Nash Mills CofE Primary School

School News

Friday 24th October 2025

We hope that you have a great half term and look forward to seeing the children back at school on Monday 3rd November!

Year 4's Medieval Adventure at Mountfitchet!

Year 4 had an excellent day at Mountfitchet castle on Tuesday. Our excitement was boiling up inside us! Visiting this Anglo-Saxon village was a great way to hear lots of interesting facts! We all took turns on the stocks but luckily no-one threw rotten food at us. We saw the ducking stool which was used to see if people were witches or not. We loved the cute and friendly animals such as goats, ducks, baby deer and chickens. We would recommend anybody who loves history to visit.

Report by Chinmaye and Emine

Future Filmmakers - Year 6 visit Sky Studios

Year 6 pupils had a fantastic time on their visit to Sky Studios, diving into the exciting world of television and media.

They got hands-on experience with broadcasting and storytelling and discovered how technology plays a key role in creative industries. From stepping in front of the camera to collaborating behind the scenes, the children took part in a range of interactive activities that brought the magic of Film production to life.

It was an inspiring and eye-opening day, and we are incredibly grateful to Sky Studios for making it such a memorable learning experience.

Year 1's day of Farmyard Fun!

What an incredible day Year 1 had at Mead Open Farm! From the moment we arrived, the excitement was non-stop. The children loved the chance to get up close with some of the farm's cutest residents - feeding the goats was a definite highlight, and stroking the fluffy bunnies brought lots of smiles.

We also enjoyed a bumpy but brilliant tractor ride around the fields, giving us a small taste (or smell!) of farm life.

Of course no trip would be complete without letting off some steam in the soft play area and the children certainly made the most of it! A massive THANK YOU goes out to all the parents who volunteered their time and helped make the day run so smoothly. Your support was hugely appreciated and helped create a fantastic experience for everyone.

Story Time Magic for Reception

Reception enjoyed a morning of books and calm yesterday when we visited Hemel Hempstead library. We had a lovely tour of the children's book area and read some stories. The children each chose a book to take home and were given their new library cards, along with certificates and a bookmark. We talked about how to take a book out and thought about the different types of books we could borrow. It was a fun morning activity and the children were all looking forward to reading their new books at home.

On Thursday, 30th October - there will be a space-themed event at the library for children aged 4-7 from 11.30-12.30. As our next Reception topic will be space, parents might like to consider attending, although there is a cost involved.

A huge thank you to all the volunteers who were able to join us on the trip. We couldn't give the children all these lovely enriching experiences without you!

Harvest Church Visit

Yesterday, pupils from Years 1 to 6 braved the wind and visited St. Mary's for our Harvest Service. The children spent time exploring the idea of Harvest and how we can be grateful for all of the wonderful things that we have around us. Each class had prepared a short song, poem or other piece of work to share with the school; there was a great mix of ideas!

We also met the new Vicar at St. Mary's, Reverend Dave, who led part of the service. We look forward to seeing more of Reverend Dave in the coming weeks!

Curriculum information

At Nash Mills, we are proud to offer a broad curriculum to our pupils, with plenty of opportunities for them to develop specific skills whilst learning all about the world around them. Each subject area has a clear pathway, in which we know what each child should learn as they move through the school. More information can be found within the curriculum pages of our website, however we have spotlighted a few of our subjects below.

History and Geography

Although these subjects are both distinctive and have very different aims, we plan them together. This is because we recognise that our school has a rather unique position in that it has been central to Nash Mills for over 175 years and, as pupils move through the school, they learn how Nash Mills has come to be from a geographical and historical perspective.

Throughout each year, we have a historical focus during the autumn, a geographical one in the spring and, where appropriate, one that uses both sets of skills in the summer. This term, pupils in Years 2-6 will have a weekly lesson based on a period of ancient or distant history. As historians, they will explore different sources of evidence and think about how we know about things that happened long before cameras and iPhones! In Early Years and Year 1, the children will develop the skills needed to be historians, by practicing putting things in order or thinking about things in their lives, for example.

