School News and Head's Blog
Posted on: 21/09/2018Being At Home With Your School - Head's Blog
I have been interested to read in the media this week two very similar articles about choosing the right school for your child and what to look out for at an Open Day (links below). The BBC article is very much focused on senior school transfer whilst the lifestyle magazine article focuses on the independent sector and choosing a good Preparatory School.
The analogy one article used was comparing choosing a school to buying a house. It needs to be a good fit for you and your family and you will definitely have a ‘gut’ feeling about the school. Of course like choosing a home, with a school there are many other factors to be considered but I do not intend to go into too much detail in this blog; you can read both the articles for yourself.
I am sure that St. Helen's College parents know that you have made the right choice for your children, having chosen St. Helen’s College very carefully knowing that our values and ethos are matched with your own family values. We do not hold open days where the activities are ‘contrived’ and only showcase certain elements of the school. We do not hand pick our tour guides - rather, all our Year 6 pupils are our ambassadors and tour visitors, and they are certainly our best marketeers! We have prospective parents tour the school all year round, not just on Open Morning, since we believe it is important that they see, hear and feel the heartbeat of St. Helen’s College.
The support that you give your children at home in their learning and development complements all that the staff at school are doing on a daily basis both in the classroom and around the school community. Our staff are being the best role models to your children all day long; the learning stretches across the school day both inside the classroom, in the corridors, the dining room and beyond the school gates. We all work together to educate your children to empower them to strive for excellence in all aspects of their learning.
As Open Day season commences for senior schools I do urge parents in the Upper School to visit a variety of schools. Know what you are looking for, but most important of all, make sure that you get a good feel for the school - that gut instinct. Do read the articles I have linked to assist you and do come back to share your experiences with me.
I thank all our parents and pupils for being our best ambassadors - it is through the conversations that you are having with family, friends and colleagues that the reputation of our school spreads and we look forward to meeting our prospective parents this year for the families wishing to join our unique community.
http://optimamagazine.co.uk/read/family/education/1901-how-to-make-the-most-of-open-days
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-41469041
Mrs. Drummond
Posted on: 21/09/2018Weekly News - Friday 21st September
What an incredible STEAM Day today has been! From building human structures to visiting the Ideas Bus and seeing a 3D printer in action, to making origami boxes, learning about acids and alkalis, carrying out practical experiments, building newspaper towers and so much more, children across the school have today taken part in numerous hands-on activities themed around Science, Technology, Engineering, The Arts and Maths.
There has been a real buzz around school, with conversations about learning taking place at every turn. We are sure that today has proved that if learning is enjoyable and engaging, pupils remember more of it. Thank you so much to all of the parents who willingly gave time and energy to support staff in delivering workshops.
Do question your children at home tonight and over the weekend so that they may share their learning with you!
Budding young engineers might be interested in this event at the London Transport Museum:
Follow this link: https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/year-of-engineering/future-engineers
Year 6 Netball v. Langley Hall
This week we had our first netball matches of the season and our Year 6 girls travelled to Langley Hall School to take part in a friendly pre-season A and B team match. The A team showed they were in sharp form, winning 9 - 3, and after a nervous 1st half the B team raised their performance but lost 7 - 3. Well done to all the girls, who are now looking forward to our first home match next Thursday against St. Bernadette's in the local league.
Reception Coffee Mornings
It has been lovely to see so many parents attend the Owls and Kingfishers coffee mornings over the last two weeks and to hear how well their children are enjoying their new environment and the step up to Reception class. We look forward to seeing other parents at the forthcoming coffee mornings.
Year 4 Greek Workshops
On Monday, members of Freshwater Theatre Company provided our Year 4 children with an insight into the lives of the Ancient Greeks as an introduction to their history topic, with an Ancient Greek adventure show. Our pupils had to solve Greek-related activities to help a time traveller graduate from time travel school. The newly qualified Time Traveller wanted to get a slot presenting on ‘Time Travel TV’. Singing the Ancient Greek legacy rap, recreating an original Olympic Games and learning more about Greek philosophy, the children helped the Time Traveller to make their very own show reel.
In their second workshop, children heard from an Ancient Greek citizen who had hurtled through time to the modern day. Children learnt about everyday life in Ancient Greece and were involved in bringing scenes to life using drama.
This was a really exciting start to a new history topic and the children all had great fun learning in such a practical way!
Year 4/5 Meet the Teacher Evenings
Thank you so much to all of the parents who attended last night's Meet The Teacher evening. I am sure that everyone found it informative and helpful as we look forward to a busy and exciting year ahead for the children. Please remember if you do have any questions or queries, to contact your form teacher or subject teacher.
PA Class Reps
As the new year gets underway, we would love to hear from any parent who would like to serve as a class rep for any of the following classes:
Owls
2B
2H
3M
4KT
Please contact Mrs. Clements at admin@sthelenscollege.com if you would like to be involved.
Children in Need
The BBC's Children in Need appeal are currently looking for children aged 7-13 to take part in various VT specials this year. The VTs will feature on the big Children in Need appeal night on 16th November 2018.
No previous acting or performance experience is needed – just lots of enthusiasm! The application form is attached here.
Posted on: 14/09/2018The Power Of Everyday Heroes - Head's Blog
At our very first staff meeting last week, all employees of St. Helen’s College were reminded of how privileged we all are to spend our working days in an environment where we can have such a positive impact on your children.
