Wyvern College

Welcome to the Autumn 2024 issue of thisTerm@Wyvern.

We have rounded up the good news stories from this term – featuring event and achievements across the curricular and extra-curricular activities of our college community.

In this issue we have:

Games of Houses - how our new houses have been competing for points this term.
Looking Out For Each Other - supporting our students and community.
Looking to the Future - events and activities to inspire our students.
Celebrating Success - extracurricular highlights.
Friends of Wyvern - the latest news from our fundraising charity.
Alumni Spotlight.
Christmas at the College.

Game of Houses

This will be our first full academic year under the new house system. All our student and staff have been placed in one of five houses.

House points can be won in many ways – for students this will be linked to meeting our PRIDe expectations, good classroom behaviour, supporting college events, going above and beyond in their learning and for achievements in their extra-curricular activities. In additional there is another way that students and staff can contribute points and that is through the Houses Games.

This term has seen students take part in assembly challenges (just how loud can your house sing “Wonderwall” or how far can everyone pass a giant beachball?) and other games – like Escape Room challenges and Space Hopper Races. Staff too have competed - in darts and baking competitions.

At time of publication, all our houses have over 50,000 points, so we expect all those to be passed the 100K mark by Easter.

Looking After Ourselves and Others

On the 10th of October, the college marked World Mental Health Day. Staff dressed in yellow to recognise the event and our students shared their wellbeing tips with other students – which were then displayed in our Student Services areas for everyone to see.

The college marked Remembrance this year both at the Fair Oak and Horton Heath ceremony on Remembrance Sunday and then at 11am on Monday the 11th of November, when the college fell silent and our brass ensemble played Reverie and the Last Post, whilst our senior prefects and headteacher, Mr Rule, stood vigil. We never forget the sacrifice of others for peace and our freedoms.

We were delighted that over 40 Year 10 pupils have successfully passed their Reading Ambassadors training and are now ready to assist students in Year 7 and Year 8. All have been enthusiastic, engaged, and keen to help younger pupils in the school progress in their learning.

We were delighted to receive a certificate through from Skoolkit to let us know that blazers orders for the college have funded the planting of 252 trees.

We have had Christmas meetings of our Bereavement, Young Carers, Glow Groups which support students dealing with a variety of life challenges. Our librarian Anna handmade dozens of beautiful decorations – which allow students and staff to remember their loved ones.

Meanwhile our youngest children from Wyvern Childcare have been continuing to make friends with with the older generation at Sunnybank House Care Home through their regular trips for story time. We know everyone has a great time - sometimes with bubbles!

Looking to the Future

Young Entrepreneurs

Our students have been finding out more about what it takes to run businesses.

Our Year 8 students have been running Pop-up Cafes – serving staff with breakfast food and drink. They need to welcome their customers, take their orders, prepare and serve the requested food and drink.

Meanwhile our Year 9 Enterprise and Marketing students held their Christmas Fayre at the beginning of December. They had to design Christmas products that would appeal to a young audience. With the assistance of a small business loan, they then had to make the products and sell them at the fayre. Assisted by Father Christmas, we welcomed lots of our students and staff and were delighted to be joined by families from our neighbouring Fair Oak Infant and Junior schools.

We wonder how many of these young entrepreneurs will go on to start their own businesses?

Inspiring Trips and Events

Our students have had the opportunity to get out and about, visiting places and attending events that we hope will inspire them in their future endeavours.

Our Year 10 GCSE music students attended the Bright Sparks Concert in November. This annual event allows students to hear pieces from the curriculum and find out more about their musical structures and historical context. This year the students got to hear the London Philharmonic Orchestra play pieces by Bach, Vivaldi and Beethoven as well as film music from the Dam Busters and Nope.

In June our Year 9 reading group had taken part in the voting for this year's Hampshire Book Awards - the winner was Electric Life by Rachael Delahaye. In October, the students had the opportunity to hear the author talk about her writing process and inspirations, before receiving her award. It was a fascinating insight into what it takes to write a book and the students had lots of questions. Rachael then signed copies of the book - a really special souvenir of the trip.

