View this enews or previous versions in your browser.

We’ve all felt the drop in temperature this week, haven’t we? While it’s been lovely to enjoy some sunshine and blue skies, I’ve noticed a few of our students looking chilly during break and lunchtime. Rest assured, the heating is on, and our classrooms are cosy, but as students spend some time outdoors, I’d definitely recommend sending them in with a warm coat to keep them comfortable.

Yesterday, we were delighted to host a Local Authority Inspector along with a Challenge Partner, a Deputy Headteacher at Brighton Hill Community School in Basingstoke. As part of the local authority monitoring process, they conducted a learning walk, held meetings about key areas such as SEND, progress tracking, attendance, behaviour and safeguarding, and met with our Chair of Governors and me.

We were thrilled to receive incredibly positive feedback. The Local Authority considers us a ‘low priority’ school, reflecting their confidence in our embedded systems, high expectations, and capacity for further improvement. They praised the strength of our leadership and the collaborative spirit across the school.

It was a privilege to showcase the outstanding teaching and learning in our classrooms. Both visitors noted the calm, focused learning environment and the engagement of our students. Our success is truly a testament to the collective effort of our school community. Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us achieve this.

I’ve also really enjoyed this week’s assemblies about Democracy to mark UK Parliament Week. Oscar-Bertie, Deputy Youth Member for Parliament (and Year 10 student) has led an assembly with Mrs Blair about the importance of using your vote. Together, they discussed the topic of voting rights and debated whether young people aged 16 and over should be allowed to vote or not. It caused quite a stir!

Subsequently, our Personal Development Team, in conjunction with the LRC, have been running a mock election, to give students the opportunity to experience the democratic voting process. The election includes marking a ballot paper in a polling booth, and then placing it in the ballot box we have on loan from Test Valley Borough Council. Students have been asked their opinion on the proposal to change the legal voting age from 18 to 16. I’m looking forward to hearing the results. We will publish them in a future E-News.

I wish you all an enjoyable weekend,
Mrs Dawn German

Addressing Knife Crime: Empowering Young People with Knowledge and Choices

I’m sure you have read in the press this week about young people feeling the need to carry knives for safety? We understand that this is deeply concerning for parents and carers. We are committed to addressing these difficult topics sensitively and proactively.

Recently, our Year 9 students participated in an important session led by the charity Yellow Brick Road. They heard from a guest speaker with lived experience who shared his personal story and the regret he carries for the choices he made. The session highlighted the devastating consequences of knife crime and encouraged students to make positive, informed decisions to keep themselves and others safe.

We know this is a topic that can raise fears, but we believe in the power of open conversations and education to help our young people navigate these challenges. Thank you for your continued support in working together to keep our community safe.

Christmas Lunch for Years 7 & 8 
Please follow the links below if you would like to sign your child up to either the Year 7 or Year 8 Christmas Lunch in December.

Year 7
Year 8

This week in Ways Forward we include information to help you find out more about a career working with children in the NHS, how to become a carer and lots of information about film careers, linked to the launch of the new Wicked film which will be in cinemas later this week.

You might like to try the 'Wicked Futures' quiz to find out what sort of film role might suit you best!

We highlight some new online resources, including a useful post-16 options website aimed at supporting all students and especially those with special educational needs and disabilities. There is also a resource that helps you explore apprenticeships and T Levels to see whether either might suit your child.  There are also some interesting new virtual career challenges with National Highways including information on how we can help hedgehogs and other animals safely cross busy roads 

Following Governing body approval, we have updated the unreturned loans reimbursement policy and this is now on the school website. Loans unreturned after three months of issue will become chargeable or will need to be replaced. Link to the LRC page and all the details here. Thank you in advance for your support.

