Friday 14 December 2018


It has been a fabulous week in school. It started with the Foundation stage and Key Stage one performing their shows and  everyone who watched them thought that all the children were amazing. The Foundation children sang some Christmas songs for us and did so with ‘great gusto’ and then KS1 performed ‘Born in a Barn’ which is based on the nativity story. It contained songs, dance and acting and the children did so well it was hard to believe that they are only six and seven – the older children in the school certainly have a lot to live up to when they put their performances on later in the year. I would also like to thank all my staff who were involved in these shows for all their efforts in putting the performances together. One of the reasons that these shows were so good is because of all the work the staff put in behind the scenes and I think it is important to recognise that.

Yesterday we had our annual Christmas dinner which all the children love as the staff serve them their food and they get an extended lunch time with music in the playground followed by a movie in the hall. It went really well this year and I would like to thank all the parents who volunteered to look after the children in the playground. I would also like to thank our kitchen staff for the wonderful meals that they provide for the staff and children all year long and not just at Christmas time.

Today was another exciting day for the children as it was ‘Christmas Jumper Day’. All the children looked great in their festive wear but the good thing is that they were doing it for a very worthy charity which is ‘Save the Children’. I will let you know how much money we raised next week. All the money raised across the UK goes towards trying to improve the lives of disadvantaged children in the UK and across the world.

Next week we still have lots to look forward to. On Monday we have one of our Sharing Assemblies and if your child is involved you will have received the letter informing you about it. On Tuesday KS1 have got their Christmas party in the afternoon and, apparently, a special visitor may be dropping in to see them. KS2 have their party on Wednesday afternoon but before that the whole school will be watching a pantomime. This has now become an annual tradition at Little Heath and this year the children are watching Rapunzel.

With all that happening we will certainly be ready to break up for our holiday. Please remember that the school finishes at 2.00pm on Friday.

Friday 7 December 2018


We cannot deny that the festive season is upon us. The school is decorated and all the Christmas preparations for all the shows and events are well underway with the children all becoming very excited at the prospect of Father Christmas’s impending arrival. Unfortunately, a side effect of all this, is that some of the children can become a little more irritable at this time of year (especially since it has also been a long term) so we do ask that you ensure that they get plenty of sleep to help them cope with all the excitement.

They will certainly need their rest because there is a lot going on next week. On Tuesday and Wednesday the Foundation stage and KS1 will be performing their productions for all their families. They have all put a lot of hard work into this and I know they are looking forward to performing their shows in front of an audience.

On Wednesday we also have our ‘Open Afternoon’ which runs from 3.00pm – 4.00pm. We hold this every half term to give parents with children in Years 1-6 an opportunity to share all the learning their children have covered over the last half term. If you are watching your child in the KS1 production you can look at their work immediately afterwards and then take them home. If you have any children in KS2 you can also take them home early rather than return to the school to collect them at a later time.

On Thursday we are having our School Christmas dinner which all the children love because they sit down and all the staff serve them their meal. Even if your child has a packed lunch they still enjoy the event because we give them all crackers and we play music in the playground and the dining hall. The children can wear Christmas hats/headbands on this day to help get them in the ‘party-mood’. This is then followed with the whole school watching a film in the hall.

On Friday it is ‘Christmas Jumper Day’. This is a national fundraising event organised by ‘Save the Children’ to help give children in the UK and around the world a chance to build a better future. This year the campaign is asking for everyone to donate £2 but we will let the children wear a Christmas jumper to school if they donate £1 as we know how expensive this time of year can be. They do not have to wear their school uniform with their Christmas jumper.

Of course before any of the above happens we have our big Christmas Event to look forward to on Sunday which is being run by our PTA. I would like to thank them all for their hard work in putting the event together and I would also like to thank all of you for your generous donations of food and drink that you have sent in towards this. The event is running from 11am - 4.00pm so I am sure that I will see most of you at some point during the day.

Have a fabulous weekend – try not to get too tired with all your Christmas preparations.

Friday 30 November 2018


Once again we had another lovely end to the week with a class assembly. This time it was the turn of Year 4 and they presented us with a very entertaining and informative assembly about ‘A Day in the Life of Year 4’. I know they are always busy when I go in but I had no idea how much they are packing in. The whole class did really well and I would like to thank them all for all their hard work in putting together such a great assembly. I would also like to thank Miss Bradford, Mrs Kirby and Mrs Farrell for supporting the children and organising the assembly.

The children have also been very excited today because they have had a ‘Mufti Day’ in exchange for bringing in wine and chocolate for the PTA Christmas Event. I would like to thank everyone who sent something in for their kind donation. The Christmas Event is now just over a week away and I know it is going to be a great day. If you have not already done so you can book tea with Father Christmas for your child at the school office and you can book a slot for them on the ice rink through the School Gateway.

It has been brought to my attention that some parents have been tying their dog to the school fence whilst picking up their child. I have specifically asked for this not to happen because we have had two parents bitten by a dog outside of the school in recent times and some of the children are terrified of unattended dogs and it makes them very nervous about coming to school. If this practice persists I may have to ban people who leave their dogs tied to the fence from the school premises.

The main event that we have to look forward to next week is our PTA Christmas Event on December 9th. The children have been asked to bring in a Christmas food item to put into a hamper and we would like all these items in by Thursday so all the hampers can be put together in time for Sunday. Have a great weekend and I will see you all again on Monday morning.

Friday 23 November 2018


I am starting my blog with good news this week as I can tell you all that we raised an impressive £550 for Children in Need last week. That is the most we have ever made and I would like to thank you all for the money that you donated and the cakes that you sent in to make this possible.

The next big event that we have to look forward to in school is our maths evening on Tuesday evening. This will be presented by Doug Harmer who is a maths consultant for HfL. He has been doing some work with the teachers in school to provide us with some extra strategies and techniques to use in class so we can enrich the maths experience that we provide in school. However, we all know that children’s learning needs the support of the parents and so Doug is going to provide parents with lots of practical ideas to support their children’s mathematical learning at home. The event should last about an hour and even though I know it can be difficult to attend school events during the week I think that anyone who comes will find it very informative and beneficial to their child’s education.

Another event that we have in school next week is the Year 4 assembly. I know that preparations have already started for this and the children are very much looking forward to presenting it to their parents. May I take this opportunity to remind parents that we do allow pre-school children to attend assemblies but we do ask that if they do become distressed or start making a noise that parents remove them from the hall so that they do not disturb the assembly/show for everyone else.

Friday is also non-uniform day for the children. In exchange for not coming in uniform they must bring in some wine or chocolate for our Christmas event which is on Sunday, December 9th from 11.00am – 4.00pm. Volunteers are still required for this so if you think you can spare an hour or two to help please sign up on the volunteers’ sheet which is in the school office area. I cannot believe that I have actually mentioned the ‘C’ word but the whole event is just a month away. I must admit that I love Christmas and all the events associated with it and I feel that it is a real privilege to work in a school at this time of year.

