Welcome back to the final half term of the academic year! It feels like only yesterday we were welcoming everyone back in September!

 

This half term is always a busy one with so much happening, sports days, Paulton's Park, showcases, our first Cultural Day, multiple trips and visits and the Prom to name a few!

 

Speaking of the Prom, I just wanted to say a massive well done to our wonderful year 11 students who have approached their exams with such an amazing amount of positivity, energy and determination. That “well done” is also extended to everyone at home who are making sure that they are as prepared as they possibly can be, it really is a massive team effort!

 

A final thought from me is about how we look after each other inside of school but as importantly in the local community outside of school hours. It always makes me feel incredibly proud when I see how many of our students attend the remembrance parade representing local clubs and groups. I also enjoy receiving positive emails from the local community when our students do great things to help those in need. Sadly we also from time to time, receive reports of young people not always being as kind or respectful when out of school. As always I would ask you to speak with your children about their responsibilities when out and about and how they are always representing themselves, their families and their school.

 

Have a wonderful and hopefully sunny half term!

 

Mr Chance 

Culture Day Friday 21st June 2024

On Friday 21st June the whole school will be taking part in a Cultural Diversity Day which is being arranged by our incredible Diversity Focus Group. We would like to give all students the opportunity to understand and celebrate their own identities and see how they shape our amazing collective Wildern identity. We want to ensure that all students know that they have a right to belong within our school community.

 

Focusing on the heritage and the diversity of our school allows students to also focus on our ‘Respect’ attribute and the British values of tolerance. The day will centre on the importance of respecting and accepting everybody for who they are, whatever their differences, and responding to these differences with interest and curiosity. 

 

On this day we are inviting our staff and students to come to school in clothing which represents their family heritage, traditions or culture for the day, this can include traditional dress, or uniforms, such as cadets, scouts or similar. 

 

There will be  opportunities throughout the day in some lessons to teach/share/celebrate some of the cultures and traditions.

 

With this in mind perhaps you could start a conversation at home to encourage our students to be curious about what makes them unique - their cultural heritage.

• What is your family heritage?
• Where is your family from?
• What is special or unique about that place?
• Does your family wear traditional clothes?
• Are there any foods that you eat/cook to celebrate?
• Are there particular celebrations that your family takes part in?
• Is there a particular language that is spoken?

The Diversity Focus Group and staff at Wildern are busy planning the day and we look forward to sharing photos and information with you after the event. There will be some cultural activities taking place during break times and lessons for students to participate in.

Restorative and Reflective Room (R and R Room)

 

As you know, as a school we are striving to improve behaviour and attitudes within our Wildern School community. You will have seen in our most recent Ofsted report that we have made significant improvements in this area but there is still a small minority of students that are not meeting our expectations and disrupting the teaching and learning of others. We know you will be in agreement that this is simply not acceptable.

 

When a student is persistently disrupting a lesson we currently use a system called ‘safehouse’ where the student is moved to another lesson with a different year group. Over time we have found this system to be less effective than we would like and we are therefore moving to a new system called the Restorative and Reflective Room (R and R Room).

 

The rationale for the R and R Room is:

- To reduce disruption to learning by providing a formal space for students to go to when behaviour is unacceptable.

- To ensure students do not continue to disrupt the teaching and learning of others.

- To put clear expectations in place for all students; there are consequences for behaviour that does not meet our Wildern School community expectations.

 

From Monday 10th June the Restorative and Reflective Room will open and we will no longer use a ‘safehouse’ system.  For the small minority of students who disrupt a lesson, the information below details how this system will work.

 

Read More Here

Whole School

Monday 10 June Week B

Monday 17 June Week A

Friday 21 June Culture day

Thursday 27 June Year 6 Induction day

Wednesday 10 July KS3 Paultons, KS4 Sports day

Thursday 11 July KS4 Paultons, KS3 Sports day

Year 7 

Wednesday 26 June History trip to Arundel Castle

Year 8

Year 9

Thursday 13 June Parents evening (Face to Face)

Year 10

Monday 10 & Tuesday 11 June GCSE Geography trip to Hengistbury Head 

Monday 17 - Wednesday 19 June Experience of a workplace visits

Wednesday 26 June  Science trip to National Oceanography Centre (Discover STEM)

Year 11

GCSE exams Timetable available here and a reminder to bring all equipment and come in full uniform please

Seminar Timetables are on INSIGHT

Exam stress 

 

We are aware that exams have the potential to exacerbate feelings of anxiety and stress amongst young people. That is why it's important that whilst pupils should be encouraged to work hard, this should not be at the expense of their wellbeing.  

 

There is a range of advice and guidance for students and parents to help alleviate or lessen the anxiety they have about sitting exams, including: 

 

NHS Help your child beat exam stress 

Anna Freud: How to identify the signs of academic stress, and ways to help 

Student Minds – resources, tips and blogs about exam stress  

Ofqual: Coping with exam pressure – a guide for students 

Education for life this half term

 

For the final half term of the academic year,  we are revisiting the theme of ‘Living in the Wider World’. This builds upon the previous units the students completed in this theme that took place in the Spring Term 1 half term.

