Friday 28th November 2025
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We’ve had a great deal to celebrate this week. On Monday, I was delighted to recognise two of our talented Year 7 students in assembly this week with Headteacher’s Commendations for their exceptional creativity and contribution to our school and local community.
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Georgie was celebrated for writing and performing her own poem as part of our Remembrance Service on 11th November, offering a thoughtful and moving reflection that enriched the occasion for everyone present. Kai was recognised for his impressive achievement in Love Andover’s “Big Star, Little Star” poetry competition, where he had the opportunity to record his poems in the Andover Radio studio and see his work featured on the big screen at the Andover Christmas Lights festival last week. He will also receive a beautiful keepsake from David Mellor Family Jewellers’ ‘Little Star’ range as a memento of his success. It is wonderful to see our youngest students embracing opportunities, sharing their creativity, and contributing so positively to our school community.
Last week, we shared the exciting opportunity for students to stand as Youth Councillors – and I am incredibly proud to say that many of our young people have already stepped forward, submitting thoughtful and passionate applications. Their enthusiasm for representation and ensuring that young people’s voices are heard is inspiring.
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Throughout this week, candidates have had their nomination forms and campaign materials – including presentations, posters and flyers – displayed in the LRC. They have also delivered speeches and “pitches” to their peers, engaging their fellow students and encouraging support in a fantastic show of creativity and confidence.
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Next week, the LRC will become a fully authentic Polling Station, complete with a real ballot box and official signage, kindly funded by the PTA. Students will be able to cast their votes, earning house points for participating, while candidates receive additional points for their efforts and even more for the eventual winner. A group of our Equality Club students will gain hands-on experience of democracy by assisting with the vote count, just like real election volunteers, before the successful Youth Councillor is announced in the second week of December.
You may have seen on social media that we have also been celebrating our excellent attendance record! We are delighted to share that the Department for Education has recognised us as a high performer for attendance, and we are officially listed in the DfE’s Similar Schools Report.
This achievement is only possible because of the outstanding partnership between our students, staff, and, most importantly, our parents and carers. Your support, encouragement, and commitment to daily attendance make all the difference—thank you for working with us every step of the way. We are incredibly proud of our whole school community and this shared success.
Strong attendance not only contributes to excellent academic outcomes—helping us achieve the best GCSE results in the local area—but also nurtures a vital sense of belonging, ensuring our young people are fully involved in everything our school community has to offer.
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I wish you all an enjoyable weekend.
Mrs Dawn German
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| Tuesday 2nd December 2025 |
Year 7/8 - Rudolph Run |
| Thursday 4th December 2025 |
All Years - Meet the Tutor - school finishes at 12.30pm |
| Monday 10th December 2025 |
Yr 10/11 - BCOT Women in STEM day |
| Friday 12th December 2025 |
INSET Day 4 |
| Friday 12th December 2025 |
Dry Ski Slope Trip (invited students only) |
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Assembly
The assemblies this week explored how small actions reflect character, beginning with the idea that lapses in manners—like the rudeness that cost an MP his seat or Moses’ moment of weakened faith—can have serious consequences. The Shopping Cart Theory was used to show the importance of doing the right thing even when no law requires it. Another assembly examined schadenfreude and envy, explaining why taking pleasure in others’ misfortune is harmful and encouraging students to stop envy before it grows. The final assembly highlighted the strategic use of “dunno” in SAS training as a tool of mental strength, while stressing that such evasiveness is not acceptable in the classroom.
Year 10 & 11 Progress Reviews
We want parents to have a clear picture of your child’s learning. This year, we are moving from predicted grades to working-at grades in reports.
Working-at grades show where your child is performing right now, based on classwork, assessments, and teacher observations. They give a realistic snapshot of current strengths and areas to develop.
Predicted grades, by contrast, estimate the grade your child could achieve by the end of the course. Because we are now focusing on current performance, working-at grades may appear lower than predicted grades—this is expected and does not mean your child is doing worse.
The change helps you and your child see the impact of hard work, identify next steps, and set goals for success.
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Harrow Way Christmas Fair
Friday 28th November, 3:30–5:30pm
Join us for the Harrow Way Christmas Fair on Friday 28th November from 3.30 pm - 5.30 pm in the school auditorium. Enjoy games, competitions, prizes, a BBQ, Santa’s Grotto, a Mario Kart tournament, a tombola, an assault course and more — all planned and run by our students.
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Inspiring Culinary Futures: Year 10 Students Continue Their Journey with Prept Foundation and Lainston House Chefs
This week our Year 10 Catering and Hospitality students were lucky enough to complete their second session with the chefs from the Prept Foundation and the prestigious Lainston House Hotel in Winchester. The chefs gave students an insight into their different career paths, the journeys they have taken to reach the positions they are in now, and the opportunities that are available to young people within the industry.
The main session focused on menu planning and identifying the nutritional needs of different groups of people. Students then built a healthy and fun Mexican-inspired taco street-food dish using seasonal and local ingredients supplied by farmers and companies who support this project.
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These immersive practical sessions are designed to bring out the very best in our young people and help them to see what they are capable of—giving them the guidance and space to grow with confidence and learn about the wonderful opportunities available in the hospitality industry.
