Weekly updates
Friday 24 March 2023
Please see the following two letters issued today:
Uniform (including black shorts)
Congratulations and well done to our 56 newly appointed Prefects for 2023-2024. Your applications were a pleasure to read, and we are excited for you to embark on this next journey! If you are interested in applying for our SSLT please see information from Mrs Al-Dabagh.
The Bar Mock team will be participating in the National Final on Saturday. This takes place at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. We know how well prepared and focused the team are, and we are all looking forward to both the competition and the experience of visiting London’s High Court.
Reminder: Important Year 11 History Assessment Information:
Week beginning March 27th: All students will be sitting a full Germany Mock paper in their double lesson. The paper is 1 hour and 20 mins.
Week beginning April 24th: All students will be sitting a full Superpower Relations and the Cold War 1941-1991 in their double lesson. The paper is 50 mins
Our Spring Review music concert takes place at 7pm next Wednesday 29 March. Final chance to buy tickets which are available at this link, primarily for relatives/friends of the performers, but all are welcome to attend this event.
See this link for general Library news including Books of the Week.
The ELSA Team have delivered two Exam Pressure seminars for the Year 11s. The presentation will be added to the ELSA MS Team and the ELSA Exam Pressure leaflet can be found in reception, HQ or ELSA.
Next week is the last week of term, with students finishing at 3pm on Thursday 30 March. The Summer term starts on Monday 17 April, when the optional summer uniform of polo shirts may be worn. Please see the letter issued by Mr Borkowski for full details.
Positive Calthorpe Points - the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is now 147.
Year 7 Spelling Bee Winners
Congratulations to the following students for placing in the Year 7 Spelling Bee.
1st- Xavier M 7C1
2nd- Izzy H 7S4
3rd- Sophia P 7P4.
Well done to all who participated in the event!
Our team of Joshua N, Zander S and Alistair W competed in the Regional Final in Churchill’s College Petersfield on Monday 20 March against five other schools and they did the school proud. Alistair delivered a very insightful speech on peaceful revolutions and responded extremely well to his questions. Joshua chaired the event with clarity and ease, engaging the audience throughout his introduction and closing, while Zander showed his quick thinking skills when probing the competition for questions on anger. Although the boys did not progress further in the competition, they should be extremely proud of themselves for making it this far.
Our fundraising campaign continues and we are getting close to our target. If you are able to help us reach this, please donate at this link. Many thanks for your support!
Fleet Phoenix are hosting their next HYPE Club Night on 21 April for students in Years 7, 8 and 9. See this link for details.
Friday 17 March 2023
Please see these links for recent letters:
Summer Uniform
Year 8 Options – Prelaunch
Year 11 English Revision Sessions
Interhouse PE takes place over the next two weeks, covering Years 7, 8 and 10 from 20 March and Year 9 from 27 March. See this link for details.
This week some Year 7 Students took part in the Year 7 Spelling Bee. The 29 selected students did a fantastic job and showcased their spelling skills. After many rounds 9 students have been invited to the final on 22 March after school in A2. Good luck to those nine students competing.
On Monday 20 March our three Year 11 students (Joshua N, Zander S and Alistair W) will travel to compete in the Regional Final of the ESU Public Speaking Competition. We wish the boys the best of luck as they compete with some of the best schools in the area.
Our Spring Review music concert takes place at 7pm on Wednesday 29 March. Tickets are available at this link, primarily for relatives/friends of the performers, but all are welcome to attend this event.
Please see this link for our current job vacancies. Roles being advertised at the moment include a Cover Officer and a Creative Print Room Assistant – please share the link if you know of someone who would like to join our team.
See this link for general Library news including Books of the Week.
This week is Neurodiversity Celebration Week. We'll be holding assemblies during the first two weeks after Easter to both celibrate Neurodiversity and raise awareness.
The Hampshire Teen Project will run at Calthorpe Park School from Tuesday 11 April to Friday 14 April, from 10am to 3pm. This is free for students aged 11-16 who are eligible under the Pupil Premium Scheme. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with a number of different activities and workshops whilst also receiving free hot lunches. Further details, including how to book a place, can be found at this link.
Positive Calthorpe Points - the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is now 143.
Year 7 trip to Winchester Cathedral
On Friday 10th March, we undertook our second Year 7 visit of the year to the delightful Winchester Cathedral and Education Centre. The group enjoyed a very informative tour of the Cathedral and took part in a workshop about Medieval Medicine, which included the making of restorative Pomanders as well as the enthusiastic role-plays for which our students have become rather renowned! It was a really enjoyable and informative experience for all involved.
Gremlin Dance Challenge
Two Dance teams entered the Gremlin Dance Challenge in Aldershot last night. The Year 8 team won Best Use of Musicality and the Year 11s won Most Dramatic Performance. The standard was extremely high and our Dance teams did our school proud!
Friday 10 March 2023
Congratulations to all students who were successful in their auditions for Legally Blonde – we have just decided on our largest ever cast!
Year 11 GCSE Drama students have their dress rehearsals next Wednesday and Thursday (15th & 16th March), with practical exams taking place after school on 20th, 21st and 30th March.
Our Spring Review music concert takes place at 7pm on Wednesday 29 March. Tickets are available at this link, primarily for relatives/friends of the performers, but all are welcome to attend this event.
Library News - this contains information about books of the week and a reminder to use World Book Day tokens.
