Castle

Class Teacher: Lara Penfold

Academic Year 2025/2026

During the first term of year 11, Castle class have been busy preparing for the year head and getting organised to move on to college. This has included alot of work around what they would like to do in the future, college visits and making applications for college. We have also been finding out more about career opportunities with a visit to the cruise terminal at Southampton and career fairs, where students engaged well with people working in those industries. (Plus they picked up lots of freebies!) Work experience has started again at the hotel with all students gaining new skills in the workplace.

As part of The Shaping Portsmouth project, students have been given the opportunity to design and create a product to help celebrate 100 years of Portsmouth being a city. Along with experienced mentors, students have created a product that will be manufactured as a prototype and students get to pitch their idea to the team of judges in December. Students also visited Spinnaker Tower to get inspired and to see what sort of items sell in the gift shop.

STEM projects have looked at the Human Body and Working with Electrical Circuits, with some great coursework being captured which will go towards their final qualifications.

Christmas preparations are always fun, including using our writing skills to send cards to those people who may not receive cards this year in our community, practicing for the Christmas performance, designing Christmas cards and making decorations.

Even with all the Christmas distractions, students have still been working hard to improve reading, English and maths, knowing that assessments will soon creep up on them and the summer term will quickly come around.

Castle also dressed up and took part in activities to raise awareness of Children in Need.