I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend – the weather has certainly changed and we do know that it is autumn but I am sure that will not stop us all having a good time. I look forward to seeing you all next week –hopefully many of you at the maths evening!

Friday 16 November 2018


It has been a very exciting day in school today and it is still not over. As it is ‘Children in Need’ all the children have come to school without their uniform which they love and many have also brought their teddies into school which has also caused great excitement.

We had our first class assembly of the year this morning and Year 5 treated us all to a very informative and interesting assembly about the Ancient Greeks. It was well received by everyone and I would like to thank the whole class for putting on such a good assembly for us. I would also like to thank Mr. da Rocha, Mrs Onley and Mrs Pittson for all their hard work in putting the assembly together.

Last weekend, as many of you know, we held our annual firework display with the Rotary. Unfortunately, the weather was not kind to us and it rained for most of the evening although it did ease off a little just before the display started. The fireworks were still very good though and everyone who did turn out was still very pleased with the display. I would like to thank all of those people who came out in the rain to support us and I would like to give special thanks to all the members of the PTA, Rotary and my staff who gave up their time to help run the event. Although I know that takings will be down on last year’s we will still have raised a lot of money for the school and I will inform you of how much we have raised as soon as I find out the amount. The next big event that the PTA are running is the Christmas Fayre which is on Sunday, December 9th. It is going to be a little bit different this year and one of the new highlights is going to be an ice-rink which I know the children will really enjoy.

May I just give you all a gentle reminder that the only snack the children can eat at break time is fruit or vegetables. Children in KS1 get this for free but in KS2 children can bring their own snack in for break time if they want to have something to eat. It has been brought to my attention that some children are bringing in biscuits or chocolate bars to have as a snack and this is not acceptable.

This week some of our Year 3 and Year 4 pupils took part in an indoor athletic event at Dame Alice Owen School against other primary Potters Bar schools. We finished second and were only two points behind the team that won. I would like to extend my congratulations to all the children who took part and to Mr Mills for all his work in preparing the children for the competition.

As I said at the beginning of my blog it has been an exciting day and it is not over because we still have our cake sale to look forward to which I will go and help with when I have finished writing my blog. Once we have held the sale we will add all the money to that which has already been collected from the children for not wearing their uniform and we will then send it to the ‘Children in Need’ fund. I will let you know how much we raised in my blog next week.

I hope you all have a great weekend –I have a meeting to attend on Monday morning so I will not see you on the gate but I should be there to greet you all on Tuesday morning.

Friday 9 November 2018


I am typing this blog whilst preparations for our bonfire night are going ahead. This is one of the biggest nights in the Little Heath calendar and I know it is an event that many families look forward to. We are a little late this year due to our half term break but the reason we are having the event this weekend was to make sure all families could attend as some people go on holiday over half term and would not have been back in time to enjoy the firework display.  I will be serving on the barbeque all tomorrow night and I am looking forward to seeing many of you there.

Our Firework Night is certainly the highlight of the week but apart from that it has been good getting our school hall back (I know Mr Mills has been very relieved – he has really been missing his ‘kingdom’). The builders are now working in the music room and ICT suite and what will be our new technology room and as I said before they will hopefully be finished their work by Christmas. Although it has been a bit of an inconvenience having them around they are doing a really good job for us and the school does look really clean and bright in the areas they have completed. We are going to have to work very hard to make sure we maintain that ‘new’ look.

Next week is a really busy week in school. It is Anti–bullying week and to mark the start of this we want the children to come to school on Monday wearing odd socks (they must come in normal uniform apart from the socks). On Friday it is ‘Children in Need’ and for this we are allowing the children to not wear uniform on that day and also bring their favourite teddy to school. If they do this, they must bring in at least a pound to donate to ‘Children in Need’. We are also asking for donations of baked goods to be sent into school so that we can have a big ‘Cake Sale’ at the end of the day. I think having a sweet treat will be a lovely way to start the weekend. I know you have all been generous in the past when sending in donations for our ‘Harvest Festival Coffee Mornings’ and we thought that as we could not have this event this year we should have a cake sale for ‘Children in Need’ instead. We also have the ‘Sharing Assembly’ and the Year 5 Class Assembly to look forward to so I think that next week is going to be a really memorable one.

Have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing many of you at the fireworks.

Saturday 27 October 2018


As I mentioned in my previous blog I was at a head’s conference last week and because of that I really do feel like half term has just suddenly arrived – I cannot believe that we have been at school eight weeks. They do say though that time flies when you are having fun so that must mean that I really enjoy being at Little Heath.

This week has been particularly busy because of all the parent consultations although it has been great to see so many parents in school. All those that I have spoken to appear really happy with the progress their children are making which is good as I know that my teachers work really hard to meet the needs of all your children. May I remind you that if you do have a concern about your child that you do not have to wait for a parent consultation to discuss it. You can make an appointment at any time to discuss your concerns with the class teacher or myself.

We are all really pleased that we will have the use of our school hall after the half term. It has been quite difficult to manage without it for eight weeks but we have succeeded to keep most events running in its absence. The builders are now starting the last phase of the project which includes the music room, the ICT room and the old Year 3 classroom which will become our new ‘tech’ room. The builders are confident that they will be finished by Christmas -two months ahead of schedule- which will be good as the school will be back to normal in the new year. However, they will be returning a little later in the spring term to complete works on the windows in the old part of the building so we will have to experience a little more disruption before the builders are gone for good. We should be pleased that the quality of the building is being improved which helps to improve the quality of the learning experience for your child.

I will not see you all next week as it is half term but I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday, 5th November. May I remind you all that when the children return all the KS2 pupils will need to be in winter uniform. I hope you all have a very enjoyable break.

 

 

Friday 12 October 2018


I had to do a double take when I was setting the dates for next week because we are halfway through October – it does not seem like two minutes since the beginning of term. I think the good weather that we are still having is making my mind believe that it is still summer although I was not thinking that at the weekend when I was in Newcastle because autumn has definitely arrived up North.

The highlight in school this week was the presentation to the winner of the fireworks poster. This year it was Alana from Year 4 and she was really delighted to have won. The posters for our annual fireworks event, which is on November 10th, will soon be going up and you will be able to see the winning entry. As always, we did have lots of very good entries but when I put the finalists together there was something about Alana’s design which made it stand out from the rest so well done to her.

Unfortunately, I have to have a little moan about something. A parent has informed the school that two other parents in the small playground were hit in the head with footballs because children were playing football after school. A member of staff also informed me that when they were driving home two balls came into the road and children came out of the playground to retrieve them. Children were also scooting around unsupervised in the playground and they could have knocked somebody over. May I remind everyone that children should not ride any bike or scooter on the school grounds and should dismount from them before coming onto the school premises. Children should also not be playing football in either playground during the morning drop off or during the afternoon pick up. Could you please ensure that your children follow these rules so that nobody else incurs an injury. May I remind you as well that once children have been collected from the classroom they are the responsibility of the adult who collects them.