Winchester Law Courts have an Open Day on Saturday 18th March from 10.30am to 3.30pm which might be of interest to any students thinking about a career in Law. See this link for details.
Please see our Letters page for recent letters. This week two letters have been sent out, one about Industrial Action next week and the second about the Year 8 Progress Review and Parent Consultations taking place on 21st and 23rd March.
Positive Calthorpe Points - the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is now 137.
Y7 Finding Your Feet Trip
A group of Year 7 students went on a residential trip last weekend. Although the weather was cold they still had an amazing weekend of fun, conquering fears and making new friends at PGL Liddington. They took part in a variety of activities from the Giant Swing, Buggy Building, Archery, Fencing and Jacob’s Ladder to name a few. The students were awesome even if they were woken up by Mr Marshall-James' poor choice of music for a wake up call. Thanks for an great weekend, and we're looking forward to our second trip in April.
Year 10 Business Day
We held a Business Day for all Year 10 students on Tuesday 7 March, our first for several years. We had two speakers in the morning talking to the students about their career experiences and giving valuable advice. Lessons and homework had been organised in advance so students had prepared their CVs, prior to having a mock interview in the afternoon. These were carried out by a large group of external volunteers, all of whom had interviewing experience. The feedback about the day has been hugely positive - it was a great learning experience for the students and the volunteers were very impressed with the candidates!
Year 8 Imperial War Museum
On Thursday 9 March we took a group of Year 8 students to visit the Imperial War Museum in London. This was to build on work we have been doing so far in History as we have been looking at the First World War, and will be moving onto further conflicts later in the year. The students moved around the museum exhibits with a booklet to complete, finding out the personal stories of the people who lived through these times and to extend their knowledge further. Our students were amazing and we are looking forward to taking our postponed trip to the Imperial War Museum on Friday 7 July.
Amie: ‘My favourite part of the visit yesterday was how interactive the museum was, in particular walking through a replica of a First World War Trench’
Will: ‘My favourite part of the visit yesterday was the Second World War section where we got to look at the different types of planes and tanks.’
PE Update:
Football:
U16 girls in Hampshire Cup Final
Year 9 boys in Hampshire Cup Semi Final
Year 7 and 9 Boys currently unbeaten in their district leagues and one game away from being crowned league champions
Year 7 Boys District 5 a side champions, Year 7 Girls District 5 a side Runners Up
U13 girls representing Hart & Rushmoor at Hampshire u13 football tournament in Southampton on Tuesday
Rugby:
Year 7 Rugby came second in local tournament at Farnham Rugby Club
Basketball:
Year 9 Boys District Div 1 League Champions
U14 girls Div 3 District League Champions
Year 7 and 10 boys basketball teams in District Cup Finals
Cross Country:
Year 7 Boys Cross Country team District Champions
Year 8 Boys Cross Country team District Champions
Netball:
Year 9 'A' Netball District Tournament runners up
Year 9 'B' Netball District Tournament 3rd place
The ELSA team wanted to say a big thank you for all the board game donations we've received. We've been enjoying playing different games, socialising and connecting with one another.
Friday 3 March 2023
This is a busy week for trips with two Year 9 Sports Studies trips to Runways End (today and next Friday), the first Year 7 residential trip this weekend to the PGL Centre at Liddington, a Year 8 trip to the Imperial War Museum on Thursday and a Year 7 trip to Winchester Cathedral next Friday.
We were thrilled and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of students who auditioned for ‘Legally Blonde’. We have some tough decisions to make regarding our cast, but are spoilt for choice by the amount of talented students we have here. The cast list will be announced to students in the next week. Thank you and well done to everyone who has participated so far!
Our Spring Review music concert takes place at 7pm on Wednesday 29 March. Tickets are available at this link, primarily for relatives/friends of the performers, but all are welcome to attend this event.
Click here for Library News including Books of the Week, World Book Day celebrations and the launch of Sora to Year 7, being rolled out to the whole school next week.
Science have another appeal this week. They would be grateful for any unwanted or out-of-date food items to be used for food testing, digestion and energy in food experiments, as follows:
Crisps
Porridge oats & other cereals
Instant gravy granules
Instant coffee
Tea bags
Tinned garden peas, potatoes, sweetcorn and soup
Biscuits
Powdered milk or coffee mate.
If you are able to donate any of these items, please drop into Reception. Thanks for your support.
Positive Calthorpe Points - the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is now 131.
Friday 24 February 2023
Punctuality - next week we are focussing on punctuality, both to school and to lessons. Students should be at their tutor base ready for morning registration which begins at 8.40am, so we ask for your support to ensure that your child arrives at school on time. Lessons are slightly trickier for you to have an impact on, however, we also ask that you check EdulinkOne after 4pm each day and review your child's attendance record for that day. Click on the Attendance icon and then Attendance Today tab along the top bar. This will indicate whether they have arrived to their lessons on time or not, and is a really useful way for you to keep an eye on this. For those students who fail to arrive on time, we will be contacting parents/carers and putting appropriate sanctions in place. Hopefully, this won't be needed, so could we please ask that you discuss your child's punctuality over the weekend in preparation for Monday.
Year 10 Business Day - following the assignment that has been set, all Year 10 students should submit their CV to Ms Wayman by Monday 27 February.
