School News and Head's Blog

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Posted on: 5/09/2025

Weekly News - Friday 5th September 2025

It has been wonderful to welcome back all of the children to school this week and get to know our new joiners who are settling in well already. Staff have been busy in school over the summer working hard to prepare for what promises to be a very exciting and rewarding year ahead. On Thursday our new Head Ms. Green led a welcome assembly at Upper School where she used an old and a new pair of trainers as a fun and thoughtful metaphor for change as the children adapt to their new classrooms and embrace fresh opportunities and challenges this year. Everyone here at St. Helen's College will certainly be putting their best foot forward this term and supporting one another to reach success.      Meet The Teacher Events Thank you to all of the parents who attended the Meet The Teacher meetings at Upper School and the individual Early Years parent meetings at Lower School this week. Year 2 parents will have the opportunity to Meet The Teachers on Tuesday 16th September at 8.15 a.m. We encourage and highly value regular and open communication between home and school as this is critical for us to deliver the best care for your child and to support their progress. Your child's class teacher should be the first port of call for any queries or concerns regarding your child, either by email or at the end of the school day. If your class teacher is unable to assist for some reason, please feel free to contact a member of the Senior Leadership Team directly on the email addresses below: Pre-School and Lower School queries: Ms. Matthews, Head of Pre-Prep, at jomatthews@sthelenscollege.com Upper School pastoral and safeguarding queries: Mrs. Gilbert, Deputy Head - Pastoral, at mgilbert@sthelenscollege.com Upper School academic teaching and learning queries: Mr. Roche, Deputy Head - Academic, at sroche@sthelenscollege.com   Pre-School Opens Year Round Provision This week our popular pre-school Nursery, home to our Cygnets ( aged 3+) and Ducklings (2+), re-opened with new extended hours and a year round provision, offering a fully flexible setting to accommodate the needs of busy working parents. Opening hours are 8.00 a.m - 6.00 p.m. and parents can book morning, afternoon or all day sessions for their child. The pre-school continues to be staffed by our well loved team of skilled early years practitioners who provide the very best nurturing care and educational development. At Lower School there is now a separate entrance for Nursery to streamline arrival and collection at the end of the day. We warmly welcome our new Ducklings, Cygnets and their families to St. Helen's College where they are already settling in very well.  Playground Equipment Our maintenance team have been very busy over the summer break updating facilities and supervising the extremely exciting installation of two large pieces of new playground equipment at Upper School. The two bespoke natural wood climbing frames have been carefully designed by Touchwood to stimulate learning and development through play and, of course, to provide the children with lots of fun! To begin with, as they get used to it, the children will be exploring the equipment safely in small groups at breaktimes and so far are thoroughly enjoying the experience!       LAMDA Results We are delighted to share fabulous results from the LAMDA examinations last term. Massive congratulations to all of the pupils whose hard work and commitment was clearly recognised by the examiner, who also commented on the professional manner with which the children conducted themselves. The results are as follows: Zoe F Acting Grade 5 - Solo Merit Ari P Acting Grade 1 - Duo Distinction Aayan B Acting Grade 1 - Duo Merit Aarav L Acting Grade 1 - Combined Merit Kyan K Acting Grade 1 - Combined Merit Elisa K Acting Grade 2 - Solo Distinction Aryan S Acting Grade 2 - Solo Merit Aadhya M Acting Grade 3 - Solo Distinction Kiran S Acting Grade 1 - Solo Distinction Sienna K Acting Grade 2 - Solo Merit Shanaiya K Acting Grade 5 - Solo Distinction Aydin K Musical Theatre Grade 1 - Solo Distinction Aria R Acting Entry Level - Duo Distinction Raya R Acting Entry Level - Duo Distinction Nirvaana SF Acting Entry Level - Solo Distinction Harleen S Acting Grade 1 - Combined Distinction Tanavya B Acting Grade 1 - Combined Distinction Eleanor G Acting Grade 4 - Solo Distinction Ivvan M Acting Grade 2 - Solo Distinction Mustafa F Acting Grade 3 - Solo Distinction Anika C Acting Grade 6 - Solo - Bronze Medal Merit Anika S Acting Grade 2 - Solo Distinction Naiya L Acting Grade 4 - Solo Distinction Sara B Acting Entry Level - Solo Distinction Alana K Acting Entry Level - Duo Distinction Sophie B Acting Entry Level - Duo Distinction Sehej G Acting Entry Level - Solo Distinction Harsimar G Acting Entry Level - Solo Distinction Eisah KH Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Sahara D Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction   Spanish Competition Well done to all of the children who took part in the St. Helen's College Languagenut Spanish competition over the summer holidays. Huge congratulations to the top three pupils on the leadersboard: 1st place - Rayan R in 5G (119,500 points) 2nd place - Aarya G in 2S (61,100 points) 3rd place - Ali AR in 3B (59,100 points) They all received certificates and were awarded House points for their hard work.  School Open Morning Our next 'School At Work' Open Morning for prospective new families is on Wednesday 24th September. If you know of anyone with a child who might be interested in visiting the school, please do let them know.  We will also be hosting Reception Discovery Mornings on Thursday 2nd October and Thursday 16th October for children eligible for Reception entry in 2026. These are for external applicants only and are an opportunity for the child and their parents to meet staff and explore our Reception setting. Prospective families can book appointments for Open Morning and Reception Discovery Mornings via the school website here.   Staff News We are delighted to welcome new members of staff to St. Helen's College this year and remind parents of new roles for existing members of the team: Ms. Matthews - Head of Pre-Prep Mr. Roche - Deputy Head - Academic Mrs. Gilbert - Deputy Head - Pastoral Mrs. Coyle - Nursery Manager Mrs. Porter - Year 3 Form Teacher Mrs. Moore - Performing Arts and Drama Lead Mrs. Ruano - Early Years Practitioner PA Welcome Event  The Parents' Association very much hope that all new families will come along to their Welcome Event on Saturday 6th September from 2 - 4 p.m. The event will take place in the hall at Lower School and is a lovely opportunity to meet the PA and other new families. Autumn Co-curricular Clubs Booking for autumn term co-curricular clubs will go live on SchoolsBuddy today at 4 p.m. There are plenty of fun and exciting clubs for the children to get involved with, from sports and games to art, music and languages. The timetable can be found here. Please log into SchoolsBuddy for more information and to make your selection by Sunday night, when bookings will close. For any specific queries please contact Mr. Harrington at lharrington@sthelenscollege.com. Upper School Swimming As usual, each class in Years 2 to 6 will enjoy an intensive week of swimming lessons this year at Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex. Here are the dates for your diary: w/c 29th September - 4C w/c 6th October - 4T w/c 10th November - 3P w/c 24th November - 3M w/c 26th January - 5G w/c 2nd February - 5R w/c 2nd March - 6G w/c 9th March - 6R Year 2 will take part in swimming lessons in the summer term, the dates will follow in due course. Chiswick Book Festival The Chiswick Book Festival 2025 is running from 10th - 15th September and has a fantastic children’s programme for ages 3 to 11+. Our librarian Mrs Emanuel will be helping out as usual and enjoying a wonderful array of award-winning authors. For older children there is an event with JP Rose and her book Birdie, a heartfelt tale about the love of pit ponies and families - one of the new books available to read in the library this term! Exciting interactive sessions include a comic book masterclass with Kev F Sutherland and improvised poetry with Jonathan Sellars. Multi-talented local author Mariesa Dulak is treating us to two beautiful stories The Silver Shadow and There’s a Tiger on the Train - another new read in the school library. Tickets are available to book here.  Pupil Absence Please be reminded that requests for any absences in advance e.g. school visits must be sent directly to Ms. Green at sgreen@sthelenscollege.com. However, to report illness or medical appointments please continue to contact Mrs. Fazlian in the welfare office, at lfazlian@sthelenscollege.com by no later than 8.30 a.m.   School Calendar Please note: the school calendar is now hosted on Outlook and can be accessed via the school website here.   
Posted on: 10/07/2025

