Nursery & Lower School

The Lower School at St. Helen’s College consists of the Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) and Year 1. Children enter the Nursery in the September after their third birthday. The following September, they move up into Reception and then into Year 1.

We are on a secluded, colourful and safe site and are a close-knit unit of just under 150 children. We are very well staffed and have a basic ratio of 1:6 in Nursery, 1:8 in Reception and 1:12 in Year 1, with extra floating staff in all classes. This means that the children can make rapid progress in their learning, as well as having lots of fun!

The Lower School is very much part of the whole school and takes part in all of the whole school events such as the annual Speech Competition, St. Helen’s Day, Sports Days and themed curriculum days. 

Lower School children have specialist teachers in Drama, Spanish, Music and Philosophy for Children. 


My child likes all of the staff in Nursery; they are welcoming and fun. The teacher organises her team and class very well and always has time for a chat if needed.

A parent


The curriculum is very vibrant thanks to our dedicated and creative staff, who teach educational skills in a playful way. Teaching develops throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage to become more formal in Year 1. We have interactive whiteboards in every class, along with special computing and IT resources and weekly computing lessons. The Lower School has its own well-stocked library and wonderful outdoor play and discovery areas including our super play castle, Camelot.

There are opportunities for children to begin extra-curricular clubs from Nursery and to take individual music tuition, and we have Lower School Choir for pupils in Reception and Year 1. 

We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum and most children achieve the highest points on the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile.

