It was lovely to see so many of our year 11 at the VI Form open evening last night. Next week they sit their trial exams. In their assembly on Monday, protocols and expectations during exams were shared. This was a reminder of the things that are considered as malpractice if they occur by the examination boards. They must not have mobile phones or watches on them, only water in clear bottles without labels are allowed in the exam hall, pockets need to be empty and they must remain in silence throughout their exam from the time they walk in the door, to the time they leave. We have a duty to report malpractice in the summer exams, and we will, in order to ensure the integrity of our centre.

I appreciate that for some students this will be a stressful week. There are a significant number of exam staff to support students through this, as well as their tutors and Mrs Smith. Morning exams start at 9.00 am, students need to be lined up by 8.45 am. Punctuality to school is very important. We will be opening the doors to them at 8.00 am, offering a bacon baguette, toast and a drink. Please encourage them to take up this offer as there will be staff on hand to support them with any queries or anxieties they may have.

On Monday we had ‘Odd Socks’ day. Students and staff are encouraged to wear odd socks for the day and donate £1 for the Anti-Bullying Alliance. We raised £120! Thank you to everyone who took part.

Flu vaccinations are taking place in school on Monday. If you have completed a consent form sent out by the NHS school vaccination team, your child will be called for their vaccination during the day.

Emails were sent out this week regarding the Santa Dash. This is a fun run to Carisbrooke Castle to raise money for The Brainy Bunch. If your child would like to take part, please complete the consent form and return to school.

Our Federation School Panto will take place at Carisbrooke College on 5 and 6 December. If you would like to book tickets to the performance, you can do so using the Arbor App. We are also asking for donations of shop bought mince pies to offer the audience during the interval. If you would like to make a donation, please send your mince pies into school with your child and ask them to pass it to reception.

Congratulations on our top achievement point winners – year 7 Summer, year 8 Zack, year 9 Liam, year 10 Ruby-Jayne and year 11 Riley.

Have a good weekend.

Miss Begley

Head of School – Carisbrooke College 

Welcome back to a new half term! I hope you had a good break, despite the wet weather.

I have had the pleasure of leading the assemblies this week. My focus is always on sharing with our students our mission statement which is ASPIRE & ACHIEVE. Our core values are built around ASPIRE which are Ambition, Success, Progress, Inspirations, Respect and Equality. My focus this half term is on Respect. I talked about ‘The Animals’ war – Remembrance Day from a different perspective.

Today we held our Remembrance Service in school. Unfortunately due to the wet weather, it was held indoors this year but we received a beautifully played Last Post by Mary Teague and readings from Eleanor C which were heard over the tannoy system. It was very sombre and the respect shown by the school community was outstanding. We are so proud of them.

It was good to see so many year 11 students come into school for the revision sessions over the holiday. Huge thanks to the staff for running these. There are a number of revision sessions available to year 11 leading up to their rehearsal exams – please encourage them to attend. Next Thursday, 16 November, we have our Island VI Form open evening from 5.00 pm – 8.00 pm. If your child is considering post 16 education, please come along and see what the college has to offer.

The students who visited Vietnam over the holiday had a fantastic time! Take a look at the pictures of the trip on our facebook and instagram pages. The students were amazing and made the staff on the trip very proud!

On Monday we are having ‘Odd Socks’ day. Students and staff are encouraged to wear odd socks for the day for £1 which will be donated to the Anti-Bullying Alliance.

Finally, can I please draw your attention to this letter from the Violence Reduction Unit Director for Hampshire and Isle of Wight regarding knife crime awareness.

Have a good weekend.

Miss Begley

Head of School – Carisbrooke College 

I cannot believe we are half a term through this academic year! This week we have had our celebration assemblies and many students have received certificates. Congratulations to all of the winners and thank you for all of your hard work. It is always a pleasure to see the amount of students being rewarded for being such great members of the Carisbrooke College community.

On Monday we had our year 7 disco. The event was a great success for students and staff alike. It was lovely to see so many students joining in with the fun and letting their hair down. A well deserved treat for completing their first half term in secondary school.

On Monday, a group of students from Carisbrooke, Medina and the VI Form travelled to Vietnam for a long awaited trip. You can keep up to date with their adventures on our facebook and instagram page. So far it appears that they are having a great time and we are looking forward to hearing all about it on their return.

