2024-2025 Spring 2 Newsletter

Hello and welcome to the second spring edition of Swanmore Speaks. We have had another busy half term: Aladdin - our 2025 production - rehearsals have begun, the countdown to the start of the GCSEs is truly on and pupils and staff alike are ready for a well needed two week break. We are two thirds through the academic year now (wow, hasn't it gone fast so far?) and we wish you all a wonderful holiday with some good weather and rest. Don't forget Easter falls late this year (Easter Sunday is 20th April, Easter Monday 21st April) and then we have an INSET day on Tuesday 22nd April. We look forward to welcoming pupils back to school for the summer term on Wednesday 23rd April.

Image shows a close up photo of a bluebell, with other bluebells in the background

Get outside

Have you visited the bluebell woods at Royal Victoria Country Park? It is beautiful when in full bloom and perfect for some photo opportunities for you and some family members.

Image shows a photograph of Mini Eggs laid out on a piece of flowery fabric

Indulge a little

Treat yourself! Get the Easter treats in before they disappear off the shelves. Sit and enjoy these whilst revising or whilst switching off. You deserve it!

Photo of a hand holding a newspaper cone containing fish and chips with a large splodge of mayonnaise; the background is blurred and shows a beach and harbour

Enjoy the lighter evenings

Make plans to stay out later, enjoy the light and longer evenings. Have a picnic tea or get fish and chips on the beach for dinner. Now the clocks have gone forward, enjoy more daylight.

We celebrated World Book Day - Thursday 6th March 2025

Image shows the World Book Day large tree decoration at the top of the stairs in S-block, with the words once upon a time in the deep dark Swanmore woods above it

Image shows a group photograph of the staff dressed up for World Book Day - heroes, villains and a lot of Where's Wally Wallies

Image shows the first floor corridor in S-block decorated as a forest for World Book Day with members of staff dressed as up as characters from fairy tales

Pupils and staff thoroughly enjoyed celebrating WBD this year and not only were staff invited to dress up but pupils too - to the theme of heroes and villains. There were some fantastic costumes varying from Where's Wally?, Little Red Riding Hood, Cat in the Hat, Harry Potter and more. Congratulations to 7R9 who were the quickest tutor group to submit correct answers for the World Book Day Tutor Quiz! Additionally, we had the Quantum Theatre group come in to perform Jekyll and Hyde to Year 10 - this well-received event was organised by Mrs Wilkey.

We had also raised £355 for Readathon at the halfway point; £600 just 3 days before the deadline and this fundraiser finished on Thursday 20th March with the final amount being £956.09. Congratulations and well done to everyone involved.

Image shows some year 10 pupils listening to a talk from a MyBnk volunteer

Year 10 PSHE Day

On Tuesday 25th March, MyBnk came in to present to our Year 10 pupils in their tutor groups. The volunteers explained different ways that they can manage their finances and make good financial decisions both now and in the future. The pupils were very engaged and asked some excellent questions. The MyBnk volunteers praised the pupils’ excellent behaviour and said that they were a credit to the school. We are very proud of our pupils and look forward to working with MyBnk again in the future.

Trips at Swanmore This Half-Term

Bronze Arts Swanmore Primary - Art - 26 February 2025

Mrs Ostersen took some pupils to the Primary school to collaborate with and design & produce a glass mosaic, which will be presented to the Primary school once it is finished.

Move It 2025 - Dance - 07 March 2025

Mr Coleman, Miss Evans, Miss Broach and Mr Parker took pupils to the UK’s Biggest Dance Event at The Excel London.

Tile Barn - PE - 07 March 2025 and 14 March 2025

Mr Bampton took our Cambridge Nationals Sport Studies course pupil to Tile Barn in the New Forest to undertake an outdoor activity as part of their unit.

Battlefields 2025 - History - 15 March 2025 to 16 March 2025

Miss Tymon organised the historic battlefields of Ypres trip - a unique opportunity to experience the living conditions in the trenches of World War I.

Winchester Cathedral - RE - 21 March 2025

Miss Huggins took pupils to the cathedral to enhance pupils understanding of Year 10 GCSE Religious Studies and provides a real flavour of what they are currently studying in their GCSE course.

