Dear Parents
Successful Lives Day yesterday was a great opportunity for young people to have a day focussing on something to develop their broader skills or futures thinking. Year 7 had a Classics Day and it was lovely to see them practice their Latin, Year 8 had a STEM day and participated in various activities to explore recycling , Year 9 had a Life Skills Day, Year 10 visited Bath University and Year 12 visited the University of Cardiff. Thank you to all staff involved in designing, leading and supporting these activities.
The Year 8 and 9 Carnegie Group met yesterday for the announcement of this year’s winner which was The Boy Lost in the Maze by Joseph Coelho. The shadow group have thoroughly enjoyed reading the shortlist, as have I, and felt that Crossing the Line by Tia Fisher should have won, a view shared by shadow groups across the country. Thank you to Mrs Lucas and Mr Southwood for working with the shadow group and along with Miss Wilson at Book Group, encouraging our young people to explore new things and step outside of their comfort zones with what they read. See further details of the shortlist in the article below.
Thank you to those of you who completed our parent survey, please see here a summary of the results and the actions that we are taking as a result.
Price and Buckland have asked us to remind you that the cut-off for uniform orders to guarantee delivery for September is 1 August. Please see further details on the linked leaflet.
I am looking forward to Sports Week next week which has been organised by School Parliament and our Student Ambassadors to raise money to refurbish our changing rooms to maximise use after the exciting renovation of the gym earlier in the year. Please support this by encouraging young people to get involved in the many activities taking place or by donating at Hardenhuish Sports Week – JustGiving. The week concludes with Sports Day on Friday which I am looking forward to.
A reminder that we have TD Day on Monday so no young people in school. Enjoy the long weekend!
Lisa Percy
Headteacher
Year 8-9 Carnegie Award Shadowing Group
For the last 3 months a fantastic group of Year 8 and 9 pupils have been shadowing the prestigious Yoto Carnegie Book Awards. They’ve been reading the 8 books on the shortlist and meeting weekly in the Resources Centre with Mrs Lucas to discuss and debate the books and their themes.
On Thursday of this week, the Award’s winner was announced, so the Shadowing Group spent the day on Thursday bringing together their ideas and opinions about the books and deciding which book they thought deserved to win. (‘Crossing The Line’ by Tia Fisher and ‘The Song Walker’ by Zillah Bethell were their preferred choices, by the way!) They then watched the live stream of the awards ceremony over lunch, where it was announced that ‘The Boy Lost in the Maze’ by UK Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho was this year’s winner.
Mrs Lucas, who coordinated this year’s Shadowing Group, said, “It has been such a pleasure to spend the last few weeks working with this amazing group of pupils, hearing their (often very opinionated!) thoughts about the 8 wonderful books on this year’s shortlist. I have been inspired by the pupils’ enthusiasm and engagement in the whole process, and I highly recommend all of the books on the 2024 shortlist to anyone looking for their next great read.”
Cepen Lodge Care Home Sports Day!
Year 10 Health and Social Care students visited Cepen Lodge Care Home on Wednesday to take part in their Sports Day. It was a joyous visit and our students thoroughly enjoyed meeting and getting to know the delightful residents and staff. They enjoyed a BBQ together and then took part in a range of fun Sports Day activities from egg and spoon to a space hopper race.
A huge thank you to Cepen Lodge for hosting the event, and we look forward to welcoming you into Hardenhuish for an afternoon tea very soon!
Blake Hill Visit
Year 8 students enjoyed a trip to Blake Hill Farm this week thanks, in part, to funding from the Hardenhuish Educational Trust. This was hosted by staff who work for the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.
Blakehill Farm was once an airfield during the Second World War and many Dakotas took off from there as part of the D Day landings to bring vital supplies to the troops and injured soldiers home. It is now the UK’s largest grassland restoration project and one of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s largest reserves.
During the trip, the students took part in a nature hunt using binoculars to spot wildlife and had a tour of the farm site to learn about the equipment they use to care for the land and the cattle. They also enjoyed exploring the surrounding meadows and plant, insect and bird life and learnt about conservation grazing. A big thanks to our hosts and the Trust for funding the trip. The students had a fabulous day in the sunshine!
Hamilton Theatre Trip
A great time was had by all last night when 70 pupils and staff went to see ‘Hamilton’ at Bristol Hippodrome. A standing ovation at the end topped off what was an amazing performance of pacy storytelling through a musical theatre mash up of hip hop / rap /R&B / dance. Not to mention the ingenious staging, lighting, sound and costume.
Thanks to our fantastic Year 10, 11, 12 and 13 Drama, Dance and Music students who were beautifully behaved and to all the staff who supported the trip.
Paula Willcox
Election Hustings Event
On Friday 14 June 19 history and politics students attended the local election hustings at Sheldon School. Candidates from the Chippenham constituency running for the upcoming general election were present. Students from both schools were able to ask some pressing questions about the current government and plans for potential new governments. Questions ranged from who has been your favourite Prime Minister to what are the pressing concerns for the first term of any new government? The candidates were highly engaging and were able to express themselves well. Later this month we shall be gearing up for a mock election at Hardenhuish, where pupils will be asked to take part in casting their votes following a campaign led by the Year 12 politics students. More to follow.
School Calendar – Hardenhuish School