Hello and welcome to this week’s Wildern Weekly!

 

I am Miss Western and I teach within the Design & Technology Department and I am the Pupil Premium Coordinator, where I work with the Pupil Premium team to support our students in lots of different ways through their time at Wildern.

 

It has been a busy year so far for our Pupil Premium students, as a team, we run weekly or fortnightly sessions to support all year groups and have run some exciting projects and trips. These include Year 9, 10 and Year 11 revision support, Year 7 Jack and the Beanstalk and Year 8 pathways. 

 

We have lots of exciting projects coming up, with Year 8 starting an ocean health research project this coming week. 

The project explores our oceans and what we can do to support preserving them. We will send off student work to Blue Peter for students to receive their very own Blue Peter Badge. Last year, 50 students received their very own Blue Peter badges. This is such an amazing achievement and a great way to showcase their hard work. If you are interested in doing this with your child, please see more info here.

 

This year, alongside Mr Walmsley, we have set up The Wildern Prom Shop. This is a free hire service, offered to all of our Year 11 students attending prom. We have had amazing support from our community who have donated over 50 outfits for our students to wear to prom and are excited to see them all dressed up in July! We have also had support from Timpsons, who will be dry cleaning the outfits which we are very grateful for. 

 

If your Year 11 student does not have a prom outfit to wear, we may be able to help!  If so, please email wildern@wildern.org with the subject line ‘Prom Shop’ and we will organise a session to come and see what we have available and hopefully go home with an amazing outfit! 

Whole School

Monday 12 May Week A

Thursday 15 May Parent information evening: Education for Life & RSE (Relationship & Sex Education)

Friday 16 - Saturday 17 May DoE Practice Camp

Monday 19 May Week B

Wednesday 21 May National Numeracy Day

Thursday 22 May Parent information evening: E-Safety

Friday 23 May Last Day of term

Monday 26 May - Friday 30 May Half Term

Monday 2 June  Week A

Year 7

           Thursday 15 May ICT Bletchley Park Trip

Year 8

            Monday 12 May Year 8 GL Assessments Week

 Year 9

Tuesday 13 May Science Royal Botanical Gardens Trip

Year 10

Tuesday 13 May Science Royal Botanical Gardens Trip

Wednesday 4 + Thursday 5 June Hengistbury Head Trip

Monday 9 + Tuesday 10 June Hengistbury Head Trip

Paultons Park Trip 2025

 

Your child has the opportunity to take part in a whole school visit to Paultons Park.  This is a great day for staff and students to spend together building relationships and making memories whilst enjoying the fantastic rides and activities the park has to offer.

 

This is a fantastic opportunity for Year 7 & 8 and Year 9 & 10 to spend the day together and we have secured a superb rate for tickets.

Parent Information Evenings

 

RSE & Education for Life  - Thursday 15 May 2025 - 6 - 7pm

Organiser: Mr Ware

Venue: School Hall

Book your space here

 

 

E-Safety  - Thursday 5 June 2025 - 6 - 7pm

Organiser: Mr Knight

Venue: School Hall

Book your space here

No letters for Year 7 

Year 8 - Legoland Trip - Thursday 5 June 2025

The Science department would like to offer your child the opportunity to visit Legoland, Windsor. The trip includes entry to Legoland and a 60 minute workshop, focusing on the energy and forces around rollercoasters.  Sign up on Parent Pay - Deadline is Friday 16 May 2025

Year 8 - Chromebook Scheme (September 2025)

Please see attached letter with all the information, benefits and sign up information with regards to the Chromebook Scheme for September 2025 when your child is in Year 9. Deadline is Monday 2 June 2025

No letters for Year 9 

Year 10 - AI & Assessments

A quick guide for students on using AI for assessments. 

Year 11 - Prepare to Perform Newsletter

Please see latest the latest edition of the Prepare to Perform Newsletter

Year 11 - Exam Instructions

Please click here for a quick video from The Exams Boards with regards to instructions for Candidates 2024/25

We are very grateful to Michael Homer, a locally based military veteran who happened to be 6 years old at the time of VE Day and was happy to share his experiences with the Wildern Community.

