Friday 24th April

Co-headteachers’ welcome

We do hope that everyone had a restful and happy Easter break. The sunshine certainly seemed to help, as we enjoy longer days, bluebells a-plenty and so much to look forward to across the summer term at Simon Balle All-through School.

The focus of our newsletter introduction this fortnight is on leadership and governance. Firstly, on behalf of all leaders, governors and trustees, we wanted to thank you all. It is genuinely a privilege and pleasure to lead within such a special community; one where we have a shared belief in the importance of high academic expectations, yet where we daily live out there being no tension with a holistic education which nurtures every individual, and focuses on all that we can do to ensure every young person from ages 4 – 18 belongs, achieves and thrives. Mr Moss and I are always exceptionally grateful to be working with such committed and passionate leaders: whether from the breadth of expertise of our trustees, to the local link roles of our dedicated governing body, or to academic and pastoral leaders at every level, so valued, within Simon Balle. 

A spotlight this fortnight firstly on a new and very significant appointment! Grace Mizon, from September 2026, will be Head of the Larch, in a slightly altered structure for us as a senior leadership team. As we know you all know (and certainly we all know!), Miss Mizon is an incredible leader who we are delighted to have appointed from a strong field. Miss Mizon will remain as an all-through senior leader, whilst also taking on this new role in order to ensure clarity and consistency in our large and thriving primary phase, working together with our primary leadership team, valued staff across the Larch, and, of course, all senior leaders. 

A very warm welcome also to Mrs Patrick, who has joined us as an experienced and expert primary SENCO to join our large and collaborative all-through SEND team. Mrs Patrick is working closely with Miss Wood, Miss Mizon and Mrs Kirk, and, when she returns, looks forward to job sharing with Mrs Raven. Mrs Patrick is already enjoying getting to know our wonderful students and beginning to meet parents, particularly in our primary phase, and supporting those in transition to Year 7. Please do say hello!

As many of you may know, governance of any school requires an incredible commitment to values, vision, strategy and a dedicated, critical and supportive partnership with senior leaders. Mr Moss and I want to give an enormous shout out here to all of our governors and trustees – not least our outgoing chair of governors Mr Adam Cooper who has provided us with the very best support: always professional, offering unsurpassed knowledge and skills, consistently giving confidence to all. Please let us remember that the time, guidance and expertise governors and trustees give is always as valued volunteers. Please do refer to the letter sent by Mrs Sarah Mansfield – our new chair of the local governing body – sent separately on Wednesday of this week and linked here; we would be very keen indeed to hear from interested parties where explicitly related to areas that will complement our existing skilled and highly motivated governing body board. Please do reach out to us and offer to give back in a wonderfully rewarding way to our very special all-through community. 

As leaders, governors and trustees – both experienced and new – we are proud to serve our community, always with our motivation firmly set on every student, ‘creating tomorrow’s citizens today.’

INSET Day – Monday 13th April 2026

On Monday 13th April, we welcomed staff back for Summer Term with a highly productive INSET Day, focused on strengthening our shared vision and preparing for the next phase of our school improvement journey. The day began with a warm welcome and an opportunity for staff to reflect through a staff survey, ensuring all voices continue to shape our direction.

A key focus of the day was training on Ofsted’s Renewed Education Inspection Framework. Senior leaders led a series of sessions exploring what this means for our school, with particular emphasis on understanding our aims in supporting all learners through a strong academic focus. Discussions around “Strong Foundations” in bespoke sessions about EYFS, KS3 and Sixth Form reinforced the importance of consistency, high expectations and age and stage appropriate inclusive practice across all phases of our all-through school.

Staff also took part in practical updates, including training on the new phone system, as well as valuable time in pastoral and team meetings to strengthen communication and collaboration across the school as we begin our final term for this academic year!

As always, safeguarding remained a central priority, with dedicated training on filtering and monitoring systems in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education led by Mr Brown, our Designated Safeguarding Lead. This session highlighted the importance of vigilance in maintaining a safe digital environment for students, while also recognising the role of safeguarding in supporting staff wellbeing and professional responsibility.

The day concluded with time in departments, teams and year groups, enabling staff to embed key messages and plan collaboratively. Overall, the INSET Day reflected our collective commitment to continuous improvement, ensuring the best possible outcomes for all learners within our ambitious and inclusive all-through community. 

Ski Trip

This year’s ski trip, in the Easter holidays, to Bormio was an outstanding success, blessed with brilliant sunshine and perfect snow conditions throughout. The students were a credit to the school, acting as exceptional ambassadors both on and off the slopes, demonstrating enthusiasm, resilience, and excellent teamwork. Over the course of the trip, their skiing developed significantly, supported by modern ski technology and fantastic teaching from the ski school, all contributing to faster progression and greater confidence. Beyond the slopes, students also experienced the rich cultural heritage of Bormio, a historic alpine town often regarded as a cultural gem of the region, where Italian traditions, cuisine, and community added depth and meaning to the trip.

Phase 2 Trips – back with an exciting start to term!

This term has already been filled with exciting and memorable experiences for our pupils in Phase 2. Year 3 enjoyed a fantastic trip to Pizza Express, where they had the opportunity to make their own pizzas while having lots of fun in a real restaurant setting. Meanwhile, Year 2 stepped back in time during their visit to Mountfitchet Castle, exploring the historic site and discovering what life was like in the past while making connections with their history unit on castles. Back at school, Year 4 took part in an engaging Roman workshop led by Off The Page. Dressed up in costumes, the children fully immersed themselves in the activities, bringing history to life in a truly enjoyable way. Thank you to our families for the fantastic costumes and support on the day. Year 3 are looking forward to their workshop, linked to Ancient Egypt, later this term.

Chemistry

The UK Chemistry Olympiad is a prestigious and challenging competition that encourages students with a passion for chemistry to extend their knowledge and skills beyond the classroom. Aimed mainly at Year 13 students, it provides an excellent opportunity to develop problem-solving abilities, think creatively, and apply learning to real-world situations.

We are delighted to share this year’s strong results across Key Stage 5. An impressive 77% of Year 13 students achieved certification, reflecting both their hard work and commitment in their final year of study. In addition, 60% of Year 12 students were also awarded certificates, demonstrating great promise and enthusiasm for the subject.

These results are a testament to the students’ dedication and their willingness to embrace a challenging academic opportunity. Well done to all who took part.

University of Hertfordshire visit

Our Year 13 Chemistry students had the fantastic opportunity to visit the University of Hertfordshire, where they explored a range of advanced analytical techniques used in real-world scientific research.

From gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to infrared (IR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), students gained valuable insight into how chemists identify and analyse substances. As part of the experience, they even brought along their own synthesised samples of Aspirin, made in our school labs, to be analysed using these sophisticated instruments.

They represented the school brilliantly throughout the visit and embraced the experience with enthusiasm and curiosity. Thank you to the University of Hertfordshire for providing such an engaging and informative opportunity.

Please click here for our latest Careers Opportunities Blog, which includes:

• Unifrog webinars for writing personal statements and searching Universities 
• Apprenticeship opportunities
• Careers in Education

SEND

If you would like to speak to a member of the SEND team, you can book a virtual appointment of up to 15 minutes with a member of the SEND team using the following booking link: Booking link

The school transport team have contacted the school to make us aware regarding a current Hertfordshire County Council consultation on proposed changes to the opening times of council-run day services and the way transport is used to support adults attending these services (the ‘Consultation’). Details of this are below along with a link to respond to the consultation:

Why are we sharing this with you?
The Consultation is not specifically about SEND transport to schools and colleges, and for the avoidance of doubt SEND transport is not part of the Consultation. However, the proposals in relation to the day services opening times and council transport arrangements could mean that, in future, some families experience a change in the type of vehicle used for their young person’s/child’s journey and we wanted to bring this possibility to your attention.

What is being proposed?

To change adults’ day service opening times and alter the timing of transport for day services. These changes would enable the council to make better use of our internal fleet by also using these vehicles to take children with SEND to school / college, where this is appropriate, and then transport adults to day services.

If these proposals go ahead, there would be no change to school start or finish times, and there will be no change to our SEND transport policy or your young person’s/child’s transport eligibility. However, a small number of young people/children may experience a change in the type of vehicle used, for example, moving from a car or people carrier to a larger shared vehicle such as a minibus, if this is appropriate to their needs.  A change to your young person’s/child’s vehicle could also happen at any time currently without consultation which is why we are not including SEND transport in the Consultation.

We understand that transport is an important part of your child’s daily routine, and we want to reassure you that no immediate changes are planned. We will always prioritise getting children to school safely and on time in transport appropriate to their needs and confirm that children and adults will not travel together

The Consultation is open from 19 March to 13 May 2026.
Full details are available here: Day services opening times and council transport arrangements consultation | Hertfordshire County Council

Feedback from the Consultation will be presented to councillors at Cabinet on 15 July 2026 who will make the final decision. If it is agreed that the proposals will go ahead, the changes will be implemented from April 2027.

London Marathon – Supporting Miss Baker

I’m excited to share that this year I will be taking on the challenge of running the London Marathon in support of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Macmillan is an incredible charity that provides vital care and support to people affected by cancer, helping them navigate one of the most difficult times in their lives. This cause is very important to me, and I’m proud to be running to help raise funds for their essential work.

I have now completed 16 weeks of training in preparation for the marathon, and I’m looking forward to the big day.

If you are able to support me, I would be extremely grateful for any donation, no matter how small. Every contribution will go directly towards helping Macmillan continue the amazing work they do.

If you would like to donate, please visit my fundraising page here: marathon fundraising link.

Thank you so much for your support!

Library news

Speakers’ Corner

Well done to Samuel, Charlotte, Kieran, Jacob, Yuko, Mikeyla, Lucy and Emily for their informative and engaging Speakers’ Corner talks during the last term. Thanks to these speakers, we learnt how to play Dungeons and Dragons and how to write a script, explored the history of boy bands and the musical artist Yeolokre, gained new knowledge about WW1 and an unusual species called tenrecs, and recapped the past year in the news.

Speakers’ Corner takes place in the secondary library at lunchtime on Thursdays. If you would like to do a Speakers’ Corner next term, please speak to Mrs Stock.

KS3 Writing and Grammar Project

In September, we launched the KS3 Writing and Grammar Project.  The project aims to maximise opportunities for consolidating understanding of grammar and also for more writing experiences across the key stage.

At the start of the academic year, our Year 7 students completed a spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) assessment.  The results were carefully analysed in order to create a report to inform the English team of trends and priorities for teaching and therefore areas of study closely matched to students’ needs.  This has been woven into classroom lessons within the units of study and there have also been specific linked home learning tasks set.

Also, as part of the project, students in KS3 are regularly completing ‘quick writes’ in class.  These short activities encourage students to respond promptly to a stimulus.  Each task has a grammar focus and is typically linked to the unit being studied.  Students are also now completing a half-termly ‘free write’ in which a writing challenge is set and students are encouraged to respond with creativity and independence

Students are also becoming increasingly familiar with our writing ‘non-negotiables’.  These are being referred to regularly in lessons and students each have a copy in their English book.  Here is a copy of the non-negotiables, should you wish to print it and refer to it when supporting with homework tasks.

Writing Non Negotiables.pdf

During multiple recent opportunities for student voice, we have been delighted with the feedback from students about the new initiatives.  The students we met unanimously agreed that the ‘quick writes’ and ‘free writes’ have a positive impact on their learning.  We are now considering options for how to further celebrate this work, as some students suggested that they would like more of a chance to share their writing.  Comments from students included:

‘I am now more ambitious and try to do more than I would usually do’

‘You get to express yourself and it can be any genre’ 

‘I absolutely love a ‘free write’ 

‘They allow me to think outside of the box’ 

‘They help me get better – a free write helped me calm down and I had longer to think about what I was writing.’

‘Free writes are stress free.’

We look forward to sharing more news as we continue to embed the project initiatives into KS3.  Thank you for your continued support.

New phone system

Over the Easter break, we upgraded our school phone system to make communication with families smoother and more efficient.

When you call, you’ll now hear a new welcome message.

• Press 1 to report an all-through absence (Larch, Secondary, or Sixth Form) and leave a message. Please clearly state your child’s name, year group, and reason for absence.
• To speak directly with the Larch, select the relevant option.
• Alternatively, stay on the line to speak with the Secondary office.

Thank you for your continued support as we improve our systems.

PSA

13th May, 7pm – Annual General Meeting (rescheduled)

An AGM (Annual General Meeting) is a meeting held once a year where we come together to review what has happened over the past year, including finances, reports, and key decisions. It is also a chance to elect committee members and discuss plans for the year ahead. We plan to hold our rescheduled AGM on Wednesday 13th May in the secondary library, meeting at 7pm as we did not have enough attendees to hold our AGM in March. 

