Weekly Message 296 – 13 March 2026
13th March 2026
History Trip to WW1 Battlefields
It has been another productive week in school. Our Year 11 pupils have now completed their Spring examinations. Pupils studying Graphics, Photography and Art have also been completing their practical exam work this week, spending extended time developing and refining their pieces. We are proud of the focus and resilience Year 11 have shown as they continue their preparations for the summer examinations.
Meanwhile, our Year 10 pupils have been out on their Work Experience placements this week. We look forward to welcoming them back next week and hearing about the wide range of experiences they have had and the skills they have developed during their time in the workplace.
Finally, last weekend saw a highly successful Year 9 trip to the Battlefields. The pupils represented the school superbly and gained a powerful insight into this important period of history – there will be more about the trip later in this message.
Uniform
We take this opportunity to remind pupils, parents and carers that pupils are expected to arrive at school wearing uniform that fully meets the expectations set out in our Uniform Policy. Please can parents and carers pay close attention to footwear on days when pupils attend in their PE kit since inappropriate footwear has crept in with some individuals – we are keen to nip this in the bud. We appreciate the support of parents and carers in ensuring that pupils arrive ready for the day ahead, so that our time and focus can remain firmly on learning. Thank you for your support.
Beacon School in Holocaust Education
We are incredibly proud to share that the school has been awarded Beacon School status by the UCL. Over the past two years, staff have worked hard to further develop the quality and depth of our Holocaust education, and we are delighted that this work has now been recognised through this nationally recognised accreditation.
As a Beacon School, we remain committed to providing meaningful opportunities for pupils to engage with Holocaust education. Through lessons and wider enrichment experiences, we aim to help pupils deepen their historical understanding while reflecting on the important lessons this history continues to hold today.
History Trip to the WW1 Battlefields
Our annual tour of the WWI Battlefields went out last week and the pupils saw and experienced so much! On Friday pupils had a packed day visiting Lijssenhoek Cemetery, Memorial Museum Passchendaele, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Sanctuary Woods and Langemark German Cemetery. The day was rounded off with the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate where Cams Hill pupils laid a wreath on behalf of the school.
On Saturday, it was up and out early in Ypres, visiting the chocolate shop and the Menin Gate. From there it was a coach journey down to the Somme. Pupils visited a trench systems at the Newfoundland Memorial, then discovered the scale of the loss through the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, and the destruction of the war at Lochnagar Crater. It was then a stop at Vimy Ridge Canadian Memorial before the journey home. Pupils pondered on the legacy of war and the role that memorial and remembrance continue to play in society today. The pupils were respectful and courteous the entire time and the staff want to thank them for their engagement.
Pi Day
Thank you and congratulations to all the pupils who took part in our Pi Day Bake Off!
We were incredibly impressed by the creativity, effort and enthusiasm shown in celebrating Pi Day with such a fantastic range of mathematical themed bakes. From beautifully decorated pies to inventive cakes and biscuits inspired by the famous number π, the standard was extremely high and it was wonderful to see so many pupils getting involved. A big well done to everyone who participated and helped make the event such a success. The judges have a tough task ahead, and the results will be announced soon!
We would also like to thank the pupils and staff who took part in the Pi digit recital challenge. It was fantastic to see so many members of our school community testing their memory and mathematical enthusiasm by reciting as many digits of π as possible. Your efforts, courage and good humour made it a fun and memorable part of our Pi Day celebrations.
Year 10 Work Experience
This week our Year 10 pupils have been on Work Experience. We had a record number of 95% of pupils securing a week with an employer which is an incredible effort! We would like to thank pupils, parents, carers and Year 10 tutors for all their efforts in making this happen.
We will be seeking feedback from employers and this will be shared with pupils after the Easter break along with their Mock Interview feedback from Future Skills Day.
Year 10 College/Apprenticeship Open Evenings
We hope that the recent Year 10 events have helped pupils gather ideas about their progress in the future. A way of helping form those ideas is to attend Open Evenings for college and apprenticeship providers. Many are offering Open Events to Year 10 before the end of the year; it is a great way to see the options at an earlier stage. Please see this link for all confirmed dates. All providers will also be offering events in the Autumn Term and we will host our own “Next Steps Evening” in September which all College and Apprenticeship providers attend.
Easter Egg Collection – Sophie’s Legacy
Young Carers at Cams Hill Meet the Local Motiv8 Team
On Tuesday 10 March, we were delighted to welcome two representatives from Motiv8 who joined us for a breakfast meeting with our Young Carers. During the session, they spoke about the new Young Carers Hub they have established, which offers a range of exciting activities as well as valuable support for young people who have caring responsibilities at home. It was a great opportunity for our pupils to learn more about the services available to them and how they can get involved.
A Young Carer is a child under 18 who regularly helps to look after a family member or friend who is disabled, ill, has a mental health condition or addiction problem.
Cams Hill School can support young carers. If you, or a family member, needs support please contact either Miss Allen or your child’s Head of Year. All contact will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Sports Results
Year 8 boys’ football lost to Henry Cort 4-3
Year 9 football won against Bay House 2-1
Year 7 netball won against Portchester 27-0
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.
Jazz Café – Thursday 19 March 2026 – sent 4/3/26 1600
Non-School Uniform Day Friday 6 February 2026 – sent 29/1/26 1514
Upcoming Gas Works – sent 21/1/26 1014
Menu – w/c 16 March 2026
Statistics
Positive Behaviour Points Averages per Pupil for This Week
Year 7 – 5.76 points
Year 8 – 4.63 points
Year 9 – 3.74 points
Year 10 – work experience
Year 11 – exams
Sparx and Educake
These are two online resources that we expect pupils to be accessing routinely with homework set by teachers and independently to support their progress in Maths, Science, and other subjects. We ask parents/carers to check in with their child to see whether they are accessing these resources routinely and to encourage the best use of them.
Sparx – Maths
Over 50% in Maths Homework
Year 7 80%
Year 8 63%
Year 9 72%
Year 10 41%
Over 75% in Maths Homework
Year 7 78%
Year 8 61%
Year 9 66%
Year 10 34%
100% in Maths Homework
Year 7 72% *
Year 8 52%
Year 9 40%
Year 10 23%
*For example, this figure means 72% of Year 7 got 100% in their homework tasks.
Figures in green indicate maintaining or an increase from last time.
Year 11 are working independently with revision homework.
Maths Homework Support is open to all Years on Wednesdays in ICT2 until 4pm.
Next In-Class Assessment
Year 8 – w/c 23/3/26 – calculator test
Year 10 – w/c 13/4/26 – Year 10 exams
Year 9 – w/c 27/4/26 – calculator
Year 7 – w/c 4/5/26 – non-calculator test
Calculators and other equipment for sale
Casio fx-83GT scientific calculators can be bought via Arbor and collected from the Finance Office. Prices of these and other items for sale are shown below:
Casio fx-83GT scientific calculator- £9.00
Pre-packed pencil case – £2.50
Pair of compasses – 29p
Protractor – 9p
100 blank flashcards – £1.00
A range of GCSE Maths revision materials for KS4 use – See Arbor for details
Educake – Science
Percentage of Questions Answered Correctly This Week
Year 7 73%
Year 8 76%
Year 9 74%
Year 10 79%
Year 11 73%
Highest number of questions answered by one pupil this week
Year 7 207 questions
Year 8 222 questions
Year 9 415 questions
Year 10 232 questions
Year 11 1509 questions