Friday 4th April
Dear Parents and Carers
As the term draws to a close, I want to take this opportunity to reflect on what has been an incredibly enriching and rewarding few months at Oasis Academy Lord's Hill as we continue our school improvement journey. Together, we’ve celebrated achievements, overcome challenges, and continued to nurture the bright and curious minds that make our academy community so special.
Firstly, I’d like to extend my thanks to you for your unwavering support. Your encouragement at home is pivotal to your children’s success in school, and we truly value the partnership between home and school in fostering their growth and development.
This term has been filled with highlights. You can see details further down in this newsletter. These moments remind us of the talent and enthusiasm of our students and the dedication of our teachers and staff who work tirelessly to provide an enriching learning environment.
As we look ahead to the holiday break, I encourage everyone to take some time to rest, recharge, and enjoy quality moments with family and friends. For our students, this is also a wonderful time to reflect on their accomplishments and set new goals for the term ahead.
Mr Firth, Principal
Year 7 – Mr Harding
We've reached the end of another busy and productive half-term, and as we look forward to a well-deserved Easter break, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the hard work and progress of Year 7. You have truly become a key part of our school community, settling in brilliantly and contributing positively to the atmosphere at Oasis Academy Lord's Hill.
It has been particularly wonderful this half-term to have more opportunities to celebrate your achievements. The Hot Chocolate Breakfast celebrations for excellent attendance have been so much fun and a nice way to recognise your commitment to being present and ready to learn.
I've also been incredibly pleased to present regular Head of Year certificates to students who consistently embody our academy values of Proud, Kind, and Determined. These students not only excel in their academic pursuits but also contribute significantly to the positive ethos of our community. Celebrating your acts of kindness, your determination to overcome challenges, and your pride in your work is the highlight of my week.
As we head into the two week Easter break, I encourage you all to take this time to rest, recharge, and spend quality time with your families and friends. We’ll be back on Tuesday, 22nd April, refreshed and ready to tackle the final term of the year. Enjoy your break, and I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Year 8 – Miss Blake
Thank you for a fantastic half term! It has been great to see so many students consistently working hard and making progress both academically and with your personal goals. I have really enjoyed seeing all of you take part in your extracurricular activities, including the great effort by our Year 8 football team. Some of you thoroughly deserved to take part in the rewards games room experience, and it was great fun sharing this opportunity with you. Well done to those who participated in the ManMade Boys Dance platform at the Mayflower Studios. This is the last term of being Head of Year 8, and I wholeheartedly believe that every single one of you will achieve great things in the future. Have a safe and wonderful Easter holiday.
Year 9 – Mr Genovese
It has been a significant half-term for Year 9. Attendance is increasing, and negative behavior logs are decreasing, all against the backdrop of choosing our GCSE options! The importance of this guided choice cannot be underestimated. A huge thank you to you as families for your support in helping your child make sensible and purposeful choices. As we head into the next half-term, it is vital that we focus on ensuring we have the habits needed to be successful in Key Stage 4: being in school every day, getting to our lessons on time, and working our hardest during those lessons - it is that simple! As always, we greatly appreciate your support around attendance. Please reach out to us if you need any assistance with this. Our staff are eager to see them in school each and every day.
Year 10 – Mr Harris
During this term, we have had the spring equinox, and the clocks have moved forward. This has brought more sunshine to our days. I draw a parallel to my reflections on working with Year 10 this term - you have brought metaphorical sunshine to our days, and the academy is brighter for having you as part of its community.
It was fabulous to stand in front of you for our celebration assembly and to see your reports from classroom teachers about your efforts and attainment. Please keep on keeping on; we have reached the point where we are less than 10 school months until your first GCSE exam. Everything you do to support your learning will benefit you.
A few highlights from the term are:
- I’d like to congratulate the students who took part in the "You 2.0" show earlier this term. Your talent, dedication, and hard work were truly inspiring. I’m excited to watch the performance again on April 8th (I’ve already bought my ticket!) and wish you all the best as you prepare for the final show.
- A huge thank you and welcome to Pastoral Leader, Natasha Gibson, whom many of you have welcomed over the past two terms. She is an asset to the school and is supporting you.
- A big thank you also goes to our incredible Book Buddies. Your dedication to helping younger students engage with literacy and reading is making a real difference - keep up the amazing work!
