Welcome to the April 2025 issue of our COAST magazine.
On Friday, 21st March, Sholing celebrated and raised funds for Comic Relief 2025. With a non-school uniform day, a charity bake sale, and a charity tuck shop, the school was able to raise just short of £600 for charity. The bake sale was a huge success, with cakes selling out within the first 15 minutes of KS3 lunch and completely by the end of KS4 lunch, along with all the sweets. We were amazed to see the generosity of students purchasing cakes both for themselves and for friends and family too. Thank you to all those who donated; your donations will each help contribute to improving lives around you!
Sholing Students' Voices Heard at Department for Education Anti-Bullying Roundtable
Oasis Academy Sholing students proudly represented youth voice at the Anti-bullying round table at the Department for Education in March.
Our Year 9 Anti-Bullying Ambassadors, along with 6 other young people from around the country, shared issues impacting young people today with Minister Stephen Morgan and DfE officials working on anti-bullying policy in London last month.
Phones were a hot topic during the meeting and discussions surrounding age limits on social media apps as well as access to mobile phones at night were debated. The young people were also asked to comment on what age anti-bullying should be taught in schools, with many suggesting that this needed to start earlier, in Years 1 & 2.
When asked by the Minister what one thing young people would ask him to do to prevent bullying, our students wanted to see more safe spaces for students to relax in, more support for the perpetrators to help break the cycle and highlighted a growing need for mental health staff in schools.
“It was a great opportunity to speak to the people in charge of our Education and have them listen to young people’s views” enthused Hannah “and I’d like to thank The Childrens’ Society for inviting our Academy to represent them.”
This term, students took part in Oasis Academy Sholing’s first-ever Spelling Bee. Students put their spelling talents to the test in an intense 40-minute battle. While we are incredibly proud of all the students who took part, we would like to extend our congratulations to the winners:
1st place: Kaci (Y9)
2nd place: Summer (Y7)
3rd place: Jack (Y7)
Students received medals, Fab4s, and extra reward points for themselves and their house. Well done, and thank you to all who took part. We hope to see you at our new annual spelling bee next year!
Art Competition
We had the pleasure of entering six talented students in last term's 'Art' Rotary club competition, and we're thrilled to share that two of them have been recognised for their amazing work!
Congratulations to Jiya from Year 9 for winning first prize in the intermediate category - she's moving on to the next round! And a big shoutout to Chloe, also in Year 9, for being a fantastic runner-up in the same category. Well done, everyone!
Photography Competition
HUGE congratulations to our talented photographers!
We're incredibly proud of all the students who entered the Ringwood Interschool Photography Competition and the Rotary Young Photographer Competition. The standard was exceptionally high with hundreds of entries, making our students' achievements even more impressive!
Ringwood Interschool Photography Competition: Ella (Year 8)
Rotary Young Photographer Competition:
Intermediate Category - 1st Place: Faye (Year 9)
Junior Category - 1st Place: Noah (Year 7)
Junior Category - 2nd Place: Ted (Year 7)
A massive well done! Your hard work and creativity have truly paid off.
Student Active Travel Ambassadors Win Modeshift Funding
A team of students from our Eco council have been following the Active Travel Ambassador program since the autumn term, supported by a Modeshift ATA Coordinator and our Student Leadership Coordinator to research and develop behaviour change campaigns focusing on active travel and road safety.
Active Travel Ambassadors secured £200 from Modeshift towards implementing their behaviour change campaign which focuses on encouraging KS3 students to travel to school more actively by improving the school’s cycle facilities.
Students pitched their ideas to a panel of judges from Southampton City Council, including Cllr Keogh, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport. “OAS students showed great enthusiasm, supported each other, were able to define what success would look like in a good presentation,” the panel of judges fed back.
“I am immensely proud of our students. They have been researching and developing this campaign with Modeshift since the Autumn term, culminating in a clear, concise presentation in what was quite a daunting space to be in – The Council chambers at Southampton City Council!”
Student Parliament Secures New Toilet Door Hooks for School
Student Parliament are excited to point out the arrival of new toilet door hooks!
Year 8 students fed back to Parliament members that they would like to see hooks on the school toilet doors so they could hang their coats and blazers up, rather than having to leave them on the floor or ask friends to hold them.
Mr Brown was more than happy to sign off on this simple but practical proposal.