Everyone who works in an educational setting is a hero! Many of us are not even aware that we have these superpower ‘hero’ qualities. But to many children they see the adults who surround them, care for them, listen to them each day as their heroes. The children may not be aware of the impact that the adults are having upon them and it may not be until later life when they reflect on their life journey that these everyday heroes will be recalled.
The message which reverberated around the room was about being human first….our roles as teacher, TALA, SMSA, secretary, groundsman, school patrol..these roles come second!
I showed the staff a very moving and poignant TedEx talk by a friend of mine, a teacher who has had a very difficult and moving life journey but now speaks to audiences about ‘The Power of Everyday Heroes’. You can find her talk on Youtube under Jaz Ampaw-Farr/Ted-Ex Norwich. Jaz is a teacher and an excellent literacy trainer but a few years ago, having spoken to audiences about how to improve literacy in the classroom, she decided to reveal her story. As I stood with a very nervous Jaz backstage at ‘Teachmeet London’ she was so apprehensive about whether she should deliver her presentation, which was most certainly nothing to do with phonics and literacy. The impact Jaz’s talk had on the audience that day took her to TedEx Norwich; her message is strong and heartfelt.
We will email parents the link to the video of her talk, which contains sensitive material and is not suitable for children. It only lasts 10 minutes, but this is 10 minutes which may make you step back from your role in your workplace, to remember that ultimately if we can all be human first we may have the greatest and most positive impact on others.
I speak on behalf of all the staff when I say that we are so proud of our St. Helen’s College community. The relationships we have with our pupils and parents are unique and we look forward to a very successful and happy academic year with your precious children.
Mrs. Drummond
Posted on: 14/09/2018Weekly News - Friday 14th September 2018
It has been an incredible first week back for the pupils at all three sites. It is wonderful to see how quickly our Ducklings children have settled in to their new 'nest'! There was much excitement as our Lower School children entered their new-look school on Monday morning. They have now all explored their new classrooms and are making the most of the amazing new facilities. The grand opening will be after half term and we will finalise dates as soon as possible.
Upper School children have had a very busy week meeting their new teachers and settling into new routines. I have admired how they are responding to the changes and rising to new challenges. Our Year 6 pupils have had an intense start to the new academic year with their 11+ examinations and we look forward to seeing them all next week for a 'normal' school week.
PA Welcome Event For New Parents
The PA Welcome Event for parents who are new to the school will now take place next Saturday, 22nd September, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in The Evans Hall. We hope to see all our new families there.
STEAM Day - Friday 21st September
Preparations are well underway for our exciting STEAM Day next Friday. Thank you to all parents who have offered to run or assist with the workshops. If there are any Upper School parents who would still like to assist, please email Mr. Tovell at dtovell@sthelenscollege.com.
Tog Day
The school was a riot of colour today as we had our first Tog Day of the year, in support of Cancer Research UK's Relay for Life. Many thanks to you all for your generosity in supporting this charity. We will announce the total raised in due course. It has been heartwarming this week to hear from families whose children have requested donations towards the charity instead of birthday presents. What incredibly aware and kind-hearted children we have here!
Co-Curricular Activities - Autumn Term (Reception to Year 6)
We are pleased to announce that our new online booking system goes live for parents today. The school has partnered with SchoolsBuddy to provide this system, which will allow parents to make bookings for school events and activities online.
Today, parents of children in Reception to Year 6 will receive an activation email. Please follow the link in the email to activate your account, and then follow the instructions on the SchoolsBuddy screen to book your Co-Curricular Activities for this term. The booking system allows you to choose up to three activities per session using a preference system. Once parents have added their preferences and the closing date for bookings has passed, the system will automatically allocate as many first choice clubs as it can. Next week, parents will receive an email confirming which clubs your child has been allocated and you will then need to pay online, through SchoolsBuddy, in order to confirm your child's place. Please do also download the SchoolsBuddy app when you are prompted to do so.
Parents with children in Ducklings and Nursery will receive their SchoolsBuddy activation email early next week when bookings will also open for our upcoming Internet Safety evening.
We know that the new system will take a little getting used to, but we are confident that it will be user-friendly for parents and will prove very useful in the long term. Since we will be using SchoolsBuddy for all bookings (including parents' evenings, play/event ticket bookings and, eventually, wraparound care), it is crucial that all parents activate their account and become familiar with the system. If you experience any difficulties in using SchoolsBuddy, please telephone or visit the school office and staff will be pleased to help. Please note that school staff will not be able to make bookings on your behalf.
Summer Schools
A super time was had by over 70 pupils at our two summer schools a few weeks back in August. At Upper School, the younger pupils were thrilled to experience the delights of having a petting zoo visit for the day, as well as enjoying many creative and active activities throughout the week's theme of 'On The Farm'.
Our older pupils got their thrills in adventurous activities on water and land whilst based at Hillingdon Outdoor Activity Centre for the week. Kayaking, abseiling, caving, fencing and karting were just a few of the adrenaline-fuelled activities they did during the week. Friday was fancy dress day and we saw some amazing 'Under the Sea' themed costumes. Photographs of both our summer schools can be seen in the gallery here.
Please note a number of items were left at HOAC. These have been returned to school and can be found in lost property.
