ISSUE 2
Welcome parents to our second edition of our Academy half-termly magazine COAST. This has been a difficult half-term for all within our community and the past week has been particularly challenging with the sad death of Bailey Dorward in Year 11. What I have seen in this short period is students and staff working together to overcome this tragedy and to start the preparations to celebrate his life. More information will follow in the coming weeks including a non-school uniform day on Friday 29th April where proceeds will be given to Abby’s Heroes, the charity which supported the family throughout Bailey’s illness.
We say a fond farewell to Mrs Drewell, Head of Food and Nutrition who after working at our school for over 10 years has decided to start a new life in France. Mrs Drewell is an institution with her passion for the students and her subject. Her legacy will be the significant number of young chefs who have left Sholing wanting to deliver their learned culinary skills both at home and in their chosen career. Bon Voyage Mrs Drewell!
I hope that you will be able to recognise the hard work that both students and teachers are placing into the different subjects and the variety of experiences outside in the wider curriculum. Congratulations to those parents whose children have been specifically mentioned either in the subject “shout out”, competitions and reward events.
Thank you finally parents for your ongoing support and understanding ensuring that we have reached the start of the Easter holidays ready for a well-deserved break.
Best wishes
Mr Brown, Principal
New Oasis Community Pantry opens in the heart of Southampton for local residents
Community leaders in the heart of Southampton have come together to start a new food project within the Sholing community.
Run and led by Oasis Hub East Southampton, the new pantry is situated at the Mackay Stadium and will be working in close partnership with Sholing Football Club and the Big Difference.
Oasis Hub East Southampton is part of the Oasis family of charities which has a vision for community – a place where everyone is included, making a contribution, and reaching their God-given potential.
The Oasis Community Pantry is one of a growing number of community food projects across the UK, supplying low cost, high quality surplus food each week to local residents. As well as providing support for families while the cost of living is rising, it also helps to reduce the amount of food sent to landfill. The pantry is supported by Oasis Academy Sholing, Oasis Academy Mayfield, Jewsons, Aldi, Arnold Clark, Tesco and Co-op.
Karen Dawkins, Community Hub Leader at Oasis commented saying; “This project follows on from the two Oasis Academies in Sholing working closely together to benefit not just the families in our schools, but the wider community as well.”
“We wish that as Oasis, we didn’t have to run any projects to tackle food insecurity and poverty, and we will work hard to create communities where one day we can end these projects. In the meantime, we think that Oasis affordable food schemes can provide part of the short-term solution in a dignified way, which also connects people with their community.”
The new Pantry will open every Thursday 9.30am to 1.00pm, at Sholing Football Club. Membership is now open via the Oasis East Southampton website. For a weekly membership fee of £5, there will be a selection of fresh, chilled and store cupboard food and toiletries available each to select from.
The Community Pantry will be using the ‘Affordable Food Scheme’ model which enables people to have ownership and ‘buy in’ by being members of the scheme and the Oasis community, rather than just recipients of something they have no control over.
You can find out more about Oasis Hub East Southampton via their website: www.oasiseastsouthampton.org
Rotary Club Young Chef Competition
On Friday 4th March, two of our Year 10 students, Jayleigh and Beatrix, represented the academy at City College Southampton for the Rotary Club Young Chef Competition. They were tasked with producing three dishes in two hours.
Beatrix Balasoiu produced a Greek salad with homemade tzatziki, a stuffed and rolled hunters chicken breast which she poached and pan fried served alongside parmentier potatoes, and an iced carrot cake. As you can see from the photo each of her dishes were presented impeccably and she actually managed to finish serving her dishes with 25 minutes to spare.
Jayleigh Witcher produced a carrot and lentil soup served with plaited bread roll, soy and ginger salmon en papillote for main, and a deconstructed lemon meringue biscuit stack for dessert.
Both students did themselves and the school proud producing three outstanding dishes. Beatrix was selected as both the winner for Oasis Academy Sholing and the overall winner meaning she progresses to the next round. Congratulations!
Scholars Programme
Our Year 9 and 10 gifted Scholars have just submitted their assignments for their project entitled “The Bacterial Biofilm: Misunderstood Microbes or Public Health Hazard?”. Students will receive their results using a university style grading system e.g. 1st class honours, 2:1, 2:2 and will be given the opportunity to celebrate their graduation at the University of Sussex later this year. We wish them luck!
In the last issue of COAST we informed you about our amazing KS4 debate team and their upcoming international debate competition. In case you missed the social media post, we wanted to let you know that we had a fantastic competition. Despite losing our initial debate against a fellow British school we went on to win our debate on the question “Should all countries have a National Health Service?”. We defended our illustrious NHS against a school from New York and won! However, despite our triumph we narrowly missed out on enough points to reach the finals. This has only fuelled our fire and we are determined to start working on a Southampton debate against other schools in the city very soon. Here are the team after their triumphant win against an international school!
This half-term BOAST: our Brilliant Oasis Academy Sholing Talks have provided another fantastic programme of events which challenge and expand our talented key stage 4 students. The superb Ms Harman questioned if there was enough diversity in the arts sector, brilliant Mr Bull queried the future of automation in the UK whilst media mogul Mrs Gale explored how social media was being used in the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine. Students can look forward to more exciting events next term!
Rewards update!
This term we are celebrating the students with the highest house points in each tutor group. They received a golden ticket which invited them to a small celebration event held at school.
These are the students who have earned the golden tickets:
Year 7
I can’t believe we are already at the end of Year 7’s second full term at OAS, with only 12 school weeks remaining until the year group move up to Year 8, how the time has flown! It has been a tricky term with the closures, covid and the postponement of our trip to Kidzania, however Year 7 have continued to thrive with a huge amount of reward points, excellent extra curricular involvement and still leading the school for attendance. I am pleased that we have been able to reschedule or visit to Kidzania, as well as increasing the number of students we are taking, more on that next time.