We would like to hear your opinion on trips organisation. Your feedback will help us to determine the effectiveness of the current practice and what improvements are required. Please provide your response by Monday 27 February at this link. The survey is anonymous and will take you approximately two minutes to complete.
School Production - Legally Blonde: Auditions for Principals are taking place on Monday 27 February and Tuesday 28 February in the Drama Studio until 5pm. Ensemble Auditions are on Wednesday 1 March until 5pm. We are really excited to get started on the show and wish everyone lots of luck!
Library News - this contains information about World Book Day, Sora, our Ebooks platform, and books of the week.
The latest list of school clubs can be found here.
The Two-Clicks Survey - thank you for contributing to these surveys over the last few months. We are taking a break to review the feedback received so far. However, you can continue to feedback your thoughts on Calthorpe Park Communications at any time by clicking here.
The Science department are grateful for all the donations of old newspapers and now have enough. However, they are still looking for a variety of balls if you have any to donate - they need anything smaller than a football, for example, old tennis, squash, golf or ping pong balls. Thank you.
Positive Calthorpe Points - the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is now 127.
Friday 10 February 2023
Please find our latest Newsletter here.
Thanks to all of you who have completed the uniform questionnaire so far. We would still like to hear your views on anything to do with uniform and the survey will remain open over the half term week. Please see this link.
Please find attached a letter about Andrew Tate, along with a useful guide for parents. The letter and guide can also be found on the website.
An increasing number of students are bringing medication to school with them and are keeping this, both prescription and non-prescription, in their bags. This is absolutely forbidden and we would ask you to ensure that your child is not carrying medication with them or taking medication without supervision. Please see this letter for details about medication in school.
A reminder from Mrs Binding to parents/carers of Year 11 History students - please can you check in with your child over the half term holidays regarding their History Home Learning and ensure that it has been completed. The schedule has been communicated in an email and your child can also find it in their Year 11 History Teams Folder and on Edulink.
The Two-Clicks Survey - please click this link to help inform and improve our school communications. It's just one question and all answers are anonymous. Thank you for your help.
Two-Clicks Update - last week we asked you what you thought of the number and frequency of school emails. We received 148 responses (9% of the school community), of which 25% provided valuable feedback. The form will be available for one further week, so if you haven't yet contributed or wish to provide additional feedback following this week's communications, you can do so here. Thank you for your support and contribution.
The previous week we asked you what day of the week was preferred for the Weekly Update and provided a final opportunity to share your thoughts before closing the form, prompting a further 66 responses. 85% of respondents indicated a preference for a Friday Weekly Update. Overall, the total number of respondents was 12% of the school community.
This Year 9 letter went out last Friday about buying English Language and Literature texts. Also, Year 11 English Revision continues on Thursday 23 February after school and Literature Revision on Friday 24 February from 8am.
Please can you ensure that students come to school with the right equipment - see this link for a guide as it may be useful if shopping for supplies over the break.
We are grateful for your generosity with the current CPSA fundraising campaign for benches to go under the new canopies, and with recent donations we are much closer to our target. If you haven't yet done so and are in a position to help, please see this link for full details.
Science are looking for more donations to help the department please - this time they need old newspapers and a variety of balls: tennis, golf, ping-pong, etc. (not footballs). These can be dropped or bounced into Reception - thank you!
Positive Calthorpe Points - the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is now 118.
Wishing you a good half term break!
Friday 3 February 2023
As part of our ongoing review process, we would like to gather feedback from parents/carers on certain aspects of our school. Our current focus is uniform and we would like to ask you to complete this questionnaire. Your input will help us shape our uniform policy now and in the future. It only takes a few minutes, so please 'have your say'!
The Year 11 English Language revision session next Thursday (3-4pm) will focus on literary reading skills. On Friday from 8-9am in the old Hall, there will be a Literature Booster session on Lord of the Flies, Part 2 (with free croissants/pain au chocolat!).
A letter about Year 9 English Literature and Language tests will be sent out later this afternoon.
The Two-Clicks survey - please click this link to help and improve our school communications. It's a different question each week and all answers are anonymous.
Two-Clicks Update - last week we asked you what day of the week you prefer to receive the Weekly Update. We had 118 responses (8% of the school community), of which 98 stated a continued preference for a Friday. The form will be available for another week so if you haven't yet had a chance to share your preference, you can do so here. Thank you for your support and contribution.
The student-led Panto, Peter Pan, takes place in the Drama Studio on Monday 6 February with two performances at 4.30pm and 6.30pm. There are currently 6 seats left for the 4.30pm show at this link; the later one is sold out.
The Drama and Music departments are looking forward to announcing to students details of the school production next Thursday! This will take place during lunch in the Drama Studio and will include audition dates and times.
Click here for Library News, including books of the week.
It's National Apprenticeship week from 6-12 February - see this link for details.
Please see the attached poster to mark LGBT+ History Month.
Positive Calthorpe Points - the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is now 110.
Friday 27 January 2023
It is an INSET Day on Tuesday 31 January when no students attend school. The Year 11 students invited into school that day should sign in at Reception on arrival and sign out when they leave. Full school uniform is required to be worn, unless students are also involved in the PE sessions in the morning, in which case they are permitted to remain in their PE kit. Please email Mrs Binding urgently if your child is unable to attend on Tuesday.