As I informed you through the newsletter we are holding a themed week around celebrating differences next week. Through this we hope to raise the awareness, tolerance and acceptance levels of the children of the many differences that exist between people in different ways so it should be a very exciting week in school. Unfortunately, I will only be around for half of it because I have to go to a Head’s Conference which starts on Wednesday. As I will not be in school I will not be writing a blog next week. If you have any concerns in my absence Mr Gradwell will be in charge or, if you do wish to speak to me, you can make an appointment to do so on my return.

I hope you all have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday morning.

Friday 5 October 2018


I would like to start my blog this week by thanking all the generous parents of Little Heath. I have two reasons for doing this. The first is because we raised £1223.84 from the ‘Book Fair’ which is amazing. As we raised so much we can have 60% of this money to purchase books for the school.

My second reason for thanking our lovely parents is because of all the food that was donated today to support ‘The Sixty Plus’ charity which is based at the Wyllyotts Centre at Potters Bar. The club supports the elderly with a weekly luncheon club and also provides an escorted mini-bus service for those who require assistance. I am very happy that the school is supporting a local charity and your donations will make a big difference to the people who attend the club.

Next week in school the winner of the fireworks poster competition will be awarded their prize on Thursday morning by the chair of the Brookmans Park Rotary Club. It is always a thrill for the child who wins but this presentation also helps to notify the Little Heath community that it will soon be time for our annual fireworks display. This is always a very popular event and this year we are holding it on November 10th because the school will still be on the half term break on the previous Saturday. The tickets for this event will soon be on sale so please make sure that you purchase them early so that you will not be disappointed. If you can also help set up this event or help out on the night that would be great as an event like this takes a lot of manpower to make it successful. It is a great fundraiser for the school though and last year we raised over £5000 which makes a big difference to the resources that we can provide for your child in school.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend. The forecast is not brilliant but I am sure that will not stop us enjoying ourselves.

Friday 28 September 2018


It has been a lovely week in school this week and I think this has been helped by the Indian summer we have been experiencing. It has been a little colder today and apparently this is the start of the autumn weather. I do not think that we can complain though because it has been a fabulous summer and I only hope next year’s is as good.

One of the highlights of the autumn term for me is the Harvest Festival but, as I intimated last week, we will not be able to hold it this year because the school hall is not going to be completed in time. We did consider holding it in the dining hall but this is really too small and it would have too big an impact on school lunches. Instead, we have decided to join in with a food collection that Dame Alice Owen is organising for a Potters Bar Charity. More details of this will follow in a newsletter next week. I would also like to inform you that the work on the hall is going well and it will hopefully be finished in a couple of weeks which will mean that the class assemblies and the Christmas shows will be able to go ahead as normal.

As you all know, the church kindly allows our parents to use their car park at the beginning and end of the school day. However, it has been brought to my attention this week that some parents are parking inconsiderately. On one day two parents had parked so badly that it made it almost impossible for other cars to drive through. Can everyone please remember that it is a real privilege being allowed to use this car park and if parents do not use it properly then the church may stop us from being able to park there.

There is plenty going on in school next week even though we cannot hold our Harvest Festival. On Monday the photographer is coming into school to take individual and family group photographs so you make want to take extra care with your child’s appearance on Monday. On Wednesday some of the girls are taking part in a pre-season netball tournament which helps them to ‘hone their skills’ for the season ahead. On Thursday we have two lots of visitors in school. In the morning the Rotary Club are coming in to present the winner of the poster competition with their prize and in the afternoon a photographer from the Welwyn and Hatfield Times is taking a photograph of the new Reception class to put in their paper. The ‘Book Fair’ is also still in school until Tuesday so if you have not purchased a book yet there is still time to do so. A lot of people bought books last night which is great. Remember the more books you buy the more books we can purchase for the school.

Have a great weekend. I look forward to seeing you all on Monday, with all the children clean and neat in preparation for having their photograph taken.

Friday 21 September 2018


As I informed you last week I had to be out of school for 2 days so I feel like the week has flown by – I hope you all feel the same. The good thing is that school ran very smoothly without me here or perhaps I should be worried about that because if it runs too well when I am not here people may think that I am superfluous to requirements and I would not like that.

Unfortunately, it does look like we will have to cancel our Harvest Festival this year because the hall will not be finished on time. I am disappointed about this because I do enjoy this event but I would rather the work on the hall was finished well than they rush the job. I will know for certain what is going to happen next week and I will then inform you of the final decision.

Next week we have the Book Fair arriving in school which the children all love. You will be able to purchase books from Thursday 27th September until Tuesday 2nd October and the fair will be open from 3.10pm – 4.00pm. As there is work being carried out in the hall the Book Fair will be in the dining hall this year. If your child attends Kids ’N’ Clubs this will be held in the Foundation block while the Book Fair is in school. In the past the school has always done very well from this event and hopefully it will be the same this year. Remember that the more books you purchase the more funding the school will be awarded to buy books for the library.

That is all for now. Remember, as I informed you in my newsletter, that from Monday, children in Years 1 and 2 will need to be dropped off at their classroom door in the morning. Please may I ask that parents do not accompany them into the classroom and just drop them off at the classroom door to help encourage their independence. I hope you all have a pleasant weekend.

Friday 14 September 2018


As I sat down to type this I found it hard to believe that just over a month ago I was still sitting on a lovely, hot beach. It is amazing that even though we have been back in school a little more than a week it feels like we have never been away. All the extra-curricular clubs started again this week so school life has truly returned to normal which is why the holidays are now only a distant memory.

All the clubs appear to be running very smoothly but may I please ask you to check ‘Gateway’ to see which clubs you have signed your child up for. When I took Netball Club this week I had some children on the list that did not want to do netball and I had some turn up who were not on the list. We have managed to sort this out but it is important that we know who is going to attend each club for safety reasons. As I mentioned in my last blog if your child cannot attend a club the person running it needs to know before the club starts. You can ring up and let the office know if your child has to miss a session and they will contact the teacher running the club.

Although we have only been back for a short time I will be out of school next week on Tuesday and Wednesday. I can assure you that I am not on a mini–break but on two separate courses. Hopefully there will be no issues when I am away but if you do have any concerns that you wish to discuss you can make an appointment to see me on my return or you can see Mr. Gradwell, our new deputy head, who will be in charge in my absence.

That is all for now. Next week some of the school teams are taking part in some ‘friendly matches’ (which they will still try to win) and the choir are taking part in a concert at Lochinver School on Friday afternoon so there is plenty to look forward to. Fortunately, we are still having some sunny weather so I hope it lasts so that you can all have a pleasant and relaxing weekend.