Meet The Teacher Evenings
It was lovely to see so many parents attend the Year 3/Year 6 Meet The Teacher evening last night. I am sure you found the meeting informative. We look forward to meeting with the Year 4 and Year 5 parents next Thursday.
School Bus
Our new school bus service is now running daily from Eastcote through Ruislip and Ickenham to school. Children in Years 2 to 6 are welcome to book onto the bus for odd days or whole weeks. Please telephone the school office or complete the booking form on the School Documents page if you would like to book onto the bus.
School Uniform
We already have rather a large amount of lost property, much of it unnamed. Please do check the lost property areas at both Lower School and Upper School and please remember to name every item your child wears or brings to school.
Table Etiquette
I am sure that you have heard from the children the drive that we are having at school on 'routines'. One of our focus areas is developing the children's lunchtime etiquette and table manners. Please do reinforce this at home as the children are developing their knife and fork skills and awareness of table etiquette.
Posted on: 7/09/2018Relay for Life by Mrs. Vatsa
My youngest son, Anand, was diagnosed with leukaemia when he was only 2 years old, still in nappies and barely talking. He is now a boundless 5 year old, having completed 3.5 years of treatment. This long journey has taken place while we’ve been a part of the St. Helen’s College community, as Anand’s older brother Vandan had just started in Reception when we received the diagnosis.
When Mrs Drummond asked me if we’d like to write about Anand’s treatment journey, I wasn’t sure what from this long story I should write about. During the candle lighting ceremony at the Cancer Research Relay for Life event that the school participated in last weekend, one of the speakers talked at length about hope. I reflected on this and realised that hope wasn’t the thing that resonated most in Anand’s story - it was more resilience, and the positive attitude of a young child who doesn’t really understand negativity. It’s not resilience born of grit or bloody mindedness, more an acceptance of what is, and letting go of what happens.
I know the children learn Mindfulness at school, which is in part about “being present” - children have an innate ability to live in the here and now. Whatever Anand went through, he would let it go. He never let one moment of pain or discomfort ruin the next. If he was 'nil by mouth', it was forgotten the second he could tuck into his cheese sandwich; if he’d had an unpleasant procedure it was forgotten as soon as a sticker was offered, and the adults involved were forgiven immediately. Self-pity very rarely featured. I don’t recall Anand ever expressing regret or anger for what he had to go through or allowing it to ruin what could be. He spent most of his time playing and making mischief like any other little boy, and no one would guess he was any different.
Our neighbour has an elderly sister who is sadly enduring cancer treatment and not coping with it very well. This neighbour came to me for motivation for her sister, knowing how well Anand had coped. I think so much of it came down to his acceptance. Anand didn’t know any better, so just accepted it all. My neighbour’s sister can’t change that she has cancer and can’t really change the treatment she has to endure. To learn anything from Anand, it would be that she can change the mindset with which she bears it. She can dwell on the pain and injustice or she can seek joy and distraction elsewhere - as a child, Anand instinctively chose the latter. We are our children’s teachers, but this highlights to me how much we can learn from our children. They are naturally spirited, full of joy, curiousity, play and adventure. Why sit and mope when there are adventures to be had?
I can’t not mention Anand’s older brother Vandan, who had only just turned 5 when Anand got sick. Through the years of treatment, Vandan has shown similar spirit and resilience. He showed this every time he woke up to find Anand and I had disappeared in the night to the hospital, when plans were waylaid, outings missed, holidays weren’t booked, or he was on the receiving end of Anand’s steroid-induced aggressions. Anand was so often the focus of attention, but Vandan chose to help look after his little brother, and chose to put Anand before himself, rather than complain. He’s the other hero in our story!
It’s strange to think unwitting young children can inspire and motivate us grown ups, but to my initial surprise Anand seems to have. I can’t control what happens to me, but only I can control how I deal with it. I’ve always believed we play the hand we are dealt, and now Anand is my shining example of how to do this.
Unsurprisingly, Vandan was enthused to be involved in writing about Anand’s treatment for the newsletter. Vandan wanted to write about the Relay for Life event. So, over to Vandan....
On Saturday 1st September, my family and I went to the Harrow Relay for Life, organised by Cancer Research UK. When we got there, we had a little look around, and we found the St. Helen’s College stall. Working on the stall were Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin, Mrs. Drummond, Mrs. Stark, Miss Dear and lots of others. On their stall, you could decorate lanterns to light in the evening. Soon after we got there, they gathered everybody together to start the relay. All the cancer survivors were given purple t-shirts to wear, including Anand. As the Deputy Mayor was late, they asked Anand if he would like to cut the ribbon as he was the youngest survivor there. Unfortunately, the Mayor did arrive! Luckily, he asked Anand to cut the ribbon with him, and then off we went walking…as slowly as snails! We walked around the track once, with the St. Helen's team and the St. Helen’s banner – we even got to hold it. After our lap, we got to sit on a blow up sofa in the middle of the track – Mrs. Drummond and I wore a purple wig! We then went to have a go at the activities on the stall and get some food. Luke won amazing VIRTUAL REALITY GLASSES on one of the stalls! Well done Luke! Not many of my other friends were there because their parents must have forgotten – I’m pointing at you mums and dads!
I’m sure they raised lots of money for children and adults with cancer. Mrs. Drummond said St. Helen's College raised lots of money this year. Well done to everyone at St. Helen's College!