A letter has been issued regarding industrial action on Wednesday 1 February. There are two school trips taking place that afternoon/evening and they are still taking place - the snowboard/ski lesson and the Year 10 trip to The Woman in Black.
What do you think is the best day of the week to receive a Weekly Update from the school? Please click this link to the Two-Clicks Survey which will help inform and improve our school communications. It's just one question and all answers are anonymous. Thank you for your help.
Click here for Library News - this shows details of library lessons on 'Banned Books' and 'Meet the Author', and the regular Books of the Week recommendations.
There will be a further session soon for any Year 11 students who weren't able to attend their Farnborough 6th Form interview. Alton (HSDC) College interviews will be held in school, face to face, on 28 February. Details of both sessions to follow. Careers support is still available for all students, please contact Ms Wayman with any queries.
We have had an excellent response to our request for volunteers to come in to conduct mock interviews with our Year 10 students during the afternoon of Tuesday 7 March. We still need more people to add to this team, so if you are interested and have time to help us, please email businessday@cps.hants.sch.uk. Many thanks for your support.
Please can you ensure that students come to school with the right equipment - see this link for a guide.
Local Charities - there are two local charities that we are mentioning this week. Rushmoor and Hart Aid for Ukraine are collecting winter aid items to be taken to Ukraine. You can find the list of items they require here and these can be taken to the drop off point at the Nationwide in Fleet. Also, you can see a list of requirements for the Hart Foodbank here, along with a number of locations where you can donate items.
Positive Calthorpe Points - the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is now 108.
See our Term Dates page on the website for relevant dates, including the Autumn Term.
Friday 20 January 2023
The following letters have been issued this week - they are attached and also on the website:
Holocaust Memorial Day 2023
Building Resilience
The Year 10 Parent Consultations take place next week, on Tuesday 24 and Thursday 26 January. If you haven't already done so, please book your appointments via Edulink.
Computer Science revision sessions for Year 11 students are being held at the following times:
Tuesdays, 8-8.30am in IT1 for Mr Lugg's classes
Wednesdays, 8-8.30am in X3 for Mrs Jones' classes
There is an INSET Day on Tuesday 31 January.
See this link for Library news - this includes details of our Readathon total and our Reading Raisers. Well done to our winners - Immy G, Matilda P, Evie B and Dylan M who will be awarded their vouchers in Library lessons next week!
The Science department are appealing for more items please. They would like square-shaped empty coffee jars with their lids for chromatography practicals, the bigger the jar the better, but any size is welcome. They also need empty, very small jam jars with lids to store non-hazardous chemicals and substances. Finally, empty plastic chocolate tubs, eg Heroes/Quality Street would be very useful to use as small water troughs during science practicals. If you have any of these items to spare, please drop off in Reception - thank you!
Ms Wayman would like to pass on her thanks for all the parental support for Year 11 students this week during their Farnborough 6th Form College interviews. Well done too to all the students who attended and got places at the college - they conducted themselves brilliantly and should be congratulated!
Thanks to all parents who have volunteered their time to come in and hold mock interviews for Year 10 students on our Business Day taking place on Tuesday 7 March. If you are able to help out as an interviewer on that afternoon (no experience necessary), please send an email to businessday@cps.hants.sch.uk.
Positive Calthorpe Points - the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is now 101.
The Two-Clicks Survey - please click this link when you've read the Weekly Message to answer just one question, all answers are anonymous. Thanks for your help.
Friday 13 January 2023
Holocaust Memorial Day is on 27th January. There is an opportunity for us to listen to a first-hand testimony from a Holocaust survivor, Ruth Posner, on Thursday 26th January. This is being organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust and is being live-streamed to schools across the country. All Year 9 students will listen to this Holocaust survivor and we will be hosting this in the Hall. During House assemblies over the next two weeks, we will be looking at the Holocaust with all year groups, and reflecting on this during tutor time.
There will be English revision support next week for Year 11 as follows:
Tutor time Extra English for selected students on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
Language revision after school on Thursday, 3-4pm - reading skills
Literature revision before school on Friday, 8-9am - Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, part 1
We are holding a Business Day for our Year 10 students on Tuesday 7 March and are looking for around 40 volunteers who would be able to come in that afternoon (approx 12.45-4pm) to conduct mock interviews with these students. If you are able to commit to this time and help us, please send an email to businessday@cps.hants.sch.uk. Thanks for your support!
Farnborough 6th Form interviews take place in school all next week for Year 11 students. They have been notified and the schedule is available in Teams or there is a paper copy in the foyer. If these students have any queries they should contact Ms Wayman.
See this link for Library news.
Congratulations to the following students for winning the Calthorpe Chronicle competition! The task was to write an engaging article to be published in the school newspaper:
Emmie N - 1st place for 'Beginners Guide to Crochet' - £20 Amazon gift card
Lily D - 2nd place for 'Gift Ideas' - £10 Amazon gift card
Sateja B - 3rd place for 'The Rise and Downfall of Barbie' - £10 Amazon gift card
There are some further college open evenings taking place over the next few weeks as follows:
ACM Guildford - Tuesday 24 January, 4pm
Sparsholt - Saturday 4 February, 10am-2pm
BCoT - Monday 6 February, 4.30-7pm - Apprenticeship Event
FCoT - Wednesday 8 February, 4-7.30pm
FCoT (Aldershot Campus) - Thursday 9 February, 4-7.30pm
Please see this page on our website for details, or check the college websites.
