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Last Friday's day of sport was a tremendous success. My thanks go to Mr Briggs and the PE team for organising such an enjoyable day for everyone.  At Harrow Way, we believe that excellent physical education is about far more than developing sporting ability; it is about encouraging healthy, active lifestyles and fostering teamwork, resilience and enjoyment.

Sports day reflected these values perfectly. Throughout the morning, students took part in a wide range of sporting activities, including rounders, basketball, tennis and the ever-popular tug of war, with students and staff alike embracing the opportunity to get involved. The afternoon brought the traditional track events, creating a fantastic atmosphere as students cheered on their house teams enthusiastically. A great celebration of community, connection and friendly competition! We will discover which house has claimed this year's Sports Day trophy during our final Celebration Assembly

The school has certainly felt a little quieter this week as our Year 10 students have been out on work experience. Once again, every student secured a placement. Work experience offers our young people an invaluable opportunity to step into the workplace, develop confidence and gain first-hand insight into a wide range of careers. Sometimes it confirms a future ambition; just as importantly, it can help students discover pathways that are perhaps not for them. Every experience is a valuable one, helping them make informed choices about their future.

Tuesday marked one of my favourite days of the year as we welcomed our rising Year 7 students for their induction day. We know that starting secondary school is a significant milestone, bringing both excitement and understandable nerves, so every detail of the day is planned with great care. Students met their tutor groups, began making new friendships and enjoyed their first taste of life at Harrow Way. During the welcome assembly, they also watched a special video created by our outgoing Year 11 students, who shared their own reflections, encouragement and advice. It was a powerful reminder to embrace every opportunity, enjoy the journey and make the very most of their time with us.

This year we also introduced a new format for our Welcome Evening for parents and carers, making the event more interactive and informative than ever before. Families had the opportunity to meet tutors and Heads of Year, explore curriculum areas, discover the extensive enrichment opportunities available, sample food from our catering team and learn more about the MCAS app, which plays such an important role in home-school communication. Information stands showcased the many ways we support our students, including mental health provision and bereavement support, while our PTFA provided refreshments throughout the evening. We hope families left feeling reassured, well informed and excited about the start of their child's Harrow Way journey in September.

Naturally, induction day brings a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. We never lose sight of the trust that parents place in us when they choose Harrow Way. You are entrusting us with one of life's greatest responsibilities: the education, wellbeing and future of your child. It is a responsibility that we are privileged to hold and one that we take extremely seriously.

A great example of how we shape and develop our young people was evident this week when the Student Council representatives presented the outcomes of their work to the rest of the school. Standing confidently in front of two hundred peers is no small achievement, yet they spoke with maturity, pride and conviction as they shared the discussions they have held with senior leaders over recent months. They celebrated the positive changes that have resulted from student feedback and invited their peers to contribute ideas for the year ahead.

Student voice is a genuine strength of Harrow Way and an important part of who we are. As Mr Mann reminded students during the assemblies, elections for next year's Year Councils and Student Council will take place in September. We look forward to seeing the next generation of student leaders step forward to represent the views of their peers and help shape the future of our school.

I wish you all an enjoyable weekend.
Mrs Dawn German

Harrow Way are grateful to the following local businesses for their sponsorship:

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

Assembly - Student Council & Water Safety
Ms Blair shared top tips on how to swim in open water safely and ask students to follow the Water Safety Code.

Students who form the whole school student council presented to students on the changes that have been and are going to be implemented as a result of the student voice.

Creative Writing Success
We are delighted to announce that three of our very talented writers in Years 7 and 8 have been published through Young Writers this academic year. Sehar, Isaac and Edzio composed wonderful poetry through our Key Stage 3 Creative Writing club run by Mrs Wells. We have enjoyed celebrating their success this week.  

One of our published writers has an especially inspiring story as she is still developing her English language skills. Her achievement is a wonderful example of our values of resilience and aspiration, and we are very proud of her. Please enjoy Sehar's poem, below:

Elizabeth the First
Her name was famous but her path to greatness was rough.
Her era was golden but she was lonely.  
Her power was nationwide but her enemies were dangerous. 
Her subjects were loyal, but her enemies were cruel. 
She was the crown. 
She was the kingdom.
She was the pillar of power. 
She ruled for 45  years and she protected her kingdom until her last breath.
It was a bloody era but she was born to be a ruler. 

