Weekly News - Friday 28th March 2025

St. Helen's College Easter Service

Many thanks indeed to everyone who joined us at our Easter Service this morning - what a wonderful occasion it was! We were so proud of the Junior Choir, Senior Choir, Chamber Choir, Orchestra and Year 6 readers who all played their parts in the service with great confidence and demonstrated so much talent. The music was of an exceptionally high standard and it was really very special to be led through the Easter story and its meaning by our pupils. It is so easy to forget that the children 'performing' in this service were aged between 6 and 11 - their musical talents, their skills in performance and their self-discipline mark them out as exceptionally mature and well-rounded for their age. You can listen to a short clip from the Chamber Choir here. 

Speech & Poetry Recitals/Competitions

It has been an astonishing week of public speaking here at St. Helen's College, with the culmination of our poetry/speech competition for Years 1 - 6, and our annual poetry recitals in Nursery and Reception.

On Wednesday, our Nursery children recited their poems to an audience of their parents and peers in their Nursery classrooms. Supported by teachers and friends, they spoke their memorised poems aloud. What a wonderful introduction to public speaking for such young children! They were delighted to receive applause and it was clear to see how proud they (and their parents) were at their bravery. 

Meanwhile, every Reception child took to the stage in the Methodist Church Hall to recite their poem to an eager audience of almost 100 family and friends. They spoke their pieces clearly and with growing confidence and it was a joy to see the pleasure the children are beginning to take in speaking publicly.

On Thursday, we held the finals of the Year 1 & 2, Year 3 & 4, and Year 5 & 6 competitions. As always, the standard was extremely high and the children had learnt some very sophisticated poems for their ages. Our judging criteria, this year applied by guest judges Mr. & Mrs. Crehan, places an emphasis on projection, clarity and expression, and it is no surprise that the finalists each showed great skill in each of these areas.

The margins were fine and the judging difficult, but in the end the winners were:

1C: Colette T
1O: Hasan J
2C: Aahana G
2S: Aarya G
Overall Pre-Prep Winner: Aarya G

 

3B: Siara R
3M: Zakariya S
4C: Emily K
4T: Eliana D
Overall Junior Winner: Eliana D

5G: Ella K
5R: Gurdaya J & William B
6H: Evie J
6R: Rohan F & Inaaya S
Overall Senior Winner: Ella K

Many congratulations to every child who took part in the competitions and a special well done to the winners. We are grateful to Mr. & Mrs. Crehan for judging the competition and to all of the parents and other friends/family who have helped the pupils with their rehearsals! You can find some photographs from the event on our Galleries page.

Year 1 Visit Natural History Museum

On Tuesday, Year 1 visited the Natural History Museum in Tring as part of their history topic 'Significant Explorers' and their science topic 'Animals'. They attended an exciting workshop on the polar regions, where they examined specimens of different animals from the Arctic and Antarctic. They were amazed by a whale’s rib, penguin feathers, reindeer antlers and a walrus skull, to name but a few. The children thoroughly enjoyed looking around the museum at all the different animals and were in awe of all the wonderful creatures they saw and how huge they were up close! 

 

 

Planetarium Visit Reception

On Thursday our Kingfishers and Owls Reception classes were treated to a visiting Planetarium to enrich their learning about space! The children had great fun dressing as astronauts and learning about science through exploration and discovery. Inside a portable planetarium, they were presented with a 360 degree view of the night sky, evoking a sense of awe and wonder. It was a fascinating and inspiring workshop which thoroughly engaged the children to gain a deeper understanding of the wider world around them.

 

TfL Explorers Attend Dragon's Den Event 

Our committed TfL Explorers (formerly known as JTAs) visited the Battle of Britain Bunker on Thursday morning to make a pitch for some money for their latest project. They plan to produce a professionally made video educating parents and neighbours about road safety around our school, and about all that the school does to promote road safety. You can hear about their pitch here. It was a daunting endeavour for the group of Year 5 children, who had to stand up in front of Councillor Tuckwell, Councillor O'Brien, Michael Kitchen from London Transport Museum and the London Borough of Hillingdon Head of Transport, David Knowles and speak persuasively about why their project deserves funding, explaining its benefits and the processes they would follow to produce the video.

However, they clearly did a fantastic job because they have been awarded £400 and if they can fund raise themselves, London Borough of Hillingdon have also committed to match-fund another £50. We can't wait to see how the video turns out once the children get their project underway!

On The Right Road: Hillingdon Road Safety Sessions For Years 1 And 2

Year 1 and 2 pupils spent Thursday afternoon learning about road safety. They enjoyed a fantastic puppet show from Wizard Theatre who reminded the children about commuting safely in the community and being safe on the school journey. Afterwards, Year 2 enjoyed a workshop based on their understanding on how to stay safe using different modes of transportation, including walking to school. 

 

 

 

St. Helen's College Pupil Places Second In National General Knowledge Competition!