Mrs. Vatsa
Posted on: 7/09/2018Weekly News - Friday 7th September 2018
A very warm welcome to all our pupils, parents and staff and a special welcome to all new members of our St. Helen's College community. I trust you have all had a wonderful summer and that the children are all excited for Monday morning! We have had a busy summer here at school with the very well attended Holiday Club and Summer Schools - it was so lovely to see so many of the children throughout the summer having fun in what has been the most glorious weather.
Lower School Building Project
As you are aware, the Lower School project was underway at the very beginning of the holiday! Our contractors, along with Mr. Smith and Mr. Rizzo, have been exceptionally busy over the summer and our new state of the art Nursery and Reception buildings will be ready to welcome the children on Monday. I am sure that you will all be impressed with our new EYFS facilities and the children will benefit hugely from their brand new, first class environment. The staff have been working hard in order to prepare the learning environments and it has been like Christmas Day unpacking all the beautiful new furniture and resources.
As with many building projects we have a few minor snagging points which we will be resolving, thus we do not intend to have our 'Grand Opening' on Friday 14th September. We will publish a new date in due course when we are ready to showcase our pièce de résistance to the whole community.
Staff News
Our new staff are very excited to meet the children next week: we welcome Miss Joiner (1J), Mr. Campos (Spanish), Miss Ward (Lower School PE) and Miss Heath (US Teaching and Learning Assistant). Miss Hill will be joining Ducklings and Mrs. Coyle returns to Lower School to assist in Reception.
Mrs. Stone, our Breakfast Club assistant, underwent hip surgery over the summer and is making a good recovery but alas she has decided that she will not continue in her role; Miss Beagley will be working with Mrs. Blackstone this term in Breakfast Club.
Mrs. Dennington has been with us in the Finance Office for almost 17 years and having spent time with her retired friends this summer has decided that she too would like to reap the benefits of having more time with her husband, family and friends. Thus we will be bidding farewell to Mrs. Dennington on Friday 14th September. We wish Mrs. Dennington well and thank her for her dedication and commitment to the school.
Miss Shepherd, one of our Lower School SMSAs, who has been on maternity leave since last October, will also not be returning to her post.
Cancer Research Relay for Life - Tog Day on Friday 14th September
I am most grateful to Mrs. Vatsa and Vandan for our Guest Blog this week and for joining us at the CRUK Relay for Life last Saturday. It was a truly wonderful day; CRUK plays such a vital role for so many families. Special thanks to Mrs. Stark and Miss Dear who spearheaded the St. Helen's College Team and to all the staff, families and friends who attended on the day or who have donated so generously to the charity. You can see some photos on our Galleries page.
Next Friday, 14th September, will be a tog day in aid of Cancer Research. Children may come to school dressed in their own clothes, and if they can find something to wear in bright pink or bright blue (the CRUK colours) that would be particularly appropriate. There is a suggested minimum donation of £2 per child; all monies raised will go directly to Cancer Research UK and we thank you in advance for your generosity.
Birthday Cake/Treats - Reminder
Parents are often very generous when it is their child’s birthday, but treats should not be sent to school for distribution to friends. The exception is birthday cake, which should be sliced and individually wrapped at home. Teachers will then distribute it at school to be taken home at the end of the day. Teachers will not distribute any treat apart from cake as described above.
Posted on: 11/07/2018End of Term News - 11th July 2018
It was enormously impressive for parents, staff and pupils to visit the Year 6 project exhibition this week. Our Year 6 pupils have been working very hard on their independent projects, which covered subjects as diverse and interesting as World War 2 (and, for one project, an investigation into how our lives might be if the Allies had not been successful), fashion through the ages, space rockets, wildlife, oceanography, neuroscience, planes and much, much more. The children had developed websites, produced books, made models and created artwork and the standard of their work was very high indeed. There was even a live volcanic eruption to enjoy! To prepare their projects, the Year 6 pupils were mentored by staff with expertise in their subject area and it was clear that their imaginations and independent research skills have really been kick-started by this process. Well done to all involved. The projects will all be available to view on the Learning Portal shortly.
Pupil Leadership Team
A huge thank you to this year's excellent Pupil Leadership Team, who have done an outstanding job as role models for the younger pupils. Special thanks to our Head Girl Sophie, Head Boy Krish, Deputy Head Girl Amishi and Deputy Head Boy Max.
We are now delighted to announce our new Pupil Leadership Team for the academic year 2018-19.
Head Girl will be Ionie M
Head Boy will be Jayan C
Deputy Head Girl will be Anisa W
Deputy Head Boy will be Thomas W
Other senior positions of responsibility will be announced in September.
Musician of the Term - Summer Term 2018
The Music Trophy is awarded each term to a pupil who has shown outstanding effort, commitment, dedication and achievement within the music department.
The winner this term is Wenru D. Wenru is an excellent role model in the music department. She has always worked conscientiously and demonstrated enormous enthusiasm over several years, in all aspects of music at St. Helen’s College. She has excellent music skills and applies and shares creative ideas successfully in class work. She plays the recorder fluently in class and at recorder club, has been learning the violin for several years, and enjoys playing in the school orchestra. Wenru began singing in the Lower School choir and has continued in the Upper School. She has performed successfully, in both solo and group categories, in the Singing Competitions and at the Singers’ Concerts. Two years ago, Wenru was selected to join the Chamber Choir and has since performed at two prestigious venues in London.
