School News and Head's Blog
Posted on: 9/02/2024Mindfulness in Schools
There has been a lot in the news this week about the tragic murder of Brianna Ghey and the way in which her mother has responded. The BBC have reported that she has launched a local campaign in Warrington which has raised £50,000 to deliver Mindfulness training in schools, and is now backing a nationwide campaign which is calling upon the government to fund Mindfulness training for every school in England. You can read their report here and find out more about the Mindfulness in Schools Project here.
While it is enormously sad that it has taken such a tragedy to bring this issue to the fore, I could not agree with Brianna's mother more. There is an urgent need for all children, and school staff, to be taught Mindfulness principles and techniques, and to use these regularly.
Those who know St. Helen's College well know that we have been teaching Mindfulness to the children for many, many years. More than this, we have embedded Mindfulness as a school principle and staff and children practise Mindfulness daily, using a toolkit of techniques to combat the inevitable strains of modern, busy lives. Children here take on the role of Mindfulness ambassadors and over the last few years have led meditation sessions in assemblies and written about the effects of Mindfulness upon them.
This week, some of the Year 3 children have been talking about what being a part of a mindful school is like for them. They described how they have mindful moments in their classroom on Thursdays, when they lie down and put cucumber slices on their eyes. They also talked, unprompted, about liking how calm it is when they go into their classroom, about mindful moments in assemblies and about practising finger breathing to help them to stay calm and be in the present moment. One boy explained how our breath is always with us, and can be relied upon to calm us down if we can slow down and notice it. These ideas are clearly not unusual to St. Helen's College children, and it was obvious from the way they spoke that they do not see being mindful as something they have learnt, but as something they are. For children aged 7 and 8 to be able to articulate how and why Mindfulness is used in their day to day lives is wonderful and gives us all great hope for the future. I have no doubt that children throughout St. Helen's College feel the same, given that we have been embedding Mindfulness right from the start of a child's journey with us for so many years. This includes at Ducklings, our 2+ setting, where we use age-appropriate sessions such as teddy breathing to help our youngest children to experience and enjoy moments of calm self-awareness.
You might like also to read a piece that I wrote about Mindlessness v. Mindfulness from 2021 here.
There is no guarantee that Mindfulness training would have prevented Brianna Ghey's terrible murder. But there is certainly evidence that Mindfulness can help children and adults to push away negative thoughts and to embrace the positive, to ground themselves and to experience peace, self-awareness and acceptance. Mindfulness can help us all deal with impulses which may not be productive or good for ourselves or others, and give us time to examine and process our thoughts before acting upon them. I hope that Brianna's mother is successful in her efforts to bring Mindfulness training to all schools, and to all children, in the United Kingdom. Our love and thoughts go with her.
I wish you all a mindful, happy half term break.
Posted on: 9/02/2024Weekly News - Friday 9th February 2024
Class Assemblies
The children of our Wrens Nursery class delighted parents and staff at their class assembly on Thursday. The children delivered a charming performance all about the weather. They sang beautifully about snow, rain and suitable clothing before reciting, in unison, a poem about the wind. They finished with a gorgeous rendition of 'I Can Sing A Rainbow', using coloured scarves for corresponding colours of the rainbow. Well done Wrens, it was a delight to watch you all perform.
On Friday it was 6L's turn to present a thought provoking class assembly on the concept of 'community'. The children demonstrated the importance of social responsibility, emphasising that everyone has a part to play if our communities are to thrive. Exploring British values and democracy, Year 6 wrote and delivered impassioned speeches as prospective MPs, promising improvements in key areas of the local community including education, the NHS, road safety, transport, housing and accessibility. The sentiment to count our blessings was a fitting end to the assembly, alongside a reminder that we can all do small things within our communities to make a big change. Well done, 6L, for a very confident and accomplished assembly.
Sports News
Football
The U11 football team played two matches this week. On Monday they took on St. Mary's. They played extremely well but were unable to take their chances and ended up losing 0-1, with Sean R named the player of the match. On Wednesday the team battled hard again to draw 1-1 against a very strong St. Bernadette's team, and Marco K was the player of the match.
The House football competition took place this week and the results were:
Year 3/4
1st - Windsor
2nd - Cambria
3rd - Caledonia & Hibernia
Year 5/6
1st - Windsor
2nd - Hibernia
3rd - Cambria
4th - Caledonia
Netball
House netball was also played this week. The results were as follows:
Year 3/4
1st Caledonia
2nd Windsor
3rd Hibernia
4th Cambria
Year 5/6
1st Cambria
2nd Windsor
3rd Hibernia
4th Caledonia
Karate News
Several St. Helen's College pupils attended the English Karate Federation Kyu Grade National Championships over the weekend as part of KML Karate Club. The KML squad was crowned EKF National Champions in an impressive seven categories and secured 4th position on the association leader board. Nya O-A became the EKF Kyu Grade National Champion, while Avleen P, Rania Q and Naiya L won the team silver medal. In addition, Freya K and Aleya S earned team bronze medals and also earned individual bronze medals. Well done to all involved!
Free Basketball Tickets
St. Helen's College pupils are being offered free tickets to the London Lions women’s Eurocup quarter final game on Wednesday 28th February at 7 p.m. at the Copper Box Arena. To redeem the offer, please click here and enter the code ‘LYG783’ as your promo code.
