We've put together this frequently asked question page which we hope will answer the generic questions you may have. As ever, if there is something we cannot answer for you please do just get in touch with us.
Noadswood FAQ - Tutor and House/Year Teams
Your happiness, safety and enjoyment at Noadswood is our top priority and we will do everything we can to support you in the five years you are with us.
How does the Year and House System work?
We’re incredibly proud of our House System at Noadswood. When you join us, you’ll join one of our 4 mighty houses; Anderwood, Deerleap, Knightwood or Wilverley.
Your house will become like a team you’re part of – you’ll earn points towards the termly house cup, take part in house competitions and represent them in all you do.
Pastoral care is at the heart of our school ethos. We work hard to ensure children are always supported and feel happy and confident in their environment.
Our pastoral structure consists of 5 Year Leaders and 3 Assistant Year Leaders. We want to ensure that all our students are supported in both their academic and personal development and that's the role of our pastoral team. Each year group has an experienced Year Leader, supported by their Assistant Year Leader. Each year group also has a team of tutors and you can find out more about that on our tutor page.
What will my tutor group be like?
We know that joining a new school with a lot of new people can be quite a daunting experience for some. We know that you’ll make loads of new friends when you join us and your tutor group is a key part of that. We want you to be happy and enjoy coming to school and a huge part of this is seeing those friendly and familiar faces, particularly when you’re brand new! Our transition team work really closely with your primary schools and year 6 teachers in order to make sure that you are in a tutor group with at least one or two students who you know and are already friends with. Often, you year 6 teacher will ask you who you would like to be with and then pass that information over to us.
Your tutor group will be made up of about 25 – 30 year 7 students, from a variety of our local primary schools. You’ll be allocated a tutor from our amazing set of staff and our aim is that they will stay your tutor for the entire 5 years you are with us. If you’ve had older siblings or friends who’ve been to Noadswood recently, they would’ve changed tutors and tutor groups towards the end of year 7 and be mixed together with students in the other years but we’ve changed that this year. You’ll stay together as the same group for the entire time you’re with us.
Noadswood FAQ - Getting Lost
Is Noadswood a massive school?
We’re quite often referred to as a big school which is true in some ways– we have around 1,000 students and we’ve got a site which reflects that. We have different blocks for different subjects which is quite different to what you would’ve experienced at primary school. However, just because we have bigger year groups or a bigger site than some of the other schools in the Waterside, we don’t think you need to worry too much about that. We’ve got a super set of staff working at Noadswood who will do all they can to make sure you feel happy, you enjoy coming to school and you feel safe on site with us. You’ll see from all the videos that our year 7s have soon learnt their way around!
What if I get lost?
Don’t worry – it happens! We know that it is going to take a little bit of time to familiarise yourself with the layout of the school and where all the different classrooms are. Don’t panic. Your teachers know that you’re still figuring it out so you won’t get in trouble for being late if you’ve got yourself a little muddled. We have staff and prefects around in every building in order to point you in the right direction. We know that getting lost is a really common worry that year 6s often have but the year 7s always tell us how quickly they find their way around.
Noadswood FAQ - Support
Who can I talk to if I am worried about something or someone?
We’re super proud of the pastoral care we offer at Noadswood and we’ve got so many different places and people you can go to for a bit of support or if you’re worried about anything.
First off, your tutor. They are there for you to talk to, every morning. You can also use our messaging system, Class Charts, if you find that a little easier.
For those who might need a little bit of extra support, our ELSA Miss Harwood is available for 1:1 appointments (you’ll need to chat to your tutor or House Leader about how to access this) and she also has daily drop ins.
In addition, if you have particular concerns or worries about yourself or another member of our Noadswood family, we have our Designated Safeguarding Lead Mrs Loveday who you’ll be able to talk to.
It’s so important to us that you do reach out when you’re feeling worried or have something on your mind – we want you to feel happy and enjoy coming to school and that can be tough when there’s lots going on.
What support is there if I am struggling with my mental health?
We’ve explained above all of the different people in school that you can talk to if you’re feeling a bit worried but if you’re struggling with your mental health, we need to make sure you get the right support. In addition to your tutor and house leaders, we have other places in school where you can access help with this.
In school, as well as our ELSA, Miss Harwood, we also have a school counsellor who has 1:1 appointments with students who need extra support. We also work with a lot of outside agencies such as CAMHs, the school nursing team and The Handy Trust.
We know that some people might find it difficult to talk to someone in school so we also have a brilliant Well-Being page on our school VLE which sign posts you to so many different apps and organisations that can specifically help you with any mental health concerns.
Mrs Loveday is our Designated Safeguarding Lead and she’s another person you can contact for help and support here.