- As we move into the next term, I want to remind everyone about the launch of Work Experience. Please make sure to upload your potential placements to Placementt as soon as possible - your deadline for submission is April 28th.
- It was fantastic to see so many of you and your parents at the Parents Evening earlier in the term. It was a great event and an excellent opportunity to celebrate your academic achievements and discuss your progress.
- I’m thrilled to share some great stats for this term. The average weekly positive points for Year 10 have increased from 437 (over the last two terms) to a whopping 598! That’s an extra 161 bits of positivity each week - what an achievement!
Keep being awesome, folks, and I wish everyone a well-deserved break (hopefully filled with plenty of chocolate!). See you all in the next term!
Year 11 – Mrs Knight
What a term, Year 11! The spring mock exams came around quickly, and we were all impressed with how resilient, mature, and prepared you were for these exams. We saw some excellent results, with some of you achieving well above what you thought possible. There were some big successes, with many of you making great progress in maths in particular. Some of you were disappointed, and that can be really hard to take, but now is the time to push forward and commit to some revision and hard work. While many of you attend school 100% of the time, there are still too many who are taking days or mornings off, and it’s important that from now on, you all come to school every day. This will help you be well prepared for the summer exams, which start on Tuesday, 6th May! Punctuality will also be key, as the exams start at 9am. sharp or 1pm sharp. A big well done to all of Year 11 who are working hard every day and trying their very best. Wishing you a safe, happy, and enjoyable Easter break.
Rewards
Our Rewards program continues to go from strength to strength, and we are excited about the significant addition to our Rewards offer in the form of a Rewards Games Room moving forward. The academy has purchased 4 pool tables, a Nintendo Switch with games, 2 table football tables, 2 air hockey tables, 2 giant Jenga sets, 5 soft tip dartboards, as well as other fun and exciting games. This has caused massive excitement among the students, and we can’t wait for it to be used to reward students throughout the year, where selected students will be invited to the Games Room (Sports Hall) for consistently demonstrating the values of being Kind, Proud, and Determined, among other criteria.
Friday, 21st March, saw the first pop-up day of our Rewards Games Room when the top 25 students in each year group, based on those who have achieved the highest number of positive reward points since September, were invited throughout the day. Drinks and snacks were also provided free of charge. It was a fantastic day, and we are looking to deliver many more of these moving forward.
In addition, over 250 students have been given letters inviting them to have first refusal to attend the end of year Rewards trips to either Paulton’s Park (Year 7 and 8) or Thorpe Park (Year 9 and 10), which will take place in the last week of June. Students selected for first refusal comprised those with the highest average attitude to learning scores on their mid-year report or high levels of attendance for their respective year groups. A further set of letters will be given out to the next wave of students should there still be spaces during the first week of the summer term.
Finally, our FAB 4 initiative is still extremely popular and is always a great way to end each half term, with the whole school dialling in to a Teams video call where the main prize and runner-up prize winners are announced.
Mr Parker
Swan Lake
On Tuesday, 11th March 2025, the dance department welcomed Paul Smethurst and Shelby Williams, two professional dance artists from New Adventures, into the academy. New Adventures is an iconic and groundbreaking dance theatre company known for creating works that have altered the public perception of what is possible when it comes to telling stories without words. The company is led by celebrated choreographer and director, Sir Matthew Bourne, and New Adventures has become the most successful and busiest dance company in the UK.
Paul and Shelby delivered a very exciting dance workshop opportunity to our students that introduced Bourne’s production of Swan Lake. The workshop consisted of creative tasks, ensemble work, collaboration, and individual improvisation, which challenged each student to create authentic movement inspired by a bevy of swans. The students were also able to ask Paul and Shelby questions about their experience as professional dancers in the production of Swan Lake, hearing first-hand about the demands of the performing industry and learning about a typical day of study at a renowned London dance school.
During the evening, students attended the opening performance of Swan Lake at the Mayflower Theatre. Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake returned for its 30th anniversary with a 2024/25 UK tour. Performed to Tchaikovsky's score, Bourne’s Swan Lake is best known for replacing the female corps de ballet with a menacing male ensemble, which shattered convention, turning tradition on its head. The emotionally charged performance received a standing ovation and brought some staff and students to tears, with many comments from students such as “mind-blowing,” “amazing,” and “I want to see it again.”
