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Welcome to the second edition of this year's Swanmore Speaks. Our half-termly newsletter promises to update you on our incredible groups running around the College and offer some helpful tips in these cold, winter months. Whilst this time, we run a smaller edition, please stay tuned as lots of exciting things are coming for the Spring term. Sit back, grab a warm drink and enjoy the read, and more importantly, enjoy the Christmas break when it arrives.
All feedback is welcome, if you have any suggestions for our next newsletter, please email:
✉ wellbeing@swanmore-sec.hants.sch.uk
Have some phone-free time
Have some phone-free time
Pop your phone in a drawer; out of sight, out of mind. Turn it off. Put it on silent. Enjoy being without your device.
Get outside
Get outside
Whether it is to walk off the Christmas dinner, for a Boxing day walk or just to breath in some fresh air, wrap up and get outdoors this holiday. We promise you will feel better for it.
Catch up on your zzzz
Catch up on your zzzz
Turn the alarms off and ensure you are topped up with plenty of rest and sleep during this break.
Let's catch up with our College groups...
Let's catch up with our College groups...
Neurodiversity ambassadors will be re-launching in the new year! All previous members are welcome but we are looking for lots of new members too.
Miss Garaty
SwanPride are now meeting on Mondays in the pupil centre. We are doing a drop in session the first Monday of each month. The ambassadors are busy preparing a quiz for the school relating to LGBTQ+ and the Greek mythology.
Mme Hinson
Young interpreters are now meeting on Thursdays. We have delivered a whole school assembly recently and plan to again in January to recruit more young interpreters. The ambassadors are currently working on creating some technical subject specific help sheets for any EAL pupils. We will also invite the new EALs who have joined the school mid-term.
Mme Hinson and Mrs Benton
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
This term the Wellbeing Champs have recruited new members from year 7 and 8. The Wellbeing Champs meet every Wednesday tutor time and have been looking at ways they can support the wellbeing of pupils. This has included celebrating World Kindness day and Mental Health week. Next term the pupils will be receiving wellbeing training to enable them to further support fellow pupils.
The Anti-Bullying Committee delivered assemblies to all year groups during National Anti-Bullying Week on the theme of Choose Respect. As part of this assembly they shared the video produced to promote this theme:
Anti-Bullying Week 2024: Choose Respect - Secondary School Video - YouTube
The Committee also launched a whole school competition on the theme of Choose Respect where pupils have been invited to design a poster, write a story, poem, or song about Respect. The winners will be announced in the Spring Term.
We celebrated Odd Socks Day as part of the Anti-Bullying Week. 7R2 won the competition for wearing the most pairs of Odd Socks!
The Committee have also judged the Year 7 T-Shirt Competition and were impressed by all of the entries which showed creativity and positivity. The winning tutor group was 7R3, with 7R4 as runners up. Well done to everyone involved!
Welcome to our new Chair of Governors
Welcome to our new Chair of Governors
Hello everyone, I am the new Chair of the Board of Governors at Swanmore College. At its heart, the function of the Board of Governors is to work alongside staff in order to drive strategic direction and development of the College, and to ensure that the College manages its budget and invests in areas to improve the education and the wellbeing of our pupils. Many of the Governors, including myself, are parents of pupils at the College and we are very aware of the importance of creating partnerships where parents and carers feel heard, whilst also respecting the wellbeing of our hard working College staff. In view of this, the Board have asked Mr Jonathan and his team to put plans in place to improve parent communications with workshops, new digital tools like Class Charts and Unifrog (Careers & destinations platform) and looking at how we can better respond to parent requests. These actions along with improving road safety outside of the College and focusing on teaching methods form the basis of our College Improvement Plan.
Apart from spending my time working at home and with the college staff, I like to improve my wellbeing by walking our two dogs every day and cycling and I am a member of the Fareham Wheelers Cycling Club. Finally, and from a personal perspective as one of life’s “busy people”, to encourage anyone thinking of buying a bike and cycling more often I will leave you with this quote that I read recently, “Cycling isn’t just a way to get fit, it’s a way to silence the noise in your head”.
Ian Mills
Chair of the Swanmore College Board of Governors
Podcast and poster to help keep you safe
Podcast and poster to help keep you safe
"While we hope you’re excited to kick back, relax, and enjoy some well-earned rest with friends and family, it’s still vitally important that we do all we can to safeguard the children and young people in our care over the festive period.
However, it can be tricky to know what specific steps we can take to ensure our winter break is as calm and risk-free as possible, which is why we’ve put together this week’s free guide. Check out our expert advice on keeping youngsters safe over the festive season."
View the poster below or download it by clicking this link from the National College.
Or you can listen to their podcast by clicking here.
Take some time for you during this break and at the start of the new year 2025
Take some time for you during this break and at the start of the new year 2025
We can easily become consumed by jobs and to-do lists. We often work right up until the very final moments before the 'big day' or when holidays begin. Ensure you are carving some time for you to do what you enjoy.
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