Hello, and welcome to this week’s Wildern Weekly.

 

My name is Rachel Parkhouse, and I’m a Senior Leader of Learning for Maths. This year, I’m focused on embedding numeracy across our curriculum, supporting our Apollo maths groups, and helping students develop effective revision strategies.

 

As a passionate mathematician, I love making maths accessible and engaging for all students. I’ve been part of the Wildern community for five years. In my 27 years of teaching, I’ve seen first hand the power of mathematics to open doors and inspire minds. 

 

I’m excited to work with our students and staff to ensure that every child reaches their full potential in maths.

We are always interested in hearing from everyone in our community about the things we are doing well and the things we perhaps need to improve. As part of our quality assurance processes we regularly speak to students in school about their experience but we also want to hear from Parents. 

 

Here is a link to our short Autumn term survey which is focussing on Behaviour. There are just 7 questions which can be answered in as little as a minute, but also offer you the opportunity to expand on your answers if you would like us to know more. We are asking all parents to complete this by Friday 20th December. The results of this will be shared with you in the new year.

Sparx Maths

Our top 5 XP scoring students from each year group have been selected to create our Sparx stars, each of these students will receive a sweet in class. Our raffle winner is then chosen at random from these names and wins a skip the queue pass! Well done to all those who are completing their Sparx week after week - we are so impressed with all of you!

Whole School

Monday 9 December Week B

Monday 9 December Christmas Concert

Thursday 12 December Parent Information Eve - EdTech

Friday 13 December Christmas Jumper Day

Monday 16 December Week A

Friday 20 December Last day of term, school closes at 12:30pm

 

Monday 6 January 2025 Week B - term starts

Year 7

No key dates for year 7

Year 8

No key dates for year 8

Year 9

Friday 6 December GCSE Science live trip

Year 10

Friday 6 December GCSE Science live trip

Year 11

Thursday 19 December Practice exam results day

 

Christmas Jumper Day - Friday 13th December.

£1 suggested donation for Save the Children.

Students can replace their Wildern school jumper with a Christmas jumper or Christmas coloured jumper (red, green, silver or gold). They can also replace their tie with tinsel! 

This is not a non-uniform day and all other uniform expectations are as normal. There will also be a Christmas Song Sweepstake where students can bid to secure a song and enter a draw for a £25 prize.

Numeracy: Why It Matters and How We're Supporting Your Child

 

Good numeracy skills are essential for success in today's world. They're not just for mathematicians; they're a vital life skill that benefits everyone. Strong numeracy skills are linked to:

 

• Increased job and earning potential: Numeracy is a key requirement for many jobs.
• Improved physical and mental health: Studies have shown that people with better numeracy skills are more likely to make healthier choices and manage stress effectively.
• Better financial habits: Good numeracy skills can help you budget, save, and invest wisely.

For our students, strong numeracy skills can:

• Reduce truancy and exclusion: Students with good numeracy skills are more likely to stay engaged in school.
• Improve emotional well-being: Numeracy success can boost self-esteem and confidence.
• To help our students develop strong numeracy skills, we're taking a variety of approaches:
• Embedding Numeracy Across the Curriculum: We're integrating numeracy into all subject areas, ensuring that students apply their skills in real-world contexts.
• Targeted Support: Our Apollo Maths groups provide extra support for students who need it, helping them to catch up and progress.
• Engaging Activities: We're organizing fun and interactive activities like Talk Money Week and the Numeracy Christmas Countdown to make learning enjoyable.
• Celebrating Numeracy: We'll be participating in National Numeracy Day and Pi Day to highlight the importance of numeracy and inspire our students. We will also be taking part in the NSPCC’s Number Day, where we will also be raising money for this cause.

By working together, we can ensure that our students develop the numeracy skills they need to succeed.

Hampshire CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) are running a series of events over the coming months to support parents. Please see more information on the posters including booking information.

Tuesday 14 January 2024 - 18.30 : 19.45

Looking to leave school or college and take up an Apprenticeship opportunity?

 

Join BAE Systems’ Maritime Services Early Careers team, as well as some of our current Apprentices, for a live online event where you will be able to find out about the wide range of entry-level opportunities.

