Weekly Message 308 – 3 July 2026
3rd July 2026
This week has been a fantastic reminder of what makes our school such a special community. Sports Day was a real highlight, with pupils from every year taking part, supporting one another and demonstrating tremendous enthusiasm throughout the day. We also had Year 11 pupils giving their time back on site supporting the running of the day, and we are very grateful to them. Whether competing, officiating or cheering from the sidelines, pupils embodied our school values of Courage, Commitment and Courtesy.
Our Year 10 pupils also enjoyed a valuable visit to the City of Portsmouth College this week, giving them the opportunity to explore the wide range of post-16 pathways available and helping them to make informed decisions about their future.
Back in school, it has been pleasing to see pupils making the most of the many opportunities on offer as we move into the final few weeks of the academic year. There is still much to look forward to before the summer break, including welcoming our Year 6 pupils into school for their two transition days next week. We are excited to meet them, help them begin to settle into school life, and give them a taste of what to expect as they prepare for their September start. We hope our new pupils enjoy the experience, and we look forward to welcoming them into our school community.
Year 9 Geography Trip to Cornwall
For the second-year running, and now with close to 50 pupils, the Geography Department led many of the Year 9 pupils who have opted to study the subject at GCSE to Cornwall, with bits of Devon and Dorset too! Mixed in with such solid geographical experiences of walking round Boscastle and between Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, they went down caves at Kents Cavern, surfed on the breakers at Perranporth and ziplined above the Eden Project. Mr Blackman extends his thanks to Mrs Cother, Mrs Bolton, Miss Hughes and Mr Watkins who worked so hard to make the trip a success, and the Year 9 pupils who made the trip so enjoyable.
Geography Fieldwork in Hill Head
Cams Hill School and the Geography Department pride themselves on offering pupils a range of opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. Every secondary school must offer their GCSE Geography pupils the collection of fieldwork data at contrasting locations, one Physical Geography, one Human Geography.
The Human Geography requirement was fulfilled at Portsmouth Harbour in December; the Physical Geography requirement is being fulfilled this week and next when the Year 10 pupils collect data to show evidence of longshore drift at Hill Head beach.
The pupils collected the data assiduously and will be better prepared for their Paper 3 exam as a result. Mr Blackman, Mr Atkins and Mrs Newman extend their thanks to Mrs Oswald-Cutler and Mr Parratt who supported the trips and drove the minibuses.
Sports Day
On Thursday the whole of the Cams Hill School community took part in Sports Day which offers something for everyone. Activities involve the traditional athletic track and field events alongside team sports such as endball, tug of war and football. Every year pupils take part with enthusiasm and passion and this year they did not disappoint. The crowds were supportive and incredibly encouraging. Results are being finalised, and the grand reveal video is currently being produced.
All tutors will show the video at the same time over the next two weeks, which captures images of staff and pupils throughout the day, and finishes with the overall scores.
A massive thank you to all staff, especially the PE team who work tirelessly to give our pupils a fantastic day of memory making.
Year 10 College Taster Sessions
On Tuesday, our Year 10 pupils enjoyed their College Taster Day at City of Portsmouth College, visiting the North Harbour, Highbury and Portsmouth campuses. They had the opportunity to explore a wide range of courses, from trades and vocational pathways to A Levels, giving them a real insight into the exciting opportunities available after Year 11. We hope the experience has given them plenty to think about as they begin considering their next steps and future choices!
Fundraising for African Adventures Charity Foundation
E Hensman in Year 8 has successfully completed his fundraising challenge and has donated his long hair to charity. We are incredibly proud of him and the kindness, determination, and generosity he has shown. Through his efforts, he has raised approximately £1,000 which will go towards the African Adventures Charity Foundation.
E Hensman will visit Kenya with the school in July 2027 and the money he has raised will go towards projects that the schools we will be working with need, such as rainwater harvesting tanks and electricity installation. In addition, his donated hair will be given to the Little Lady Locks charity, which creates wigs for children with cancer.
E Hensman’s compassion and commitment to helping others is truly inspiring, and we hope the whole school community will join us in celebrating his fantastic achievement. He has been a wonderful ambassador for our school and an example of how one person can make a real difference to the lives of others.
Sports Results
Year 7 Boys’ Football Success
We won 3-2 against Kings Academy Bay House, last minute winner!
Years 7/8 Girls’ District Football Final
On Tuesday, at the Year 7/8 Girls’ District Football Final, our girls were crowned District Champions after an unforgettable victory over Brookfield School on penalties!
The girls made a superb start to the match, playing with confidence, composure and attacking intent. Their positive approach was rewarded with a well-deserved first-half goal, giving them a 1–0 lead at the break.
They carried that momentum into the second half, extending their advantage with an early goal to make it 2–0. At that stage, the girls looked firmly in control. However, finals are rarely straightforward, and the opposition responded with relentless pressure. Our defence stood firm, showing tremendous resilience, while our goalkeeper produced a series of outstanding saves to keep us ahead.
With just five minutes remaining, Brookfield School found a way back into the game, scoring twice in quick succession to level the match at 2–2 and send the final to a penalty shootout.
For many of the girls, memories of last year’s heartbreaking penalty defeat to Brookfield School would have been fresh in their minds. This time, however, they showed incredible courage, composure and belief. Each player stepped forward with confidence, and our goalkeeper once again demonstrated her quality with a number of excellent saves. Eventually, the girls were deservedly crowned District Champions.
The team represented Cams Hill School with exceptional skill, determination and sportsmanship throughout the evening, and they should all be incredibly proud of what they have achieved.
Menu
Menu Week 2 70th celebration week
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.
Whole School Photograph – sent 3/7/26 1700
Temporary adjustment to uniform expectations – sent 3/7/26 – 1500
Cams Hill Whole School Sports Day – sent 2/7/26 0700
Cams Hill Whole School Sports Day – Thursday 2 July – sent 1/7/26 1809
Hot weather arrangements – sent 24/6/26 1637
Cancellation of after school clubs – sent 24/6/26 1052
All fixtures and after school sports clubs cancelled – sent 22/6/26 1407
After school sports day events cancelled – sent 22/6/26 1200
Blazers – sent 19/6/26 1300
Summer concert and 70th anniversary celebration evening – sent 12/6/26 1700 and 16/6/26 1043
Start of Term and INSET Days – sent 12/6/26 1258
Food Service Survey – sent 3/6/26 1201 and 5/6/26 0821
Free school meals are changing in September 2026 – sent 2/6/26 1600
Fareham and Gosport Family Help Summer Support
Statistics
Positive Behaviour Points Averages per Pupil for This Week
Year 7 – 6.86 points
Year 8 – 4.25 points
Year 9 – 5.23 points
Year 10 – 1.43 points
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
Over 50% in Maths Homework
Year 7 66%
Year 8 46%
Year 9 46%
Year 10 44%
Over 75% in Maths Homework
Year 7 63 %
Year 8 45%
Year 9 43%
Year 10 35%
100% in Maths Homework
Year 7 54%*
Year 8 41%
Year 9 23%
Year 10 20%
*For example, this figure means 54% of Year 7 got 100% in their homework tasks.
Figures in green indicate maintaining or an increase from last time.
Maths Homework Support is open to all Years on Wednesdays in ICT2 until 4pm.
Calculators and other equipment for sale
Casio fx-85GT cw+ 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-85GT CW+ scientific calculator- £11.08
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 72 %
Year 8 72%
Year 9 79 %
Year 10 79%
Highest number of questions answered by one pupil this week
Year 7 175 questions
Year 8 80 questions
Year 9 205 questions
Year 10 203 questions