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04 June 2026

Swan Bites is our weekly College bulletin for parents and carers – it is published every Thursday.
We welcome any feedback or comments via: enquiries@swanmore-sec.hants.sch.uk

College Notices

Important: Major Changes to Free School Meals (September 2026)

A wide rectangular banner with a dark navy-blue background. On the left-hand side is the white Department for Education logo, featuring the Royal Coat of Arms above the words "Department for Education" in a clean sans-serif font. A thin vertical white line separates the logo from the edge of the banner. The remainder of the banner is plain dark blue with no additional text, imagery or decorative elements.

From the start of the 2026-27 academic year, free school meal eligibility is expanding. Under new government guidelines, the pupils of all families in receipt of Universal Credit (UC) will be entitled to receive a free meal at the College from September 2026.

There will now be a two-tiered support system based on household income:

  • Targeted Support (Income under £7,400 + UC): Pupils receive free school meals and qualify for Pupil Premium funding (which provides extra support for learning and College activities).
  • Extended Support (Income over £7,400 + UC): Pupils receive free school meals only; they do not qualify for Pupil Premium.
What this means for your family:
  • Current Year 11 Families: You will receive a separate letter detailing post-16 free school meals and bursaries at Sixth Form and Further Education Colleges.
  • Existing Free School Meal Families: You will receive a detailed letter in the next few days. Please do not reapply. Hampshire County Council (HCC) will automatically update your records. Reapplying will create confusing duplicate records.
  • Families Previously Turned Down: If you applied before and were not eligible, do not reapply. HCC will automatically reassess your previous application against the new criteria.
  • New Applicants: If your household receives Universal Credit and you have never applied before, applications are open now for September.
How New Families Can Apply

New applicants can apply via the Hampshire County Council Online Portal.

Previous applicants: You can also use this link to check a previous application. To log in, you must enter your own application reference and your own date of birth (not your child's).

If You Disagree with a Decision

If you have applied and believe the decision is incorrect, please contact PP-help@swanmore-sec.hants.sch.uk. We can contact Hampshire County Council on your behalf to request further advice. Please include your application reference.

Voicemail Messages

We would like to make parents and carers aware of an issue that recently affected our phone system.

Following an upgrade to our telephone system, the email notifications that alert our staff when a voicemail has been left stopped working. Unfortunately, the College was unaware of this, meaning some staff may not have known that messages had been left for them. The issue has now been identified and resolved by our supplier.

If you have left a voicemail for a member of staff and have not yet received a response, please contact the relevant department by email so that we can rectify this. Department contact details can be found here: Swanmore College | Contact Us. Please scroll down the page to find email addresses for pastoral teams, subject departments, exams, tutors and other areas of the College.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience or lack of response this situation may have caused and thank you for your understanding.


Smart Phone Ban - September 2026

Following Mr Jonathan's letter of Friday, 22 May 2026, regarding the decision to ban smart phones for all year groups from September 2026, we thought it would be helpful to clarify some of the questions which have been raised via enquiries. 

What about the bus QR codes?

Can pupils have a brick phone?

Can't you just block access to the internet for pupils on site?

Unfortunately, this is not possible as it would impact the entire site and cannot be restricted to pupils.

We will send a further update once we have confirmed details regarding QR codes and Brick Phones. In the meantime, this link provides additional information regarding the rationale for the total ban from September 2026, which we hope you will find helpful:

https://www.smartphonefreechildhood.org/resource/smartphone-free-schools-evidence

One Month to Go Until SwanFest 2026!

Promotional SwanFest 2026 banner with a vibrant summer festival theme. The design features a bright yellow central panel surrounded by a decorative border of purple, pink, teal and coral leaves, flowers and foliage. On the left-hand side are three overlapping circular photographs. The largest image shows performers on stage viewed from behind, looking out across the festival crowd and field. The upper circular image shows two children riding brightly coloured fairground-style motorcycles. The lower circular image shows three children looking down at something together, one with bright blue hair and all wearing festival-style clothing. The main text reads: SWANFEST | 04 July 2026 Below this is a list of performers and attractions: SUPERSONICS · RATS IN THE KITCHEN · THE BLONDIE EXPERIENCE · DJ SKYER · MAX SARRE · ELLA ELIZA · DANAMA · STONE COLD CHILI PEPPERS Further text underneath reads: Plus More A blue brushstroke banner across the lower section contains the text: EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: 19 JUNE The overall design promotes SwanFest 2026 as a family-friendly music and entertainment festival taking place on 4 July 2026, highlighting performers already announced and reminding viewers of the Early Bird ticket deadline.

With just one month to go until SwanFest 2026, excitement is building for what promises to be a fantastic day of live music, entertainment, food and family fun.

Don't forget that Early Bird tickets are only available until Friday, 19 June 2026, so there's still time to secure the best price before the deadline.

Click here to secure your Early Bird ticket: SwanFest | Tickets

Join us on Saturday, 04 July 2026 for a full day of live music, food, entertainment and family fun at Swanmore College.

📍 Swanmore College Field, SO32 2RB
🕚 11am–9pm

Keep up with the latest lineup announcements, behind-the-scenes previews and festival updates by following SwanFest on Facebook and Instagram 

Year 7

MFL Summer Assessments Support Video

Black-background logo for Swanmore College Modern Foreign Languages. The design features a blue speech bubble containing a globe and Swanmore swan emblem. Below are the words "SWANMORE MFL" in white and blue text, followed by the tagline "LINGUISTS FOR LIFE" in white capital letters. The logo represents the Modern Foreign Languages department at Swanmore College.As we move into the summer assessment period, we know many parents and carers are keen to support revision at home. If you would like to watch a helpful video from Madame Hinson with guidance on how you can support your child with their MFL revision and summer assessments, please click here: Swanmore School - Summer assessment: session video

Year 8

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award

Black and white Duke of Edinburgh's Award logo on a black background. The design features a crowned royal cipher above large serif letters "D" and "E", with the word "of" positioned between them. The logo represents The Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme.Applications will open shortly for the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award at Swanmore College.

