School News
Friday 3rd July 2026
School News
Friday 3rd July 2026
Year 5's Residential Fun!
On Wednesday Year 5 ventured into the wild at Phasels Wood to embark on their residential. The Year 5 residential offers the children a taste of independence in order to prepare them for the week away in Year 6. The children have had a blast! They have thrown themselves into every challenge and sometimes off of the challenge! Nothing has phased them over the 3 days as they have experienced archery, zorbing, rock climbing, crate stacking, peddle racers, the cresta run, spider mountain and human hungry hippos! It has been lovely to see them bond as a group, share experiences and create memories that will last a life time.
University Life
On Tuesday, a small group of Year 5 pupils took part in a visit to the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) campus in London. This was the culmination of a project in which the children have worked with a PhD tutor to explore a project and create a piece of work which was then marked and assessed using University grading. During the day, the children spent time exploring the university, finding out a little about how people learn there and what they study.
The project, which is part of the Brilliant Club's Scholars Programme, aims to show pupils how, if they wanted to, university could be an option for them in the future. We were very proud of their achievements!
This week opera returned to Year 3 and Year 4. It was a phenomenal experience for the children to learn about what opera is, and being offered the chance to sing confidently amongst supportive peers. Year 3 delved into the story of the Magic Flute, and learned the aria, Papageno - the bird catcher. Alongside the singing, the children immersed themselves into the theatrical side, by acting as Papageno and the birds fluttering about, teasing him. It was a wonderful experience for the children, and so many of them were in awe of the play as well as Kelly's beautiful operatic voice!
"I loved being Papageno. It was a great experience, and I learned that opera means to tell a story. It was fascinating to see how high opera singers can go. And for once, I was allowed to sing!!" said Ottilie.
"It was fun! We were able to learn a new song, that had been translated from German. We discovered more about Papageno and his funny bird catching skills!" mentioned Felix.
Year 5 went to Longdean school on Tuesday for a day of Ultimate Frisbee against other schools. We had such a great time and it was so lovely to see our children having so much fun and playing with such a positive attitude. The children had to self referee and marked each other on gamesmanship and fairplay. We had a great time in particular with Broadfield who we played friendlies with in between matches. We couldn't be prouder of our amazing children!
Nursery
Lyra
For being such a kind, caring member of our classroom. Lyra is always setting a fantastic example to her peers following instructions and trying her best. Well done Lyra!
Reception
Zaya
For bringing so much energy, enthusiasm and personality to our classroom. You are full of life, always ready to share your ideas and never afraid to use your voice. Well done for staying true to yourself.
Year 1
Amelia-Rose
For being such an amazing member of Year 1, you have worked hard all year and become so much more confident! Well done!
Year 2
Ella-Rose
For showing fantastic determination and never giving up with reading, even when it feels tricky.
Year 3
Daniel
For his continued determination in all subjects and his growing maturity. He is ready for the challenges in Year 4!
Year 4
Jack
For "upping his game in recent weeks" and putting fantastic effort into writing more to create an excellent story!
Year 5
Year 5
For a fantastic residential at Phasels Wood, dealing amazingly with all the activities and working together as a team so well. We have been very proud of you!
Year 6
Eli
For showing such an increase in enthusiasm and maturity towards every aspect of his learning. We are so proud of the person he has developed into throughout the year.
A huge well done to every child who has taken part in our Chapter Challenge this year! It has been fantastic to see so many children choosing to read, discovering new authors and enjoying some wonderful stories.
Monday 6th July will be the final day to complete any remaining Chapter Challenge books. If your child is close to finishing a book, now is the perfect time to enjoy those last few chapters!
Remember, many teachers have the sequels to our Chapter Challenge books, so if your child has loved a story, they can continue the adventure with the next book in the series.
Although our Chapter Challenge is coming to an end for this year, reading never stops! Reading is a marathon, not a sprint, and there's always time to enjoy another great book alongside the challenge titles. We will relaunch the challenge in the autumn term, for pupils to access stories in their new year groups.
Teachers will be busy next week counting all the books that have been completed, and we can't wait to celebrate everyone's amazing achievements. Keep an eye out—we'll be sharing the results and celebrating our fantastic readers very soon!
Thank you to all our children and families for supporting reading throughout the year. Happy reading!
This week's TTRS leader board is for most correct answers, our 3 leaders amassed a total of 1,036 correct answers. Well done to our top 3.
Our Numbots leader board is for the most number of games completed. Well done to all of our leaders this week!
Leader board this week
1st - Elian (Y1)
2nd - George (Y2)
3rd - Roman (Y2)
Leader board this week
1st - Isla (Y5)
2nd - Jacob (Y5)
3rd - William (Y4)
There were some strong attendance figures across the school this week, with Year 5 once again leading the way with an excellent 98.8% attendance. Reception had a fantastic week too, achieving 96.5%, while both Year 4 and Year 6 recorded a solid 96%. Nursery continued its recent positive trend with 95.7%, and Year 2 achieved 94.8%. Year 3 finished the week on 92.7%, while Year 1 recorded 91.9%.
Thank you to all families for your continued support with attendance. It is great to see several classes achieving attendance close to, or above, the 96% benchmark. Every day in school counts, and regular attendance plays a vital role in helping children make the most of their learning opportunities. Well done to everyone for their efforts this week!
