View this enews or previous versions in your browser.

Despite a rather wet start to 2026, school life has continued at its usual busy and positive pace. The heavy rain this week has been a timely reminder of the importance of students arriving prepared for winter conditions, and we are grateful for your continued support in ensuring they have coats to keep them as warm and dry as possible.

It was a real pleasure to welcome so many parents and carers to our Year 11 Consultation Evening yesterday. With PPEs now only two weeks away, this was a crucial opportunity to reflect on what is working well and where focus is needed to maximise progress. The quality of the conversations was thoughtful, constructive and positive, and it was wonderful to see students taking such ownership of their learning. Working in close partnership with parents remains one of our greatest strengths.

This morning saw the launch of this year’s Prefect application process with our Year 10 students. It was also a wonderful opportunity to recognise and celebrate our outgoing Head and Deputy Prefect team. They have shown exceptional dedication, maturity and commitment to our school, and have been exemplary Student Leaders. It has been a genuine privilege to work with them, and I would like to thank each of them for the positive difference they have made to our school community.

Now, we look ahead to who will pick up the baton and work alongside me to make our school even better. Becoming a Prefect is a significant responsibility as well as an opportunity. Successful applicants will meet with me regularly, have a voice in shaping school life, and develop leadership skills that will support them well beyond their time with us. We are very much looking forward to seeing the quality of applications that come forward. Interviews will take place after half term, and we are excited to see which students are ready to step forward into this important leadership role.

Year 10 work experience will take place in July and remains an invaluable part of our curriculum. It gives students insight into the expectations of the workplace and develops independence, initiative and responsibility. Mr Fluellen has shared helpful guidance in this week’s Ways Forward (below the Year 11 section), and we encourage families not to leave arrangements until the last minute.

Finally, on Wednesday this week we welcomed two inspectors from the Local Authority as part of our ongoing commitment to reflection and improvement. I was absolutely delighted with the feedback they shared. They praised the strength of our leadership, our clear vision and ambition, the calm, purposeful learning environment and our incisive self-evaluation which is closely aligned to the work of our governors. They were particularly impressed by the politeness and friendliness of our students, the excellent relationships between staff and students, and the pride our young people take in their school and their learning.

As both visitors are also Ofsted inspectors, this was an especially valuable opportunity for professional reflection. Their insights will help shape our ongoing development work. As we often say, great schools never stand still, and we are determined to be even better. Our children only get one chance at education, and I want their experience at Harrow Way to be the very best it can possibly be.

I wish you all a restful weekend.
Mrs Dawn German

All key dates for 2025-26 are also available on the website.

Assembly
This week’s assembly reinforced several important messages and celebrated students’ positive adjustment to the new mobile phone policy. Mrs Woods reminded students about the importance of road safety, following a small number of recent incidents involving a lack of care when crossing roads to and from school. She also emphasised the value of collecting stamps and adhering to our three simple rules: be ready, be respectful, and be your best.

Students were commended for the respectful and polite manner they consistently show towards one another and towards staff, and the assembly highlighted why it is essential to maintain this standard of behaviour at all times. Mrs Woods reflected on the positive atmosphere during the final week before Christmas, when spirits and attendance were high, and students enjoyed a festive Christmas lunch filled with music and laughter.

A number of off-site visits also took place, providing valuable experiences for many students. The warm and positive atmosphere throughout the week was a testament to the hard work, dedication, and strong relationships within the Harrow Way community. We are extremely proud of our school and are keen to celebrate just how fortunate we are to be part of such a supportive and vibrant learning environment.

Post-16 Applications
On Wednesday, we were delighted to welcome a representative from the Admissions team at Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke this week, giving students the opportunity to drop in and ask questions about their future pathways. Many Year 11 students made excellent use of this opportunity, approaching the conversations with maturity and purpose.

Year 11 February Pre-Public Examinations (PPEs) - Timetable
Following on from the 'Core' Year 11 PPEs which students sat in October, all students will sit a full set of PPEs in February.  These will take place between Thursday 29th January and Friday 13th February.  A copy of the timetable for these examinations is below:

As a school we have been impressed how Year 11 students are continuing to display the maturity, focus, and engagement required to be as successful in their GCSEs. However, it is important to highlight the importance of their attendance, and in particular during this examination period. These examinations, and the expert feedback students will receive from their class teachers, is the final stage in ensuring pupils are as prepared as possible for their formal exams next summer. There is no doubt that students who fully engage with the PPEs will receive better outcomes in the summer. 