Friday 7 September 2018


I would like to welcome everyone back to another school year. I know it is difficult getting back into a routine after being away for over six weeks but I am sure that you will all be pleased to hear that the children have all settled well into school. As I explained in my newsletter, our renovations are progressing well but the disruption to the building and not being able to use the hall has not affected the children at all and I am sure that we are all going to enjoy a good year together. I am also pleased to report that although the building work is making it necessary to alter some of our routines, the improvements that have been made to the school so far are making the disruption all worthwhile - as the saying goes ‘You cannot make omelettes without cracking a few eggs’.

Next week all the school clubs start again which all the children look forward to. Although one or two clubs are having their start postponed due to the hall being out of action, we also have a few new ones such as a cooking club starting which means that the children have an even bigger selection to choose from. May I remind parents that if a child is unable to attend the club for some reason then the adult running the club must be informed in advance. If a child has also signed up to a club, they also need to attend and not just not turn up because they do not feel like it on that day. We would ask that if children have committed themselves to an extra–curricular club they should attend it for half a term and then if they feel like it is really not for them they can give it up.

That is all for now. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday.

Friday 20 July 2018


The last day is finally upon us –and as always it has been a roller coaster of emotions. I am typing this just before the Year 6 Leaver’s Parade and then the holiday can truly begin. When we return in September Little Heath is going to seem like a very different place because we have a lot of teachers leaving this year as well as Year 6. I know I have already thanked them in my newsletter but I would like to thank again Mrs Zegallo, Mr Spring, Mrs Costi. Mrs Aldridge and Mrs McFarlane for all they have done for Little Heath – they are certainly going to be missed. While I am thanking people I would l also like to thank everyone who has sent me gifts – they are much appreciated.

All that is left for me to do now is to wish you all a lovely holiday. If the weather remains like it has been for the last few weeks it should be a very enjoyable one although a little rain would not be a bad thing –I felt very nervous typing that as I certainly do not want six weeks of storms. I look forward to seeing everyone again on Wednesday, 5th September.

Friday 13 July 2018


We are flying towards the end of term –I honestly cannot believe that a year has passed since the end of the last academic year. It does not seem like 2 minutes since we were saying goodbye to last year’s Year 6 and here we are ready to say goodbye to our current Year 6 –we will be getting ready for Christmas before we know it. This end of year is going to have extra sadness attached to it because as well as losing our Year 6 we are also losing a lot of staff which is unusual for us. Mrs Zegallo is retiring and Mr. Spring, Mrs Costi, Mrs Aldridge and Mrs McFarlane are all going to pastures new. We are going to miss them and I will find it very strange because Mr Spring and Mrs Zegallo have always been here since I started. However, I am really pleased with all the staff that I have appointed and I know you will give them lots of support when they start in September. Those of you who attended the ‘Meet the Teacher’ sessions last night will have already met a lot of our new staff.

Next week, as it is the last week of term, is not a normal week as we have lots of activities taking place in school. On Monday it is our last ‘Sharing Assembly’ of the year when all the children who have not taken part in one will present their work to the rest of the school and their parents. The letters have already gone out about this. On Wednesday we have a steel pan band coming into school to carry out sessions with all of the children which I know everyone one will find really enjoyable. On Thursday it is the annual rounders match where the teachers take on the Year 6. All the children really enjoy watching this but the teachers face it with a little trepidation as the Year 6 are so eager to beat us and show us no mercy. Our track record in this competition is not good and as our children are district champions in this event I do not think that a victory for us is on the cards this year.

On Thursday the children are also going to watch the Year 6 production in the morning and this year the Year Six are performing ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream’ with one or two alterations. This is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays so I am really looking forward to watching it. I will also be fortunate to see it twice because the Year 6 will be performing it again in the evening for their families and friends before they have their leavers party which I know they are really looking forward to. They cannot celebrate too much though because they have to come in bright and fresh the next day for their ‘Leavers Assembly’. This can be quite an emotional time for them because they can get very sad at the thought of leaving us after so many years but we try to make it a celebration of their time here so they leave us with lots of happy memories.

On the Friday afternoon, as it is their last day, we have a leavers parade. For those of you who have been at the school for a while you will know that this consists of the whole school (apart from Year 6) forming two lines and then Year 6 (and any other people who are leaving the school) march down the middle to music and wave goodbye to everyone before they leave the school for good. The rest of the children then leave behind them so it means that all the children leave from the KS2 entrance on Friday so all parents need to come to this area. (Nursery and Reception children will still need to be collected from the Foundation block). It can appear a little crowded but all the teachers are present and Mr Spena and I stand on the main gates to ensure that none of the children escape.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. The good weather is still with us which is great. If it is going to be like this every summer we will not need to go abroad for our holidays. I am going to Wimbledon this weekend so I am very excited about that. I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday morning.

Friday 6 July 2018


As I predicted last week we have had a very quiet week in school because the Year 6 have been in Kingswood. It is the same every year and you would not think that by having one class out that it would make such a difference but it has. I will be staying late in school to welcome them back and I expect they will all look very tired after their busy week. Mrs Zegallo has been keeping in close contact with the school and I know that all the children have had a wonderful time and will have made memories to last for the rest of their lives.

You will have received the information about our changes to the dates for next year. We do not make these changes lightly and have had to bring them in as we have had to alter some of our training as we have so many new members of staff. There are still the same amount of INSET days but it just means that our last day or term will now be July 23rd instead of July 19th.

As it is getting towards the end of term we have another busy week in school next week. On Monday we have a theatre company visiting us who will be reinforcing the importance of internet safety for the children through a play called ‘Where are you Johnny James?’. The Year 4 are going to be having an Anglo Saxon Day on Tuesday and on Thursday most of the Year 6 will be visiting their new secondary schools. We also take the opportunity to use this day for the children to meet the teachers that they will be having next year– our new Nursery and Reception children will also be joining us.

On Thursday evening parents will have the opportunity to meet their child’s next teacher at the ‘Meet the Teacher’ sessions which are at 4.30pm and 6.00pm. The letters have already gone out for these but I would like reinforce the fact that these meetings are for parents only. In the past some parents have tried to bring their children in but as all the staff are busy and there is no-one to supervise them this is not acceptable. I have had to send parents away from these meetings if they have brought children with them so I hope that I do not have to do it this year. Kids ’n’ Clubs are offering childcare for parents who attend the 4.30pm session but they will need to know by Tuesday, 10th July to guarantee your child a place.

The good weather is still with us and it is forecast to get even hotter over the weekend. However, no matter how hot it gets I am sure that there will only be a handful of people outside at 3.00pm on Saturday as England try and get through to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Even if football does ‘not come home’ though we will still be here on Monday morning. I look forward to seeing you all again then.