The Thames Cavaliers are playing the Birmingham Rockets on Sunday 11th February at 5.30 p.m. at Uxbridge College Sports Centre, and tickets to this game are also free for St. Helen's College pupils. Details are here.
Yuvraj Receives Award From Mayor
Yuvraj R (Year 4) received his award from the Mayor of Hillingdon this week for his entry in the recent walk to school road safety competition. What a special event. Well done, Yuvraj!
Author Visit: Zanib Mian
On Tuesday 5th March, children in Years 2 to 6 will be visited by author Zanib Mian, who will inspire them with a talk about becoming an author. There will be an opportunity to pre-order copies of Mian's books which can be signed and dedicated on the day. Full details, including the order link, are available here.
Half Term Holiday Club
We have a new telephone number for Holiday Club. If you need to contact Holiday Club staff during the half term week, you can reach them at 01895 699835.
Rainbow Recipes - February
Chef Soula has shared these 'Eat the rainbow' recipes for February, themed around the colour purple. We hope you will enjoy making some of these with your children.
Robotics Half Term Camp
Robothink will be running a February half term robotics camp in the Lower School Hall at St. Helen's College from 12th to 16th February. Details, including how to book, are available here.
Upcoming Dates
Monday 19th February - 6H swimming all week
Tuesday 20th February - PA coffee morning in the Evans Hall
Wednesday 21st February - Football v. St. Matthews
Thursday 22nd February - Owls coffee morning and class assembly
Friday 23rd February - Month End Music Recital
Posted on: 2/02/2024Weekly News - Friday 2nd February 2024
Class Assemblies
Our Robins Nursery class took to the 'stage' on Thursday to perform a 'winter' themed class assembly to an excited audience of parents and staff. The children were dressed for the chilly weather in cosy hats and scarves as they sang beautifully about this magical season. There were even some mini snowmen and penguins to add to the wintery scene! The singing and accompanying actions were a joy to watch. Well done to Robins for a great performance; it is a privilege to observe every child growing in confidence.
The children of 5G presented their assembly on Friday which, most impressively, they had written themselves. The theme was a question: What Makes A Good Life? Each of the children shared their thoughts about what makes a good life, and it was heartening to hear them tell us, in their own words, what they think is most important. Their ideas included kindness, love, family and friends, helping others in need and being creative. They also considered questions about what leads to happiness, and which careers they might choose when they are older. They sang and danced for us all beautifully and led us in thoughtful prayers too. Well done, 5G. There is no doubt that the future is bright for you all. You can view some clips of the children here and here.
Tree Planting Workshops
Ahead of the Trees for Cities public tree planting event tomorrow at Court Park, we were delighted for St. Helen's College to be invited to make our own special contribution to this important community project.
Years 2 and 5 donned wellington boots and embraced the muddy conditions for a bracing outdoor workshop, learning how to plant successfully for sustainability and putting it into practice by planting maple and dogwood saplings on the northern boundary of the park.
Thank you to Trees for Cities and to our green-fingered pupils for representing the school. We hope to see the saplings grow into thriving trees for people to enjoy for many years to come.
We hope many other pupils and parents will join the community tree planting day tomorrow, Saturday 3rd February, in Court Park. There will be food and hot drink provided for volunteers and the aim is to plant a mix of both small and large trees in the park. The groups of small trees will increase the diversity and resilience of the existing woodland areas by adding new species and younger trees to the space. The new trees will eventually add depth to the northern border of the park and assist with drainage in the often waterlogged soil area.
We encourage your children to wear their school PE kits to take part in this event so that it is obvious which children are from St. Helen's College. You can sign up to take part here:
https://www.treesforcities.org/hillingdon-court-park.
Travelling Natural History Museum Visit Nursery!
On Friday our Nursery children were enthralled when the Travelling Natural History Museum came to visit, complete with dinosaur models, exploding interactive experiments and even fossilised dinosaur faeces! The workshop, led by 'Dino Girl', included fascinating facts about the food different dinosaurs ate, how they hunted and their enormous size. The children were thoroughly engaged and particularly enjoyed an exploding meteorite experiment demonstrated to explain one of the theories about why dinosaurs became extinct.
Year 6 Riot Act Workshop (Road Safety)
On Monday our Year 6 children enjoyed a visit from The Riot Act, who delivered an interactive workshop about road safety and active travel. The lively, engaging performance certainly got the children thinking more deeply about how they travel and how important it is for each of us to play our part in reducing pollution as well as keeping ourselves healthy and safe.
General Knowledge Quiz
On Wednesday, two teams from our popular Quiz Club represented St. Helen's College in the annual inter-school General Knowledge Quiz. Children from Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 collaborated in this online event, competing with 70 other schools from across the UK in this hotly contested competition.
From questions on the Great Plague to Harry Potter, our team members had great fun demonstrating their knowledge under strict time pressure. Congratulations to Anika (6L), Sofia (5R), Armaan (4B) and Rian (3B), whose team reached twelfth position and are through to the semi-final! Well done also to Ashvika (5R), Mustafa (5R), William (4T) and Oliver (3B) who put in a great effort and reached a very respectable 41st place.
LAMDA Results
Mrs. Moore's LAMDA pupils have been taking their first set of exams and we are delighted to report the following results.