Good attendance at the AGM is important because it ensures decisions represent the wider membership and that the organisation can meet its legal requirements. The more people who attend, the stronger and more democratic the organisation becomes. Please consider attending our AGM, even if you do not wish to be elected as a committee member. We need a minimum number of attendees in order for the AGM to proceed.

Register your interest via the sign up link.

volunteersignup.org/WT7KY

Larch Frozen Friday – Summer term

Each year, after the May half term, Larch families look forward to an ice cream sale after school, every Friday. We are looking for one or two people that are willing to take on the role of Frozen Friday Organiser.  You will be responsible for ordering and organising stock each week.

We also need a number of volunteers to manage the weekly sales after school.  If you are able to help, please complete the sign up sheet as soon as you can so that we can see if the sales are able to go ahead again this year.

Organisers and helpers will be shown what to do, if you are new to helping with this. Thank you in advance – without your help, we are unable to offer Frozen Friday.

https://volunteersignup.org/WT7KY

Dates for your diary

A full calendar of events can be viewed on the school website.

• Mon 27th Apr: Y9 assessment period begins
• Mon 4th May: Bank holiday
• Wed 6th to Fri 8th May: Y7 residential trip
• Thurs 7th May: Public examinations start
• Mon 11th May: Y6 SATs week
• Mon 11th May: Y8 assessment period begins
• Mon 18th May: Y12 threshold exam period begins
• Mon 18th May: Larch class photos
• Mon 18th May: Larch student consultation evenings throughout the week

Wishing you all the best for the week ahead 

Mrs Rachel Kirk and Mr Michael Moss (Co-headteachers)

Friday 20th March

Co-headteachers’ welcome

As we begin to move into spring, it is a pleasure to see the subtle but unmistakable changes in the world around us, the days growing longer, bulbs beginning to bloom, and buds appearing on the trees. It is a season of renewal and transition, and the same can certainly be said for our school community at this time of year.

One of the great joys of this term is receiving confirmation of the new students who will be joining us from a wide range of local primary schools. We are absolutely delighted that 100% of places have been offered to families who selected us as their first choice. This reflects the strength of our community and the trust placed in us by families. However, this is something we must never take for granted, and we remain fully committed to continually reflecting on and improving all that we do.

Our transition work from Year 6 to Year 7 is already well underway to ensure that our new students feel confident, prepared, and warmly welcomed into our school community. Information booklets have been shared, preparations for our summer school are in full swing, and we are beginning our important liaison work with our feeder primary schools.

Similarly, in our Reception classes, we are preparing to visit feeder nurseries, taking the first steps in getting to know our youngest new students and their families. These early connections are invaluable in building strong relationships and ensuring a smooth and happy start to school life.

At the other end of the school, our Year 11 students are making important decisions about their post-16 pathways. It is always inspiring to hear about their ambitions, aspirations, and the thoughtful consideration they are giving to their futures as they take their next steps beyond compulsory education.

Our Year 13 students are also navigating significant transitions. Many have received offers from universities, others are pursuing apprenticeships or employment opportunities, and we are particularly proud that several students have secured offers from Oxbridge. Their achievements reflect not only their hard work and determination but also the support and guidance they have received along the way.

Transition is not only something that happens at key entry and exit points; it is woven throughout school life. Within the school, I am currently reading Year 2 reports and reflecting on the progress, development, and values of our students as they continue their journey through our all-through setting. Meanwhile, our Year 9 students are in the process of finalising their GCSE options, making choices that will shape the next stage of their education.

This moment in the school year brings to mind the Roman god Janus, often associated with transitions, beginnings, and endings. Depicted with two faces, Janus looks both to the past and to the future. This is very much where we find ourselves as a school, reflecting on how far our students have come, while also looking ahead with optimism and ambition to what lies ahead.

It is a source of enormous pride to see our students grow in confidence, develop their character, and flourish as individuals at every stage of their journey with us. Spring reminds us that growth is constant, and we look forward to continuing to support every student as they take their next steps.

Secondary House Spring Bake off

A massive thank you to all of the students who entered the House bake off. We had over 15 bakes to choose from – here is a selection to feast your eyes on!

Library News

All year groups can take part in Get Rewarded for Reading and it’s never too late to start!

Y10 Geography field trip

Strive & Thrive and Aspire & Achieve home learning support sessions

As part of our ongoing commitment to providing the best support for our students, we are continuing to offer our home learning support sessions in the form of ‘Strive & Thrive’ for our students in Years 7-9 and our ‘Aspire & Achieve’ for students in years 10 and 11.

These sessions offer fantastic opportunities for our students to complete revision or home learning in a calm environment in order to build confidence, develop positive study habits and encourage independent organisation skills. This can be done individually or why not bring a friend along!

Strive & Thrive (years 7-9) takes place Monday to Thursday 3:15pm – 4:15pm in G1.

Aspire & Achieve (years 10 and 11) takes place Wednesdays 3:15pm – 4:15pm in the 6th form learning centre.

All students who attend will be recognised with house points and we are looking to celebrate those students who are building positive study habits and attending regularly in the weeks ahead. Attendance at these sessions is growing by the week and we very much hope to see continuing through the remainder of this term.

SEND

If you would like to speak to a member of the SEND team, and your child currently attends Simon Balle all through School, you can book a virtual appointment of up to 15 minutes with a member of the SEND team, please use the following booking link: Booking link

A link to the latest DSPL3 newsletter can be found here.

SEND Transition coffee morning

It was wonderful to welcome so many parents, carers, and our SEND governors to our recent Year 6 into Year 7 Transition Coffee Morning. This was promoted via our local feeder schools. The event was well-attended by parents eager to engage early with the secondary school transition process. The SEND team used this opportunity to introduce themselves as well as outline enhanced transition plans, answer questions, and begin building home-school partnerships ahead of September.

Early finish for Easter holidays

In case you missed it, we have reinstated the early finish for the Easter holidays. This brings us into back line with other schools in the area. Students will have normal lessons P1-3 and be dismissed at the end of P3 (12.15pm) by their class teachers. The canteen will be serving food as normal at break time.

Sport notices

Simon Balle Table Tennis Competition

To give students the opportunity to apply the skills they have been developing in lessons and clubs in a competitive environment, we will be running a Secondary Table Tennis Competition for students from Year 7–13, as well as a staff competition.

These events are designed to encourage engagement, enjoyment and healthy participation with friends, while giving players the chance to test their table tennis skills and put what they have learned in lessons and clubs into practice. Everyone who enters will receive a house point, and there will be Easter egg prizes for the winners.

