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It is hard to believe we have already reached the end of September. The darker evenings and cooler mornings are certainly here, and many students have begun wearing their jumpers alongside their blazers. A gentle reminder: jumpers are a welcome extra layer but are not a replacement for blazers. As the mornings turn colder, please do encourage your son or daughter to bring a coat.

 

Our Year Councils have met for the first time with their Year Leaders, and some exciting discussions are already taking shape. Their ideas will be brought to the table at the initial meeting of our new Student Council next week, ensuring student voice continues to play an important role in shaping school life.

 

This week, assemblies led by Mrs Woods focused on the theme of keeping ourselves safe. She gave a powerful reminder about the importance of road safety, sharing her own experience of a near miss last week when a student stepped out in front of her car while distracted by their phone. Sadly, the number of young people involved in road traffic accidents linked to phone use is rising nationally. Please do take the opportunity to reinforce the message of road safety at home.

 

Mrs Woods also spoke to students about our lockdown procedures, which form part of our new Protective Security measures (outlined in my letter earlier this week). Next week, we will spend more time with learners going through these steps. We recognise that conversations about lockdowns can feel unsettling for some, but it is important that everyone knows what to do in the very unlikely event we ever need them. Please do reassure them that this is about being prepared, just as we are for fire drills.

 

Another part of keeping our students safe on site is ensuring they gather at the back of the school in the mornings and not at the front of school during break or lunch, where staff are not on duty. Thank you for your support in reinforcing this message.

 

On a brighter note, it has been a real pleasure to see so many of our young people throwing themselves into the wide range of enrichment opportunities on offer after school. Enrichment is a vital part of school life: it allows learners to explore passions beyond the classroom, make new friends, and strengthen their sense of belonging to our community. A highlight for me this week was our Year 11 boys’ rugby team securing a decisive win against a local school – a testament to their dedication, team spirit and collaboration over the last few years.

Today, we held our Enrichment Fair for Years 7 and 8, showcasing the wide variety of clubs and activities available. All our clubs are free, because we believe enrichment is an entitlement for every young person – whether it takes place in school or beyond. Who knows where it might lead? A wonderful example is Hollie Levens in Year 10, who has been selected for the England Golf South West Regional U16 Girls Squad, pursuing her passion outside of school. I would love to see every student in the lower school taking part in at least one club each week. Please do encourage your son or daughter to get involved – it can make a real difference to their confidence, friendships, and sense of belonging to our school.

I wish you all an enjoyable weekend,
Mrs Dawn German

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

Assemblies This Week

This week, Mrs Woods has been speaking to all students about keeping themselves and each other at school and what is good behaviour at Harrow Way.  As part of this assembly, she went over the Lockdown (in-vacuation process), walking to and from school, what is not appropriate to bring to school, how to keep good mental health, how to report concerns for themselves or other students, behaviours that we expect to see at Harrow Way and why this is important.  She also focused on the importance of good manners and why it is not right to be rude to other students and to staff.

 

Flu Vaccinations – Tuesday 7th October  
Flu vaccinations are coming up on Tuesday 7th October! This is a live vaccination, and we ask that all consent forms are completed and returned, click on the link below. Even if you do NOT want your child to have the vaccine, please still return the form so we have a record.

Peace Day
Students from Harrow Way Equality Club took part in the UN's International Day of Peace celebrations at Harmony Woods last week. They joined in with several local primary schools and leading the procession was the Worshipful Mayor of Test Valley, Councillor Gordon Bailey.

 

As part of the celebration they carried a huge dove on a procession through the woods. Students then read out a prayer for peace and planted a tree,  which was surrounded by wooden shards with personal messages of peace. Handcrafted peace doves were hung in the trees throughout Harmony Wood, filling the woodland with symbols of harmony.

Harrow Way to Zanzibar 2027

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

This week's Ways Forward includes an apprenticeship update (find out more about BBC apprenticeships and those at local company AWE), and some amazing virtual work experience opportunities including with HSBC, Sopra Steria (AI and technology), and the Environment Agency & Defra. Is anyone interested in an NHS career? 

 Why not attend the virtual insight event and consider applying for the Hampshire & Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust Youth Board - it's a brilliant opportunity to help students develop confidence, teamworking, communication & leadership skills, while also finding out more about potential career paths in the NHS. You can also find out about careers as an astrobiologist, and the interesting world of land-based engineering!

The BBC are running their 500 Words writing competition for 5 to 11 year olds. Here is a link to the details and lots of resources. If enough of our 11 year old year 7's want to enter, the LRC will run some afternoon sessions to help them.

This week we recognised Languages Day with a quiz and more. We also attended the Enrichment Fair for Year 7 and 8.