Weekly News - Thursday 10th July 2025

As we reach the end of another very busy and successful year here at St. Helen's College we would like to wish you all an enjoyable, peaceful summer holiday. We look forward to seeing all of the children return and welcoming all of our new families next term. Year 6 Prizegiving On Tuesday evening we welcomed Year 6 pupils and their parents to the Evans Garden for our annual Prizegiving ceremony to celebrate the achievements of the children as they approach the end their time at St. Helen's College. This is always a very special evening to recognise their hard work, talents, personal development and contribution to the school across the years. Our Guest of Honour this year was Lucy Crehan, who shared an inspirational speech with many words of wisdom. We were also very lucky to hear performances from the Chamber Choir, a solo from Zinnia M and a very special vocal performance from Jill Crehan too! We wish Year 6 all the very best as they embark on the next step at their new schools.  Year 6 Project Exhibition  Also on Tuesday it was a pleasure to host the Year 6 Project Exhibition, a terrific showcase of the pupils' individual research projects. The children were tasked with researching a topic of their choice in depth and presenting this creatively at an open morning for their parents, staff and peers. The result was a hugely varied display of chosen subjects ranging from space, military tanks and rollercoasters to crystals, cricket and chocolate!  Many children had very impressively built their own websites, animations and videos demonstrating their advanced tech skills and know how. Well done Year 6.      Maths Quiz Final Huge congratulations to the team of Year 6 girls who attended the prestigious Quiz Club National Mathematics Competition final at the University of Oxford last week.  Ashvika A (6R), Amelia L (6R), Diya B (6H) and Evie J (6H) competed against teams from leading independent schools from across the country in this demanding event. The girls delivered a brilliant performance, achieving 11th place out of 33 and should feel extremely proud of themselves!        ABRSM Music Examinations Congratulations to all of our musicians who have worked hard to prepare for music examinations this term and achieved excellent results. They are as follows:  Pupil Grade Instrument Result Liberty Y 1 Clarinet Distinction Anika C 1 Violin Distinction Dev S 1 Piano Distinction Siara R 1 Piano Merit Tansy M 1 Singing Merit Mia S 1 Singing Merit Hugo VS 1 B Flat Cornet Merit Aarav D 1 B Flat Cornet Merit Kashi P 1 Singing for Musical Theatre Merit Yuvraj R 1 Piano Merit Sikhya R 1 Singing Merit Sikhya R 1 Piano Merit Armaan V 1 Tabla Merit Shayla R 1 Piano Pass Nihaal P 1 Guitar Pass Anika C 2 Singing for Musical Theatre Distinction Avaani H 2 Flute Merit Aarav C 2 Flute Merit Sanaya M 2 Singing for Musical Theatre merit Gurdaya J 2 Piano Merit Caitlin P 2 Piano Pass Simar C 2 Piano Pass Leo A 2 Piano Pass Aaryav K 3 Guitar Merit Shayna C 3 Singing for Musical Theatre Merit Roshni J 3 Guitar Pass Rohaym U 3 Guitar Pass Simrina N 3 Flute Pass Rayan S 4 Guitar Merit Simar C 4 Violin Pass Zoe F 5 Piano Pass Constantina S Initial Violin Pass Shivansh P Prep Test Singing Pass   Tennis Competition Finals The annual Tennis Competition is a long standing St. Helen's College tradition and the competition is fierce!  On Tuesday the children gathered courtside to cheer on the finalists in a series of exciting matches. The standard of play was extremely high across the board and the atmosphere was electric as the players competed for vital points. Well done to all of the finalists and congratulations to the overall winners! The finalists were:  Year 3 Winners - Amina H (3M) and Jamie F (3M) Year 3 Runners Up - Ishani (3B) and Noah K (3B) Year 4 Winners - Isaac A and Libby Y (4T) Year 4 Runners Up - Laksh K (4T) and Alba M (4C) Year 5 Winners - Aadhya M (5G) and Zaki A-J (5G) Year 5 Runners Up - Jana A (5R) and Shaylen P (5R) Year 6 Winners - Simar C (6R) and Avar D (6H) Year 6 Runners Up - Shanaiya K (6H) and Rohan F (6R) Pupil Leadership Team At the final assembly this morning we heard from our outgoing Head Boy and Head Girl about how much St. Helen's College has meant to them and we announced our Pupil Leadership Team for next year. They are: Head Girl - Avleen P Head Boy - Yuvraj R Deputy Head Girl - Amara B Deputy Head Boy - Reyan C Caledonia House Captains - Armaan V and Mahi B Cambria House Captains - Caitlin P and Noah K Hibernia House Captains - Daynan C and Gurdaya J Windsor House Captains - Rayhan R and Ella K House Winners After a fiercely fought House Contest, the final winners for the year were announced in our year end assembly today. Congratulations to Cambria! The final points tallies were: Cambria 5103       Hibernia 4956        Windsor 4521     Caledonia 4268   Teacher For A Day On Wednesday pupils in Year 6 stepped into the shoes of teachers and staff across school as part of 'Teacher for a Day'. The children had terrific fun shadowing members of staff to experience some of the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities. This included not only teaching roles but also school librarians, kitchen staff, PE teachers and school office staff! They stepped up to the task brilliantly, leading assemblies, football training, phonics lessons and creative activities. The event raised  £308.30 for Mary's Meals, thank you Year 6!      Move Up Mornings On Monday and Tuesday it was 'move up morning' when pupils across the school had the chance to visit their new classrooms and meet their teachers for next year. This is always popular with the children and provides an opportunity to introduce them to their new setting to help facilitate a smooth transition in September.  Parents' Evening Thank you to all of the parents of children in Ducklings and Nursery who attended parents' evening on Tuesday. We hope you found it a useful insight into their learning and progress. Thank you for your continued support. GOSH Fundraising A huge thank you to the St. Helen's College community for raising a tremendous £3107 for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children during our recent week of fundraising activites. You can watch a thank you video from the school here.  Summer Spanish Competition Join our sizzling first Spanish Languagenut Summer Competition and turn your holidays into a fiesta of fun!  Whether you are relaxing at home or soaking up the sun, complete exciting Spanish activities to earn House points and win a certificate! It’s your time to shine, show off your skills, and make your House proud. Pupils should log on to Languagenut to complete the competition which will begin on 14th July and finishes on the 31st August. It is open to current year 2, 3, 4 and 5 children. ¡Vamos, campeones!    Baby Mindfulness Mrs. McLaughlin's next set of FREE Baby Mindfulness classes will begin after the summer break on Wednesday 10th September. These weekly classes are for mothers and babies (aged from six weeks until crawling) and are held in the Evans Hall at Upper School. Classes provide a safe space for mums and babies to bond, take part in breathing, gentle yoga and other mindfulness exercises. This is a great opportunity to meet other local mums and babies. To find out about joining these classes, please email Mrs. McLaughlin on pmclaughlin@sthelenscollege.com. The classes are open to everyone, whether they have a child at St. Helen's College or not, so please do spread the word! Autumn Term Information You can see the Uniform and Equipment List on the School Documents page of the website. Please take the time over the summer to ensure that your children have all that they need for September. Please also check the School Calendar to make note of relevant dates for next term.    
Posted on: 4/07/2025