In collaboration with Mrs Blair, our Curriculum lead for Citizenship, and to promote UK Parliament Week, we have had many of our Personal Development lessons in the LRC this week to vote for or against the UK voting age being lowered to 16 from 18. One of our Year 10 students is the Deputy Member of the Youth Parliament for Hampshire and we invited him in at lunchtime to talk about how he got elected, what his role is and what he's currently working on. Students also asked some questions. A great enrichment opportunity. Some interesting debates were had. More classes will visit next week. We have had ballot papers, mock-up voting booths and a real ballot box and have therefore given students an idea of what it's like to use a Polling Station - including the queueing!  By the end of next week, myself and the Student Librarians will have counted 900+ ballot papers and will be able to publish the results!

We are thrilled to have awarded the first set of house points for year 7 students taking part in the 7 For 7 Reading Challenge. This runs until July 2025 so there is still lots of time for more students to join in. Details from the Year 7 LRC Google Classroom or by popping in to the LRC.

Netball - Year 10 A v John Hanson A
This game certainly lived up to its hype. Both teams wanted to desperately win this game as it is likely to determine who wins the league this year. Harrow Way narrowly lost the league to John Hanson last year despite drawing their match but losing on goal difference so this meant everything to our girls. 

The game was played at a cracking pace and John Hanson were the team that settled the quickest. Harrow Way were very nervous and made some silly passing and footwork errors, although credit to John Hanson they applied enormous pressure on us making us make these mistakes. The first quarter finished with John Hanson leading 8-5. The second quarter was a similar affair and John Hanson continued to lead 12-5. 

After a productive team talk at half time and a few tactical changes the third quarter was an absolute thriller with the team making a real come back with the quarter finishing with John Hanson leading by only one goal.16-15.

The team talk before the fourth quarter was a real passionate affair with both Miss Escritt and Mrs Winnet telling the girls to play with a big heart and leave nothing out on court. And to believe in themselves. 

Well… WHAT A QUARTER. Defensively we were immense and Sophie H deserves a mention for her relentless work against a very good goal shooter. Aimee K worked tirelessly in centre court and she had an excellent game against another very strong opponent. The game went back and forth with both teams having the lead at various times in the quarter, neither team wanting to lose. It was fiercely competitive and it came  down to who could hold their nerve and score off their centre passes. Harrow Way had to cling on to a one goal lead in the dying minutes and I have never seen a team so relieved to hear the final whistle blow. The girls were exhausted but absolutely elated. 

As a coach it was brilliant to watch a team show so much character, act upon the advice given and get rewarded for their efforts. Best player Aimee K. Coaches player Sophie H.

Netball - Year 9A v John Hanson B
On Wednesday 20th November our Year 9 A team played against John Hansons Year 9 B team. The first quarter got off to a strong start with the girls leading 12 goals to JH's 2 goals. Dotty and Lucy were the absolute dream team with great feeds into the goal circle and all shots on target. The second quarter continued with the same positivity and John Hanson were struggling to score. Izzy made some great interceptions and Holly was passing the ball beautifully around the court. The girls continued to work hard despite the freezing conditions and finished up with a win! 34 - 6 to Harrow Way. Player of the match went to Ishana and Coaches Player went to Dotty and Lucy. A fantastic effort girls, well done!

Year 7 Rudolph Run
We had the pleasure of welcoming Michelle from the Countess of Brecknock Hospice to introduce our Rudolph Run to the Year 7’s this week. She also brought along a very special guest to check up on the Year 7’s and Mrs Ford. 

The whole of Year 7 will be taking part in a sponsored 2 km run on Wednesday 4th December to raise money for the Hospice, a local charity that many of the Harrow Way community are so grateful for their care and support with loved ones. The Hospice provides rather fetching antlers and red noses and Father Christmas may just make an appearance again! Year 7 will be given envelopes on Monday to start collecting funds and have been given a number of ideas of different ways to raise money. Last year's Year 7 raised almost £3000 and we would love to beat that this time and give the Hospice a very special Christmas present.

Lateness 
If your child is late to school, please write a note in their planner or call the school with the reason for lateness, to prevent unnecessary sanctions being set. The sanction will be a same-day lunchtime detention for all Years.  Failure to attend this detention will result in an after-school detention and further sanction will be applied for persistent lateness. Thank you for your support with this, it is very much appreciated.