Eva J - Entry Level (Distinction)
Riya S - Entry Level (Distinction)
There are several more LAMDA pupils entering for examination soon and we wish them all the best of luck.
Sports News
It has been a busy week of sport.
Last Friday girls from Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 attended a football festival at Radlett Prep School. They all really enjoyed taking part in this fun event and developing their skills. During the afternoon, the U9s won a game, lost a game and drew a game and the U11s were undefeated, drawing two games and winning one.
On Wednesday the boys' football team met with Cowley St. Lawrence. Despite dominating the game, the St. Helen's College team struggled to convert their chances and the end result was a 1-1 draw.
On Tuesday this week the Year 6 netball team played Laurel Lane School in their last league match of the year. The girls showed how far they have progressed as a team since September, communicating well with each other, making some fantastic attacking plays and delivering some very sharp shooting. They won 9-1, finishing on a high!
On Wednesday, Year 5 and 6 netball players travelled to Orley Farm School for an away fixture. It was great to see all the pupils representing St. Helen's College so brilliantly. The games were competitive and well matched, enabling the pupils to put everything they have learnt during games sessions into practice on the court. Well done to all involved!
Parents who are looking for something active for children to do over the half term break might be interested to know that Pro Soccer Coaching will be running a February half term camp from Monday 12th to Friday 16th February at Swakeleys School. You may book for a full week or single days, and there is a reduced price for additional brothers and sisters. The course is run by FA qualified coaches and at the end of the week, each child receives an engraved trophy. The company, its staff and the course have no affiliation with St. Helen's College but if you are interested you can find details here.
News From The PA
Comedy Night
The date of the upcoming PA comedy night at Uxbridge Golf Club has now changed to Friday 19th April. Details are here.
The booking link is open and will close at the end of term before we break up for Easter holidays. Please book your tickets here: https://forms.gle/4GjXNdkAxmDsTYZG9.
Applications Invited For PA Chair
As we are now halfway through the academic year, it is time to begin reflecting on the incredible dedication and leadership of Nikki O'Halloran, our current PA Committee Chairperson. Nikki has steered us through many successful initiatives and as her tenure draws to a close, we extend our deepest gratitude for her tireless efforts and invaluable contributions.
Looking ahead to the academic year commencing in September 2024, we are now seeking a new Chairperson to lead the Parents' Association Committee. This role is vital to the continued success of our school community engagement efforts and the enhancement of our school experience.
If you have a passion for fostering connections, organising events, and contributing to the betterment of our school community, we invite you to consider stepping into the role of PA Committee Chairperson. Your enthusiasm and commitment will be instrumental in shaping the future of our school community.
To express your interest, please contact sthelenscollegepa@gmail.com. We encourage all interested individuals to apply and be part of this rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
Those who express an interest will have the opportunity to be voted into the position. This democratic process ensures that our community has a say in selecting the individual best suited to lead the PA Committee.
Sick Child Training
Several parents attended a Sick Child Training session on Monday evening with Dr. Dharsi. This workshop taught parents about common childhood illnesses, how to recognise them and when it is (and is not) necessary to consult a doctor. We hope that it helped to give parents confidence in dealing with childhood health issues.
Early Years Parents' Evenings
Thank you to all of those parents who attended our Ducklings and Nursery parents' evenings on Wednesday. We hope that you found the conversations useful.
Next Week - Reminders
Wednesday 7th February - Football v. St. Bernadette's (H)
Thursday 8th February - Wrens coffee morning and class assembly
Friday 9th February - 6L coffee morning and class assembly
Posted on: 2/02/2024Fairness by Mrs. Kahol
Our school value over the past couple of weeks has been Fairness and we have had several opportunities in assemblies and around the school to discuss and see fairness in action and reflect on how we perceive fairness.
Many of you may know that I am an avid supporter of an organisation called WomenED and one of the key principles associated with this organisation is ‘fairness’. See the link here on the four WomenEd Campaigns.
I have had many conversations with parents regarding equality and fairness and I am aware that many of you are active proponents of this in your work places and home lives. I am delighted to share this blog written by Mrs. Kahol, a parent who works at GSK. It is written with the pupils as an audience but so relevant for us all.
Ms Drummond
Dear Pupils,
As you start the new year, I wanted to discuss the important topic of equality with you.
Did you know that only around 100 years ago, women weren’t allowed to get a proper education? You might be surprised to know that the first college which allowed women to get into higher studies was the University of London, and that the first women ever to receive degrees got them in 1878. Education, which is now a basic right for all, wasn’t granted to girls in this country just one hundred years ago.
Unfortunately, in some parts of the world, these issues still exist. While the right to vote for women arrived in the early 1900s in the UK as a result of the suffragette movement, true equality for women is far from achieved, both in the UK and globally. Let me give you an example to explain more clearly. Two girls and two boys participate in an activity and receive the same score. Should they receive the same award for it – say two chocolates each? How would you feel if the boys were given three chocolates each and the girls were given only two? Would that feel fair? This idea of rewarding men and women differently for doing the same job is called Gender Pay Discrimination and it has been illegal in the UK for 45 years. But it still exists in some other parts of the world.
