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Summer 2024

Welcome to the 14th edition of our LiFe Link Newsletter. In this issue we look back and celebrate another great term packed full of opportunities for our young people.

Thank you to everyone who reads this edition and continues to support Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill.

End of Term Awards Assembly

On Friday 19th July, a Whole School Rewards Assembly was held, which involved recognising and rewarding over 100 students across a wide variety of categories such as Attendance, Attitude to Learning, Head of Year/Pastoral Awards and a Principal’s Award winner. There was also a wonderful performance of ‘Feed the Birds’ from our recent Mary Poppins Showcase event from 2 of our brilliant students, which was a real highlight of the Assembly. Some of the prizes on offer included gifts such as Footballs, Spray gift sets, £10 Amazon vouchers, mobile phone power banks, and big packets of sweets. The Assembly concluded with our first big FAB4 main prize draw with 3 very excited winners being drawn out of the hat to win either a £100 Amazon voucher, a set of Apple Air Pods or a Premium Hair Straightener. It was an excellent opportunity to recognise and celebrate so many of our students that consistently demonstrate our values of being Proud, Kind, and Determined.

Youth Voice

As part of the Oasis Aspirations Programme, 30 Year 10 students took part in a youth voice workshop on the 12th July. The day was led by Andrew Smyth from the National Oasis team in partnership with The Children’s Society Youth Voice team.

Throughout the day the students engaged in discussion and activities that explored what it meant to have a voice, to feel listened to and to listen to others and different types of participation from consultation to youth led action. We discussed how heard they felt now and what influence they think young people have on a local and national level in their communities and in politics. They thought through the barriers to this and how these might be overcome. Then we thought about ways that they could break down and begin to influence some of the issues that really mattered to them and how they could approach a campaign to influence change in these areas. Issues included concern about crime, racism and poverty; hearing the voices of young people more; opportunities to volunteer as young people, having a voice in national politics; having more spaces that feel safe and inclusive.

The group also had an opportunity to add their views to The Children’s Societies Children at the Table campaign writing their messages to the new government on handprints that will join with others from all around the country to make a huge tablecloth that will be presented to the government.

Those involved in the workshop will have opportunities in the coming months to work with Lizzie Whitbread, the Oasis Southampton Community Development lead. To look at having their voice heard in our community and bringing about change locally.

Southampton Schools Dance Festival

Oasis Academy Lord's Hill were invited to perform in the first Southampton Schools Dance Festival on Wednesday 10th July 2024. Miss O’Reilly, Miss Holloway & Mr Webb took 6 of our Year 10 GCSE Dance students to Bitterne Park Sixth Form to perform a group dance and solo performance. The event is designed to celebrate dance across schools in Southampton and provides an opportunity for students to share their work to each other and in front of a live audience. We are so proud of all students involved, they performed with professionalism and their performance has been described as “stunning”. View the highlights video of the evening below.

Community Leader Honoured with Honorary Degree from Solent University

One of our community leaders, Paul Woodman, was awarded an Honorary Degree of Fellow by Solent University at their annual graduation ceremony on 11th July. The award was for Paul’s commitment to the city of Southampton and his work in the local community.

Paul has worked alongside our academies in Southampton, Oasis Academy Mayfield and Lord’s Hill since they opened in 2008, and Oasis Academy Sholing since 2018, and has led many assemblies, trips and community initiatives for our young people to be involved in. He helped our academies achieve the School of Sanctuary Award, Equalities Award and supported many families with food deliveries during the pandemic.

On behalf of Oasis, Paul wrote educational resources for the ‘Mayflower 400 Anniversary’ in Southampton. More recently, Paul has been taking groups of Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill students to the Southampton City Farm for therapeutic farming sessions, enabling them to learn more about gardening and animal care. He also takes a group from Oasis Academy Mayfield to train at a local boxing gym. He has helped secure funding for the Oasis Youth Van and Community Pantry, as well as developing resources for the Grief and Loss training that is used nationally by Oasis.

Our Founder, Steve Chalke, praised Paul’s contributions, stating,

“Paul Woodman embodies the spirit of Oasis with his relentless commitment to community service and support for our young people. His work has had a profound impact on many lives, and this recognition is well-deserved.”

Paul’s contribution to Oasis extends far beyond Southampton. He has worked across all Oasis academies and he was also involved in a major project in Bristol re-homing refugees and ensuring their children were able to attend school.

John Barneby, CEO of Oasis Community Learning, added,

“Paul’s dedication to improving the lives of students and families in Southampton is truly inspiring. His innovative initiatives and unwavering support reflect the core values of Oasis. We are incredibly proud of his achievements and grateful for his continued efforts.”

