all Year 11, you have all been amazing and good luck for the rest of your exams, remember “We are simply the best”.

Miss H Sydenham

SEND

This section is written in the OpenDyslexic font to aid accessibility.

SEND Coffee Morning

Our Summer Term Coffee Morning is on 6th July 2023 from 8:45am to 9:30am. If you wish to drop in and speak to a member of the SEND Team about any questions you may have- be it advice, information, or support with your child, please do come and meet us. Free tea, coffee and biscuits will be available as usual.
Local Autism Charity Re:Minds comes highly recommended by many of our families. They are holding a series of Autism, CAMHs, ADHD and Adult mental health Advice Clinics, as well as Adult Mental Health clinics. Dates as follows, these are held online, please book in for these the week before the clinic:

info@reminds.org.uk

Autism Advice Clinic

With Dr Anastassia Sedikides Principle Clinical Psychologist at Southampton Autism Service: 10.30am 14th June / 10.30am 12th July.

CAMHS Advice Clinic

With Satty Basra & Chantal Homan, from Southampton CAMHS: 10.00am 16th June / 10.00am 14th July.

ADHD Advice Clinic

With Consultant Nurse & ADHD guru, Cathy Laver Bradbury: 1.30pm 15th June / 1.30pm 5th July.

Adult Mental Health Advice Clinic

With Sarah Leonard, Head of Community Nursing: 2.00pm 8th June / 11.00am 20th July.
We always strive to support our community, and parents/carers of young people with SEND sometimes need further advice. Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (known as IPSEA), offers free and independent legally based information, advice and support to help with all kinds of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Southampton SENDIASS

Another source of support and information is SENDIASS. If you need localised advice, or if considering an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), or appealing a Local Authority decision about an existing application, they are there to help as advocates for you and your child, and to give support and advice.

More information can be found on their website.

Maths

Year 7

This half term Year 7 have been looking at factors, multiples and fractions. They have been completing arithmetic with fractions and learning how to add, subtract, multiply and divide. We have also had a visit from Barney at House of Maths. He gave both Year 7 and Year 8 students some real life maths idea and tried to work out the volume of someone’s head using water! This was a fun session and had many students excited to see him again.

Year 7 Stars

Year 8

Year 8 have been looking at different types of angles within polygons and parallel lines. They have been working out how to find angles without having to measure them. They have also looked at bearings and the importance they have in the real work. They are able to see why it is important to understand how to measure angles accurately.

Year 8 also enjoyed their session with Barney, however a small group of students were given the opportunity to work out Euler’s formula for themselves by looking at making different 3D shapes. They were able to see why and how to work out the faces, vertices and edges on a 3D shape.

Year 8 Stars

Year 9

Year 9 have been looking at triangles and how to find the length of missing sides using Pythagoras theorem, and how to find missing lengths and angles using trigonometry. These have been two new topics for the year group and they have been having to use some different keys on their calculators.

Once confident with Pythagoras and Trigonometry the students are beginning to look at the proof of different angle facts and proving that triangles are congruent using known facts.

Year 9 Stars

Maths Homework Club

Need help with your homework? Maths Homework club is on every Wednesday after school in the Library.

Year 10

This half term Y10 Higher students have been looking at compound functions, looking at speed, distance and time as well as density, mass and volume. These are topics where our students can see Maths in the real world easily. Moving on from this students will be looking at revising their knowledge of Pythagoras and Trigonometry from last year. They will then be looking at more complex trigonometry with non-right angled triangles.

Foundation students have been refining their area and volume skills, ready to move on to looking at compound functions and real –life applications of compound functions and volume, such as how long will it take to fill a bath tub given the water’s flow rate. We will be moving onto Pythagoras and trigonometry, looking at SOH CAH TOA.

Year 10 Stars

Year 11

Year 11 have started their GCSE exams in earnest now and the first Maths paper will be sat by the end of term. In lessons students are all revising hard and trying to ensure that they are confident with all skills that are required for the remaining exams.

Many students are attending revision sessions after school and many are coming to see us with specific questions that they need help with or marked! Revision is coming from a range of sources, including past papers, videos on Corbettmaths.com and conversations with each other.

Our Year 11 students will need to keep up the hard work for a few more weeks, which we are sure they will all do.