Weekly News - Friday 4th July 2025

Summer Arts Evening Thank you to all of the families who joined us for the St. Helen's College Summer Arts Evening at the Winston Churchill Theatre on Tuesday evening. It was a magical evening of creative expression and a glimpse of just some of the stunning work the children achieve here at SHC.  The art exhibition featured pieces from every single prep school child in Years 2 - 6, and displayed the enormous variety of techniques and materials the children are lucky to explore in their lessons. Following the exhibition we were treated to an evening concert where the children took centre stage to perform solo, choral and instrumental musical pieces, poetry recitations, LAMDA pieces, group ensembles and more. The children gave outstanding performances, and should feel extremely proud for working so hard at their artistic endeavours.  House TED Talk Competition This term the children in Years 2 - 6 have participated in a TED Talk Competition to win precious points for their Houses. The children were tasked with entering an approximately two minute long TED-style talk about an area of interest to them, in order to inspire their audience.  There was a wide variety of entries and it has been extremely interesting to hear the pupils present their TED talks in House assemblies over the past few weeks. One finalist was chosen from each House in the categories of Middle School (Years 2/3) and Upper School (Years 4/5/6), and the finals were held on Thursday this week. Every pupil listening then took part in a blind vote to choose the winner! The Upper School finalists were: Gurdaya J (5R) - Hibernia Mahi B (5R) - Caledonia Rayhan R (5G) - Windsor Rania Q (5R) - Cambria  The Middle School finalists were: Hadi Q (2C) - Windsor Shivansh P (2S) - Hibernia Nikita M (3B) - Caledonia Pavleen J (2C) - Cambria The overall winner for Years 4-6 was Rayhan, with an exceptionally well-prepared and well-delivered talk about Egypt, and the overall winner for Years 2-3 was Pavleen, who delivered an interesting and inspiring talk about 'The Word Why' with style and confidence. Very well done to everyone who entered this super competition and especially to the finalists and winners. Ducklings Sports Day On Thursday afternoon our very youngest pupils at Ducklings participated in their first St. Helen's College Sports Day which took place in the grounds on site. The children participated in a variety of fun sporting activities including sprints on the lawn and an obstacle course to challenge their agility and coordination. The children were delighted to win rosettes and medals for their efforts! Thank you to all of the parents for joining us, it was a lovely afternoon.        Y1 Visit to Mad Bess Woods Year 1 enjoyed a marvellous visit to Mad Bess Woods in Ruislip on Wednesday, where they were hosted by Mrs. Hunt and had a chance to visit the gardens of her house! They had a wonderful time exploring the beautiful surroundings there and were excited to find all sorts of minibeasts in the woodlands, including spiders with egg sacks. They were also treated to an ice cream from a visiting ice cream van and Mrs. Hunt even got to ride in the ice cream van!       Reception Trip to Whipsnade On Thursday, our Kingfishers and Owls Reception classes enjoyed a fun outing to Whipsnade Zoo. The day began with a fascinating workshop all about African and Asian animals, where the children were especially impressed to see the skull of a lion! They had a terrific time exploring the zoo and were lucky enough to see several very young animals, including a ten day old baby giraffe, a baby elephant, baby rhino and meerkats. The day was rounded off with a fun train ride around the park. The children thoroughly enjoyed the trip and it was a fantastic learning opportunity to support their classroom topic work. Year 6 Bikeability  Well done to Year 6 who have this week completed their Bikeability training. Bikeability is the government’s national cycle training programme which helps children to learn practical skills and understand how to cycle safely on today’s busy roads. Throughout the week they have mastered the basics of bike control and safety at Level 1 and have gained further competence at Level 2, riding out on the roads surrounding school. The children have gained the skills and confidence to negotiate parked cars, other road users, roundabouts, junctions and crossroads. We hope to see Year 6 putting their new skills into action from now on!    Basketball Success In their very first basketball match, St. Helen's College delivered a stunning performance, overpowering Ryefield Primary School with a commanding 36–8 victory. The team played with confidence and cohesion, setting the pace with sharp ball movement and relentless defence. Their ability to control the game at both ends of the court left Ryefield struggling to find rhythm or scoring opportunities. By half time, the lead was already substantial, and St. Helen’s College continued to dominate in the second half, showcasing impressive depth and discipline for a debut outing. Huge congratulations to the team!      Wimbledon Tennis Visit (selected Year 5/6 pupils) On Tuesday a group of children visited the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and enjoyed a super day discovering the club and watching exciting games on Court 2 and the outer courts. This was a lovely opportunity for some of our sporting pupils to visit an iconic sports venue and watch inspiring sports players in action!         London Fire Brigade Visit Reception Today the Reception children had a thrilling visit from the London Fire Brigade to support their topic work all about people who help us. They listened intently to a short talk from firefighters who explained the important work that they do. Afterwards the children had the opportunity to explore the fire engine outdoors! They had a fascinating tour of the vehicle and asked lots of interesting questions.        Music Lessons Individual music lessons are offered at school taught by our team of specialist music teachers, many of whom work professionally in the music industry. From Reception, children can learn the violin or the cello, and from Year 2 children can learn a wider variety of instruments including flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, violin, cello, piano, singing and guitar (NB: guitar can be learnt from Year 3).  There are currently spaces available to begin next term for the following instruments: trumpet, trombone, flute and cello. The waiting list is open for all other instruments and allocations for September will be made shortly. To request lessons or to be added to a waiting list please complete this Google form and Mrs. Fawbert will be in contact if a space becomes available. For any queries please email: cfawbert@sthelenscollege.com. Parents' Evening Thank you to all of the parents who attended the Ducklings and Nursery Parents' Evening on Tuesday. We very much value an open dialogue with families to review your child's progress and we hope you found the meetings useful.  Library Summer Reading Challenge A magical Story Garden was unveiled as the theme of the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge! Rebecca Knight from Oak Farm Library visited SHC for a special assembly to invite all pupils to take part in the challenge to collect magical stickers and earn a medal and certificate. Children will need to visit the library four times over the summer, you can find out more information about the challenge here. To discover libraries in the Hillingdon area (all of which local residents are able to use) click here. Enjoy and good luck everyone!   Next Week Monday 7th July - Y1-5 Move Up Morning Monday 7th July - New Y1 and New Y2 Parent Meetings  Tuesday 8th July - N/R Move Up Morning  Tuesday 8th July - Y6 Coffee Morning & Project Exhibition  Tuesday 8th July - Tennis Competition Y3/4 Final  Tuesday 8th July - Parents' Evening Ducklings and Nursery Tuesday 8th July - Y6 Prizegiving Thursday 10th July - Y6 Final Assembly Thursday 10th July - End of Term 11.50 (Ducklings & N); 12.00 (R); 12.10 (Y1,2); 12.20 (Y3, 4); 12.30 (Y5, 6)
Posted on: 27/06/2025