Year 7 and 8 Festival
This morning, we held the inaugural Harrow Way Music Festival as a way to celebrate the end of term with our amazing year groups! We had live music from our super talented Harrow Way's Got Talent winners on our live music stage (watch out Glastonbury and the Pyramid stage... they are coming to you in a few years!) and an absolutely incredible dance performance that included lots of trust falls! We are so proud of all the performers. Obviously, no festival is complete without a DJ set and with DJ Andy at the decks the tunes were flowing and we had the longest macarena line I have ever seen! It was so great to see so many of both year groups having such a lovely time in the sunshine.
Mrs Roberts and Mrs Ford

Sponsored Walk 2026 - Friday 17th July
It's that time of year again when 600 intrepid explorers from Years 7, 8 & 9 head out into the wilds of Andover to raise money for a good cause. Last year we walked for the Hampshire & Isle Of Wight Air Ambulance and in memory of our student and friend, Ryan. This year we are raising money for a charity that is very close to our hearts: Simon Says, a charity that offers childhood bereavement support.

We will also be raising funds for our very own PTFA and the school itself so every penny will make a huge difference. There will be lots of information going out to you all in the next week or so but for now please just put a note in your diary that reads, 'Sponsored Walk, buy plasters'.

Non-School Uniform Day – Monday 13th July 2026
At Harrow Way, supporting our local community is an integral part of who we are. On Monday 13th July, we will be holding a non-school uniform day in support of Andover Foodbank,

Zanzibar Trip - July 2027
If anyone would like to contribute to the GoFundMe page we have set up to help us raise money  to take important items out there to help our partner school get some essential supplies, please click on this LINK, every penny is appreciated!

A Wonderful Welcome for our New Year 7 Students
Tuesday was a very special day at Harrow Way as we welcomed our new Year 7 students and their families to our school community.

Our new students spent the day getting to know the school, meeting staff and beginning to build friendships with the people who will share their journey over the next five years. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm, curiosity and excitement as they explored their new surroundings and took their first steps towards becoming part of Harrow Way.

The day was followed by our Welcome Evening, where families had the opportunity to meet staff, learn more about life at Harrow Way and experience the warmth and ambition that make our school such a special place.

Thank you to all staff who planned, organised and contributed to making the day such a success. We hope that the care, creativity and commitment shown by colleagues demonstrates our culture and what it means to belong here.

We are very much looking forward to welcoming our new students and families in September! Mr Bulpitt, Head of Year 7 in September

Year 6 Welcome Disco - Change of Date!
As Year 6 Parents experienced on Tuesday, it would not have been sensible to host a disco in our auditorium this week. We have postponed the Welcome Disco to Monday 20th July, when we hope it will be a little cooler. There is still time to put your child’s name down for the welcome disco. Please sign up HERE

Please follow this LINK to access helpful resources for parents/carers of children moving up to secondary school.

Year 6 Welcome Disco - Wednesday 8th July 2026
There is still time to put your child’s name down for the welcome disco. Please sign up HERE

Date for Year 11 Parent/Carer Diaries

GCSE Results will be available to collect from the Auditorium between 10.00 am and 11.30 am on Thursday 20th August 2026.

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

This week, find out how to become an architect, a demolition operative, and learn about careers in biology. We highlight some useful resources for parents and carers, and explain how to use Unifrog to find out important Labour Market Information (LMI).

There is a second hand book sale in the Library this week. The minimum cost will be £1.00 and we can accept cash only in £1.00 coins or larger. Titles range from Hunger Games to Harry Potter to books by David Walliams and more. Money raised will go back into Library funds.

School Trip to Wimbledon – A Grand Slam of a Day!

Our school trip to Wimbledon was an absolute ace from start to finish! From the moment we arrived, excitement was bouncing higher than a Centre Court rally, and everyone was ready to serve up a fantastic day.