News

Posted on: 15/11/2024

Weekly News - Friday 15th November 2024

Remembrance Pupils across the school came together to mark Remembrance on Monday in age appropriate ways. At Upper School, pupils lined up in the playground just before 11 a.m. to hear poems and prayers read by senior pupils, before Old Helenian Leo N (who is currently working with us as a gap student) played The Last Post. Leo also played The Last Post for us while he was a pupil here at St. Helen's College, so it was very poignant for him to play for us again. As the guns sounded from RAF Northolt, we observed a traditional two minutes of silence. At Lower School the children marked the occasion in a similar fashion by gathering together to hold a respectful two minute silence in the playground. At Ducklings, the children were involved in a range of poppy related activities including creating and colouring in poppies and icing poppy biscuits. They too joined together outside to pay their respects at 11 a.m. Thank you to everyone who bought poppies to support the Royal British Legion and to our Charity Representatives for selling them.  BBC Children in Need  The school has been a vibrant array of yellow and multi coloured spots today as the children all dressed up to support BBC Children in Need fundraising. At Lower School the children have enjoyed lots of themed activities including an outdoor Pudsey bear hunt, icing biscuits, colouring in and more.  Thank you to everyone who has donated already. There is still time to donate if you would like to via the school fundraising page here.      Mrs. Joan Evans Remembered An online tribute page has been set up to remember Mrs. Evans, former Head at St. Helen's College, who recently passed away. Please feel free to add any special memories or thoughts, or to make a donation to the St. Helen's College Charitable Trust in her memory. The funeral for Mrs. Evans is on Monday 25th November at 11.15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church, Denham. All are welcome and the family have requested those attending should wear bright colours or florals to celebrate her colourful life.      4C Class Assembly  4C presented a thought-provoking assembly this morning all about well known inspirational figures. The children have delved into the lives of influential characters from across the spectrum. Artists, politicians, musicians, royalty, campaigners and religious figures all demonstrate how our actions can have a legacy long after our lifetime. The children each delivered their lines clearly and with confidence and invited the audience to reflect on how we can all make our mark in the world with big or small actions. Well done 4C, the world is your oyster!     House News Our programme of House events is in full swing!  In the House cross country competition, Windsor finished first in each Year category winning a total of 50 House points, followed by Hibernia (40 points), Caledonia (30 points) and Cambria (20 points). The running totals so far are very close, as follows: Cambria  - 1046 Windsor - 1031 Hibernia - 1027 Caledonia - 908 There has been a terrific response to the House art competition. Entries are of an extremely high standard and each one has earned valuable House points. Ms. Drummond will be judging Middle School and Upper School winners in assembly next week, when the winning entry and runner up for each will be awarded 20 and 10 points respectively. Good luck everyone! Sports News It's been a busy week for the Upper School football team. On Monday they played against St. Martin's School at home but were unfortunately defeated 3-0. The team rallied however on Thursday when they faced stiff opposition in the Reddiford Challenge Cup Tournament playing against other local independent schools. St. Helen's College won two of their matches, drew two and lost one, finishing fourth overall. Well done to Mark D in 6H, our player of the tournament, who scored 5 goals.  Congratulations to 3B for completing their week of intensive swimming lessons at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex. It will be the turn of 3M next week.  Year 2 - 6 Parents' Evening  Thank you to all of the parents who attended parents' evening at Upper School this week. It was good to see you all and we hope that you found the conversations helpful. Speed Awareness Poster Competition Calling all budding artists! St. Helen’s College are working with Hillingdon Council to make the roads around the school safer and are launching an exciting new initiative. Pupils are invited to enter a 'Design a Sign' competition to create new 20mph signage on Parkway to encourage vehicles to slow down. Children should use the template application form here to enter their design in the competition and should follow these guidelines:   Designs should be drawn (no computers or images) Designs must be bright and to the point The theme is 20mph, to encourage drivers to slow down Please assist and support your children with their designs where you can; however, please refrain from drawing the designs yourself. The guidelines and an example design can be found here. Children should hand in designs to their class teacher by Friday 29th November. The winning design will be chosen by the council and made into a formal 20mph sign for all to see!  Switch Off Fortnight The St. Helen's College Eco Team are hard at work facilitating the school's efforts for Switch Off Fortnight. This green initiative encourages everyone to switch off lights and electrical devices when not in use in order to save energy.  Our dedicated Eco Warriors are patrolling the school during this week and next to ensure that we all remember to switch off. So far, so good!        Flu Vaccinations A final reminder to please complete consent forms for the seasonal 'flu vaccinations which will take place in school on Tuesday 19th November (Reception - Y6). The consent form can be found here and should be completed whether or not you intend for your child to be vaccinated.  Parkway Roadworks Cadent, who manage the gas pipes in our area, will be replacing pipework in Parkway from 18th November 2024 for approximately 5 weeks. We do not yet know exactly how this might impact traffic along Parkway but the work, which is essential, is likely to cause some disruption and you may like to allow some extra time for your journey to/from school as a result. We would like to thank parents in advance for being patient during any disruption, and mindful of the school's relationships and reputation with neighbours and the local community. Next Week Monday 18th - Friday 22nd November - 3M Swimming Lessons  Tuesday 19th November - Flu Vaccinations Reception - Year 6 Wednesday 20th November - Football v. Cowley St. Lawrence (A) Friday 22nd November - Year 5 Football and Netball v. Highgate School (H)
Posted on: 8/11/2024