Year 11 After School Revision Opportunities
Starting next week departments will be offering a range of after school revision opportunities. These sessions have been planned to provide valuable opportunities to consolidate learning, revisit key topics, and address any gaps in understanding. The vast majority of the sessions are open to all students, however there will be a small number for which it will be an invitation based on a key focus. Curriculum leaders have, or will be, speaking to students about the specific details for their subjects. In addition, I know that in most cases letters have been, or will be also, sent to parents. Students who attend these sessions will be better prepared for their examinations in the summer. As such, we strongly encourage all students to attend every session that is available to them. The outlined plan for these sessions are:

As always we would like to thank parents for their continued support.

Letter from Mrs Crooks, Director of English
RE: English Revision Programme and Parents’ English Literature Walk Through

Ways Forward - our weekly newsletter for Careers, Apprenticeship, College, Work and Work Experience.

Important message for Year 10 students - if you haven't yet found a work experience placement, please see the information from page 4 to help you find and approach local organisations for work experience.  Please don't leave this until the last minute and ask if you need help!

We also highlight careers as a Wind Tunnel Technician, local apprenticeship vacancies with the British Army and RAF, some exciting virtual work experience with Google and digdata, and the recorded Futures For All broadcasts which are packed full of useful careers information.

This week,we have been promoting the Best Books of 2025 (from BookTok and from bookshop sales), our Spotlight On… feature was the Horrible Histories books series and we have had lots of new stock including some more Small But Mighty (quick reads) books.

Student book orders have been placed for the Literacy Award winners from last term - some great choices! We are looking for year 8 volunteers to join in with the annual Hampshire Book Award which launches in March - they need to read the 4 shortlisted fiction titles in 3 months so this is definitely one for students who are reading-engaged. We will be meeting weekly in school to discuss and review the 4 and will then meet with year 8's from the other 40 participating schools to agree a winner. 

March also brings World Book Day and our annual Harrow Way tutor group dressed door competition. All groups are invited to dress/decorate their door to represent a book and we have encouraged them to start planning now as this is for students to work on during breaks and after school. So, just a few of our many 2026 National Year of Reading initiatives and we are only 2 weeks in! Here is the link to the official website for more information.

KS4 District Badminton Tournament
On Tuesday, our KS4 badminton teams competed in the district competition at John Hanson School. Due to a lack of entries, the girls’ team faced only John Hanson; however, they showed complete dominance, winning their tournament convincingly. Fantastic singles performances from Lucy Bedwell and Dotty Oostendorp were key to their success.

The boys faced a much tougher challenge against several strong teams. Both John Hanson A and B provided closely contested matches for our teams, while a comfortable win against Rookwood set up an all–Harrow Way final. With Harrow Way A, county third-place finishers last year, facing Harrow Way B, the tournament title came down to the final doubles matches. In the end, the A team secured a 4–1 victory to claim the championship.

There were excellent performances from all players throughout the competition, with a special mention going to Cohen Joyner for delivering outstanding badminton across all matches.

KS3 District Badminton Tournament
On Thursday, our KS3 badminton teams competed in the district competition at Harrow Way. Our girls were in a two horse race with John Hanson, and won their games convincingly with an overall score of 5-0. All four of our girls contributed brilliantly and it was a great team effort from Katie Bowden-Beer, Ivy Jennings, Ruby Clarkson and Willow Howell.

The boys tournament was a bit more competitive, and unfortunately were on the receiving end of two losses against Rookwood and John Hanson. However, both games came down the wire, and the boys narrowly missed out. It meant Harrow Way finished third overall, but a great effort from Maxwell Stobbs, Monty Reid, Romayne King and Gabriel Hewlett.

Year 10 and 11 Netball
Congratulations goes to the 10A and 11A netball teams who both finished runners up in their respective leagues last term.

The team’s continued commitment to training and games last term have resulted in well deserved silver medals.

The Best Job in the World
We are proud to work closely with i2i Teaching Partnership to grow great teachers. If you would like to train to teach, please see their newsletter here.

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

For local community events and information, please click the button below:

Copyright © 2025, Harrow Way Community School, All rights reserved.

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