The end of the Spring Term is always a poignant moment in the school year. For the younger students, it heralds the arrival of the summer, longer days and warm weather. For the older students, it signals the start of the exams and the seriousness of the looming GCSEs. And for the staff, it marks the last ‘big push’: the mocks are over, the syllabus almost delivered and the revision schedule about to commence. As a teacher, it’s the time when all of your thoughts are devoted to your Year 11 classes; the subtle nudge, the friendly reassurance and sometimes a nag of desperation to support your students over the finishing line. As a parent of a child going through the tribulations of GCSEs, the exam timetable will be stuck on the fridge and you’ll be ticking off the exams faster than you could imagine. Emotions will run high, there may be tears, there may be tantrums and, oh, there may be apathy. But remember the mantra of ‘keep calm and carry on’ has helped many a parent navigate these choppy waters. Over many years in the world of secondary education, the collective wisdom of parents has shown that the best tips to help your teenager through the exam season are:
help your child to have good sleep routines; they won’t perform at their best if they’re tired;
make a revision timetable and help your child to stick to it – it saves lots of last minute panic;
make sure your child has a quiet space to work and revise and away from distractions (including phones and devices!);
‘all work and no play make Jack or Jill a dull boy or girl’: time to switch off and do something completely different is really important;
And, of course, tell them how much you love them and reassure them that if they do their best, that’s all you can ask of them.
I wish you all a relaxing Easter break and whether you’re finishing Lent or Ramadan, I hope your celebrations are joyous.
Click here to see what's on next week:
Monday 17 April
Nothing advised
Tuesday 18 April
Nothing advised
Wednesday 19 April
Nothing advised
Thursday 20 April
Nothing advised
Friday 21 April
Nothing advised
INSET Days for 2022/23
Monday 19 June 2023
Friday 21 July 2023
Every effort is made to ensure these dates are accurate. There are occasions when circumstances beyond our control may result in changes
Charity Quiz Night for Musuclar Dystrophy
A huge thank you to staff, past and present, who supported the Quiz Night last Friday 24 March supporting Kate Lerway. Mrs Lerway used to work in school as a Teaching Assistant.
She will be running the London Marathon on 23 April 2023 (two days before her 60th birthday) to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy. There were 17 teams and Mr Browes’ team collected the winner’s prize. A fantastic £950.00 was raised. Mrs Lerway has now met her target of £2,000. Thank you to Jamie Barratt for setting and asking the questions and keeping order! Thank you to the Site Team for their help in setting up and clearing away.
Year 11 Prom Payment Update
This is a reminder that the second instalment for Year 11 Prom is due on 3 April 2023. If you have not yet made a payment and you wish for your child to attend, it is not too late. Please find the sign-up letter in the 'Letters you may have missed' section.
Congratulations to the following students whose art work has been selected to support our anti-bullying messages in school. During anti-bullying week, we launched an art competition across Lower School and received some amazing entries - we are excited to share and announce our winners!
Year 7 were asked to design a badge that championed anti-bullying. Our winners are: Lily W 7MJS, Maisie K 7MJS, Evie W 7LHK/EPK and Megan S 7LHK/EPK and their work was amalgamated to create our final product.
Year 8 were asked to create a poster that supported the anti-bullying messages of ‘reach out’ and ‘be an upstander, not a bystander’. Congratulations to Lara W 8IHS.
Year 9 were tasked with creating some art that helped promote kindness, positivity and calmness. Libby J 9HCS, Emme H 9HCS, Kyla R 9HCO/CFT, Finley M 9HCS and Would L 9HCO/CFT have all had their work framed to be displayed in school.
Anti-Bullying Ambassadors - Easter Kindness
A big thank you to our Anti-Bullying Ambassadors for their successful 'Easter Kindness' campaign. The Ambassadors arranged for students to send a message and a chocolate treat to friends and teachers across the school. Thank you again and well done for demonstrating kindness, independence and resilience.
Sophie H 8JBY
Scarlet D 8JBY
Autumn V 9JLR
Alison R 10RLR/SOE
T20 Schools Takeover at the Ageas Bowl - Vitality Blast
The BIGGEST EVER Schools Takeover on is Wednesday 7 June as T20 champions Hampshire Hawks take on Somerset in the Vitality Blast at The Ageas Bowl.
The Hampshire Hawks Schools Takeover offers 50% off tickets to watch Hampshire Hawks in T20 action on Wednesday 7 June. With a dedicated schools area and a range of activities to participate in throughout the evening, this is an unmissable opportunity to engage students in the nation's favourite summer sport.
Use our Promo Code to get your 50% off Somerset Tickets!
Here is an overview, written by Mr Osbourne - Director of Sports Academy, regarding the U16 Girls' football district cup final:
The U16 Girls' football team took on Thornden School in the District Cup Final on Tuesday 28 March at Stoneham Lane Football Complex. The girls were in the final for a second consecutive year after winning the competition last year.
The girls played superbly and controlled the game for longer periods but were dominant in the first half. We opened the scoring after 10 minutes with a direct through ball over the top of the opposition defence by Mallon to play in Hanley who calmly rounded the keeper to make it 1-0. A second goal followed after a failed clearance from a corner that fell to Hammick about 20 yards out who hit a shot across the keeper to be placed in the far corner. A third and fourth goal followed by Bailey with a reaction finish from a failed clearance and then a long range effort from Mallon which hit the underside of the bar and in. A commanding 4-0 lead at half time.