Weekly News - Friday 27th June 2025

PA Summer Fete We are very much looking forward to welcoming pupils, families, alumni and the local community to the Parents' Association annual Summer Fete, which is taking place at Upper School tomorrow from 1.00 - 4.00 p.m. As usual it promises to be a fun packed affair with lots of enticing stalls, games, refreshments, a BBQ, face painting and much more. Entertainment will be provided courtesy of our talented choir and musicians so don't miss it! Please do come along to support the terrific work of the PA who have worked so hard to bring the event together to raise funds for the children of SHC. Everyone is welcome so do spread the word and invite along friends and family.  Year 6 Production - Moana Huge congratulations to Year 6 who set the stage alight with their highly anticipated production of Moana at the Compass Theatre in Ickenham last night. The Year 6 production is always a highlight of the children's time at St. Helen's College and this year it certainly did not disappoint!  All of the children displayed enormous confidence and stage presence, learning and delivering their lines accurately, and participating enthusiastically in all of the group ensemble numbers. Behind the scenes the children worked collaboratively together to bring the show to life in what was an extremely polished production. Well done Year 6 for a fantastic show and good luck for the final performance this evening! Year 2 Trip to Iver Environment Centre On Thursday Year 2 visited Iver Environment Centre for a full day of outdoor activities. Despite the rain, the children relished a day in nature, taking part in a mini beast hunt, pond dipping and building their very own bug house as part of work on wildlife habitats. The day was rounded off in the fun adventure play area which proved to be the best part of the day!          Staff News After nearly 24 years, Miss Carmichael a valued member of staff at Lower School will be leaving at the end of term.  Miss Carmichael established our second nursery many years ago and has been hugely influential to the ongoing success of early years at St. Helen's College. We will all miss her and wish her all the best on her future adventures.  Summer Arts Evening (Exhibition And Concert) The Summer Arts Evening (Art Exhibition and Concert), a celebration of the artistic achievements of the children in Upper School, is taking place at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip next Tuesday 1st July. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece of artwork at the art exhibition and all three Upper School choirs, the school orchestra and many soloists will be performing at the evening concert. There will also be poetry and drama recitations. Our Middle School string group will be performing in the foyer before the concert. Please book your tickets if you haven't done so already!   Art Exhibition The exhibition will be open from 3.30 - 5.00 p.m. on Tuesday 1st July, and again from 6.00 - 6.45 p.m. The art exhibition is open to all SHC families. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece of art at the exhibition. We will also be offering you a drink to enjoy while you peruse the artwork. Tickets for the art exhibition are priced at £5 per family and you may come and go as many times as you please during the opening hours. You are welcome to take your child's artwork home with you directly from the exhibition. Uncollected work from the exhibition will be transported back to school and sent home with children after the event. Evening Concert Many children will be performing at the concert from 7 p.m. on Tuesday 1st July, including those in the school choirs and orchestra. Tickets are priced at £15 per person for the evening concert and include access to the art exhibition. (Doors open at 6 p.m. in the evening for welcome drinks/visits to the art exhibition). Please book your tickets through SchoolsBuddy.  Chess Club Success The St. Helen's College chess club have triumphed again! The tactical team played two rounds against St Bernadette Primary School this week, scoring 1 point for each win and 0.5 for each draw. Overall SHC secured a very comfortable win, achieving a score of 13.5 to St Bernadette's 2.5. Well done to all of the following players who took part in the competition: Aakash B (5G) Parth K (5R) Rayhan R (5G) Leonard S (4C) Andrew B (6H) Rohan F (6R) Edwin L (6R) Ishani A (3B) Library Books Please be reminded that all school library books must be returned next week. Books which have been outstanding for a long time and any books not returned by Friday 4th July will incur a fee via Schools Buddy so that replacements will be ready on the shelves for September. Please direct any book related queries to Mrs Emanuel: semanuel@sthelenscollege.com         Baby Mindfulness Classes Mrs. McLaughlin's next set of FREE Baby Mindfulness classes will begin after the summer break on Wednesday 10th September. These weekly classes are for mothers and babies (aged from six weeks until crawling) and are held in the Evans Hall at Upper School. Classes provide a safe space for mums and babies to bond, take part in breathing, gentle yoga and other mindfulness exercises. This is a great opportunity to meet other local mums and babies. To find out about joining these classes, please email Mrs. McLaughlin on pmclaughlin@sthelenscollege.com. The classes are open to everyone, whether they have a child at St. Helen's College or not, so please do spread the word! Coming Up Monday 30th June - Friday 4th July - Y6 Bikeability  Tuesday 1st July - Wimbledon Tennis Visit (selected Year 5/6 pupils) Tuesday 1st July - Upper School Summer Arts Evening Wednesday 2nd July - Y1 Visit to Mad Bess Woods Wednesday 2nd July - Parents' Evening for Ducklings and Nursery Thursday 3rd July - Reception Trip to Whipsnade Thursday 3rd July - Ducklings Sports Day Monday 7th July - Y1-5 Move Up Morning Monday 7th July - New Y1 and New Y2 Parent Meetings  Tuesday 8th July - N/R Move Up Morning  Tuesday 8th July - Y6 Project Exhibition  Tuesday 8th July - Tennis Competition Y3/4 Final  Tuesday 8th July - Parents' Evening Ducklings and Nursery Tuesday 8th July - Y6 Prizegiving Thursday 10th July - End of Term 11.50 (Ducklings & N); 12.00 (R); 12.10 (Y1,2); 12.20 (Y3, 4); 12.30 (Y5, 6)      
Posted on: 20/06/2025