The students were certainly proud, kind, and determined and were a fantastic representation of our academy; various members of the public even commented to staff on how polite our students were. Mrs. Whitehouse looks forward to organising more dance development days to celebrate our students very soon.
ManMade 2025
During the months of February and March, our male dancers have been busy creating and rehearsing their piece 'Out of Bounds' with ZoieLogic Dance Theatre, preparing for their performance at Mayflower Studios on Tuesday, 25th March. This performance included other schools from the Solent area and was a true celebration of what dance can look like.
The boys have worked very hard and have contributed to ZoieLogic's vision of breaking down barriers and ending the stigma surrounding boys in dance. The boys were the true embodiment of our Oasis ethos and nine habits, and we are incredibly proud of their determination to create a piece that is thought-provoking while showcasing what being a Lord's Hill student actually means.
We were overwhelmed by the number of Lord's Hill staff, family, and friends who came to watch the final performance at the state-of-the-art theatre in the city centre, and we want to extend our thanks to everyone who consistently supports what the performing arts are doing and will continue to do at Lord's Hill.
We want to thank the team at ZoieLogic and Mayflower Studios for supporting our boys and encouraging them to try new things and push themselves beyond the boundaries of what they think they can achieve. Without these experiences, our students would never know the plethora of opportunities available in the performing arts sector, and it is moments like this that remind us why we do what we do.
Thank you again for all the love and support for our students, and we can't wait to share what is coming next!
You 2.0
We extend our best wishes to Oasis Youth Theatre for their performance of 'You 2.0' at the Lighthouse Theatre in Poole on Tuesday, 8th April. This production is part of The National Theatre Connections Festival 2025. Tickets are available here.
Connections is the National Theatre’s annual, nationwide youth theatre festival. The programme is 30 years old and has a history of championing the talent of young people from across the UK.
Hamilton
Students from Oasis Academy Lord's Hill experienced a truly unforgettable Monday evening on the 24th March as they took their seats in the prestigious Mayflower Theatre to witness the critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning musical, Hamilton. The lucky students were "in the room where it happens" as the powerful story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton unfolded on stage.
Lin-Manuel Miranda's ground-breaking musical blends hip-hop, R&B, and traditional musical theatre to tell the story of ambition, revolution, and legacy, resonating deeply with audiences of all ages.
The visit to see Hamilton aligns with Oasis Academy Lord's Hill's commitment to providing enriching and diverse learning experiences for its students, fostering an appreciation for the arts and encouraging a deeper understanding of history and culture.
The roar of applause and the standing ovation at the end of the performance were a testament to the musical's power and the talent on display.
We are already looking forward to our next trip to the theatre in September.
Scholastic Book Fair
This term, we had a VERY successful Scholastic Book Fair. In total we raised £418.19 and as a result managed to acquire over £219+ in free books for the academy library. Thanks again for all your support as we continue to enhance further our offer through a range of books here in the library. We are teaming up with Scholastic again to run a Book Club where parents (voluntarily) can choose to donate money by purchasing books to use in the Book Club, as by doing this, we can get more free books in return. This is optional, and not compulsory.
Sparx Reader
This term, we launched Sparx Reader, where students can develop their reading skills through tailored reading homework that they must complete every fortnight (at least 300RP) We have had substantial engagement in this so far, and we are so proud of our students for all of the hard work they have put into this. We are currently looking at developing some prizes for those students who complete the most reading homework over the Easter break. To be in with a chance to win, please encourage your child to read more than 300RP over the holidays, and to keep reading at least an hour a day. We will select a random child's name for a prize!
Bookbuddies
We have had another very successful term of Bookbuddies, a programme where our top 10% readers in the academy support some of our less confident readers to become stronger in their reading comprehension abilities.
I want to personally thank the students involved for all of their help as we have seen through the data that this has had a substantial impact. Mr Hickman and Miss Curtin-Sewell are looking at rewarding these students after the Easter break.
Library Refurbishment
The Library has undergone a makeover! We now have new furniture, new power points, new decorations and it is feeling more homely already! Please encourage your child to visit our newly refurbished space during lunchtime and breaktimes and after-school (after Easter, the library will be open every day after-school apart from Friday).