Please see these dates from the Hampshire Parent Carer Network for the term ahead which might be useful for parents/carers of children with additional needs.
Positive Calthorpe Points - the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is now 96.
The Two-Clicks Survey - please click this link when you've read the Weekly Message to answer just one question, all answers are anonymous. Thanks for your help.
Friday 6 January 2023
Happy New Year - welcome back to the Spring Term!
Parent Consultations for Year 11 are taking place next week on 10 and 12 January, followed by those for Year 10 on 24 and 26 January - bookings will open soon.
There is an INSET Day on Tuesday 31 January. Key dates can be found on our website here.
See this link for Library news.
The Junior UKMT club for Years 7 and 8 starts on Monday 9 January in X1 from 3-4pm with Mrs Powell, and will run until the competition in April.
Duke of Edinburgh drop-in sessions will continue on Friday afternoons (3-3.30pm) with Mr Moore for any Year 10 or 11 student who needs help/support with this award.
Positive Calthorpe Points - the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is now 91.
The Two-Clicks Survey - let us know when you've read the Weekly Message by clicking this link and answering just one question!
Friday 16 December 2022
Please find our latest Newsletter here.
Year 11 Parent Consultations take place on 10 and 12 January - please ensure your bookings on Edulink are made in plenty of time.
Our latest Trip Bulletin can be found here.
Year 11 English revision will be starting up next term as follows:
Thursday after school - non-fiction reading paper
Friday morning at 8am - Macbeth
Tutor Time Year 11 Extra English starting from 9 January
All Year 11 students should have applied for a college place or training provider by Christmas. If they haven't for whatever reason, please contact Ms Wayman who will help. Farnborough 6th Form College interviews will be held in school during the week of 16 January, with appointment times being sent out during the first week back.
A huge thank you to parents and carers who have sponsored our Year 7 students for Readathon. You can still do so online here. Students can bring in their sponsor forms after the break and hand in at the Library to make sure they are entered into the draw for participation prizes. It's been a great first term for Year 7 reading - more reading competitions to come next year.
The PE department are seeking sponsorship to help buy new kits for teams across the school. If you run a local business, or know if anyone locally would be willing to sponsor us, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Mr Frizzell.
We are excited in PE to confirm we have received a grant from Energise Me and the Youth Sport Trust that will see a new club available to all our students from January. This will be a dance/fitness session held once a week by a qualified instructor. More information will be available in January.
Positive Calthorpe Points - at the end of the Autumn Term, the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is 84.
The Two-Clicks Survey - let us know when you've read the Weekly Message by clicking this link and answering just one question!
Wishing you all a wonderful break and we look forward to seeing students back in school on Tuesday 3 January.
Friday 2 December 2022
English - the Year 11 tutor time Extra English sessions are resuming from 5 December and running on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Those involved will have received a communication and been told by their English teachers. Crutches advice from Medical - we have noticed an increase in the number of students coming into school on crutches. Please can parents contact Medical (shwo@cps.hants.sch.uk) prior to sending their child into school on crutches, or come into Reception with them, so that an assessment can be carried out to allow the student to stay in school. Any crutches in school should only be provided by a hospital and not borrowed from others. Thank you for your support in this matter. REaL3 are collecting Christmas Cards to be donated to F1 Ward at Frimley Park Hospital and to members of the school community. Collection will take place from Monday 5 December up to Thursday 15 December. These can be handmade or purchased, then dropped in to Reception - further details can be found in the homework section of Edulink. Positive Calthorpe Points - at this point in the Autumn Term, the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is 73. Click here for Library News this week. Lost Property - we now have so much lost property here at school that we are running out of storage space. If your child has lost any items, please could you encourage them to check lost property (by the boys changing rooms at the end of the gym) by Thursday 8 December. After this time, we plan to donate any unclaimed items, especially coats, to charity at the end of term. Thanks to Dan J in Year 11, our Lost Property Ambassador, for sorting so many items and trying to reunite them with their owners! The CPSA would love to have more volunteers join their new team! Please see this link for more details. Their next meeting is at 7.30pm on Monday 5 December at the De Havilland on Elvetham Heath. If you would like to order a freshly-cut Christmas tree from local company, Tincleton Trees, with free delivery to your home, please use this order form. For every tree ordered via this form, the CPSA will receive 10% of sales.
Friday 25 November 2022
Cycle Safety - please remind your child, if they use a bike to get to school, to wear a high-vis strap or a bright jacket whilst cycling, turn on a front and back light, as well as wearing their bike helmet. Safety on the roads is paramount and with the darkness being earlier after school, responsibility lies with the cyclist for ensuring that they can be easily seen whilst on the road and at junctions.
College & Careers support - a reminder that there is careers support for Year 11 students if they need it, particularly in relation to college applications. Please contact Ms Wayman for any help with this (b.wayman@cps.hants.sch.uk).
See this link for details of the Holiday Activities and Food scheme funded by the Department for Education for eligible students. This shows sites delivering these schemes locally over the Christmas holidays.
Library News includes details about Readathon, opening times and books of the week.
CPSA Fundraising - with the recent installation of more canopies around school creating shelter for students we are continuing with our campaign to raise money for benches to be used in these areas. Although the campaign has been running for some time, we have only just reached the half way point, with another £3000 still to raise. With a small donation from every family at school, we could easily meet this target and are always grateful for your continued support. The link for donations is here.
