NOADSWOOD NEWS WEEK COMMENCING 19TH jANUARY 2026

Student Voice: Update by the students

We have recently been having a debate in school regarding school uniform and what makes students less content than they might be with our current uniform. We will be sharing some of the proposed changes that have been considered by the Senior Leadership Team, suggested and presented to them by the Head Students and Senior Prefects. Students in years 7-10 will shortly be having an assembly to see the different styles of skirts, trousers, sweatshirts and polo tops that are being proposed.   A consultation will then be shared later this year, first with Trustees, and then with parents and carers, timeline to be created after all the assemblies have taken place. We believe the new changes being suggested are a good compromise addressing how the uniform makes students feel, but remaining smart, as well as helping quite a bit financially, as some of the suggested items can be purchased from somewhere that you have easier access to.   We also had a discussion today about communication and how this can be improved and enhanced by the school using platforms that we know more of us and many of you use beyond the traditional ones.   We recognise that our weekly newsletter is just one way to get updates and news out to our community, and there are lots of other platforms we could be using for shorter, sharper comms alongside it. We could also have areas on the website for news or on FROG. Lots of ideas, but we hope to improve on what we are doing already so that all messages and news of all we are doing can be passed on in a timely manner and in a variety of ways you can all access easily.

Parking, dropping of and allowing cars to idle:

As a school, we have been asked to remind all parents and carers that they should not be parking or dropping students off on the Yellow Zig Zags outside the school gates, nor should any of us be turning around in the area outside the exit gates. Dropping students off whilst stopped at the crossroads also poses its own risks for both you as the car driver and a student hurrying across the road.   We have been receiving complaints from our neighbours, as have our other local schools, regarding parents/carers parking outside school up to 45 minutes before the end of the day and sitting in their cars on their phones with the engine idling. We will be working with our local councillors and PCSOs, as well as other schools nearby, on how we can pull together to improve the situation in and around our local, over-populated roads. Meantime, we want to share some of the facts below regarding idling and the impact it has on our environment:   It is illegal to let your engine idle when parked Rule 123 of The Highway Code looks at ‘The Driver and the Environment’. It states that drivers must not leave a parked vehicle unattended with the engine running or leave a vehicle engine running unnecessarily while the vehicle is stationary on a public road.   Some local authorities charge a £20 fixed penalty notice (FPN) for emission offences and stationary idling under The Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002. There’s potential for the fine to increase to £801 if a motorist refuses to switch off their engine when asked to do so by an authorised person.   Is it illegal to engine idle outside schools? Local authorities have the power to issue £20 fixed penalties for engine idling if a motorist refuses to switch off their engine, regardless of the location.    Why is idling bad? Idling, instead of turning your engine off while stationary, increases the amount of exhaust emissions in the air, containing a number of harmful gasses including carbon dioxide, which is bad for the environment, as well as a range of other harmful gasses including nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons which are linked to asthma and other lung diseases.  Diesel vehicles - older ones in particular - are thought to be one of the biggest contributors to the problem due to high levels of nitrogen oxide and particulates. For every minute your car is sat there idling, 150 balloons could be filled with the harmful emissions.

Simon Chadwick Workshop

Local author and illustrator Simon Chadwick will be visiting on Monday 2nd March to run cartooning workshops throughout the day for Key Stage 3 students. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to enjoy time being creative alongside an industry expert. Students can sign up outside the library or alternatively, please email Mrs Eldridge or Miss Dixon to add your child to the list. Meldridge@noadswood.hants.sch.uk / Sdixon@noadswood.hants.sch.uk   Spaces are limited, so please sign up as soon as possible.

AWESOME Alumni Mia King Class of 2018

I was a student at Noadswood from 2013-2018, which feels like a lifetime ago! I was in Deerleap and enjoyed many opportunities at school, from history trips to getting involved in drama productions, to visiting Oxford university. I was always encouraged in my studies by all my teachers, although special shout out needs to go to Mrs Rollett for always pushing and encouraging me to do my best in my History GCSE, and Mrs Smith who I absolutely wouldn't have passed maths without.     Since leaving Noadswood in 2018, I attended college at Brockenhurst and achieved AAB in Law, History and English Language. I’ve since achieved a first-class honours degree in law from Bournemouth University and achieved a distinction in my Legal Practice Course. I am now a Trainee Solicitor at Coles Miller LLP in Poole, where I am currently in the Commercial Property department.    My advice to anyone looking for a career in law is to take any opportunity given to you. I am the first and only person in my immediate family to go to university, and so I had to seek out my own opportunities such as work experience and other legal events to get involved with. Even holding roles such as prefect in school can really help to boost your CV as it shows that you are responsible. Having hobbies is also key as employers will always want to know about you as a person, plus it shows you have a wide range of interests which is always a plus! Just work hard and apply yourself and you can’t go wrong.    I don't think I would have ended up on the career path I am currently on if it wasn't for choosing Noadswood as my secondary school. I was allowed to be myself, to teach my full academic potential and I was never discouraged or told law was not a career I could do, despite my own self-doubt. I am very grateful for the years I spent there and I wish I could do it all again!