Hello everyone, I'm thrilled to introduce myself as Acting Subject Lead for History here at Wildern. For us, History is so much more than just memorising dates and names! Our vision is simple: we want every student to understand how the past shapes the world they live in today.

 

History teaches students vital skills that are useful in every part of their life, not just in school. We focus on teaching them how to:

• Ask great questions and be naturally curious.
• Think critically about different sources of information (just like they need to when they look at the news or social media!).
• Form their own well-reasoned opinions based on evidence.

In short, we aim to help our students become confident, thoughtful, and informed citizens.

 

Exciting Opportunities Ahead

 

We also believe that some of the best learning happens outside the classroom, and we're proud of the extra opportunities we offer to bring history to life, particularly with key dates coming up:

• Year 10 Battlefields Trip: This deeply moving and educational trip allows our older students to visit the battlefields of World War I. It’s an incredibly powerful experience that helps them connect with the stories and sacrifices they've studied in class. More information on this will be shared with Year 10 parents soon.
• Black History Month Research Club: Starting in October, we will be running a club that encourages students to dive deeper into Black History—both in the UK and globally. This gives them a chance to explore fascinating and often untold stories and present their own research findings. Details on how to sign up will be shared in form time.
• Remembrance: Always an incredibly important date in our calendar. We hope to see many students at the local parades on Remembrance Sunday and will be sharing stories of our local soldiers commemorated at St John's Church during November.

I look forward to an excellent year supporting our students. If you have any questions about the History curriculum or opportunities, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

 

Whole School

Monday 6 October - Week B - CPD day - School closed

Wedneday 8 October - Preloved Sale 3pm - 3.45pm

Monday 13 October - Week A

Monday 13 October - Open Morning

Friday 17 October - Wear Red Day

Monday 20 October - Week B

Wedneday 22 October - Preloved Sale 3pm - 3.45pm

Wednesday 22 - Friday 24 October - School Productions

Thursday 23 October - Open Morning

Friday 24 October - Last Day of Term

 

Year 7 

            Thursday 9 October - Tutor Evening (Face to Face)

Year 8 + Year 9 

No Key Dates

Year 10 

Friday 3 - Monday 6 October - History Battlefields Trip 

Year 11

Monday 13 - Friday 17 October - Art & Photography Practice exams

Thursday 16 October - Parents Evening (Virtual)

Thursday 23 October - Open Morning 

9.45am - 10.45am

For information & to book your space click here

Department Websites

A friendly reminder that our department websites are a great resource for your child's learning. You can find lesson materials, revision guides, and other helpful resources by visiting the Wildern lesson resources page. We encourage you to bookmark the site and explore the valuable content available to support your child's academic success.

Animal Care - Guinea Pig Equipment

Animal Care is looking at purchasing some guinea pigs. If you have any guinea pig equipment that you no longer need or want (eg, hutches, cages, toys etc) then please contact Wildern asking for Mr Berreen and we can see if we are able to sue them. Likewise, any other animal related equipment that could be suitable for use and you no longer require, please let us know and we will see if we can use it.

Show Racism the Red Card - Wear Red Day

 

Wildern will be supporting Wear Red Day on Friday 17 October 2025. 

 

The educational charity Show Racism the Red Card is celebrating its 11th anniversary with the logo: Change Hearts. Change Minds. Change Lives. 

 

Our pupils will be encouraged to wear something red and donate £1. 

 

Be part of the drive for positive change. Together, we are stronger.

 

All money raised will be donated to Show Racism the Red Card

No letters home

Young Writers’ Poetry Competition

Year 8  English students will be writing poems over the next 3 weeks ready for submission to this year’s Young Writers’ Poetry Competition. The theme this year  is ‘I have a dream’ and deadline for all entries is Tuesday 21 October. 

Residential Trip - Earth Summit 2026 + Alton Towers - June 2026

We are thrilled to invite your child in Year 9 or 10 to a two-day residential trip focused on a very important topic: climate change.

Deadline Extended to Sunday 5 October

Turkey 2027 Trip Information Evening - Tuesday 7 October 2025

Incredible opportunity for your child to experience Turkey.  We would like to invite you to join an online talk about our exciting Turkey expedition, running in July 2027.

Year 9 - Geography

Some of our students have been nominated by their Geography teacher to attend a trip to Southampton University on Wednesday 22 October. The session will cover GIS, mapping and flood response activities. We have only got 14 spaces but we hope that this will be the first of many opportunities for our students

Update on WAD Reports - CLP & Targets for Years 9 -11

We are writing to inform you of an important update to the way we set academic targets and CLP for students in their WAD reports.