Weekly News - Friday 20th June 2025

Year 1 Musical Production Wow, what a performance! Year 1 took to the stage at the Compass Theatre this week and delivered an outstanding performance of 'Sir David Hattenscarf and the Wonders of the World'. This fun musical whisked the audience away on a whistlestop tour around the world, following the adventures of a group of children on a magic carpet as they discover the ecological impact that humans have on the planet.  The children put on an energetic and very polished show, it was wonderful to see them shine in such an accomplished performance. They displayed fantastic stage presence and confidence, with every child taking a speaking part and making it their own. You can see more photographs here.  Prep Sports Day  There was glorious sunshine and high spirits at Prep Sports Day which took place today at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex. The anticipation was high as the children participated in a variety of track and field events including the high jump, long jump, sprints, hurdles, javelin and shot put, competing to win all important points for the coveted House Cup.   After lunch came the sprint finals, including a ‘through the Years 4 x 100m relay’ and a whole school House relay. It was super to see all of the children make such a terrific effort and fully embrace their role as a House team member. Thank you to our Year 9 alumni sport leaders who coordinated the events and were fantastic role models for the children. You can view a selection of photographs here.  Congratulations to Windsor House who beat off stiff competition to win the House Cup and well done to the following pupils who were awarded the Victor Ludorum and Victrix Ludorum: Year 3/4 Victor Ludorum - Isaac A Year 3/4 Victrix Ludorum - Kashi P Year 5/6 Victor Ludorum - Maicen M Year 5/6 Victrix Ludorum - Ella K Ducklings Farm Visit  Today, as part of their topic work on the farm, the Ducklings had some very exciting visitors! The children were delighted to receive a special visit from Ark Farm who brought along a selection of farmyard animals for the children to feed and pet. They had great fun meeting rabbits, guinea pigs, a dog, a tortoise and even a hedghog! The children had a wonderful time and it was a valuable opportunity for them to find out more about the animals and have a chance to touch them up close.      Chess Tournament Win! The St. Helen's College chess team fought off stiff competition to successfully retain the winning shield at the Hillingdon and Ealing School Chess Tournament last weekend.  Congratulations to Aakash B (5G), Rohan F (6L), Leonard S (4C) and Ishani A (3B) who each received a gold medal for being part of the winning team. Additional congratulations to Aakash who won a gold medal for joint first place in the U12 section and Leonard who won a silver medal for second place in the U10 section. Excellent work!      PA Summer Fete - Saturday 28th June The Parents' Association Summer Fete is almost upon us and promises to be lots of fun for all the family with stalls, games, a BBQ, entertainment and more. The PA are calling for volunteers to help run the stalls, please do sign up! For more information contact your class representative. Pets As Therapy Fundraising It has been a pleasure to welcome Buddy from Pets As Therapy to St. Helen's College this year where he has done a fantastic job meeting the children and listening to them read in the library. Pets As Therapy is a very special charity which provides support to many vulnerable people in many different settings and therefore we are excited to be fundraising for them next week.  For a donation of £1 the children will have the chance to guess the number of sweets in a jar. The correct, or nearest, guess will win the jar of sweets and a Buddy cuddly toy. It is £1 per entry and children may enter as many times as they wish, all the money raised will go to the charity. The children will have the opportunity to guess from Monday to Thursday next week and the winner will be announced in assembly on Friday. Good luck everyone!  Holiday Club Holiday club will run from Friday 11th July - Friday 29th August (excluding Bank holiday Monday 25th August). Bookings will open on Thursday 26th June at 4.00 p.m. Please log into Schoolsbuddy to make your booking, places must be booked in advance to arrange appropriate staffing ratios. Please note that bookings will close on Monday 7th July at 4.00 p.m.  Next Week Monday 23rd - Year 6 Rehearsal at Compass Theatre Wednesday 25th - Friday 27th June - Year 6 Rehearsals at Compass Theatre  Wednesday 25th June - Meet The Teacher Meetings for Ducklings, Nursery and Reception Thursday 26th June - Year 2 Trip to Iver Environmental Centre Thursday 26th and Friday 27th June - Year 6 Production at Compass Theatre Saturday 28th June - PA Summer Fete
Posted on: 13/06/2025