Wenru has exceptional musical talent and has recently been awarded a distinction for her Grade 8 piano examination.
Well done, Wenru!
Music Vacancy
We have one space available for an Upper School pupil to learn the piano on a Saturday morning at 11 a.m. If you are interested in your child taking this space, please email Mrs. Allery at rallery@sthelenscollege.com. The place will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Chess Tournament
On Monday, the St. Helen's College chess teams attended a tournament at local rivals St. Bernadette's. All the players played at least one game, including reserves. The A team reached the semi-final of the championship and the B team reached the semi-final of the shield. Although the teams were unable to progress to the final, this meant that each of the team players (including reserves) received a bronze medal.
There was also a set of chess puzzles. These increased in difficulty as they progressed and required considerable concentration and determination from the pupils. We are delighted to report that, in this contest, Nirmit N came first and Luke J came second. Each boy received a badge. Well done, chess players!
School Sport 2017-2018
It has been a superb year of sport at St. Helen's College. The school was awarded the Platinum School Games Award, being one of only a handful of schools nationwide to be recognised in this way.
Our teams became Borough Champions in tri-golf and table tennis, and we were double Borough Champions in tennis and represented Hillingdon at the London School Games. There were individual medals in swimming and cross country at district level, and in netball we were runners up in the District Girls League and runners up at the Year 6 Reddiford Netball Tournament.
In a fantastic year for English football, St. Helen's College football team were to WIN the football league and were runners up in the Packham Cup tournament.
In athletics, there were several bronze, silver and gold medals at district level and several pupils achieved their English Schools Athletics bronze, silver or gold awards.
Tennis Tournament
Congratulations are due to all of the children who took part in the school tennis tournament this term, organised by Mr. Dyson.
Results were as follows:
Y3 Boys - Winner: Samir H; Runner up – Zayd K
Y3 Girls - Winner: Fredericka T; Runner up – Amar C
Y4 Boys - Winner: Eli V-B; Runner up – Harry J
Y4 Girls - Winner: Rhea A-V; Runner up – Shaina A
Y5 Boys - Winner: Rishi S-P; Runner up - Adi S
Y5 Girls - Winner: Aaria K; Runner up - Zoe K
Y6 Boys - Winner: Timi O; Runner up - Amrit R
Y6 Girls - Winner: Ryeesa S; Runner up - Zara S-P
Highly Commended for Sport
Two certificates were presented today, to Lincoln B and Hebe E, for their outstanding contributions to the school athletics team this term.
Sports Personality of the Term
The Sports Personality of the Summer Term was awarded to Ryeesa S. Ryeesa has represented the school in many sports and has always shown a determination to perform to the best of her ability.
She became a triple Borough Champion this term as part of the table tennis team, tri-golf team and tennis team, and she represented Hillingdon at the London Youth Games tennis finals, losing only one match all day on her way to finishing in 4th place.
Ryeesa also won a silver medal at District Sports; she is a school tennis champion and she is the current school record holder for Year 5 Turbo Javelin.
However, football is Ryeesa's real passion; she is a part of the Arsenal youth team and we are sure it won’t be long before she gets her first England cap!
Very well done, Ryeesa. Your contribution to sport at St. Helen's College has been wonderful.
Holiday Club
There are some exciting themes planned for this summer's Holiday Club, run by Miss Carmichael and the Holiday Club team, including:
SUMMER IS HERE!
WACKY TRANSPORT – AROUND THE WORLD IN 10 DAYS
OUTDOOR MINI OLYMPICS
HOLIDAY CLUB’S GOT TALENT
CARNIVAL
If your child/ren will be attending Holiday Club, please take note of these important reminders:
Please apply sun cream to your child before coming to school.
âBring a sunhat to wear.
Bring spare clothes for your child - we could be getting wet!
Make sure your child is wearing suitable footwear.
We will be using the main school entrance in Parkway, with the exception of Breakfast Club. Holiday Club numbers will be displayed on each door should you need to contact us.
We look forward to seeing you!
Summer School - Years 2-6 at HOAC
For those taking part in the Year 2 - 6 Summer School at Hillingdon Outdoor Activity Centre (HOAC) in August, the kit list and programme have been sent home with your children. These have also been posted to the School Documents page of the website, so you can refer to them there in case they are misplaced between now and August.
Cancer Research Relay for Life 2018
Our team fundraising is well underway for this year's Relay for Life, which takes place at Harrow School on 1st September 2018. It is not too late to join our team or to make a donation to sponsor us as we attend on the day to walk the track in a team relay for 24 hours and staff the Candle of Hope stall.
You can join the team or make a donation here. If you would like to dedicate a Candle of Hope to a loved one who has fought, or is currently fighting, cancer, please email Mrs. Stark at tstark@sthelenscollege.com by the end of August. The suggested minimum donation for a Candle of Hope dedication is £5; this may be sent into Mrs. Stark at Upper School when we return to school in September.
Preparing for September
Parents should check the School Documents page for the uniform and equipment list for 2018-19. Please ensure that your children return to school in September with full, correct school uniform and PE/Games kit in good repair and a freshly stocked pencil case where relevant.