We also had the Southampton Universities Network in last week working with our Year Academy Parliament representatives on leadership and developing our student voice package. The students involved were excellent ambassadors for both their tutor groups and the year group, and it was great to see them taking such an active involvement in student leadership. I also had the pleasure of watching our Year 7 football team’s home fixture against Wildern last week, a great performance showcasing not only superb teamwork but also great sportsmanship. Well done to all of those involved.
Congratulations also goes to our stars of the week for this half term as well as our students receiving their bronze awards for 200 reward points.
Stars of the Week
Bronze Award for 200+ reward points
Year 8
Year 8 have had another busy half term. They continue to involve themselves in the extra-curricular activities on offer and to involve themselves in secondary school life which had previously been put on hold due to Covid. Our Year 8 sports teams are enjoying playing against the other city schools and demonstrating that we are a school that are determined to win.
We continue to lead the year groups for the most reward points. It was a pleasure to recognise all the students that consistently displaying our school values and credit them with bronze and silver awards. Year 8 also have the bragging rights as we have the highest points scorer across the whole school (Callum Jones in 8VS). We also recognised good attendance, taking into account those that have had to self-isolate.
The summer is round the corner now and, hopefully(!), with the better weather and more opportunities, Year 8 can continue to show how amazing they are to both the staff and the other students at Oasis Sholing.
During our Easter assembly, it was a pleasure to award 181 students with certificates for reward points, of which 107 students received their bronze award and 17 students received their silver award. A huge shout out to Callum Jones, Raul Peica Balosache, Ellie-Mai Fisher, Ethan Creed, Ethan Jones, Dred Callaway, Sophie Miller, Jake Sydenham-Cully, Shiya Patel, Liam Ryan, Emily Knight, Daniel Jackson, Lukas Neverdauskas, Jessica Matthews, Emily Colverson, Jake Curtis and Louisa Adams for being the first students to get to the silver award in the school.
I am sure that at the end of the Summer term there will be more silver award winners and a chance for some gold winners also.
I wish all year 8 and their families a relaxed break ready to return on the 25th April.
Year 9
We are now reaching the end of the options process where students have chosen the subjects that they wish to study at GCSE from the list of subjects available. Students will find out what subjects they have been allocated later on in the summer term, and we are working to ensure that they get as many of their first choices as possible so that the can study a curriculum that meets their needs.
I have been very impressed that nearly all of our students have managed to join the online lessons that we have been provided when we have unavoidably had to part-close the school and congratulate them on their flexibility and resilience under these circumstances. It is really important that all students attend school every day with their iPads, fully charged so that they can participate classwork and receive their homework. If a student has a problem with their iPads they need to take it to the IT office next to room M3 as soon as they can, so that the problem can be resolved.
Sadly, Mrs Drewell is leaving the Year 9 tutor team and the school at Easter. She has been a fantastic tutor to 9AN over their time in the school and she will be missed. Mr Ranger is taking over Mrs Drewell’s tutor group having previously worked with the Year 11 students.
While this year has been more difficult than many for students to maintain 100% attendance, I’m very pleased to be able to congratulate fifteen year 9 students who have manage to attend school every day since September. Well done to Heidi Barrett, Ben Davidson, Yasmin Ladher, Konrad Leiman, Eddie Lin, Maya Moffatt, Ian Moraru, Jakub Neter, Phoebe Patrick, Charlie Pont, Kiaran Shotter, Luke Slade, Elexie Southerington, Melike Ugar and Keira Williamson.
Wishing you a relaxing Easter break.
Year 10
It is with absolute pleasure that after the Easter Holidays we will be holding interviews for our Student leadership Team. So far we have received a whopping 64 applications! A record high. Our students had to write a letter of interest stating why they should be considered for a prefect role and include what would make them a great role model and how they would represent the school and its community.
Whilst reading some of the letters it really moved me what they had written, they were full of passion, determination and their own personal experiences, Watching your son or daughter grow from eleven years of age to now becoming mature, responsible young adults, ready to take on new challenges makes me so very proud of them and this new chapter in their lives.
Mr Brown, Mrs Jones and I will be conducting the interviews at Itchen College after Easter so watch this space,
Good Luck Year 10 - Miss Sydenham
Year 11
Year 11 are coming towards the end of their school career; the finishing line is in sight. Pupils have 2 final weeks of teaching before the main exams start on the 16th May. Sacrifices will need to be made over the coming weeks to create the time to fully prepare for GCSE exams. Over Easter Year 11 will have some opportunities to attend some intervention sessions from the 19th April to 22nd April. We hope they take advantage of the staffs’ willingness to give up their free time to work with the students. We are passionate about giving this year group all of the opportunities to succeed after what has been a disruptive time for them over the last two years. The key messages for Year 11 student is to do some revision every day.
Easter Revision Sessions
Two sessions are running during the second week of Easter Holidays 19th April to 22nd April, AM 10am to 12 and PM 12-2pm. The full schedule below has been sent out to all year 11 parents.
Prom and Leavers arrangements
Year 11 is nearing its final chapter and to celebrity, Prom is due to take place on July 15th at Hilton Ageas Bowl. Staff are really excited to celebrate with students on this evening and can’t wait to see everyone looking glamours. Tickets will be on sale after the 16th May once all students have completed the prom to success booklets. Year 11 Leaver’s assembly will be on the 23rd of June. It marks the final day in school for our Year 11 pupils and offers them the opportunity to say a formal goodbye to their classmates, teachers and the school itself. There will be cake, shirt signing, photos and a final assembly before leaving the school gates.
Summer exam and Revision Tips
All students have been issued with personal timetable for summer exams and all Year 11 parents received the full timetable together with mock results this term. It is the aim of Oasis Academy Sholing to make the examination experience as stress–free and successful as possible for all the candidates. Students need keep attending school and afterschool revision session. Setting up positive evening routines is key together with keeping health, eating and sleeping well. All students have been asked set up a complete revision timetable which has breaks. We wish Year 11 all the best during the final stages of preparations for Summer exams.
Dear Students,
It is with profound sadness that I write this email to let you all know that Bailey Dorward passed away peacefully in his sleep early today Wed 6th April due to cancer. Our condolences and thoughts go out to the family and all the friends of Bailey.