Year 11 Stars

Sparx Homework

Most students are continuing to engage with their Sparx homework. Many are watching videos and all are welcome to attend Maths club on a Wednesday after school in the Library.

Each year group is given a week to complete homework and homework is set on the same day each week. Year 7: Tuesday / Year 8: Monday / Year 9: Thursday / Year 10: Friday / Year 11: Wednesday.

Maths Puzzles

Using the numbers from 1-4, complete the grid.

The numbers in each heavily outlined set of squares must combine, in any order, to produce the target number in the top corner using the mathematic operation indicated (+,-,x,÷).

  1. Use each number only once per row and once per column.
  2. Cages with just one square should be filled in with the target number in the top corner.
  3. A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not in the same row or column.

Religious Studies

Our RS Vision: 1. Promoting tolerance; 2. Being a good role model & 3. Facilitating social mobility

Year 10 RS GCSE students are preparing for their mock exams in June. We want to further inspire them and make their revision come to life, by taking them to places of worship and meeting with religious believers. We hope to visit the Vedic Temple in Southampton, next half term.

Year 7 are studying the concept of equality through the religion of Sikhism. We are very excited to be able to take our year 7’s to the Gurudwara Nanaksar in Southampton. We will be asking them to think of some interesting questions that they can ask to Sikhs on our visit.

Our RS stars for Summer 1, who have an amazing attitude to learning and produce exceptional work are:

Year 11: Holly Jennings, Simran Kaur, and Brianey Blake

Year 10: Emma Richards and Faith Harmer

Year 9: Imogen May and Grace Burgess

Year 8: Louise Morgan and Jack Miadowicz

Year 7: Doris Cooke and Eponine Palmer

Food Preparation and Nutrition

Year 7

Our Year 7 students have this term learnt about how enzymes affect our food from helping them to ripen and how they can negatively impact them during preparation. They have learnt how we can prevent fruit and vegetables from turning brown which will help them when preparing fruit in the future.

Our students have made a range of fruit and vegetable-based dishes such as fruit salad, fruit crumble and potato bake.

This terms Foodie Heroes are: Harpreet Kaur and Jack Whitcher

Year 8

Carrying on the theme of seasonal foods, our Year 8 students have made the most of seasonal berries and have learnt about how buying more seasonal fruit and vegetables reduce the impact on our environment.

This term, our Year 8 students have also made a range of dessert items such as a layered cheesecake, fruit fool, lemon drizzle cake and Eton mess.

This terms Foodie Heroes are: Archie Thorne and Petra Thompson

Year 9

With GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition on the horizon, our Year 9’s have been practicing some challenging skills that will help them in the future.

As well as practicing their knife skills to show a range of challenging knife cuts, they have also produced fresh pasta dough which they have used to produce their own pasta and tomato sauce dish.

They have also combined each of these skills to make their own layered lasagne.

This terms Foodie Heroes are: Evie Carr and Harvey Manvell

Year 10

Food Provenance was the focus for our Year 10 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition students. They have learnt about where our food comes from, the impact food production has on the environment and how they can do their bit to climate change.

This term our Year 10’s have been learning about the valuable practical skills they can show next year during their GCSE practical exams. They have observed masterclasses in how to make ice cream and how to portion a whole chicken.

This terms Foodie Heroes are: Finley Baldwin and Evelyn Elliot

Year 11

It’s the last stretch for our Year 11 students as they prepare for their final GCSE exam in Food Preparation and Nutrition. They have spent the term revising some of the key topics that will appear on their exam and looking at exam question structure.

Every Year 11 student has a copy of the CGP revision guide and question booklet to use over half term and before their exam. Remember, answering questions is the best form of practice.

This terms Foodie Heroes are: Sophia Meffen and Hayden Williams

Extra-Curricular Food

Extra-curricular has expanded very quickly this term in the Food department. Despite a term impacted by bank holidays, our Monday KS3 cookery club has made a batch of lovely brownies and some tomato and basil soup, well done!

Our KS4 cookery club have been challenging themselves with a selection of high demand skills. This term we have been focusing on desserts, making marshmallow and their own homemade crunchie bars by producing their own honeycomb.

Spaces are still available in both KS3 and KS4 cookery club for next half term so see your cookery teacher to sign up!

Our Rotary young chef champion Phoebe participated in the national final in Warwickshire at the end of April competing against five young chefs from across England. Although Phoebe did not win she was astounding on the day and brought a very large shield back to Sholing, we could not be prouder of her achievement, well done Phoebe!