A letter was emailed out on Tuesday regarding revision sessions for year 11 students over the half term. Please encourage your child to engage in these sessions as they are to provide added support with their GCSE exams next year.

I wish you all an enjoyable half term and we look forward to students returning to school at 8.45 am on Monday 6 November.

Miss Begley
Head of School – Carisbrooke College 

Assemblies in school this week have been supporting Black History month. The theme for this year’s Black History month is “Time for Change: Actions Not Words”. The purpose of this theme is not just to educate people on Black History but to inform and empower people to be true allies in the anti-racism movement.

On Thursday, our Year 11 geographers went on a field trip to Sandown as part of their GCSE course. The students were all extremely well behaved and the trip was a great success!

On Wednesday, we held our Federation Careers Event for Year 11. It was a great evening with many external visitors giving information to our Year 11 students and their parents regarding opportunities post-16. Thank you to all those who attended.

Next Wednesday, we have our Year 7 Tutor Evening. This is an opportunity for parents of year 7 students to meet with their child’s tutor to discuss their progress and how they are settling into secondary school. If you haven’t already booked an appointment, please do so via Arbor. We look forward to welcoming you.

The next Parent Voice meeting will take place in school on Tuesday 17 October at 6.00 pm. This is for existing parents and new year 7 parents are also invited to attend. If you have any questions with regards to Parent Voice, please email louise.southwell@iwef.org.uk.

Finally, we are currently recruiting for a Parent Governor. Letters have been sent out to parents today. For more information, please see our website.

Have a lovely weekend.

Miss Begley
Head of School – Carisbrooke College

On Thursday we had the pleasure of opening our doors to current year 6 students at our Open Evening. I thought I would share one of many positive pieces of feedback we received – “Thank you very much for such an informative evening – it was lovely to see how passionate current students were about the school, as well as the teachers. I can assure you that the pupils who helped tonight did you proud in showing off the school, and it was lovely to see.” We had so many student volunteers helping and they are our best ambassadors as they share their experiences of life at Carisbrooke. The evening was a great success.

Our Year 7 students sat their CATs (Cognitive Abilities Tests) this week. They were all very mature and well behaved, well done year 7!

Next Wednesday we have our careers evening to be held at Medina Theatre between 5.00 pm and 7.30 pm. This is open to all year 11 students and parents and will be an excellent opportunity to speak to key members of staff from Island businesses with regards to employment after education. It would be great to see you all there.

On Tuesday we had the Employable Me event for our year 11 students. The event was received very well by the students who found it engaging and useful. Thank you to all of the external visitors for making this event happen.

The next Parent Voice meeting will take place in school on Tuesday 17 October at 6.00 pm. This is for existing parents and new year 7 parents are also invited to attend. If you have any questions with regards to Parent Voice, please email louise.southwell@iwef.org.uk.

Have a lovely weekend.

Miss Begley

Head of School – Carisbrooke College 

Here we are at the end of week 3 – this half term is definitely flying by.

A few messages regarding Year 11 – 

– Students who went to the The Globe Theatre in London yesterday were a credit to the college. I have had lots of positive feedback about their attitudes and behaviour.

– There is an ‘Employable Me event’ on Tuesday where students can focus on what they plan to do after post-16.

– A letter was given out to students today during their assembly and it has been emailed to all parents/carers. This is with regards to their behaviour and learning in their final year in secondary school. Please take time to read this information and discuss it with your child.

Next Tuesday, we have the school photographers in and all students will be having their school photos taken. Proofs will be sent home in due course. As always, please ensure your child is in full uniform looking smart.

On Thursday 28 September, we have our Open Evening for Year 6 students. We have been inundated with student volunteers to help out for the event which just proves how proud our students are of our school and want to ‘show it off’ to prospective students. As Head, this is a pleasure to see.

Next week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, our Year 7 students will be sitting CATs (Cognitive Abilities Tests). No revision or prior learning is required. This involves three tests over the two days. Results from the tests help us to understand learning styles and highlight potential difficulties that students may be facing.

Attendance last week dropped to 93.8%. Please remember, our aim is always 100%, 95% equates to a maximum of 9 days off of school a year. Remember you can monitor your child’s attendance to school and in school through Arbor.

Have a lovely weekend.

Miss Begley

Head of School – Carisbrooke College