Weekly News - Friday 13th June 2025

Pre-Prep Sports Day On Thursday the Pre Prep children put their best foot forward at Court Park for our highly anticipated Sports Day. The children participated in a range of different sporting activities rotating around 'stations' designed to challenge their agility, speed and technical skills.  The atmosphere was buoyant as the parents and children cheered one another on to win valuable points for the all important House shield. However, in the end there can be only one overall winner. Congratulations to Cambria House! Well done to all of the children for taking part. Thanks also to the enthusiastic Year 6 team leaders for supporting and inspiring their younger peers and to the Parents' Association for providing refreshments for parents. We look forward to the forthcoming Prep School Sports Day next Friday.  Singing Competition Today marked the hotly contested final of the St. Helen's College Singing Competition. As ever, the finalists performed brilliantly and to an extremely high standard. This year there were an amazing 67 entries, so selecting the 25 finalists was not an easy task for Mrs. Fawbert, Mrs. Garnes and Mr. James! To judge the final we were very lucky to welcome Gillian Dibden MBE to Upper School. Gillian set up the prestigious Taplow Choirs, a centre to bring together children and adults to develop their singing skills, and was awarded her MBE for youth choral services. Gillian had the unenviable task of judging our finalists based on the following criteria; breathing, phrasing and projection; musicality, intonation, diction and timing; overall performance and interpretation. The children also enjoyed an inspiring performance from professional singer, actor and St. Helen's College alumna Lily Wood. Lily, from the SHC class of 2012, studied musical theatre at drama school and counts work with the Horrible Histories team among many of her professional achievements. It was a pleasure to welcome Lily to the Singing Competition as a terrific role model for pupils with singing talent. Huge congratulations to all of the finalists. The categories and winners were as follows:  Middle School Y2 solo - Pavleen J (2C) and Amelia AK (2S) was highly commended Y3 solo - Mia S (3B) Middle School groups - Raya R (3M), Avni J (3M) and Kiran S (3B) Overall MS winner - Pavleen J Upper School Y4 solo - Eleanor G (4T) and Alicia Z (4T) highly commended Y5 solo - Gurdaya J (5R) Y6 solo - Rohan F (6R) Upper School groups - Alex A (6H) and Leo A (5R) Overall US winner - Gurdaya J (5R) Boys Win Cricket Tournament! Huge congratulations to the team of eight St. Helen's College cricketers who won the Boys Best cricket tournament on Wednesday. Twenty teams from independent schools took part in the event, held at Uxbridge Cricket Club on Wednesday, and the stakes were high. The boys delivered a spectacular team performance throughout, winning all seven matches across the day. Every one of the boys contributed by scoring runs and taking wickets for the team. We are incredibly proud of them for their thoroughly well deserved win.      National Quiz Club Final at Oxford Congratulations to a team of Year 6 girls who have won a place in the Quiz Club National Mathematics Final at the University of Oxford next month.  Ashvika A (6R), Amelia L (6R), Diya B (6H) and Evie J (6H) will be competing against teams from leading independent schools from across the country in this prestigious event. The finals take place on Friday 4th July and we wish them every success! Forfar Debating Competition Year 6 are competing in a Forfar cross school debating competition and today successfully reached the semi-finals. Six pupils competed against Springmead School in Somerset via video link and won the debate whilst opposing the motion 'AI is a threat to our jobs'. The children presented many salient points and answered probing questions with confidence and reassurance. Well done to the team members who took part; Ashvika A (6R), Mustafa F (6R), Roshni J (6R), Alex A (6H), Avar D (6H) and Shanaya P (6H). New team members from Y6 will take part in the semi-finals coming soon!   Summer Arts Evening (Exhibition And Concert) We are delighted to invite parents to join us for our Summer Arts Evening (Art Exhibition and Concert) at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip on Tuesday 1st July. This very special event celebrates the arts at St. Helen's College Upper School. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece of artwork at the art exhibition and all three Upper School choirs, the school orchestra and many soloists will be performing at the evening concert. There will also be poetry and drama recitations. Our Middle School string group will be performing in the foyer before the concert, and parents of children who are performing only in the foyer will not necessarily need to book tickets for the concert (although are welcome to do so).  Please read the following information carefully and book your tickets soon! Art Exhibition The exhibition will be open from 3.30 - 5.00 p.m. on Tuesday 1st July, and again from 6.00 - 6.45 p.m. The art exhibition is open to all SHC families. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece of art at the exhibition. We will also be offering you a drink to enjoy while you peruse the artwork. Tickets for the art exhibition are priced at £5 per family (not per person) and you may come and go as many times as you please during the opening hours. You are welcome to take your child's artwork home with you directly from the exhibition. Uncollected work from the exhibition will be transported back to school and sent home with children after the event. Evening Concert Many children will be performing at the concert from 7 p.m. on Tuesday 1st July, including those in the school choirs and orchestra. Parents will need to buy tickets for this event, and these will be made available first to parents of performers. If any remain unsold after a fortnight, these will then be made available to other families.  Tickets are priced at £15 per person for the evening concert and include access to the art exhibition. (Doors open at 6 p.m. in the evening for welcome drinks/visits to the art exhibition). Concert tickets are limited to three per family and will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Please book your tickets through SchoolsBuddy. Bookings are open now. Year 6 Musical - Moana! Our Year 6 musical production of Moana will be performed at The Compass Theatre in Ickenham on Thursday 26th and Friday 27th June at 7.30 p.m. Tickets are now available via the Compass Box Office and can be bought online here. The Year 6 show is always an absolutely highlight of the academic year and tickets usually sell out very quickly so please do book early! Year 4 and 5 children will have the opportunity to watch the dress rehearsal during a school day. PA Father's Day Stalls  Many thanks to our dedicated St. Helen's College Parents' Association team for running the Father's Day gift stalls at Lower and Upper School on Tuesday. As ever, the stalls were very popular and the children enjoyed selecting and purchasing their special gift. Please be reminded that the PA Summer Fete will take place on Saturday 28th June from 1.00 - 4.00 p.m. at Upper School. It promises to be lots of fun for all the family with stalls, games, BBQ, entertainment and more.     Next Week Tuesday 17th June - Year 1 rehearsing at Compass Theatre Tuesday 17th June - Year 3/4 Sports Day practice at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex - p.m. Tuesday 17th June - Year 4 Transfer Meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday 18th June - Year 1 dress rehearsal (Nursery/Reception going to watch) Wednesday 18th June - Year 5/6 Sports Day practice at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex - p.m. Thursday 19th June - Year 1 performance at Compass Theatre 1.30 p.m. Friday 20th June - Ark Farm visiting Ducklings Friday 20th June - Prep Sports Day at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex
Posted on: 6/06/2025