All students and staff are welcome to take part. Please sign up in pairs by completing the Google Form sent by Miss Newman.

Competition Dates

• Year 7: Thursday 19th March
• Year 8: Wednesday 25th March
• Year 9 & 10: Tuesday 24th March
• Staff & Sixth Form: Thursday 26th March

We look forward to seeing lots of pairs getting involved and enjoying the competition!

Dates for your diary

A full calendar of events can be viewed on the school website.

• Fri 20th Mar: Model United Nations Conference
• w/b Mon 23rd Mar: Music exams (Y4-13)
• Wed 25th-Thur 26th Mar: GCSE (Y11) Art and Photography practicals
• Fri 27th Mar: end of term (early finish – 12.15pm)
• Sat 28th Mar: Ski trip departs
• Mon 13th Apr: INSET day – no students in school
• Tues 14th Apr: First day of summer term
• Tues 14th Apr: Y7 assessment period begins
• Tues 14th Apr: GCSE (Y11) 3D Design practicals start
• w/b 20th Apr: GCSE (Y11) MFL speaking exams
• Thur 23rd Apr: Y2 Castle trip

Wishing you all the best for the week ahead 

Mrs Rachel Kirk and Mr Michael Moss (Co-headteachers)

Friday 6th March

Co-headteachers’ welcome

As many of you will have seen through multiple media sources, the government launched their White Paper on Monday 23rd 2026, last week. We wanted to begin this newsletter welcome with assurance that at Simon Balle All-through School, and indeed across our Laurel Education Trust, we remain outward-facing as leaders; research-informed in relation to our thinking, policy and practice; innovative in the short, medium and longer term planning; and, most importantly, child-centred in all that we do. 

As we read, think, reflect and discuss all that is topical (within and beyond Simon Balle), it is always important to consider who we are in our special all-through community and what resonates with the national picture. Reassuringly, there is much indeed that strikes us from the white paper: 

• ‘Our ambition for high-quality education therefore starts in the early years, where the foundations of future success are laid.’ 
• As an all-through school, we could not agree more. We continue to invest in strong foundations for every child. 
• ‘Schools’ curricula must be rich and broad, building every child’s knowledge and their skills so our young people step into a world of change confident in their ability to shape it.’ 
• Our academic and pastoral pathways at Simon Balle are reflective of our 14 year journey of education, progressive and sequential, planned with depth, breadth and care. We are, as always, committed to ‘creating tomorrow’s citizens today.’
• ‘Children attending school every day and participating actively once there.’
• Our commitment is to support every young person to belong, achieve and thrive. Our staff team continue to work tirelessly to ensure that opportunities are in abundance. We know that when young people attend daily, and let us know if and when there are barriers we can support with, we are in the best possible position to offer irresistible learning and wonderful enrichment. 
• ‘Parents taking an active role in supporting their children’s learning at home, believing again that their children’s success in school is their work and achievement too’. 
• As we begin to consider transition once again, with secondary school allocations announced on Monday of this week, we would like to take this opportunity to remind you all just how much we value your partnership. Thank you. 
• ‘The children in our classrooms today are the inventors, artists, creators, engineers, scientists, partners and parents of tomorrow. They will shape our country’s future – not just our economy, but our society. As they emerge from our schools, we need not just young people fit for the world of work, but engaged, responsible citizens ready to shape our country as we head towards the 22nd century.’
• We could not agree more. Many of you (if not all) will recognise this wording from our vision and values at Simon Balle, shared in our open days, our curriculum aims, our strategic careers programme (ages 4 – 18), and indeed embedded into the holistic education we are proud to offer. 

As a forward thinking school, it is not by chance that so much resonates between what we firmly believe and daily live out, and the white paper’s stated aims.There is, of course, much to learn from the white paper in its totality and it is a privilege to lead and learn at this exciting time, whether related to the breadth of the curriculum, our continued passion for an inclusive education for all, or our willingness to understand more about changes to finance nationally – where we are keen to benefit from changes, being always on the front foot of what is to come!

Yet, as co-headteachers, we were privileged (once again!) to walk our all-through school this week, always focussed on the highest quality of teaching and learning at its core. To give you just a window into one period, we saw:

Yet, as co-headteachers, we were privileged (once again) to walk our all-through school this week, always focussed on the highest quality of teaching and learning at its core. This, we can be sure, will not change! To give you just a window into one period, we saw:

• Our sixth formers as role models, across Simon Balle. Whether learning independently in the sixth form centre, or across art or science, preparing for A level music recitals (at the time of writing!), or with their discipline in lessons, from film (cinematography techniques) to physics, we are delighted that our sixth formers set such a high bar – our Larch students, weekly, aspire to their standards!
• A love of reading. In Year 7 Accelerated Reader, to Year 9 study of ‘Salt to the Sea (Ruta Sepetys), it is evident how quality texts underpin our curricula. From reading aloud with fluency and passion to the importance of precise questioning to support sophisticated student comprehension and inference, it was clear across our English department and library that every young person is engaged in deep thinking, inspired by literature to compose creative outputs and motivated to self- assess and to improve. 
• Active learners were seen in abundance, with teachers avoiding the temptation to over-talk, and instead engaging young people in meaningful tasks where they can apply their thinking. For example, geographers in Year 8 were grappling with country comparisons, using live data from the human development index, GNI per capita, life expectancy and more. Simultaneously, Year 7 scientists were engaged in scientific evidence discussions: how can they prove that the ‘disappearance’ of sugar in water is not a magic trick?!
• We know that the precision of vocabulary shared by teachers is crucial to student understanding, and this too was evident across a range of subjects, from psychology (Year 10)- where students were challenged to apply key terms to case studies and theories, explaining their learning in each – to Art rotation in Year 7 where the language of ‘isometric crafting’ in DT and to a knowledge and skill-rich base in food technology were also causing great pondering and discussion. 
• As we reached the Larch, our KS2 students were benefitting from the improved Spring weather this week, with a great array of active lunchtime options available – from a new tag rugby lunchtime league to creative gymnastics to farm leaders and much more. 

Finally, of course, we are always in awe of our students showing such dedication to their academic learning. In both Year 6 mock SATs and Year 11 core mock GCSEs, the same determination to succeed and reflection on next steps has been a privilege to see.

Over the past few weeks, students across the school have taken part in a range of engaging and purposeful careers activities designed to broaden their horizons, build employability skills and raise aspirations.