Computer Science

Year 7

Recently students in Year 7 have been learning about credibility in media and creating credible blog posts. This has involved sourcing images with the correct copywrite laws, and learning how to identify credible sources of information – a skill that is becoming more important in an ever developing artificial intelligence driven world.

Year 8

This half term we have been learning about animation. Students have made stop motion animations like the process used to produce Wallace and Gromit. They have also produced their own more advanced digital animations like those used in many Disney cartoon films.

Year 9

Year 9 have learnt how to create their own an app on a piece of software called Applab. Students have produced lots of different apps. Some have made simple games like those that can be downloaded from App stores on our phones. Other students have made ticket ordering apps.

Year 10

This term our Computer Scientists have been learning how to write to and read from external files in their programming lessons.

Secondly, they have been learning about binary data representations. Did you know that all computer processors can only understand binary. Ultimately, everything that is processed by a computer is handled in one of two states, 1 or 0!

Year 11

By the time you read this Year 11 will have finished their Computer Science exams. They have been hard at work this half-term revisiting and revising the knowledge and skills needed for these exams.

Creative iMedia

Year 11 have now finished their course. This half term they spent developing and designing their own comic books.

Year 10 started the term by finishing their virtual reality advert coursework. Recently students have learnt how to produce their own comic books using a new piece of software.

Extra Curricular

In Computing & Robotics Club, students have continued to develop their ability to design and print 3D models. Students have had the opportunity to be creative with their designs, with lots of interesting and artistic things produced. Our 3D printer is going to be hard at work printing lots of these over the coming weeks!

Our Pi programming competition entry is nearly finished now focusing on final assembly. Raul’s project on a sun following solar panel is now complete with this half-term spent on designing and building the enclosure for the device.

Any student wishing to join these clubs should speak to their Computer Science teacher for further information.

Science

Year 7

Students began the unit of Forces learning about momentum, and why it is so hard to stop a heavy object. They then practised measuring, representing, and describing forces. We then introduced students to the idea of “force glasses” to “see” the forces acting on a single object before looking at balanced and unbalanced forces. The idea of friction was then developed to provide a scientific explanation for “why things stop moving”. Students did an investigation to see the effect of different surfaces on a moving object.

Students are moving on to establishing a basic concept of “energy” by identifying different stores of energy which can be transferred.

Year 8

Students began this half term exploring the purposes of nutrients and the importance of a balanced diet. From these wider issues, student the learnt how our digestive system breaks down food for us, this included how our digestive system can help stop us getting food poisoning.

Recently students have shifted their learning to plants and how plants without the ability to eat food must make it themselves; this is called photosynthesis. Students will learn how plants are adapted to maximise photosynthesis, even in environments where the conditions for plant survival are less hospitable.

Year 9

Students began the half term returning to cells and their structures. We then looked at some specialised cells. Students have looked at lots of cells under a microscope, including seeing different animal cells such as liver, stomach, and muscle cells.

Students next move on to compare the ways that living things reproduce, replace damaged cells and how scientists can alter these natural processes.

Year 10

This half term students have applied their understanding of electricity to how the national grid powers our homes, schools, and businesses. This has included looking at how electricity is transported around the country and how it is made safe to use in our homes. Students learnt to wire a plug and the importance of fuses. More recently students have moved onto learning about how chemical reactions can release or take in energy. This has included seeing reactions that give out large amounts of heat and why putting a bath bomb into a hot bath reduces the temperature of the water.

Year 11

Year 11 have been in full scale exam preparation mode. This has involved them working extremely hard in and outside of lessons. Students have attended and used the first few masterclass sessions brilliantly and came out of their first exam very positive. We remind all students to keep using their exam preparation guide document to access useful revision resources. We all wish them well for their exams.

Science Capital

Recently, lots of Year 8 students spent the day at Winchester Science Centre. The visit was designed to increase our student's knowledge and wonder at the natural world and to encourage our students to engage in the STEM agenda and to consider science and engineering as a possible career path. Throughout the day students had a great time engaging with many interactive displays as well as getting hands when learning about polymers (making slime) or visiting our solar system in space through the immersive planetarium. Some of the images show students building their own bridges, seeing rocks from the moon, and having a go at how hard it is to live and work in space.