Website Medical Page
We have an updated Medical Page for parents on our website.  Parents can access forms to keep us updated on all things medical for their child, such as:

Prescription Medication

Returning to school on crutches or with an injury

School inhaler

School Autoinjector

Updating medical information  

Students Feeling Unwell in School
Please remind your child not to contact home in the first instance if they feel unwell. They should go to the school nurse, who will then contact home if necessary. If you send your child into school knowing that they are under the weather, we feel you have made the decision that they are well enough for school and we will stand by that decision unless their condition deteriorates.

School Nursing Team
The school nursing visited recently, they highlighted how parents can support their child's well-being through the teenage years, here are some useful websites and services that they shared with us:

Hampshire Healthier Families

Sleep Charity

Back to Basics - Hampshire CAMHS

Young Minds - Parents' A-Z Mental Health Guide

Community
If you are looking for a new venue for your club/organisation Harrow Way Community School offers fantastic facilities at competitive prices. To view what we can offer please visit our lettings website. We now have a Facebook page. You can find it here or by searching for Harrowwaycommunity

Aluminium Recycling
We have teamed up with Magpie Community Recycling on East Portway Industrial Estate. This local service supports people with learning and physical disabilities and has provided us with a bin so we can collect foil, drink cans and aluminium food trays. There is a collection bin in our Main Reception for the aluminium to be deposited. Please send in any aluminium products you have - this will be collected by Magpie Community Recycling every 2 weeks. Thank you for all your support.

Check out the latest news, fundraising initiatives and upcoming events from the PTA here - harrowwaypta.charityhive.co.uk

This will be the home of PTA news, raffle and event details so please sign up, check out what we are up to and if you have any thoughts, feedback or if you are interested in helping out in any way please get in touch!

The HWCS Parent Teacher Association continues to look at future fund-raising and enrichment opportunities to benefit students and would love to hear from you if you have ideas or experience to share. You can email us here for information or to express an interest. In order to continue, we do need volunteers so hope to hear from you. 

Andover Athletic Club - November Newsletter

Andover RFC U13’s - We are looking to recruit enthusiastic players to our U13 team (School Year 8). Training is held on Wednesdays and Sundays at the Goodship Ground.

The Andover Christmas Festival (with the official Town Lights Switch on) is taking place in Andover Town Centre on Friday 22nd November.

More event infomation at: inandover.co.uk

On the 25th of January 2025, Your Space Therapies are offering a practical and down-to-earth ‘Anxiety Toolbox’ webinar for parents and carers to support their children with anxiety and mental health.

All the details and a QR code for ease of booking are on the flyer which can be found HERE.

We look forward to offering parents and carers in your school community kindness and empowerment to support their children.

Being a parent has never been easy. There are no manuals for it, and previous generations may not be able to provide the insight you're looking for. The family unit is more dispersed than ever, with some families existing hundreds of miles from what may be called a 'core unit'. The rapid pace of societal change in the UK rapidly outstrips the knowledge of the immediate past. The result is that many parents may find themselves lost in a maelstrom of contradictory advice. For adults, time has never been more compacted. Family Lives has produced a series of online parenting courses, to make this challenge a little easier. If interested please follow this link.

Family Lives offers a confidential and free* helpline service for families in England and Wales (previously known as Parentline). They can be contacted on 0808 800 2222 for emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life. Their website is also a rich source of useful support and advice.

Hampshire County Council - Have your say - Barriers to Walking and Cycling
As part of Hampshire County Council’s commitment to improve accessibility and enable more people to walk and cycle for short journeys, we would welcome your support with this consultation and mapping exercise.  Below is the link to take part

www.hants.gov.uk/barriers-walking-cycling

Pop Up Ensemble
PLACES STILL AVAILABLE! Back by Popular Demand - FREE Andover Pop Up Orchestra from Hampshire Music Service. 15th December 2024.

Copyright © 2024, Harrow Way Community School, All rights reserved.

Harrow Way Community School,
Harrow Way,
Andover,
Hampshire.
SP10 3RH