During this time, as the school community processes the tragic news and copes with grief, we will offer counselling and bereavement support services to all of our students in school this week between 11am and 2pm by appointment. If you would like an appointment, please contact Year11@oasissholing.org and one of the year group mentors will be contact to let you know your time slot. A death is a difficult and challenging situation that can generate a high level of anxiety and distress.
Today I saw all Year 11 show a mature understanding of death, however this might not be case later tonight or later on this week. In school, please know that you can email our Year group mentors, who will pick you up from lessons and have a chat with you.
Mary Tierney Mary.Tierney@oasissholing.org (Monday and Tuesday)
Lynsey Riddell Lynsey.Riddell@oasissholing.org
Toni Wareham Toni.Wareham@oasissholing.org
And we will offer you bereavement support. At home you should speak with your parents first and if you want you can access online support services such as
In addition you can find more useful information on our school website under safeguarding and support. If you are not coping with the loss, please inform any staff member and we will point you in the right direction. Please remember if you feel you need to speak to a counsellor or other adult, please do not hesitate to Year11@oasissholing.org. This is a difficult time for everyone, but I know we will be able to lean on each other.
Sincerely, Mr K Chikiwa
This section is written in the ‘Open Dyslexic’ font which is used increasingly in school to reduce visual stress.
Southampton Autism Support Service (SASS)
Oasis Sholing continues to host the Southampton Autism Support Service (SASS) drop-in sessions every fortnight on Wednesdays, these are a great opportunity for you to learn, make new connections and to find that you are not alone in your journey with your child.
Next dates: 27th April 4pm–5pm | 11th May 4pm–5pm | 25th May 4pm–5pm. Come to the main reception.
International Autism Acceptance Week
Some of the world’s greatest minds have belonged to people diagnosed with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, some of whom have found aspects of everyday life challenging, despite their gifts The UN recognises international issues each year, most recently Autism Awareness Week, culminating in World Autism Awareness Day on 2nd April. At school this has been marked with assemblies about Autism and, during tutor time, students discussed Autism Acceptance Week and acceptance of difference.
The Schools White Paper
Proposals have been made by the government to make changes in the Education system, including provision for SEND. This will lead to changes once made into law, but what does it mean to parents? ‘The Special Needs Jungle’ is an informative website aimed at parents, and they have some useful information about these proposals; their article, ‘Schools White Paper: what are the implications for SEND?’ summarises the publication and offers different points of view.
RE: Minds
RE: Minds is another local charity we work with, who are supporting families of children with Autism. They are offering advice clinics and face to face meetings in Woolston, at St. Patrick’s Church, on these dates. Email info@reminds.org.uk for more information or check their Facebook Page.
Year 7
This half-term students learnt about Weather and Climate, including Hurricane Irma ad the ‘Beast from the East’! They have learnt how to interpret weather forecasts and describe climate graphs.
Year 7 Top Geographers are: Stanley Shacklock and Willow Spencer
Year 8
Throughout the Spring term Year 8 have studied Global Superpowers, learning specifically about China and how interconnected the world is. Their learning also reflected on a whole school assembly focusing on Fairtrade.
Year 8 Top Geographers: Matthew Collin and Jake Curtis
Year 9
After learning about Tropical rainforests, Year 9 explored deserts. Specifically looking at animal and plant adaptations. Next topic is Climate Change and Natural Hazards.
Year 9 Top Geographers: Anton Krawczyk and Benjamin Davidson
Year 10
Please ensure you have completed the consent form and Scopay for the Year 10 fieldwork to Highcliffe and Lyndhurst. Students have been learning about coastal landforms in preparation for their visit.
Year 10 Top Geographers: Salih Azimi and Jack Blake
Year 11
The Decision making exercise for Paper 3 has just been issued to the students, and the current focus is waste management in the UK. Intervention for Geography occurs every Thursday and Friday in HE3 and I encourage Year 11 to be using SENECA and their knowledge organisers to help them revise.
Year 11 Top Geographers: Jesse Pallot and Laura Giddins
Have a drink on us!
The Religious Studies department are very proud that our Academy has been recognised a School of Sanctuary, meaning that we provide a friendly and welcoming atmosphere to all students. Year 7 have completed some excellent work around understanding what it means to be a refugee and using their skill of empathy to consider how others might be feeling in that situation. Due to our School of Sanctuary status, we have been involved in creating welcome packs for refugees in Southampton. Lots of schools took part and each school was given one item to collect so that the refugee families would have the basics such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, coffee, jam, tea etc… Oasis Academy Sholing were assigned tea bags as the item we should collect. We had a wonderful response to this, we collected over 4,000 tea bags which have been distributed into the welcome packs.
We have also been linking what we know about refugees to the current crisis in the Ukraine, one of the Year 8 students has created this wonderful piece of artwork with a beautiful message it says:
Ukraine will never give up. You can win the war, I believe in you.
Well done to Adam Kopala!
Our RS stars for Spring term 2, who have an amazing attitude to learning and produce exceptional work are:
Year 11 Demi Rogers and Elizabeth Barnett
Year 10 Rahil Jamaranian and Millie Beaumont
Year 9 Rodrigo Goncalves Saboia and Maya Moffat
Year 8 Macey Cherry and Dominik Gorski
Year 7 Benjamin Cohen and Alexina Smirk
Year 7
Students have been learning to play Shape of You on the Keyboard. This scheme introduces students to keyboard skills, learning the names of the notes and familiarity with how pitch works on a keyboard. The scheme deliberately teaches children to play by ear, with very simple notation, so that the focus is primarily on enjoying playing familiar parts quickly. This builds students’ confidence playing the piano and means that they are prepared for more challenging content that is covered later in the year. The Keyboard skills unit builds character through developing a sense of confidence in performing individually. Alongside this, students will develop empathy and humility through listening to other performers in the class and giving constructive feedback. Students will also have the opportunity to work in pairs; developing team work skills.