Year 9 students participated in Tesco’s “Store of the Future” project, spending a full day exploring the wide range of roles within Tesco Property, including location planning, planning and development, assets and estate, retail partners, and maintenance, energy and engineering. The day focused on developing key employability skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving and confidence. Students worked collaboratively to design their own store of the future and delivered presentations at the end of the day, applying what they had learned. Engagement throughout the day was excellent, with students demonstrating creativity, professionalism and confidence.

During National Apprenticeship Week, students across all year groups explored apprenticeship pathways in age-appropriate ways. Form time sessions focused on understanding what apprenticeships are, the different levels available and how students can explore opportunities further. At Key Stages 4 and 5, lessons included subject-specific discussions to help students see how apprenticeships link directly to their curriculum subjects and future careers. Sixth Form students also attended talks from current apprentices and alumni, including representatives from Roche and GSK, as well as a Civil Engineering apprentice, gaining valuable first-hand insight into apprenticeship routes and workplace experiences.

As part of National Careers Week, students took part in structured activities using the Unifrog careers platform. Students in Years 7 to 9 completed careers interest quizzes, explored suggested career pathways and began linking their school subjects to future employment opportunities. Students in Years 10 and 11 researched specific careers of interest, explored both university and apprenticeship routes and considered the skills and qualifications required. Sixth Form students researched realistic post-18 options, compared higher education and apprenticeship pathways and identified clear next steps such as applications, open days and work experience. Throughout the week, students also engaged with a Virtual Careers Fair.

In addition, Sixth Form students were able to sign up for a series of careers awareness workshops with employers and alumni, including Deloitte, Business and Trade careers in government, industrial design professionals, Rosenblatt Law and Heyne Tillett Steel. These sessions provided further insight into a wide range of professional sectors and career pathways.

These activities reflect our continued commitment to providing high-quality, meaningful careers education that equips students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to make informed decisions about their futures.

We would also like to extend a sincere thank you to all parents/carers who have generously offered Year 12 work experience placements. Your support is hugely appreciated and makes a significant difference to the opportunities we are able to provide. Work experience plays a vital role in helping students develop workplace skills, build confidence, gain real insight into professional environments and make more informed decisions about their future pathways. We are extremely grateful for your continued support in enriching our students’ career development.

Larch- Year 1 and 3 Home Learning showcase

Before half term, Year 1 and Year 3 held their half termly home learning showcase. The children went between the classrooms to look at and celebrate each other’s work. It was a pleasure to see the children sharing their work and excited to talk about how they completed their tasks.

Year 1 thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to talk about and share their brilliant home learning projects last term. Our young artists explored the work of Henry Moore, creating their own impressive sculptures inspired by his bold shapes and forms. Others designed eye-catching mini world travel posters, showing wonderful creativity and imagination. Well done to everyone for their hard work and brilliant effort at home. It has been wonderful to see their excitement as they shared their projects, inspiring one another with imaginative ideas and celebrating each other’s achievements with big smiles.

Year 3 demonstrated fantastic efforts in their projects and maturity during the showcase, giving each other feedback and positive comments. Children wowed us with wonderful volcano models which we erupted (see social media), striking pieces of art linked to volcanoes and Georgia O’Keefe’s flowers, posters about the Seder plate and videos of light and shadow experiments. It was clear to see how proud they were of their hard work and dedication. We cannot wait for the next showcase!

Year 6 Mock SATs week

A huge well done to all our students for the fantastic effort and determination shown during this week’s mock SATs. We are incredibly proud of the focus, resilience and positive attitudes demonstrated in every classroom. These assessments are an important step in preparing for the real thing and the hard work you’ve put in has not gone unnoticed. Keep up the great work—you are all making wonderful progress!

SEND

If you would like to speak to a member of the SEND team, you can book a virtual appointment of up to 15 minutes, please use the following Booking link.

DSPL3 (Delivering Specialist Provision Locally):

DSPL3 has coffee mornings coming up. 

• Wednesday 18th March 2025 (10-11:30am) at St. Catherine’s in Ware
• Wednesday 10th June 2025 (10-11:30am) venue TBC

This is a relaxed and friendly space where people could come for advice, support and a listening ear over a drink and a cake.

Library news

World Book Day Week

In the Larch, we celebrated the true meaning of World Book Day – reading for pleasure! On Tuesday, children across the Larch spent the day exploring our exciting book swap, where every child had the opportunity to browse a wide range of stories and non-fiction texts and choose a book to take home and keep. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm as pupils carefully selected texts that sparked their interest! Before half term, all children received World Book Day tokens, which they can use to choose a free book from their local bookshop, further encouraging a love of reading beyond school (more information here). Throughout the week, children also enjoyed reading together across year groups; for example, our Year 6 pupils shared stories with children in EYFS, modelling fluent reading and helping to inspire our youngest learners with their confidence and expression. We were also proud to host assemblies led by our Year 12 House Captains for KS2 and by our Larch librarians for KS1, who spoke passionately about recommended books, a book quiz and the joy that reading can bring. Each class in the Larch already benefits from a weekly visit to our well-stocked Larch library and many of our Year 5/6 children have joined our virtual Phase 3 Book club where they can recommend books to each other! Daily reading is vital in developing vocabulary, imagination and confidence, and we greatly appreciate your support in encouraging your child to read regularly at home and showing interest in the books they choose!

In the secondary school library we celebrated World Book Day with World Book Day Bingo. Well done to the winners!

Take a look at these recommended reads, as chosen by our students through the Get Rewarded for Reading scheme.

National Reading Champions Quiz

On Wednesday 4th March, 8 students in years 7 to 9 represented the school in the cross regional heat of the Senior National Reading Champions Quiz. They were competing against teams from schools across the country. They did a brilliant job! Well done to the whole team.

Reward trip to the annual Festival of Literature at Bishop’s Stortford College

On Friday 13th February, students in years 7 and 8 went to Bishop’s Stortford College for the annual Festival of Literature as a reward for their excellent effort with their reading and participation in library events. We met the award winning author Nathanael Lessore and heard from him about the writing process, his experiences of being an author, and the life stories that have inspired him to write. He also gave us a sneak preview of his new book. Well done to all of our students who attended the trip. They were a great representation for our school. Congratulations in particular to Clara who won the prize for asking the best question!

