Friday 19 December
Dear Parents and Carers, As we approach the end of this term, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and, for those who do not celebrate Christmas, a restful and enjoyable holiday. This is a special time to reflect on the achievements of our students and the hard work of our staff and families in supporting them. I am delighted to share that attendance across the Academy has improved this term, which is fantastic news. Thank you for your continued support in ensuring your child attends school regularly. Consistent attendance is vital for learning and progress, and we ask for your help to maintain and improve this positive trend as we move into the new term. When students return, we also want to remind everyone that their journeys to and from school are an important part of their day. How they behave during these times matters. Recently, we have received some concerns from members of our local community regarding student conduct outside of school. Please take a moment to remind your child that when wearing their school uniform, they represent Oasis Academy Lord's Hill. We expect them to behave sensibly and with pride, showing respect for others and for our community. Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us uphold these standards. Together, we can ensure that our students continue to thrive both inside and outside the classroom. Wishing you all a joyful festive season and a happy, healthy New Year. Yours sincerely, Simon Firth Principal
Year 7 & 8
As the Autumn Term draws to a close, I want to take a moment to congratulate both Year 7 and Year 8 on an excellent start to the academic year at Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill. For Year 7, this term has been all about transition - settling into secondary school life, building new friendships, and embracing new routines. They have shown maturity, enthusiasm, and a real eagerness to learn, which makes us incredibly proud. A real highlight was our first Parents’ Evening, where we had the chance to celebrate their progress with families. The Oasis Horizons programme was also launched for Year 7, ensuring every student is now set up with their iPad - an exciting step in their learning journey. We also look forward to the forthcoming trip to Winchester Science Centre (Tuesday 24th February).
Year 8, now well into their second year, have stepped up as role models for our younger students. Their commitment to learning and positive attitudes have been evident throughout the term. Both year groups have had opportunities for theatre trips, which were a fantastic cultural experience, and we’ve seen students displaying remarkable acts of kindness towards others, especially new students. This is something that truly reflects our values. Beyond the classroom, we’ve celebrated achievements through rewards celebrations and games, countless Fab Fours, and Head of Year awards. It’s been fantastic to watch the attendance battle unfold between Year 7 and Year 8, creating a real buzz and showing how much our students value being in school every day. We’ve also been thrilled to offer Southampton FC ticket giveaways and special experiences at St Mary’s Stadium, rewarding students with unforgettable experiences for their hard work. As we head into the break, I encourage all students to take time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the time off with family and friends. We look forward to welcoming them back in January, ready for a busy Spring Term. Thank you to all parents/guardians for your continued support - it makes a real difference. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Year 9
Year 9 started the term with great energy—it was exciting to see students return and to welcome new faces into the Year 9 family. Everyone has settled in well, and it’s been fantastic to see the positive attitude across the year group. Our Year 9 students have been working hard in lessons and showing real commitment to their learning. A special shout-out goes to the top three students with the highest positive points this term: Phoebe B (219 points), Hamza H (211 points), and Liyana J (201 points)—well done to all three! Attendance continues to be a key focus. We are proud that 53 students are currently in Band A (95% and above), with 16 students maintaining 100% attendance so far. It’s not too late for your child to improve their attendance and move up the bands. Good attendance is vital—it helps students stay on track, engage fully in lessons, and achieve their best, especially as we approach the important stage of choosing GCSE options. We look forward to seeing what the rest of the year brings and celebrating more successes with Year 9. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Your child’s tutor is your first point of contact, but you can also email Mrs Smee (your HOY) or Holli (your pastoral leader) directly.
Year 10 & 11
As we wrap up an incredible term, I want to take a moment to celebrate the hard work and achievements of our KS4 students. This term has been full of energy, growth, and memorable moments. From Mock Exam's to Careers Fayre's, you’ve shown resilience, creativity, and commitment to excellence. We’re especially proud of our year 10 and 11 students who represented themselves and the academy's values so brilliantly on ITV News last week. They truly reflected the spirit of our community. As we head into the festive season, take time to rest, recharge, and reflect on everything you’ve accomplished. We can’t wait to see what you’ll achieve in the new year!