“I’m really proud that student parliament brought this request to my attention, and I am pleased that we were able to help.”
NEWS IN BRIEF
Pancake Day
The French department hosted a special intervention lesson for our Year 11 students, where they got to whip up some delicious pancakes! There were plenty of smiles and happy, full tummies all around, and we even saw some impressive pancake flips! A big thank you to everyone who joined in the fun!
Young Carers Award
Three students from Oasis Sholing have won Young Carers Awards for displaying outstanding leadership skills. Congratulations to Ruby K, Poppy W and Gracie M.
Saints Foundation
The Year 9 group completed a superb project run by the Premier League Inspires Challenge, with the aim of increasing awareness of gender equality in Southampton. We produced an idea for a warm-up T-shirt for the male and female teams, which could also be displayed at our school. The students had an amazing experience at St Mary's Stadium, where they presented their idea to a panel of industry experts. They were all hugely impressed by their presentation and how they represented the school. Fabian, who attended, said, "It was a really good experience to visit the stadium and get a tour. It was also a rare opportunity to be interviewed by experienced professionals." Everyone associated with Oasis Academy Sholing should be proud of their efforts; they did an excellent job.
Mental Health Team Update
The MH Team held a wellbeing coffee morning for parents on Tuesday, 4th March. It was a great success! We're already looking forward to the next event.
Two Oasis Academy Sholing students have won awards for their achievements in FIT4LIFE. Maya C in Year 11 for overcoming difficult and anxious situations. Max H in Year 7 for setting a good example and demonstrating great leadership. Well done!
Sporting Success
Huge congratulations to Stanley S for finishing 4th in the U17 National Pole Vault event! He soared to a new personal best of 3.75m!
Hamilton
Head of Drama, Mr. Bright, and around 100 students from Years 8, 9, and 11 were ecstatic to be "in the room where it happens" on the 1st of April as we visited the Mayflower to watch a fantastic matinee performance of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. Our students loved it! For many of our students, it was their first time at the theatre.
Easter Independent Learning Challenge
This Easter for our ILC, we are challenging our students to create fact-files based on influential figures from their different subjects. They may choose who they want to research and present on - dazzle us with important scientists, historians, linguists and athletes... the more obscure the better! Every completed fact file earns 15 ClassCharts points and a prize (students will show their tutors on the first week back).
Our Spanish Superstars!
We are incredibly proud of each of you for the creativity, dedication, and hard work you’ve shown in your recent Spanish project, where you had to research Spanish fiestas. Your unique ideas, vibrant colours, and thoughtful details truly brought your pieces to life. It’s clear that you put a lot of effort into expressing yourselves, and the results are stunning!
This was incredibly difficult to judge as all the entries were amazing and blew our minds! There will be a display board going up with all the pieces so everyone can admire how well everyone did.
𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲: 𝗗𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗖 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝘂𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀.
𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲: 𝗖𝗶𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻 𝗠 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗶𝘆𝗮 𝗚 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮 (𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸).
Congratulations!
Year 7 Update
Over the past three months, our Year 7 students have found their feet in secondary school. Friendships are becoming stronger, and confidence is growing. Year 7 students have had their first set of assessments in school. They were well-behaved and tried their best to demonstrate their full ability. We have also had our first parents' evening, and it was lovely to meet so many parents and share the positive starts to secondary education that their children have had.
At the end of the last half term, 150 students joined us in the hall for a "coffee shop." Those students with 96% attendance over the half term came and enjoyed a slice of cake and some squash. Watching the students enjoy cake and a drink with their friends was a real joy. Seeing students cementing their new friendships and being polite to each other and the staff members serving them made us very proud. However, we would ask that next time they save some cake for us!
Over this term, we have had some excellent successes with our sports teams. The boys' football team has only had one game this term, which ended in a very tight 3-2 score. All the boys played well and were excellent sportsmen. The team consisted of:
Josh E, Leo H, Vinnie D, Devon C, Archie R, Jacob E, Jake M, Cohen B, Logan T, Mason S, Alfie M, Lucas S, Logan G, Ollie J and Oakley B.
The girls have been playing some cup matches. They have achieved excellent results, winning their first game 5-1 and their last game 6-1. The girls have worked well in a mixed year group team, bonding with the Year 8s.
The Year 7 girls in the team are: Kendall T, Teegan T, Bella K, Mia O, Olivia P, Phoebe P and Alyssa D.