Shoutouts – Tippi O’Reilly, Layton Wardle, Archie Thorne, Bobby Potter, Emma Marshall
Year 8 & 9
Due to Covid year 8 and 9 are following the same unit as Year 9s were in Bubbles and were unable to use all the instruments available to them. Students have been learning how to play Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi and Crown by Stormzy as a whole class band. It marks a significant turning point in the KS3 music curriculum. Up to this point, all students have played the same instruments, learning basic technique in drums, singing, guitar and keyboard. This scheme allows students to choose an instrument for the first time. Students remain on their instrument of choice for all following units that use these instruments, allowing each child to develop their musical identity and ensuring that they have as much time as possible to develop their skills on the instrument of their choice.
Shoutouts - Taylan Hart Y8, Emily Knight Y8, Laila Bonney Year 8, Shiya Smair Patel Y8, Maxwell Johnson Y8, Evelyn Elliot Y9, Jack Baldwin Y9, Max Miller Y9, Guzal Abdurahmanova Y9, Luke Groen Y9
Year 10
Students have been creating Genre PowerPoints, a detailed practical and theoretical look at different genres. They have been developing their understanding of different types of music product and the techniques used to create them, exploring how musical elements, technology and other resources are used in the performance, creation and production of music. They have practically explored the key features of different genres of music and music theory and applied their knowledge and understanding to develop their own creative work.
Shoutouts – Erica Lee, Jay Hatton, Jaiden Lane, Mo Zadeh, Charlie Guy
Year 11
Students have been sitting their final exam which is to turn an entire song into a different genre. This is in a similar vein to bands like Post-Modern Jukebox. They use relevant resources, skills and techniques they have learned to develop and refine musical material before presenting a final response. The last part of this exam is evaluating their own work through a written exam, they are currently working on the practical side.
Shoutouts – Shannon Lanaghan, Macey Witt, Caitlin Chappell, Harrison Day
FOOD AND NUTRITION
Year 7
The Year 7’s have been springing into action this half term, focussing on their practical assessment. They were given a brief to prepare & cook a vegetable jalousie, working independently to present their own dish. This is the moment when food teachers can stand back with pride & watch students demonstrate their culinary skills.
Well done to all!
To round off the Spring term we have been doing some Easter baking, and I hope that some of their wonderful Easter biscuits made it home for the family to enjoy.
This terms Foodie Hero: Abbie Foreman
Year 8
To continue with the home-cooked meal’s theme, the Year 8 students have been making a range of vegetarian dishes that are high protein, low in fat. They have demonstrated an understanding of how to use different cooking methods and ingredients to produce some truly amazing foods. These meals are a healthier alternative with a great flavour that they can cook again for families to enjoy.
This terms Foodie Hero: Ethan Jones
Year 9
Year 9 started this half term having great fun flipping pancakes in our kitchens. They then discovered that using the same batter recipe for toad in the hole, created steam to make Yorkshire puddings. This was a great way for students to understand food science before their very eyes.
Following this they have been making family favourites such as Mac and Cheese and Risotto.
This terms Foodie Hero: Mitchell Robinson
Year 10
We are proud to announce that we sent two students, Beatrix Balasoiu and Jayleigh Whitcher, to compete in the Local Heat of the Rotary Young Chef Cooking Competition. They were coached by Mr. Ranger over the weeks leading to this event. It was held at Southampton City College and judged by chef lecturers. They each prepared, cooked, and presented a three-course meal for 2 people in 2 hours. Well done Beatrix for your continued determination which resulted in a fantastic win. She then represented Oasis Academy Sholing in the Regional Final held at Southdown’s College.
This terms Foodie Heroes are: Beatrix Balasoiu and Jayleigh Whitcher
Year 11
As the final weeks draw closer to saying goodbye to our incredible Year 11 GCSE students, it gives us great pleasure to say “well done” and “thank you” for all your hard work. Each and everyone of you have put lots of effort in and gone the extra mile to complete the NEA 2.
Now the focus is on the last push to revise, revise, and revise for your written exam paper. Keep going, we know you will smash the exam 😊
This terms Foodie Heroes are: Dylan Hunt and Chloe Smith
Dear Students and Parents,
This is a fond farewell to you all. I have had an amazing 10 years of teaching at Sholing. The Food & Nutrition department is a busy one, where the students develop their independent skills and it has been a joy to see their confidence grow. I have taught families of sisters, brothers, cousins even aunts & uncles. Oasis Sholing truly has a sense of community of which I feel very proud to have been part of. I have so many lovely memories which I will take with me when I move to France.
Keep cooking, get creative & stay healthy.
Best wishes Mrs. Drewell
Computing Robotics Club
In September Mr Bull started a Computing robotics club open to all years. Since September, we have seen a variety of projects and extra-curricular activities. Year 7 students Eva Roper and Caitlin Weafer have been experimenting with Micro:bits and making them power our Move: robots. Michael Hazel and Jack Simmonds, also in Year 7, have made their own scratch games with some highlights including a boxing game and an archery game. In Year 8, Raul Peica Balosache has entered the national PA Raspberry pi competition and created a robot that can identify recyclable materials finding robot made from some of the robotics parts we have at the club. Some of the Year 9’s have experimented with the Arduino kits we have and have made circuits ranging from switching an LED on and off to getting a motor to turn. Calum Griffiths in Year 11 has shown great dedication to the club and has not only been doing his own projects of restoring an old computer but also helping some of the younger students with their own projects. Overall, we are proud of our computing robotics club as it offers a space for students to create, collaborate and learn a wide range of technological skills. It is also a space in which anyone is welcome to either pursuit an interest in technology or just experiment with robots.
This term has brought us to the end of the school netball season for all year groups. It has been a particularly exciting year for our netballers due to the ease of covid restrictions allowing us to compete against other Southampton Schools and put the two years of training into practise!