Please note the change this year that, due to the hot Septembers we have experienced in recent years, pupils may return to school in either full summer or full winter uniform, depending on the weather. You may decide daily which uniform is more appropriate for that day. The only exception is the day of your child's school photograph, when they must wear full winter uniform. Reminders will be sent about this nearer the time. From the October half term, all pupils must wear full winter uniform.
The Autumn term lunch menu can also be found on the School Documents page. You might like to read through this with your children over the holidays and help them to make healthy choices for their lunches next term.
The Parents' Handbook has also been updated and re-published to the School Documents page. Please ensure that you are familiar with its contents.
The school calendar has been populated with important dates for the Autumn term. We strongly suggest that you check this over the holidays and make a note in your own diaries of all dates relevant to your children.
The Autumn term co-curricular programme will be published when we return to school in September so please do not worry - you have not missed it! We are planning to use a new, online booking system similar to our parents' evening booking system, which should be much easier for parents and will allow for online payments too. We will be working on setting this up over the summer and full details will be sent out at the start of next term.
STEAM Day (Science, Technology, Engineering, The Arts and Mathematics) will take place on Friday 21st September this year. In the past, parents have been very generous in giving time to run workshops or activity sessions on this day, or to support teachers in doing so. Recent examples include The History of the British Telephone Box, Making an Ideal Parachute, Testing Aerodynamics, Music Workshops, Arts and Crafts, Drama...the opportunities are endless and it is hoped that the day will be as wide-ranging as possible! Please contact Mr. Tovell if you would like to offer a workshop or your time: dtovell@sthelenscollege.com. A big part of what makes St. Helen’s College such a fantastic school for your children to attend is the wonderful level of parental support, so please do sign up and make this our best STEAM Day to date!
You can see a video of our first ever STEAM Day here to give you an idea of the sorts of activities we have had in the past.
Summer Greetings
Many thanks to all pupils, parents and extended family for their continued support throughout this academic year. It truly has been an incredibly successful and exciting year for everyone. To those who are leaving us to move onto new schools, we wish you all the best and please do keep in touch! We wish you all a safe, happy and fun-filled summer.
Posted on: 6/07/2018The Chartered College of Teaching - Head's Blog
When selecting a school, how can parents make judgements about the quality of teaching on offer? Should they look at academic results or could that lead them to select an ‘exam factory’ rather than a school which inspires a lifelong love of learning through excellent, well-planned, dynamic, proactive teaching and learning opportunities? How can parents be assured that a school is using the latest research in its teaching methods, building excellent results through a constantly evolving best practice based on what is proven to work? Do working parents really have the time and the will to read through comprehensive inspection reports in detail, rather than just take the headlines? These questions are important for families in both the independent and state education sector, but are also crucial for Heads in the independent sector, who are increasingly under pressure to compete for new pupils and to prove why and how their school is ‘a cut above’.
The new format of the Independent Schools Inspectorate will give parents security in the knowledge that a school is compliant with the DFE's regulatory school requirements (Regulatory Compliance Inspection). The Educational Quality Inspection will also give every school the opportunity to demonstrate to the Inspectorate the quality of the outcomes for their pupils and the contributory factors which makes each school unique. There is no doubt that these inspections are valuable and necessary. However, parents (and Heads) also need to be reassured that individual teachers, to whom the pastoral care and education of children is entrusted, are doing their utmost to develop themselves continually and to contribute positively to the ever-evolving educational landscape.
A new professional body has been established to provide a solution: Chartered Teacher Status, a post-graduate qualification for dedicated teachers which gives them a chartered professional standing. In the future, parents will be able to ask schools how many Chartered Teachers they have on their books and this will provide an independent measure of the quality, dedication and professionalism of the teachers they will be ‘employing’.
Back in February 2017, the Chartered College of Teaching (CCT) held their inaugural conference at the QEII Convention Centre, Westminster, the same venue where only months earlier the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) had held their national conference for Head teachers from UK and international IAPS schools. The CCT has been established to connect, inform and inspire teachers to deliver the best possible education for children and young people. Theirs is a professional role comparable to the Law Society, General Medical Council and Royal Institute of British Architects.
Professor Dame Alison Peacock, the Chief Executive of the Chartered College, the former Secretary of State for Education the Rt Hon Justine Greening MP, John Tomsett from Huntington School, Professor Rob Coe of CEM at Durham University and Professor Tanya Byron were just some of the speakers we heard from that day. On return from the conference I offered all my teachers at St. Helen’s College the opportunity to take up membership of the CCT, paid for by the school as part of their CPD.
Many independent school parents belong to professions where their achievements can see them elevated to chartered status. However, for teachers, previously the only way to be elevated in their careers was to take on other leadership responsibilities, become middle leaders, senior leaders or headteachers. The problem is, this takes teachers away from the classrooms where their work has the most impact and away from the reason they were inspired to join the profession in the first place - to teach children!
Independent schools do have their own professional associations who provide exceptional CPD opportunities but, with parents increasingly ‘shopping around’ across the sectors before making final choices about buying into private education, it is important that independent schools embrace partnerships across all sectors and phases of education to give our teachers even greater opportunities and a voice on the national education stage. The Chartered College of Teaching hopes to drive even greater support and collaboration across the whole profession.