We have also had a netball tournament, where all the girls played well together for the first time. Although they didn’t win, they put in an excellent effort and once again showed great sportsmanship.
Our netball team consists of: Lacey C, Evelyn-Rose C, Josephine F, Izzy G, Alessia G, Ariah H, Brooke H, Mia L and Hetti S.
Some of our year group have been having group days at the farm and at Woodmill. These students have been looking at their team building skills and learning to work together. While there, they have participated in activities such as archery and raft building. Other students have been visiting the city farm and learning how to look after animals, cleaning out animal enclosures, and walking the goats! We have had an assembly with Kamal Ellis-Hyman from Aim a Little Higher, who engaged our students in thinking about being their own person and working well as a team.
Another group of students represented Year 7 in the KS3 Spelling Bee.
Nathaniel M, Fiona M, Crystal Mt, Jason T, Jack W, and Summer P-M represented us, and we managed to achieve 2nd place against the older year groups!
Finally, on the 6th of March, we celebrated World Book Day. A large number of staff and students participated in dressing up, with characters ranging from nurses to Alice in Wonderland characters. In tutor groups, we completed a quiz, with 7TS winning against the whole school!
After another successful term at Oasis Academy, I think all students are ready for a rest over the Easter break, preparing for an exciting summer term.
Wishing you all the best for a relaxing and sunny break.
Mrs Fowles, Head of Year 7
Year 8 Update
I can’t believe we are two-thirds of the way through Year 8 and heading into our final term of the year.
Year 8 has had its first set of assessments in school for this year. They tried their very best to show off their full ability. At the end of last term, Miss Griffiths's 8VS won the Valentine Hamper, which had lots of goodies that the tutor group enjoyed.
Over this term, we have had lots of celebrations in assembly with our special shoutouts for the bakers – from Lily H’s delicious brownies to Hannah K’s Biscoff Fudge.
The Girls' Junior Football team has played exceptionally well in every game, and their sportsmanship has been incredibly positive. They have been a credit to Oasis Academy Sholing! Laurah C-B, Autumn F, Amelie L, Maisy O, Isabel P, Lucy S, and Grace S.
Some of our year group have been having group days at the Southampton City Farm and Woodmill. These students have been looking at team building and how to work together.
“We have put together a very random group, but they were all very polite towards each other. It was nice to see them all talking to each other, even though their paths probably don't often cross.” – Mrs. Carolan
Finally, I did not know what to expect on my first World Book Day at Sholing. The number of staff and students who dressed up in characters from Peter Pan to a dinosaur, yes that’s right, a dinosaur!!
After another successful term at Oasis, I wish all the students and their families a wonderful rest over the Easter break, ready for an exciting summer term with more rewards.
Enjoy the sunshine and watch out for the Easter Bunny.
Mrs Ballard, Head of Year 8
Year 9 Update
This term has been an exciting and successful one for our Year 9 students, who have shown great dedication and enthusiasm across all areas of school life. From academic achievements to extracurricular activities, they have truly excelled!
In the classroom, students have been making excellent progress, with many demonstrating a strong work ethic and a commitment to improving their skills. Teachers have praised the effort put into subjects such as English, Maths, and Science, where students have tackled challenging topics with confidence and determination.
We are in the process of choosing their options this month; it is such an exciting time for them. Students have been nonstop talking about their future careers and what they hope to achieve. 😊 Thank you to all the parents and students who attended our Year 9 parents' evening and options evening; we received such great feedback from everyone.
Beyond academics, Year 9 students have also been actively participating in school events. Many have showcased their talents in sports competitions, drama performances, and music concerts, impressing both staff and fellow students.
We have our exciting attendance reward for the end of term, celebrating with a film festival, popcorn, and an Easter egg hunt. I am very excited about this and will post pictures on social media so you can all see the fun they will have. Well done to all Year 9 students for attending every single day.
The Farm
As part of our Alternative Provision offer at Oasis Academy Sholing, a wide range of students have been visiting City Farm over the past six months. The students have taken to it like ducks to water and have shown some fantastic positive workmanship skills. No task has been too big or too small for our fantastic students. They have had to work as part of a team to ensure the animals are fed and exercised and that the animals' stables are cleaned out during our weekly sessions. The students have faced many challenges, from herding the goats to catching and feeding the very hungry guinea pigs. All the students have developed confidence and teamwork skills, but best of all, they have made plenty of happy core memories. Who knows... maybe one day we will have our very own homegrown Oasis Academy Sholing farmer.