Friday 29 June 2018


I am typing this blog amongst preparations for our Summer Fayre. I know all the children are very excited and really looking forward to it. The weather has been very kind to us all week and it looks like the weather is going to be really sunny tomorrow which is always good for a summer fayre. The current weather has been described as a heatwave. I was listening to a radio presenter discussing this and they were highlighting the fact that if it gets hot in this country we always describe it as a heatwave and then complain about the problems it brings whereas other countries describe this weather as summer and just get on with their daily lives – I am beginning to think that we need to start developing this attitude in this country.

We are celebrating some success this week because our school has won the ‘Potters Bar Primary Schools Rounder’s Tournament’. It is yet another trophy that we can add to our cabinet this year. I was even more pleased with the result when I found out that final was between our A and B team and although one team did have to lose I think we can definitely say that we are the dominant force in rounders in Potters Bar. We also took part in the Primary school athletics event this week and although we did not win overall, Ben in Year 6 broke the record for the quoit throw. I would like to congratulate all the children on their excellent performances and would like to thank Mr Mills again for all his hard work in training and organising the sports teams.  Next week he is just as busy as some of the children from Years 3 and 4 are taking part in a football tournament and some of the older children are taking part in a cricket tournament.

I was slightly disappointed one evening this week when I had to leave the school early and saw at least 3 cars parked on the zig-zag yellow lines. These lines are meant to have no cars parked on them between 8.00am – 5.00pm and they have been put in place for the safety of the children. I would like to remind parents that if traffic wardens come down to do a spot check (and they have done in the past) then owners of these cars will receive a parking fine – however a fine is nothing compared to the life of a child. I would also like to point out that if I have been attending a meeting and I return to school to find that there are no spaces in the car park then I park in another road and walk to school – I do not park on the zig-zag lines which would be much easier and quicker for me.

It has been our parent consultations this week and many of the parents that I have spoken to seem very pleased with the progress their children have made. I know parents are always eager to find out how their children are doing in school and it can be tempting to stay and talk to the teacher for more than the allotted time but thankfully most parents were very good and kept their discussions within the time limit. I think we were helped on Thursday night by the fact that England were playing and a lot of people were eager to get home to watch the match. Do remember though that you do not have to wait for parents evening to meet with the teacher and you can make an appointment at any time if you have any concerns that you wish to discuss with the teacher.

Next week is going to be much quieter in school because the Year 6 are away on their school journey to Kingswood on the Isle of Wight. They always look forward to this as it is one last great adventure for them before they leave us forever. It is only possible thanks to the goodwill of the staff who go with them (Mrs Zegalllo, Mrs Illot and Mr Spring) who willingly give up their free-time (and a lot of sleep) to make it possible. I know that they will all have a wonderful time and I look forward to hearing all about it on their return.

I am sure that I will see many of you at the summer fayre this weekend. If you do see me please stop to say hello – I do enjoy talking to you all.


Friday 22 June 2018


The highlight of this week has been our annual ‘Sports Day’. Thankfully, the weather was really kind and allowed the event to go ahead without a hitch. I really enjoy this event because all of the children appear to be having a really good time -  even those for whom PE is not their favourite subject. Osborne were the champions this year and apparently they have not won it for a while so it is good that we do not have the same house winning it every year. For those who do not know the results I have listed them below:


Team

Points

Position
Osbourne
1933
1st
Grangewood
1773
2nd
Thornton
1748
3rd
Frampton
1572
4th



I would like to thank all of the staff for helping to make ‘Sports Day’ such a success and I would like to give special thanks to Mr Mills for organising and planning the whole event. He cannot even start to relax now because he still has a lot of sporting events before the end of term - next week he has to take some of the children to a rounders tournament and The Potters Bar Primary Schools Athletic event.

Sports Day was not the only event that we held on Thursday as the governors held a breakfast so that parents could come and meet them to talk about the school. I know that all the governors found it a very enjoyable and informative meeting and will be acting upon some of your suggestions in the next few weeks.

We have been lucky this week because the weather has been so nice. It is apparently going to get even hotter next week. May I please remind you that when it is hot the children should put on sunscreen before they come to school and they should come to school with a bottle of water and sunscreen.

Next week is parent consultation week for Years 1 – 6 and so I know I will see many of you then. The consultations at this time of year are for you to see how much progress the children have made against the targets that were set for them in February. We are also introducing something new this year as we will be giving all parents a copy of how the children have achieved against their age related targets in reading, writing, maths and science. This is in response to parents asking to be given more information about how their children are doing in school and we hope that parents do find these sheets useful.

I hope you all have a pleasant weekend. The weather is going to be pleasant but I imagine that that will not bother many of you during Sunday lunchtime as many of you will be indoors watching England playing their second match in the World Cup. I hope they are successful because it does appear to raise everyone’s spirits when they are doing well.

Friday 15 June 2018


There has been a very casual feel in school today because we have had a ‘mufti-day’ as the children have brought in donations for the summer fayre. As usual you have all been very generous and I would like to thank you all for all your kind offerings. It is only 2 weeks until the summer fayre and I k the children are all really looking forward to it. I know that the PTA would still like some more offers of help so if you can spare an hour on the day, or help with the set up or clearing up, the volunteer sign-up sheets are in the reception area.

Last weekend many of you took part in our walking float in the Potters Bar Carnival. Some members of staff and myself also took part and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. I had never been to the carnival before and I was really impressed by the whole event.  You will have seen all the pictures in our newsletter and how much the children enjoyed themselves. As well as the parade we took part in the art display and our girls played Wroxham boys in an exhibition match. They were supposed to play Cuffley girls but they could not make it and they played the boys instead. The girls put on a very impressive display and even though they were beaten 2-0 this was the same score line that Wroxham beat Pope Paul boys in their final - I think the boys were really surprised at how good our girls were. I would like to thank Mr Mills for organising and refereeing the football match and Mrs Robinson for organising our art display. We will certainly be taking part in the event next year.

I have to attend a lot of meetings next week so I will be missing from the gate in the early part of the week. However, I am sure that I will see many of you at Sports Day or the Governors Breakfast. Both events are due to take place on Thursday but if it rains, Sports Day will be cancelled but the Governors Breakfast will still take place. I hope that many of you can attend the breakfast as it will give you a chance to meet many of the governors and have an informal chat with them. They are really looking forward to it and really want to hear your thoughts about the school and any of your ideas for how we can make it a better experience for your children and yourselves.

The weather has been mostly good this week so let us hope it lasts over the weekend. As I said earlier I will not be at the gate on Monday morning but I will be in school a little later if you need to contact me.

Friday 8 June 2018


I am typing this blog just before our dance presentation is due to start. The children have enjoyed learning all the traditional dances this week and I am sure that the display will be a real joy to watch. The two instructors, Jane and Jeremy, have been really pleased how all the children have engaged with the activities and having the dance workshops has helped to make the return to school a real pleasure. The children have also enjoyed all the art activities they have been carrying out in class and have produced some really lovely work. If you are at the carnival on Sunday you will be able to see some of the work at the art exhibition. Some of it is also being used for our walking float so if you observe the parade you will be able to see it then. I am also going to be in the walking float so if you see me as I walk past please do give me a wave.