However if, in the above scenario, girls were asked to complete five more tasks in parallel to the tasks they have been given, they would of course take longer hours to complete the tasks, get more exhausted and likely leave the initial two tasks to the boys. This would lead to the boys getting all the chocolates. This is what is known as the Gender Pay Gap: because women still do more of the unpaid work of a family (e.g. childcare and housework) than men do, they have less time for paid work. The causes of the Gender Pay Gap are complex and overlapping. While some women may choose to work less and earn less, others may be forced into this situation and may not be happy.
According to the Women in Work Index 2021, at the rate the Gender Pay Gap is currently closing, it will take more than 50 years to reach gender pay parity. For every 100 men in the workforce, 69 women are in the workforce in the UK. That number is much lower for developing nations. Currently in the top 500 companies of the world (Fortune 500) only 9% of the CEOs are women. This equates to fewer role models for women which may lead women to have lower aspirations overall for their careers, a phenomenon called The Glass Ceiling.
Inequality like this between men and women at work may have a negative impact not only on women but on men too. It boxes men and women in to assume that they want to take on gender roles as they were defined centuries ago, with women staying at home and men outside. Things have changed in the last few centuries. Both men and women can work now if they want to, they can take care of a family together and support each other. Financial freedom is no longer limited by gender.
Boys and girls, you all have the opportunity to change this world. Each one of you can help in continuing to close this gap. It is important that the pupils of St. Helen’s College study hard and have equal opportunities to make names for themselves in fields of their choice in the future. Don’t let stereotypes box you into gender roles. You are the future and a good education from an esteemed school such as St. Helen’s College puts you in a great position to make your dreams come true. The world needs role models like you, prepared to call out any discrimination you see around you.
Mrs. Kahol
Posted on: 26/01/2024Weekly News - Friday 26th January 2024
Month End Music Recital
We were treated to another hour of musicality at the end of the day today, as children from Years 1 to 6 once again had the opportunity to perform vocal and instrumental pieces to parents, siblings and staff. This is always such a wonderful way to round off the week and the month.
There is something very touching about watching a child summon up the courage to perform (sometimes for the very first time) and in seeing the pride each child takes in the achievement when they manage it. At St. Helen's College we know that these informal opportunities to perform are crucial in developing confidence and self-esteem. A big well done to everyone who took part today!
Trunk Theatre Visit Y2
London's burning, London's burning! Trunk Theatre made a special visit to Y2 this week to present a thoroughly entertaining production of 'The Great Fire of London'.
Continuing classroom work on this topic, the interactive play was full of fun, bringing to life this momentous event in history. Beginning in Tom Farriner's bakery on Pudding Lane, and including recollections from the famous diarist Samuel Pepys, it was a riotous re-telling of the story, interspersed with songs, dances and games. The children loved joining in to sing and dance, and even fire a few water pistols!
1C Class Assembly
1C have been learning about significant explorers in their history lessons. On Thursday they performed a wonderful assembly about Neil Armstrong, who was the first man to step foot on the moon in 1969. They had lots of fun exploring his journey and finding out about the important people who contributed to this significant moment in history. The children had learnt so many interesting facts about the Apollo 11 mission and the moon. They delivered their lines with enthusiasm and confidence. The children sang with gusto, played musical instruments, had video clips of the children from the 1930’s (when the astronauts were born) and even had a quiz show! It was a thoroughly entertaining assembly that reflected the children’s enjoyment of their learning. Thank you and well done 1C!
6H Class Assembly
It was inspirational this morning to see the children of 6H present their assembly all about the future and what they would like to be when they grow up. Many of them have interesting ideas for future careers in business, the medical professions, sports or the arts; some do not yet know what they want to do, and reminded us all that it is fine to decide later! Ms Drummond noted at the end of the assembly that there are many, many careers open to children now which did not exist when she was young; no doubt there will be even more new pathways by the time the current St. Helen's College children are adults.
The children also reminded us, through a beautiful performance of the song 'SOS From The Kids', that we must all act now to look after our planet in order to safeguard their future and enable them to realise their dreams. This was a poignant, enjoyable assembly which got everyone thinking in the best way about the future and all it holds in store. If you would like to see a video montage of some of the children telling us what they want to be when they grow up, you can see this here and here.
Year 4 Amersham Field Trip
Year 4 experienced a fun trip to Amersham Field Centre this week. It was a beautiful, crisp, sunny day which allowed for plenty of time to explore and learn outdoors. The children thoroughly enjoyed soaking up the great outdoors and being in the natural environment.
The day started by meeting ‘Michael Faraday’ and learning about electricity, its uses, dangers and how the substation in the vicinity works to provide power to our homes. The afternoon was spent learning about the way animals conserve energy by creating well-insulated homes and how animals like squirrels try to survive winters by hiding their food.
The outing finished with a short walk looking for evidence of animal activities on the grounds, pointing out excrements from different animals and their footprints. Every child has made great progress in their knowledge of one of our curriculum topics, as well as having a fun outdoor learning experience.
Centenary Challenge
Don't forget that we are keen to see any photographs of your children completing the list of '100 things to do in our centenary year'! You can email these to Mrs. Smith at susmith@sthelenscollege.com. We are hoping to use these in school displays and/or the end of year school magazine.
Year 6 Girls on Board
The Year 6 girls have taken part in their first empowering Girls on Board sessions. This is a short and effective programme to support girls to understand and navigate the dynamics and complexities of friendships. We are piloting the programme with the current Year 6 girls, and hope to expand it in the Upper School in the near future. We feel the approach will help to equip the girls with some useful tools for managing and enjoying their friendships, now and in their transition to senior schools. For more information you can watch an introductory video here.
