Castle Hill Blog 25/09/2026

Welcome to the weekend! This week's assembly was hosted by our incredible Pupil Support and Oasis team members. We want to make sure that all of our pupils know that help is always available to ensure they have a positive experience here at Castle Hill.

Amazing Autobiographical Work!

I am thrilled to share some of the fantastic work of 7F, who have embarked on their first English topic of the year by exploring the art of autobiographical writing.

To build their descriptive writing skills, the pupils were challenged to create written self-portraits. Instead of just listing facts, they focused on using adjectives, interesting facts and details, to bring their personalities and appearances to life on the page.

The classroom has been buzzing with creativity, and the final pieces are bursting with imagination. Here are a few brilliant snippets from our talented writers:

My name is Max. I am eleven and I love computers. I knew a person who was 101 and he give all his books to me. I have deep blue eyes and dark glasses, I also have brown thin hair and I am very tall. I have a computer at home and I play on it every day. I have gotten new slip-ons for school that I love more than my other shoes because they are comfortable. My favourite foods are potatoes and chicken.

Ditching the Bowl: Animal Care Creativity

This term, our Year 12 and Year 13 Vocational Animal Care qualification students have been studying the vital role mental stimulation plays in animal care. A key focus of their coursework involves researching how puzzle feeders and enrichment toys mimic natural foraging behaviours to boost animal wellbeing.

After observing how Simba the school dog interacts with his own food-dispensing toys throughout the day, the students evaluated the unique sensory and physical needs of smaller animals. They channelled this research into a practical project: crafting custom enrichment toys for the Sixth Form guinea pigs.

The results speak for themselves, our guinea pigs had a fantastic time exploring, foraging, and testing out the students' creative designs!

Looking Ahead...Dates for the Diary:

Date	Event
Wed 30^th Sep	Post 16 Event for Year 11 Parents/ Carers (3-6pm)
Wed 7^th Oct	Post 18 Event for Year 13 Parents/ Carers (3-6pm)
Tues 13^th Oct	Flu Vaccinations
Thurs 22^nd Oct	Halloween Disco (more details to follow) (3-5pm)
Fri 23^rd Oct	Break up for October half term holidays
Mon 2^nd Nov	Pupils return to school
W/c Mon 16^th Nov	Anti-Bullying Week
Thurs 19^th Nov	Year 7 & Year 10 Parents’ Evening (3-6pm)
Fri 27^th Nov	INSET (no pupils in)
Sat 5^th Dec	Christmas Fayre (10am-12pm)
Tues 15^th Dec	Christmas Panto (NK Theatre)
Wed 16^th Dec	Christmas dinner and jumper day
Fri 18^th Dec	Finish for Christmas Holidays (1pm finish)
Mon 4^th Jan	Start of Spring Term (8.50am)

Reminder on Hair Styles & Piercings

At our school, we love celebrating every pupil's unique personality and individuality. As a SEND school, we always want our young people to feel comfortable, and we will always make reasonable adjustments for sensory or individual needs wherever we can.

To help us keep everyone safe and maintain our school ethos, we just want to share a gentle reminder about our guidelines for hairstyles and piercings:

Hair styles: Hair should be styled appropriately for the school day. Please avoid extreme or highly unconventional styles.
Facial piercings: For health and safety reasons, facial piercings are not permitted at school.

We really appreciate your support and understanding with this, if you are ever unsure please contact School to chat with a member of our Leadership/Pupil Support Team.

From Seed to Success!

At the start of 2026, Sam, one of our brilliant Year 9 pupils and his mum, took on a brand-new allotment plot. After months of hard work digging, weeding, and preparing the ground, they have celebrated their very first harvest.

Sam spent most weekends working on the plot. During the summer heatwave, he visited almost every day to keep the mini crops well-watered. His dedication has paid off with an incredible bounty over the past six months, including potatoes, leeks, beetroot, rhubarb, and a variety of berries.

Most impressive of all, Sam grew marrows, courgettes, and pumpkins from seed in his conservatory before transplanting them outside.

We are immensely proud of Sam's hard work, resilience, and gardening success!