Weekly News - Friday 6th June 2025

GOSH Fundraising Week It has been a super week of exciting activities across the school as we raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children to support their campaign to build a state of the art Cancer Care Centre. As many of you will know, GOSH are currently supporting one of our Reception pupils, Noah, so it is a charity that is extremely close to our hearts. At Ducklings and Lower School, children enjoyed dressing up for a 'superhero tog day', playing bingo, joining in a danceathon, singing karaoke, taking part in a treasure hunt and much more! At Upper School the children had a marvellous time at the 'Soak The Teacher' event today which proved to be highly entertaining!    Noah's family have a special message for all the staff, parents and children at St. Helen's College, 'We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to you all for raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Your generosity, kindness, and support mean so much to us. The messages you’ve shared have been truly uplifting and give us hope during these challenging times. Noah has had a tough start to life, and most recently he relapsed for leukaemia. He has now finished his treatment, and we are hopeful that it has worked so he can begin to lead a normal life. The hospital means the world to us — and so do all of you. With deepest gratitude, Noah, Naima, Dilly and Sabe.' The St. Helen's College community have raised more than £2400 so far, however it's not too late to donate, if you haven't already done so, via the Just Giving page here. Orchestra Day at Northwood College Today members of the Upper School orchestra attended a dedicated Orchestra Day alongside musicians from Northwood College for Girls and Orley Farm School. The children collaborated to perform pieces by Handel, Shostakovich and Schubert and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, expanding their musical knowledge and skills in the process. Well done to all of the children involved who, as ever, were terrific ambassadors for St. Helen's College.        Kingfishers Class Assembly On Thursday our Kingfishers Reception class presented a quite SUPER assembly all about superheroes. Showing a maturity beyond their years, they told us all about how we can all be superheroes and what it means to be a superhero in the world today. They spoke of kindness, of helping others and of the importance of courage. They also explained why we have all been raising money for Great Ormond Street hospital this week. This was an important, touching performance and we were very proud of the children for speaking and singing so beautifully. Well done, Kingfishers!     3M Class Assembly On Friday it was the turn of 3M to present their '3M's Got Talent' class assembly to parents. Following the recent St. Helen's College Life Skills Day, the children demonstrated some of the things they have learnt and have been putting into practice at home. They even challenged their parents to compete in fun timed competitions to hang clothes, sort recycling and wrap a present!  As well as practical skills the children also highlighted the importance of developing everyday skills such as communication, decision making and relationship building, all of which are vital to master in order to manage life successfully. Thank you 3M for presenting such a confident and entertaining assembly brimming with enthusiam!  Nursery Trip to Hobbledown Heath The Nursery Robins and Wrens enjoyed a thrilling trip to Hobbledown Heath today where they had fun exploring the animals and play activities. They were introduced to the meerkats and were lucky enough to feed them little cubes of their favourite food - butternut squash - which they reached out for with their paws!  The children listened intently to a talk about tortoises learning all about how they hibernate in winter. Afterwards the children had great fun playing on the climbing equipment, water pillows (a firm favourite with both pupils and staff) and exploring the sand areas. Overall it was a terrific trip and a valuable experience for the Nursery children. Girls Best Cricket Event On Wednesday girls from Year 5 and 6 attended a Girls Best Cricket event at Harefield Cricket Club. The girls put on a very strong performance despite this being the first cricket fixture for many of them. They played two group games and won both, and went on to beat the Newnham Junior School B team in the quarter finals and Lady Bankes Primary School in the semi-finals. They finished runners up of the whole competition which is a fantastic achievement. Well done girls we are very proud of you!      Quiz Club Semi Finals On Thursday three teams of pupils from Year 5 and 6 took part in the highly anticipated semi finals of the national Quiz Club competition. The children competed against 62 other independent schools from across the country and put in a great effort. Well done to all of the pupils who took part, Team 2 may have a chance to go through to the final, watch this space! Team 1 placed 47th (1205 points) - Mufaddal J (6H), Mustafa F (6R), Alex A (6H), Daynan C (5R) Team 2 placed 17th (1430 points)  - Ashvika A (6R), Amelia L (6R), Diya B (6H), Evie J (6H) Team 3 placed 42nd (1250 points) - Avar D (6H), Saayan S (6H), Maicen M (6R), Ayush A (6R) Ducklings Provision  We are pleased to announce that, in response to demand, from September 2025 Ducklings will become a year-round provision and that we will be supplying a full meal service to our Ducklings from September too. This means that we can now offer year-round continuity of care and education for all of our pre-schoolers. You can find more information about the available sessions with times and prices in the Admissions section of the website. Parents' Evening  Thank you to all of the parents who attended parents' evening this week for Years 1 - 6. We very much value this opportunity to discuss and support the children's progress and work together on future goals.  Father's Day Stalls The St. Helen's College Parents' Association will once again very kindly be running Father’s Day gift stalls for the children on Tuesday 10th June between 8.00 - 8.30 a.m. This is a fantastic chance for the children to choose exciting special gifts for Father’s Day, priced between £1 - £5 each. Stalls will be set up in the Lower School playground (payment via cash or card) and in the gazebo area at Upper School, accessed via Parkway (cash only please in small change).  Seasonal School Lunches Our dedicated catering team at Accent Catering are commited to delivering a fresh, seasonal menu throughout the year. This month they are celebrating the small but mighty garden pea! We are looking forward to a selection of delicious school lunches incorporating peas throughout June. If you would like to try some new recipes yourself at home with your children why not give a pea and parmesan arancini a try? Or perhaps plant and grow your own peas! Recipes and instructions can be found here. Blaze Summer Netball Camp  Blaze Netball Club are running a netball camp from Monday 28th - Friday 31st July at Douay Martyrs School. Sessions will run from 10.00 a.m. - 12 noon for Reception - Year 1 (£15 per day or £55 all week) and from 10.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m. for Years 3 - 9 (£27.50 per day or £100 all week). To book or for more information contact: blazejuniors@outlook.com Next Week Saturday 7th June - LAMDA exams Tuesday 10th June - PA Father's Day Stalls  Wednesday 11th June - Best Boys Cricket Event Y5/6 Thursday 12th June - Pre-Prep Sports Day, Court Park Friday 13th - Singing Competition Saturday 14th June - LAMDA exams
Posted on: 23/05/2025

Weekly News - Friday 23rd May 2025

Year 6 Residential Trip To France     Year 6 are travelling home today tired but happy after a very busy and exciting week-long residential trip at the Chateau de la Baudonniere in Normandy, France.  The children had a fantastic week immersing themselves fully in the French language and culture, building on language skills established in the classroom here at school. There were copious opportunities for the children to practise their French speaking skills whilst taking part in a wide range of educational and fun activities: shopping at a local market, aeroballe, archery, raft-building, canoeing, a visit to the mini-farm and the famous parcours de sante!  Other highlights included a visit to the stunning Mont-Saint-Michel for a picnic and meeting their French pen pals in person. What an unforgettable trip! We hope the children will remember this special residential to France, and continue the friendships forged here at St. Helen's College, for many, many years to come. Wrens Class Assembly On Thursday our Nursery Wrens presented an enchanting class assembly all about 'Billy No Buzz' a bumble bee who was different from all of the others. The children remembered their lines perfectly and did a marvellous job delivering them clearly and with confidence. They also sang with gusto and even treated us to some dance moves! This charming assembly shared an important theme about inclusivity and what it means to be a good friend and respect others. Well done Wrens!        3B Class Assembly  On Friday it was the turn of 3B to present their class assembly to parents and peers. The children enthusiastically shared an overview of the many lessons and activities they have been hard at work with this term. They shared exciting highlights from their recent residential trip to PACCAR, where teamwork and collaboration were high on the agenda, and explained many of the skills they developed during Life Skills Day. To top off the assembly they invited a parent to participate in a sandwich making competition to put their abilities to the test! Looking forward to the rest of term 3B are already planning their entries for the singing competition and the House TED talk competition. There is much to be excited about, thank you 3B!   IAPS iArt 2025 Huge congratulations to Amayra C in 2C who has been awarded second place in the Years 1 - 2 age group in the IAPS iArt 2025 competition. This is a terrific achievement as the competition is stiff and the submissions from prep schools across the country and internationally are of an extremely high standard. Amayra's artwork (pictured here) was inspired by the theme of reflection. The judges' comments highlight how well she 'used beautiful autumnal colours and rich textures effectively'. Amayra has been invited to a special IAPS prize giving event on 27th June in Mayfair to celebrate her success. Well done, Amayra, and well done to all of our other budding young artists who entered the competition too! School Photographs Please be reminded that on the first day back after half term, Monday 2nd June, there will be official class photograghs for all Ducklings, Lower School and Upper School pupils. Please ensure all pupils attend in full, smart summer uniform with long hair neatly braided/tied back. They may bring PE kits with them to change into if required.  Fundraising For GOSH At St. Helen's College we are committed to fundraising for various charities throughout the year, aided by an enthusiastic and creative pupil body who very much enjoy giving back to the community. This term we are on a mission to raise as much money as possible for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, a very special institution currently supporting one of our Reception children and therefore extremely close to our heart. After half term we will be hosting a week of fun and exciting fundraising activities across the school to support GOSH's campaign to build a state of the art cancer care centre. At Ducklings and Lower School, children will enjoy 'superhero tog day', bingo, a danceathon and much more! A full itinerary has been sent to parents at Lower School and Ducklings via SchoolsBuddy. At Upper School the children are very much looking forward to a fun 'soak the teacher' event. Please donate generously via the Just Giving page here and let's raise as much as we possibly can for this most deserving charity.  Tour de Hillingdon Cycle Festival This Saturday 24th May, the Ruislip Residents' Association are organising a free, guided 30 kilometre cycle tour around Hillingdon to promote safe cycling through the borough. The event is part of the London Cycling Festival and is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a ride as a family exploring a variety of local highlights; Swakeleys Park; the Battle of Britain Bunker; Stockley Country Park; The Polish War Memorial to name but a few. The pace will be gentle with plenty of breaks, and families with younger children may choose to ride a shorter section of the circuit if they wish. Participants should meet at Manor Farm at 9.30 a.m., with the full route expected to take three hours to complete. To register and view the full route click here.  Uxbridge Chess Club Camp Hillingdon & Ealing Chess Association are hosting a May half term chess camp next week at Lady of Lourdes Church Hall in Uxbridge. There promises to be fun galore with puzzles, games and competitions providing chess fans with the chance to develop their tactics and strategy with like-minded peers. Sessions will run from 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. on Tuesday 27th, Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th May. You can see more information and book a place here.        The Great Exhibition Road Science Festival  Imperial College London are hosting The Great Exhibition Road Festival on 7th - 8th June in South Kensington to celebrate science and the arts with a weekend of exciting free events for all ages. The festival features creative workshops, live performances and interactive exhibits with lots to discover in themed zones covering everything from tech, being a scientist, the natural world, future medicine and nextgen developments. For a full programme and to register visit the website here.  Oak Farm Library Events Oak Farm Library have some special half term events including a 'Brilliant Bug Storytime', 'Crafty Creators Club' and a 'Lego SPIKE workshop'. For details visit their Instagram page here.  Free Perform Trial Class Today the children at Lower School enjoyed a special drama workshop from Perform. The children thoroughly enjoyed being whisked off to Africa and transforming themselves into animals including giraffes, snakes and elephants!  Perform are offering a free trial class for children who would like to attend regular classes. They hold classes in Uxbridge, Ickenham and Ruislip, for more information and to claim your trial click here. They are also running an Alice in Wonderland summer course for children aged 4 - 10 years, you can find more information here.    Next Half Term Monday 26th - Friday 30th May - Half Term Holiday Monday 2nd  - Friday 6th June - GOSH Fundraising Week  Monday 2nd June - Class Photographs (Full Summer School Uniform) Tuesday 3rd June - Parents' Evening Y1 - 6 Wednesday 4th June - Girls Best Cricket Event Y5/6 Thursday 5th June - Kingfishers Coffee Morning and Class Assembly Thursday 5th June - Online Parents' Evening Y6 and 2C Friday 6th June - Nursery Trip to Hobbledown Heath Friday 6th June - 3M Coffee Morning and Class Assembly Friday 6th June - Orchestra Day at Northwood College Saturday 7th June - LAMDA exams    
Posted on: 16/05/2025