In the second half, Thornden committed more numbers forward and after a mistake in defence Thornden capitalised and made the game 4-1. However, it wasn’t long until Mountbatten scored a fifth, after a corner kick fell nicely for Lines at the back post to prod in the fifth. The game continued throughout the rest of the second half with both teams having chances to add to the scoreline. Thornden scored a consolidation second with a minute to go. The game finishing up Mountbatten 5 Thornden 2.
Music Tuition - Summer Term Payments
We would like to remind you that music tuition fees for the Summer Term 2023 are now due. Please check your Scopay account to view the amount owing and make immediate payment.
Fees for the Summer term are £95.00 with the exception of piano tuition which are £120.00 (if your child is eligible for Pupil Premium, please be aware that Pupil Premium discounts have been applied to your account).
If you have any queries or wish to discuss payment options, please contact The Finance Department.
Congratulations to the following students who have passed Percussion Academy Drum Kit exams:
Isaac T 9JLR Drum Kit Grade 3 with Distinction
Peter B 7ERL Grade 1 with Distinction
Niamh H 8RLE Grade 1 with Distinction
Noah B 7HHN Debut Grade with Merit
James M 7TAS Debut Grade with Merit
Evan T 8KMN/JLE Debut Grade with Distinction
RSHE (Relationships, Sex, & Health Education) is taught by Tutors to their Tutor Group once a week. Tutors deliver discussion based lessons which allows our students to explore a range of topics to effectively prepare our young people for success in the modern world with the knowledge, understanding and desire to keep themselves safe, happy, healthy, respectful and tolerant. Our aim is to empower them with the resilience and confidence to make a difference to their own and others’ future.
Year 7
This half-term Year 7 have been looking at how to lead healthy lifestyles by considering what health and fitness is before identifying the need for good food, sleep and exercise habits. Students have also explored the impacts of energy drinks and caffeine based drinks on health and fitness and the law.
Students have just started to look at the body’s physical changes during puberty and this will continue after half-term. They will then move onto the importance of sleep and the benefits of good sleep hygiene. The half-term will then finish with a look at how the virtual world can impact how you feel about yourself and what behaviours are and are not appropriate online.
Year 8
This half-term Year 8 have been exploring the benefits of healthy lifestyles and good physical health as well as how to maintain positive mental health and wellbeing when using social media. Media bias and different media sources has also been covered so we can encourage students to consider what influences they may be exposed to and how they can start to consider the validity of information.
Next half-term Year 8 are looking at mental health and wellbeing and different ways of coping or managing their feelings and emotions. They are encouraged to identify what strategies they respond positively to and why self-care is important.
Year 9
Year 9 started the New Year considering what supports healthy living and how they can lead a healthy lifestyle. They have then considered what body image is and how this can be influenced and affected by internal and external factors. This then led onto covering mental health and wellbeing. Year 9 have explored what mental health is, what the different stages of mental health are and what strategies can support good mental health and wellbeing.
Next half-term Year 9 move onto completing a practical workshop on Emergency First Aid. The students who demonstrate a good practical understanding of the emergency aid will be certificated through St John’s Ambulance. This half-term also includes the topic of consent and how to avoid assumptions as well as freedom and capacity to consent. The law around consent and intimate relationships is shared with students also.
Year 10
Year 10 started the term with a recap on healthy living and positive lifestyle choices.
They then went on to identify what a role model is and how this can support personal progress and decision-making. This then led into exploring the impacts of drug and alcohol use. This will continue into the next half-term before they start to prepare for their work experience placements.
Year 11
Year 11 recapped healthy living before moving onto some practical emergency aid training. Students who engaged well with the sessions and demonstrated good practical understanding of CPR will be certificated by St John’s ambulance.
Students have also explored contraception and sexual health. The different methods of contraception and their efficacy have provided to ensure students are as informed. Students have been signposted to some external agencies that offer support. Youth In Romsey offer support and guidance and information can be found on their website, where details of further services can also be found, as well as what they offer.
Next half-term, students will prepare for mock exams and then revisit consent, explore coercion and consider risky behaviours.
Should your child wish to seek support in any of these topics or about anything else that is worrying them, please advise them to speak to their form tutor in the first instance or request some support from our Student Support team by completing the Student Support form on the student area of the school website.
We have our reporting system 'TootToot' where students can report anonymously or with their name.
Childline also offer a range of support and resources.
Part of the healthy living topics include discussing the need for good sleep habits. Support with teenage sleep can be found at Teen Sleep Hub which is part of The Sleep Charity.
To support with children’s mental health and wellbeing please visit Place2Be's Website.
Parties by Personal Best Education
If you're looking for a memorable birthday, why not try our newest party package, Nerf Battles! Cost starts from £180.00 and includes venue hire, safety equipment, guns and loads of ammo! Find out more information via the button below!
For alternative parties, such as the inflatable obstacle course, or to book click the button below.
In this episode, a group of students meet Mr Portas, our new Headteacher, and ask him questions about the things that matter to them. From what makes Mountbatten special through the controversial topic of pineapple on pizza!