Friday 14th February

Dear Parents,

We are thrilled to share that the first half of the Spring term has been successful. Our students are making better progress than ever. However, we need to improve attendance to ensure that all our students benefit from the improvements we are making.

Highlights of the Term So Far:

1. Engaging Lessons: Our teachers have been working hard to create engaging and interactive lessons that inspire curiosity and a love for learning. The classrooms are buzzing with excitement as students dive into new topics and projects.
2. Extracurricular Activities: From sports to arts, our extracurricular programs are in full swing. Students are participating in various clubs and activities, developing new skills, and making new friends. Mr Parker has been working hard to expand our programme so whether our students enjoy Darts or Football, there is something for everyone.
3. Community Involvement: We are proud of our students' involvement in community service projects. Their dedication to making a positive impact is truly commendable.
4. Parent-Teacher Collaboration: We appreciate the strong partnership between parents and teachers. Your support and involvement are crucial to our students' success, and we are grateful for your continued engagement. Thank you for your contribution to the recent parent forum.

Thank you for your ongoing support and for being an integral part of our school community. Together, we can ensure that this term is filled with growth, learning, and memorable experiences for our students.

Mr Firth

Year 7 – Mr Harding

It is hard to believe that we are already halfway through the Spring Term, which means you are halfway through your first year at Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill! This also marks the end of my first half term with you, and I want to say a huge thank you to each and every student in Year 7. It's been wonderful getting to know you all, and I've been so impressed with your enthusiasm, resilience, and willingness to contribute to all areas of academy life. I am really looking forward to seeing what you achieve in the terms ahead and will be excited to celebrate with you.

Enjoy your week off, and I’ll see you all back in school on Monday 24th February.

Year 8 – Miss Blake

Year 8 has been working really hard this term. They have approached their mid-term assessments with a mature and positive attitude. I can see the resilience and determination to succeed growing in so many of our young people. It is not only the academic aspect that I am seeing many students developing in, but also in their support of one another. I have been proud to receive feedback about students supporting each other when times have been difficult.

I have had the pleasure of watching some of our Year 8 boys start the football season and can see so much potential in the team. I have every confidence in them and look forward to the next match.

We have been celebrating the achievements of many in our weekly assemblies and acknowledging great attendance, our nine habits, as well as 'be proud', 'be determined', and 'be kind'. As we approach the end of the term, we will then celebrate further termly achievements in our celebration assembly.

As we progress into next term, I would like to really focus on our attendance. We have a number of students with 100% attendance, which is amazing! I would like to encourage everyone to challenge themselves to maintain this or to improve their current percentage. We will be starting fortnightly celebrations of great attendance and behaviour, inviting students to join me for a hot chocolate and treat during tutor time. I continue to be proud to be head of Year 8 and look forward to their next steps and achievements.

Year 9 – Mrs Bennett

I want to start my message at the end of this half term by saying how incredibly proud I am of you all. So many of you are working so hard, and it’s been a pleasure to see you in your lessons and receiving so many nominations in our ‘student shout-outs’—be proud of your achievements.

As you start making your options for GCSE, I want you to remember how important it is to make the right choice for you and your own individual progress and goals. The next two years will go by so quickly and are very important, and we are here to support you at every step.

I look forward to welcoming you back after half term. Have a well-deserved rest. I want to remind you all that at this vital time, attendance really is the key to success, and if there is anything you need support with, please reach out.

Have a great half term, and keep up the good work, Year 9!

Year 10 – Mr Harris

As we approach the halfway point of this academic year, I have had the privilege of seeing you all develop from when I met you in November into a group of brilliant students who are currently acing their GCSE mid-year assessments. This time of year is always tough as the evenings draw in, but I really do take my hat off to you for the resilience you have shown in your day-to-day studies. As we all know, keep your foot on the accelerator, and you will overcome any and every obstacle in your way. Time spent working with you continues to be the highlight of my day. Keep on keeping on!

Year 11 – Mrs Knight

I would like to wish Year 11 all the best of luck in their second round of mocks. This academic year seems to be passing us by with every breath, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Please remember there are ample sources of support and staff available at the academy to help with any exam anxiety.

Prom planning is well underway, and we are excited to start sharing these ideas with the cohort. Payments can be made via MCAS for the prom and digital yearbook.

Good luck, Year 11!

Rewards

Rewards continue to be a very important aspect of school life, and this half term has provided lots of opportunities for the students to be celebrated as much as possible. In every lesson, teachers celebrate the hard work and positive attitude of at least four students and award them with a Fab 4 ticket, which is then followed up with a positive text home. This system is now embedded, and it’s great to see so many students placing their raffle tickets in the boxes to give them a chance of winning one of the main prizes: a £75 Amazon voucher, Saints FC tickets for a Premier League match, or a free ticket to the end-of-year trip (Paulton’s Park for Year 7 and 8 and Thorpe Park for Year 9 and 10). We have also introduced several smaller runners-up prizes to ensure more students win a prize!