Saints Foundation
We are so lucky to have our own dedicated Saints ambassador, Ben Sharp, who has been instrumental in promoting positivity and confidence. We are very proud of the Year 9 students who attended the Saints Foundation pitch day at St. Mary’s Stadium and pitched their idea for a gender-equality themed training top to a panel of experts from Southampton FC. A massive well done to Jake, Fabian, and Dylan.
Woodmill Activity Centre
Our very own Miss Ling scaled the heights with our Year 9 students at Woodmill Activity Centre! Students are learning resilience and leadership skills.
Reward Trip to Thorpe Park
As a well-earned reward for their hard work and dedication, our students are being treated to an unforgettable day at Thorpe Park. From the towering heights of Stealth to the mind-bending twists of Colossus, there will be something for every thrill-seeker. There are also different kinds of adventures, including water rides, arcade games, and the immersive experiences that Thorpe Park has to offer. I am a big scaredy cat, so I will wait in the wings and watch them all! 😊
Welcome to our Student Showcase Year 9 Board, where we highlight the incredible work and accomplishments of our students! From outstanding projects and life outside Oasis to academic excellence and acts of kindness, this board is dedicated to recognizing the dedication, talent, and hard work of our students.
Don’t forget to keep earning your Fab 4 tickets for some truly outstanding prizes. One of the most exciting aspects of our rewards system is the ClassCharts shop, where students can exchange their earned points for a variety of treats and goodies. Whether it’s sweets, drinks, or small stationery items, the shop provides an extra incentive for students to stay engaged and demonstrate positive attitudes.
As we approach the end of the term, it’s clear that Year 9 students have set a fantastic example for the rest of the school. With such a positive attitude and strong determination, there’s no doubt they will continue to achieve great things in the future!
Have an amazing Easter, everyone.
Keep up the amazing work, Year 9!
Miss Sydenham, Head of Year 9
Year 10 Update
Happy holidays to all our Year 10 students’ families, and may it be restful and rejuvenating in preparation for our final term. This is a great opportunity for our students to take time to reflect on how their year has gone so far and how they see the last term for themselves. We are inching ever closer to Year 11, and this is a vital time for the Year 10s to address their mindsets and ethos with regard to their futures. As a school, we are fully focused on supporting our students to make the best progress they can to give them the best opportunities in their future endeavors. We will achieve this if students also make every effort to fulfill their potential.
One of our key focal points to help improve progress is attendance. Research has proven time and time again that attendance directly correlates to attainment. Fundamentally, if students are not in school and attending their lessons, they will not be receiving the expertise of their teachers to help support them in their learning. This also includes attending lessons on time so that no learning time is lost.
As attendance drops, the risk of underachievement increases with each percentage bracket. If there are any barriers to your children attending, please make us aware as soon as possible. This will allow us to help support them back into school at the earliest stage, so any impact on learning will be minimized. We have many avenues of support available to help your children return to school, and we will do all we can to achieve this as a caring community.
A huge well done to the following students who are still on 100% attendance, which is a fantastic achievement: Melissa B, Al-Imran B, Amber C, Charlie D, Alexander G, Genevieve G, Ryan G, Jack H, Hayden H, Gurnoor K, Jack M, Frazer M, Subtain N, Charlene N, Iga N, Titas P, Tapiwanashe S, Stanley S, Thomas S, Salman T.
With mocks on the horizon, one of our key messages in assembly (and daily reminders in tutor) is to focus on independent learning. We have had an ever-increasing number of independent learners achieving reward points, which is wonderful to see! Students have access to a plethora of learning platforms, so please do encourage them to utilize these at home.
A big shout-out to our top independent learners of the year so far, with over 100 reward points for their efforts: Jaden A, Benji C, Emmanuel J, Eva R.
As a community, we pride ourselves on following the 9 habits of Oasis, and one of my favorite things to do each week is read the Acts of Kindness and hear how thoughtful our year group is. So, here are our top earners for reward points for being kind: Genevieve G, Lilly-Maie O, Finn F, Millie P, Ruby K, Riya J, Jared W.