 

The full interview can be found here

Our new student leadership team is now in place, looking superbly smart with their new ties and badges, and they have begun some of their prefect training!

 

There are 60 prefects in total: 4 head students, 12 senior prefects, and 44 prefects. They have now begun carrying out duty responsibilities around the school at break times helping keep corridors moving smoothly and managing students in the canteen queue. Further responsibilities will be added to their roles soon so that they have meaningful opportunities to impact school life even further. Some have also helped welcoming students from our non-feeder primary schools to Wildern on a visit. It is superb having such excellent students making Wildern a better place.

 

Next week, the whole prefect team will be having a video call Q&A session with a member of the House of Lords, learning all about leadership, how the country runs and what the House of Lords is like. This is a new opportunity this year as part of their leadership training programme.

Mental health is everything

 

Mental health is more than just a small part of our lives.

 

It’s connected to every little thing we do, every place we go and every person around us. Mental health is our physical health, our finances, our relationships. It’s part of our defining moments and the day to day.

 

Despite this, a recent Mind survey found public attitudes and understanding of mental health have started to go backwards. The mental health system is under enormous strain. 

 

Mind Charity is campaigning for decision makers to do more to prioritise mental health alongside the other big issues in society and asking for everyone to help them make sure no mind gets left behind.

 

We will be focussing on Mental Health Awareness week in tutor time EL next week to raise awareness amongst our student community.

Year 10 were incredible during the recent practice interviews, and I couldn’t be prouder of how they conducted themselves throughout the day. The feedback from our volunteers was overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting the students’ confidence, maturity, and clear focus on their future aspirations.

 

One volunteer from Fareham College remarked that our students' behaviour was far superior to that of other schools they had recently visited. Similarly, a representative from Peter Symonds College commented that the students' performance clearly reflects the strength of our careers provision.

 

I wanted to take a moment to share all this positivity with you. It was a truly impressive showing from the entire cohort and a real testament to their hard work and the support they’ve received.  

Tuesday 6 May - Year 10 Football V Bitterne Park - Southampton Schools City Cup Final  -  Lost 3-3 (5-4) on penalties.                                        

 Wednesday 7 May - Here is a photo of the students who took part in the first athletics meet of the season at Winchester Athletics Track.

Wednesday 7 May  - 

Congratulations to the U14 Boys Basketball team who defeated Wyvern College 53-41 in the final of the Southampton and District Schools Basketball Association Plate at Solent University on Wednesday. 

A fantastic event, a fantastic experience and fantastic team! 

Please see the menu for our hot food options for next week.

 

The main school meal deals are £3.20 which is in line with all Hampshire schools. In a meal deal, students can get one of the meal choices below with a bottle of plain water and a cookie or piece of fruit.

• either of the hot meal options,
• a jacket potato,
• a pasta pot,
• a chicken or beef burger,
• a salad pot (from the salad bar)

We encourage all families to use the free school meals eligibility checker, which can be found here, to determine if they qualify for this entitlement. 

 

Please remember, we can adapt the majority of meals to any dietary needs if we know in advance (your child can speak to kitchen staff by visiting the kitchen before 8:30am that day). Main A/B vegetarian options are always available - just ask Dan and his team.

 

* correct at time of sending, but may be subject to change

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about E-Safety

 

The sharing of intimate images online can be a dangerous avenue through which abusers seek to exploit children and young people, forcibly exposing them to explicit material, coercing them into sharing self-generated intimate images, and extorting them with the threat of sharing such images more widely. From reputational impact to potential blackmail or emotional distress, and even legal consequences, exposure to this harmful behaviour can have a severe impact.

 

It’s important to remember that the creation and distribution of explicit material featuring under-18s – even by the child themselves – is illegal under UK law. Our guide looks at the serious concerns associated with this behaviour, and lets parents and educators know how best to address these issues and protect young people.

Every Student Matters, Every Moment Counts

 

Follow us on social media:

Wildern School

Wildern Lane

Hedge End

Southampton

Hampshire

SO30 4EJ

 

01489 783473

 

#WeAreWildern