Weekly News - Friday 8th November 2024

Mrs. Joan Evans It is with great sadness that we share the news that Mrs. Joan Evans, much-loved former Head of St. Helen's College, passed away on Wednesday 30th October, aged 95. Mrs. Evans was a hugely well respected part of the St. Helen's College story and history, and known to generations of pupils and staff. Mrs. Evans was Head for seventeen years, from 1970 - 1987, and in particular she brought to the school a great passion for theatre and the performing arts, writing and producing many successful shows. She inspired countless pupils during her career and left a wonderful legacy here at St. Helen's College, where every child is encouraged to shine in annual productions and creative performances.  Her funeral will be held at St. Mary's Church in Denham at 11.00 a.m. on Monday 25th November and all are welcome to attend. Year 1 Visit To Roald Dahl Gallery On Tuesday Year 1 had a phizz-whizzing day at the Roald Dahl Gallery in Aylesbury. The children enjoyed listening to a revolting re-enactment from the 'The Twits' and took part in a role play from 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'. They visited the 'Giant' peach and Mr Fox's underground tunnel, and had a great time exploring the amazing exhibits in the museum. They were fascinated to learn about Roald Dahl's life and the real people Roald Dahl knew who inspired characters such as the BFG and Miss Trunchbull. A highlight was making their own dream bottles, using the museum as the inspiration for all of their dreams. Everyone had a wonderful day!  2C Class Assembly 2C have been discovering all about the Isle of Coll in geography this year and today they shared their work in a very polished class assembly. The children have been busy researching this Hebridean island and shared lots of fascinating facts, jaunty songs and wonderful artwork inspired by the distinctive landscape. The island was once home to Mairi Hedderwick, author of the Katie Morag series, whose fictional island of Struay is inspired by the Isle of Coll. The children put on a charming performance of one of her stories, which delivered an important message about never being afraid to ask for help when you need it. You can see a short clip of the children singing here.  Sports News On Monday Year 5 and 6 visited Highgate School for a series of friendly football and netball matches. Excitement levels were high and the competition was stiff. The pupils displayed brilliant character skills and resilience against strong opposition and made lots of positive progress along the way. Well done to all of the children for great teamwork and for being such positive ambassadors for St. Helen's College. Many thanks to Highgate School for hosting this fun event.  The St. Helen's College football team played a competitive match against St. Catherine's School on Thursday. Despite showing improvement and playing well, particularly in the second half, in the end they lost the match 4-1. This was a great effort from the team who are showing consistent progress. Nursery Trip to Playtrain On Thursday the Nursery children had a fun packed visit to Playtrain in High Wycombe for their first 'school trip' experience. The children had a super time at this thrilling soft play activity centre. They loved climbing, swinging, jumping, sliding and so much more!  All the children were extremely well behaved and a credit to the school.        Music News Half Term String Workshop Over the half term break, three of our young violinists, Simar C, Aria M and Alicia Z, attended the Leading Notes Chamber Music Course held at Merchant Taylor’s School.  The three day course offers high quality tuition from experienced professional tutors for talented young musicians as they develop their chamber music experience. The girls thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the course and their enthusiasm was noted. Well done girls for representing St. Helen’s College so well.      Charity Flute Performance Congratulations to Zoe in Year 4 who has raised £154 for BBC Children in Need by performing a recital on the flute in Uxbridge over the half term break. Zoe took to the town centre for her street performance, where she collected donations from passers by. Well done to Zoe for using her creative talents to fundraise for such an important children's charity.        Karate Club Success Two talented St. Helen's College pupils achieved success last weekend competing at the Dutch Youth Open Karate Championships in Almere. Huge congratulations to Rania Q and Naiya L in Year 5 who performed extremely well against challenging opponents in a very tough competition.  Naiya performed exceptionally well, reaching the bronze medal match. Although in the end she didn’t win, she gave it her all, demonstrating technical skill and maximum effort.  Rania was also very determined and faced some challenging opponents, making it all the way to the final against a club mate. The final was intense but in the end Rania earned a silver medal, proving that she is a top international karate athlete. Well done to both girls for their amazing achievement and for representing their club so confidently at an international level. BBC Children In Need St. Helen's College will be raising money for BBC Children In Need on Friday 15th November. All children are invited to wear yellow and/or spots or to wear a Children In Need top, to raise money and awareness. We are asking for each child to donate online (suggested minimum £2 but all donations gratefully received). Please donate via the Just Giving page here, thank you in advance for your support.  Flu Vaccination  Please be reminded the seasonal 'flu vaccinations will take place in school on Tuesday 19th November. Please ensure that you have completed the consent form which can be found here.  Parents' Evening  Thank you to all of the Year 2 - 6 parents who attended Parents' Evening on Thursday evening. This is a valuable meeting to update and share information on the individual progress of your child and to set future goals. We look forward to seeing parents at the next Parents' Evening on Tuesday 12th November.  Resilient Families Summit Parenting coach Elaine Halligan from The Parent Practice, who recently held a popular webinar for St. Helen's College parents, is a featured speaker at the Resilient Families Summit, an online parenting event to support parents to help their children thrive. The event consists of a series of free events from 18th - 22nd November, and parents can register free here.  Next Week Monday 11th - Friday 15th November - 3B Swimming Lessons  Monday 11th November - Football v. St. Martin's (H) Tuesday 12th November - Year 2 - 6 Parents' Evening  Wednesday 13th November - Football v. St. Mary's (H) Thursday 14th - Friday 15th - Reddiford Challenge Cup Football Friday 15th November - 4C Class Assembly  Friday 15th November - Children in Need - Wear Yellow/Spots/Children In Need clothing
Posted on: 18/10/2024