On the 13th of December three of our Year 10 students attended Solent University for the 2024 Future Leaders Programme, which was specifically designed for Black Asian and Minority Ethnic students by the GRIT Charity. The programme aimed to support participants' educational journey and help them in achieving their full potential.

Careers Fair

Our Careers Fair took place at the end of September, and we welcomed representatives from local colleges and universities, national and local companies and the armed forces. This was an opportunity for students to see what is on offer for Post 16 and beyond.

Finley from Year 11 won a £25 Amazon voucher. Whilst at the careers fair he entered a competition with GE Aerospace by making his airplane fly the furthest an impressive 13.8 meters.

Celebrating Success

Artistic Brilliance

Three of our students have enjoyed some well-deserved success in recent art competitions.

Rosenna in Year 9 drew some incredible portraits at home and it was so good that her Art teacher, Mr Price, suggested she should submit some to competitions. Rosenna entered one of her portraits, of a young child, into The HobbyMaker Junior Crafter competition and won 1st place!

Emily, also in Year 9, won first prize for her superb picture “Lemon” in the Junior Art Exhibition at the Carroll Centre, Winchester.

A fantastic AI-generated image, which Reuben in Year 7 entered into a competition run by the Council of Europe. has gone on display in an exhibition at their headquarters in Strasbourg, France. He was the runner-up in the Europe-wide competition, which celebrated 75 years of human rights. Reuben's piece was entitled 'The Revolution' and focused on freedom of speech. What an amazing achievement.

Sporting Champions

The Year 9 Boys Football Team faced a tough fixture away to Hounsdown School in the Hampshire Cup. They went 1-0 up in the first 10 minutes which was a great start to the game. Half time finished at 1-1 as Hounsdown got a goal back making it a tight game. It was a well fought game between the two sides that stayed 1-1 at full time, so we went to penalties. There were some great penalties taken by the boys and a superb save by our Goalkeeper Emil meant we won the shootout 4-3. Sadly they didn't go on to make the final but this was a thrilling game.

Students in several years represented Wyvern at the District cross country Championships in Winchester on Friday 15th November. Lyra, Fern, Jasper, Jack, Lincoln and Bryce from Years 8&9; Jacob, Hugo and Ed Years 10 & 11. All were a credit to the school in behaviour, attitude and performance. Subsequently the following students have been selected to run at the County Championships in January as part of the Eastleigh and Winchester team: Inter Boys: Jacob and Hugo; Junior Boys: Jasper and Jack; Junior Girls: Lyra and Fern.

Una and Sophie in Year 11 represented Hampshire Girls Rugby Team in early December. Una was captain, and the team played Sussex, winning 17-0 and 17-10. Massive congratulations to them both.

Musical Congratulations

Lois in Year 9, is an exceptional musician and during this summer worked very hard on her musical skills and knowledge. Not only did she achieve a merit for her Grade 6 Piano performance exam, she also passed her Grade 8 music theory. This really is an outstanding achievement and working up to Grade 8 in music theory exceeds the expectations most musicians at A-level standard. Huge congratulations to Lois and this is all credit to her hard work and commitment to Music.

Michela in Year 11 has achieved a Distinction for her Grade 6 Percussion exam. Gaining this level of qualification takes real hard work and dedication - and shows skills across a range of instruments. Michela has been playing since primary school and her favourite of the many percussion instruments is the xylophone.

Deep Diving

Ollie in Year 8 gained his PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) qualification and described to us what he needed to do to achieve that level.

I recently spent two weekends learning to scuba dive and gaining my PADI certificate. I was in a group of 7 people and I was the youngest there by 6 years. Before my practical training began I had to do 10 hours of e-learning at home with a test at the end. The first weekend I learnt all the skills I will need to dive and how to dive safely in a specially built pool. We were taught how to set up all the equipment and use it in the water. The pool was 3.4 metres deep.

Then I spent the next weekend learning to dive in an outside environment, in a lake around 6 metres deep, with the visibility being around 1 metre. It was 17°C and the coldest it got was 14°C in the water. I am now a qualified PADI open water diver. This means with a buddy (who has also done the course) I can dive 12 metres deep but when I turn 15 this will go to 18 metres. I completed this course because in the future I want to be a marine biologist.