Earlier this term Years 4, 5 and 6 all participated in the annual SATIPs Challenge Junior General Knowledge Quiz. Over 1000 students took part from independent schools across the country and the competition was stiff. We are delighted to share that Ashvika A (6R) reached second place scoring 88/100 (pipped to first place by just one point!). Mustafa F (6R) also scored highly acheiving a score of 74/100 and reaching the prestigious leader board. Huge congratulations to both children for their terrific achievement and well done to all the pupils who completed the quiz. 

On Thursday children from Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 represented St. Helen's College in the semi-final of the inter-school General Knowledge Quiz. The children worked in teams to tackle a broad range of challenging questions in this fun and competitive quiz hosted online by the Quiz Club. Out of the 46 teams who competed, our two teams placed 29th and 30th which was a very creditable effort indeed! Well done to the pupils involved: Melissa Do R, Mia S (3B), Rian S, Anjali S (4T), William B (5R), Armaan V (5G), Amelia L, Rohan F (6R).

PA Easter Gifts/Raffle

Many thanks to the Parents' Assocation, who have generously provided an Easter gift for every child in the school and have also organised their annual Easter Egg raffle. The raffle winners were:

Ducklings: Kabir J
Nursery Robins: Siya K
Nursery Wrens: Clara P
Reception Owls: Noah K
Reception Kingfishers: Anaika U
Year 1: Oliver N (1C) and Cameron G (1O)
Year 2: Amaya A (2S) and Aan G (2S)
Year 3: Feyi A (3B) and Sienna K (3M)
Year 4: Emily K (4C) and Laksh K (4T) 
Year 5: Aadhya M (5G) and Jana A (5R)
Year 6: Diya B (6H) and Aaran P (6R) 

Staffing

We are delighted to announce that from September 2025 we will have two new Deputy Heads as part of our Senior Leadership Team.  We had a very strong field of applicants and candidates were put through a rigorous process last week.  

Mr. Roche has been appointed as our new Deputy Head Academic. Mr. Roche has been with us for the past four years, is our current Head of English (and will remain so) and has also driven our teaching and learning over the past few years in developing our 'learning skills' throughout the school. Mr. Roche is currently working alongside Mr. Lewis for a smooth transition. We will also be welcoming Mrs. Gilbert as our new Deputy Head Pastoral who will be taking on the role from Mr. McLaughlin. Mrs. Gilbert comes with superb experience as she is currently Deputy at St. Hilda's School in Bushey. Mrs. Gilbert will be spending time in school next term and there will be opportunities for everyone to get to know her before September.  

We will be welcoming Mrs. Reid back to Year 2 at the start of next term following her maternity leave. We are delighted that Mrs. Sohail will also remain with us to teach across Year 1 and Year 2.

Mrs. Asia Aslam has recently joined our Nursery team and Mrs. Manni Pawha our Ducklings team. They are both enjoying getting to know the children.

Singing Competition

Our very exciting Singing Competition final will take place on Friday 13th June 2025. The competition is open to all children from Years 2-6. 

The categories this year are as follows:

Middle School Competition: Year 2 Solo, Year 3 Solo, MS duet/group and Best Overall Performance.

Upper School Competition: Year 4 Solo, Year 5 Solo, Year 6 Solo, US duet/group and Best Overall Performance.

Finalists will be chosen and announced on Friday 6th June 2025 in the school newsletter.

For full competition details, key dates and to enter please complete this form. All entrants must complete a song approval form before entering which can be found here. 

ABRSM Results

The children have achieved another brilliant set of results in ABRSM examinations this term. Many congratulations to all entrants and thank you to our music team for supporting the children to succeed. 

Spring 2025	Class	Instrument	Grade	Result
Ella C	3B	Piano	Prep	Pass
Callum B	2M	Singing	Prep	Pass
Mulenga M	2M	Singing	Prep	Pass
Ajit J	3B	Cello	Initial	Merit
Shriyan P	3M	Cello	Initial	Distinction
Shayla R	5G	Piano	Initial	Merit
Siara R	3B	Piano	Initial	Merit
Joshan D	2C	Piano	Initial	Distinction
Yaheeya K	5R	Piano	Grade 1	Pass
Aaran P	6R	Piano	Grade 1	Pass
Mahi B	5R	Piano	Grade 1	Merit
Shanaiya K	6H	Piano	Grade 1	Merit
Connor L	4T	Piano	Grade 1	Merit
Anika S	3B	Singing	Grade 1	Merit
Aayan B	3M	Singing for Musical Theatre	Grade 1	Merit
Saskia O	4C	Singing for Musical Theatre	Grade 1	Pass
Ajooni G	4C	Singing for Musical Theatre	Grade 1	Pass
Eleanor G	4T	Piano	Grade 2	Pass
Avleen P	5R	Piano	Grade 2	Pass
Alba M	4C	Piano	Grade 2	Merit
Amara B	5R	Music Theory	Grade 2	Distinction
Aryan S	5R	Piano	Grade 2	Pass
Dhani C	5G	Singing for Musical Theatre	Grade 2	Merit
Zoe Fan	4T	Singing for Musical Theatre	Grade 2	Pass
Parisa S	5R	Singing for Musical Theatre	Grade 3	Merit
Zinnia M	6H	Singing for Musical Theatre	Grade 3	Merit
Alicia Z	4T	Singing for Musical Theatre	Grade 3	Distinction
Anoushka B	4C	Singing for Musical Theatre	Grade 3	Merit
Shaylen P	5R	Piano	Grade 3	Merit
Avleen P	5R	Singing for Musical Theatre	Grade 3	Merit
Leo A	5R	Singing	Grade 3	Merit
Alex A	6H	Singing	Grade 3	Merit
Avleen P	5R	Singing for Musical Theatre	Grade 3	Merit
Eleanor G	4T	Singing	Grade 3	Merit
Zoe F	4T	Piano	Grade 4	Merit
Alyssa P	5G	Singing for Musical Theatre	Grade 4	Merit
Gurdaya J	5R	Singing for Musical Theatre	Grade 4	Distinction
Alicia Z	4T	Violin	Grade 5	Merit