Weekly News - Friday 18th October 2024

It has been a typically busy half term at St. Helen's College and the children have worked very hard, adapting to their new year groups and environments, learning new routines, establishing new relationships and having a go at new activities and learning both inside and outside the classroom. We have been very impressed with their commitment and determination to get involved and to do their best. We hope that they will have an enjoyable half term break and will make the most of time with family and friends, staying active and curious about the world around them. Please note that all pupils should return in full, smart winter uniform after the half term break. Lower School Harvest Assemblies  This week Lower School celebrated Harvest Festival, inviting parents into school for two special class assemblies.  On Tuesday Year 1 presented an accomplished assembly explaining where our food comes from and giving thanks for the abundance of food we are lucky to enjoy. It was wonderful to hear the children speak their remembered lines to parents so confidently and sing Harvest songs with gusto. They finished the assembly with a recital of a Harvest poem which you can listen to here.        On Wednesday it was the turn of Reception who delivered a very upbeat assembly, reciting their lines from memory and singing popular Harvest songs. They celebrated the array of colourful food we receive at Harvest time and sang in appreciation for the vibrant autumn season.  Thank you to the Revd. Ken Kingston from the North Hillingdon Methodist Church for sharing an important message of gratitude with the children at both assemblies. Many thanks also to everyone who sent in donations of food for our Harvest appeal. These will be distributed by the Salvation Army to those in need in Hillingdon.    Year 6 Visit The Houses of Parliament On Tuesday, Year 6 travelled to Westminster on the tube to visit the Houses of Parliament and learn about our country's systems of democracy. They were guided on a tour of the historic buildings, which included sitting in the House of Lords and observing a fierce debate around health care in the House of Commons.  The group were warmly greeted by Conservative MP and former PM Rishi Sunak in the famous Westminster Hall. He answered questions about his career, his life and his time at Downing Street with great humour.  After this, the children went back to the education centre for a workshop exploring how laws are made and the parliamentary process of bills.  At the end of the tour, the children also met local Labour MP Danny Beales. He took questions from the children about his journey to becoming MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip and gave the children some insight into the day-to-day working life of an MP. Year 3 Visit To St. Albans Year 3 visited St. Albans Cathedral on Thursday for a busy day of workshops to support their work on the Romans. The children toured the impressive Cathedral discovering all about its history, and enjoyed taking part in an exciting drama workshop where they dressed up in Roman clothes and even encountered a Roman soldier!  They also had the opportunity to express themselves creatively by delving into mosaic design and creating beautiful pieces of mosaic art of their own.      Sports News On Wednesday the Upper School football team played a confident match against St. Matthew's Primary School drawing 1-1 at home. They boys played well as a team and are steadily building on their skills. Congratulations to Maicen M who scored from a free kick in the boys' best game so far this season.  Well done to Year 5 for completing their intensive swimming programme this week at Hillingdon Sport & Leisure Complex.  Upper School Parents' Evening  Year 2 - 6 Parents' Evenings will be held on Thursday 7th and Tuesday 12th November. Booking is now open; parents can book a time slot here.  PA Christmas Card Project Once again the Parents' Association are organising the school Christmas card project, whereby parents can order personalised cards featuring their child's individual artwork. The Upper School children have been sent forms and artwork sheets which must be completed at home. Please ensure the name of the child and class are clearly written on the sheet. All completed artwork must be returned to the class teacher or the Upper School office by Tuesday 5 November 2024 at the very latest. The Lower School children will be completing their artwork in school. Once submitted the artwork will be uploaded to an online portal. When login details for the portal are available these will be shared with parents who will be able to view their child's artwork and place an order directly. PA Quiz Night On Tuesday the Parents' Association hosted a lively Quiz Night at the White Bear in Ruislip. Eight teams were put through their paces during rounds of trivia covering everything from history to pop culture. The evening was not just about testing knowledge - laughter and the spirit of fun and friendly competition filled the room and kept everyone on their toes!  Congratulations to the winning team, "Brainy Bustards", who won a £10 White Bear voucher each! The event raised vital funds for the PA, thank you to all the parents who supported this event. And a big thank you to the PA for organising such an enjoyable evening, the next Quiz Night is already eagerly anticipated! Dr. Zob's Monster Academy Show  Popular children's entertainer 'Captain Fantastic' will be presenting his Halloween Show 'Dr Zob's Monster Academy' in the Lower School Hall on Thursday 31st October at 3.00 - 4.00 p.m. The show, which is suitable for children aged 5 - 11, promises to be great fun including magically flying objects, mysterious potions, eerie science experiments and a friendly Frankenstein! More information and booking details can be found here.  Boys' & Girls' Brigade The 1st Hillingdon Boys' Brigade and Girls' Association run weekly groups at North Hillingdon Methodist Church on Long Lane and welcome new members. The organisation is a Christian youth group which offers boys and girls aged 5 - 18 the opportunity to learn, grow and discover in a safe and fun environment. Boys meet every Tuesday during term time at various times depending on age group, and the girls meet on Friday evenings. More information can be found here.  After Half Term Monday 4th November - Y5/6 Football and Netball at Highgate School Tuesday 5th November - Y1 Visit to Roald Dahl Museum Wednesday 6th November - Football v's St. Catherine's School  Thursday 7th November - Nursery Trip to Playtrain Thursday 7th November - Year 2 - 6 Parents' Evening  Friday 8th November - 2C Coffee Morning and Class Assembly Saturday 9th November - Packham Cup Football Tournament
Posted on: 11/10/2024