We have had some more good news this week because our girls have won the Potters Bar Girls Football Tournament. Two teams took part and both did very well but when it got to the semi-final stage our ‘A’ and ‘B’ team had to play each other and the ‘ A’ team won. They then had to play Cuffley in the final and beat them 3-0 to win the tournament. I would like to congratulate all the girls who took part on their excellent performance and I would like to thank Mr Mills for coaching the teams so well. The girls football team is also taking part in a football tournament at the carnival on Sunday. The event will be taking place at the Elm Court Youth and Community Centre at approximately 2.30pm.

 

The next big sporting event that we have to look forward to is our own sports day which is on June 21st. The foundation and KS1 children have their event in the morning and the KS2 children have their event in the afternoon. If we are unable to hold it on that day, the reserve date is June 22nd.

 

Next week is another busy one in school. On Monday the photographer is in school to take team photographs so if your child has represented the school in any sporting event this year please ensure that they bring in their team kit on Monday. Year 5 are also doing their cycling proficiency award in school next week so you will see a lot of extra bikes in school. Year 2 are also on a school trip to the Environmental Centre in Watford and I know that they are all looking forward to that.

 

I hope you all have a great weekend. As I said earlier I will be at the Potters Bar Carnival on Sunday so I hope to see lots of you there.

 

Friday 25 May 2018


I am typing this blog after returning from the mini-marathon. I love this event because it brings nearly all the schools in Potters Bar together and everyone can take part – it does not matter whether you finish first or last, everybody gets cheered over the line and I think everyone can really feel that they have accomplished something when they have completed the run. This morning everyone did the school proud but some children did especially well. Nathan in Year 5 finished 5th and Aston and Eleasha from Year 4 finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. I am also sure that you will join me in thanking all the staff at Oakmere Primary for organising this event. As I said earlier, I do love attending this event but I would find it daunting to organise the whole thing.

I had a very pleasant afternoon yesterday because I was one of the judges of the ‘Bake-Off’ competition that took place in Year 4. During the week the children had all made and decorated cakes in school based around different themes and yesterday afternoon I was one of the people who had the great job of tasting all the cakes. Although it was a difficult job to pick a winner (but certainly not to sample them all), we finally decided on the group that consisted of Jack, Neve, Lianna, James and Dovydas who had made a delicious sponge cake and it was beautifully decorated to show the importance of friendship. After the competition the Year 4 parents were then served afternoon tea by their children and were allowed to sample the cakes that had been made. It was a lovely event and I know that all of the parents who were able to attend had a really good time.

The afternoon tea was not the only event that we have had parents in school for this week. On Monday some parents were in school to see their children in a ‘Sharing Assembly’ and later in the week many parents were in school for our ‘Open Afternoon’ where they were given the opportunity to look over the learning their children have completed over the last half term. I enjoy it when we have parents in school because it makes it really feel like we are part of the community and it is nice to chat to everyone. The children also love it when their parents come into school because they can see everything they have been doing.

You may have noticed that we have had some men working on the field for the last couple of days. They have been installing an extension to our fitness trail which should be complete after the half term break. We have paid for this with our sports premium money and from a donation made to us by Tesco as part of their community project scheme. This was also down to many parents putting a counter into the Little Heath section when the scheme was running in the local Tesco stores. I would like to thank all the parents who did this and also to Caroline Lofts from the PTA who put us forward for this project. I know the children will get years of enjoyment from playing on this equipment.

Sorry to give you such a long blog to read but there has just been so much happening in school this week. The weather for the Bank holiday weekend is looking very promising which means that we get a great start to our week off. I hope you all have a good break and I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday, 4th June.

 

        

Friday 18 May 2018


I am feeling a little tired this morning because I attended the Herts Catering Awards last night. The reason that I was invited to this was because our cook manager Louise was a finalist in the ‘Cook Manager of the Year’ award. Out of over a hundred schools she got down to the last three and although she did not win I feel that we should be really proud that we have such a good cook making meals for our children. The staff certainly appreciate her – I have never worked in a school where so many staff order school meals. Louise would agree that she is helped enormously by her team which consists of Nyesha and Maria, and hopefully, next year, all of them will be nominated and win the award as a team.

It has been a rather quiet week in school as the Year 6 have been sitting their SATs tests which means that the other children have had to keep the noise down. As usual, the tests were not as bad as the Year 6 had anticipated and although there were some challenging questions on the maths reasoning papers I know that they all tried their best and that is all we can ask of them.

I find it really hard to believe that it is half term at the end of next week but we do have some fun activities to look forward to before the holiday begins. On Monday we have ‘Sharing Assembly’. You will already have received a letter about this if your child is involved.  I do enjoy these assemblies because it is good for the children to share work they feel proud of with their parents and the school community. On Wednesday it is our ‘Open Afternoon’ where parents are invited in to share all the learning that their children have done over the last half term. That runs from 3.00pm – 4.30pm.

On Friday all the KS2 are taking part in the ‘Oakmere Mini Marathon’. This is when all the KS2 children in the area converge on Oakmere Primary to run a mini marathon which takes part in the school grounds and the surrounding area. This event has been running for many years and is a great community event. I know all the children do not enjoy distance running but this is meant to be a fun event and it does not matter whether the children take 15 minutes or 45 minutes to complete it –the key thing is that they have taken part. This is why I insist that all children do participate unless they have an injury or an illness which prevents them from doing so.

You will all have received a letter informing you that the PTA are organising a ‘walking float’ for the Potters Bar Carnival Day. This will be the first time that we have taken part in the parade since I have come here and I think that it will be a really good thing. We always take part in the art exhibition and this year, as well as the parade, our girls’ football team will be taking part in a football match. We will be helping the children prepare any props for the walking float in school as part of an ‘Arts Week’ that we will be holding straight after half term. Details of what other activities the children will be doing during this week will be sent out next week.

I know many people in the country are looking forward to this weekend because there is a royal wedding taking place. However, if this is not your thing there is some good weather forecast so at least everyone can enjoy the warm weather. I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday.

Friday 11 May 2018


I hope you all enjoyed the extended bank holiday that you had last weekend – it was almost as if we had ordered the weather specially. It was difficult to return to work because I felt as though the summer holidays had started – I really hope that the weather is as good when our summer break actually arrives because anything less than glorious is going to feel like a disappointment.

However, no matter how hard it was to return to work on Tuesday I am glad that I did because it has been a really good week for me in school. This is because I coach the girls’ netball teams and this week we took part in the primary ‘Le Gros’ netball tournament at Mount Grace and we won it. Some of you will already know this because you will have seen the report and picture in the school newsletter. Looking at that picture you may have thought that  because of my victory pose I had won the tournament single handily when I actually never set foot onto the pitch –it was the girls that did all the hard work. I would like to congratulate all the girls who took part in the tournament on their brilliant performance (we had 2 teams taking part) and thank them all for representing the school so well.

