Posted on: 13/05/2025Equipping Amery Hill Students with Essential Life Skills: MyBnk Delivers Financial Literacy WorkshopToday, our students at Amery Hill embarked on a crucial journey into the world of personal finance, thanks to an incredibly engaging financial literacy workshop delivered by the fantastic team at MyBnk! In an increasingly complex financial landscape, empowering young people with the skills to manage their money effectively is more vital than ever. MyBnk, a leading UK charity specialising in financial education for young people, provided our students with a hands-on experience designed to do just that. The workshop was a dynamic and interactive session where students immersed themselves in essential financial concepts. They gained practical knowledge and applied critical skills in areas such as budgeting their income, understanding the importance of saving, and making informed decisions about spending. The MyBnk team fostered an environment that encouraged active participation and real-world application, ensuring the concepts resonated deeply with our students. Learning to make smart money choices from a young age builds a strong foundation for future independence and financial well-being. We're incredibly grateful to MyBnk for their expertise and for providing such an interactive and impactful learning experience. Their visit has undoubtedly equipped our students with invaluable tools they'll carry with them throughout their lives. View Article
Posted on: 17/06/2025Holocaust Testimony 360 ProgrammeToday, our Religious Studies department had the privilege of welcoming a team from the Holocaust Educational Trust to deliver their powerful Testimony 360 programme. Sixty of our Year 9 students engaged in an unforgettable learning experience that brought them face-to-face virtually with one of the darkest periods in human history, through the lens of faith, morality, and the enduring power of testimony. Using cutting-edge virtual reality technology, students explored key Holocaust sites, including Auschwitz concentration camp and the moving Holocaust memorial along the River Danube in Hungary. The immersive nature of the tour encouraged students to reflect deeply on the moral questions raised by the Holocaust on human dignity, justice, the consequences of prejudice, and the importance of remembrance. Perhaps the most impactful part of the experience was the opportunity to interact virtually with Holocaust survivor Susan Pollack. Susan, who endured unimaginable suffering during World War II, has recorded thousands of answers in a green screen studio, allowing students to ask her questions directly and hear her responses in real time. Through this technology, our students were able to ask about her experiences of childhood, persecution, life in the camps, and the horrific death marches. They also explored her personal reflections, asking questions such as which football team she supports and what she appreciates most about life in the UK. For Religious Studies, this experience offered rich opportunities for spiritual and ethical reflection. It challenged students to consider the importance of memory and testimony in combating hatred and promoting compassion. Hearing Susan’s story helped them understand not only the horrors of the past but also the strength of the human spirit and the need to uphold values of love, tolerance, and justice in our world today. We are incredibly grateful to the Holocaust Educational Trust for their work and dedication. Their mission to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive is a vital one, and this experience will stay with our students for a long time both intellectually and spiritually. View Article
Posted on: 16/10/2025Restart a Heart Day: Empowering Our Year 9 Students with Life-Saving SkillsAt Amery Hill School, we believe that education extends far beyond the classroom, encompassing vital skills that prepare our students for real-world challenges. Recently, our Year 9 students took a significant step in that journey by participating in a hands-on CPR workshop as part of the national Restart a Heart Day initiative. Education for Life The atmosphere in the hall was one of focused energy as students learned the essential techniques required to respond to a cardiac arrest. In an emergency, every second counts, and having the confidence to act can truly be the difference between life and death. From understanding how to assess a situation to mastering the rhythm of chest compressions, our students embraced the opportunity to learn these vital life-saving skills. What was most impressive, however, was the fantastic enthusiasm and dedication displayed by the year group throughout the day. They approached the practical sessions with a level of seriousness and care that reflects the community-minded values we strive for at Amery Hill. We would like to extend a huge thank you to the incredible volunteers from the South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS). We are immensely grateful to them for giving up their time to train and inspire our students. Their expertise and encouragement ensured that every student left the workshop feeling more capable and informed. The volunteers shared some brilliant feedback about our students saying, Year 9 students showed fantastic maturity, enthusiasm, and great CPR skills throughout the day. It was a pleasure to work with such engaged students. View Article