Atom Learning Gold Award Unlocks Discount For Parents
We are delighted to share that St. Helen's College has reached the academic milestones to become an Atom Learning Gold School.
Parents wishing to extend their child’s personalised learning journey beyond the classroom may wish to consider Atom Prime’s home learning companion, Atom Nucleus. As a Gold School, St. Helen's College parents can now enjoy a 20% discount code across all Atom Nucleus subscriptions. Click here to access your discount code.
Community Tree Planting Day
Trees for Cities are hosting a community tree planting day on Saturday 3rd February in Court Park. There will be food and hot drink provided for volunteers and the aim is to plant a mix of both small and large trees in the park. The groups of small trees will increase the diversity and resilience of the existing woodland areas by adding new species and younger trees to the space. The new trees will eventually add depth to the northern border of the park and assist with drainage in the often waterlogged soil area.
We hope that many St. Helen's College families would like to join in with this initiative, and we would encourage your children to wear their school PE kits on that day so that it is obvious which children are from St. Helen's College. We are so very fortunate to have this beautiful park on our doorstep and would love to show the community how much we appreciate it by taking an active part in improving it for the future. It is, of course, also a wonderful chance for the children to put their eco pledges into action and to learn or practise the skill of planting.
You can sign up to take part here:
https://www.treesforcities.org/hillingdon-court-park
Welfare News
Here are some seasonal reminders from our Welfare team.
Please ensure that all children have gloves, scarves, hats and coats with them during cold weather and that all items are named.
There are, as usual at this time of year, some winter bugs 'doing the rounds'. In order to limit the spread of these, please do not send your child to school:
if they have a temperature;
within 48 hours of a bout of vomiting/diarrhoea;
after giving them medication for cold/flu/sore throat/viral symptoms;
if they have a persistently bad cough.
If you do need to keep a child at home for health reasons, please remember to email absence@sthelenscollege.com by 8.30 a.m. with the reason for absence.
Holiday Club
The St. Helen's College Holiday Club will run at half term from Monday 12th to Friday 16th February. Please log in to your SchoolsBuddy account to make your bookings from 4 p.m. today.
Next Week
Monday 29th January - Active Travel and Road Safety
Monday 29th January - Football v. St. Mary's
Monday 29th January - Sick Child Course 7.00 - 9.00 p.m.
Tuesday 30th January - Year 2 and Year 5 tree planting workshop
Tuesday 30th January - Year 6 individual and class photos
Tuesday 30th January - Netball v. Laurel Lane
Wednesday 31st January - General knowledge quiz
Wednesday 31st January - Netball v. Orley Farm School
Wednesday 31st January - Football v. Cowley St. Laurence
Wednesday 31st January - Ducklings, Nursery & Reception parents' evenings
Thursday 1st February - Robins coffee morning and class assembly
Friday 2nd February - Natural History Museum visiting Nursery
Friday 2nd February - 5G coffee morning and class assembly
Posted on: 19/01/2024Weekly News - Friday 19th January 2024
5R Class Assembly
As part of our Centenary celebrations in 2024, each year group is researching a different decade over the past 100 years. Pupils are finding out about important historical events and influential people who have contributed to significant scientific or cultural breakthroughs which have paved the way for change.
5R have been researching the 1930s and today presented a brilliant assembly about the trailblazing aviator and adventurer Amelia Earhart. We learnt how this intrepid explorer became the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic and set many other records throughout her remarkable life.
Pupils confidently shared reimagined extracts from Amelia's diary and delivered their own poetry about 'flying high'. They also took us on a whistle stop journey around the world with flags and interesting facts from the equatorial countries Amelia flew across as she circumnavigated the globe. Amelia's inspiring story demonstrates determination and perseverance, key school values that we encourage in school every day.
Year 6 French Pen Pals
Year 6 recently wrote introductory letters to pen pals in France and were very excited to receive their first replies!
The return letters are from a school close to Château de la Baudonnière in Normandy and will be the first of many letters crossing the channel before Year 6 visit the region for their residential in the summer term.
Pupils will then have the opportunity to meet their pen pals in person, joining them for activities at their school and more fun back at the Château!
House Mottos
We have a thriving House system here at St. Helen's College and run a programme of fun, competitive challenges where every child has the opportunity to be involved and to win valuable House points. The latest challenge is for the children to create new mottos for their Houses: Caledonia, Hibernia, Windsor and Cambria. They can post their suggestions on their House Google Classrooms in time for the next House assembly in March. The House motto should reflect the values of the school that each House strives for in everything they do. The chosen mottos will be revealed at Exhibition Day on March 16th, good luck everyone!
Royal Academy of Arts Young Artists' Summer Show
Calling all budding artists! The prestigious Royal Academy of Arts is calling for submissions for the annual Young Artists' Summer Show. This is a free, open submission exhibition for students aged 4 - 19 studying in the UK. Judged by a panel of artists and art professionals, selected artworks are displayed online and on site at the Royal Academy of Arts.
We have some amazingly talented artists here at St. Helen's College and this is a wonderful opportunity for pupils to show artwork at one of the most influential art venues in the world. Information on how to register can be found here. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 27th March 2024 at 5 p.m.