Well done Ollie - sounds like it was quite a chilly undertaking.

Friends of Wyvern

A Year of Amazing Achievements!

As we approach the end of the year, we’re thrilled to reflect on the incredible achievements of the Friends of Wyvern, our school PTA, since our establishment in January 2024. In just under a year, we’ve accomplished so much, thanks to the dedication and generosity of our community.

Charitable Status

One of our proudest achievements has been becoming a registered charity with the Charities Commission (Charity Number: 1210988). This milestone allows us to claim Gift Aid on donations, access grants from charitable foundations and corporate donors, and enhances public confidence in our mission. This recognition will help us continue supporting Wyvern students in the years to come.

Fundraising Success

We’re delighted to share that we have raised an impressive £2,500 in funds so far! On top of this, we’ve already invested £3,000 into enhancing the school’s facilities, funding the purchase of a brand-new mixing desk and radio microphones for our thriving arts department. These upgrades have made a huge impact on music, drama, and school performances.

Supporting Food Technology

This term, we were excited to deliver 20 new hand mixers to the Design and Technology department. These are now being used by students across the school in Food Technology classes, one of our original fundraising goals. It’s fantastic to see these resources in action!

Miss Hussey, our Curriculum Leader for Design Technology and Course Leader Food Preparation and Nutrition KS4 Writes:

We are thrilled to share that the Friends of Wyvern have generously raised funds to purchase a set of brand-new hand mixers for our Food Preparation and Nutrition classes. This fantastic donation is already making a significant impact on our students’ learning experience.

With these new mixers, students can now engage in more hands-on practical activities, such as making Swiss rolls and a variety of cakes. These opportunities are invaluable for developing their skills and building confidence as they work toward their GCSE qualifications.

The addition of the hand mixers not only enhances the efficiency of our lessons but also enriches the overall learning environment, enabling more students to take part in practical tasks simultaneously. This investment ensures that every student has the tools they need to thrive and succeed.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Friends of Wyvern for their ongoing support and generosity. Their contribution is helping to elevate the quality of our lessons and inspiring our students to reach new heights in their culinary journey.

Second-Hand Uniform Hub

Our Second-Hand Uniform Hub has been a resounding success, ensuring students are well-equipped and looking smart for school. A huge thank you to everyone who has donated, volunteered, or supported this initiative.

Celebrating Our Student Fundraisers

We couldn’t be prouder of the students who have gone above and beyond to help us raise funds. Special thanks to Sebastian, Lauren and Amelia for their amazing efforts—you are an inspiration to us all!

Looking Ahead: Seating and Canopies Project

Our next big focus is the Seating and Canopies Project, which will significantly improve the outdoor spaces for students during breaktimes—rain or shine. We are forming a working party to design this project and calculate the costs, and we’ll be reaching out to parents, students, staff, and the local community for their support. Together, we can make the Wyvern site even more comfortable and welcoming for our students.

Join Us!

The Friends of Wyvern are always looking for new ideas and helping hands. Our next AGM will be held on 28th January 2025, and we would love to welcome new committee members or volunteers to join our team. If you’re interested, please email us at FOW@wyvern.hants.sch.uk.

Find Out More

Website: www.friendsofwyvern.org.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561556424561

Thank you to everyone—parents, staff, students, and our wider community—who has supported us so far. Together, we’ve made a real difference at Wyvern. Here’s to even bigger and better achievements in 2025!

Alumni Achievements

Oli Smithson - Quarterback in Training

This term's alumnus only just qualifies as such, having left Wyvern in 2023.

Oli Smithson is currently at the Filton Pride American Football Academy and has been telling us what he has been up to this year - and it's really exciting.

Over the summer I travelled with some of the top players from the Filton Pride American Football Academy to Naples, Florida to compete against some of the best competition in America in an organised camp (called Top Gun Camp run by Football University). The camp was great and it gave me my first up close look at some of the best talent in America.

