Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of the Wildern Weekly from the  Learning Support team led by Mrs Fleeman (SENCo) and supported by Ms Pine (Deputy SENCo) and our two admin assistants Mrs Graham and Mrs Trodd. We have a wonderful team of fifteen teaching assistants – including an Emotional Literacy Support (ELSA)/ELKLAN trained Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SCLN) Assistant and an Autism Ambassador.

 

Regardless of differences in behaviour and abilities, the Learning Support team believe that all our students can do anything they put their mind to if we offer them motivation and enthusiasm in our support. Promoting positive attitude, determination and curiosity, we build confidence and promote independent learning ensuring that no child is left behind. We understand that emotional and social barriers are often obstacles that many of our SEN students face; by removing these barriers we create safe spaces to nurture students. By providing resources and opportunities they will fulfil their potential in achieving academic success but, above all if we share the belief that they can do it, they will achieve.

 

We are exceptionally proud of the academic progress our students make at Wildern.  2022 GCSE results demonstrate that our SEND students achieved half a grade more in each of their subjects when compared nationally to students of a similar ability. When comparing data with other SEND students nationally, our students achieved over a whole grade more in each of their subjects. We believe that this reflects not only the hard work of our students but also the efforts of our teachers who provide excellent quality first teaching.

  In this issue...  

Dates for your diary,       Communications,       Reminders,        90 years of Wildern,

Spotlight ( British Science Week ),    

Keeping safe ( 5 Top Tips for supporting Health & Wellbeing  )

Hot food menu,       Sports results & fixtures,       Extra-Curricular,       E-Safety

Some of our key policies, expectations and processes explained

Attendance matters!

A student is considered to be 'Persistently absent' nationally if their attendance is below 90%. This is equal to 20 missed school days a year.

 

If you have any concerns about your child's attendance, or need support please contact your child's tutor, their DOPA or look at our website for more info.

 

We truly believe Every Student Matters, Every Moment Counts and want to see all students in school, every day.

Mobile Phones

We have seen a rise in students using their mobile phone or earphones/airpods in school without permission. Our policy is that staff will confiscate these, place them in the safe and the following will happen:

• First Confiscation - Student signs for phone at reception and gets phone back at 3pm.  Parents will be informed of this via email.
• Second Confiscation -  Student signs for phone at reception and gets phone back at 3pm.  Parents will be informed of this via email and the student's DOPA will be in touch. This will include a discussion about a way forward to prevent a repeat occurrence. A third confiscation would lead to the phone not being returned to the student at the end of the day.
• Third Confiscation - Phone not returned to student.  Parent will be contacted to collect it.

Detention Processes: If your child receives a detention from a member of staff the following process happens:

• If it is set for lunchtime, then the member of staff setting the detention will make sure the student knows where and when it will take place.
• If a student does not arrive at the detention, then this will escalate to an after school detention, duration of one hour. The student and parent will get notification of this via email. This will detail the time and date of the detention. This will either be a faculty based detention, a pastoral detention or a punctuality detention (this is the same day and will be notified by text as well).
• Failure to attend these detentions means an SLT detention is set for 90 minutes on a Wednesday or Friday after school.
• Each time you will be notified by email, so please keep an eye on the inbox of the email account we contact you through.
• Sometimes students will state that they did not get a reminder slip to tell them of the detention. Reminder slips are us trying to help students remember and if these do not get to them, this is not an excuse for the student not to attend. The notification is the email sent to inform you of the detention.

  All Years  

The Big Clean: Saturday 18 March 10am

 

  Year 7 
Science trip to Legoland

  Year 8 
HPV Vaccination information and consent form with school code SH136654. The consent form must be completed by 17 March.
Year 8 pathways forms need to be completed by Monday 20 March.

 

  Year 9  
There are no reminders for Year 9

 

  Year 10  

Year 10 Science Classes - these will be changing after Easter, to ensure that students are best placed to achieve their potential in Science. Look out for new timetables during the last week of term. 

College Taster Days: If your child has selected Peter Symonds as their preferred College Taster Day choice they will have received another email asking them to register with the college and select their chosen courses for the day. There is also a guide attached to the email explaining this process. The deadline for this is 28 March. Peter Symonds is the only college that asks us to do this so early, more details about the other colleges will be sent to students in due course.