Students at science club have continued to impress and awe the science department at their in-depth questions and ever-expanding enjoyment within STEM. Miss Waller who runs the club said “I am so very proud of our science club attendees. This half term they have all worked so hard, with lessened instruction, to expand on their practical skills through a mix of trial and error and enquiry based practice”. Well done to all that attend regularly. This half term has seen our budding scientists take to the Van de Graaf generator and experience its hair inducing static. They’ve lowered the freezing point of water to aid in their own production of ice cream. Next they even hand-made their own universal indicator to test whether a substance is acidic, alkali or neutral. Last week saw our science club making oobleck – a non-Newtonian substance which forms a solid in your hands and returns to a liquid the moment you stop touching it! Why not have a try at making it yourself at home?

Instructions to make Oobleck:

  1. Add 75g Cornflour to 50-60 ml Water and mix.
  2. Pick it up in your hands and form a ball.
  3. Now lay your hand flat, it should return to a liquid and seep through your fingers.

Science club is open to all KS3 students and runs on a Wednesday in S3 2.40-3.40pm. Feel free to pop along and have a go at experiments you don’t get to do in class.

Geography

Our vision is to explore a sense of place, embed skills, spark curiosity and encourage empathy.

This half term Year 7 geographers have been learning about rivers. Students have studied river processes, landforms, and flooding. After the half term holiday, they will study the Middle East.

Year 7 Geography Shout Outs:

Charlotte Stranathan, Harriet Fairclough, Lyla Thompson, Poppy Yeats – Excellent Geography homework all year.

Year 8 geographers have studied Coasts this half term: processes, landforms and coastal management. Students have learnt lots of local features like Hurst Spit and Old Harry rocks. In Summer term 1 the focus of study is Sustainability.

Year 8 Geography Shout Outs:

Lulani Joyce and Amber Cannon – consistent effort in class.

Caleb Groom – Excellent punctuality and purple pen feedback.

In Year 9 students have investigated the question ‘what are natural hazards?’ They have looked at the devastating effects of earthquakes in Haiti and New Zealand.

On Thursday 18th May, 45 Year 9 students visited the BBC Earth Experience and Natural History museum. At the BBC Earth Experience they learnt about different biomes and animals, with a focus of protecting our planet. They also visited the Natural History Museum to try the Earthquake simulator.

Next term we will take a team of Year 9’s competing against other Southampton schools in the annual Worldwise quiz at Southampton University. If you son/daughter is interested, please ask them to speak to their Geography teacher.

Year 9 Geography Shout Outs:

Macey Cherry and Imogen May – excellent effort and attitude.

Bradley Smith – great curiosity and thoughtful discussions.

In GCSE geography Year 10 students have focused this term on fieldwork activities, including taking over 120 GCSE Geography students to Highcliffe and Lyndhurst. Students counted cars and carried out environmental quality surveys in Lyndhurst to test the hypothesis ‘Traffic has a negative effect on Lyndhurst’. Whilst at Highcliffe they counted waves, drew field sketches and analysed how effective the coastal management is.

Year 10 Geography Shout Outs:

Grace Benge and Ropafadzo Shonge – great work during the fieldtrip.

P J Kaur-Roath, Layton Gilette and Leo Shacklock – effort in lessons.

In addition the BTEC Travel and Tourism Year 10 students had an online session with the education officer at Paultons Park to inform them about customer service and marketing. The following day the students visited Paultons Park to experience the customer service and marketing ploys.

Shout out – Lily Bunting for excellent work in her PSA.

Credits:

Created with images by tommoh29 - "Ice cream shaped high calorie sweet snack" • neillangan - "fresh baked scones" • chinnarach - "close up student hand using pencil for doing text exam after finish course online learning , self study education concept" • zhu difeng - "cup of coffee on table" • andranik123 - "Calculator on the blue background." • Svetlana - "Indian Hindu wedding ceremony ritual items, hands and feet close up" • Markus Mainka - "Food background fruits collection apples berries banner kiwi oranges fruit" • NuPenDekDee - "Storyboard drawing with pencil creative sketch cartoon. Storyboarding is process image displayed in sequence for purpose of pre-visualizing motion picture, interactive media. Concept sketching ideas." • chokniti - "Laboratory equipment optical microscope, closeup of scientific microscope with metal lens, data analysis in the laboratory"