We hope that this piece of artwork by Tiya T (Year 6) will inspire many pupils to enter!
Kitchen Retains 5 Star Rating
Following an unannounced spot inspection today, we are delighted to report that our school kitchen has once again been awarded a 5 star rating for food hygiene from the Health & Safety Inspectorate at Hillingdon Food Standards Agency. Well done to Chef Soula and all the Accent team!
2+ Entry - September 2024
We are now allocating places for entry to Ducklings Kindergarten in September. If you have a child who will turn two before the end of August, and you would like them to join Ducklings in September, please contact Mrs. Smith at susmith@sthelenscollege.com as soon as possible. Please alert any family and friends too!
Bedtime Connection Resource
Helping children to wind down at bedtime promotes a healthy sleep routine and can also be a valuable opportunity for parents to connect with their children after a busy day. Here are some simple and enjoyable ideas to build connection with your child at bedtime.
Beaconsfield School Half Term Camp
There will be a holiday camp at Beaconsfield School over the February half term for children aged 5 - 12, which offers the opportunity for children to try new activities. Details are here.
Next Week
Wednesday 24th January - Trunk Theatre Company visiting Y2
Wednesday 24th January - Y4 Trip to Amersham Field Centre
Thursday 25th January - 1C Coffee Morning and Class Assembly
Thursday 25th January - Ducklings, Nursery and Reception Parents' Evenings
Friday 26th January - 6H Coffee Morning and Class Assembly
Friday 26th January - Month End Music Recital
Friday 26th January - Girls Football Festival at Radlett Prep Y3/4/5/6
Posted on: 19/01/2024School Inspection
I am sure that many of you have read articles and reports in the media regarding the fallout from the tragic death of Headteacher Ruth Perry following her school’s Ofsted Inspection. Ruth took her own life in January 2023 before the publication of an inspection report rating Caversham Primary School in Berkshire ‘inadequate’.
The chief coroner concluded that the inspection 'lacked fairness, respect and sensitivity' and was at times 'rude and intimidating'.
Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, inspects and reports on anywhere that provides education for young people in England, including schools, nurseries and childminders. Schools or organisations are inspected every four years or 30 months depending on their status, and are then graded accordingly:
1 - outstanding
2 - good
3 - requires improvement
4 - inadequate
Many parents rely on Ofsted ratings to help them choose a school or nursery for their child. As at November 2022, 88% of schools in England were rated either outstanding or good.
As an independent school and part of the association IAPS (The Association for Preparatory Schools), we are inspected under a different inspection body: ISI (The Independent Schools Inspectorate).
Ofsted are contracted by the Department for Education to conduct and report on inspections of organisations such as schools (both maintained and academies). The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) are contracted to do the same but for Independent Schools.
ISI is a Government approved inspectorate and the quality of its service is monitored by Ofsted on behalf of the Department for Education. Every year, Ofsted prepares a report for the Education Secretary about how the ISI has carried out its work. Overall Ofsted is satisfied but will normally comment on an area for ISI to consider.
Both ISI and Ofsted report on independent schools’ compliance with the DfE Education (Independent Schools Standards) Regulations. These are the statutory rules the DfE imposes on independent schools against which ISI inspects. But ISI and Ofsted use a different framework and criteria for judging school quality, and they use different judgement words too. For example, up until last year ISI used 'excellent, good, sound and unsatisfactory', while Ofsted uses 'outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate'.
Another difference is that ISI inspection teams largely consist of practising senior leaders currently working in independent schools, whereas Ofsted inspectors have not necessarily run a school. This means ISI inspectors are realistic and knowledgeable about the challenges for individual schools and their reports are more nuanced. For example, ISI inspectors evaluate independent schools against the higher standards of academic achievement and extracurricular activities in the sector as a whole as well as against national norms.
The National Education Union (NEU) has urged school leaders to refuse to work as Ofsted inspectors until a health and safety assessment of the system is carried out. Ofsted inspections have been frozen and as well as calling for a freeze of inspections and the abolition of Ofsted, the motion instructed the union to 'call on all NEU leadership members to refuse to participate as inspectors in any further inspections until a full health and safety assessment of the inspection system is conducted'.
Educational leaders in both the maintained and independent sector can only see the positive in this but sadly it is too little, too late for Ruth Perry.
Many of you will know that I am a practising inspector for ISI and I am privileged to conduct regular inspections each year in other independent schools.
As an independent sector we also now have a new framework for our inspection process and ISI will now NOT give an overall judgement, and have abolished the four gradings of excellent, good, sound and unsatisfactory. Instead, they now focus on ‘nuanced reporting‘ within the report itself.
The new framework places a strong emphasis on promoting the wellbeing of pupils.
Pupil wellbeing is defined in section 10(2) of the Children Act 2004 as:
physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing;
protection from harm and neglect;
education, training and recreation;
the contribution made by them to society and
social and economic wellbeing.
This definition is used as a starting point for ISI’s approach to school evaluations, making it vital that all school leaders keep this at the forefront of their minds when updating policies and reviewing their curriculum and values.
The new framework places an overarching responsibility of the school’s leadership, management and governance to 'actively promote' these five aspects of pupils’ wellbeing in all aspects of school life. Governors are reminded of their responsibilities to ensure their school is fully compliant and aware of the measures they need to take in order to mitigate against the particular issues their school faces.