Residential Trip - Earth Summit 2026 + Alton Towers - June 2026

We are thrilled to invite your child in Year 9 or 10 to a two-day residential trip focused on a very important topic: climate change.

Deadline Extended to Sunday 5 October

Geography Support

Practice exam information is on your childs Google Classroom for Geography. This includes a checklist, links to resources on our website and other great websites that can help to support your child’s revision needs

ESPs - Level Up! Geography students can sign up on edulink to revision sessions run by their teacher. We have had such a fantastic uptake so far. Well done year 11!

This October, as with every year, the History department and wider Wildern community is focusing on Black History Month. Every year we run a house competition where students are in the running to win points for their house and a prize for the best research into a black figure and how they have shaped history. In previous years we have had many students work on researching well known black figures such as Barack Obama, Rosa Parks, Mary Seacole, Lewis Hamiton and more. However, many have also focused on some lesser known individuals such as Marsha P. Johnson, a black American activist and drag queen involved in the Stonewall riots and French dancer and actress Jospehine Baker who was the first black woman to star in a major film and fought with the French resistance in World War Two. Students have created fact files, leaflets, posters and presentations to display their research and we have seen some brilliant, creative work from our young people.

This year the theme for Black History Month is ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride.’ This theme encourages us to look into and highlight the work by Black British people to influence positive change throughout history as well as those who have embraced and celebrated black heritage and identities. In order to help students understand more about Black British history outside our curriculum we are running a Black History Month club throughout October where we will be looking at the history of black people in Britain as well as going into detail about some key influential figures that we don’t get a chance to learn about in lessons such as politician Dianne Abbott, activist Doreen Lawrence and poet Benjamin Zephaniah. We will also be using the time to help students with their research for our House Competition so students have a place in school to look into a figure of their choosing in more depth. 

While Black history Month is a great opportunity to highlight and focus on the lives of Black Britons and global citizens across history, it’s also important to recognise how these histories fit into our wider learning and curriculum. In our Key Stage 3 curriculum we dedicate time learning about not just kings and queens but ordinary people too. This includes black people living in Tudor England, where we have our first records and portraits of black individuals with jobs as varied as diver for the King and milkmaid, the story of Joseph Laroche, the only black passenger aboard, as we delve into the Titanic and the roles that soldiers from Britain and across the world played in the World Wars.

 

We would love as many voices as possible to get involved in our efforts this Black History Month so please encourage students from all year groups to sign up to our club for a place of discussion about Black History as well as get involved in their own research into an individual of their choosing. We look forward to seeing what they create!

On Tuesday 30 September our Year 10 and Year 11 students took part in our annual Careers Fair, and this year's event was bigger and better than ever. Due to an overwhelming response from local colleges, universities, and businesses wanting to take part, we made the decision to relocate the fair to the sports hall, to allow for a more spacious dynamic setup. This change in format allowed for a much more open and interactive experience for students, and the atmosphere throughout the day was nothing short of fantastic. 

 

The Careers Fair hosted a diverse range of visitors from local colleges, universities and employers, all eager to share information, advice and opportunities. The feedback received from our guests was incredibly positive, many commented they were impressed by how engaged, chatty and polite our students were, and several remarked on the positive, welcoming atmosphere around the Sports Hall. 

 

We are incredibly proud of the way our students conducted themselves throughout the event. From the moment they entered the sports hall, they approached this opportunity with maturity, enthusiasm, and genuine curiosity about their future pathways. They engaged confidently in conversations with a wide range of visitors and asked relevant questions. Their attitude and behaviour contributed hugely to the welcoming and uplifting atmosphere of the day, and they should all be commended for the way they embraced the event. 

We are excited to launch a new, school-wide initiative called 12 Months of Apps!

 

Each month, we will highlight a specific, high-quality digital tool or educational set of apps that our teachers are integrating into the classroom to enhance learning and engagement.

 

This month we have a focus on apps that create flashcards. We encourage you to ask your child about these tools and how they are using it.

 

This newsletter will provide an overview each month, including tips on responsible use, as we work together to promote digital literacy and safe, effective technology integration.

This year, the CA team has introduced our brand-new Creative Arts Superstars!

 

We wanted to thank these particular students for their hard work and effort in our CA subjects during September- you are incredible! 👏 #superstar #pride #creativearts

Thank you to all the parents and students who came along to our Turning the Pages Together event this week.

 

It was wonderful to see families taking time to sit, share and enjoy books together. Supporting your child’s reading at home makes such a difference to their progress and helps build a lifelong love of reading.