Here is the current leaderboard for Get Rewarded for Reading:

Informed – our student-led magazine

Please take a moment to read the latest edition of the student-led magazine, Informed. Lots of professional hard work has gone into this and the editorial team are really proud of how it’s turned out.

https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/community/student-leadership/informed-magazine/

Dance festival

On the evening of Monday 2nd March, a talented group of 20 Year 6 students took to the stage for this year’s Dance Festival, themed At the Movies. The event brought together schools from across our sports partnership for a fantastic celebration of performance, creativity and teamwork.

After endless hours of rehearsal led by the incredibly talented Mrs Cox, our pupils delivered a show-stopping routine to Beat It by Michael Jackson from Thriller. Their incredible choreography captured the energy and drama of the iconic track, showcasing not only their dancing ability but also their dedication and commitment.

Moreover, the performance was packed with precision, confidence and outstanding team spirit. Every dancer played their part, supporting one another on stage and performing with enthusiasm from start to finish whilst their amazing costumes added to the impact, helping to bring the theme to life and creating a real sense of occasion under the stage lights.

For those lucky enough to be there in the audience, we know they would agree that the cheers and applause at the end were a testament to the hard work and passion shown by every single performer on the night. We are already excited for what next year will bring!

Strive & Thrive and Aspire & Achieve home learning support sessions

As part of our commitment to providing the best support for our students, we are continuing to offer our home learning support sessions in the form of Strive & Thrive for our students in Years 7-9 and our Aspire & Achieve for students in years 10 and 11.

These sessions offer fantastic opportunities for our students to complete revision or home learning in a calm environment in order to build confidence, develop positive study habits and encourage independent organisation skills.

Strive & Thrive (years 7-9) takes place Monday to Thursday 3:15pm – 4:15pm in G1.

Aspire & Achieve (years 10 and 11) takes place Wednesdays 3:15pm – 4:15pm in the 6th form learning centre.

All students who attend will be recognised with house points and we hope to see many more attending as this term continues.

FREE Courses for Parents

Bookings is now open for these Summer Term Courses.

All of the information and flyers can be found on the supporting links website: https://www.supportinglinks.co.uk/whatson.html

These are all funded by Herts County Council so are free for parents to attend.

Year 4 Crowned Rapid Fire Cricket Champions

Our Year 4 cricketers enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of sport as they took part in the Year 3/4 Rapid Fire Cricket competition and we are thrilled to share that they finished the event as overall winners!

Throughout the competition, the team demonstrated excellent teamwork, determination and resilience. Every player contributed, showing growing confidence with both bat and ball and supporting one another brilliantly in the field. Their positive attitude and sportsmanship were a credit to the school.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Mr Moses for preparing and supporting the team of Secondary Sports Leaders who hosted such a well-organised and enjoyable event. The pupils represented our school superbly and should be extremely proud of their achievement.

Congratulations to all involved on a wonderful all-through sporting success!

Trip to see Hamilton

History and politics students from Year 12 and 13 had the opportunity to watch a production of the acclaimed musical Hamilton in London’s West End, as part of their study of the United States’ constitution, federalism and the historical context of the 18th century. The show was phenomenal, and students were excited to spot references to events and concepts that they had studied, as well as getting the chance to experience one of the world’s most celebrated theatre productions. Maisie in Year 12 said “it was a masterpiece!”, and “awesome, wow” was the verdict from Lily.

Mobile Phone Expectations

We are writing to share a summary of our updated expectations regarding mobile phones. These rules are designed to ensure our school remains a safe, focused, and respectful environment for everyone.

Our core expectation is simple: from 8:40 am until the end of the school day, students’ mobile phones must be Not Seen, Not Heard, Turned Off, and In Bags.

• Phones must be kept off and at the bottom of bags (or in a zipped pocket) to remove distractions, reduce incidents of bullying, and keep everyone focused on learning.
• Sixth Form: Sixth Form students are allowed to use their phones only during Break and Lunch, and strictly within the Sixth Form Common Room. Phones must not be visible in corridors, the canteen, or anywhere else on the school site.
• Consequences: If a phone is seen or heard, it will be confiscated immediately. Students or parents/carers will need to collect it at the end of the day. Persistent infringements or refusal to hand over the phone will result in further interventions.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us uphold these expectations so that our students are ready to learn.

Parent Staff Association

18th March – Annual General Meeting

An AGM (Annual General Meeting) is a meeting held once a year where we come together to review what has happened over the past year, including finances, reports, and key 

decisions. It is also a chance to elect committee members and discuss plans for the year ahead. We plan to hold our AGM on Wednesday 18th March in the secondary library, meeting at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

Good attendance at the AGM is important because it ensures decisions represent the wider membership and that the organisation can meet its legal requirements. The more people who attend, the stronger and more democratic the organisation becomes. Please consider attending our AGM, even if you do not wish to be elected as a committee member. We need a minimum number of attendees in order for the AGM to proceed.

Register your interest via the sign up link:.volunteersignup.org/WT7KY

Larch Frozen Friday Organiser – Summer term

Each year, after the May half term, Larch families look forward to an ice cream sale after school, every Friday. We are looking for one or two people that are willing to take on the role of Frozen Friday Organiser.  You will be responsible for ordering and organising stock each week.  We also need a number of volunteers to manage the weekly sales both after school and at 4.45pm for after Explorers.  If you are able to help, please complete the sign up sheet as soon as you can so that we can see if the sales can go ahead again this year.

Organisers and helpers will be shown what to do, if you are new to helping with this. Thank you in advance – without your help, we are unable to offer Frozen Friday.

https://volunteersignup.org/WT7KY

Talks at All Saints

There are a series of upcoming talks at All Saints which students and their families may enjoy. They would certainly hit A level science, politics, PE and sociology type courses but will be interesting to all.

• 8 March Prof Russell Cowburn – Faith in Science
• 15 March Josh Dean MP – Faith in Politics
• 22 March Mark Russell OBE (CEO of The Children’s Society) – Faith in a Good Childhood

Hertford and Ware District Foodbank

During the next few weeks as we approach Easter, Hertford and Ware District Foodbank are putting out a special plea for donations of Easter Eggs, as well as the usual groceries, so that they can make Easter a little more special for their clients. If you are planning to make any donations for Easter, they ask that any Easter eggs be delivered to either Foodbank
outlet by 13th March. They are still providing emergency food parcels for very large numbers of local people who are in crisis, including many children. None of this would be possible without the continuing generosity of local people and the support of local
schools, churches and businesses.

Donations can also be left at both of our front offices (Larch and Elm Sports Centre).

Dates for your diary

A full calendar of events can be viewed on the school website.