October is looking very busy indeed! We will be marking ADHD awareness month and Dyslexia awareness week,  highlighting Black History Month, promoting our Autumn Reads, displaying dozens of spooky books for Halloween along with props. National Poetry Day will also feature as well as World Space Week and Banned Books Week.

Golf Success
Congratulations to Year 10 student, Hollie, for being selected to join the England Golf South West Regional U16 Girls Squad. Hollie came through under pressure to secure one of just six spots at a recent selection day.

We look forward to following your progress throughout the year!

Year 11 Rugby - John Hanson 19 - 24 Harrow Way
On Tuesday, our Year 11 rugby team — bolstered by a few Year 10s — travelled to John Hanson for their first fixture of the season. The hosts made a blistering start, and Harrow Way soon found themselves 12–0 down after an intense opening spell. With work to do in defence and possession, the team needed a response.

Captain Charlie A. Smith led the way with a determined try, before Henry Jennings produced a superb solo run, beating several defenders to close the gap. At half-time, Harrow Way trailed narrowly, 12–10.

The second half began in similar fashion, with John Hanson again striking early. But Harrow Way showed great resilience. Justin Pawlus intercepted deep in his own half and surged the length of the pitch, shrugging off defenders to score, with Charlie J. Smith converting.

The boys grew in confidence, defending bravely and making better use of the ball in attack. Clever hands released Stanley Anoma into space, and though he was stopped just short of the line, Lucas Williams reacted quickly to dart through and score. Henry Jennings calmly converted, putting Harrow Way 24–19 ahead.

The final minutes were tense, with John Hanson piling on the pressure, but the boys dug deep and held firm to secure a memorable victory. An incredible display of passion, resilience, and commitment to the HW badge — well done to all who played!

Year 9 Football - Harrow Way 3-2 Wellington
Our Year 9 team picked up right where they left off last season, opening their league campaign with a hard-fought 3–2 win.

The boys started brightly, taking the lead early on when Arthur Faye delivered a pinpoint cross to the back post, where Lucas Selvey rose highest to head confidently into the far corner. Harrow Way continued to dominate and created several chances to extend their advantage, but just couldn’t find the finishing touch.

After the break, Wellington came out strong and levelled the score with a tidy strike into the far corner. Harrow Way responded almost immediately. A scramble in the opposition box ended with the ball striking a Wellington defender’s arm, and up stepped Ollie Dawe, who fired his penalty home with conviction to restore the lead at 2–1.

Wellington, however, weren’t done. A sharp finish from their striker brought them level once again, setting up a tense finale. But the boys showed great character. Louis Kerr powered down the left, weaving his way into the box before cutting the ball back perfectly for Josh Silva, who slotted calmly into the bottom corner to make it 3–2.

This time, Harrow Way managed the game superbly, seeing out the final 15 minutes to secure all three points. A fantastic team performance and a perfect start to the season — well done, lads!

Netball Year 11 - Harrow Way 28- 6 John Hanson B. 
Harrow Way’s Year 11 netball team began their season in style with a commanding 28–6 win over John Hanson. From the opening whistle, the girls set the tone with sharp passing, quick movement, and relentless determination.

The first quarter ended 7–1 in Harrow Way’s favour, with Bella and Lucy showing composure under pressure to convert their chances. Lily and Adrianna were superb in defence, intercepting passes and breaking down John Hanson’s attacks.

The second quarter saw the team raise their game even further, adding 14 more goals in a dominant spell of play. Their fluid ball movement and smart decision-making kept John Hanson chasing shadows, while the team’s clinical finishing made every opportunity count.

Every player played their part in the victory, showcasing teamwork, communication, and resilience throughout. It was a confident and impressive display to kick off the season — well done, girls! We can’t wait to see what’s next.
Player of the Match - Bella. Coaches player(s) - Sophie and Lucy.

Year 10 Netball - Harrow Way 15 - 22 John Hanson A
The Year 10s opened their season with what may prove to be their toughest challenge of the campaign. They began impressively, linking up superbly as a team with Molly, Izzy, and Peyten putting in tireless shifts through the centre court. Their efforts paid off with a narrow 4–3 lead at the end of the first quarter, and confidence was high.

The second quarter, however, proved more difficult. Playing into the sun, the girls struggled to convert their chances, while their opponents capitalised with some accurate shooting to edge in front.

In the second half, the sun continued to be a decisive factor. The team rallied in the third quarter, taking full advantage of the clearer shooting end to reduce the deficit to just two goals. Unfortunately, the final quarter saw them battling the sun once again, making life difficult for Lucy P and Dotty in attack. Despite excellent defensive work from Isahana and Hollie L inside the goal circle, the girls couldn’t quite close the gap.

A tough opening fixture, but plenty of positives to build on for the rest of the season.
Player of the Match - Ishana. Coaches player - Izzy.

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