Volunteering at GOSH by Miss Raja-Ross

I have been a volunteer at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) since 2014. Ten years! I chose to volunteer because I was treated there as a child for a rare blood cancer. My time at GOSH as a child was memorable and happy despite undergoing treatment for my condition. I loved all the kind nurses and doctors as they were so welcoming and the care they showed me was second to none. But my favourite part was the Activity Centre because they had a rabbit called Flopsy who I absolutely adored! Also, my mother became good friends with the lady who ran the centre as well as some of the nurses. Now, I am part of the Weekend Club Team where we volunteer either on a Saturday or a Sunday (or both!) and we operate from The Cove, which is the new activity centre. We can also go up to the wards in pairs and visit those patients who cannot come down due to surgery or treatment.  We have the most amazing therapy dogs of all breeds and sizes and I cannot begin to tell you how fantastic it is to have the dogs and their owners with us for our Weekend Club. They do a wonderful job, especially for those children who are missing their own pets at home.  Whilst the Weekend Club is a happy, joyful place, there are, albeit few and far between, some sad moments particularly if we know a child is going through palliative care. Still, we try hard to maintain a positive outlook for the children and their families. The other thing I love about being a volunteer is being able to participate in the quarterly parties which have themes based on various Roald Dahl books, and seasonal celebrations such as Halloween and Easter.  I love to dress up for this, my alter ego is always Wonder Woman! There are lots and lots of fantastic things at the party; candy floss, TV entertainers, painting, face painting, various animals such as giant rabbits, lizards, tarantulas and so much more! Unfortunately, parties have been put on hold since Covid but will hopefully return soon. On Saturday 12th October 2024, I will be doing a 5K run in Hyde Park (well, a stroll for me!) for GOSH along with several of my Weekend Club colleagues. So if you are free, please come along and support us! You can also sponsor me here, all funds raised will be donated towards a new Children’s Cancer Centre at GOSH. 
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