Every Tuesday after school league games and tournaments have been taking place at Southampton Sports Centre and Redbridge School, where year groups 8, 9 and 10 have successfully competed against several other local school teams. The enthusiasm and commitment from each of the students that have represented the school for this sport has been outstanding, and the level of teamwork and sportsmanship displayed has been great to see. The P.E. department would like to congratulate all the students below that have been a part of this:
Year 8 Team - finished 4th in their league
Georgia Sanger, Jessica Mathews, Tiani Badham, Sophie Lee, Darcey Jenkins, Laila Bonney, Chloe Godwin, Imogen May, Louisa Adams
Year 9 - finished 5th in their league
Mia Trudgeon, Sienna Nanson, Millie Bennett, Millie Moreno-Zumaquero, Emily McDonald, Emily Marshall, Megan Hewes, Evie Ward, Elizabeth Gatehouse, Grace Benge, Maya Moffatt, Molly Franklin
Year 10 - finished 5th in their league
Imogen Friel, Lacey Burke, Lucy Pratt, Amelia Hopkison, Sophie Healey, Lucy Sargeant, Olivia Taylor, Scarlett Fenton, Rosie Howard, Lauren Chambers, Beatrix Balasoiu, Angelina Korobeinikova, Evie Moreno-Zumaquero, Bea Sanger
From the fantastic level of netball demonstrated this year, we are looking forward to next years fixtures and competitions!
Hampshire Cricket Taster Session
Year 7 and 8 received taster sessions in gearing up for cricket season which starts after Easter. Rory delivered the sessions which were well received by our boys, a Hampshire cricket scout also selected five students to be invited to their community hub sessions. This programme will be delivered to the girls side of Year 7 and 8 after the Easter holidays, with Hampshire Cricket also committing to supplying a coach to lead weekly training sessions for our after-school club programme aimed specifically at girls' participation.
Weightlifting club
Lizzie from Riverside Weightlifting club has been delivering a 6-week crash course to our committed Year 9 weightlifters with the added bonus of a free taster session at her club. Lizzie will be back to offer this as a weekly club in the near future.
Football team success
Year 7 and 8 boy's football teams have had success, both teams beating Cantell School 8-6 and 6-1 respectively. The Year 7 team also played excellently against the top two teams in their division, playing out close losses against Wildern and Bitterne Park. The Year 9 team play The Gregg School and Woodlands this week.
Next term our focus turns to athletics with opportunities to be selected for our Athletics Sports Day and the City Championships. Opportunities will be presented in lessons and after-school clubs to hone their skills in the various track and field events.
PE Stars
Year 7
Endeavour Poore – For his excellent performance in cricket taster session with Hampshire Cricket and his continued commitment to the extra curricular programme
Alexina Smirk – For represented school in football and her excellent attitude in lessons.
Year 8
Ezekiel Philip – For his great commitment and performances for the school football team
Imogen May – For her consistent positive attitude in lessons and commitment to school netball team
Year 9
Jack Pracy – For his excellent performances and commitment to the school basketball team
Millie Bennett – For her excellent commitment to both netball and football teams/club and continued positive attitude in lessons.
Year 10
Dan King – For his conscientious and hardworking attitude in BTEC sport
Jaya Brown – For her excellent BTEC sport examination grade and continued hard work in our assignment unit.
Year 11
David Olszewski – For his conscientious and hardworking attitude in BTEC sport. David always works to his very best to produce assignment tasks
Elizabeth Barnett - For her conscientious and hardworking attitude in BTEC sport. Libby completes assignment tasks to an excellent standard.
England have the honour of hosting the Women’s Euro 2022 competition this year. We are excited to see how England’s women progress through this tournament. We have been lucky enough to secure 50 tickets to a Euro game being hosted at St Mary’s this summer. This will be an amazing opportunity for our students to watch Football live at international Level.
Health & Social Care
In health and social care Year 10 have been working really hard to complete their 2nd assignment. They completed assignment 1 in December. These assignments make up 30% of their overall BTEC grade so they are assessed constantly throughout this course. Year 10 have made an excellent start to their HSC course. Over 70% of Year 10 HSC students achieved their MEG or above in their first assignment which is an excellent achievement. All Year 10 students will be able to continue to work towards and above their MEG throughout assignment tasks.
Year 10 HSC stars of the half term:
Nisha Rathore – For her conscientious approach to her studies. Nisha has completed both assignment way before the deadline and is currently working at 3 grades above her MEG.
Chloe Oram- For her hardworking attitude, Chloe always completes tasks to the best of her ability and has completed both assignments at least 2 weeks before the deadline.
Year 11 completed their real exam in February which is worth 40% of their overall grade. This was their first official examination of Year 11 and they worked hard towards this exam since September. Results are due on 7th April. They are now all working on their final assignment which is a care value role play. They are on the final stretch and should achieve well if they continue to work hard.
Year 11 HSC stars of the half term:
Rachel Smith - For always working conscientiously and putting pride into every tasks she completed.
Demi Rogers – For her contribution in class and always working above her MEG target grade.
Big Ideas Competition – update!
Following on from the last newsletter, both the teams we entered into the Big Ideas competition have been successful in progressing to the regional finals due to be held at the University of Portsmouth on Monday 9th May!
We are very proud of the effort they have put in.
Congratulations to:
- team G.R.O.W.T.H with Grace, Phocea and Darcey who are working on a mental health mindfulness project
- team Calm are Annika, Laila, Chloe and Georgia working on a recycling and animal conversation project
Science superstars
Here are our latest shout outs...this half term’s ‘Science Superstars’ are:
7T4 Alfie Channel - Alfie works consistently hard, always contributing in lessons, finishing all the tasks I set and pushing himself to work his hardest every lesson and it is great to see how brilliantly he has grown as a scientist!
8T4 - Aidan Nutburn - Aidan has been working consistently hard, always contributing in lessons, finishing all the tasks I set and pushing himself to work his hardest every lesson.
9S1 - Rodrigo Goncalves Saboia - Rodrigo works incredibly hard, finishing all the tasks I set and pushing not just himself but those around him to work their hardest every lesson. Rodrigo is so helpful and encouraging and it is a pleasure to have him in class.
10S1 - Jaya Brown - Jaya started year 10 lacking confidence in her scientific ability and it has been my pleasure over the last few months to watch her grow into a hardworking, confident and enthusiastic scientist. She consistently works hard, answers questions, engages well and I am very proud of her.