UKMT Maths Challenge - Maths - 28 March 2025

Mr Thornton took 2 x Yr8 and 2 Yr9 pupils to Portsmouth Grammar School.

Oxford Explained - 31 March 2025

This trip was run by Mrs Malson, a roadshow aimed at pupils who have the potential to attend an Oxbridge University. It intended to give them an insight into Oxford University and encourage them to set their sights high when considering their options for further education, held at Southdowns College.

Next Generation Dance Platform - Dance - 02 April 2025

Mr Coleman said this was an amazing Dance opportunity for our Dance company members. Pupils have been creating a piece for the Hampshire Youth Dance Company platform.

Model United Nations - 02 April 2025

Miss Light will run the Solent Model United Nations conference 2025. At this event, pupils will act as delegates of a country, competing and representing Swanmore College. The event will take place at Bay House School in Gosport on Wednesday 2 April 2025.

We also have Year 11 Revision sessions taking place on Monday 07, Tuesday 08, Wednesday 09 and Thursday 10 April on-site. Not long to go now!

Good luck Year 11!

SwanPride continues to meet on Mondays in the pupil centre, during tutor time. We are doing a drop-in session the first Monday of each month. The ambassadors sent out a quiz for the school relating to LGBTQ+ and the Greek mythology, which was a fun and interesting task to complete in tutor time.

Mme Hinson

Young interpreters continue to meet on Thursdays during tutor time in the pupil centre.

We have successfully recruited our new Young Interpreter ambassadors. The existing ambassadors have been amazing helping in the process of selections and interviews. The next step for our ambassadors is to complete the - 6 hour - training.

Mme Hinson and Mrs Benton

The wellbeing champions meet weekly on a Wednesday in the pupil centre, during tutor time.

Mrs Egerton

Pupils are invited to join our Neurodiversity Ambassadors group (NDA) on a Tuesday lunchtime in R02.

This is a group that will allow its members to connect with fellow peers (neurodiverse or not) and supportive allies. It aims to help its members to develop and hone new skills in a supportive and friendly environment, and to build confidence and pride in students’ neurodiverse identities. It would be lovely to see a group of like-minded pupils come together and join in with the fun and activities.

We are currently designing a poster to go on the school Facebook page.

Miss Garaty, Miss Herring and Mrs Howson-Baggott

The anti-bullying committee meets every Tuesday in the pupil centre, during tutor time.

The Anti-Bullying Committee have recently invited applications from Year 7 pupils to join our newly formed Year 7 Forum. They were impressed by the quality of applications and in particular, the passion for promoting Anti-Bullying demonstrated in these applications. The Year Forum has now started meeting fortnightly and members of our Anti-Bullying Committee are planning and delivering training sessions on what constitutes bullying and how we promote Anti-Bullying at Swanmore College. A big welcome to our new Year 7 Forum members:

Ella R 7R1

Charlie W 7R2

Hugo GP 7R7

Daisy H 7R9

Amelia P 7R9

Alice B 7R10

Amelia H 7R10

Felix MO 7R10

The Anti-Bullying Committee would also like to thank everyone who entered the “Choose Respect” Competition. Entries included poetry, stories, posters and even a song created using AI. The following pupils have received 20 ICCs for their “Highly Commended" entries:

Isla K 11R7

Lexi J 10R6

Dylan T 9R10

Roman G 11R7

Beka C 11R7

Emma D 11R7

Mrs Whitfield

Young Carers Non-Uniform Day - Wednesday 12 March 2025

Young Carers Action Day - this year's theme is 'Give me a Break'.

Did you know an estimated 1 in 5 pupils in every classroom could be defined as a Young Carer?

Young Carers Action Day is an annual event that raises awareness of the challenges faced by young carers. The day also calls for more support for young carers. In light of this, we decided to support the charity, Winchester Young Carers and had a non-uniform day at Swanmore College on Wednesday 12 March for all pupils. We asked that pupils either make a donation of £1 via ScoPay or alternatively bring in £1 cash to donate during tutor.