 

  Year 11  

WAD: The final Year 11 WAD has been sent home and is on INSIGHT so students have time to address any issues raised in the Behaviour for Learning codes before their exams. Please do watch the video sent with it about how to talk to your child about WAD that is also linked here

 

Message from Fareham College: If we haven't managed to reach you to progress your application then we are holding drop-in sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays 3pm - 5pm at our Bishopsfield Road campus and Mondays and Thursdays 3pm - 5pm at CEMAST. Simply drop by and one of our Careers Advisors will be happy to help you!

 

Year 11 Parents evening - 23 March

ESP timetable - Spring 2
Monday 20 March: Maths (MN) / Science (PQ)
Tuesday 21 March: Spanish / German

Wednesday 22 March: Computer Science

Science: PQ population ESP Monday 20 March. Invitations will be sent home in the coming week for students expected to attend. For any students not invited for small group work,  there is a Science clinic in room 317 - all welcome. 

Fareham College is hosting a Higher Education Evening on Tuesday 21 March, 5.30pm – 7.30pm. This Higher Education evening will focus on Student Life discussing topics such as wellbeing at University, student finance, the transition from Further Education to Higher Education and more! There will also be the opportunity to talk to a variety of universities and student alumni, as well as finding out more about our Higher Education options at Fareham College.  Parents/carers should click here to register attendance. 

On the 22 and 23 March we are interviewing for our next Head Student team!  Our current team has been fantastic and they have modelled so many of the qualities and characteristics we would love our whole student community to grow and develop in. Here’s why they believe this role matters…

 

“The most important part of the Head Student role is being able to help teachers and students alike with good deeds, charity and promoting student voice, which helps to drive change.”

Ed (Head Boy)

 

“You’re given an opportunity to make a difference. All the hard work to get to this point has paid off, and enables you to better the environment you and your peers work in.”

Ava (Head Girl)

 

“The most important thing is being a voice for those that don't have the ability or confidence to speak up and drive change. You will be the driving force of important issues for students.”

Georgina (Deputy Head Girl)

 

"You are seen as a beacon for the school and being a leader. It is really needed as you can be an ordinary student other students can aspire to "

Nana (Deputy Head Boy)

In 1963, there were four school houses: Bedford, Duke, Paxton and Sovereign. These were named after types of strawberries as a nod to the previous use of the land the school was built on. In the early 1900s, locals and those that travelled to the area would work the fields from mid-May, and were known as “Joe Pickers” after the Sir Joseph Paxton strawberry, the best-known variety at the time.

 

Over time these have changed and the house system was relaunched in 2012 to include 6 houses; Bedford, Driscoll, Alba, Sovereign, Jubilee and Paxton.

 

A number of local roads in Hedge End are also named after strawberry varieties including Sovereign Drive, Sengana Close, Precosa Road, Tamella Road, Gento Close, Bedford Close, Duke Road and Paxton Close.

British Science Week

This week we have celebrated British Science Week. Students have been experiencing science in all of their subjects. and took part in an Element Hunt on Tuesday 14 March, where they had to find as many staff members dressed as elements to win a prize.

 

There were many exciting experiments taking place as well throughout the week.

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

Join us at 10am on Saturday 18 March for the Great Big Wildern Spring Clean! Book your place here.

If for any reason a club is cancelled, the Library is open until 5pm Monday-Wednesday, and until 4:30pm on Fridays.

What Parents and Carers Need to Know about Spotify

 

With around 60,000 songs added to its online library every day, Spotify is a vast treasure trove of audio dating from some 19th century recordings through to giants of the download age like The Weeknd and Ed Sheeran. Factor podcasts, audiobooks and videos into the mix, and the Swedish-based streaming platform quite literally offers something for everyone. 

 

Not everything in Spotify’s depths is universally suitable, however. The sheer mass of music and content on the platform mean that, naturally, not all of it is intended for younger listeners. With an audio chat service available and media reports of predatory activity, our guide highlights other aspects of Spotify which trusted adults ought to be in the loop about. In the guide you'll find tips on a number of potential risks such as age-inappropriate lyrics, an audio chat function and recent reports of predatory activity.