 

Our ambition is to be recognised as the leading employer in the defence and security sectors for valuing diversity, equity and inclusion. We’ll be sharing information about the welcome and support you can expect to receive as a BAE Systems Apprentice; whatever your background, gender and needs.

 

We’ll tell you all about life at BAE Systems and the Apprenticeship opportunities that are starting September 2025. We’ll also share what it’s like supporting the defence and security of the UK.

 

Or email maritimeeducation@baesystems.com

Registration will close 5pm on Monday 13 Jan 2024.

 

Please note: This event is for students in Years 10 to 13 and their parents/guardians to learn about Apprenticeship opportunities at BAE Systems. The session will be recorded.

Would you like to gain virtual work experience with National Highways on Wednesday 11th December at 5pm?

Registrations are now open! 

Next Step - for students in years 10 & 11

Wednesday 11th December at 5pm (45-minute briefing session on MS Teams)

Gain virtual work experience with National Highways

 

Register Now! Invitation to parents and students to attend this event too! Register Now!

Designed to develop key employability skills such as problem solving, data literacy, storytelling, and presentation. Hosted on Microsoft Teams, these sessions take place outside of school hours, making them easily accessible.

Students will enjoy:

• A 45-minute briefing with the National Highways team
• The opportunity to complete a career challenge at their own pace
• Certification upon completion

These events provide valuable insights into emerging careers and help students build skills that will enhance their future education and employment choices.

Uncover is a residential programme run by Oxford University that gives girls and Black African and Caribbean heritage students the opportunity to explore how maths and physics relate to Engineering, while offering a glimpse into university life. The programme is open to UK-based students from state schools in Year 10.

 

Students will stay in a college for 4 days. Days will be filled with engineering-focused activities and workshops organised by the Department of Engineering Science. In the evenings we have arranged recreational activities and social opportunities with other like-minded future engineers.

 

You’ll also find out about life at Oxford and living in a college (including a formal dinner!). On the final day, we hope that your parents will join us to learn more about studying engineering at a university like Oxford.

 

When?

Uncover for Girls: 7th-10th April 2025

or

Uncover for Black African and Caribbean heritage students: 14th-17th April

For who? There is one programme for students who identify as a girl or non-binary; there is another programme for students who identify as being of Black African and Caribbean heritage and students of mixed-race with Black African and Caribbean heritage.

 

Where? Uncover for Girls: St Hugh’s College and the Department of Engineering Science

Uncover for Black African and Caribbean heritage students: Exeter College and the Department of Engineering Science

 

Deadline? 31st December 2024 Apply here

Here is our updated Autumn term Co-Curricular timetable of activities.

Monday 9th - December

U16 Girls Football Vs Oasis Academy Mayfield 

Year 11 Basketball Moderation

 

Tuesday 10th December

U16 Boys Basketball Vs Wyvern College

 

Friday 13th December

Y11 Badminton moderation

 

Monday 2nd December

Y9 boys Football won 6-0 against Deer Park School

Year 7 Boys Football lost to Wyvern College

 

Tuesday 3rd December

Year 11 Boys Football 11A won against 11B teams

U13 Girls Football lost Wyvern College

U16 Boys Basketball lost to Westgate School

Year 10 Boys Football lost to Bitterne Park School (5-4 on penalties)

 

Thursday 5th December

U14 Mixed Basketball won 42-24 against Oasis Academy Sholing

Y9 Boys Football won 6-3 against Brighton Hill Community School

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

Top Tips to Get Smart about the Devices in your home

Smart devices promise to make our lives easier - and in most cases, they do. These new technologies present risks too, however. Whether you’re using a digital assistant to record your shopping list or controlling your home's lights through a smart system, many functions can be hacked and hijacked by someone outside your household. This guide will help you identify some of the ways that you can stay alert and protect yourself and your family.

The guide provides tips on a number of potential risks such as fraud, online grooming and cyberbullying.

Every Student Matters, Every Moment Counts

 

Follow us on social media:

Wildern School

Wildern Lane

Hedge End

Southampton

Hampshire

SO30 4EJ

 

01489 783473

 

#WeAreWildern