…and overall, our top ten reward point earners for being generally fantastic and embodying the spirit of striving for excellence are: Megan E, Sofie P, Jaden A, Eve T, Iga N, Sofie L, Joshua J, Benji C, Amee H, Maisy P.
So we draw to a close another term, and another smashing example of excellence from our Year 10s.
My heartfelt thanks for all your support, and I wish all our families a lovely holiday break.
Mr Macdonald, Head of Year 10
Year 11 Update
What a busy and productive term this has been for our amazing Year 11s. With the upcoming GCSE exams starting at the end of this month, students have shown a great deal of resilience and independence toward their learning, both in and out of the classroom, attending revision and intervention sessions, some even on a Saturday, to make progress toward their targets in subjects.
The Year 11 prefect team has been busy behind the scenes fundraising for the Year 11 Prom, including a staff car wash on 10th June, which raised over £150!
Fundraising for Prom continues this term with a community quiz night on 25th April organized by our wonderful student leadership team and Head of Houses, which will be held in our school hall and is open to all. Please sign up for a team using the information on our social media pages.
Please note that due to building work at our previous venue, we have made the decision to change our venue for Prom on 3rd July to The Solent Hotel and Spa. We are all excited about working with the hotel to create a truly memorable and celebratory evening for our Year 11s. More information will follow.
Easter revision sessions have now been published on our social channels, and students have been extremely busy signing up for holiday sessions to help support their studies. There will be further May and weekend sessions published very soon. Weekly revision continues as per the schedule posted on social media.
Thank you to all who attended the recent parents' evening; it was lovely to see so many of you there collecting valuable revision and support materials.
Individual timetables for the GCSE exams have now been given out to students, as well as a handy A3 sheet detailing all exams, masterclasses, and timetabled classes for the GCSE period.
Prom Passports continue to be filled in by students, with some incredibly impressive attention to core and extra subject revision sessions, as well as a focus on positive points.
I continue to congratulate and celebrate the individual and group successes of Year 11 as they successfully navigate their way towards their GCSE examinations and ultimately the end of their journey with us at Sholing and on to the next exciting phase of their education and training.
Please note that we return to school for the summer term on Tuesday, 22nd April.
Mr Bright, Head of Year 11
Student Spotlight
From the Quays to Nationals: My Southampton Swim Club Story
Mitchell - Year 9
I joined the Southampton Swim Club back in September 2021 following the advice of my swim teacher once I had completed the swimming lesson stages at The Quays.
In 2022, I competed in my first county championships, making the final for both the 50m and 100m breaststroke after only a few months of training. Breaststroke was always the stroke I favoured, and I quickly realised this was where my technique and speed were strongest.
The following swim season saw me reach the finals and achieve 2 silver medals and 1 bronze at Hampshire Counties in individual events. I was also chosen to be part of the relay team, where we achieved a silver and a bronze medal.
This led to me competing at the South East Regional Championships, where I won my first gold medal at a championship event in the 200m breaststroke. It was at this meet that I also won a silver in the 100m breaststroke. This was a massive highlight for me and a moment when my coaches truly recognised that my ability and attitude were going to take me places!
The 2024 season started and finished strong. I achieved 2 gold medals at Hampshire Counties in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke. It would have been a triple; however, after winning the 50m final by over a second, I was disqualified for leaving the starting block a split second too early! We take the good with the bad, though, and learn from these mistakes! I also won my first medal from my second strongest stroke at these championships, achieving a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly.
At the 2024 South East Regionals, I achieved a bronze in the 200m breaststroke and reached the finals in other events and strokes. This was also when my coaches realised that with the times I achieved, I had the potential to qualify for English Nationals. The journey to get that invitation took me to Millfield School, where I had the opportunity to compete at a National Qualifying Meet. I raced hard, got a personal best time, and the invitation to compete at the Swim England English Nationals in July 2024 came shortly after.
This took me to Sheffield, and I arrived at the Championships as an underdog, not seeded to make a final, but I went for the experience. (What didn't help was that just after receiving the invite from Swim England, I broke my ankle and badly damaged the cartilage, which resulted in me losing weeks of training leading up to this event!) On the day of my event, the 200m breaststroke, I raced hard in my heat with nothing to lose. I smashed my entry time and amazed everyone by making the final, taking the last spot and going in seeded 10th out of 10.