In the spring term, pupils spend time as geographers. They will consider a specific topic, for example 'Rivers' or 'Mountains' and will also spend time learning mapping skills. They will then look at our local area and think about how we use it; some classes will look at traffic whilst others may think about how people use the canal. Again, in Early Years and Year 1, the focus is more on looking at the world around us and thinking about how we look after it and getting to know key facts about it.

In the summer term, we spend time revisiting all of these skills as historians and geographers by looking at a local theme. For example, one of our classes learn about the Victorians and their impact on the Nash Mills area, including why our school was built. Pupils will look at the mapping of the area and consider why it was the perfect place for the Victorian paper mills to be built. This helps the children to really see purpose in the learning they do throughout the year.

To help ensure that the aims of our curriculum are really clear and concise, for each topic in Years 2-6, the children use workbooks which we have developed in school. This means that we know exactly what the children will learn and how they will progress through their topics.

Within our school, Mrs Wilson leads our history curriculum's development and Miss Jones our geography curriculum.

Italian

Although it is only statutory to teach languages to pupils in Years 3 to 6 at primary school, all of our children are exposed to Italian in school as we believe it is an important skill for them to begin learning.

Our Italian curriculum is sequenced carefully, supporting the children to develop their understanding of vocabulary and grammar through different topics. For most lessons, an online tool is used to support teaching, which helps the staff and children to be exposed to accurate pronunciation. The children use a range of games, repetitive tasks and songs to help them.

We also chose Italian as our school's language for two deeper reasons. Firstly, Latin being the root of many words in the English language, it is really helpful for pupils in developing their English Grammar skills and being able to see how words link or how we use phonics to sound out some words. Secondly, when we taught French, we found that when some of our pupils moved into Year 7 and began learning French again in secondary school they were bored or became frustrated that they were re-learning things that they had already done. Italian has very close links to the languages taught in local secondary schools which will help pupils to make links whilst being able to learn something new alongside their peers.

Within our school, Mr Shane is now leading our Italian curriculum development.

Attendance

This week’s attendance figures show a fantastic finish to the term, with Year 6 taking the top spot with an outstanding 99.6%—a brilliant achievement to end the year on a high! Year 5 followed closely with 97.7%, continuing their strong performance throughout the term.

Year 4 and Year 2 both posted impressive results at 97.3% and 96.7%, while Year 1 and Reception came in at 95.7% and 95% respectively. Year 3 recorded 92.3%, and Nursery finished the week at 89.8%.

Looking at the overall attendance for the term, we can see consistent effort across the school:

Year 5: 98.4% – a fantastic achievement and the highest overall!
Year 2: 97.5%
Reception: 97%
Year 6: 96.5%
Year 4: 95.8%
Year 3: 95.6%
Year 1: 94.6%
Nursery: 92%

A huge thank you to all pupils and families for your commitment to being in school every day. High attendance means more learning, more friendships, and more fun—and it’s clear that everyone has worked hard to make the most of every moment.

Term Dates

The term dates for 2026-2027 have now been approved by our Governors and are available to view on the school website, by clicking here. Please have a look at these before booking any holidays. As a reminder, we are unable to authorise term-time family holidays, which means that you may be at risk of being issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice by the Local Authority.

Times Tables Rockstars and Numbots!

This week's TTRS leader board is for Studio speed, this is the category that gives children their rock status. Our 3 leaders are answering questions in under 1.15 seconds, in Ivy's case she is answering questions un under a second! Well done.

Our Numbots leader board reflects the minutes played over the last week showing how much effort the children are putting into their Numbots. Well done to our 3 leaders.

Mr Shane

Leader board this week

1st - Leo (Y1)

2nd - Corin (Y2)

3rd - Roman (Y2)

Leader board this week

1st - Ivy (Y6)

2nd - Edward (Y5)

3rd - EJ (Y5)

Staffing Updates

Following last week's announcement that we have said 'goodbye' to Miss Hattingh, we are pleased to share that we will be joined by Mrs Stephens as part of our support staff team next half term. Mrs Stephens comes with a huge range of experience of working in local schools. We look forward to welcoming her soon!