The third session, taking place next week, will be supported by the Head Chef and General Manager of Lainston House, who are very excited to meet our students and see the wonderful skills they have been developing.
Please see our Instagram account or the Prept Foundation’s website for more information and photos of this wonderful project.
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Hampshire Youth Parliament Elections
16 excellent candidates have applied for the role of Hampshire Youth Parliament for Harrow Way. There have been applicants from Y7, Y8 and Y9. This week the candidates have been displaying their manifestos in the LRC and also making speeches and presentations.
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The quality of their speeches has been exceptional and they have shown confidence and passion in what they stand for. The most impressive part though is that they have all, without exception, wished the best of luck to the other candidates standing. It is wonderful to see such a supportive environment for students to speak up for what they believe in.
Good luck to them all in the election next week!
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Could your child be the Young Change-Maker of the Year?
Our students are making a difference in our community. Please support them to apply now for our 'Superkind: Young Changemaker of the Year' award and show how kindness is changing lives!
More details and how to Enter can be found HERE
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Ways Forward - our weekly newsletter for Careers, Apprenticeship, College, Work and Work Experience.
This week you can learn about careers at Sony Music in a virtual session, explore a career as a restoration specialist, and see which career in the screen industries might suit you best. Those of you interested in law might like to find out about the opportunities CILEX offers.
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We highlight a new website - Healthcare Horizons - that helps you explore careers in health (did you know that the NHS is the largest employer in Britain?) TESCO are advertising their Stronger Starts Retail Apprenticeships which Year 11 students could apply for now. Finally, Behind the Camo explores life in the British Army; tune in to their series of 4 episodes to find out more
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LEARNING RESOURCE CENTRE UPDATE
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It has been a busy and exciting week supporting our 16 Hampshire Youth Parliament candidates. To date, many of them have taken advantage of the opportunity to use the LRC for hustings, sharing their slide presentations and speeches with other students at lunchtime. We have heard some great campaign slogans! Many have made posters and flyers too. All their campaign materials are on display in the LRC. Voting will take place in the LRC next week at break, lunch and after school complete with ballot papers and a real ballot box.
It has also been the official Parliament Education UK Parliament week this week so some reading for purpose displays have been up. Our Hampshire Youth Parliament candidates have received free books, badges and stickers.
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9B Netball
The 9B team travelled to Winton on a cold Wednesday afternoon, where they were met by an opposition who stood several inches taller across the court! What our girls lacked in height, they more than made up for in skill and determination.
From the opening whistle, the team displayed excellent passing and movement, keeping strong possession through the centre of the court, though initially struggling to convert opportunities in the goal circle. A tactical change at quarter time made it far more difficult for Winton’s tall shooter to gain the ball, and with Poppy stepping into Goal Shooter, the team created more scoring chances. This shift saw 9B close the gap to 5–6 after having trailed 1–5 at the first break.
The third quarter tested the team’s energy, allowing Winton to edge ahead by four goals. However, a quick pep talk before the final 10 minutes reignited their motivation. Willow produced several excellent interceptions at GK, while Isla, Ivana, Erika and Brooke remained composed and consistent through the centre, scarcely misplacing a pass. In the goal circle, Poppy and Ruby combined brilliantly once again, finding the net repeatedly to pull the score back to a well-earned 10–10 draw.
Player of the Match: Isla and Ruby.
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10A Netball Match - Harrow Way 30 - 11 John Hanson
The girls started the match with outstanding intensity, quickly moving the ball down the court and settling confidently into their attacking rhythm. Lucy the GS and Dotty, GA worked superbly together inside the shooting circle, displaying excellent communication and accuracy. Their early dominance paid off, with the team scoring seven goals in the opening ten minutes.
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In the mid-court, Holly and Isla were instrumental in maintaining possession and disrupting JH’s attempts to progress the ball. Their smart positioning and timely interceptions prevented JH from entering their attacking circle on several occasions, allowing our team to stay firmly in control.
The second quarter saw the girls continue their momentum, adding a further thirteen goals through sharp passing and disciplined movement. Despite JH pushing hard to get back into the game, our defensive duo of Ishana and Erin were exceptional. Their anticipation and intercepts repeatedly shut down JH’s attacks and turned defence into scoring opportunities.
By the final whistle, the team had delivered a dominant and well-deserved performance, securing a 30–11 victory. A brilliant display across the court and a result the whole team can be proud of.
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We have been made aware of a pop-up that is appearing on Roblox, encouraging children to download an app called pollybuzz (or pollyfuzz in some spelling cases). The app seems quite simple where children are asked questions, and it generates an Artificial Intelligence ‘friend’ – this starts off quite innocently but then begins to show extreme content (including suicide, self-harm and pornography). It may be helpful to remind children about not clicking on pop-ups in games and to report anything that is worrying or inappropriate to a trusted adult. It may also be helpful to communicate with parents about this. Roblox has parental controls and instructions of how to put these on can be accessed via this link:
Parental Controls Overview – Roblox Support.
Please remember that parental controls will stop some pop-ups, but not all, so appropriate supervision is still required.
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Attendance Fact of the Week
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External Clubs and Events
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For local community events and information, please click the button below:
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Copyright © 2024, Harrow Way Community School, All rights reserved.
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Harrow Way Community School,
Harrow Way,
Andover,
Hampshire.
SP10 3RH
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