• Mon 9th – Wed 11th Mar: Y11 core mocks continue
• Mon 9th – Fri 20th Mar: Larch assessments
• Fri 13th Mar: Music Prom (Concert Orchestra & Chorus)
• Sat 14th Mar: Big Band evening
• w/b Mon 16th Mar: Y12 Work Experience
• Mon 16th and Tues 17th Mar: Y10 Geography field trips
• Wed 18th Mar: PSA AGM
• Thurs 19th Mar: Primary girls’ district football
• Fri 20th Mar: Model United Nations Conference
• w/b Mon 23rd Mar: Music exams (Y4-13)
• Fri 27th Mar: end of term (early finish – 12.15pm)

Wishing you all the best for the week ahead 

Mrs Rachel Kirk and Mr Michael Moss (Co-headteachers)

Friday 13th February

Co-headteachers’ welcome

Although this half term has been relatively short, it has certainly been packed with learning, enrichment, and opportunity. Over the past week, many of us have enjoyed the welcome distraction of the Winter Olympics, with its extraordinary range of events showcasing fitness, courage, resilience, and determination, qualities we strive to nurture in our students every day. In the midst of the grey winter weather, it has been a real tonic and a timely reminder of what can be achieved through hard work and perseverance. And, of course, for those less inclined towards the Olympics, the Six Nations has provided plenty of excitement and inspiration of its own.

These values of resilience, aspiration, and teamwork are not confined to the sporting arena; they underpin our daily work as a school community. The Simon Balle Experience continues to reflect our commitment to creating ‘tomorrow’s citizens today’.From Reception through to Sixth Form, students benefit from a carefully sequenced journey that blends academic rigour with enrichment, leadership, service, and personal development. Each year group builds upon the last, growing in independence, curiosity, and confidence, supported by a rich programme of sport, music, student leadership, trips, cultural experiences, and community engagement. Whether preparing our youngest pupils to begin their learning journey or guiding our Year 13 students towards university, apprenticeships, and employment, we remain focused on nurturing reflective, outward-looking young people who are ready to contribute positively to the wider world. If you would like to read further here is the link to the website. 

A particular strength of our all-through model is the way these values are lived out across year groups. Students regularly work together, supporting and learning from one another. We see this powerfully through cross-year tutoring and mentoring, from Year 11 students supporting Year 7, to our Sixth Form working with Reception pupils. In the coming weeks, Year 12 students will begin mentoring Year 9, alongside Year 11, sharing valuable lessons learned about tackling GCSE courses and achieving strong outcomes. These experiences build aspiration and belonging, while allowing younger students to benefit from the wisdom, encouragement, and perspective of their older peers. This culture of collaboration is something we are immensely proud of and continues to strengthen our whole school community.

That same emphasis on curiosity, reflection, and personal growth is also evident in our academic enrichment programmes. I have had the real privilege of running the Mini EPQ with our Year 7 students each week, alongside Mr Truman and Mr Peters. Together, we have supported students in refining their titles, developing research skills, and thinking critically about bias, reliability, and different types of sources. They have also been guided through planning, time management, and structuring extended writing effectively. We are now turning our attention to speaking skills, exploring the traits of confident and impactful speakers, an area we are particularly passionate about nurturing through assemblies, speeches, and wider school opportunities.

It has been a joy to deliver the Mini EPQ in Year 7 while also mentoring our Year 12 students through their full EPQ. Current projects range from shark survival to the formation of political parties in the eighteenth century, highlighting the breadth of curiosity and intellectual ambition we encourage. It is a hugely rewarding part of my role and a wonderful reflection of the culture of enquiry and aspiration that runs through our school.

Sixth Form

Congratulations to Isabella on being accepted onto the Oxford University Floreat Scheme for Humanities. This is a fantastic achievement and a testament to their hard work, dedication, and academic potential. We are incredibly proud and wish them every success as they take this exciting next step.

Larch Writing

We have been incredibly proud of the high standards of writing produced by children across the Larch this half term. Recent changes to our writing curriculum, including updates to year-group texts, have encouraged pupils to be even more ambitious, making thoughtful and deliberate language choices in their work. It has been a joy to see imaginative ideas woven throughout their writing, clearly inspired by the high-quality books they are reading. From newspaper reports to balanced arguments, pupils are demonstrating growing confidence across a wide range of writing styles and we could not be more impressed with the progress they are making.

Transcription (Handwriting)

This term, following guidance from ‘The Writing Framework’ we are introducing a new handwriting scheme in the Larch.  The aim is to give children a clear and consistent approach to letter formation, joins and presentation, so that handwriting becomes fluent and automatic.  Learning to write is a bit like learning a musical instrument and can bring a sense of pride and satisfaction when taught in a structured, supported way that allows skills to become secure over time.   When the basics are practised regularly and embedded, children are more able to focus on the composition of their ideas;  expression and creativity. By teaching handwriting in small, structured steps the scheme supports all pupils, including those who find writing physically or cognitively challenging, and helps children build confidence and pride in their written work as they move through school.

Working with Middleton to receive specialist CPD about Early Writing

Recently, staff from Simon Balle attended highly engaging training at Middleton Specialist Setting, focused on the development of pre-writing skills and the crucial stepping stones to early writing. The training was designed to support our youngest students and learners who experience difficulties with writing, offering practical strategies that can be embedded into everyday classroom practice.

The session explored a wide range of fun, effective approaches to early writing development, placing a strong emphasis on building the physical, sensory and cognitive foundations children need before they are ready to write. From developing fine motor control to strengthening mark-making and early communication, the ideas shared were both accessible and immediately transferable to our own setting.

We are incredibly grateful to the team at Middleton for their expertise, guidance and support. The training was not only informative but genuinely inspiring, and staff have already enjoyed implementing many of the strategies across our Larch community. These approaches are helping us to further support our learners with confidence, creativity and enjoyment as they develop their early writing skills.

Year 8 Solve it-Resolve it Workshop- Miss Gibson

As part of our ongoing PSHE programme, on Tuesday 24th February, Year 8 students will be participating in workshops led by Herts Young Homeless on conflict resolution. The aims of the workshop are for students to be able to: 

• Identify the effects of their behaviour when in conflict.
• Understand factors that can affect communication when in conflict.
• Identify a positive change they could make when in conflict

ELSA – Get Work Ready Careers Day

On Friday, 6th February, our Year 10 students enjoyed a fantastic enrichment day delivered by ELSA Next Generation. The event was designed to simulate a corporate “recruitment carousel,” comprising six distinct workshops aimed at building employability skills.

