Parent Bulletin Friday 14 February
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Parent Bulletin Friday 14 February 2025
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Hello! My name is Miss Nicole King, I'm the Subject Learning Coordinator for Design and Technology at Wildern School. I’m passionate about my role and enjoy working with all year groups, sharing my knowledge and enthusiasm for food and nutrition. It’s a joy to see students grow in their skills, whether they're learning how to cook a new dish or exploring the science behind ingredients.
In addition to my teaching role, I support our Most Able Children (MAC) across all year groups through the MAC programme. This is designed to help students who are, or show the potential to be, working beyond their age in a range of subjects and through tailored interventions, enrichment activities and mentoring, we aim to ensure these students reach their full potential.
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This year, I’m particularly excited about the launch of our whole school metacognitive culture. This initiative encourages students to actively reflect on their thinking and learning processes. By developing self-awareness and control over how they learn through the use of common tools, our students will be better equipped to plan, monitor, and evaluate their academic progress. You’ll find monthly tips in the Wildern Weekly to help you support your child’s metacognitive journey at home.
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Another part of my role is to work with Miss Western to support our Pupil Premium children. We are committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of any barriers, have the chance to excel academically and experience the full range of co-curricular opportunities we offer at Wildern. We are excited to open the Wildern Prom Shop this year, where Year 11 students can borrow outfits and accessories for the Prom. If you have any dresses, suits, shoes or accessories that you’re willing to donate, we’d be incredibly grateful for your support. Please drop off any donations at the school reception.
As we know, 'Attendance Matters' and 'Every Moment Counts!' and working alongside our pastoral team to improve student attendance, it’s been wonderful to see so many students achieving 100% daily attendance and arriving on time for all lessons. To encourage this, we will continue to run our weekly random Attendance Raffle, where winners receive a “skip the queue” pass for lunch. Look out for a special Easter Attendance Challenge coming up next half term! I wish you all a safe and relaxing half-term break. I look forward to continuing to work with your children and supporting them to achieve their very best.
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Whole School
Monday 17 February - Friday 21 February Half Term
Monday 24 February Week B
Thursday 27 February Parent Information Evening: Supporting your Teenager
Monday 3 March Week A
Thursday 6 March World Book Day
Year 7
Tuesday 25 February Science trip to Winchester Science Centre
Year 8
No Key dates for Year 8
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Year 9
Saturday 22 February DofE practise walk
Friday 7 March Work Skills Day
Year 10
Friday 28 February Prefect & Senior Prefect Application Deadline
Friday 28 February House Captain Applications Deadline 4pm
Year 11
Monday 24 February Science Physics mini-paper (during lesson)
Thursday 27 & Friday 28 February Food practical NEA
Thursday 6 & Friday 7 March Drama Practical Exam
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INSET dates for 2025/26
The RAISE Education Trust have set the In Service Education & Training Dates (INSET) days for 2025/26 which means school will be closed to students on these dates:
- Monday 1st September 2025
- Tuesday 2nd September 2025
- Monday 6th October 2025
- Wednesday 11th February 2026*
- Monday 29th June 2026
Term dates for 2025/26
Year 7 will join us on Wednesday 3rd September for their first day with Years 8-11 in from Thursday 4th September.
*February Half term will run from Thursday 12th February to Friday 20th February 2026 (2 extra days added from the earlier start in September).
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Uniform
Towards the end of term we have seen a rise in the number of students coming into school in incorrect uniform. On Monday 24th February we will be having a uniform drive to uphold our uniform expectations. Following our usual practice, any students who are not in the correct Wildern uniform will be out of circulation and parents/carers will be called to bring the correct uniform into school.
As a reminder our uniform is:
- Green Wildern jumper
- Wildern tie
- White shirt
- Black trousers
- Black tailored shorts
- Wildern checked skirt
- Black polishable school shoes
We do not allow:
- Black leggings
- Nose piercings (a clear retainer may be used but nothing else)
- Hoodies
Please do not allow your child's nose to be pierced during term time or where healing time will be during term time. We will not allow them to wear a metal/gold/jewelled nose stud whilst at school. The option will be to wear a clear retainer or not to wear it at all.
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Wildern Quiz & Chips Night
We are excited to invite all students and their families to attend our Wildern Quiz and Chips night. We will not be selling drinks so you will be able to bring your own, which can include wine and beer! But remember you are at school!