 

All Year groups - Tutor Time

Students will be looking at a variety of whole school and national events that link into the theme of Living in the Wider World. These include:

• D Day Anniversary
• Rights Respecting School
• Culture Day
• OutRight Campaign - Wildern’s Climate Action Campaign
• UK General Election

Please see below for a brief outline of what each year group will be studying in their Education for Life lessons this half term:

 

Year 7:  Financial Decision Making

In this unit students will be introduced to issues relating to money. They will be encouraged to begin taking responsibility for their money and making informed and sensible choices. They will explore how to choose a bank account, how to understand their bank statement, how to budget and manage their money, reflect on their money personality and have an understanding of how much things cost.

They will explore this in greater detail in Year 9 where they will revisit budgeting as well as renting and mortgages. They will also complete a final finance unit in Year 10 which will deal with issues relating to debt, saving and understanding their payslips.

 

Year 8: Citizenship - British Values

In this unit students will explore different types of government with a focus on the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship. We will look at how Parliament works in Britain, including how MPs are elected. Students will also look at how they can get their voice heard and have a say and explore the difference between violent and non-violent protest. It will encourage them to think of how they can have a say in their local community by creating their own campaign.

 

Year 9: Global Concerns

Year 9 will be exploring 9 major Global Concerns in their Education for Life lessons this half term.  They will reflect on our place in the world before investigating critical issues such as the growing demand for water, the rising threat of Single Use Plastics and the issues surrounding the use of Cobalt, an element mined by many children in Low Income Countries, in modern day technologies such as smartphones and Electric Vehicles (EVs). Students will also assess the impact of the Fast Fashion industry to society and the environment, and  learn how we can minimise the environmental impact of our holidays. There is a strong thread of the concept of Sustainability throughout this scheme of work.

 

Year 10:  Experience of a Workplace - Living in the Wider World

In EL lessons, all students will be undertaking a virtual Work Experience program from REED Recruitment that will simulate a week of work experience within this company. Students will have the opportunity  to ‘visit’ each department in the company whilst making resources targeted at the different roles before creating a presentation for the CEO. In the early summer term, students undertook practice interviews with volunteers who came in to ask students some questions in a ‘mock interview’ setting. All students were invited to take part and our volunteers, who are very experienced, offered feedback on their answers and interview techniques! Students who are taking advantage of the Experience of a Workplace opportunity will also be completing some pre-visit checks to ensure that they are fully ready to go on their experience!

 

WINK Evening - Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) with Guest Speaker - Vicky Rodd

Our event this month shared information on the mandatory government guidance of what schools must cover in relation to RSE.  The evening outlined what is taught throughout the five year Education for Life (EL) curriculum and how the statutory requirements of RSE are delivered within this.

 

We were very fortunate to have Vicky Rodd join us for the evening  who is a Sexual Health Promotion Practitioner for the NHS Solent Trust. This session covered the following:

• Consent and the Law
• Safeguarding and the law regarding confidentiality in terms of young people attending / accessing support at clinics
• Contraception
• How to talk to your child about Relationships

Please find the slides from the presentations and the overview of the Education for Life Curriculum below for perusal.

What Parents and Educators Need to Know about School Avoidance

 

School avoidance is a sharply increasing phenomenon, with tangible negative effects on children’s wellbeing and education. The factors that come together to make a child consciously avoid seeing their classmates and teachers can be much more complicated than is often assumed. A careful, mindful approach from parents, carers and educators is required to help children return to an environment that may be causing them intense anxiety. 

 

Our guide aims to help you understand the issue of school avoidance – not only its potential roots and ramifications, but also what you can do to help children and young people navigate these obstacles and continue their education.

 

Reasons You Should Always Wear Sunscreen

 

Most of us know the importance of wearing sunscreen in the summer months to avoid sunburn and damage, but it really should be a year-round preventive health measure. Always wear sunscreen, no matter your skin color or tone. Sunscreen dates back to ancient Egypt, where rice bran extract and jasmine were used to help shield skin from the sun. Chemists invented the first commercial sunscreen in 1936, and it has been improved upon ever since. Modern sunscreens are water resistant, and are included in many cosmetics and beauty products, such as primers, foundations, serums, and creams.

 

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Here is our Summer term co-curricular activities including our Summer Term PE menu. Please look at what is on offer to your child and discuss this over with them as their might be something more that they can get involved with.  Students can sign up via the link they have been emailed last week. 

 

 

What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Pop Ups

 

On the internet or on social media, it’s likely that you’ve come across the occasional pop-up – promising a great deal on some product or service, declaring that you’ve won some kind of prize, or making any other number of tempting claims. This marketing tactic has been around for almost 30 years and shows no signs of disappearing any time soon.

 

Unfortunately, pop-up advertising carries with it various online safety risks, as we can never be certain where those links will take us or how legitimate their creators are. These ads can be especially risky for children and young people, who may not yet be able to look at such marketing with a critical eye. However, our free online safety guide will educate you on pop-ups, their associated risks, and how to safeguard yourself and young people from this phenomenon.

 

Source

Meyer et al., Advertising in Young Children's Apps: A Content Analysis, 2019 

 

Every Student Matters, Every Moment Counts

 

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Wildern School

Wildern Lane

Hedge End

Southampton

Hampshire

SO30 4EJ

 

01489 783473

 

#WeAreWildern