Friday 11 November 2022
On 17 November, Year 7 will follow their timetabled lessons but their teacher will be delivering a lesson focussing on this years OutRight campaign, "The right to the best possible health care" (Article 24 of the UNCRC). REaL3 have put together six lessons on an area of this topic about which they felt strongly. This date has been chosen to coincide with World Children's Day 2022 (18 November). CPS and REaL3 are looking forward to supporting children and young people to learn about children's rights and ensure their voices are heard by decision makers.
Year 11 students applying for college should be aware that some college deadlines are imminent, please check via the college website and ensure your application is completed and submitted in time. Farnborough 6th Form interviews will take place in school during the week beginning 16 January 2023, with details and appointment times to follow. Please contact Ms Wayman with any queries (b.wayman@cps.hants.sch.uk).
See this link for Library news, including Remembrance Day, Readathon for Year 7 and Books of the Week.
Positive Calthorpe Points - at this point in the Autumn Term, the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is 55.
Two events will be taking place in the next few weeks - the ESU public speaking competition on 28 November and the Year 10 Dragons' Den on 6 December.
Details from English about two external competitions:
1. For those Year 11 students who are/will be 16 by the close of the competition on 24 February 2023, they might like the opportunity to write a poem of up to 48 lines on the theme of "The Planets". First prize = £5000, second prize = £3000, third prize = £1500 and 10 commended awards of £500 each. Find out more at this link.
2. KSCPP are holding their second essay contest for UK schools. The essay topic is based on the publication Chung Hyo Ye, a book of traditional tales of filial devotion, loyalty, respect and benevolence from the history and folklore of Korea. A free download and full contest details are available here.
Hampshire Teen Project are running a week of free activities/workshops/hot meals for students aged 11-16 who are eligible under the Pupil Premium Scheme during the first week of the Christmas Holidays. See this letter for details.
Friday 4 November 2022
Each year our assembly programme changes to reflect topical issues, events and themes that embody our shared values. Our students have the benefit of having these delivered to them within their House, in the formal setting of our main Hall. To ensure that our students really engage with the messages that we deliver, an "all-in" activity is delivered by each of their tutors that supports each assembly theme. See this link for more details.
There are a number of trips open for application this week, with the deadline on Monday at 9pm. See this link for the full list of trips.
There are further college open evenings taking place this month - Alton on the 9th, Sparsholt on the 12th, Lord Wandsworth on the 22nd, FCoT on the 23rd and BCoT on the 29th. See this page for details.
The PE team are looking for donations of second-hand, good condition PE tops, shorts or leggings. Please could these be taken to the PE Office.
Click here for news from the school Library, including Book of the Week. Also from Hampshire Libraries see these links about their general service, a coat exchange and bring a mug.
Positive Calthorpe Points - at this point in the Autumn Term, the average amount of House or Achievement points allocated to students is 50.
See the Community Events notice on our website which currently contains details of two sports clubs that take place here, rugby taster sessions for girls at Camberley Rugby Club this Sunday, a girls football club in Hartley Wintney and the restart of Hype on 9 December.
Friday 21 October 2022
Please see this link for our Newsletter this half term.
We are pleased to announce that the Year 11 Leavers' Prom will be held on Friday 30th June 2023 at Warbrook House in Eversley. An assembly giving details will be held for Year 11 students on 31 October, with further information being sent out to parents in the new year.
Safeguarding matter - we have been made aware that young people in the area are making plans to host a large gathering over half term. We understand that over 100 students have been invited from a range of local schools. Information suggests that quantities of alcohol and controlled drugs may be available. The police are aware of such plans and we feel it is sensible to share this information with our parents so that if you are aware that your child has received such an invitation you can exercise caution as appropriate.
We are holding a Stay Safe Information Evening for parents of students in Years 8, 9, 10 and 11 on Tuesday 1 November, from 6-7.30pm, with a specific focus on Child Criminal Exploitation. For further details and to book a place, please see this link.
Attendance Matters - we are pleased to inform you that our most recent attendance figures put us at 93.4% which is above the national average of 92.4%. We want to exceed our target and aim for at least 96% across the whole school - please can you help us reach our target?
See this link for the latest Library news.
PS Catering have planned new menus in the Restaurant and Café starting after half term - see this link on the website for details.
The UKMT Intermediate Club for Years 9, 10 and 11 starts on Mondays after school until 4pm in X1.
Science are very grateful for all the recycling donations so far! Due to regular use, they would welcome further donations of empty aluminium soft drinks cans. Please can students take these to the second floor science prep room after half term.
Hampshire Libraries are inclusive, non-judgemental spaces where everyone can expect a warm welcome from staff and volunteers. See this link which explains in more detail their facilities, free activities and service.
Wishing you all a good half term break - school reopens on Monday 31 October.
Friday 14 October 2022
Please find attached a letter from Mr Borkowski about uniform expectations. You can also see this letter on our website here.
On Monday 10 October, Year 11 received an assembly about the different 'Revision Skills' and how to prepare for their mock examinations. The CPS Extra Programme starts next week and students will attend subject specific revision sessions to prepare them for the mocks. In addition, a Year 11 formal mocks assembly will take place on Monday 17 October to explain the processes and students will receive a 'Mocks Revision Booklet'.
