A Warm Welcome From Our Headteacher

I am incredibly proud to welcome you to Carisbrooke College. As a senior leader, Headteacher, and Regional Director with extensive experience leading successful schools in both London and Portsmouth, I am privileged to work in partnership with the HISP Multi-Academy Trust to shape a school where every young person is valued, challenged, and supported to reach their full potential.

When we say "Education is Our Castle", we describe a place of safety, strength, and purpose—but also of immense kindness, opportunity, and hope. Just as a castle stands firm through time, a great education provides our young people with the inner strength to face challenges, the safe space to explore, and the security to discover exactly who they are. To us, every subject in our broad curriculum is like a unique room in that castle—whether it is mathematics, science, the creative arts, sports, technology, or world languages. We encourage our students to find the places where they feel at home, while stepping bravely into those they have yet to explore.

Our community is guided daily by our core CASTLE Values, which shape how we live, learn, and grow together:

• Courage: Having the confidence to try new things, ask big questions, and grow—even when things feel difficult.
• Ambition: Setting high goals, striving for our absolute best, and believing in our infinite potential, no matter our starting point.
• Sustainability: Recognising that learning is for life, not just today—we take active care of our world, our local environment, and each other as we go.
• Teamwork: Supporting one another, celebrating each other's successes, and facing challenges side-by-side.
• Learning: Placing curiosity at the centre of everything we do—valuing lessons learnt from books, experiences, conversations, and our mistakes.
• Equity: Ensuring that every student, from every background, has a fair, supported chance to achieve, thrive, and truly belong.

Together, we are building something powerful. I look forward to working in close partnership with your family as your child journeys through Carisbrooke College.

Natalie Sheppard
Headteacher