 

If you missed this one, there are more chances to join us soon. The library will be open during the Year 7 Tutor Evening on Thursday 9 October, and our next Turning the Pages Together event will take place on Tuesday 20 January 2026.

 

We’d love to see you there.

We wrote in an earlier addition about monitoring the use of your child's phone. Sadly, from time to time, we have to deal with disclosures from our students around mistakes they have made online, or concerns they have about a friend.

 

Often these incidents could have been avoided with parental checks of online parental control settings in place.

 

Below are some good resources that will support parents with safety online:

• Net Aware: A joint NSPCC and O2 initiative, this website provides reviews and safety ratings for popular apps, sites, and games used by young people, helping parents understand online risks and initiate conversations with their children. 
• National Online Safety: This charity offers regular information sheets and guides on the latest apps, games, and online risks, with tips on parental controls and safety measures. The National College also has courses for parents.: National College Online Safety
• Parent Zone: A hub of advice for parents and carers, Parent Zone provides a wide range of resources, guidance, and information to help navigate the internet and address online challenges, you just need to sign up!

Students are strongly encouraged to contact a wide range of employers, ideally a large list across various sectors as statistically, the more companies approached, the greater the likelihood of securing a placement.

 

We also advise not limiting the search to just the sector the student hopes to work in long term, as all work experience provides valuable skills.

 

Casting a wider net increases the chances of securing multiple options, rather than being left with limited or no choices.

Please find below half term work experience opportunities for your young people from Futures for All.

 

They are all remote and open to ages 14-19. You’ll find a list of placements below and attached is a flyer with links to each placement.

 

Please note, some of the closing dates are very soon.

See the huge variety of clubs that are on offer this half term! Sign up for these using the Clubs tab on Edulink.

DanceLive! Launch: Monday 20 October, 1.30pm (Break 2) MUH.

 

Students in Years 8-11 are invited to come along to hear about the event. Find out the theme and get the google classroom code allowing them to access the ‘casting phrase’ and key information. Casting will be held on Tuesday 4 November.

 

Initial Information:

Rehearsals: 3.15pm - 5pm every Tuesday

Sunday Rehearsal: 25 January 2026 - 9am-12pm

Performance Date: Tuesday 3 February 2026

 

 

Half-Term Soccer Schools are back at Deer Park

 

Southampton FC welcome boys and girls aged 5 - 13 to come along to learn, train and play.

 

At Soccer Schools, they will:

• Receive FA accredited coaching
• Be added to our Saints Player Progression Pathway
• Take part in matches and mini tournaments
• Get the chance to win signed merch
• Have an experience geared towards fun and excitement.

 

Tuesday 7 October - U13 Girls Football vs Mountbatten School

Tuesday 7 October - Senior Girls Football vs St George's College

Wednesday 8 October -  Year 8/9 Basketball vs Swanmore College

Wednesday 8 October - Year 11 Boys Football vs Sholing School

Monday 29 September - Senior Girls Football vs Deer Park 3-3

Tuesday 30 September - Senior Girls Football vs Brune Park 1-6

Tuesday 30 September - Year 7 Boys Football vs St Marks School 2-2

Following our letter at the end of last term, work has started to improve our school kitchen. Over the past 18 months, we've been fortunate to secure Condition Improvement Funding, allowing us to update all electrics, water, and lighting across the site. This work is nearing completion and should be finished by the end of 2025.

 

The next crucial phase involves a complete renovation of our school kitchen. This work is scheduled to begin in mid-August and will continue until the October half-term. As a result, we'll have a very limited catering offer during this period.

 

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.

We are able to offer:

• Sausage rolls
• Chicken burgers
• Beef burgers
• Warm paninis
• Jacket potatoes
• Cold baguettes
• Cold wraps
• Bottled drinks
• Biscuits
• Flapjacks

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. 

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about VPNs

 

With more young people turning to VPNs to mask their online activity, it’s vital that parents and educators understand both the benefits and the risks. While VPNs can improve privacy on public Wi-Fi, they can also be misused by young people to sidestep safety filters and access harmful or age-inappropriate content. 

 

This week’s guide explains the dangers of untrustworthy providers, malware threats, and the false sense of security that VPNs may give children. It also shares top tips – from checking devices to having open conversations – so adults can guide safe and responsible online behaviour.

Every Student Matters, Every Moment Counts

 

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Wildern School

Wildern Lane

Hedge End

Southampton

Hampshire

SO30 4EJ

 

01489 783473

 

#WeAreWildern