Next week in school will have a slightly more serious feel because it is ‘SATs’ week - a time which all Year 6 work towards. However, every year when they have taken the tests they always say that they were not as bad as they were expecting and they never are. Our children have been well prepared for the SATs by Mrs Zegallo, and, as we always tell them, they can only do their best and life and learning will continue after those 4 days. SATs tests are only a snapshot of what children can achieve and what is more important is what they achieve in class and the progress they have made with their learning over the years.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend – the weather may not be as good as last weekend but I still think it is going to be very pleasant.

Thursday 3 May 2018


Thank goodness that the weather seems to be changing for the better. Some of the older girls have been greatly disappointed because they have had all their netball fixtures in the last week cancelled. Every time we seemed to even think about netball the rain appeared. The Le Gros netball tournament has been rescheduled for next week on Wednesday night and the forecast is good so hopefully it will go ahead then. I will let you know how they do in my next blog.

Fortunately the weather was fine for the girls’ football match so this could go ahead. As I explained last week the girls were taking part in a county football event called the ‘Millenium Shield’ and had got through to the semi-final stage which is amazing. Unfortunately, they were beaten 3-0 in their match but they played really well and did the school proud. I would like to congratulate them on their great run in this competition.

As I also mentioned in my last blog, some of the Year 4 children took part in a primary technology challenge which was held at Oakmere. The challenge for them was to build their own marble run and apparently we were one of only two schools which designed a structure that allowed the ball to roll from top to bottom without stopping. I would like to congratulate all four children on designing a successful model.

We have a long weekend to look forward to which is always nice. I hope you all really enjoy it and I look forward to seeing you all again on Tuesday. I will not be on the gate on that morning as I have to attend some training but I will be in school in the afternoon.

Friday 27 April 2018


We had a lovely end to our week this morning with the Year 1 Assembly. It was about the animal visit in class as part of their science topic and all the children presented their work well. Watching them perform it is hard to believe that they are just five and six years old. They really did themselves proud and I would like to thank them all for a wonderful assembly. As well as the children the staff have to work really hard to put an assembly together so I would also like to thank Mrs Beadle, Mrs Wells and Miss Davis for their efforts.

We also had an exciting start to the week with the class photographs. The children did all come into school looking very smart and well groomed so I hope all their effort with their appearance is reflected in the photographs. We will soon know when we see the results in the not too distance future.

Next week there are lots of special events taking place.  On Tuesday the girl’s football team is taking part in the semi-final of a county competition so I know you will wish them well. On Wednesday we then have the annual ‘Le Gros’ netball tournament which takes place at Mount Grace School. We are entering two teams and last year one of them got through to the semi-final so let us hope they are as successful again.  On Thursday some members of Year 4 are taking part in a technology challenge against other primary schools at Oakmere School. In this competition the children are given the task of designing and making a machine with moving parts. The children who take part all really enjoy it even if they do not win.

At the end of next week we have a lovely, long weekend to look forward to. This is because the school is closed on Friday for a training day and then we have a bank holiday on the Monday so it will be a four say weekend for the children. I do hope that the weather is kind so that we can enjoy the ‘mini-break’ because it can be hard to fill the time if it rains over all the Bank Holiday.

That is all for now. I hope you enjoy this weekend and I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday.

Friday 20 April 2018


I hope you all had a great Easter break. It has been great to come back with the sun shining – it makes us feel like summer is on its way. I know it is not expected to last but I think we should certainly enjoy the hot weather while it is here - after the winter we have had we deserve it. I also think that the warm weather helps make the children very relaxed – they have settled back into school life very well and there is a really relaxed atmosphere in school.

The summer term is always a busy one packed full of events and next week is no exception. Firstly, all the extra-curricular clubs start next week. As it is the summer term many of the clubs have changed but you will know what these are as they were listed on our new style newsletter. New forms went out for your child to sign up for these clubs but if you have not had one of these letters they are available from the school office.

On Monday we are having class photos taken so you may want to make sure your children take a little longer with their appearance in preparation for this. On Friday we have the Year 1 assembly which we are all looking forward to. I know the class have already started to prepare for this and are very excited at the prospect of performing in front of their parents. We have watched some very good class assemblies this year and I am sure that this one will not disappoint.

May I take this opportunity to remind you that during the hot weather your children should come into school with a sunhat and sun block already applied. If they are in Years 2-6 and you want them to re-apply sunblock during the day they will need to bring their own in and re-apply it themselves. If your child is in the foundation stage or Year 1 you will already have received a letter this week telling you about how sunblock application is managed in those classes. Children should also bring in a water bottle to school so they can keep themselves hydrated during the day.

I hope the weather lasts so you can all have a warm and relaxing weekend and I look forward to seeing you all on Monday morning.

 

Thursday 29 March 2018


At last the holiday is upon us. I am sure, like us, you are all looking forward to the rest. I know the children are and I have to say I am glad it is here because we have had a lot of viruses and infections in the school over the last term and they do not seem to be going away. We did think that the really cold spell that we had a few weeks ago would get rid of them but unfortunately it did not happen. It also appears to have been the same children who have been getting ill time and time again so they will certainly be glad that it is the Easter holiday.

We have had a very good end to the term as Years 3, 4 and 5 put on their production of ‘ What a Knight’ for us. It certainly was a mammoth production and all the children had to learn a huge amount of lines, songs and dances. Everyone who saw it has come and told me what an amazing show it was and I agree with them. I would like to thank all the children involved for giving us such a great performance and I would like to thank all the staff in Years 3, 4 and 5 who worked hard to ensure that it was such a high quality show.

I do hope that when we return the weather will have improved and we will experience less rain and more sunshine. I hope you all have a fabulous holiday and I look forward to seeing you all again on Tuesday, 17th April.

Friday 23 March 2018


We had a lovely end to the week this morning with the Year 2 assembly. This was meant to be last week but, unfortunately, so many of the class were unwell that it had to be postponed until this week. It was well worth the wait though and they did a really good assembly about the ‘Great Fire of London 1666’. I would like to thank all the class for giving us such an entertaining performance and I would like to thank Mr Spring, Miss Southwell, Miss Russon and Miss Casey for all their hard work in putting it together.

We have had a very busy week in school because of the wheels activities that have been taking place in all the classes for ‘Sports Relief’.  This activity got off to a bad start because of the wintry weather (again) but luckily it improved enough by Tuesday to enable us to go ahead with the event during the rest of the week. I know all the children enjoyed it and were very enthusiastic in completing the circuit on their various forms of transportation. We ended the week with our ‘Walk a Mile’ where we allowed you, the parents, to join us. It was a very social event and I would like to thank all of you who joined us for helping to make the event such a success.  When I know how much money we have raised I will let you know. I would also like to thank Mr. Mills for organising all the extra sporting events during this week.