There is a Year 7 Meet the Tutor virtual event for Year 7 parents on Tuesday 18 October - see this letter for details about booking your appointment.
The UKMT Maths Challenge Intermediate Club for Years 9, 10 and 11 starts again after half term on Mondays after school. It would help if students would register their interest either with Mrs Powell in X1 or their Maths teacher.
Science - as mentioned last week please could students drop the requested recycling items off at the second floor Science prep room. These items are empty, uncrushed soft drinks cans, food can lids (without sharp edges), empty ice cream tubs/takeaway containers, old bath towels - thanks for your support.
Library News - see this link for details of Black History Month, timings and Book Club.
College Open Evenings for Year 11 students are taking place next week as follows:
Farnborough 6th Form - Tuesday 18, Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 October, 4-6pm or 6.30-8.30pm
(book tickets at this link or see their website here - please note that the later time has now sold out for all days)
Peter Symonds - Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 October, 5.30-8.30pm
You can see the College Open Evenings page on our website here.
Finally, we are always very grateful when you take the time to make contact with us to celebrate the dedication of school staff in supporting and educating your children. The Pearson Education Awards have now opened their nominations for 2023. If you or your child would like to recognise a teacher for their dedication, creativity and support, then please do see this link and submit a nomination.
Friday 7 October 2022
This week, the Y11 Parents' Information Evening presentation was sent out and this can be viewed by Year 11 parents and students at this link. Next week, students will attend a seminar on revision skills to prepare them for their mock exams in November.
We are holding the 21st Model United Nations event on Friday 14 October with participants from Years 10 and 11. Each country has a representative for each of the three committees - Security, Social and Economic. On the evening of Wednesday 12 October, the delegates from each country will visit their relevant committee, giving the delegates the chance to vote on resolutions and to ask for support from their allies.
We are excited to see the return of this event after a hiatus of three years due to covid. This year, we have decided to keep the event for Calthorpe students only, but we are looking forward to inviting participants from other schools and colleges next year.
Medical - with the cold/flu season approaching and with covid still in the community, we would request that all students bring in their own tissues and hand sanitiser. This is for the protection of students and staff. Please could you also remind your children to regularly wash their hands. To ensure students stay hydrated, please ensure students bring in their own water bottle daily.
As per Ms Jones email sent during the summer term, this is a reminder that students are not allowed to carry medication in their school bags with the exception of diabetic medication, inhalers and epipens. If medication is required during the school day, it needs to be stored in the medical room. This is for the safety of students - a local school has had an overdose case due to students obtaining medication from others.
Female students are welcome to come to medical for supplies of sanitary products which are readily available free of charge.
Restaurant payments - we are keen to make sure our students are always able to purchase food/drink, and not end up being hungry. With the re-launch of our restaurant, new café and our new catering team, PS Catering, in September 2021, we have trialled the use of student overdraft facilities as a mechanism to make sure students are able to purchase food/drink on the odd occasion parents forget to top up their accounts. If you wish your child to have a £5 overdraft facility, please complete this form.
Science need the following items - please could you collect over the next week and then we'll advise where they can be dropped off during the week of 17 October:
- Uncrushed, empty aluminium soft drinks cans
- Food can lids removed by can openers that leave a lip on the lid (no lids with sharp edges)
- 1 and 2 litre ice cream tubs/food tubs with lids
- Empty plastic takeaway food containers with lids
- Old or unwanted large bath towels
Library News - see this link for details of the National Poetry Day, lunchtimes, opening times and Book Club.
College Open Evenings over the next fortnight for Year 11 students - see this page on our website for details:
Farnham - Saturday 8 October, 9.30am-12.30pm
Sparsholt - Saturday 8 October, 10am-2pm
Basingstoke College of Technology - Saturday 8 (10am-12.30pm) and Monday 10 October, 4.30-7pm
Farnborough College of Technology - Wednesday 12 October, 4-7.30pm
Guildford - Wednesday 12 October, 4.30-7.30pm
Alton - Thursday 13 October, 5-8pm
Peter Symonds - Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 October, 5.30-8.30pm
Farnborough 6th Form - Tuesday 18, Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 October, 4-6pm or 6.30-8.30pm (book tickets at this link or see their website here)
Friday 30 September 2022
We would like to inform you that we are running a "push on punctuality and attendance programme" over the next two weeks.
Whilst the overwhelming majority of our students have excellent attendance records, we know that for some arriving on time is a challenge and this can sometimes be due to complex circumstances. However, excellent attendance and punctuality has repeatedly been shown to have a positive impact on progress and attainment. In addition, we want to encourage good routines and promote being on time as an important life skill.
Starting on Monday 3 October, if your son or daughter is late to school in the morning, you will receive an Edulink message advising you of their lateness and offering support to improve this. This is not intended to be a punitive initiative, rather a way to be transparent with our parents and to identify students who might need our support.
Southampton University Cipher Challenge - this club is starting on Thursdays from 6 October. Numbers are limited to 25 students and can be individual entries or as a team. Students should see Mrs Powell in X1 or Mrs Jones in X3 if interested. More information about this club can be found here. Our full clubs list is also here.
The Maths weekly puzzle has restarted. An email is sent each week from Mr Marzetti to all students with two types of questions. All responses get house points, with more if correct, plus the fastest response gets five house points! Please encourage your children to take part.