You will have seen that, next week, forecasts are saying that we could have some very warm weather again. Pupils are welcome to come to school in PE kits if this is more comfortable for them. Please remember to send them with a sunhat, water bottle and apply suncream before they come to school.
With Sports Day on Wednesday, we will monitor how the weather progresses and consider any weather warnings or local guidance carefully. If it is suggested that it is too hot for sustained physcial activity, as was the case last week, we may have to look to an alternative plan. We will let you know any changes as soon as we can.
As you know, reading regularly at home with your children is incredibly important. A good bedtime story is not only helpful in maintaining a strong routine in the evening, it also helps children to develop their imagination and vocabulary.
Each week, we will ask our staff what their current recommendations are for the best bedtime reads. We hope that it provides you with some ideas!
Mr Maher's book to share this week...
Do not Open this Book by Andy Lee
Whenever we need a quick bedtime read, this book is one of the favourites. Being very well behaved in the Maher house, we would not know what is in the book as we have never opened it...
All I can say is that it brings real enjoyment and giggles each time it is read!
A gentle reminder to allow Arbor notifications to pop up on your mobile phones so that you don't miss any messages sent from school. Arbor app messaging is often used by school to communicate things such at short-notice cancellations / menu changes etc. We are noticing that many parents are currently missing messages, so please check the settings on your phone to ensure you have notifications switched on for the Arbor app - thank you.
Also, a polite reminder to park respectfully around the school site, in particular avoiding the pub car park, especially in the afternoons so that their customers can park. Thank you.
6th-8th July - Sports Week
7th July - Reports sent home
7th July - Y4 Class Worship
7th July - Y4 trip to Electric Umbrella at the Cathedral
8th July - Sports Day - 11am EYFS, 12pm rest of school
9th July - New class transition day
10th July - PTA summer disco
13th July - Art week
13th July - EYFS Showcase 9am
13th July - Music Concert 2pm
13th July - Full Governing Body Meeting
14th July - Y1 RAF Trip
15th&16th July - Y5&6 Production
17th July - Y6 Leavers Party
20th July - Whole School Church Service
21st July - Leavers' Assembly and last day of term. School closes for the summer at 1.30pm
22nd &23rd July - INSET Days
Good Shepherd Club—to book spaces at Breakfast or After School Club, please visit
http://www.goodshepherdclubs.co.uk/
Thank you to those who have now managed to log child absences on Arbor. It has really helped the office, meaning that we know where all of the children are more quickly in the morning. If The instructions on how to do this are set out below.
If your child is unwell, Hertfordshire Attendance team require that the nature of the illness is recorded, so please include this in your message (cough, cold, temperature, vomiting etc.). Please note that any absence requests for future dates will still need to made through the school office. In line with our attendance and safeguarding policies, a reminder to report your child's absence every morning, by 8.30am, until your child is well enough to return to school.
Step 1 -Click on Quick Actions button and then click Attendance followed by the green Log Absence button (top right).
Step 2 - Enter the absence details. If your child will be absent all day, there is no need to edit the start and end times that will automatically appear. If your child is ill, please ensure that you enter the nature of the illness and then press the green Log Absence button.
Step 3 - Once you have logged the absence, the school office will 'accept' it. Approved absences then appear in the Attendance tab of the Arbor App. It is not possible to edit an absence once it has been approved, so if you have any queries, please email the school office who will be able to help.
Did you know that your child may be able to receive additional support in school in addition to free school meals, if you qualify for certain benefits?
If you receive any of the following, your child may well be eligible for the Pupil Premium. This provides them with free school meals throughout their time at school, but also a range of additional things in school to help with their learning and engagement. If your child might be eligible, please visit the following site (https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/ufs/HCWH.eb?ebd=0&ebz=1_1717745705707) or speak to the school office who will be happy to help.
Income Support
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (as long as you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and you don't get more than £16,190 a year)
Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Universal Credit (with annual earned income of no more than £7,400 after tax and not including any benefits you get).
The application process only takes a few minutes and we are more than happy to provide support if it is needed.
Thank you for your donations towards our clothing bank. If you have any old clothes following clear-outs, please drop things in. The clothing bank is emptied regularly so should be ready for more donations.
Members of the local community are more than welcome to use it too so please spread the word!
Nursery Admissions - September 2026
Please share with friends and family that applications to come and join our wonderful Nursery for the next academic year are about to close! Our Nursery pupils love coming into school each day to enjoy all of our fantastic facilities and benefit from the care of our dedicated Nursery staff who create a friendly, safe and stimulating learning environment.
In September 2026, we shall be admitting children born between 1st September 2022 and 31st August 2023 and are pleased to share that we offer either:
15-hour morning provision from 8.50am-11.50am
or
For working families in receipt of 30-hours government funding, daily provision from 8.50am-2.50pm, with the option to extend the day to 3.15pm for an additional cost of approximately £12.50 per week.
Please do encourage family and friends with Nursery-aged pupils to come and see us.
This list is produced by the National Trust and challenges children to complete 50 outdoor tasks before they are 11 3/4 .
As this period of fantastic weather is set to continue, how many can you tick off this weekend?