Weekly News - Friday 16th May 2025

Life Skills Day At St. Helen's College we prepare children for life now and after primary school. As part of their personal development on Tuesday this week every child took part in an exciting Life Skills Day, designed to teach (or allow children to practise) some essential life skills which are not always taught in school. Age-appropriate activities were provided for all of the children to teach a wide range of skills such as financial planning, sandwich making, shoelace tying, tent pitching, den building, clothes hanging and folding, gift wrapping, car washing, recycling, making a bed, Muay Thai mindset and different ways of looking after our bodies. There truly was something for everyone! The children were so enthusiastic about having a go at new activities and consolidating existing knowledge and skills, and we are delighted that they made the most of the opportunities on the day. We hope your child came home and spoke to you about their day and all the wonderful experiences they had.  We would also like to extend sincere thanks to all of the parents who visited us on the day to run workshops or assist our staff - and, of course, to all of the staff who worked so hard to put on such a special day. It really was a community event and such a valuable experience for the children. You can see some more photos from the day on our Galleries page here.   Year 4 Residential Trip - Flatford Mill Our Year 4 children are returning tired, happy and enlightened today following their three day residential trip to Constable country! They stayed at the stunning Flatford Mill and, while there, spent time developing their artistic, geographical and scientific skills and knowledge by taking part in a range of outdoors activities. The children spent time pond dipping to observe aquatic life and investigate organisms under the microscope; den building to create strong and waterproof structures; mammal trapping to catch small mammals in 'hotels'; twilight walks to explore wildlife; campfires and much more. Building on the life skills day here at school on Tuesday, the trip was a brilliant opportunity to put into practise teamwork and to develop and build confidence in their personal independence whilst away from home.  Owls Class Assembly Wow! What super work from our Owls Reception children in the assembly they presented to their families on Thursday morning. Theming their performance around traditional fairy tales, the children each spoke out loud very eloquently and with confidence. The children shared a thoughtful poem all about how books and reading can expand our knowledge, broaden our horizons and empower us to fully advocate for ourselves in the world. To view a clip, click here. Thank you Owls for reminding us of the joy of reading and how the themes from traditional fairy tales, such as kindness, sharing and thoughtfulness, convey important lessons for building successful relationships as we navigate through life.    Prep and Pre-Prep Sports Day Sports Day is always a highlight of the summer term and we are very much looking forward to welcoming families along! Information about both the Prep and Pre-Prep Sports Day has been sent out to parents via email this week. The dates are as follows: Pre-Prep Sports Day (N-Y2) - Thursday 12th June at Court Park Prep Sports Day (Y3-6) - Friday 20th June at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex Ducklings - Thursday 3rd July at 2.00 p.m. on site   Year 5 Senior School Transfer Meeting Thank you to the Year 5 parents who joined us for the senior school transfer meeting on Wednesday evening. We hope that you found the information provided useful and we look forward to guiding and supporting you and your children through the 11+ application, examination and interview processes for your chosen schools.  Month End Music Recital We enjoyed another super set of performances from our young musicians at today's Month End Music Recital in the Evans Hall at Upper School. This is a great opportunity for the children to practice playing to an audience informally to build confidence and celebrate their progress. This month children from Years 1 - 6 performed pieces on the piano, violin and flute and we also enjoyed also a vocal performance. Very well done to all of those who took part. Walk To School Week Next week it is national 'Walk to School Week' and on Tuesday 20th May - ‘Shoesday Tuesday’ - our TfL Explorers would like to get everyone walking to school in their favourite pair of shoes! Children may wear odd shoes, or even a pair of shoes that are really wacky to school that day! Please ensure that the shoes your child wears will be suitable for the whole day's activities (including PE/Games, if they have these timetabled on a Tuesday). Strictly no high heels allowed!       Harefield Cricket Club Junior Training Harefield Cricket Club are welcoming new junior players for the summer season. Sessions are open to all boys and girls aged 8+ years and of all abilities. Training takes place every Friday evening between 5.30 - 6.45 p.m. For more information please email: ha.cricket.club@gmail.com or call Stephen Croft on tel: 07555 371910 Next Week Monday 19th - Friday 23rd May - Year 6 Residential Trip To France Thursday 22nd May - Wrens Coffee Morning/Class Assembly (from 8.15 a.m.) Thursday 22nd May - Year 1 - 5 Parents' Evening (4.00 - 7.00 p.m.) Friday 23rd May - 3B Coffee Morning/Class Assembly (from 8.15 a.m.) Monday 26th May - Friday 30th May - HALF TERM (Holiday Club running Tuesday to Friday).

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