The award provides pupils with the opportunity to develop new skills, volunteer in their community, take part in physical activities and complete an expedition with friends. Participants work towards four sections: Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition.

Expedition training takes place through Wednesday enrichment sessions and includes navigation, campcraft, first aid, route planning and other outdoor skills, so pupils who are successful in their application must choose DofE as their enrichment for either the Autumn or Spring term.

Places are limited, and pupils will be selected through an application process. Applications must be submitted by 3pm on Monday, 22 June 2026.

To find out more about what the award entails, please watch the following video from the DofE:
DofE | The Bronze Award

Further information is also available here: Swanmore College | DofE as well as on the official DofE website: www.dofe.org

An email containing full details about the award, the application process and associated costs will be sent to parents and carers shortly.

If you have any questions, please contact dofe-help@swanmore-sec.hants.sch.uk.

Year 9

There are no specific College items for Year 9 only.

Year 10

There are no specific College items for Year 10 only.

Year 11

There are no specific College items for Year 11 only.

Next Week’s Events

Monday, 08 June 2026

  • Y10 History field trip to Portchester
  • U15 Cricket vs Mountbatten (A)

Tuesday, 09 June 2026

  • Junior Kangaroo and Maths Olympiad
  • Debate Competition
  • Y9/10 Boys Tennis vs. Ryde School with Upper Chine (A) 11am departure
  • Y9/10 Girls Tennis vs. The Kings School (A)

Wednesday, 10 June 2026

  • No fixtures/events

Thursday, 11 June 2026

  • Y10 History field trip to Portchester
  • Y9/10 Girls Tennis vs. Lord Wandsworth (H)
  • Y8 Athletics: Field and Relay Meet at Toynbee
  • Y7 Cricket Cup vs. The Kings School (A)

Friday, 12 June 2026

  • Y7/8 Boys Tennis vs. Kings School (A)

Community Notices

COMPOS: Free Oxford Maths and Physics Programme

Current Year 9, 10 and 11 pupils can register their interest now.

Promotional poster for the University of Oxford's COMPOS (Comprehensive Oxford Maths and Physics Online School) programme. The poster has a dark navy-blue background with Oxford University branding in the top left and the COMPOS logo in the top right. Large headline text reads: "Do you wish your school had a club for people who like physics and maths?" with the words "physics" in bright pink and "maths" in light green. Below, a subheading states: "COMPOS could be the programme for you:" followed by three key benefits, each accompanied by an icon: Learn how to solve complex problems. Challenge yourself to understand physics and maths beyond what's taught in school. Discover the opportunities available to you. A yellow banner states: "FOR PUPILS IN YEARS 10-12". Underneath is a list of programme features: Register online and submit your entrance assignment in September to be considered for a place. Free for state-school students. Find your tribe – successful students will study in small tutor groups with like-minded peers. The right-hand side of the poster features a photograph of a smiling young woman wearing a yellow jacket and carrying books and papers. She is looking towards the left of the image. Decorative geometric shapes in bright pink, orange and mint green appear around the lower section of the poster. Near the bottom right is a QR code alongside the words: "Learn. Challenge. Discover." Contact information is displayed at the bottom left: Instagram: @compos.oxford Website: compos.site.ox.ac.uk LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/composoxford Email: compos@physics.ox.ac.uk The poster promotes a free Oxford University online maths and physics enrichment programme for state-school pupils in Years 10–12.

Are you passionate about Maths and Physics and keen to explore these subjects beyond what is taught in lessons?

COMPOS (Comprehensive Oxford Maths and Physics Online School) is a free programme from the University of Oxford for state-school pupils in Years 10-11. Successful applicants join small, online tutor groups with like-minded peers, tackling challenging problems and developing a deeper understanding of Maths and Physics.

The programme offers pupils the opportunity to:

• Learn how to solve complex problems
• Challenge themselves beyond the school curriculum
• Discover future opportunities in STEM subjects
• Study alongside other pupils who share their interests

Applications open in September and require pupils to submit an entrance assignment as part of the selection process.

If you would like to learn more about the programme or would like support with your application, please contact the Swanmore Science Department at science-help@swanmore.sec.hants.sch.uk for more information.

University of Oxford Outreach webinars

Internal alt text: Banner with University of Oxford logo on the left and text reading “OXFORD OUTREACH WEBINARS” in large dark blue serif lettering on a pale blue background.

St Hilda's webinar: An overview of the Oxford admissions process

What? 
This webinar is aimed at pupils who are preparing to apply to Oxford. It will run through each part of the admissions process and what is required at each stage, alongside reminding you of key deadlines and offering advice on how to make a successful application.

Who? 
Open to state school pupils (Y10-11) and teachers

When? 
Thursday, 18 June 2026 (4:00-4:45pm)

Where? 
Online: An overview of the Oxford admissions process | Register here

Women in Engineering Talks

What? 
To celebrate International Women in Engineering Week, Oxford University will be hosting five online talks during the week of Monday, 22 June 2026. The first four of these will be from individual female Oxford University postgraduate students, currently working on projects and research within the Engineering Science Department. The final talk will be an overview of undergraduate life for Engineering Students here at Oxford University and an opportunity to ask questions of female undergraduate students about their time and experience here.

Who? 
Aimed at Pupils Y10-11, but anybody of any age or gender who is interested is welcome to attend.

When?
Each day of the week commencing Monday, 22 June. Each talk will run from 16:30 and 17:30.

Where?
Online: Women in Engineering | Sign up

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