Purpose:

To raise awareness of young carers and the contributions they make
To campaign for more support for young carers
To help young carers live full and healthy lives - and this year help them get a break!

Why it's important:

Young carers often face pressures that impact their education, employment, and opportunities to learn and thrive
It's important to recognise and support young carers so they can reach their full potential

Young Carers Action Day - Hampshire Young Carers Alliance - Hampshire Young Carers Alliance, Petersfield

Winchester Young Carers – Tools & Support for Young Carers in Winchester

Miss Primmer, Miss Davies and Winchester Young Carers would like to thank you all for your support.

We're absolutely thrilled to announce the final total raised for Winchester Young Carers non-uniform day. Thanks to your incredible generosity and support, we've raised a fantastic £1,100.00!

We were blown away by the enthusiasm and kindness shown by everyone who participated, you truly made this a success!

This amount will make a real difference to the lives of young carers and their families in the Winchester District.

Young Carers group runs every Friday morning during tutor time, in the pupil centre. Pupils from across all year groups are welcome. It is a chance for young carers to meet and mingle, also to have some breakfast.

Miss Primmer and Miss Davies

Top Tips for Using Technology to Boost Reading Skills

The way we engage with text has changed dramatically over the years. Whether reading captions on social media, instructions in a video game or an e-book on a digital device, technology plays a major role in modern literacy.

To help struggling readers, many digital platforms offer tools that enhance readability by making text more accessible and engaging. There’s also a broad range of accessibility features available, such as screen customisation and text-to-voice technology, which may help children and young people improve their literary confidence. This free guide offers ten top tips on how you can help young readers engage in text and foster a love for reading.

Link to tips poster: https://nationalcollege.com/guides/using-technology-to-boost-reading-skills?utm_campaign=WakeUpWednesday&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8X5Pmft68kyK0029UkAHapM2jcVVEeZktJdUrWijw6_ZIyEOUgHGSt8P5num0Ef8aioNVCPxEyZ_kPzMtNDdLOUMTSdRmwXaxtB4N0YSr0GX3hWTw&_hsmi=105418385&utm_content=105418385&utm_source=hs_email

A final note from us

We wish our readers a Happy Easter and look forward to the final term of the school year 2025-2025.

Congratulations to Mr Bampton and his year 11 boys' football team on winning their match which took place on 31st March; they beat Kings 3-0 in the District Cup Final. They played really well - Oscar H scored twice and Eddie O got the third.

On a side note, we also want to wish Mr Coleman and the whole Dance Live! team the best of luck in the finals as they compete against three other schools on the inset day. 90 pupils are coming into school to rehearse (on their day off) and then heading back to Portsmouth (where they won their first heat) to hopefully bring the title home.

Image shows 8 pupils dressed as aliens in green scaly cat suits, green triangular sun glasses and green glittery bopper headbands ready for Dance Live!

Image shows the finale dance from this year's Men In Black Dance Live! performance, taken when all the dancers are leaping into the air

Photograph of Mr Coleman and the two pupils who played the main agents being presented with their award for winning the heat by one of the judges

Image of the pupils dressed as Men In Black agents dancing on stage with a large MIB graphic in the background

Recommended Mental Health Apps

SAM - self-help anxiety management (Apple & Android) - click this link to visit the website
Worry Box - anxiety self-help (Apple) - click this link to visit the website
What's Up (Android) - click this link to go to the app's page on Google Play store
MindShift (Apple & Android) - click this link to go to the app's page on Google Play store or click this link to go to the app's page on Apple App Store
Fear Tools - Anxiety Aid (Apple & Android) - click this link to go to the app's page on Google Play store or click this link to go to the app's page on Apple App Store

Helplines:

Anxiety UK: click the following link to email: support@anxietyuk.org.uk or call: 08444 775 774
MIND: click the following link to email: info@mind.org.uk or call: 03001 233 393
No Panic: click the following link to email: admin@nopanic.org.uk or call: 08449 674 848
Nightline: click the following link to visit their website: Nightline.ac.uk
Samaritans: click the following link to email: jo@samaritans.org or call on their freephone number: 116 123
Domestic abuse: click the following link to visit a website with details of how to get help: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help

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