Christmas Lunch and Jumper Day
Our wonderful students enjoyed a free Christmas lunch at the academy during the last week of term, with plenty of festive jumpers on show too! A big thank you to our canteen team and all the staff who helped make the lunch such a lovely success!
Careers Fair
Our Year 9, 10, and 11 students attended the school careers fair to discover the exciting post-16 opportunities available to them. A huge thank you to all the training providers, colleges, and universities who joined us and shared valuable insights to help our students explore their future pathways.
ITV News
In November, we had the privilege of welcoming ITV News to the academy, where they filmed a group of our students sharing their thoughts on AI. In December, their discussion was featured on the evening news. We are incredibly proud of each and every one of you! You can watch the feature here...
Matilda Workshop
On Wednesday 26th November, Year 7–9 students enjoyed a fantastic Matilda the Musical workshop led by professionals from the Mayflower Theatre. The session introduced choreography and character work, helping students explore storytelling through movement while building confidence, creativity, and teamwork. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many eager to audition for our production of Matilda in January. This marks the start of an exciting partnership with Mayflower Theatre, offering regular musical theatre opportunities and visits.
Councillor Visit
City councillors visited the academy in October to see the exciting progress we’ve made. They described what they saw as “genuinely encouraging.” Cllr Lee Whitbread, who visited alongside Cllr Eugene McManus and Cllr Sally Goodfellow, said: “What really struck me was how engaged the pupils were in their learning.” We look forward to welcoming them again soon.
Back in September, we opened our doors to Year 5 and 6 families. It’s always a pleasure to welcome families into our academy, meet our fantastic staff, and showcase what makes our school special. If you’re considering joining us, please contact our Attendance and Admissions Officer, Lauren, who will be happy to assist you.
The Autumn term has been another busy term with regards to Rewards, and it has been great to be able to recognise the hard work of so many of our brilliant students within the school community. Our FAB 4 strategy continues to be extremely successful, with hundreds of tickets being awarded each and every day across the academy. The end of term main prize draw always brings lots of excitement and it is such a lovely way to end the term with the awarding of the main 3 prizes as well as lots of runners up prizes! Main prizes across this term included a £75 amazon voucher, a Jump the queue pass for a whole half term, and a Pizza/FIFA/Just Dance/Mario Kart for a lucky winner and up to 5 friends. As well as the FAB 4 awards, the last week of each half term also term brings our Rewards Celebration Assemblies with hundreds of prizes awarded across the week for a variety of categories such as the following: -Subject award winners. -Tutor Award Winners. -Head of Year Award winners. -Pastoral Award Winners. -Attendance prizes. -Top Awarded FAB 4 students across the year group. -Highest tutor group attendance/Positive FAB 4 points.
Mr Parker
On Monday 15th December, we performed our annual Christmas Showcase to parents, carers and our community...and what an evening of talent it was! This variety show allows students to audition an act of their choice and perform this on a stage to round off the autumn term. We are so proud of all of our performers who were brilliant on and off stage! We want to thank the Performing Arts teams for getting this show off the ground and we look forward to future events coming up at Lord's Hill!
This term has been an incredibly positive and inspiring one for our students at Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill, with a range of events taking place to inspire, motivate, and support our young people both in and beyond the classroom. We were delighted to welcome two player visits to the academy this term. The first was from Southampton Women’s First Team player Amy Goddard, who visited our girls-only after-school club to see our Changemakers programme in action. Amy spoke to the girls about empowerment, confidence, and striving to be the best version of themselves. During her visit, she also generously gave out free tickets to an upcoming match, which was greatly appreciated by the students. Our second player visit was from Moses Sesay, a talented young player who has made his breakthrough into the first team earlier this season. Moses visited our Year 9 Sports Leaders group, where he supported the boys by delivering a leadership session on the all-weather pitch. This was a fantastic opportunity for students to learn directly from a professional athlete, and both visits had a significant positive impact on those involved.