11T2 - Scarlet Head - Scarlet started year 11 lacking confidence in their scientific ability and it has been amazing to watch her try her hardest to understand a subject they find challenging at times. She consistently works hard, engage in the lessons and intervention and I am very proud of her.
11S3 - Brooke White - After teaching Brooke for two years I have watched her become an incredibly hard working student who wants to achieve her best always! Her pride in her work, contributions in lessons and confidence in her scientific ability has been a joy to see develop this year and she deserves to be recognised for how hard she is trying.
11T3:Hamza Mirza: Has become incredibly focused over recent times, and pushed himself forward significantly, taking great pride in his work.
9S2: Owen Batchelor – has made amazing progress since last year (Meg of 2, but working at a 5!), he is highly focused in class and strives to achieve his best
10A1: Ted Whiting – Incredibly focused on his work, taking care with the detail and maintaining standards
7T1 – Megan Elton – consistency, always finishing work t high standard, in-depth answers, positive can-do attitude
10s3- Leo Kelly. Going above and beyond, sailing through all work, all correct, helping others, full attention at all times
7S3 – Noah Stovell for consistent hard work every science lesson
9T2 – Kyle Gregory – for the excellent progression and hard work.
8S4 – Sanjog Rathore – working hard and asking insightful questions.
10T2 – Lia Rose – for persistent hard work
10: Tony McGough – very inquisitive mind and clearly very interested in Science, with high calibre questions linked to the lesson
10 – Jamie Stubbington – for persistent hard work
KS3
In KS3, we have now finished our ‘Shakespeare Season’ which means we have been exploring the history, culture, and literature of both the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. We find that students love studying these plays, bringing parts to life and having the opportunity to be creative as well as analytical. Recently, students have been given the opportunity to be more creative and to develop their speaking and listening skills. We have had debates, speeches and discussions based on the texts they have just studied. We have also had the opportunity to reimagine scenes, write non-fiction style pieces of writing and take on the roles of particular characters.
After half-term, KS3 will be beginning their modern text or poetry units. This is their final unit this academic year, which mirrors their journey next year and into KS4 when they begin their GCSE texts. Years 7 and 9 will spend the summer term exploring unseen poems; Year 8 will study the allegorical text, Animal Farm.
We’d like to say a huge well-done to our fantastic Key Stage Three students.
Owen Batchelor, Year 9: for exceeding MEG in both assessments, extremely hard working and diligent. Wrote a letter to Romeo from Juliet's perspective and incorporated contemporary style into his letter such as "thou art...".
Jack Baldwin, Year 9: for his great achievement in his most recent assessment.
Mason Brodie, Year 8: for a fantastic diary entry he wrote from Caliban’s perspective and the effort he’s put into English this term.
Erin Ward, Year 8: for excellent effort in English and for exceeding her MEG in both assessments.
Sara Khan, Year 7: for working extremely hard in lesson, always being very polite and eagerness to do well.
Harvey Brandon, Year 7: for excellent attitude in lesson and working extremely hard to improve! Has even exceeded MEG in recent assessment. A great team player; during our spoken word, Harvey cheered on other students that were really nervous and helped them succeed.
KS4
At KS4, our students have been studying or revising our rigorous GCSE texts. Year 10 have just been introduced to Jekyll and Hyde and we have been continuing to build upon their thorough knowledge of the Victorian era.
After Easter break, Year 10 will be studying their modern prose text, An Inspector Calls. This will be an exciting new challenge where our students can again take on roles within the text, explore social context and develop critical approaches to a piece of fiction.
Year 11 will be beginning their final run up to their exams with their first exam in English starting on 18th May. We wish them all the success during this time.
We’d like to say a huge well-done to our fantastic Key Stage Four students.
Rosie Howard, Year 10: for her tenacity in class and dedication to her studies.
Jake Bryce, Year 10: for his outstanding attitude in English.
Leighton Bourke, Year 10: for his exemplary attitude and work ethic.
Daisy Cappell, Year 11: for her work ethic and originality of ideas.
Hadley Andrews, Year 11: for his hard work, effort and persistence to improve.
Chloe Bull, Year 11: for her dedication to the subject and taking the time to ensure she listens to advice in order to improve.
Extra-curricular Activities
The department runs a Debate Club every week to challenge and stretch our students. This is a wonderful opportunity for our learners to practise their fluency and articulacy. It allows them to share their viewpoint and learn about other people’s viewpoints in a constructive manner. Students also have a lot of autonomy in this club and so it is also instilling independence in all members.
This half term, our team has entered an international competition and placed 7th. This is an outstanding achievement and has been a great opportunity for the student involved. We look forward to seeing what they can achieve next.
As a department, we have entered the Rotary’s Young Writer Competition for several years. This year, we have had another success as one of our Year 9 students has won the regional final of the competition and has been elevated to the district final level. We are still awaiting dates for the next stage of the competition.
Literacy
Reading Plus has been successfully launched across the school. This is a new piece of software that all pupils have access to and it will run alongside Accelerated Reader. It will enable them to access a vast range of new and exciting texts to boost their reading ages.
Each KS3 year group has a reading club that is run weekly by one of the members of the English department. This is a great opportunity for our students to read and discuss a challenging text to which they might not always have access.
MEDIA
Our superb Year 11 Media Studies students have now finished their course so have the opportunity to revise the set products in readiness for their forthcoming exam. Their Spring mock results were really promising and we look forward to the main event in May!
Meanwhile Year 10 have been studying the computer game Fortnite as a media product and analysing what made it rise to meteoric fame in 2017, how it manages to appeal to such a diverse audience and how by embracing advances in technology and cleverly embedding it in popular culture it has become the most popular battle royale game!
Year 11 stars: Tilly Andrews and Emily Sargent
Year 10 stars: Sophia Meffen and Bradley Young
Greetings from Mr Parsons, Mrs Jeffery, Mr Dale and Mrs Sydenham. We are all incredibly proud of our students and hope that this gives you a little flavour of what students have been learning.
