Events coming up
13th Year 9 Williams F1 Racing Stem Day
15th Year 9 at IConstruct
16th Nasal Flu vaccinations
16th Restart a heart day with British Heart Foundation
16th 17:00 – 18:30 Prom Shop Open
20th Year 11 Cadbury World Trip
27th – 2nd November HALF TERM HOLIDAY
Message from the Leadership Team
Dear Noadswood Families,
I hope this letter finds you well – we're mindful that there’s lots of lurgy out there, we are well and truly in Autumn, not just a season of crunchy leaves and crisp mornings, also one of plenty of bugs and viruses about, as we know.
If your child is unwell, please communicate with us by notifying the school as soon as possible and providing a message, note or email regarding the reason for their absence. It cuts down on mails for you and us if you provide the reason in the first instance. Please do remember if your child has been sick, they do need to remain off school for 48 hours, nuisance in terms of your logistics as this can be, I know. It does go some way to reduce the pace of spread of sickness-related bugs.
Some thank yous for this week, then: firstly, to everyone who came to the Year 7 Parent Staff Association Disco last Friday evening. I enjoyed it because of the atmosphere all the children, all our parent/carer volunteers and all my colleagues created, not to mention the DJ, who the youngsters engaged with ever so well. We love to boogie on a Friday night!
Staying with Year 7, our thanks to all of the families who attended our 'Meet the Tutor Evening.' All the tutors found it a pleasure to engage with you and discuss your child's experiences during their first half term at Noadswood. Your partnership is something that as a school we really value. Should you have any concerns, worries or suggestions or you require assistance of any kind, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs Way and Mr Payne at year7@noadswood.hants.sch.uk; they are always happy to help.
It was lovely to see so many of you arriving for the Year 10 Work Experience evening last night as I clocked off for the day. Miss Clews, our Careers Lead, was very pleased we had to put out more chairs – such a level of engagement from the students and you all will make the Work Experience go with a real swing, just as last year’s did.
Finally, as many of you may have seen on our social media, thanks are due to Marchwood Men’s Shed, and in particular, Noadswood parent, Gary Wright, for supporting us with making a beautiful bench in memory of our treasured former student, Ben Pavitt. This bench was unveiled by Ben’s family this week, to applause from students on their way to lesson; I felt extremely privileged to be there with them. To learn more about Ben’s life and legacy do take a look here: Ben Pavitt's Legacy of Love Fund
To end with a plea, if your child travels on the BlueStar bus, and they have noted any young people letting us down with loud behaviour and frustrating pressing of the stop button randomly, we would be grateful for them popping to see their Year Leader to share their concerns in confidence. We have had a community report of this, which we are looking into ourselves of course – the person who wrote to me was lovely enough to say how extremely well some of our students were conducting themselves, let down by some others. Good messaging from you to your young people would help us, and, as I say, any information, do encourage your child to pop to talk or drop an email to: Info@noadswood.hants.sch.uk and we will pass that to the right member of the team.
Wishing you all a happy and peaceful weekend when we get there,
Best wishes,
Kathryn Marshall and the Noadswood Leadership Team
Noadswood Reads
As you know, we understand the significance of reading in our students' academic and emotional development. This week, Miss Dixon launched our initiative, Noadswood Reads, during assemblies. We are excited to start our reading programme in tutor groups next week. As part of our commitment to literacy, we have a wide variety of different interventions, including a Breakfast Club led by Mrs Davy and peer reading sessions that are currently underway. If you have any concerns about your child’s reading progress and believe they could benefit from additional support, please contact Miss Walker at ewalker@noadswood.hants.sch.uk.
Year 11 Revision Link:
A full calendar of after school revision sessions can be found on our school website here: Year 11 Revision Plan Autumn 2025.pdf
A quick reminder regarding our furry friends
Please can we remind all parents that dogs are not permitted on the school site at any time, even after school unless they are an assistance dog, or one of our booked in therapy dogs. Premises and PE teams are noticing increased amounts of dog mess on the field, a risk of course when students are playing rugby, or using it at break and lunchtimes.
History
On Wednesday 1st October, 60 of our Year 11 students headed to Fort Nelson in Fareham for a World War One study day to support their GCSE History learning. The visit began with a lively introduction from Private Weston, who had everyone taking part in marching drills. Students then tested their skills at deciphering semaphore flag messages, a key communication method on the Western Front. Later, students were given the unique opportunity to handle authentic First World War weaponry and reflect on the destructive impact these had. Our students really got stuck in during the day, and a fantastic time was had by all. Well done, Year 11!
Everything Christmas!
Our Christmas themed Craft Fayre is back for its second year and is set to be bigger than last year on Saturday 29th November from 11am-1.30pm. We have been fortunate to have the Lantern Community project help us out with Christmas Tree pottery decorations. You will have the chance to design your own which will then be glazed and fired by them all for just £3.00 each. Tickets for this event are now on sale through Arbor for Noadswood families at £2.00 for adults and £1.00 for children. Under 2’s are free. Tickets for Non-Noadswood families, please click on this link to book your tickets: Craft Fayre Tickets
Staying on the Christmas theme, we will be hosting a Christmas Wreath making session with Jane Bidwell Florists. This event will take place on Wednesday 3rd December from 6-8pm with tickets on sale now through the Arbor shop for £30.00. Jane Bidwell Florists will supply all the equipment; you just need to bring some greenery. For non-Noadswood families who would like to attend this event, please email events@noadswood.hants.sch.uk
Military Group
During their recent visit to the Bovington Tank Museum, our military students were both engaged and inspired. The personal stories featured across the exhibits resonated strongly, highlighting the human side of military history. Many thanks to VIVO for providing funding for our return visit.
Careers
As mentioned above, it was great to see so many Year 10 parents and carers attend the Work Experience this week, thank you again for coming along. If you were unable to attend, please see the information that was sent out by Gordon Lewis following the event. If you have any further queries or concerns about either work experience or mock interviews, please contact our Careers Advisor, Gordon Lewis, at glewis@noadswood.hants.sch.uk or Careers Lead, Miss Clews, at jclews@noadswood.hants.sch.uk.
Prom Donations
The school is seeking donations of gently used prom dresses, suits, and other items of formal attire. These contributions will support our Year 11 students in preparing for their prom, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to participate fully in this important occasion.
We welcome donations in all sizes and styles. Items may be delivered to the school office during school hours.
Your generosity will help us create a memorable and inclusive experience for all of our Year 11 students.
Prom Wear Hire Evening
We are hosting a Promwear Hire Evening on Thursday 16th October, 5.00–6.30pm in the School Hall.
A fantastic selection of dresses, shirts and suits will be available to hire, helping Year 11 get ready for prom in style.
If you’d like to attend, please sign up in S21.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Lockers
Would your child like a locker? Do you have any questions regarding the lockers? Has your child lost their locker key? All of our lockers are managed by Independent Locker Solutions Ltd. Please contact them with any questions or queries, please contact them directly.
If so, please contact Independent Locker Solutions Ltd to arrange one
Learning to Swim – Still an Essential Life Skill
Even at secondary school age, many young people are still unable to swim confidently or have never had formal lessons. We want to help change that.
Swimming is more than a sport — it’s a lifesaving life skill, builds physical confidence, and supports health and wellbeing. For students who may have missed out on lessons during childhood or need a confidence boost in the water, school-based swimming provision offers a supportive and inclusive way to learn.