We also took a group of Year 10 students to a careers event at St Mary’s Stadium, where they participated in a variety of activities and workshops focused on future career pathways. These included mock interviews for jobs of their choice and learning key hospitality skills, such as setting up tables correctly. Students also enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium, giving them a real insight into the day-to-day workings of a professional football club. In November, over ten schools across Southampton took part in the Utilita Cup, a national Year 7 and 8 girls’ football competition, with the overall winners earning the chance to play at Wembley Stadium. Our regional final was held at Staplewood Training Ground, where nine of our Year 7 and 8 girls proudly represented Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill. It was a fantastic day and an invaluable experience for the girls to play at a professional-level facility.
Alongside these events, we have continued to work closely with several young people across the school this term, providing ongoing support, guidance, and encouragement. This remains a key focus as we strive to help every student reach their full potential. We are extremely proud of the enthusiasm and engagement shown by our students and look forward to building on this momentum in the new year.
Our Youth and Community Team have been working hard to develop our provision to support young people and families in the area. The Oasis City Farm has welcomed young people back for education sessions over the course of this term and it has been great seeing them engage in learning in this different environment. The farm is remodelling it’s Saturday morning youth club and also extending the afterschool wellbeing clubs. These are both free provisions, helping young people learn new skills, build their confidence and engage with all the animals. Have a look at the farm website for more details or to book. www.southamptoncityfarm.com We have also worked in partnership with the Oasis Church and local parish church to offer 2 reflective celebration events. Focused on Harvest and Advent. This has given people of all ages a chance to take time and space to reflect in the unique setting of the farm. The farm toddler group has also been very popular this term and has secured funding, from SNG, to continue to offer free sessions next year. In the October half term we opened up the academy pitch to young people and welcomed about 30 young people to play football. We have teamed up with Youth Options and are planning to offer further holiday sessions in partnership with them. So do look out for details for February half term. We are excited to be expanding our youth work provision in the new year with the appointment of a full time youth worker who will be working in the academy and the community. Offering support to individuals and small groups. As well as expanding wider community activities available to young people in the area. Our partnership with Great Oaks College has enabled us to offer access to a food pantry for academy families to help with the cost of living. Families need to be referred and for £3 have access to a range of food and household items each week. If you need support please speak to academy staff or our youth and community lead, Lizzie. Thank you to everyone who has donated food to this project this term. Your support is very much appreciated.
We have had some great opportunities for students to be involved in shaping and delivering provision, learning how to use their voice and skills to bring about change. 2 Year 10 students attended the OCL Student Leaders Residential in November, learning leadership skills alongside others from Oasis academies nationally. We are excited to help them put these skills into practice. We also have a group of students who are planning their own community wellbeing project as part of the #IWill project. This term they have been learning about factors that are important for well being and thinking about the sort of community they want to be a part of. Their plans are now beginning to take shape and they will be delivering their own project over the course of next term.
Our first term of bookings is now at an end, we have loved welcoming back both bookings new and old to the Academy, we’re incredibly proud to be working with so many brilliant clubs and organisations. We have more groups calling the Academy home than ever before, and as such there is a huge variety of different sports and activities happening every day. So, if you’re interested in joining one of our partner groups, whether that be dance, singing, yoga, football, basketball, art or anything else you may be interested in, chances are we have a group based here at the Academy who would love to hear from you. We do also have some availability on our 3G pitch on a Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, this is available to be booked for exclusive use, or you can just turn up and ‘pay and play’. There is also some availability for badminton in the sports hall on select evenings, and over the weekends. What better way to get fit and help ensure you stick to that new year’s resolution than fun but competitive game of badminton with friends or family.
Bookings will recommence on Friday 2nd January 2026 and we have lots of exciting events coming up in 2026, starting with British Kingdon Pro Wrestling on Sunday 25th January. The popular Little Pickles Market also returns on Sunday 15th February, with both buying and selling tickets available to buy. If you would like any further information or have a general query, please contact billy.chafe@oasislordshill.org
Last Day of the Autumn Term: Friday 19 December First Day of the Spring Term: Monday 5 January Year 11 Parents' Evening: Thursday 15 January Half-term: Monday 16 February - Friday 20 February Year 9 Options Evening: Thursday 26 February INSET Day: Monday 9 March
Term dates can be found on our website.
Credits:
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