We got to explore the famous grounds, where tennis legends have battled it out point after point. Walking around Wimbledon really gave us a new appreciation for the sport, and we couldn’t help but feel like champions ourselves. It was impossible not to get caught up in the atmosphere—it really had us all in a good set of spirits!

Of course, no Wimbledon visit would be complete without strawberries and cream. They were simply berry good! We also had time to enjoy the beautiful grounds, which meant everyone could unwind between activities without causing too much of a racket.

The students were outstanding ambassadors for the school, showing great sportsmanship, enthusiasm and respect wherever we went. Their behaviour was nothing short of championship standard.

As we headed home, everyone agreed the trip had been a real winner. We returned with plenty of happy memories, new knowledge and lots of stories to tell. It was an experience that truly served us well, and one we’ll be talking about for a long time.

All in all, our Wimbledon trip was a smashing success. You could say it was a grand slam of a day—we certainly didn’t fault it, we had the advantage from the very beginning, and by the end everyone was simply matchless!

County Athletics
On Tuesday, our district athletics champions proudly represented the school as part of the Andover Schools Team at the inter-district athletics competition. Facing some of the strongest young athletes from across the area, our pupils rose to the challenge and competed with determination, resilience, and excellent sportsmanship throughout the day.

The standard of competition was exceptionally high, with athletes giving their all in every event. We were delighted to see Mitchell Anoma progress successfully through the heats of the 100m sprint, earning a place in a highly competitive final. Demonstrating great speed and composure, Mitchell performed admirably against a strong field of runners.

In the field events, Luca Ivascu achieved an outstanding second-place finish in the discus competition. This was a fantastic accomplishment and a testament to the hard work, dedication, and commitment shown in training.

We are incredibly proud of all the athletes who represented both our school and the Andover Schools Team. Their efforts, determination, and positive attitude were a credit to themselves and the school. Congratulations to everyone involved on a successful and memorable day of athletics.

Year 7 Rounders Tournament
On Monday, we hosted the final district rounders tournament against Testbourne, Wellington and John Hanson. The competition was as hot as the afternoon sun, with the sunshine matched by the high standard of rounders on display.

Our first fixture was a thrilling contest against Wellington. In a game where both teams were finding their feet, we batted confidently and fielded with real determination. Despite a fantastic effort from our Year 7 team, we were narrowly edged out 10.5–10 in one of the closest matches of the afternoon.

Next up was Testbourne, who proved to be strong opposition. Our players showed great resilience, scoring some excellent rounders and making several impressive catches and run-outs in the field, most notably Frances taking two catches at 3rd base. Although we battled until the very end, Testbourne came away with a 16–12 victory.

The team saved their best performance for the final game against John Hanson. Full of confidence and determination, they produced some outstanding batting, intelligent running between posts and controlled bowling during the second innings. Jasmine and Scarlet at Backstop and 2nd Base worked exceptionally well together preventing any sneakily gained half rounders from backwards hits. Amelia and Alex batted well, adding a number of rounders to the scoresheet. Their efforts were rewarded with a well-deserved 13–10 win, ending the tournament on a real high.

Throughout the afternoon, every player demonstrated excellent teamwork, resilience and sportsmanship, supporting one another in every match. Despite two narrow defeats, the team's performances earned them an impressive second-place finish overall. A huge well done to all of the Year 7 players for representing the school with such enthusiasm, determination and pride.

 School Trip to the Utilita Bowl
On Wednesday, we took 23 students to the Utilita Bowl to watch some professional cricket. Hampshire were taking on Middlesex in what was the last group stage fixture of the season. We managed to catch the end of the women’s game, where Hampshire took a convincing win, however the men couldn’t follow suit. Although the result didn’t go in the way of the men's team, all of our students really enjoyed their experience, and some were already asking about going again soon. For some of our students, this may be their only opportunity to watch some professional sport, and with its relaxed but exciting atmosphere, cricket is the perfect introduction. The students who attended were a credit to the school, and showed great maturity around the ground. See you next summer!

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