Friday 10th July
Co-headteachers’ welcome
As we approach the end of another academic year, it is wonderful to reflect on just how much has been happening across our all-through school. From welcoming our newest students for their induction days, to the wide range of exciting educational visits and residential trips taking place, the school continues to be a vibrant and busy place. Thank you to all of the parents and carers who have taken the time to share such positive feedback about these experiences; it is always greatly appreciated and is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our staff.
Despite the recent hot weather, our classrooms have remained purposeful and focused, with students continuing to demonstrate excellent attitudes to learning. We have been incredibly proud of the resilience, maturity and enthusiasm shown by our young people, who have embraced every opportunity both inside and outside the classroom.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to our wonderful staff. Their professionalism, care and unwavering commitment to our students are what make Simon Balle such a special place. They continually go above and beyond to provide exceptional opportunities and experiences for every child, and we know you will join me in thanking them for everything they do.
Finally, we would like to thank all of our parents and carers for your continued encouragement, trust and support throughout the year. The strong partnership between home and school plays such an important role in the success of our students, and we are incredibly grateful for everything you do.
As we move into our final week of term, we wish all of our students, parents/carers, staff and governors/trustees a wonderful, restful summer break. We hope you enjoy spending time with family and friends, take the opportunity to relax and recharge, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back in September for another exciting year at Simon Balle All-through School.
Year 5 and 6 Crest Award Stem day
On the 29th June some Year 5s and 6s took part in a STEM day where they completed a range of activities challenging their science and engineering skills. As a result of their hard work they all achieved their Crest Superstar award. Well done everyone!
Model United Nations Day 26/06/26 University of Hertfordshire.
Chistina, Adam, Riley, Tabby and Woody took part in this stimulating event and delivered well-researched presentations to students, lecturers and representatives from various organisations. It was a wonderful occasion and an opportunity to show how articulate and resourceful Simon Balle students are. Our team made new friends in breakout groups and got excellent feedback from a panel of judges. We will go again next year with another yr12 team.
Library News
Foreign Language Friday Food Fiesta
There was much munching, merriment and modern foreign language practice at the library’s annual Foreign Language Friday Food Fiesta on Friday 26th June. Students had the opportunity to try different foods from Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Korea. When they ordered the food, students were encouraged to role-play and order the food in the variety of foreign languages as if they were buying food in a shop. The staff who were helping out noted how polite and appreciative the students were.
Well done to the MFL ambassadors who helped to set up and transform the library into a café.
Speakers’ Corner
Well done to Kieran, Jake, Alex, Franklin, Yuko and Alex, for their engaging and informative Speakers’ Corners this term. We have had another big variety of topics: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the Eurovision Song Contest, the Bunsfield depot incident, the Lisbon funiculars and the World Rally Championship.
For Speakers’ Corner you have the opportunity to speak for 10-20 minutes about a topic of your choice. It could be a hobby you like doing, an adventurous holiday you have been on, or a topic you find interesting. If you would like to do a Speakers’ Corner during the next school year, speak to Mrs Stock.
Short story writing competition to celebrate the women’s and men’s football world cups
Well done to all of the writers who entered the competition and congratulations to the runner-up: Noah (8N) and the winners: Daisy-Mai (7B) and Isla (8A)
Jump to the end of the newsletter to read the winning stories.
Open morning
We are looking forward to holding our annual open day on Saturday 26th September. We expect all secondary students to attend school on the morning to act as guides or helpers in departments. We also invite all Year 5 (current Y4) students to be on site. Students will either be conducting parent tours in the Larch, or helping in Larch classrooms. Some children will additionally be involved in music or sport – we will write to you separately if this is the case. We will send a Google Form in September to confirm if your child is available to support.
Full details will be sent out early in September.
- Saturday 26th September 0830-1230: All-through Open Morning
- Wednesday 14th October 1730-1930 – Sixth Form Open Evening
- Wednesday 18th November 0900-0945 and 1000-1045 – Primary Open Morning
Spirit of the Wild
We were delighted to Welcome Spirit of the Wild to Simon Balle for an exciting and educational animal encounter. Students had the opportunity to meet a variety of exotic animals while learning all about their habitats and adaptations. It was a wonderful opportunity to get some hands-on experience and the enthusiasm shown by our students made the day a great success.
