Noadswood News
Week commencing 26th January 2026
Events coming up 2nd February Year 10 History Conference 3rd February Gym and Dance Show 4th February Gym and Dance Show Change in date for the Year 7 Progress Event, this is now on Wednesday 17th June.
Message from the Leadership Team
Dear Noadswood families, Welcome to this week's edition of our school newsletter. We’ve had another busy week. We know how hard our students and staff have been working in all areas of school, especially as we prepare for one of our favourite events - the Gym and Dance show. We hope to see many of you there, it’s a wonderful evening to celebrate and cheer on your children. We strive to foster a safe and supportive environment for our students; We want to remind everyone about the importance of safeguarding in our community. Yesterday, we shared two important communications: Firstly, we received a report of a member of the public approaching one of our students on their way into school. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of discussing safety with your child, particularly as they navigate their independence in our local community. Please have conversations about staying aware of their surroundings and knowing how to respond in unfamiliar situations. Secondly, we addressed the serious issue of inappropriate image taking, sharing and viewing from other places online. As our children navigate an increasingly complex online world, these conversations are even more important for ensuring their safety and well-being, especially as this was something that many of us, as parents and carers, never experienced ourselves. We have seen a small increase in all year groups so please do not assume that this message just relates to our older students. So to my three highlights of the week: firstly, I have been in lots of lessons this week, which, as I just mentioned to a Y10 student, is one of my favourite things to do, to enjoy the learning with the students, to think about the impact of the curriculum for the students and to take the temperature of what is happening all day, every day, right across our school. My thanks this week to Mr D’Arcy’s really super Y9 Spanish students, Mrs Welsh’s Y10 scientists, Miss Edmondson and Mrs Goodacre’s Y10 German and French learners respectively, to name just four! My second highlight was, as often, the incredible ‘This is Me’ Choir, for their truly joyful singing of ‘Never Ending Story’, ‘Rolling in the Deep’, ‘Sweet Dreams’ and even a bit of Bieber, ‘Love Yourself’. The senior choir, at lunchtime, were also on particularly good form, showing me how to sing many a song I didn’t know, including one accompanied by ukelele! Absolutely joyful music making with our students. My final highlight this week has been working, this morning, with a host of local councillors, and colleagues from Hampshire County Council, alongside our Business Manager, Mrs Wyse, and our premises/health and safety administrator, Mrs Debbage, truly focusing on proactive, shared ways we can help to improve the safety and congestion we face if we are part of the Orchard and/or Noadswood school families. The energy and commitment in the room was so heartening. I am thankful to my colleagues for all they have already done with our Travel Plan, our bike storage fundraising and promotion of safe cycling, as well as, of course, our success in the Modeshift awards. Together, we are stronger and better able to help keep all our children and adults safe around our schools. Finally, we are thrilled to flag that we are hosting local author and illustrator, Simon Chadwick, on Monday 2nd March. More details are below, but a tremendous thanks to Miss Dixon and Mrs Eldridge for providing such a wonderful opportunity. And staying with books, big congratulations from me to our Library Competition Winners! The creativity displayed in the Bookmark Competition was impressive! Best wishes for a good weekend ahead to one and all, Kathryn Marshall and the Noadswood Leadership Team
Year 9 KS4 Courses Evening
We would like to invite you and your child to attend our Year 9 KS4 Courses Event on Wednesday 11th February which will be held at school. I will send confirmation of timings for the event soon, but I wanted you to be able to save the date in advance. This event is an important part of moving into Key Stage 4. It is designed to give both students, and parents and carers, all the information needed to make informed choices about the subjects your child might study in Key Stage 4. During the evening you will:
- Receive clear guidance on the options blocks and how the pupils submit their preferences.
- Have the opportunity to meet subject teachers and discuss the content and demands of each course.
- Learn more about the new subjects your child may have the opportunity to study.
- Ask any questions you may have to help support your child’s decision‑making.
Staff will be available throughout the evening to offer advice and guidance, and we strongly encourage all Year 9 students to attend. Please note, space is very limited at this event, so we ask that pupils attend with only one adult if possible. The event is split into two sessions to allow two houses to come at a time. We look forward to welcoming you on Wednesday 11th February and supporting you and your child through this important stage of their education. Mr Hewitt – Deputy Headteacher
Simon Chadwick Workshops
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 Or Sdixon@noadswood.hants.sch.uk Spaces are limited so please sign up as soon as possible.
Library Competition Winners
Bookmark Competition (97 entries): Nyla C (Yr7)- Snowman Sofia M (Yr8) - Stranger Things Got to love a Demogorgan!)Rachel T (Yr8) - Chinese Dragon
Raffle (530 tickets) Ezra E (Yr 9) Douglas G (Yr7) Elvie H (Yr 7)
AWESOME Alumni Amelia Bell Class of 2020
I went to Noadswood School from 2015–2020. Even though the end of my time at school was a bit disrupted, I have so many fond memories and always felt really supported by my teachers — special shout-out to Miss Towsey, Mrs Smoker, and Mr Stamp! After leaving Noadswood, I went on to Barton Peveril College to study A levels in Psychology, English Language and Biology. Choosing subjects felt really overwhelming at the time, and I honestly had no idea what I wanted to do next. My advice would be to pick subjects you enjoy and that keep your options open — it’s totally fine if you don’t have everything figured out yet. I later chose to study a BSc in Psychology at the University of Sheffield simply because it was the subject I enjoyed most. As part of my degree, I did a placement year at Southampton Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), and it was such an incredible experience. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and showed me just how inspiring and rewarding this kind of work can be. That year really shaped my career goals and helped me realise I want to pursue a career in clinical psychology. I’ve since received an offer to study an Applied Clinical Psychology MSc at the University of Bath. If I had not taken the risk of completing a placement year, I may never have discovered this passion or gained the confidence to pursue it. Therefore, my advice to current students would be to do the scary thing and try to let go of worries about it going wrong or embarrassing yourself because those are the moments that help us grow. It does not matter if you don’t know what you want to do next, just trust your instincts, follow what you enjoy and everything else will fall into place. Wishing you the very best for the future!