Events coming up
4th May Bank Holiday – School closed 5th May Inset Day – Sch closed to all (except for exams) 4th – 7th May Krakow, Poland trip
Message from the Leadership Team
Dear Noadswood families, As we head into the Bank Holiday weekend, I would like to start by reiterating that we are incredibly proud of our students, our colleagues and the tech team for this week’s outstanding production of Oliver Jr. The talent, dedication and teamwork on display were exceptional, and it was a joy to see so many of our young people shine both on stage and behind the scenes. Opportunities like this build confidence, creativity and determination, bringing our school community together and giving students the chance to express themselves. The months and months of preparation really were worth it! And this silly old emotional person shed a tear or two of joy both during the Monday afternoon performance and the Wednesday night show I was privileged to see. The tears also came from the knowledge that our Y11 performers have trodden the Noadswood boards for the final time and done so incredibly well, juggling all else in their lives. I have received myself, and seen via others, some emails capturing just what an example they have been to the younger ones, and what a lovely company it has felt to be part of. To me, it is true talent, in addition to any singing, dancing and acting: being able to role model and take care of others. Thank you, Y11 and warmest congrats to everyone involved.
In news of success outside of school, which you know we love to hear about, we are thinking today and this weekend of Willow as she and the rest of the Solent Kestrels compete in the National Finals in the U14 Basketball tournament. It was good to hear how well the team have done so far and that no other U14 girls’ team from our region has done so well before. I shall look forward to hearing how they have got on next week. I have got a lovely lot of appointments booked with young people involved in all sorts of terrific activities outside of school in my calendar for the weeks ahead – it’s a real joy in the job to hear about all they do and give them a big cheer. We’d finally like to extend our thanks to our Parent Staff Association for their continued fundraising efforts and the incredible support from our wider community. Thanks to this generosity, we have been delighted to fund a range of projects across the school, including new reading initiatives, improved PE storage facilities, enhanced therapy team resources, student rewards, author visits, additional GCSE science textbooks, support for our soon to roll out Duke of Edinburgh scheme participation, enrichment experiences, guest speakers, and investment across our creative design subjects. Quite the achievement to be able to support all of those initiatives for our children and young people by the PSA, who give of their time and energies so freely. I am really thankful for it all. A reminder to our school community that Monday is, of course, a Bank Holiday, but then school will also be closed to all students on Tuesday 5th May for our INSET day. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Wednesday 6th May. A small number of Year 11 students will have an exam on the INSET day for which we wish them really well – they are free to leave when the exam is done. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable extended weekend, and with our ongoing, sincere thanks for your support, partnership and challenge throughout another week, Kathryn Marshall and the Noadswood Leadership Team
Safeguarding Updates:
Energy drinks are highly caffeinated drinks that are increasingly popular with young people. While often marketed as products that boost energy, concentration, or sports performance, they can contain large amounts of caffeine and sugar, along with other stimulants. For young people, these ingredients can affect sleep, mood, heart rate, and overall wellbeing. This poster provides key information to help parents understand the potential risks of energy drinks and make informed decisions to support their children’s health.
Today’s Letter: Thank you all for your support today with respect to the Safeguarding Letter that Mrs Pearce, Assistant Head and Designated Safeguarding Lead, needed to send about a difficult encounter with a member of the public near Tesco, at the bottom of North Road, for a small number of our students on their way to school, and, in fact, we discovered later, for a parent taking their child to Orchard. We’d like to assure you that the contents of the letter Mrs Pearce sent cover all parts of the matter – there is nothing else that you do not know, no contact made with our school or our neighbours’ schools, no further issues have affected the safe running of this lovely Friday, and no further information or reports have come our ways. We are now providing the police with the opportunity to continue the work they commenced very swiftly after we alerted them this morning. Mrs Pearce and I have responded to the small number of people who got in touch following our letter; if you have any further queries or there are any concerns over this long weekend or on next Tuesday’s INSET day, please do contact the school on info@noadswood.hants.sch.uk and the mail will be directed to the right people.
Hampshire SENDIASS Workshops for Parents and Carers Hampshire SENDIASS is an organisation that provides free online workshops for parents and carers to help them understand SEND processes, including applying for an Education and Healthcare Plan (EHCP), reviewing draft plans, SEN Support, Alternative Provision, and SEND Tribunal appeals. These sessions offer practical guidance and opportunities to ask questions in a supportive environment. Parents can view all upcoming workshops and access the links via SENDIASS website: Workshops - Hampshire SENDIASS All workshops are delivered online and run either fortnightly or monthly, depending on the topic. Parents and carers do not need to book - just find the link to the workshop using the link above, click on the link at the date and time the workshop is running to join
Awesome Alumni Lily Wiseman 2013-2018
I work self employed as a Massage Therapist with my own business Lilium Massage Therapies. I perform a range of treatments including Swedish, Deep Tissue and Indian Head massage. I operate out of my own treatment room in Dibden Purlieu, as well as at a beauty salon in the New Forest. I get to work in a peaceful environment with my wonderful colleagues and give clients the space to unwind and relieve achy muscles. My time at Noadswood helped me build the foundations for running a business. The importance of planning and organisation has helped me to manage my own booking systems and business documentation, and my English lessons developed my writing skills and how to communicate professionally with clients. Beyond the academics, Noadswood allowed me to explore my personality and confidence. I have very fond memories of expressing my creativity through the creative writing club and poetry slams, as well as honing my leadership skills while working backstage on school theatre performances and Rock Challenge. You can find me at NoadsFest this year on Saturday 18th July, where I'll be offering seated chair massages for tired neck and shoulders. I look forward to meeting everyone then!