Year 7
Back in the February edition we wrote about how our Year 7 had been immersed in the 11th century. Since then we have explored the powerful Mongoloian empire established by the war-like Genghis Khan. Students considered the extent the Mongols acquired an Empire through strength and fear but also saw how efficient the Mongols could be and how after conflict they put a great deal of energy into imporving the lives of the ordinary people.
We also had to say goodbye to the great city of Constanintople, sacked by the Crusaders in 1204 and many of its spoils eneding up in Venice. One city falls, another one rises.
Finally we headed to Mali, the home of the richest person to have ever lived, Mansa Mousa. Students disovered the great lengths to hide their vast wealth, their gold mines. However, Malian gold flooded southern Europe and beyond and soon Mali was literally on the map. Students was the surprised to lean the possibility that perhaps too much gold is a bad thing. Mansa Mousa distributed so much gold on his way to Mecca, via Egypt that the value of gold actually fell. Horror!
It is now 1348. Pestilence has arrived in Europe. Live will never be the same again. The Black Death.
Year 7 History shout outs goes to: Eve Turner and Gurpreet Singh
Year 8
Last time around we informed you about how our Year 8 students had been considering the fluctuating nature of power the 17th century monarchs had. Since then, we have been considering the impact of the 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade. Did this come about because of the actions of the English Abolitionists or was it due to the actions of those that were enslaved. On top of this what had happened to Parliament to make them change their minds and abolish this dreadful trade of people? What was the most important factor that led to this landmark piece of legislation? Students will soon have to decide for themselves before producing a well-structured written answer. We have been impressed with the maturity of our students and their level of thought that has gone into learning about an uncomfortable period of British history.
Year 8 History shout outs goes to: Grace Burgess and Christopher McNulty
Year 9
Woodrow Wilson, the American President from 1913-1921 once referred to the Great War (later renamed World War One) as the ‘Wars to end all Wars’. Sadly, our Year 9s have been learning that this was anything but the case. Within twenty years, Hitler had gained control of Germany, had put the country on a war-footing and by invading Poland in 1939 had forced Britain to declare war on themselves. What resulted was a most terrible conflict that was finally ended by the decision taken by Harry S Truman to drop two nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Second World War had ended but this immediately triggered the start of the Cold War. Tensions between the West and the Soviet Union led to the creation of the so-called Iron Curtain and then by 1949 Communism seemed to have been spreading across South East Asia, starting in China, then Korea and later reaching Vietnam. Students learnt about the differing tactics of the Vietcong compared with the mighty American army. Protests spread across the USA, actions of Muhammad Ali considered as well as the roles of students, music and draft dodgers. Recently we have looked at the changing nature of warfare and wondering whether a ‘War on Terror’ could ever be won. Next up, the story of anti-Semitism through time, the Holocaust and other genocides through History.
Year 9 History shout outs goes to: Sandra Kulakevich and Eddie Lin
Year 10
Sadly, the wonderful reign of Elizabeth I had to end. We have said our farewells to sixteenth century Europe. We have sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and now find ourselves in 19th century America. Not that we would recognise this America. We began by learning that the Americans at the start of the 19th century had found themselves penned in by the Appalachian Mountains. The plains of America are dominated by the many tribes and bands of the Native Americans who follow a nomadic lifestyle on the heels of the buffalo that roam freely across the North American continent. No need to own land, as they constantly are on the move. Unfortunately, for the Native Americans the Americans are eager to explore and settle further West. This will be hard, fraught and deadly. The Donner Party in 1846-47 will find themselves stranded on the Sierra Nevada mountains whereas at the same time the Mormons, led by Brigham Young will successfully lead 16,000 Mormons out of the United States to the Great Salt Lake Valley. The West is about to get even wilder!
Year 10 History shout outs goes to: Imogen Friel and Ben Harris
Year 11
We are about to finish our history syllabus. All that is left is a brief study of how the Nazis changed Germany between 1933 and 1939. Everybody is affected, women, children, the unemployed, the Jews. Life is hard, intolerable and dangerous. The Gestapo has eyes and ears everywhere. The police state is highly effective in dealing with opposition. Children as young as ten, are forced into swearing an oath of loyalty to Hitler which includes sacrificing their lives for the Fuhrer. And on top of this the persecution of the Jews had begun. Hatred and intolerance is encouraged. It is clear that the Jews are not welcomed in Germany but where can they go? To what extent did the lives or ordinary Germans improve under the Nazis? Revision, lots of it is next. We wish our Year 11 students the best of luck for what will become a very busy period of their lives.
Year 11 History shout outs goes to: Aimee Withey and Ben James
Year 7
During this term Year 7 have focussed on key aspects of Geometry. They have looked at key angle facts and developed their reasoning skills by applying them to a variety of different contexts including parallel lines. As the half term has progressed they have been looking at different 2D shapes and exploring their properties including identifying different types of symmetry.
Year 7 Maths Stars: Brooke Palmer, Ashley Matthews
Year 8
This half term Year 8 have been looking at how we can represent real life examples on graphs, this included applying their knowledge on straight line graphs from last half term to contexts such as mobile phone bills. Later in the term they moved on to ratio, they reviewed their prior knowledge from Y7 of understanding what ratio is and simplifying moving on to how they can use the bar model to support their thinking to solve problems with ratio.
Year 8 Maths Stars: Scarlett Young, Jack Lewis
Year 9
Year 9 have been focusing on geometry in their mathematics lessons. They have looked at mathematical constructions using specialist equipment such as compasses and protractors, they went on to apply these skills by drawing different loci. Later in the term they moved onto looking at shape in a variety of contexts, applying the rules of congruency to triangles and using their understanding of similar shapes to enlarge.
Year 9 Maths Stars: Spencer White, Daisy Medley
Key Stage 3 Maths Club
This is open to all Key Stage 3 students (Y7-Y9), a member of the maths team is on hand each week to support students with their Hegarty Maths homework/revision but can also assist students who have found a concept difficult to grasp in lessons.
Year 10
Year 10 continue to work through the AQA GCSE Specification, this half term they focussed on fractions, decimals and percentages and their application to probability. When working on percentages they were able to see how they will use their future as they look to use different bank accounts and loans in the future. They have finished the half term by applying their knowledge of FDP to probability and Venn diagrams.