The ceremony at Southampton Guildhall was attended by local dignitaries, university staff, students, and Paul’s family and friends. Join us in congratulating Paul!

Mary Poppins

We had a blast in July hosting our performance of Mary Poppins Jr over two nights in front of a full house!

The cast were 'practically perfect in every way' and we are so proud of everything our students have achieved. We started the process of auditioning for this show 7 months ago, and we cannot believe the number of students that wanted to be apart of the production. Since then, the students have worked tirelessly most days after school, on INSET days and extra half term rehearsals to ensure this show was the best it can possibly be, and the results speak for themselves.

We are determined to continue offering these opportunities for our students and community, and all the money from the ticket sales will go back into creating our next performance. We cannot wait to welcome you back for our next show soon!

In the words of Mary Poppins "Keep playing the game, Au revoir"

Theme Park Reward Trips

Thorpe Park

On Tuesday 2nd July, over 80 students from Year 9 and 10 attended an end of year Rewards trip to Thorpe Park. Students were selected based on those that had the highest overall positive attitude to learning scores on their mid-year school reports. A fantastic day was had by everybody that attended, and a real highlight for many was the brand-new HYPERIA ride, which is the tallest and biggest rollercoaster in the UK at 236ft. Other popular rides included SWARM and STEALTH among many others. We can’t wait to go back again next year!

Paulton's Park

On Thursday 4th July, over 120 students from Year 7 and 8 attended an end of year Rewards trip to Paulton’s Park. Students were selected in the first instance based on those that had the highest overall positive attitude to learning scores on their mid-year school reports. There was a real sense of excitement at the park from the students and they were an absolute credit to the academy. It was a fantastic day all round and one we are looking to repeat next year!

Rewards

Our wonderful student leaders have been actively involved in various initiatives to enhance our school community. They recently met to discuss our new Fab 4 rewards strategy, including our plans for prizes that our students would truly value. Every lesson, each teacher awards four students with a Fab 4 ticket. Each ticket represents one entry into our Fab 4 rewards draw that will take place towards the end of each half term. Students can enter their Fab 4 ticket into a reward draw for one of three different possible prizes which for this term included: a £100 Amazon voucher, a pair of Apple AirPod headphones, or a set of premium hair straighteners.

Girls' Football Tournament

The girls' football teams of Year 7 and 8, as well as Year 9 and 10, were invited to the Southampton FC training ground, Staplewood, to participate in a girls' football tournament for schools in Southampton.

Both teams performed exceptionally and were a true asset to the Academy. The day was fantastic and took place at an amazing venue. As shown in the photographs, all matches were held in the indoor training dome, which is a remarkable facility and provided a valuable experience for our students.

A huge thank you is owed to Southampton FC and all of their community staff for organising the day so brilliantly.

The event demonstrated that there is a remarkable amount of football talent in Southampton.

Southampton Stage Door

On Tuesday, June 4th, Miss Holloway, Miss O'Reilly, and Mr. Webb took two of our Year 9 students to attend the 'Rising Stars' open mic event at Southampton Stage Door. This event is aimed at young people across the city, encouraging them to showcase their musical talents and enthusiasm by performing on stage with other musicians. During the event, Daisy P and Lyric D represented the school by singing songs from Les Misérables, We Will Rock You, and Mary Poppins. The girls were fantastic, and we are extremely proud of the positive impact they have on the academy and the community. We plan to return in the next academic year and invite more of our musicians to participate in order to establish a regular presence at the event alongside other schools in Southampton.

Weekly Farm Sessions

Our students have enjoyed some sunny Tuesday mornings at Southampton City Farm. They have loved meeting the animals on the farms, taking the goats for a walk, feeding the guinea pigs and holding the chickens. This summer’s group set a new record for cleaning the main barn on the farm, making it sparkling clean in just 15 minutes.

Trip leader, Paul Woodman said:

'The farm has given our students the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom and to enjoy some sunshine while working there. This group of students have been very enthusiastic and a wonderful credit to the Academy. It has been fantastic to see our young people working so hard together as a team.'

Boxing Sessions

A new weekly trip started in July to the boxing club, Pound for Pound Palace. The sessions include some sparring, circuit training and time to improve boxing skills and footwork. The students have thoroughly enjoyed their time in the gym and particularly like the sparring in the gym, even if they are physically worn out at the end of the sessions.

Trip leader, Paul Woodman said:

‘It has been incredible to be at the boxing gym and have this setting for our students to have the input of professional trainers. Boxing provides a very different learning opportunity for our students. As well as being very physical in nature, the students need to listen well to the trainers to pick up the skills they are being taught.'

City Sports Athletics Championships and Sports Day

City Athletics

On Wednesday, June 19th, students from Years 7-10 attended the City Athletics Championships at Southampton Sports Centre. Despite the hot weather, the students competed remarkably well in various track and field events. In the morning, the teams from Year 7 & 8 showed great determination, with some impressive performances, especially in the throwing events and relays. In the afternoon, the Year 9 & 10 teams arrived at the sports centre and continued with their superb performances. The boys and girls relay teams came very close to victory, and Nathan O placed second in the boys' Year 10 100m final. All the staff and students had a fantastic day and the students were a true credit to the Academy.

Sports Day

During the final week of term, we held our annual sports day. Students from Year 7 to 10 competed in track and field events and also enjoyed sessions on the inflatables provided by a local company, Inflataplanet. The students participated in their respective year groups, with the entire school coming together to attend the finale on the track and cheer on our relay teams. It was a wonderful day, and the results will be revealed to the school community in September.

Barton Peveril Dance Workshop

On Wednesday 19th June 2024, the subject leader for dance at Barton Peveril Sixth Form College visited Oasis Academy Lord's Hill to deliver a dance workshop to some of our Year 9 and 10 dance students. The session consisted of a dance technique class, a choreographic task and an opportunity for Q & A with 2 A Level Dance students. The workshop gave students an insight into what to expect from an A Level Dance class at Barton Peveril Sixth Form College. The students conducted themselves brilliantly and were a proud representation of OALH.

Geography Fieldwork

Year 10 Physical Geography Fieldwork in the New Forest

On Tuesday 16th and Thursday 18th July 2 groups of Year 10 students completed the Physical Geography Fieldwork element of their GCSE course.

Each group drove out to the Forest, through the village of Brockenhurst and out to Whitefield Moor. It was there we met Helen from the New Forest Commission Education Team, who was to be our expert guide for the day.

After a discussion on expectations of the day and an assessment of risk we set out to find the source of the Silver Spring. On our way we were provided with a multitude of information about the history, geology, habitat, plants and animals of the Forest.

The source of the Silver Spring surprised many in that it was not high in mountains or hills but appears from the ground due to high saturation of the clay soil. We followed the Spring until it made its confluence with the Oberwater, a larger body of water that was to be the main focus of our study.

The first data collected was the velocity of the river. Measurements were taken at different points of the river by timing how long it took a piece of breadstick to travel 2 metres. This is a low-tech method that can be completed with minimal equipment but clearly illustrates the differences in velocity on the inside, centre and outside of the river channel.

The last activity before lunch was to complete a field sketch, a second method of data collection, the most vital part of which was to add detailed annotations and explanations to the depictions of the river and its surroundings.

After a picnic lunch on Whitefield Moor, we walked to a different section of the Oberwater river to complete the final data collection.

Working in teams of 4 or 5, students created a cross-sectional representation of the river channel through measuring features such as width, depth from a fixed point and water levels at regular intervals. Students displayed great teamwork and perseverance in completing a complicated task with many elements to it.

There was just time for much needed refreshment in the hot weather from the ice cream van parked at Whitefield Moor before we made the journey back to the Academy through the incredible Rhinefield Ornamental Drive.

The data collected will be analysed in future Geography lessons to allow appropriate conclusions to be made.

All students represented the Academy brilliantly and were able to remain focused on their fieldwork whilst thoroughly enjoying the day.

Huge thanks must go to Helen from the New Forest Commission for leading the study.

Year 10 Human Geography Fieldwork in Southampton

On Wednesday 17th, Friday 19th and Monday 22nd July all Year 10 students studying the Geography GCSE were given the opportunity to complete the Human Fieldwork element of their qualification.

Students were assigned to either the morning (0900-1100) or afternoon (1230-1430) sessions. In groups of no more than 10, supported by 2 staff members, each group made the journey from the Academy to Southampton Central Railway Station. This was the first location of 6 that students would collect data at to discover whether, and how, the environmental quality in Southampton changes as distance from the city centre increases.

At each location, students collected 3 sets of data.

The first was an environmental quality survey which required students to assess the buildings, traffic and greenspace in the area.

Secondly a decibel reading was taken using an app on a mobile phone to provide a representation of the level of noise in each area. The average over 30 seconds was recorded twice and then an average of these readings taken.

Finally a litter count of the area was taken where students were instructed to stay where they were and to count the litter they could see. They were timed for 1 minute and then recorded the count.

Each location for data collection is shown on the map below. These were; Southampton Central Railway Station, Lower Shirley, Upper Shirley, Lordshill, Nursling and the road to Romsey.

Through travelling through their city it was clear to all students that the environment changes very quickly over very short distances. The primary data collected by students added further detail to their experience.

The data will be analysed and conclusions made during future Geography lessons.

Careers News

Solent University

On Thursday, June 20th, a group of 25 students from Oasis Academy Lord's Hill had the opportunity to visit Solent University. As a former student at Solent University, I was thrilled to be taking some of our students to visit my alma mater. The day began with a informative talk from staff about the creative industries and STEM fields. It was enlightening for the students to realize the various job opportunities and career paths available in both industries.

Students were then able to continue learning about post 16 options in the workshop which was very informative. Next up was a visit around the campus including 2 very exciting stops at the Marine Simulation Centre and the Nursing Lab. This was a superb experience for our students to see that they could be learning at Solent University with the latest technology.

Finally, students participated in the understanding student finance session which helped the students to understand how they could afford and manage going to university.

A great day, thoroughly enjoyed by our students!

Careers Guidance

This term we welcomed our new Careers adviser Olita Shandirwa to the Academy. Olita has been busy ensuring that all our Year 11 students have a planned destination of college, training or employment. Olita is now starting to meet with our Year 10 students.

In addition to this we have had assemblies from the following providers:

  • Peta
  • Barton Peveril
  • Peter Symonds

All students have now been given access to Globalbridge which is a revolutionary digital learner profile platform built by teachers, empowering young people to showcase their full potential beyond exam grades, and connect with future career and education opportunities. By using this platform students will now be able to record all the opportunities and visits to enable them to have a record they can share with friend, family, colleges and employers. Please ask your child to show you the platform on their ipad.

Next term will be just as busy and we welcome colleges, training and apprenticeship providers to the academy.

Alumni

We need your help to help inspire our students. Did you go to school at the academy? Do you have an interesting story to tell about your career path? Have you recently left and perhaps starting university? Are you keen to help the local community?

If you answered yes to any other the questions or know someone that might be interested in working with us, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

We are planning to develop a small network of ex students to help inspire the next generation and would love to hear from you.

College Taster day's

Southampton City College

On Tuesday 9 June a small number of students visited Southampton City College to try out some taster sessions. This opportunity has enabled students who like practical subjects to try taster sessions including:

  • Early Years (childcare)
  • Beauty Therapy
  • Theatrical Make Up
  • Hospitality & Catering
  • Engineering
  • Forensic and Criminal Investigation
  • Creative Media and Digital
  • Marine Engineering & Boat Building
'A brilliant day, I will definitely be coming here. The staff were amazing!' Jay (Year 10)

Students described the day as;

' wonderful, new experience, inspiring, fab and that everyone was really welcoming'

Richard Taunton's Sixth Form College

On Tuesday 9th July 2024, a handful of our Year 10 students took part in a taster day at Richard Taunton’s Sixth Form College. They had the chance to experience ‘a day in the life of a sixth form student’, taking part in various lessons of their choice. Each of the students had their own tailored timetable to follow throughout the day, where they took part in lessons with other students from other schools. The students came away from the day gaining more knowledge of what college is like, as well as some Richard Taunton’s merchandise.

Barton Peveril Sixth Form College

On Wednesday 10th July, a large group of students attended the taster day sessions at Barton Peveril. Students were able to try 4 subjects of their choice. The day was a success with students enjoying 'a day in the life as a Barton Peveril student'. Students navigated the large site with their maps and attended sessions with other students across the City and Hampshire.

All students behaved really well, and it was a wonderful opportunity to try subjects ahead of applications that can be made from September onwards.

The canteen was a huge hit with students really enjoying the wide variety of foods available during break/lunch.

A reminder to students and parents that if you or your child is interested in attending Barton Peveril then it is essential to get your application in early and before their deadline in January 2025.

I look forward to supporting students with their college applications early in the Autumn term.

Your Futures

On 5th June 2024 our SEND department supported a number of students to attend the Your Futures event at Solent University. With a special early access to the event to avoid crowd's our students were able to explore a wide range of apprenticeships, colleges, Universities' and development opportunities.

It is import for us to enable all of our learners to access and consider their post 16 choices.

A massive thank you to Mrs Watt and Mr Missouri for taking our students to this event.

Key Dates

Year 11 GCSE Results Day: Thursday 22nd August (10-12)

INSET Day: Monday 2nd September

INSET Day: Tuesday 3rd September

Year 7 Only: Wednesday 4th September

All Students Return: Thursday 5th September

INSET Day: Friday 18th October

Half-term: Monday 28th October to Friday 1st November

INSET Day: Monday 2nd December

Christmas Break: Monday 23rd December to Friday 3rd January

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