What sort of support groups do you have?
We’ve got loads of support groups in school. We have a young carers group who are supported by the New Forest young carers. We also have a military group for those students who have family in the services.
Our Memory Garden group offers support for students who have experienced bereavement in any way, offering 1:1 support, group support and a termly group activity.
Mrs Loveday is also in charge of looking after any children who are in foster care although this is usually individual support to each child.
How will you help me keep safe online?
Technology and the internet can be a right pain, can’t it?
We want to make sure you know how to be safe online and we do a few lessons on this pretty early on, in citizenship. We revisit online safety through assemblies and Mrs Loveday will often send out some helpful tips and advice, to students and parents, via epraise.
In school, you’ll each have your own log on to the school computers and we monitor your usage really careful. Any unsafe or inappropriate content is blocked by our filters.
Noadswood FAQ - Homework
Will I get lots of homework?
We are aware at Noadswood that secondary school can be a huge adjustment. Homework can be a large part of this and can cause worry for some children. We have introduced a phased introduction of homework leading to a full homework timetable by Christmas. We also have two adult led homework clubs in school to support with any homework needs.
Noadswood FAQ - Bullying
Does bullying happen at Noadswood?
Bullying can happen in any school, including Noadswood. The important thing to know is that we take all types of bullying seriously. We want our students to feel happy, safe and enjoy coming to school. You can’t do any of those things if you are experiencing bullying of any kind.
What should I do if I am being bullied?
Talk to someone. We know that can be hard to do but we want you to reach out – to a parent or carer, to your tutor, your house leader or any member of our staff. We will talk with you to find out what has been going on and then together, make a plan as to the right next steps to take.
What happens if I find it difficult to come to school?
It is likely that at some point, you might not want to come to school. You might feel unwell or feel super tired after a busy weekend. That’s ok, we all feel like that sometimes.
For some children though, school can be really tough and it can be difficult for loads of different reasons. As well as our house team, we also have an attendance officer who can support you and work with you on ways in which we can help.
It’s really important that if you’re finding it hard to come to school, that you talk to someone. There are loads of things we can do to try and help you.
What if I have a problem on social media?
If you’re experiencing any issues on social media, we really want you to come and talk to us about that. We can’t control or police social media sites but we can talk to students and staff about how to use these platforms responsibly. We know that sometimes, issues that happen on social media can spill over into school and have a real impact on your happiness, that’s why it’s important that we know about it so we can work together to make sure that you are safe and that any issues can be dealt with appropriately.
Noadswood FAQ - Food 😋
The canteen has a really wide variety of food: it is all freshly prepared with plenty of choice including the popular street food options, which are easy to hold and perfect for socialising while eating. More information can be found on our canteen page.
What are the menus?
The menus can be found on the canteen page.
What time is lunch and where can I eat?
Lunch starts at 1.20pm and finishes at 1.50pm. The canteen is open at all of these times, and food can be eaten at our many benches and seated areas in the year zone or taken back to your tutor base. In the beginning weeks of year 7, you will have an earlier and slightly longer lunch to help you get used to a new system and way of ordering lunch.
Noadswood FAQ - Around the School
Am I allowed my phone?
Yes, you can bring your phone to school. However, we operate a digital detox during the day so your phone is expected to be in your pocket/bag and switched off as to not be a distraction, though your teacher may allow you to use it during structured lesson time for learning purposes.
What are the timetables like?
We have a two-week timetable (week A and week B) which you'll note down in your student journal. It is also published on FROG and Arbor so you'll know what you've got in advance.
Noadswood FAQ - Subjects
We are so proud of our rich curriculum at Noadswood and know you might have some subject questions. Everyone in Year 7 and 8 study the same curriculum, but in Year 9 you get to choose your option subjects that you will study at GCSE. Each department has produced a list of common questions, which can be accessed below:
Noadswood FAQ - Transport
There are a variety of BlueStar buses which have Noadswood on their route (BlueStar 8, 9 and H1/H2). For details of bus fares, click here
BlueStar 8 bus:
From Southampton the Southampton-Hythe 8 bus covers most of the route in from South Waterside. Route: Southampton – Millbrook – Totton – Marchwood – Applemore – Hythe – Dibden Purlieu
BlueStar 9 bus:
From Southampton OR South Waterside (Blackfield) the Calshot-Southampton 9 bus covers most of the route in from either Southampton OR South Waterside. Route: Southampton – Hythe – Fawley / Langley
BlueStar H1/H2 buses:
Applemore to Hythe via Dibden Purlieu, Buttsash, Langdown. Route: Hythe – Langdown – Butts Ash – Dibden Purlieu – Hythe Ferry Terminal – Applemore Tesco