Year 10 Maths Stars: Lauren Chambers, Travis Trodd
Year 11
This half term Year 11 have been taught the last parts of the GCSE specification, the focus of lessons is now on identifying gaps in knowledge and developing students resilience in applying their knowledge in a variety of different circumstances.
Following the recent release of the advanced information from the exam board recently, students will be receiving comprehensive lists of what will be in each paper for their final GCSE with links to Hegarty Maths to enable them to revise knowledge and practise applying it.
Year 11 Maths revision runs every Tuesday after school down the maths corridor, this is open to all students who would like to attend.
Year 11 Maths Stars: Holly Fielder, Evan Bartlett
Maths Puzzles
What is the weight of each animal?
It has been a busy few weeks in the Art department! Year 7 have constructed clay pots ready to apply under the sea vs plastics design. They have thoroughly enjoyed their practical lessons, along with Year 8 who have finally started to paint their planned final pieces for the Abstraction project. They have been applying painting skills learnt this term, including hard edge painting and blending. Year 9 have been researching magazines and a new artist Hattie Stewart ready to produce magazine covers in her style. Doodle bombing is our favourite key phrase from her! Year 10 have finished researching and responding to Sarah Graham and are now moving on to respond to Claes Oldenburg. We are currently planning mod roc sculptures which is exciting, but messy! Year 11 have been applying a range of development ideas in sketchbooks in response to artists researched. There is a deadline after Easter to complete all coursework so students will need to work hard over Easter, and attend our Easter intervention which will include a workshop from our art technician Miss Willbourne.
Our star students are:
Yr 7 – Curtis Wilkinson and Emily Parratt
Yr 8 – Jack Venn and Olyvia Hayes
Yr 9 – Konrad Lejman and Bethany Westerman
Yr 10 - Photography – Lia Rose and Hayden Searle
Yr 10 – Art - Simran Kaur and Brook Spearing
Yr 10 – Textiles - Alicia Weeks and Ruby Allen
Yr 11 – Hamza Mirza and Harry Cannon
En classe de Francais
Year 7
This half term Year 7 have been looking at the topic of school. They have wrote their timetable in French, taught about their teachers and even discovered that some subjects aren’t taught in France and that the educational system is very different between our two countries.
Even though longer holidays and no uniform in France seem to be an attractive prospect, our students didn’t fancy having longer school days and even having school on Saturday mornings!
Our French stars this half term are: Emily Parratt & Caleb Groom
Year 8
This half term, Year 8 have studying the topic of food. Students were very excited to discover this topic and can now recognise food items on menus and can express their opinions on different food items as well as using 3 tenses. There has been some interesting discussion around who eats what at home too!
Did you know: There are between 350-450 distinct types of cheeses in France, one for each day of the year and more!
Our French stars this half term are: Sophie Lac & Louisa Adams
Year 9
Through our cultural awareness topic linked with our current French studies, our Year 9 have discovered what the French school system is all about. As well as talking about school, students have discovered the post-16 options available to their French peers: getting into an apprenticeship or going to University and the pros and cons of each option. This has been opened to discussion between the students expressing their own points of view whilst deepening their language skills.
Our French stars this half term are: Jack Baldwin & Ethan Louw
Year 10
Students have studied the topic of Freetime, enjoying listening to some French music and discovering which programmes are popular in France and the reasons why they are so popular amongst all age groups.
Fact: Did you know that on the 21 June you can attend free concerts in all towns, cities and villages in France to celebrate the beginning of Summer!
Our French stars this half term are: Lucy Pratt & Bertie Smith Gibbons
Year 11
Our current Year 11 have this half term completed their second set of full Mocks as well as revising the topic of Identity and Culture.
Although finding it quite a challenge at times, our Year 11 have always loved trying to deepen their language knowledge and showing off that they can use a wide range of tenses, numerous grammatical points and including WOW structures across various topics such as Holidays, Education & Work, Environment, Identity and Culture.
Students have now been given their individualised revision programme to go through for the next few weeks in order to be ready for their final exams taking place in May. Students must remember they have also got free access to EXAMPRO to deepen their linguistic skills.
Bonne chance pour vos révisions et vos examens!
Our French stars this half term are: Charlotte Lawrence & Evan Bartlett
Año 7 – My family and I
In Year 7 this Half Term we have been learning about Family and Friends. Students have learnt how to call the different family members, and they have also learnt how to describe their personality and looks! Furthermore, they are now able to say when their birthday is and how old they are, since they have been practising months of the year and numbers!
Estudiantes Excelentes: Luke Blake & Emily Spake
Año 8 – Food
This term we have been learning different foods in Spanish. Students have practised how to talk about the food they like or prefer and have learnt how to order foods in restaurants. Very important skills for holidays in Spain! They have also embraced different cultures through getting to know traditional dishes from different Hispanic countries.
Estudiantes Excelentes: Dylan Meacher & Darcey Jenkins
Año 9 – Education Post-16
Year 9 students have been learning about jobs, the Future and Conditional Tenses in Spanish to express what they would like to do when they finish school. Furthermore, they have learnt different activities they can do to earn pocket-money which are traditional in different Hispanic countries.
Estudiantes Excelentes: Benjamin Davidson & Julia Fairclough
Año 10 – Free time
In Year 10 this Half Term we have been learning about Free Time activities. Students have practised how to talk about their hobbies, their likes, and dislikes. They have also learnt different types of movies and shows in Spanish, as well as how to talk about Social Media and various electronic activities.
Estudiantes Excelentes: Sophie Peters & Ryan Trewin-Parker
Año 11 – Revision
This Half Term Year 11 has been completing their Mock exams, and now we have started getting ready for our Speaking Exam, which will take place in early May (How exciting!). We are preparing questions that will possibly be asked in the exam, as well as practising the different Modules and Themes that they require for GCSE. A massive “MUY BIEN” to all of them, as they are working very hard!
Estudiantes Excelentes: Aimee Withey & Rachel Smith
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Best wishes, Mr Brown
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