The final came later in the day, giving me some time to refuel and get myself back in the zone. I ended the race in 7th place, which I was so proud of, considering I went there not even expecting to make a final.
The end of 2024 saw me selected for the Hampshire Inter-Counties team. This is a team event, with every county in England putting together a team of their top 24 swimmers to compete against each other at an event also held in Sheffield. This was a great experience, and I was so proud to be chosen for the team.
This brings us to 2025, where I have just competed at the first championship event of the season, Hampshire Counties. As you know, I achieved 3 gold medals in all three breaststroke events, winning the 50m final by 2 seconds, the 100m final by 3 seconds, and the 200m by over 8 seconds!
I am feeling positive going into the Regionals, which are held over 2 weekends, one in April and one in May. My coach also believes that this year, I have the potential to qualify for British Nationals, which would obviously be a massive accomplishment and a higher level than the English Nationals I qualified for last year.
There have been some ups and downs along the way: broken bones and injuries that took me away from training, along with many other meets in between these championship events that I haven't talked about. Some experiences have been good, while others not so good, but I learn from every experience and focus on the positives.
As you know, swimming is not a sport that comes easy, and a lot goes into it, including many hours of training per week and numerous 4:40am alarms!
I am enjoying the experience, though, and hope to continue my swimming journey for many years to come.
Scholastic Book Fair
OAS Librarians were weighed down by the number of books earned in rewards from the Scholastic Book Fair this Spring!
Our Scholastic Book Fair was a fantastic success again this year, with almost £1000 of books bought by our students.
“It was great to see so many KS3 students excited about the variety of books on offer and discussing what they were reading with their teachers when they visited during their English lessons,” commented Mr Lee, Head of English.
“I love organising the Scholastic Book Fair, especially in the Spring term so students can use their World Book Day vouchers, making the books even more affordable,” stated Mrs Ridley, School Librarian. “It’s wonderful too, that the school can earn so many books as rewards for our library– it’s a win, win for reading for pleasure both in and out of school!”
World Book Day
Students and staff alike pulled out the stops again this year to celebrate World Book Day 2025. We were bursting with pride as a bumper number of students and staff dressed as their favourite literary characters. Students had great fun collecting signatures from staff dressed up during the day.
“I was mobbed in the corridor at breaktime, I felt like a celebrity signing my autograph over and over!” exclaimed our School Librarian. “On a serious note, it’s amazing to see our school community celebrating reading for pleasure, be that fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, verse prose or audio books. We all read our own way and it’s fabulous!”
The Senior Prefect team had a tough job choosing the best-dressed students. Poppy Y was awarded the top prize (a £20 amazon voucher) for her amazing Mad Hatter costume. Doris C and Elliot B were our runners up with their great Paddington and Once-Ler renditions. And let’s not forget Mr Smart from the History Department who won some chocolate for being the best dressed member of staff. He looked amazing as Legolas.
Hindu festival of Holi
At the beginning of March, Hindus around the world celebrated the festival of Holi. In the Hindu faith, they tell the story of Krishna and Radha (his wife) and how Lord Krishna paints Radha’s skin. Hindus throw coloured paint to remind themselves of the story and to celebrate the vibrancy and colour of spring. As part of our GCSE revision, Year 11 RS students had a mini-Holi festival. It was a very joyful and memorable event!
Our RS stars for Spring term 2, who have an amazing attitude to learning and produce exceptional work are:
Year 7 - Camden H and Olivia T
Year 8 - Irina M and Grace B
Year 9 - Erin B and Lucy R
Year 10 - Ester M and Noah S
Year 11 Matt B and Ella-Mae A
In KS3, we started 2025 with a variety of interesting texts. In Year 7, students dived into the world of folktales and ‘Beowulf’. Year 8 began by examining the Romantic poetry of William Blake before tackling Coleridge’s ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’. Year 9 embarked on a journey through the Harlem Renaissance, experiencing a variety of short stories and poems.
At KS4, our students have been studying or revising our rigorous GCSE texts. Year 10 have been enjoying ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, the Victorian novella of duality, transgression, and the battle between science and religion.
Year 11 are revising their GCSE texts in preparation for their upcoming exams. They have been regularly engaging in after-school revision sessions and independent learning opportunities.