Library News - see this link giving details of opening times, Y7/8 Book Club, the book amnesty and National Poetry Day.
College Open Evenings for Year 11 students - there are a number of college open evenings taking place over the next 10 days as follows:
Farnborough College of Technology - online information meeting for parents/students living in Fleet - Monday 3 October, 7.30pm
Queen Mary's College - Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 October, 5-8pm
Merrist Wood - Wednesday 5 October, 4.30-7.30pm
Salesian - Wednesday 5 October, 6.45-9pm
Yateley - Thursday 6 October, 7-9pm
Farnham - Saturday 8 October, 9.30am-12.30pm
Sparsholt - Saturday 8 October, 10am-2pm
Basingstoke College of Technology - Saturday 8 (10am-12.30pm) and Monday 10 October, 4.30-7pm
See this page on our website and visit the college websites to book places where relevant.
Friday 23 September 2022
Social Media – It has come to our attention that a small number of our students have not been using social media, including Snapchat and Whatsapp, wisely or indeed legally. Please could we request that parents check mobile devices and social media accounts regularly for inappropriate content? It would be incredibly helpful to our efforts to safeguard our young people if you could remind them that:
- Filming people without consent is a criminal offence
- Circulating footage or images of people without consent is an offence
- Engaging in online abuse or inciting others to victimise peers represents child-on-child abuse and it will not be tolerated
- Sending or sharing indecent images received is illegal
- Befriending strangers that are unknown to them is unwise and could result in them being targeted by those wishing to groom young people
Should you have any concerns, please do contact us directly, and should you wish to learn more about online safety please consult this link.
Year 11 Geography Field Trip, Monday 26 & Tuesday 27 September - students are reminded that meet time is 7.45am in the Restaurant next to Geography in non-school uniform, with a packed lunch and appropriate wet weather layers.
Free School Meals - Calthorpe Park School are mindful that financial circumstances may change rapidly in light of the current cost of living crisis. Your child may be eligible for ‘free school meals’ and support through ‘pupil premium’ funding. Details can be found on the website under Information/Pupil Premium here and to check the criteria for eligibility here.
Please complete this Form if you would like to be contacted to discuss further.
Fleet 5k & 10k – see this link if students would like to take part in these events on 30 October.
Year 10 Health and Social Care revision sessions begin next Thursday after school in Mu3 for 4 weeks in preparation for their first formal assignment.
Macmillan Coffee Morning – this takes place on Friday 30 September and we’d be very grateful for donations of cakes next week for this event. Further details will be sent out next week.
Library News – see this link for Library news, a book amnesty, the Y7/8 book club and student librarians.
Friday 16 September 2022
Next Thursday 22 September, school will close early at 2.10pm in preparation for our annual Open Evening for Year 6 children. Provision will be made for students who normally catch the bus at 3pm - if your child does need to stay on site up to 3pm, please contact Reception. Thank you to all students who have volunteered as Tour Guides and to help in departments during the evening - we are looking forward to a great event!
On Tuesday 20th September, Year 11 will have a Relationships and Sex Education Workshop with It Happens Education. The workshop will focus on consent and healthy relationships. We look forward to welcoming our speaker to CPS.
School photographs are taking place next week - see this link for the timings for each year group and for sibling photos.
There have been some updates to the lunchtime and after school clubs list - here is the latest version. The Diana Award will run on Wednesday lunchtimes, Y7/8 Photography Club after school on Wednesdays, and the Southampton University Cipher Challenge on Thursdays after school (from 6 October).
Library News this week - see this link for details about opening times, a book amnesty, a Reading Line, student librarians and Book Club.
The main college open evenings are about to take place over the next few weeks and we have collated details of these dates and timings on the website here. There are still some timings to be confirmed so we recommend that Year 11 students/parents also check the college websites prior to visiting.
Finally, as a reminder, school will be closed on Monday, observing the bank holiday for the State Funeral.
Friday 9 September 2022
Welcome back to the first term of the new academic year!
Today we remembered the Queen during our morning briefing and students were shown a presentation during tutor time. We include this link from Winston's Wish with advice and guidance on how to support young people.
The Library is now open and our new Librarian, Mrs Eastlake, is looking forward to meeting students. Please see her introduction and details about opening hours here.
Our clubs list has been updated showing activities taking place at lunchtime and after school. It can be found on the website under Students/Clubs here. It will be updated at regular intervals each half term so please check the page on a regular basis. Most clubs will be starting during the week of 12 September. One new club is the Social Sport club on a Tuesday after school. Students can turn up and book an allocated sports area for their own use with friends, providing a great way to be active, build confidence and fitness, and enjoy sport with friends. See this link for details.
Permit - Traffic Management System: Following the Permit Application Letter (Y6 into Y7) and the Renewal Invitation Letter (Y8-11) issued in July and the permit checks and conversations that have taken place this week, please be aware that from Wednesday 14 September there will be no access to the site for non-permit holders at the end of the day, during pick-up. Any parent who has not yet made an application or renewal request and is eligible for a permit (see here for eligible postcodes and additional information regarding extenuating circumstances), should email permits@cps.hants.sch.uk to request an Edulink application form and may need to make alternative collection arrangements until they receive their permit (where eligible).
Our careers page can be found on the website here. This includes a link to request a careers appointment for Year 11 students.
Two letters have been issued this week - one about trips and one for Year 9 about options. They can be found on this page.