Art & Design-Royal Academy young artist
Following on from our own art exhibition this week we are pleased to announce that a piece of artwork from one of our year 2 artists has been accepted to be part of the Royal Academy young artists online exhibition. You can view all the chosen submissions here https://youngartists.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/2026
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SEND
If you would like to speak to a member of the SEND team, please schedule a virtual appointment of up to 15 minutes by using the following link: Virtual SEND Team Appointments
A-level Politics
The Year 12 Politics class had the privilege of receiving a talk from an experienced lobbyist last week. He shared with us how he came to be a lobbyist which was particularly useful, as it traced his progression from finishing a Politics degree, through several other roles, to eventually becoming a lobbyist. For anyone considering a career in lobbying, this offered a clear sense of how to get there, while also illustrating the variety of careers available in politics beyond becoming an MP.
He then discussed what being a lobbyist actually involves, giving us a rundown of the day-to-day life of an MP alongside his own work, such as producing policy reports. Finally, he went on to outline the pros and cons of lobbying, discussing both the scandals that arise when it is abused and the positive outcomes his work can help influence. Altogether, the talk will help all of us bring greater depth and richness to the examples we use in our written work and was interesting to see the real life experience of someone whose profession we study.
Summer Reading Challenge
This summer, we are excited to be taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge! The challenge encourages children to keep reading throughout the holidays, helping them to maintain and develop their reading skills while discovering new books and authors. Taking part is free through your local library and children can earn rewards as they read. We hope our pupils will enjoy the challenge and continue their reading adventures over the summer break! You can sign up here: https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/join-in
Activity Day at All Saints Church
Hertford Castle Teddy Bears’ Picnic 2026
Hertford Town Council is delighted to announce that its annual Teddy Bears’
Picnic will take place on Sunday 19th July 2026, at Hertford Castle, from 12 noon
to 4.00pm. FREE to attend, this event offers an afternoon of children’s entertainment and fun activities.Come and enjoy arts and crafts, magic shows and circus skills, on the main lawn and water activities on the River Lea, kindly run by Hertford Canoe Club. The Welwyn Garden City Brass Band will perform throughout the afternoon and inside the Castle there will be a ‘Teddy Bear Hunt’ for children to take part in. St. John’s Ambulance are kindly manning the ‘Teddy Bear Hospital’ and back by popular demand… the ‘Teddy Bear Zipline’! Children are invited to dress up their favourite teddy bear to take part in the ‘Teddy Bear Parade’ at 3.00pm, led by the Mayor of Hertford, Councillor Alex Daar. This will be followed by the ‘Best Dressed Teddy’ Competition – where prizes will be awarded to the lucky winners.
Dates for your diary
A full calendar of events can be viewed on the school website.
- Mon 13th July: Awards evening at All Saints Church
- Tues 14th July: Rewards trip
- Thurs 16th July: Music tour departs
- Fri 17th July: End of term (early finish)
- Tues 1st Sep: INSET day – no students in school
- Wed 2nd Sep: INSET day – only new Reception, Y7 and Y12 in school
- Thurs 3rd Sep: School starts for all year groups
- Thurs 3rd Sep: Individual school photos for Y7, Y9, Y11 and new Y12s
- Fri 4th Sep: Individual photos for Larch students (including sibling photos)
- Tues 8th Sep: Group photos for Y7, Y11 and Y13
- Tues 8th Sep: EYFS parents information meeting 1430-1515 and 1800-1845 (please walk to school as parking is limited)
- Tues 8th Sep: Y12 expectations evening (please walk to school as parking is limited)
- Wed 9th Sep: Y5 residential trip departs
- Wed 9th Sep: Curriculum evening for Y2, Y4 and Y6)
- Mon 14th Sep: Football tour information evening 1800-1900
- Wed 16th Sep: Y10 expectations evening 1800-1900
- Thurs 17th Sep: Curriculum evening for Y1, Y3 and Y5)
Winning entries in the short story writing competition
Daisy-Mai’s story
Have you ever dreamed of a moment so big that it made your knees feel weak? I have. It was exactly how I felt standing on the pitch before the World Cup final.
The football stadium, brimming with excited fans waving and clutching banners, shirts, posters and signs, was packed to the point where most could not even sit down. It roared like a giant waking up from a century-long slumber; unyielding and impossibly loud. The crisp, cool evening air felt sharp against my skin. All across the field and throughout the stadium, deafening cheers rang through my chest, almost matching the frantic rhythm of my heartbeat.
I looked around nervously at my teammates, gauging their reactions. There was a mix of emotion between us – some nervous, making last-second checks, a few joyous girls happy to just be there, whereas some of us were surprisingly confident. I, unfortunately, stood firmly among the nervous ones, my heart pounding harder with every passing second. My body seemed to be aware of this too, judging by the faint tremor running through my hands.