‘Macbeth’ Theatre Trip
Recently, the English department were excited to take a group of Year 11 students to see a live performance of ‘Macbeth’ - one of their key GSCE texts. The Year 11s were able to see Shakespeare’s word jump off the page and brought to life. As part of the experience, the group could anticipate the key scenes they had learnt, with many key quotations being whispered along with the actors.
Young Writers
A massive congratulations to Niamh H (Year 8) who came in 3rd place in the Rotary Young Writers Competition in Southampton, with the prompt ‘Wonderful Water’.
An additional congratulations to Erin B (Year 8), Lara E (Year 8), Angelika G (Year 8), Lily H (Year 8), Evie R (Year 9), and Charlotte S (Year 9), who all had poems published in ‘The Beautiful Truth’, a book of collected poetry.
Youth Speaks
Congratulations to our debate team (Chloe B, Joe C, and Hugo D) who constructed a debate around the morality of the nuclear weapons during wartime. Our team made it to Regionals, and we’re excited to see where they will go next year!
Science has had another busy term exploring our curiosity and learning all about the science around us.
Science Club
As usual, the science club this term has been the epitome of discovery. We started the term by producing our own pH indicators using red cabbage, making helicopters out of convection currents, flames, and tea bags, and producing string from algae (who knew biodegradable string was possible from plants?!). Moving into the second part of the term, we reacted and extracted our own samples of hydrogen and oxygen, only to then test them using fire!
Following this, students were tasked with finding the ‘cleanest’ and ‘dirtiest’ parts of the school, swabbing them (in PPE, of course!) and cultivating the samples in an incubator to see what bacteria truly lies within the unknown… All we can say is to keep an eye on those banisters at the end of the school day! And finally, it wouldn’t be a successful term if there wasn’t a dissection, would it? This week we are dissecting kidneys while learning about all their useful functions within our body. Did you know kidneys are bean-shaped and are around 10-12 cm long (about the size of a clenched fist)?
We would also like to thank Miss Waller for all her time, enthusiasm, and effort in running the science club for the last few years. It is a highlight of the week for staff to visit the science club and see the excitement and enthusiasm for science radiating from the students.
Faraday challenge
The new year started with a small group of Year 8 students representing Oasis Sholing at the Faraday Challenge. Five Year 8 students competed in the Institute of Engineering and Technology Faraday Challenge. They were tasked with designing and constructing a product to meet one of three briefs; they chose a device that would assist the elderly. Working as a team, they designed, budgeted, constructed, and tested their device, which functioned as a fall alert system, and then presented it to the judges. The students gave a stellar presentation and were very proud of what they achieved! A massive well done to those involved. We have been told that next year Mr. Harrison and Mrs. Hoskins are going to enter the teacher competition!
Royal Institute Show
We were lucky to welcome the Royal Institute’s school show in January after a successful funding application. Years 7 and 8 were treated to an insight into the different types of energy and how they affect their everyday lives. We saw cake tins fly, cans explode, but our favourite was when the gas bubbles were lit. In the evening, we welcomed our local community to the show where we learned about the forces involved in making rockets fly.
Did you see the 30 rockets popping or the rockets fly across the sports hall? Could you pull the books part? Did you then try this with your friends? It was really exciting to hear that some of our students’ younger siblings took these experiments to their primary schools and shared their new knowledge with both their teachers and friends.
Science Live Shows
In February, a small group of Year 10 students ventured to Oxford with Dr. Saunders, Mrs. Hoskins, and Ms. Archer to learn about cutting-edge research from five university researchers. We learned about how physics enables insects to appear to be different colors from Dr. Eleonora D. Elia, and Professor Andrea Sella discussed the chemistry that allows zebras to have their stripes. Professor Dave Cliff talked about whether AI can predict the future and how the world of computer programming has changed. Students also received some top tips from an experienced science examiner on how to achieve top marks.
Not to be outdone by Year 10, Year 9 also embarked on their own Science Live adventure, but this time to London with Miss Waller. Science Live is an interactive lecture hosted by five scientists at the forefront of their research. Students were treated to demonstrations by BBC’s "Sky at Night" producer Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock, who answered the questions: “Are we made of stardust?” and “Is there life out there?” Students also had the chance to quiz the famous scientist Dr. Robert Winston about his remarkable discoveries surrounding IVF. With many other discussions, such as how spiders get their ‘iridescent’ fangs, how butterflies - which are actually brown - can appear vibrant blue, and a look at different pathways into STEM, students (and staff) left feeling incredibly satisfied with a new sense of wonder! Thank you to all who attended; your love for science (and London) really shone through and made our school proud!
