Weekly Message 281 – 7 November 2025
7th November 2025
Welcome back after the half-term break! We hope all our pupils had a restful and enjoyable week. As we return for the second half of the Autumn Term, our Year 11 pupils are preparing for their autumn exams taking place next week. These assessments provide an important opportunity to consolidate learning and practise under exam conditions, supporting their preparation for the real exams later in the year.
Across the school, we remain committed to promoting our shared values of Courage, Courtesy and Commitment, helping us to keep our community one where everyone feels safe, respected, and able to learn without distractions.
Remembrance Day
We will be commemorating Remembrance Day on Tuesday 11 November at 1115 during Period 3. Pupils who wish to commemorate the day by wearing their Cadet, Scout, Guide, or other appropriate uniform are welcome to do so. Those in uniform may meet in the foyer behind reception at breaktime for a group photo.
Absence Reporting – Please Do Not Use Studybugs
We remind all parents/carers that we are no longer using Studybugs to report absences. Please use the App or internet browser to report an absence or use the Auto Absence feature on Arbor. This automatically picks up voicemails left on the school absence line, processes them, and applies the correct attendance code directly in Arbor. If you are struggling to use the App, please do use the school absence line.
An Event to Celebrate Diversity
Calling for stalls and participants
We are thrilled to announce that Cams Hill will be hosting an event dedicated to celebrating diversity within our school community on Wednesday 17 December from 4-6pm.
We would like our pupils, staff, parents and families to come together to share and showcase their traditions and cultures. You could set up a stall to display traditional crafts or artwork from your heritage, showcase your traditional clothes, share stories or perhaps perform a cultural dance or song.
Cams Hill is very proud of its rich environment, a beautiful blend of different cultures and backgrounds. Therefore, we have decided to dedicate this event to Celebrate YOU!
If you find this interesting, would like to set up a stall or contribute in any way please get in touch!
Please contact either Mrs McCune or Miss Hughes via office@camshill.com.
Uniformed Services Adventure Training
On 23 October a group of Uniformed Services pupils took part in a range of adventure training activities at Fort Purbrook that included, rifle shoot, archery, assault course, and laser tag.
The planning for this activity was completed as part of the pupils’ coursework and then they had the opportunity to put all their hard work into practise getting wet and cold!
Fun was had by all however, and the most important aspect was the pupils learned so many skills – planning, teamwork, and leadership.
History Trip to Munich
During half term, Year 11 historians travelled to Munich and Nuremberg to enrich their understanding of their GCSE unit about Nazi Germany.
Pupils visited sites such as Dachau Concentration Camp, Nazi rally grounds, the courtroom which held the Nuremberg Trials and the Eagle’s Nest in the Bavarian Alps.
Pupils were an absolute credit to Cams Hill School. We had a wonderful time, and we hope developed lifelong memories.
Field Trips to Hill Head
Year 11 Geographers completed their Paper 3 physical fieldwork shortly before half term, enjoying an outdoor lesson with their teachers. All 4 groups went out separately to test for the presence of longshore drift at Hill Head beach in a variety of tides and weather conditions.
This trip to Hill Head involved pupils taking measurements of sediment along sea defences and conducting a timed float to assess the current’s direction and speed. The purpose of this fieldwork wasn’t only to answer the question “Is there evidence of longshore drift at Hill Head?”, or even to practice fieldwork techniques, but was mainly to critique: How our method might be improved; Which factors made our methods more or less reliable/accurate; Whether or not our answer is believable, all of which are essential parts of the Paper 3 Geography GCSE.
Walk Wheel Cycle Trust
At the recent Year 7 Power to Progress Evening, we were delighted to welcome a representative from the charity Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, who joined Solent Cycles, in offering bike support and maintenance for pupils who cycle to school. The support and advice provided to parents and carers were invaluable – brakes and front wheels were tightened, gears adjusted, and guidance offered where more detailed safety work was required. In addition, the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust added security tags and provided locks to many of the bikes brought into school.
This fantastic support will be available again on Tuesday 25 November 2025 during the Year 8 Power to Progress Evening. We encourage parents and carers to bring their child’s bike along for a free Bike Doctor safety check to ensure it is roadworthy and ready for school travel.
To find out more about the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, please click the link to their most recent newsletter.
Year 7 Transition Mindset Day at Portsmouth University
On Thursday a group of Year 7 pupils spent the day at the University of Portsmouth. They took part in a variety of sessions to learn about a fixed vs growth mindset, resilience, student societies (where they got to create their own) and hear from student ambassadors about their journey to higher education. They also undertook a team building exercise and a tour of various buildings to see facilities such as a TV studio and robots lab.
Understanding Post-16 Pathways Presentation Evening
On Thursday 6 November we hosted a presentation evening for parents/carers of Year 11 pupils. The aim of this evening was to provide an understanding of the pathways available to young people as they embark on their post-16 journey
Next Steps Lunchtime Drop-In
On Tuesday 21 October we hosted Barton Peveril for our lunch time drop in for Year 10 and 11 pupils. Pupils were able to ask them questions about the college and their provision and also apply whilst having the support of their representatives. On Tuesday 4 November St Vincent College will be in the library and we encourage any pupils considering the college as an option to pop up and have a chat.
Year 7 Football
Huge congratulations to the Year 7 boys’ football team who continued their unbeaten start to the season with a strong 8-0 victory against Bridgemary. We wish them the best of luck in the next round of the County cup competition.
Year 8 Football
Congratulations to the Year 8 boys’ football team who have had unbeaten start to the season in Fareham and Gosport. So far, they have secured a good 3-0 win against Bridgemary and a credible 1-1 draw with Portchester. Unfortunately we lost 3-1 in our Hampshire cup fixture with Deer Park. We wish them every success in future fixtures.
Menu w/c 10 November 2025
Whole School Letters Published This Half Term
Below is a list of letters emailed to all parents/carers this half term together with the date and time they were sent. If you are unable to find any of the communications, please email office@camshill.com and we can send you a further copy.
Remembrance Day – send 7/11/25 1502
Christmas Lunch – Thursday 4 December – sent 6/11 1801
Statistics
Positive Behaviour Points Averages per Pupil for This Week
Year 7 – 4.69 points
Year 8 – 4.70 points
Year 9 – 3.77 points
Year 10 – 2.66 points
Year 11 – 2.19 points
Attendance
This week – 93.7%
Same week last year – 93.2%
Educake – Science
Average number of questions answered per pupil this week
Year 7 50 questions
Year 8 17 questions
Year 9 58 questions
Year 10 103 questions
Year 11 62 questions
Highest number of questions answered by one pupil this week
Year 7 416 questions
Year 8 718 questions
Year 9 492 questions
Year 10 1090 questions
Year 11 574 questions