Just as I began to zone out, lost in my thoughts, our team’s manager suddenly spoke up; the game was going to start! We quickly made any last-second adjustments, a drink of water, and off we went onto the pitch.
However, just before kick-off, something unexpected happened; one of the opposing players slipped while warming up. She fell hard onto the ground and grabbed her ankle, whimpering softly in pain. Gasps rippled through the crowd like waves at the beach. Her teammates immediately rushed over, trying to comfort her, but she looked close to tears.
As captain, I jogged across the field to go see her, to check if she was. Some people from both teams stared in surprise. It’s not a surprise – why would I help a rival?
“Are you okay?” I asked her softly.
She shook her head, still clutching her ankle. “Ouch…I think I twisted it.”
I offered her my water bottle and helped her sit comfortably while the medical staff arrived. Her worried expression then softened into a grateful smile.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
The match eventually began. The ball danced across the grass as if it had a mind of its own. Every pass felt like a spark, every tackle like thunder. The game was fierce, but fair overall; perfectly even.
Late in the second half, the score was tied. Suddenly, the same player I had helped earlier collided with another athlete and fell again; clearing a pathway for me. The referee didn’t immediately notice. This meant I had the ball at my feet and a clear path to goal.
The crowd roared for me to keep going; this was my chance!
Except I didn’t take that chance. Instead, I kicked the ball to another player.
For a moment, the stadium fell silent.
Then the referee stopped the game, and the injured player received treatment. Some fans looked confused, but others began to clap. Soon the applause spread through the stadium like wildfire.
After she recovered, the match continued. In the final minutes, our team scored the winning goal. The crowd exploded with excitement. It was the loudest sound I had ever heard.
At the trophy ceremony, the opposing captain approached me.
“You showed real kindness today,” she said, patting me on the back. “Winning is important, but compassion is bigger than football.”
As fireworks painted the night sky, I realised she was right. The trophy would shine for a while, but the kindness we shared would last far longer.
And that was the greatest victory of all.
Isla’s story
Boom!
The stadium ground trembled as a thunderbolt of noise split the night as eighty thousand voices collided beneath the luminous roof of the stadium. The World Cup final had arrived, and ten-year-old Freddie sat frozen in wonder. Around him, the crowd was like an ocean, rising and falling in relentless waves.
The floodlights poured liquid white across the pitch. Below, the players painted in colour, chasing the ball that skimmed over the grass. Every pass stitched another thread into the tapestry of the beautiful game.
Freddie clung to his front-row ticket. He had dreamed of this moment for so long that it felt less like reality and more like a treasure chest he had finally unlocked. The crowd rose to their feet and as he turned to take in the atmosphere, he spotted a solitary figure, given up, still seated.
The man’s eyes followed the match like a sailor searching for a lighthouse through a storm. Each time the crowd leapt to its feet, a wall of backs blocked his view. The game slipped through his fingers like sand. Freddie knew exactly how that had felt; he couldn’t let the man miss this game. The match roared on, but the thought of knowing of his unfair, obscured vision somehow took from his adrenaline.
Freddie glanced between the pitch and the man.
At half-time, he stood and walked over.
Freddie gestured to his now empty hospitality seat.
“Would you like to sit here?” he asked.
The old man looked surprised.
“But it’s your seat.” he said, his face full of puzzlement.
Freddie shrugged and smiled reassuringly.
For the rest of the match, he watched from the aisle. Somehow, the game continued regardless, like the sea returning to its shore.
The clock ticked down. Just then, in a flash, a striker sprinted towards the goal. Suddenly, he stumbled and crashed onto the turf.
The stadium fell silent.
For a moment, the injured player lay still, a fallen tree in the middle of a forest. Yet before the referee arrived, players from both teams gathered around him. Rivals became bridges. Hands reached down. Words drifted through the air like warm sparks in winter.
Soon the player was back on his feet.
The crowd erupted once more, louder than before. It was as if the stadium itself had remembered that football was more than medals and headlines.
When the winning goal finally arrived, the net rippled like a flag of victory. Confetti burst into the sky, transforming the air into a glittering showpiece.
Years later, Freddie would struggle to remember the score.
What stayed with him was something quieter, the old man’s grateful smile and the circle of players helping one another beneath the bright lights.
The trophy beamed like a captured star, but Freddie knew the brightest things in the stadium had never been made of gold.