Food options:
Sausage and Chips
Chicken Nuggets and Chips
Pizza and Chips
Team Size: 4 - 8 people (this can be students & family members)
18 team spaces available
As well as a prize for 1st place we will be holding a raffle with all proceeds going back into the school to fund projects such as our wellbeing garden and school murals to make our site an even more beautiful space. Raffle tickets will be 50p a strip so please bring some cash along with you.
To sign up your team please go onto your Parent Pay account where you can select the number of people in your team and pay for tickets. Team tables will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and once the places are filled we will be in touch to take your food orde r.
We really hope you can make it and are looking forward to seeing you on 15th March.
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Parent Pay
Did you know you can set up alerts on parent pay that will email you or text you when then balance falls below a set value or when new payment items become available? To set this up, login in to Parent Pay, choose Communication from the menu (at the top of the screen on a PC view, or the 3 lines menu on a mobile view) and then Alert settings.
Here you can set a Balance Alert to email or text (tick in the columns which you would like) for a balance of your choice (we would recommend at least £5 as the alert level). Below that is the option to have New item alerts which can be useful.
Please make sure you click save at the bottom of the page.
Email alerts are free. Text message are charged and require credits being purchased in your parent pay account.
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No letters or reminders for Year 7 this week
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No letters or reminders for Year 8 this week
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Battlefields Trip to Belgium (Ypres) and France (Somme)
Friday 3 October - Monday 6 October 2025
The History Department will be offering the opportunity for Year 10 (current Year 9) History students to enrich their experience of the History curriculum through a field trip to France and Belgium. Students will gain a detailed insight into the events of World War I at Sanctuary Wood, the underground tunnels at Vimy Ridge, the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate, the contrasting British and German cemeteries at Langemark and Tyne Cot, and the most impressive interactive state of the art Memorial Museum in Passchendaele. The cost of the trip is £390. Sign up deadline Sunday 2nd March.
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Prefect and Senior Prefect Applications:
Deadline is 28th February at 3:30pm. All letters must be addressed to Mrs Oakley and Mr Kinnaird and handed into reception by the deadline.
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House Captain Application Deadline:
Applications are now open for becoming a House Captain. Students need to apply via the google form on their tutor google classroom. Deadline is 28th Feb at 4pm.
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Year 10 - Geography
Geography revision guides can be purchased through finance for £3.50. These are a great tool to aid learning in the classroom and for students to use to support their ongoing studies, self study and preparation for exams. Please collect a form from finance and return this to your Geography teacher.
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Year 10 - English
After the February half term break Year 10 students will be studying ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J. B. Priestley in their English lessons. All students will need a copy of the text, ready for Monday 24th February which can be found on any good online booksellers. Copies will be provided for those students who qualify for Pupil Premium.
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Marwell Zoo Trip - Tuesday 29 April
The Science department would like to offer students in Year 10 the opportunity to visit Marwell Zoo, Winchester. The trip includes entry to the zoo and a workshop called the World Wide Webs, focussing on the themes of food webs and interdependence. The aim of the trip is to provide students with the opportunity to explore the relationships between living organisms through a variety of interactive activities and an opportunity to explore the zoo. The cost of the trip is £32.25. Sign up deadline Friday 7 March.
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Science Combined Physics mini-paper: On Monday 24th February students studying combined science will complete their physics mini-paper during their lesson. Students should revise and prepare for this exam using the resources available on Google classroom and the Science website
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Year 11 - Geography
Geography revision guides can be purchased through finance for £3.50. These are a great tool to aid learning in the classroom and for students to use to support their ongoing studies, self study and preparation for exams. Please collect a form from finance and return this to your Geography teacher.
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Year 11 - Hoodies & Year Book
Letters with all information and details on how to order have been sent out - please check your emails. Deadline is Friday 21 March.
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Year 11 Art & Photography
Students are currently working on their ESA ( Externally set Assignment) worth 40% of their final GCSE grade - ESPs are running on Wednesday 5th March and Wednesday 19th March 2025 in block 2 - alongside the Drop In on a Monday evening.
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Thank you for Supporting Number Day!
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A huge thank you to everyone who took part in Number Day last Friday!
It was a fantastic event, and we were thrilled to see so many students get involved in the various competitions. Their enthusiasm made the day both enjoyable and successful.
We are delighted to share that, thanks to everyone's participation, we raised just under £200 for the NSPCC—a wonderful achievement!