At St. Helen's College, we are approaching the end of our three year cycle and are due to be inspected hopefully by the end of 2024 under the new framework.
The new framework emphasises that schools need to actively seek and take into account pupils’ views, wishes and feelings about their school experience. School leaders should enable pupils to communicate, develop positive relationships with staff, and make their views known. Parent and staff views are also taken into account and questionnaires are sent out from ISI at the onset of the inspection process to assist the team in their evaluations.
Safeguarding continues to be at the forefront of inspections. Inspectors will check to verify there are arrangements in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils and meet the expected standards and provisions as set out in the relevant legislation and statutory guidance. The new framework specifically mentions the need for schools to have effective arrangements to ensure that pupils know how to stay safe online and that these are regularly updated and reviewed. Schools can ensure they meet these criteria by having an effective PSHE curriculum in place as well as an Online Safety Policy (either stand alone or incorporated into the Child Protection and Safeguarding policy), which is appropriate for the ages and needs of the pupils. It should cover all aspects of staying safe online and must include appropriate provision to have monitoring and filtering systems in place.
I am proud to be part of the ISI inspectorate and how we as a body work together with schools to evaluate their provision to celebrate strengths but also to recommend areas of improvement to ensure that as a sector we are the frontrunners in our educational provision for your children.
You may wish to read more information about our inspection process here.
Posted on: 12/01/2024Weekly News - Friday 12th January 2024
It has been a super first week back at school! The children have been very busy with their learning indoors and out. If you would like to keep in touch with what is going on at school, please follow us on your preferred channel(s) by clicking the links below.
Barnardo's National Choral Competition Final Tickets
We are delighted that The Chamber Choir have once again reached the final of the prestigious Barnardo's National Choral Competition. The final will be held on Tuesday 5th March at Birmingham Symphony Hall. The competition will take place between 9.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. with an evening performance at 6.00 p.m. If you would like to attend the evening performance, tickets can be purchased here. There is a group rate available if 4+ tickets are booked together. Once you have added the tickets for the evening concert to the basket, there is an option to purchase a daytime ticket for £5 which allows you access to watch the competition, if you wish to do so. Please ensure that you book early; tickets are sold directly by the venue and we have no access to additional tickets once they are sold out.
100 Things To Do In Our Centenary Year
We hope you are enjoying working your way through the list of '100 Things To Do In Our Centenary Year'!
For the school magazine, we would like to collate photographs of pupils/families doing these activities. Mrs. Smith would be grateful if you would share photographs of your children/family enjoying some of the activities with her. You may email photos directly to susmith@sthelenscollege.com. Please feel free to send photographs throughout the year as you complete each activity.
Library Books
Libraries are a brilliant expression of community recycling - books and resources are borrowed, read, and returned to be shared again and again! By enjoying their library books and returning them to the school library on time, St. Helen's College children are part of this sustainable cycle in our school community.
Happy readers are the best way to promote reading, and the Upper School library is often busy with children asking for the books they have seen their friends enjoy! So please support sustainability and help to promote reading by encouraging your child to choose a particular place to keep their library books safe, and return them to school promptly when they are finished so that the books are available for another child.
Books are loaned for up to two weeks and may be renewed for "another turn" by visiting the library. Books which remain overdue since before Christmas will be assumed lost, and parents may be asked to replace these.
Court Park Wood Carvings
One of our staff members came across this beautiful wood carving from a fallen tree in Court Park. We are so lucky to have access to the park for our pupils for sports and more.
To take a look for yourselves follow these directions: walk through the park past the tennis courts and children's playground into Court Drive. Walk straight up the road to the top of the hill where the path starts then walk around the perimeter of the park. You will see the carving on the right hand side. What a good excuse to walk or scoot to school, or to visit the park for a bracing winter walk!
Parents' Evenings
Ducklings, Nursery and Reception parents' evenings will take place on Thursday 25th and Wednesday 31st January. Bookings are now open; information has been sent directly to parents by email.
Alumni News
Esme Stallard is an Old Helenian who is a science and climate reporter for the BBC. This week, she has written on the likelihood of Norway becoming the first country to approve commercial-scale deep sea mining. You can read her piece here.
Sports News
5G have enjoyed a week of swimming lessons this week at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex. Sporting fixtures will resume next week; please ensure that all children come to school with plenty of layers to keep warm during outdoor sports in this cold weather.
Free Basketball Tickets: Euro Cup Women
London Lions Women v Lointek Gernika Bizkaia
St. Helen's College pupils are being offered free tickets to the Women's Euro Cup basketball match between London Lions and Lointek Gernika Bizkaia on Thursday 18th January at the Copper Box Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London.
To take advantage of this offer, simply follow the link below and use the promotional code LYG783.
https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/euro-cup-women-london-lions-women-london-18-01-2024/event/35005F7BBB668586?did=community
Next Week
Monday 15th - Friday 19th January - 5R swimming all week
Tuesday 16th January - Year 5 transfer meetings with Ms Drummond (5 - 8 p.m.)
Wednesday 17th January - Reception entry meetings (for September 2024 entry)
Wednesday 17th January - PA meeting in The Evans Hall (7.30 p.m.)
Friday 19th January - 5R coffee morning (8.15 a.m.) and class assembly (8.40 a.m.)