I was selected to play for Great Britain with the under 17's boys again, this time wearing number 1. I was really proud to be the starting QB and not only that but I was elected as the players captain. We played near Madrid against the Spanish National team, going on to win 32-23, stacking up the second ever win for Great Britain u17 team in the process. I felt I played really well and have since received lots of messages from people that watched the game, including from some European coaches who said they will be watching my progress!

I was also selected to travel to Serbia with the Great Britain under 17's Flag football team to compete in the European Youth Flag Football Championships, where I started at defensive back, making some highlight plays including a one handed interception. We ended the weekend earning a bronze medal, behind Israel and Italy. Due to the high cost of attending I set up a crowdfunding account and raised money through washing cars, mowing lawns, and running a cake sale (selling cakes baked by my sister Maia and her friends).

Additionally, in my final year with the South Coast Spitfires Flag Football team after 9 years, we went on to win another National Championship adding up to my third. It was a really lovely way to end my career with the team.

Finally, I am still playing for the Filton Pride American Football Academy where my talents are starting to blossom and I have been named the starting Quarterback. In the last year I have played in Scotland and France with Filton, as well as playing games in the UK against Team Ireland, a Danish elite team, Team South (similar to a GB team but only for the South of England), Team Scotland and several University teams. We have won every game apart from the game we played in France.

I have been invited to trials for the under 19 Great Britain contact team and also the under 21 Flag Football Great Britain team.

It's been a great year for me, it's been a lot of hard work but my progress has been continuous and I have been learning a lot on the way about life and football. There are a few more Filton Pride games coming up the academic year, and I am hoping to go back to Florida this summer to attend Top Gun FBU and am working toward my dream of playing in the states.

Here is a link to the Great Britain u17 boys vs the Spanish National Team incase you wanted to watch some of it : https://www.youtube.com/live/Ge7565nY-HE?si=dBrohDt_7GGoDxo0

What an amazing year. We will be hoping to hear more from Oli - who knows we may seem him in the NFL one day!

Christmas at the College

We round off this issue with a look at some of the special events we have held for Christmas. We have already covered the Christmas Fayre (see above) but here is a round up of some others.

Musical Cheer

Music is always an important part of our Christmas celebrations.

The Wyvern Choir took part in a spectacular performance at Romsey Abbey on Thursday the 5th of December and sang alongside the Barton Peveril Sixth Form Singers, the Rose singers adult choir, the Hampshire Youth Choir, and singers from Wildern School.

The main item was Wassail!- Songs of Comfort and Joy which is a collection of songs arranged for choirs by the fantastic choral director Alexander L’Estrange. Alexander worked with the choirs leading up to the event including evening rehearsals at Barton Peveril Rose Theatre in preparation for the concert.

Singers of Wyvern choir were fantastic and sang beautifully as well as being excellent ambassadors for the school. The choir also had the wonderful opportunity to meet other singers from across the globe, as they were joined by singers from the Kinard choir from Colorado. It was magical to hear all these voices joining together in song, as well as seeing them striking up friendships through music.

Our Community Choir held their own Christmas Concert on the 11th of December. They were joined by special guests from the Prince’s Mead Singers, Eastleigh Operatic and Musical Society and orchestral clarinettist Rob Blanken.

Things were nicely rounded off with our College Christmas Concerts on the 17th and 18th of December. Our guests enjoyed mince pies and warm drinks before enjoying the wonderful programme that included music from our college and community choirs, rock and groove bands, ensembles and concert bands - with a bit of drama thrown in.

LITTLE CHRISTMAS

Our Childcare Unit has had some very exciting activities in the run up to Christmas. They made decorations for their tree on the Christmas Fun Day and welcomed Father Christmas to their Christmas Party.

Christmas Feasts and Terrific Table Tops

Our Christmas lunches took place in the last two weeks of term. Tutor groups competed in the Christmas Table Challenge with some truly wonderful decorating skills on display. Each year had a winner and they received the accolade at the Celebration Assemblies in the last week.

The real heroes of the lunches were our amazing cafe staff. The continued to serve at both breaks whilst producing nearly 800 Christmas dinners - including one for our Support Staff. They have certainly earned their Christmas break.