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Congratulations to our winning houses and students:
- Number Day Quiz: Jubilee
- Face Painting: Paxton
- Chess Competition: Alba
- Music Quiz: Sovereign (Student Winner: Mya P, 7S2)
- Number Hunt: Driscoll
- Sweets in a Jar: Sovereign (Student Winner: Sophia C, 7P1)
Thank you once again for your support—it truly made a difference.
We look forward to more exciting events in the future!
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Supporting Metacognition at Home
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Support your child in developing their metacognition skills through planning, monitoring and evaluating. These skills promote self-awareness and strategic learning!
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Year 10 Art & Photography
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Year 10 Art and Photography students have worked really hard on their 5 hour exams this week. Look at some of these stunning pieces in progress.
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Wellbeing over the Half-term holiday
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We know that for many the school holidays are an exciting time of the year however for some of you we know it can be a difficult time. If you need support over the holiday period or if you are concerned about a friend below are some points of contact for you.
- The Wellbeing Hub on our website is a great place to access support.
- ChatHealth 07505 332160
- Childline
- Samaritans 116123
- Police 101 or in an emergency 999
- CAMHS
- If you are upset and having thoughts and urges about hurting yourself, then stop, take a deep breath and read this page
- If you are witnessing or a victim of Stop Domestic Abuse can provide support
- If you are coping with grief Winstons Wish has some great tips to help you
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Staying Safe over the Half-term break
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As you are aware we work in close partnership with the local policing team. We want to wish you all a lovely half term but also ask that you speak to your children about keeping safe during the break from school.
Please encourage your child to:
- download the 'what3words app' so that they are always able to give their exact location
- be vigilant and report any concerns they see in the community
- ensure their mobile phone is fully charged before going out of the house
- use lights on their bikes and wear reflective/brightly coloured clothing so that they can been seen in dark evenings
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Global Medical Training are running another of their highly popular 3-hour First Aid for Parents and Carers sessions in Hedge End. This relaxed and informative workshop will give you the skills and confidence to handle emergencies involving babies and children.
💡 What You’ll Learn:
How to perform CPR on babies and children Techniques to deal with choking emergencies Managing head injuries
Responding to febrile convulsions
A step-by-step demonstration of using a defibrillator
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Parent and carer guide to apprenticeships and technical education
This 'National Apprenticeship Week' edition of 'Choices' magazine offers some informative articles on how parents and carers can support their youngsters through the apprenticeship and T-Level route.
It contains useful links to quick-read guides on 'how to write a letter of application', 'how to compile a CV' and 'top tips on how to find an apprenticeship'. Other articles include 'how to support routes into apprenticeships for students with SEND' and 'employer insights into apprenticeships'. Happy reading!
https://www.amazingapprenticeships.com/resources/choices-magazine-february-parent-carers-guide/
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Chelsea Soccer School at Sparsholt College
Sparsholt College is holding an open day in February Half-term for Girls Football.
Date: Wednesday 19 February 2025
Times:
- Meet & Greet at the Sports Centre: 12:45
- Practices on the pitch 13:00 - 14:00
- SSG and matches 14:00 - 14:50
- Pack up and Departure 15:00 - 15:15
Venue: Sparsholt College, Westley Lane, Sparsholt SO21 2NF
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Results this week:
Year 7 Boys Football lost against Deer Park School
Year 8 Boys Football won 4-2 against Deer Park School
U13 Girls Football festival: won 1, drew 2 and lost 1
U12 Netball Team came 2nd out of 11 schools in the second Southampton Schools tournament this week at Southampton Sports Centre. The team has now qualified for the Hampshire Games Competition on 2nd April.
Congratulations to the eight Year 7 students who competed representing Wildern School.
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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
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QR codes are a useful means by which people can quickly access online resources and other information, simply by scanning the pixellated pattern with their phone’s camera.
Unfortunately, as with many other advances in technology, there are those who use QR codes to scam and defraud unsuspecting people, tricking them into providing their personal details and payment information.
It can be difficult to determine when a QR code is legitimate – or where exactly you might encounter a scam of this nature – but it’s important to learn how, if you wish to avoid falling victim to such a thing. This free guide explores the most common places you may find a QR code scam and explains how best to protect yourself from this underhanded practice.
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Every Student Matters, Every Moment Counts
Follow us on social media:
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Wildern School
Wildern Lane
Hedge End
Southampton
Hampshire
SO30 4EJ
01489 783473
#WeAreWildern
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