Events Coming Up
11th Remembrance Day 12th Year 9 Progress Evening 19th Coffee and Cake morning for Grandparents and Carers 21st Year 10 Cooking 24th-6th December Year 11 Mocks 24th Ordnance Survey Trip 28th Year 10 Cooking 29th Christmas Themed Craft Fayre
Message from the Leadership Team
Dear Noadswood Families,
We hope you all had a restful half term, and that the break provided some much needed time to relax and recharge together. It has been lovely to welcome our students back this week – full of energy, enthusiasm, and ready for the half term ahead. It was a real pleasure for me to take 45 of our Y7 and Y8 students to the Mayflower Studio on Tuesday to see a very powerful and clever adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear. The three colleagues who came with me and I were ever so impressed by the way all our young people engaged with the stagecraft and the whole theatre experience. I know Miss Skinner and her colleagues felt exactly the same about her party of children who went the next day. Our thanks to the Mayflower Studio and to the RSC and First Encounters for putting on such lively performances at good prices for our children and ourselves.
It’s been a super week for trips and visits, all round, starting off with the KS4 Citizenship visit to the Houses of Parliament, the Royal Courts of Justice, and the opportunity to see London from the London Eye. Mrs Blowers, Miss Rawlinson and Trustee, Tom Weeks, spoke in glowing terms about the students’ approach and engagement with the day. The same was true about our Art trip yesterday: successful because of the teamwork between our Art department and your young people, so a big thanks to everyone from me. My choir and I have got to get seriously festive now, in advance of an incredible array of chances to perform between now and the end of term: 15th November – A minibus load of us will be singing at the Lantern Community Winter Fair 29th November – As many as want to will sing at the Noadswood Craft Fair 1st December – 30 of us will sing at the Oakhaven Hospice Christmas event after school 4th December – A minibus load of us will sing at West Quay Christmas Wrapping Station for half an hour within the school day 16th December – As many as want to will sing at the Christmas Concert here at school. Letters are coming out now about all of the above events so please do check Arbor and respond so your children can join all the festive fun. As the rest of Teams Music, Drama and Dance get busy for our school production of Oliver and the Gym and Dance Show as well as the rest of our Christmas Concert, it’s a terrific term for the Performing Arts here! I’m thankful to Mr Burton, Mr Watkins, Miss Costa and Mrs Smith for all they are doing.
Elsewhere, I would like to extend my thanks to all the families and to our guest speaker, Lorraine Lee, who joined us for our Prepare for Best Evening on Wednesday. It was our best-attended such event yet, and we are so grateful for the strong support and engagement shown by our community. The evening highlighted the shared commitment between home and school in helping every student reach their full potential, and in as healthy a way as possible, too. Research – and of course common sense - show that when parents/carers and schools work closely together, students make greater academic progress, develop stronger social and emotional skills, and feel more confident about their learning. We look forward to continuing this partnership throughout the year, working hand in hand to support every young person in achieving their very best – a big cheer to Mrs Rollett for all her hard work in organising this event. All resources used during the event and GCSE support across all subjects can be accessed here: Prepare for Best 2025
We have been continuing to make progress with regards to our Digital Detox plans that will place us in alignment with our local friends and neighbours re our school site being smartphone free, like theirs, throughout the school day: - Mr Abbott, Mrs Bradshaw and our Premises Team have been measuring up for where our student phone lockers can be installed safely in all bases in the school. - We have consulted subject departments re the technology they will need to equip their curriculum areas when phones cannot be used for certain activities anymore. - We have planned for resourcing adults with tablets who currently use school platforms such as Outlook and Teams on mobile phones in their roles around the school. - No one will need a smartphone throughout their time at Noadswood to fulfil their learning or their role. Our implementation will be no later than February half term 2026, with more to follow in my assemblies with students at the beginning of December, and then in a specific communication with you all nearer the time. We know that the change will seem and indeed be a significant one for many of us, but we will support any children anxious initially, and, as stated previously, of course those who depend on their phones to support their medical care plans will continue to have access to them through the day. From our neighbour schools’ experience, we know that before long the routine of putting a phone away at the beginning of the school day becomes the norm. Finally for this week, my congratulations to these three Year 7s for their super start here at Noadswood – I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them today, giving them a big well done from me and their tutors, and hearing about their hobbies from crochet, to football, to the very important activity that is relaxing!
Wishing you all a good weekend together, and if you need us, for a query, question or worry, please do not hesitate to contact us on ClassCharts, using the email addresses here: Contact us Or you can email info@noadswood.hants.sch.uk and your mail will be pointed the right way. With best wishes, Kathryn Marshall and the Noadswood Leadership Team
Year Leaders- Festive Lunch
Our annual year group Festive Lunch takes place in December during a period 4 for each year group. Please do order your child's festive lunch via the Arbor shop by 4pm on Thursday 20th November. A letter was emailed on the 3rd Nov with all the details including those in receipt of free school meals. We are really looking forward to this annual event.
Coffee and Cake Morning for Carers and Grandparents
On Wednesday 19th November we will be holding our popular event from last year to get our carers and grandparents together for a coffee and cake morning with a good game of Bingo with prizes to be won. There will be two sessions this year due to it being so popular last year. The times are as follows: Session 1 - 9.15am - 10.45am Session 2 - 11.30am - 1pm For Carers and grandparents to attend, you must book via the Shop area within Arbor. Places are limited to 3 people per student but without booking we will not be able to accept people turning up on the morning.
Cake Bake-Off for Year 7 and 8 Students
We are calling all year 7 and 8 students to bake cakes for the Coffee and Cake morning on Wednesday 19th November. There is a competition running to see which tutor group can bake the most cakes and a prize for the Best Decorated. There will be an opportunity for students to purchase cakes at break and lunch time with all proceeds going to the Outdoor Library. All cakes need to be brought to the library by 8.45am on the morning of the 19th November. Students can collect a blank Ingredient card from the library as all cakes brought in must list all ingredients. NO fresh cream or nuts can be used in the baking or decorating.
Year 9 Progress Event Reminder
We would like to remind parents and carers that our Year 9 Progress Event will be taking place on Wednesday 12th November between 4-8pm. This is an important opportunity to discuss your child’s progress so far, celebrate their achievements, and talk about next steps as they prepare for Key Stage 4. Appointments with subject teachers can be booked via schoolcloud and we encourage all parents to attend. We look forward to seeing you there and working together to support your child’s continued success.
Christmas Themed Events
Tickets are now on sale for the Christmas Themed Craft Fayre and Wreath Making session through Arbor in the Shop area or you can email events@noadswood.hants.sch.uk for more information.
Awesome Alumni
Martha Boon Noadswood Student from 2007-2012
I was at Noadswood from 2007-2012 and I went on to study musical theatre at the University of Chichester (after being in all the school productions and falling in love with it.) I went on to work in a hotel in Spain as the summer entertainment. After graduating, I decided to try the London life in 2019 and I started auditioning. This is one of the hardest industries I could have chosen, I cannot lie. It is so hard to keep yourself going when it is only yourself cheering you on. I still hope and dream that I get my West End debut one day. But for now, I manage at a bar/restaurant near where I live and enjoy my life as much as possible. I go on holiday every 3 months & spend a lot of time at the cinema & theatre. It is important to choose a path in life - but do not forget to truly live & love your life. do not just live to work but work to LIVE. careers can come and go as you please, you do not have to decide here and now. It is NEVER too late to decide to do something new, I promise.