At St. Helen’s College, we are delighted to be supporting our Head of EYFS who has secured a place on the pilot cohort of the Chartered Teacher programme, which was launched at the start of the year for practising teachers to recognise their skills and knowledge while working towards accreditation as a ‘Chartered Teacher’. There are 180 teachers in this first cohort, from international and UK schools. The programme enables teachers to continue developing their practice within the classroom, raises the status of the profession, and is the first step in the development of a career pathway focused not on leadership but classroom practice. The pilot programme has participants from all sectors and phases. Throughout, participants have undertaken a range of different assessments that enable them to showcase their knowledge and skills against the areas set out in the Chartered College’s Professional Principles. As a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College, I have been selected to sit on the Assessment Board for the pilot programme. We meet as a group, in person or online, to advise and moderate the assessment pathway of the programme. It is a rigorous and demanding course and any school who has a member of staff who has Chartered Teacher status should be very proud.
Parents can place their trust in the Chartered Teachers scheme. Chartered Teachers must prove that they use latest educational research in teaching practice day to day and, in doing so, that they inspire other colleagues and their school as a whole to keep up to date with the latest research-based teaching techniques. The outcomes are twofold: children are more inspired to learn and to take ownership of their own learning, and they are also PROVEN more likely to achieve better outcomes in both their academic and personal development.
Teacher professional development should be a high priority for all school leaders as part of their strategic development plan. In the independent sector there are high stakes for pupil outcomes reflected in good examination results, and rightly so. Hard-working parents, often paying school fees from income, expect value for money in the form of the best teaching and learning for their children. To ensure that we provide this, it is crucial that the professional development of teachers is prioritised and that Heads know where to access the best CPD opportunities - there is a growing unregulated market of CPD which is not ‘quality assured’ or tested, but which can be eye-wateringly expensive! It is therefore reassuring that IAPS, who already provide an excellent programme of CPD for teachers and school leaders, is currently in discussions with The Chartered College of Teachers. Working together, I am confident that we will build the membership numbers of teachers from the independent sector.
Teacher recruitment and teacher retention is becoming a problem and this is having an impact on the independent sector too. Head teachers and governors need to plan effectively and raise the questions: how do we ensure that our teachers are kept abreast of curricular issues, have access to good evidence based educational research to improve teaching and learning in the classroom and how are we keeping staff inspired and motivated. We hope that the Chartered College of Teaching will provide answers.
The Chartered College has set up a network programme across the UK to build up the professional knowledge base of teaching and bring members together to work on issues of direct concern to classroom practice, wherever they are located and whatever their setting, interests and experience. Ten members of St. Helen’s College staff recently attended a session hosted at another independent school who have also embraced memberships and promotion of the Chartered College among their staff. The session was attended by teachers from local primary and secondary schools, from the maintained and independent sector. This year I attended the second annual Conference of the Chartered College. I came away from the conference having connected yet again with many wonderful teachers and educators, further informed and inspired to go back to my own school to continue working with my staff to improve the quality of the education and experiences we provide.
So I would urge every Head teacher in the independent sector to support the work of the Chartered College of Teaching and to promote membership for every one of their teachers. And I would urge parents to ask schools whether their teachers are members of the CCT, and whether they have any teachers working towards Chartered status. In future years, this may well be the best measure possible of a school’s overall ‘quality’.
Mrs. Drummond
Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching
Posted on: 6/07/2018Weekly News - Friday 6th July 2018
Today we bid farewell and wish a happy summer holiday to our Lower School children. You have all worked very, very hard this year and had an enormous amount of fun at school with your friends. Please enjoy the summer holiday with family and friends and return to school in September relaxed, refreshed and ready for another exciting year!
The long-planned Lower School refurbishment project commences tomorrow. We are all looking forward very much to showing the new facilities to you all when you return in September!
End of term arrangements for Upper School children for next week are published below.
PA Summer Fete
A huge thank you to the PA committee and to all of the parents, staff, pupils, Old Helenians and other members of the community who came together to make last Saturday's Summer Fete the success that it was! The sun was shining and it was one of the busiest fetes we can remember. Well done to the pupils who performed to make it a musical event too.
The Wizard of Oz
On Thursday evening, our Year 6 leavers put on their first performance of The Wizard of Oz at The Compass Theatre in Ickenham. The performances are the culmination of much hard work to bring acting, dancing, singing, props, make-up, costume, lighting, direction and so much more together for these amazingly high standard shows. As usual, the quality of acting, singing, dancing and stagecraft was extremely high and there were some standout individual performances. Most importantly, though, these children will feel so proud of what they have achieved together, as a TEAM, bringing to life this wonderful story with such a strong message of self-belief, which I am sure the children will not fully appreciate until later in life.
âThe children will stage a matinee this afternoon and their final performance this evening and they will then enjoy a well-deserved end of show party!
Photos of the dress rehearsal have now been published to the Galleries page.
We are pleased to announce that St. Helen's College will, for the next five years, be sponsoring a seat at The Compass Theatre. Our association with the theatre is long-lasting, with our Year 6 production taking place there each year, and we are proud to be able to support the dramatic arts in our local community. So, if you are going to see a show there over the summer or subsequently, do look out for our sponsored seat in the middle of Row C!