 

Open Morning

Our next Open Morning for prospective parents/families will take place on Wednesday 7th May. If you know of anyone who might be considering St. Helen's College for their child(ren), please do encourage them to book in for a tour on this morning. The booking form is available here.

Baby Mindfulness Classes

Mrs. McLaughlin's next set of FREE Baby Mindfulness classes will begin after the Easter break on Wednesday 30th April. These classes are for mothers and babies (aged from six weeks until crawling) and are held at St. Helen's College Upper School. Classes provide a safe space for mums and babies to bond, take part in breathing, gentle yoga and other mindfulness exercises. This is a great opportunity to meet other local mums and babies. To find out about joining these classes, please email Mrs. McLaughlin on pmclaughlin@sthelenscollege.com. The classes are open to everyone, whether they have a child at St. Helen's College or not, so please do spread the word!

Summer Menu

The menu for the summer term is now available to view here and there are some fun Easter recipes here which you may like to cook together with your children over the holidays. 

Easter Holiday Library Events 

Our local public library, Oak Farm Library, have some lovely events for children over the Easter holidays. Why not take your children along to explore this super resource and/or take part in one or more of their planned activities? You can find details here and a special workshop with The Dogs Trust here.

Ickenham Youth Girls' Football

If you have a girl who might be interested in trying football for the first time or developing her skills further, you might like to attend a free taster session at Ickenham Youth Girls' Football. Details can be found here. 

Perform Classes Introductory Offer

We were very pleased to receive a visit from Perform a few weeks ago. The children had a wonderfully energetic time exploring the theme of Under The Sea and using drama, dance and singing to help develop their confidence, concentration and social skills. Perform run regular weekly classes in the local area and they are offering a special introductory discount to all parents of St. Helen's College if they come along for a free trial session before Saturday 5th April. To claim your discount, call Perform on 020 7255 9120 quoting SHLE050425 or visit perform.org.uk to find out more.

Happy Eid Mubarak

We would like to wish Happy Eid Mubarak to all our families and children celebrating this weekend. We hope everyone enjoys all the festivities and special time with family and friends to mark this special celebration.

Next Term

We will hit the ground running as usual for the busy summer term ahead! Please take the opportunity over the holidays to check your child's uniform and equipment and to replenish as necessary so that they have all they need for the new term and so that uniform is smart and clean! Children should return to school in their summer uniform. Please remember that the girls' summer dress must be worn with white socks (ankle or knee length) and must NOT be worn with tights.

Here are a few reminders of dates for the first two weeks of term:

Thursday 24th April - Term begins
Monday 28th April - Friday 2nd May - Year 5 residential trip to Isle of Wight
Wednesday 30th April - Year 4 Flatford Mill information evening - 6.30 p.m.
Thursday 1st May - Y5/6 UKMT Junior Mathematical challenge
Thursday 1st May - House assembly
Friday 2nd May - 4C coffee morning/class assembly

We will continue to add reminders of forthcoming dates each week to the news, but please also make a note now of these major dates for later on in the summer term. We very much hope that parents of the children involved will be able to join us for these events. 

Nursery/Reception Sports Day - Thursday 12th June (p.m.)
Year 1/Year 2 Sports Day - Thursday 12th June (a.m.)
Year 2 - 6 Singing Competition - Friday 13th June
Year 1 Production at Compass Theatre - Thursday 19th June
Year 3 - 6 Prep Sports Day - Friday 20th June
Year 6 Musical Production at Compass Theatre - Thursday 26th & Friday 27th June
PA Summer Fete (all year groups) - Saturday 28th June
Year 2 - 6 Art Exhibition/Concert at Winston Churchill Hall - Tuesday 1st July
Ducklings Sports Day - Thursday 3rd July
Year 6 Coffee Morning/Project Exhibition (a.m.) and Prizegiving Evening - Tuesday 8th July