Posted on: 29/09/2025Wild Inspiration: Year 9 Artists Sketch at Marwell ZooToday, our Year 9 Art students enjoyed a fantastic and highly educational school trip to Marwell Zoo. The aim was to gather some first-hand inspiration for their ongoing ‘Wild Animals’ project. This excursion provided a brilliant opportunity to take their observational skills out of the classroom and into a dynamic, natural environment. The day kicked off with a specialist observational drawing workshop led by the zoo's excellent education team. Students were given privileged, close-up access to a fascinating range of artefacts, including animal furs, skins, and skeletons. This tactile session allowed them to study the unique textures, intricate structures, and anatomy of wild creatures. It provided a solid, academic foundation for their subsequent live sketching out in the park. Later, surrounded by incredible wildlife, students explored the zoo, making the most of the opportunity to sketch animals in their naturalistic habitats. This demanding exercise helped them refine their skills in capturing form and movement quickly and accurately. Watching the animals allowed them to develop the spontaneous and confident approach necessary for effective field sketching. It was a truly memorable and inspiring day of creativity. The students returned with sketchbooks full of fantastic ideas and detailed studies, which will now directly inform and elevate the quality of their 'Wild Animals' project work back in the studio. We are very much looking forward to seeing the final pieces they produce! View Article
Posted on: 9/05/2025Local MP Damian Hinds Visits Amery Hill for Lively Student InterviewThis week, we had the distinct pleasure of welcoming our local Member of Parliament, Damian Hinds, to Amery Hill. Mr. Hinds was interviewed by our Year 9 students as part of the British Values Module within our 'Education for Life' programme. Giving our students a deeper understanding of public life, representation, and politics is a crucial part of their personal development here at school. This direct engagement with an elected representative offered an invaluable opportunity for our Year 9 students to grasp how parliamentary democracy works and the role of an MP. Our students truly stepped up, showing both keen interest and excellent preparation. They posed some truly insightful questions to Mr. Hinds, covering a range of topics relevant to both local and national issues. This interaction not only enriched their understanding of British values but also encouraged critical thinking and active citizenship. We're incredibly grateful to Damian Hinds for taking the time out of his busy schedule to visit Amery Hill and engage so openly with our students. His willingness to share his experiences and perspectives made for a highly educational and inspiring session. We very much look forward to his next visit! View Article
Posted on: 23/10/2025Remembering the FallenJust before half term a group of students led by Mrs Pretsell, Assistant Headteacher at Amery Hill School, joined former Curtis Museum Curator, and a retired staff member of Amery Hill School, Mr Tony Cross in the cemetery opposite the rear of the school. For many of the past 25 years a small group of volunteers from the school have helped the local historian give the Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC) headstones a scrub in advance of Remembrance Day and place a small Cross of Remembrance by them. But why there are war graves in Alton? Despite the fighting taking place mostly overseas in both conflicts of the 20th century, the CWGC looks after 160,000 headstones around the UK, including a few in Alton. There were many training areas and military hospitals in the UK during both wars. Training accidents and medical issues also took their toll. UK hospitals also cared for the wounded after their evacuation from European battlefields. Those that passed away during their hospital stay would be buried nearby. Interestingly, there was a Red Cross Hospital in the Assembly Rooms during The Great War. Britain in WW2 was well known for the battles played out above its skies. Airfields were dotted around the country to protect against enemy air raids and provide bases for missions over Europe. Some casualties were able to be returned to their next of kin for burial locally. Within both sections of Alton Cemetery there are eight burials relating to WWI and 14 associated with WW2. In addition, there is a private memorial chosen by one WW2 family and several family headstones of both wars that include family members lost overseas. Three family headstones included the small bronze memorial plaque issued to families who had lost members after WW1, although only one is still in place. Mounted on the low wall of the Crematorium Memorial area at the top of the cemetery are two small plaques. One commemorates two women from the town who died in SE Asia during WW2, whilst the other remembers the four civilians who died due to enemy bombs falling on Alton in March 1941. View Article