Dates For Your Diaries
As always, there will be lots of opportunities this term for parents to see children's work and activities, and meet with staff. Important dates for parents for this term include:
Friday 19th January - 5R coffee morning/class assembly
Thursday 25th January - 1C coffee morning/class assembly
Thursday 25th January - Ducklings/Nursery/Reception parents' evenings
Friday 26th January - 6H coffee morning/class assembly
Friday 26th January - Month End Music Recital in Evans Hall
Wednesday 31st January - Ducklings/Nursery/Reception parents' evenings
Thursday 1st February - Robins coffee morning/class assembly
Friday 2nd February - 5G coffee morning/class assembly
Thursday 8th February - Wrens coffee morning/class assembly
Friday 9th February - 6L coffee morning/class assembly
Tuesday 20th February - PA coffee morning
Thursday 22nd February - Owls coffee morning/class assembly
Friday 23rd February - Month End Music Recital in Evans Hall
Thursday 29th February - Kingfishers coffee morning/class assembly
Tuesday 5th March - Chamber Choir performing at Barnardo's National Final (Birmingham Symphony Hall)
Wednesday 6th March - 1R coffee morning/class assembly
Thursday 7th March - Year 3 play performance at Compass Theatre
Tuesday 12th March - Year 4 parents' Senior School Transfer Meeting
Friday 15th March - Half Day (NO AFTER SCHOOL CLUB AVAILABLE)
Saturday 16th March - Centenary Exhibition Day
Tuesday 19th March - Nursery/Reception Poetry Recitation
Tuesday 19th March - Year 5 Isle of Wight Information Evening for parents
Thursday 21st March - Speech & Poetry Competition Y1-6 (parents of finalists will be invited)
Thursday 21st March - Year 3 PACCAR Information Evening for parents
Friday 22nd March - Year 2 - 6 Easter Service at All Saints Church (11 a.m.)
Easter Camp
MiniMe Camps will be running an Easter Camp at PACCAR for 6-11 year old children from 8th to 12th April, which will include activities such as zip wire, abseiling, laser tag, giant swing and more. A flyer can be found here and bookings should be made here.
Posted on: 5/01/2024Weekly News - Friday 5th January 2024
Happy New Year to the St. Helen's College Community! We hope that you have all had a good break.
We have been busy in school for the past two days with staff training and preparations for the new term, and are looking forward very much to welcoming the pupils back on Monday. Please ensure that your child arrives at school in good time each morning, by 8.25 a.m., so that all pupils may enjoy a calm, purposeful start to the day.
Buy Nothing New Month
St. Helen's College is taking part in Buy Nothing New Month during January. This initiative, run by Keep Britain Tidy, is about moving beyond simply recycling to reduce the amount of new 'stuff' that we buy, and by extension, the amount of waste that we create. It is about cherishing the things we already have, repairing things rather than sending them to landfill, and finding new homes for the things we no longer need.
It is sobering to think that, if everyone in the world lived like people in the UK, we would need over two and a half planets to regenerate and absorb our waste. As a society, we need to move to a circular economy that wastes less and puts more value on the things we already have.
The 'Buy Nothing New' initiative is not just good for the planet; it is an opportunity to save money too. Last year, 65% of those who took part bought nothing new for a whole month, and an additional 31% bought less than they usually would.
We hope that you will join us in trying to buy nothing new this month.
Uniform And Equipment
Please double check that your children have the correct uniform and equipment and that everything is clearly named. It is essential that every child brings a waterproof St. Helen's College coat/raincoat with them each day.
Travel And Parking Reminders
We urge parents and children to travel to school by foot (or bicycle/scooter) wherever possible. Doing so is environmentally friendly and good for physical and mental health.
For those who must drive, we would like to remind all parents that it is your responsibility to adhere to the school's travel and parking regulations, and to ensure that anyone delivering or collecting your child to school does the same. The regulations are permanently published to the school website and are available here.
It is inevitable that there will be some congestion at school run times, and those who drive should allow for this when planning journeys. As a school, we work hard to maintain good relationships with neighbours, promote sustainable travel, ease congestion for parents and make the drop-off and pick-up as easy as possible. The measures we take include the following.
An optional Breakfast Club daily during term time, so that your children may be dropped off at 7.30 a.m.
Staggered arrival times between 8.00 and 8.30 a.m. (with school staff providing supervision of children during these times).
A 'drop and go' system in the mornings, overseen by school staff, so that children may be dropped off without adults needing to park and exit their car.
Staggered departure times at end of day, between 3.00 and 3.50 p.m.
An optional After School Club daily during term time, so that children may stay at school up until 6 p.m. if needed.
A variety of after school co-curricular activities which further disperse departure times at the end of day.
Promotion of 'walk to school' initiatives and safe bicycle/scooter storage at school for children's bicycles and scooters.
Requiring parents to adhere to our school travel and parking regulations.
We are always interested to hear if you have any further ideas for easing congestion and promoting safe and sustainable travel.
Next Week - Reminders
Monday 8th - Friday 12th January - 5G swimming all week
Wednesday 10th January - Nursery entry meetings (for 2024 entry)
Wednesday 10th January - Year 5 transfer meetings with Ms Drummond
Thursday 11th January - Nursery entry meetings (for 2024 entry)
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