Empire of the Sikhs Exhibition
Suhavi's dad, Amandeep, co-founder and chair of UK Punjab Heritage Association, was honoured by the Queen with an OBE for services to Punjab and Sikh heritage and culture in the recent birthday honours. This is an immensely proud moment for the charity, friends and family and a true recognition of twenty years of research, writing books, advising on Sikh cultural issues, giving lectures and hosting exhibitions on Sikh history and culture.
This summer sees the launch of an exciting exhibition hosted at the Brunei Gallery at SOAS, entitled Empire of the Sikhs. The exhibition will include artefacts from the Royal Collection and is open from 12th July to 23rd September. Entry is free and there are guided tours and activities for children.
We do hope that many of you will visit the exhibition with your children and extended families over the holidays. Here are the details and accompanying press release.
Digital Dummies
Over the past couple of weeks I have shared information with parents regarding our concerns over social media, apps, games, and screen time and we have also discussed this at our new parents' welcome evenings this week. I am attaching a new publication from the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools which has been produced for parents as a useful guide 'Tech a break; Avoiding 'digital dummies' in the summer.' I do hope that you will find time to read this carefully.
St. Helen's College Voice
The latest issue of St. Helen's College Voice is being sent home with your children. A digital copy is also available here.
News from the Library
All library books should be returned to the library by Monday.
We are very pleased with the large number of pupils who use the library and while many pupils are finishing off their books and returning them, there are currently 196 books still out on loan, with 97 of these being overdue for return, having been out for more than two weeks.
We are also pleased to report that the often quoted statement that "boys don't read" is certainly not true at St. Helen's College. Our pupils all read enthusiastically. Pupils have enjoyed the varied reading challenges set and many pupils have received certificates for completing their chosen challenge. Next term we will be looking at more ways to enthuse our pupils in their reading. In the meantime, please encourage your children to keep on reading with the Hillingdon Libraries summer reading challenge. This year's theme is Mischief Makers and the challenge starts on 7th July. More information is available at https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/summerreading
District Sports
On Monday this week, 32 of our aspiring young athletes from Years 3 - 6 took part in the Small Schools District Sports athletics competition at the Uxbridge track. Competing against nine other local schools, our pupils competed in a range of track and field events. Individual success came in field events with Harry J gaining a bronze medal in the Year 4 boys' standing long jump and Sulaiman M (Y3) and Eli V-B (Y4) both winning bronze medals in their tennis ball throw event. On the track, there was individual success for Fredericka T gaining a bronze medal in the Year 3 girls' 50m, Timi O (Y6) winning a silver medal in the boys' 800m and Zoe K and Hebe E winning gold medals in the girls' 800m and Y5 girls' 70m events respectfully. Our Year 6 relay team finished off the evening in style by gaining team silver medals in a race in which they exhibited some silky smooth changeovers.
Photos have been published to the Galleries page.
School Games Regional Finals
It was the turn of our Year 3 and 4 tennis team to represent Hillingdon at the School Games regional finals held at Crystal Palace this week. Eli, Daniel and Catherine from Year 4 and Amar from Year 3 took part in the event, in which all 33 London boroughs were represented. During the day the team played seven matches against borough teams from Kingston, Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing, Newham, Camden, Sutton and Barnet. The team played some exciting matches and showed great resilience and team spirit to win 1 match, draw 4 matches and lose 2 matches. The team finished 4th in their group and 13th overall out of 33 boroughs. Very well done to all our tennis players!
Tennis For Kids
Well done to our Year 1 children, who have all now completed the Tennis for Kids six week national programme and have received their certificates. They all graduated with flying colours and, with Wimbledon happening now too, we are sure they have all been inspired to enjoy tennis!
Old Helenian Sports News
Huge congratulations are due to Old Helenian Issy Sibley who, having discovered football at St. Helen's College, went on to play football at club and international level. Issy has most recently been playing for the Chelsea Ladies U20 team and the England ladies U19 team, and we are now delighted to announce that she has secured a four year soccer scholarship at the University of West Virginia! Issy sent a lovely card to Miss Walker to thank the school for starting her off on her footballing journey, which is taking her so far. Well done, Issy. We are always thrilled to hear from Old Helenians who are continuing to develop their talents and pursue their dreams!
Cancer Research Relay for Life Fundraising
Lots of different events have been taking place at school, organised by the various year groups, to raise money for CRUK Relay for Life. Many thanks to all parents for allowing your children to bring in some money and enjoy all the wonderful activities including cake sales, guess the beans in the jar, sponsored walks, 'Soak the Teacher' and 'Beat the Goalie'. So far we are delighted to announce that we have raised a total of £1324.94.
Co-Curricular Clubs
Please note that ALL co-curricular clubs have now finished for this term. Many thanks to all those who ran clubs and participated in them with such enthusiasm.
Upper School End of Term Arrangements
Next Wednesday, 11th July, is a half day. Provided the weather is fine, all children in Years 2 to 6 will join together for a Final Assembly in the Windsor garden at 11:00 a.m. and parents will be very welcome if they wish to attend.
Please park well away from the school in order to prevent congestion. There should be no parking in Parkway as this causes congestion and inconvenience to our long-suffering neighbours. The car park will be full. Please park and walk.
Parents who attend the Final Assembly may take their children home immediately afterwards. For others, term will end at 12:15 for Years 2 and 3, and 12:30 for Years 4, 5 & 6. Older children will be released at the same times as their younger siblings.
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