After half term, we will also be joined by Miss Ahmed and Miss Crawley, student teachers, who will be with us until the spring term as part of their teacher training. Miss Ahmed will be working alongside Mrs Lewis in Year 5 and Miss Crawley will be working with Miss Brewer in Year 1.

Star of the Week!

Nursery

Catrin

For her increasing confidence and continuing to settle well into the Nursery environment and making new friendships.

Well done Catrin!

Reception

Maxwell

For trying really hard this week with everything and for using your voice more to share your thoughts. We are proud of you for speaking up and showing resilience.

Year 1

Ali

For showing amazing progress in his resilience and for using what he’s learned with growing confidence and independence. Well done Ali!

Year 2

Paisley

For having a fantastic start to Year 2, approaching learning positively with a can-do attitude!

Year 3

Ava

For her resilience and determination to do her best, even when things get tricky. Keep up the hard work Ava!

Year 4

Mya

For her brilliant effort and concentration in lessons leading to super progress! Well done Mya!

Year 5

Abdul Hameed

For working really hard and seeing his success in the work he produces. Keep it up Abdul Hameed!

Year 6

Harley

For settling in beautifully at school, showing outstanding focus in every lesson and always giving his very best. Well done Harley!

Developing Specialist Provision Locally

Please click here to see the Autumn newsletter from our DSPL team, who coordinate provision for special educational needs support across Dacorum. It contains hints, tips and links to courses and opportunities in the area.

There are also sessions running about Emotional Based School Non-Attendance. Please click here to see more.

At the bottom of this newsletter is also a link to Mental Health First Aid Training, which is being offered free to families in the local area.

PTA News

The PTA are busy organisng the Christmas Fayre for the children as well as another event for parents. Please see following details.

New Lunch Menu Please click here to see the new school lunch menu, which will be in effect from 3rd November.

Upcoming Dates

3rd November - All pupils back to school

4th November - Y5&6 Art Workshop

4th&5th November - Parents' Evenings

11th November - Remembrance - Y4-6 to the War Memorial

11th November - Reception Coffee Morning

12th November - Y3&6 trip to Chesham Mosque

14th November - Children in Need non-uniform

17th November - Nursery Coffee Morning

20th November - Y6 Class Worship

25th November - Y3 Class Worship

27th November - Y5 trip to The British Museum

28th November - INSET Day - no school

1st December - Christmas Jumpers allowed in school!

2nd December - Y4 Class Worship

3rd December - Reception Coffee Morning

5th December - Nursery Coffee Morning

9th December - Y5 Class Worship

11th December - Last clubs this term

12th December - Y6 Carol singing

12th December - PTA Christmas Bazaar

15th December - start of Art week

15th December - Christmas Grandparents' Afternoon

16th&17th December - EYFS Nativity

16th&17th December - KS1 Nativity

18th December - Christmas Dinner

18th December - Christmas Jumper Day

18th December - Christmas Church Service

19th December - Whole School Carol Service (9am)

19th December - End of term at 1.30pm for Christmas Holidays

Good Shepherd Booking

Good Shepherd Club—to book spaces at Breakfast or After School Club, please visit

http://www.goodshepherdclubs.co.uk/

Logging Absences

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.

Date update - Please note that the Year 6 Class Worship has moved to Thursday 20th November at 9am. Apologies for any inconvenience this causes.

Pupil Premium

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.

Clothing Bank

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.

The school carpark is open between 7am and 6pm on weekdays. Members of the local community are more than welcome to use it too so please spread the word!

Final Thought

A key theme of our Harvest festival was thankfulness; this is the time of year when, traditionally, we would celebrate bringing in the harvest after the long summer months and give thanks for all that has been produced. In modern times, we have more of a focus on how we show gratefulness for the things that we have; the food on our plates, the toys and games at home and the people around us who love us and enrich us.

As we get to the first half term of the year, it is a good time to take stock of all that has happened in the 8 weeks since the school holidays. There has been such a fantastic start to each child's learning journey and it has been brilliant to see so many examples of pupils showing fantastic effort and dedication in order to be the best that they can be. We are constantly incredibly grateful for your support as parents and members of the community in making this happen and to our teachers and staff for their part in this too.

One sixth of the year is now complete...who knows what the rest of it will bring!

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