NASA Missions to the Moon
Our Year 10 Separate Science students had the opportunity to learn about the upcoming NASA missions to the Moon. We learned about the Artemis program and how NASA is running a series of missions in preparation for the next manned mission to the Moon. The first Artemis mission occurred in 2022; this was an unmanned mission. The second Artemis mission is due in 2026 and is a manned mission to test the capabilities of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft.
Industrial Cadets Programme
Four of our Year 8 students have been working together alongside their industry mentor on a project to design a “Theme Park of the Future.” This is part of the Industrial Cadets program, allowing young people to connect with local industries to gain insight into future careers. The students had to research and write a report outlining the research they had conducted and the solutions they chose to implement. The team focused on four areas in particular: accessibility, materials, energy, and land usage, all with the goal of creating a sustainable and accessible theme park. Once the team submitted their report, they gave a presentation about their project to a panel of industry experts. The team received high praise for their report writing and presentation skills, as well as their unique approach to the project. Well done to everyone involved.
British Science Week
Science Week was held between the 7th and 16th of March. Students from Years 7 to 10 had a small glimpse into the world of science, learned that anyone can be a scientist, and that science affects every part of our daily lives from the moment we wake up until we go to bed at night. Dr. Saunders and Mr. Newman spoke in assemblies about the importance of science careers and the inspirational scientists to them. For Years 7 to 10, we learned about why Dr. Saunders is called a doctor (and not in a medical sense). We also learned that over 9.4 million people have a STEM job today in the UK (that is nearly 30% of the UK workforce).
British Council Project
In March, it was with great excitement that a group of Year 7 to 9 students linked up with MH Baloyi Secondary School in South Africa through a British Council project. Students from both schools have been learning about each other’s cultures and lives through online video chats. Students from Oasis Sholing have set our partner school a STEM project on how we can boost the biodiversity of our school grounds in order to improve not only our local ecosystems but also enhance student well-being. MH Baloyi Secondary has set our students a STEM project to solve their waste removal issues. As MH Baloyi Secondary is based in an informal settlement in South Africa, their school is not served by local infrastructure, so there is no recycling or refuse collection within their community. Sholing students have been busy coming up with innovative solutions for MH Baloyi Secondary, which will be entered into the British Council competition to win a Formula 1 experience.
STEM on Track Competition
A second Formula 1 opportunity has arisen to win a go-kart to build and race next year through STEM on Track, which is working with Alpine Formula 1. Students in Years 7-10 have been challenged to design a kart livery (the outside of the kart) that reflects the local Sholing community. Did you enter? If not, and you are reading this prior to the 4th of April, there is still time to get an entry to Dr. Saunders or Mrs. Selfe (all details are on the Science media channel and on ClassCharts via Mrs. Selfe).
Isle of Portland Residential
As we approach the end of the term, students from Year 8 and Year 9 will be returning from a three-day adventure studying the geology and ecology of the Isle of Portland. The trip also included some activities such as water sports and coasteering! Look out for photos in the coming weeks on our social media feeds!
Looking forward to the Summer term
Science still has lots to look forward to in the summer term with trips for Year 8 to Lulworth and Year 7 to the Big Bang Fair. We also have our fingers crossed that several of the competitions we have entered may provide fruitful results in the summer term (fingers crossed)! As always, please keep looking with your children at the Science Capital channel on MS Teams (accessed via student iPads); this is where students can engage in many wider opportunities, competitions, and learn about the fascinating world of science.
Credits:
Created with images by urika - "Easter golden decorated eggs on background. Minimal easter" • Pixel-Shot - "Megaphone on color wooden background" • Harry Wedzinga - "Many chocolate easter eggs wrapped in blue, purple, orange, pink and golden foil " • Nameeta - "colorful easter eggs | colorful chocolate eggs on white" • LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS - "Top view of chocolate Easter eggs on blue background" • Syda Productions - "easter, sweets and confectionery concept - close up of chocolate eggs and candy drops on wooden table" • Angelov - "Scene, stage light with colored spotlights" • monticellllo - "Books lying on the table in the public library" • Photocreo Bednarek - "Colorful holi powder explosion." • Stillfx - "Clock and calendar"