In addition to this, the last week of term has seen our regular end-of-term Rewards Celebration Assemblies where several hundred students have been awarded a certificate or prize for categories such as 100% attendance, Subject Award winners, and Head of Year/Pastoral winners.

Finally, Heads of Year are now starting to hold additional rewards for selected students, which have already included a Celebration Breakfast with hot chocolate and snacks in Year 7, with more to follow for the other year groups.

It’s fantastic to celebrate the positive values of being Proud, Kind, and Determined that the students display, and we are looking forward to even bigger and better things next half term!

Mr Parker.

Mr Genovese

I am Mr. Genovese, the new Vice Principal for Culture here at Oasis Academy Lord's Hill. My role is truly exciting as I get to oversee our work in all areas of pastoral care: namely, behaviour, safeguarding, and attendance. I am also the Designated Safeguarding Lead for the academy. I firmly believe that success in school is based on our students controlling what they can control: getting up each day, arriving at school prepared and ready to go, and then trying their best in all their lessons. We don't always get it right, and when we make mistakes, we need to own them and accept responsibility so we can get back to our learning as soon as possible.

This is what makes a great student. I joined the academy in January, but a few years ago, I also worked here in a different role, so it is great to be back - I just have a lot of new names to learn. In the few years between then and now, I moved to St. Marks in Shirley to open and lead their new secondary phase. While this was a really exciting and successful time, I am glad to be back within Oasis and working in our community once more. To the parents I have already met, thank you for making me feel so welcome.

Ms Brunt

It is a pleasure to introduce myself as Vice Principal for Curriculum and Standards here at Lord’s Hill. As you might know, I was previously in post at Assistant Principal for Inclusion, which meant the oversight and management of the SEND provision. Whilst I am still incredibly passionate about inclusion and supporting students with special educational needs, I am excited to take on this new role as well, working closely with curriculum leaders to ensure that the quality of education is the best it can be. As a former Head of English and Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning, I have an unwavering commitment to ensuring that your child’s lessons are of a high-quality, that they are engaging and challenging, and that students acquire the knowledge and skills they need to achieve great results. I have several things I am focusing on this term, but included in this list is ensuring that the Year 11 cohort are fully supported through their exams, working with curriculum leaders to sustain the clear improvements they are making in their departments, making plans for the curriculum for next year, and collaborating with the leads on teaching and learning and personal development to ensure that all the students here receive the education they deserve. I am looking forward to building on what’s already been achieved in the last few months and seeing Lord’s Hill get better and better.

Year 7 Team led by Miss Williams with support from Mr Collins

Oasis Lord's Hill v Oasis Sholing: 2-3

Oasis Lord's Hill v Regents Park: 3-1

Oasis Lord's Hill v Hamble: 1-5

Special team performance mentions go to Imran and Antek.

Year 8 Team led by John Parker

Oasis Lord's Hill v Hamble: 3-2

Oasis Lord's Hill v Greggs: 0-2

The team has been making excellent progress and has been superbly led by Captain Harry. Mr. Parker also said that there have been excellent team performances from Owen and Noman. The team currently has upcoming fixtures to complete.

Year 9 Team led by Lewis Collins

Oasis Lord's Hill v St Marks: 3-2

Special team performance mentions go to Alfie and Bobby.

It has been a busy start to 2025 as our bookings recommence after the Christmas break. We’ve got lots of exciting things coming up this month, including on Saturday, 15th February, when we will be welcoming Little Pickles Markets for the first time. They provide the opportunity to buy and sell almost new baby equipment, toys, clothes, games, books, and much more at a fraction of the cost of buying new. Seller spaces are also still available; for more information, click here.

With half term fast approaching, please see below some of the activities that will be taking place at the academy:

• Sound Pop Academy - WICKED Performing Arts Workshop (Monday)
• ERL Football Camp (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)
• Testlands Holiday Club (Monday – Friday)

For more information on any of the activities above, please follow the link directly to the respective provider.

Monday 10th February – Year 11 Spring Mocks start

Monday 17th t0 Friday 21st February - Half-term

Monday 10th March – Academy INSET Day

Wednesday 19th March – Teen Booster Vaccination Day

Thursday 13th March – Year 10 Exam Preparation Evening

Friday 21st March - You 2.0 Drama Performance

Monday 24th March – Hamilton Mayflower Trip

Tuesday 25th March - ManMade Boys Dance Performance at Mayflower Studios

Thursday 3rd April – Year 11 Results and Exam Prep Evening

Monday 7th to Monday 21st April - Easter Break

Tuesday 8th April - National Theatre Connections Festival