Tomorrow is also going to be a fun day because we have the ‘Spring Fayre’. I know that a lot of preparation has gone into the organising of this event and there is going to be lots to do such as an Easter Egg hunt and an Easter bonnet competition. It will be running from 1.00pm – 4.00pm and I hope to see lots of you there.

Next week is another exciting week in school because we have the Year 3, 4 and 5 production of ‘What a Knight’ to look forward to. I have only seen a few parts of it but what I have seen is very good and I am looking forward to watching the whole thing –and I know the children are looking forward to performing it for everyone. Before we see that though there is the ‘Sharing Assembly’ on Monday morning when some of the children can share learning that they are proud of with the rest of the school. We also have an ‘Open Afternoon’ next Wednesday from 3.00pm – 4.30pm when parents can come and look through their child’s books and share their half term’s learning with them.  On Thursday we have a treat for all the children as we are having an ‘Easter Egg’ decorating competition across the whole school. We are providing the eggs and some materials to decorate the eggs with but the children can also bring some materials from home to help complete their eggs ( as long as they make the whole thing in school).

Have a great weekend – hopefully the weather will be kind to us so we can enjoy the Spring Fayre in glorious sunshine.

Friday 16 March 2018


Another week has passed but certainly not a normal week for us. We had a special visitor with us for the day on Thursday and they have now left us. I know everybody likes to know the outcome but we cannot say anything until Ofsted publish the report so unfortunately we cannot discuss it until then. The report should be out in a couple of weeks but because of the timing that could be after the Easter holidays.

Due to all the distractions this week I had actually forgotten that today was a ‘Mufti Day’ for the Spring Fayre and was a little surprised to see children arriving for the ‘Breakfast Club’ not in uniform. As usual all the parents of Little Heath have been very generous with their donations and we now have a mountain of Easter eggs in the school – it is a good job that I have given up chocolate for Lent or I may have been tempted to take a couple to snack on throughout the day. Please remember that the Spring Fayre in on March 24th between 12noon and 3.00pm. I know there is going to be lots to do and remember that the more money that is raised the more your children will benefit in school. We have had to put our plans on hold for the technology room while we wait for the decision about what they are going to do with our building so the next purchase we hope to make for the school with the PTA money is Smart boards for all the classrooms.

That is all for now. Having looked at the calendar I cannot believe that we break up for Easter the week after next –where has the term gone! When are we going to get spring weather though? Apparently, the ‘Beast from the East’ is going to make a return this weekend. There are some snow showers predicted for over the weekend but hopefully they will not affect us opening on Monday. If I do have to close the school for any reason, I will inform you as soon as possible. Have a nice weekend.

 

Friday 9 March 2018


It is really great that we are coming to the end of a normal week . No constant looking out of the window to check how much snow has fallen and no checking the weather forecast to see what the days ahead are bringing. I feel like I have been given the gift of time because I have been able to do so much more work this week as I have been able to focus on it.

However, it has been anything but normal for Year 5 as they have been on their residential trip to Lincolsfield . After leaving early Monday morning they returned on Wednesday afternoon looking very happy but tired. On Thursday morning, in assembly, they all told me they were still feeling tired but they all got very little sympathy from me. I just told them that it was a good teaching point about how important it is to get plenty sleep. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr da Rocha, Miss Davis and Mrs Alimadadi for taking Year 5 to Lincolnsfield and allowing the children to have such a wonderful experience and help them make great memories of school life.

Preparations for the Spring Fayre are now well underway and I know it will be a great event on the March 24th. You will have received my newsletter about our current co-chairs Emma O’Brien and Simon Hall stepping down and we are now looking for a new chair. As I explained in my newsletter if we do not have a chair to help co-ordinate all of the events we will not be able to run events such as the Summer Fayre and the Fireworks Display and that will be a huge disappointment both from a financial and social point of view. I feel sure that there is someone out there who could carry out the role.

I hope you all have a great weekend  - Spring has officially started so let us hope we get some warmer weather.

Friday 2 March 2018


I want it officially known that I hate snow. I have looked at so many maps and weather charts this week that if I ever give up being a head I am sure I could get a job in a meteorology centre. The forecast is definitely for better weather next week so let us all hope that it is true because I do not want a repeat of this week. On a more positive note I would like to thank Rudi for all his hard work in clearing a pathway every morning so that the children could get into school safely.

Even though the weather was not kind to us this week, we still managed to go ahead with some of our planned events. The Year 4 visited the British Museum on Wednesday and on Thursday the Year 2 enjoyed their ‘Fire of London’ day in the hall. The rest of the school also looked great dressed in their costumes for ‘World Book Day’ so although the weather made it miserable outside there was plenty of enjoyment taking place indoors.

On Monday Year 5 are going to Lincolnsfield for 3 days so I am glad that the weather is going to be a little warmer for them although I  do know that they will have a great time regardless of the outdoor conditions. Unfortunately, I will not be there to wave them off because I have a meeting at Stevenage on Monday morning but Mr da Rocha will be sending regular updates of all their activities. We also have some sports matches planned for next week so, hopefully, the weather will allow them to actually take place. We are doing quite well in the leagues with many of our sporting teams presently and we do not want to lose our momentum.

As I mentioned earlier I will not be at the gates on Monday morning but we are planning on opening. We only closed on Friday because many of the side roads had not been gritted and the sub -zero conditions made many of these roads treacherous to travel on. I am certainly looking forward to a more straightforward week

Friday 23 February 2018


I always like to returning to school after the February half term because the days are getting longer and the days always seem brighter. This has definitely been the case this week and we have had some quite extended periods of sunshine which is good and certainly helps to lift the spirits. However, it appears that winter has not left us completely and the forecast for next week is not good. May I remind you that if the operating of the school is affected in any way we will contact you at the earliest opportunity but could you please ensure that you do have a contingency plan in place in case we have to close the school. I have looked at the long -term forecast and do not think that this is likely but it is better to be prepared in case the weather does change – the long term forecast is not always correct.

I know a lot of the children were feeling a little nervous today because today is the day the school reports go home. I have read them all and do not think that the children should be concerned because all the reports have been written with the view of supporting the children so they can improve their learning and I hope that you all can view them in that way as well. They are very detailed but if you would like further clarification about any part of the report please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher.

Looking at the diary for next week there is certainly a lot going on. Year 4 are going on a trip to the British Museum and Year 2 have an activity day planned for next Thursday. This also happens to be ‘World Book Day’ when all the children are able to come to school dressed as their favourite book character and can bring in their favourite book to share with all the members of their class. Year 2 will be dressed for their ‘Fire of London’ day so will not be dressed as a book character.  The children really enjoy this day and I think it is great to promote the enjoyment of reading at all times because it is such a vital skill to leading an enjoyable and fulfilling life.

I hope you have an enjoyable weekend and I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday.