Swan Bites is our weekly college bulletin for parents/carers – it is published every Thursday.

We welcome any feedback or comments via: enquiries@swanmore-sec.hants.sch.uk

College Notices

Year 9 talk by Grant Coleman

Last week, our Year 9 pupils were treated to an inspiring series of creative writing and persuasive speaking workshops delivered by Grant Coleman, a Freelance Broadcast Producer and Manager who has worked extensively with the BBC on major sporting events, including coverage of the Olympic Games.

The sessions, organised in partnership with EBP South as part of our Unifrog careers enrichment programme, gave pupils a fascinating insight into the world of journalism and broadcasting. Through practical writing activities and interactive discussions, students learned how strong communication, storytelling, and critical thinking skills can open doors to exciting careers in media.

The workshops supported the Year 9 English curriculum focus on “Persuasive Talking and Writing” and helped pupils make clear connections between their classroom learning and the skills used by professionals in the industry.

We would like to extend our thanks to Grant Coleman and Emma Frost from EBP South for providing such an inspiring and memorable experience for our pupils.

Iceland Information Evening

There will be an information evening for those going on the Iceland Trip in 2026.  The meeting will take place on Thursday, 05 March 2026 in the Main Hall between 6:00pm and 7:00pm.  Please see the poster below and the attached link for further information. 

Kit List 2026.docx - Google Docs - this link will ask you to download a copy of the file.

Uniform Survey Results

Pupils have recently completed a uniform survey and were asked two questions:

• Would you like the option to wear black smart, tailored shorts as part of the Swanmore College uniform in the summer term?
• Would you like the option to wear black skorts as part of the PE uniform?

The results are as follows:

• 595 pupils responded across all year groups with over 50% of responses coming from Year 8 & Year 9 pupils.
• Tailored shorts – 48% of pupils said yes and 52% of pupils said no – therefore we will not be introducing smart tailored shorts
• Skorts – 69% of pupils said yes and 31% said no – therefore, we will be introducing skorts into our PE uniform and Mr Andrews will be sending details of these in due course.

We are very grateful to pupils for their input.

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Year 7

Y7 Parent Workshop for Languages

We understand that helping with French or Spanish homework can feel challenging if you haven’t studied a language recently. Languages teacher, Mrs Hinson, is hosting a dedicated workshop for parents and carers of Year 7 pupils to address this exact challenge. This session is specifically designed to boost your confidence and provide you with the necessary knowledge to effectively support your child’s Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) independent learning at home. 

Hurry and book your place as the workshop takes place next week on Thursday, 23 October, at 6:00 pm.

Click here to find out more and sign up. 

Year 8

Year 8 Curriculum Information Evening – Thursday, 16 October 2025, 5:00pm - 5:45pm

Year 9

Year 9 Curriculum Information Evening – Thursday, 16 October 2025, 6:15pm - 7:00pm

Year 10

There are no specific items for Year 10 only. 

Year 11

Year 11 NEA Practical Assessments take place next week. 

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Next Week’s Events and Half Term

Monday, 20 October 2025

• U13 Girls' Football Hants Cup vs. Peterfield (H)

Tuesday, 21 October 2025

• Year 9 photo retakes and Year 7, 9 and 11 absentees
• Year 10 Sports Leaders Event for Year 4, 5 and 6 Girls' Football

Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Thursday, 23 October 2025

• U14 Boys' Basketball vs. Bitterne Park (A)
• Year 11 Boys' Football vs. Kings (H)

Friday, 24 October 2025

• Last day of the current half term - school finishes at the usual time
• Year 8 Boys' Rugby vs. Toynbee (H)

Monday, 27 October to Friday, 31 October 2025

• Half term holiday

Monday, 03 November 2025

• Professional day - the College is closed to pupils

Tuesday, 04 November 2025

• We look forward to welcoming pupils back to school

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Community Notices

Chelsea FC Post-16 Training Sessions

Chelsea FC Post-16 College Programme will be running an open training session at Sparsholt College in October this year. This will be open to all prospective players to attend for the 2026/27.

The day will include an introduction and overview of our Post-16 Programme and include a training session focusing on the technical and tactical aspects of the game. To confirm attendance please book online by using the QR code in the posters attached below or the website chelseasoccerschools.co.uk and the course code: PO16-SPA-H-6 for prosepctive female players and PO16-SPA-H-5 for prospective male players.

• Venue: Spartsholt College SO21 2NF

• When: Wednesday, 29 October at 09:00-12:00 pm

• Age: School years 11 and 12

• Pitch surface: grass

 

 

Please note that any external clubs / events that are advertised here are not endorsed by or directly affiliated with Swanmore College in any way.