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The first full week of school has been very smooth and successful. As I’ve walked around the school, I’ve observed calm, purposeful lessons, engaged and enthusiastic students, and lots of smiling faces from both students and staff.

Our thought for the week has been Zig Ziglar’s quote, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” So this week, my assemblies have focused on the theme of influence and the difference that our choices can make.

I began by reflecting on some of the difficult events around the world this summer and asking whether one person can really make a difference. I also spoke about the example of the recent field fire near Enham, where firefighters, local farmers and members of the community each played their part in helping to prevent the fire from spreading. No one person could solve the problem, but it was their actions and responses to the situation that mattered most. I then considered some positive changes happening around the world, reminding us that progress is never accidental. As I pointed out, big changes usually begin with somebody choosing to do something. For example, a scientist in Japan has developed a plant-based plastic that will dissolve in salt water, potentially helping to protect our oceans in the future.

The important message for our students, however, was that making a difference isn’t about saving the world! They do not need to be scientists, firefighters or famous people to have an impact. Their everyday choices matter too: getting up on time, helping at home, listening when someone else is speaking, choosing not to join in if learning is disrupted, showing kindness, putting rubbish in the bin and asking for help when they need it.

I explored how these small decisions can make a difference to our families, the people around us and our school community. After all, our choices influence our own lives too; building resilience, developing positive habits and helping us become the people we want to be. My challenge to students for this year is to think about what difference they could make - and then get started.

This is particularly important for our Year 11 students, who have an important year ahead of them. Our Year 11 Information Evening is an opportunity for students and parents to find out what they can do now to help make this a successful year.

We know that preparing for GCSEs can feel like a daunting prospect, but there are lots of things that students can do to prepare themselves for the demands of their final year. This year, we are also changing the format of the evening. Rather than a series of presentations from members of the Senior Team, our Curriculum Leaders will be available to speak directly with students and parents. 

They will be able to explain what each course looks like, highlight key deadlines and, most importantly, give practical advice about how students can prepare for success in each subject.

There will also be our annual Careers Fair, with representatives from colleges, universities and local employers. This is a great opportunity for students to start thinking about what they might want to do after Harrow Way, to explore different possibilities and to ask questions of people who can help them make informed choices about their future.

Most importantly, the evening is an opportunity for parents to find out how they can help and support their young person during Year 11. Small things can make a significant difference.

I would strongly encourage all of our Year 11 students to attend with their parents. There is a great deal that they can do this year to influence the outcomes they achieve, and the choices they make now really will matter. I look forward to seeing you there.

Big changes begin with somebody choosing to do something. For Year 11, this is the time to get started.

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.

School Photographer - Years 7 & 10 ONLY
The school photographer will be visiting Harrow way Community School on Wednesday 16th September to take photographs of Year 7 and Year 10 students only. Please note: any students who have recently joined the school and have not yet had their photo taken will also be included. 

Year 11 Information Evening
17th September starting at 6.00pm.
Please refer to letters sent home on Wednesday 9th September 26 for details of arrangements.  Copies of the letters can be viewed in Letters Home on the Harrow Way Community School website here.  

Please complete the Google Form here to indicate your ability to attend.

We look forward to welcoming both students and their parents/carers to this event which will provide essential information on supporting Year 11 students in their final year at Harrow Way as well as giving you an opportunity to meet post-16 further education and associated organisations who will be attending the event.

Parental Consents
Please can all parents ensure that Parental Consents are up to date via the MCAS App, several students across all Year Groups are missing consents.

The planned educational visit calendar can be viewed here.

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!

Parental Consents
We ask all Year 7 parents/carers to please check the Parental Consent section on the MCAS app and ensure that all relevant permissions have been completed.

Several students have been unable to have their fingerprint taken for the Cashless Catering system, and some do not currently have photo or trip permissions in place.

Please complete or update the consent section as soon as possible, as missing permissions may affect your child’s access to certain school services and activities going forward.

Thank you for your support.

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

This week we've included lots of information for Year 11 students to help them with planning for life after GCSEs -  find out about the new post-16 qualifications, and local open events coming up soon.

We also highlight two online events that students might like to attend - Unifrog's University Fair, and CreaTech Careers Fest. You can also find out more about medicine and dentistry careers in our labour market information spotlight.

Sparsholt Open Days for students in Years 10 & 11
Sparsholt College is holding a series of Foundation Open Events for young people with Special Educational Needs who may be interested in their Foundation Learning Study Programmes.

The events are open to Year 10 and Year 11 students and provide an opportunity to explore the college in a calm and welcoming environment, meet staff, find out about available programmes and discuss individual support needs.

Upcoming dates:
Saturday 19 September 2026
Saturday 6 December 2026
Thursday 22 April 2027

Parents and students can register their interest in the September event using the Sparsholt College Foundation Open Events Booking Form. Those who register will be contacted when bookings open.

Year 7 - thanks to the Head of Year 7 Mr Bulpitt, I was able to pop into assembly this week to encourage students to come to the Learning Resource Centre & Library and subsequently saw many of them this week choosing books and logging into the student portal for homework. All Year 7 students are expected to have a Library book and we have 4,200 to choose from including comic books, Manga and short reads as well as dyslexia friendly print titles and more!  Chess, card and board games are also available. We have been awarding triple stamps and triple house points this week and will continue to do so for September. Students can use the LRC at break and lunch. We are open after school until 4.00pm Monday to Thursday inclusive and until 3.30pm on Fridays.

Here is the link to our page on the school website - from there you can access Reading Cloud which shows student loan accounts, recommends books, allows them to write reviews , view reading lists, view our physical book collection and more. There is also a link to SORA which is our digital platform with around 7,00 titles for 4 to 16 year olds including audio books and magazines. Students can customise the look and presentation of their page on SORA books so that it suits them - useful for those with visual strain, dyslexia. The platform is supplied by Hampshire County Council School Library Service and is free 24/7. We look forward to seeing and supporting many more year 7 students as term progresses. Ms Burningham.

PE Extra Curricular Timetable - September 2026 - Starts w/c 07/09/2026

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