Lord's Hill Book Club and Creative Writing Club
After the Easter break, we launch our Lord's Hill Book Club and Creative Writing Club, both led by Mr. Hickman. These will take place on a Monday and Wednesday after-school from 3:00pm - 4:00pm respectively. To sign up, please ask your child/young person to use the Microsoft Form Mr. Hickman sent out to register interest. Details about the Book Club was sent out in a letter earlier in the week. More information about the creative writing club will be circulated over the Easter holidays by Mr. Hickman.
Miss Curtin-Sewell and Mr Hickman
STAR Project
This half term, we have seen the Yellow Door service working with our Year 7-9 students in delivering PSHE lessons. STAR works with children and young people in schools, universities, and other youth settings, aiming to spark conversations to get young people thinking about what healthy relationships look like, as well as recognizing unhealthy relationships or situations and preventing abuse in all its forms. Each STAR session aims to give young people the tools and understanding they need to stay safe and build respectful relationships now and in the future. Year 7 focused on Healthy Relationships and Misogyny, while Year 8 concentrated on Internet Safety and Sharing Nudes; finally, Year 9 looked at Consent. The students learned a great deal during these workshops that will enable them to be better, safer versions of themselves.
BUZZ Project
Over the last half term, Year 9 has had workshops delivered by No Limits. Their team delivered BUZZ sessions, involving the Year 9 students in discussions about the risks involved with drinking alcohol or using substances, in order to equip them with the information they need to make healthy choices. They emphasise on exploring ways young people can enjoy themselves without substances by participating in alternative activities. The students were very receptive to the information explored with them and found the Beer Goggles especially interesting!
HSBC - Financial Literacy
An important part of personal development is learning how to manage money. This term we have had the pleasure of hosting HSBC to speak to all year groups regarding financial literacy. Helping children understand and value money from an early age will develop healthy habits around money, in order to manage it well as an adult. The financial education sessions, The education programme can be tailored to focus on specific age groups and needs so that you can get the most from each session. HSBC covered the following on 20 March.
Year7 Fraud and Social Media
Year 8 Fraud and Social Media
Year 9 Household Budgeting
Year 10 Banking 101
Year 11 will have a session on banking 101 on Monday 28th April.
If you would like to use resources with your child to support learning about money you will find further resources, here.
Careers Interviews
Our wonderful Careers adviser Olita has been supporting our Year 11's with making choices about their plans after college. If your child has not yet made a college application, then please get in touch so we can ensure that they have an opportunity to meet with Olita.
ASK - Apprenticeship Workshop
On Friday, 4th April we are hosting a special workshop for our students that are keen on following an apprenticeship route. Registration workshops are interactive sessions designed to assist students in setting up their personal account on Find an Apprenticeship (FAA), the government online apprenticeship vacancy service. During the workshop, students will be shown how to:
- Set up a GOV.UK One Login.
- Register on ‘Find an apprenticeship’.
- Introduce apprenticeships and T Levels to your students.
- Help students to register for Find an Apprenticeship (FAA).
If you would like further help or support for your child with sourcing an apprenticeship, please check out the link below.
Work Experience
We are thrilled to be able to offer work experience for Year 10 students. The work Experience dates are Monday 30th June - Friday 4th July. All information can be found on our website. Please encourage your child over the Easter break to visit or email employers to find a placement. All students have been sent emails with help and guidance.
Learn with Us - Year 9 Trip to Southampton University
On Tuesday, 25th February a selection of Year 9 students visited Southampton University as part of the skills for future pathways programme. Across the day, groups worked together on various skills challenges against other schools to help them identify and develop key transferable skills, plus they went on a scavenger hunt to be able to explore the campus.
Skills For Future Pathways
- Identify and develop skills for University (and alternative pathways)
- Gain a picture of University life
- Improve their understanding of University, hopefully reducing worries they may have
- Work effectively in groups
- Meet student ambassadors
The skills our students recognised they needed to develop are speaking, listening and teamwork. The university will be coming to us to follow up on this work during Year 10 with more opportunities to develop and grow.
Coming Soon
- Year 10 Trip to Exxon Mobil
- Year 10 College Taster Days
- Year 10 Campus Visit to Solent University - Nursing
- Year 10 Campus visit to Solent University - Music, fashion styling and fashion marketing
- Year 9/10 Your Future Event
Impactful mentoring in action!
Sam Roberts, our Saints Community Champion, recently provided Kai, a Year 11 student, with a valuable opportunity to shadow him in his Floor Management role on matchdays at St Mary's Stadium. Kai was able to experience the excitement of the tunnel, communicated important information to our PA room, assisted in coordinating half time activities, and gained insights into the overall operations of a matchday.
Sam shared, "Kai had expressed an interest in my Club-side role on matchdays, so to be able to give him this opportunity was really impactful!"
Kai's experience left a lasting impression: "I have been with Sam at school and have been speaking about what I want to do in the future. We were speaking about jobs at Saints and I heard about what Sam does during the games and wanted to know how I could get in to that. When Sam said that I could come and work with him during a game I was buzzing. My favourite part was in the tunnel before the game helping radio to the PA room when the players were about to walk out. And walking around the pitch making sure that everything was on point and going as it is supposed to. Since doing it I know that I want to be a sports floor manager in the future."
Understanding Attendance: AM and PM Marks
Daily attendance is recorded in two sessions: morning (AM) and afternoon (PM). To receive an AM attendance mark, students must be in school by 9:00 AM. Arriving even a minute late (9:01 AM or later) without a valid reason will result in an unauthorised absence (U mark) for the morning session. Accumulating multiple U marks can lead to a Fixed Penalty Notice, as there is no authorised reason for the student’s absence.
The PM attendance mark is recorded at 2:00 PM. If a student leaves school before this time without a valid reason, they will not receive their PM mark, reducing their attendance for the day to 50%.
Regular attendance is essential for academic success, and we appreciate your support in ensuring your child arrives on time and stays for the full school day. If you have any questions, concerns, or need further support regarding your child's attendance, please remember to contact us.
The first term of bookings for 2025 has flown by, with the Easter Holidays now right around the corner. Once again, we have lots going on at the Academy over the break, details of which can be found below. For more information on any of the activities listed, please follow the link directly to the respective provider.
- Sound Pop Academy - SIX Performing Arts Workshop (Monday 7th)
- ERL football Camp (Monday 7th, Tuesday 8th & Monday 14th, Tuesday 15th)
- Testlands Holiday Club (Monday 7th – Friday 11th & Monday 14th, - Thursday 17th)
We also have our second Little Pickles Market taking place on Saturday 12th April, details of which can be found here.
Over the next few weeks, we are inviting our existing customers to rebook with us for September 2025 onwards, with any available slots being offered to new customers very soon. If you are interested in block booking a space here at the Academy, please contact billy.chafe@oasislordshill.org to register your interest.
Friday 4th April: Last day of term
Tuesday 8th April: Oasis Youth Theatre at Poole Lighthouse
Tuesday 22nd April: First day of the new term
Tuesday 22nd April: Prefect Houses of Parliament Trip
Wednesday 30th April: HPV Vaccinations for year 8
Wednesday 30th April: Danceathon
Monday 6th April: May bank holiday
Friday 16th May: Catch-up vaccinations for all year groups
Thursday 22nd May: Parent Forum
Monday 26th to Friday 30th May: Half-term Holiday
Thursday 5th June: Year 8 Parents Evening
Friday 20th June: Year 11 Prom
Wednesday 25th June: KS3 Rewards Trip to Paulton's Park
Friday 27th June: KS4 Rewards Trip to Thorpe Park
Monday 30th June to Friday 4th July: Year 10 Work Experience
Friday 11th July: Whole School Sports Day
Saturday 12th July: Community Hub Open Event
Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th July: Shrek Jr. the Musical
Friday 18th July: Last day of summer term
Credits:
Created with images by Atlas - "Decorative Easter eggs as background. Space for text" • zoryanchik - "Easter chocolate rabbit and eggs.traditional easter dessert" • Artem - "Setting up the stage light before the show. Bright multi-colored rays of spotlights, geometric patterns on a black background. ultraviolet light 4K, blue, violet colors" • SKT Studio - "Book stack on the table in the library room and blurred space of bookshelf background" • tonktiti - "Female hands heart shape on nature bokeh sun light flare and blur leaf abstract background." • piyaphong - "White stripe on the green soccer field from side view." • Azazello - "Red alarm clock on blue" • m________k____ - "Mark your calendar with a red pen."