Sessions included “Tower Building” with ELSA, “Product for Innovation” with Bowmer and Kirkland, the “Balloon Chair” challenge with Lovell, “Financing your Future” with Sarah-Jane Rutt., and a “Your Community” workshop facilitated by Susannah Parry.

A special thanks goes to the Simon Balle parents and carers who supported the vital “Interview Practice” sessions. Students were incredibly grateful for this first taste of a formal interview; while many found it more daunting than anticipated, the feedback they received was invaluable for their future careers.

Overall, the day pushed students to think about their teamworking, leadership and communication skills. We are proud of the engagement Year 10 demonstrated and confident that the experience has prepared them to better present themselves and work effectively towards their future endeavours.

Library News

Harry Potter Quiz

We held our annual Harry Potter Quiz on Thursday 12th February. It was an excellent turnout with 64 participants. Well done to the runners up Noah, Jake, Holly, Riley, Mr Poley and Mr Dear and congratulations to the winners Thomas and David.

SEND

If you would like to speak to a member of our all-through SEND team, please schedule a virtual appointment of up to 15 minutes by using the following link: Virtual SEND Team Appointments

DSPL3 (Delivering Specialist Provision Locally) is holding a coffee morning in Ware and has asked for details to be shared. 

The Spring newsletter for DSPL3 can be found here DSPL3 Newsletter for Parents – Spring 1.pdf. This includes a short survey to help the Local Authority understand the impact of the work and support of DSPL3 in your area along with details about upcoming courses.

Community Bench Competition

Learn with the Lords

The A-level Politics students recently took part in an online Learn with the Lords session –  

Last Friday we got the opportunity to ask questions to Baroness Pitkeathley, a member of the House of Lords. She answered very honestly and in depth for all of our questions and this experience definitely enriched our understanding of how the House of Lords works and how it should work in future.

Science

On 28th January 2026, 36 KS5 chemistry students took part in the UK Chemistry Olympiad, a prestigious competition designed to challenge and inspire young scientists. The Olympiad encourages students to push beyond the curriculum, developing critical problem-solving skills, creative thinking, and the ability to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios. 

 The students performed incredibly well, and we are now awaiting the release of their certificates.

Absences

Please use the Leave of Absence form for holidays, sporting events and medical appointments longer than 1 day.

Use the email address Admin@simonballe.herts.sch.uk for daily absences, medical appointments, general enquiries and questions.

Parent Staff Association

10th March – Annual General Meeting

An AGM (Annual General Meeting) is a meeting held once a year where we come together to review what has happened over the past year, including finances, reports, and key 

decisions. It is also a chance to elect committee members and discuss plans for the year ahead. We plan to hold our AGM on Wednesday 10th March in the secondary library, meeting at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

Good attendance at the AGM is important because it ensures decisions represent the wider membership and that the organisation can meet its legal requirements. The more people who attend, the stronger and more democratic the organisation becomes. Please consider attending our AGM, even if you do not wish to be elected as a committee member. We need a minimum number of attendees in order for the AGM to proceed.

Register your interest via the sign up link.

volunteersignup.org/WT7KY

Larch Frozen Friday Organiser – Summer term

Each year, after the May half term, Larch families look forward to an ice cream sale after school, every Friday. We are looking for one or two people that are willing to take on the role of Frozen Friday Organiser.  You will be responsible for ordering and organising stock each week.  We also need a number of volunteers to manage the weekly sales both after school and at 4.45pm for after Explorers.  If you are able to help, please complete the sign up sheet as soon as you can so that we can see if the sales can go ahead again this year.

Organisers and helpers will be shown what to do, if you are new to helping with this. Thank you in advance – without your help, we are unable to offer Frozen Friday.

https://volunteersignup.org/WT7KY

Dates for your diary

A full calendar of events can be viewed on the school website.

• Mon 16th – Fri 20th Feb: Half term holiday
• Thurs 26th Feb: Y13 student consultation evening (in person)
• Mon 2nd Mar: Y11 core mocks start
• Wed 4th Mar: Y7 student consultation evening (in person)
• Mon 16th and Tues 17th Mar: Y10 Geography field trips
• Wed 18th Mar: PSA AGM
• Fri 20th Mar: Model United Nations Conference

Wishing you all the best for the week ahead 

Mrs Rachel Kirk and Mr Michael Moss (Co-headteachers)

Friday 30th January

Co-headteachers’ welcome

There is nothing more important within our Simon Balle community than all we do to support our young people to feel safe and to belong. We know that where this is achieved – which, of course, is aspired to for 100% of our students and their families – young people have the very best of opportunities to achieve and to thrive, academically and holistically, and to be prepared as ‘tomorrow’s citizens’, ready to be successful in the next stage of their education and lives when they leave us. We invest in our positive, calm and unique culture and ethos at Simon Balle each and every day, because together – students, families, staff and leaders, governors and trustees – we are best equipped to support and challenge our young people to be the best they can be. We make no apologies for having high expectations, always supported in a multitude of ways. 

An important part of this is in our ongoing work to proactively promote a culture in which bullying is never accepted, and indeed, always addressed. You will have seen a letter from Mr Pooley in the autumn term whereby this year we are using the ‘United Against Bullying School Alliance’ to underpin our analysis and actions. A huge thank you to you all, as surveys in the autumn term have had a very high return rate – this ensures that our understanding of student experiences are accurate, and that we can target our next steps – as we are never complacent – with precision. More will follow in a standalone letter, but we would like to celebrate the following headlines here: 

• 200 responses from parents/carers, sharing that 91% of parents agree or strongly agree that their child is safe at school; 85% of parents feeling that their child truly belongs with us; 85% of parents knowing how to report any bullying concerns. 
• 110 responses from staff (teaching and support staff), sharing that 98% of staff agree or strongly agree that students have a sense of belonging with us, 99% that students feel safe. 95% feel confident in understanding how to prevent and respond to bullying. 
• 761 responses from students, Years 5 – 13. 86% say that they always get on well with their teachers; 87% say that there is never any physical bullying; 91% say that they are never treated meanly online. 

We are always open to learning and to improving, thus we commit ourselves to: 

• Further and clear communication with parents in relation to how we strategically define bullying and our approach to educating and dealing with bullying. 
• Whole-school assemblies, Spring term 2026, to support students in fully understanding our restorative practice and communication: for example, with the defined stages in place to support both victims and perpetrators. 

In particular, please do support us with our upcoming Children’s Mental Health week! We are raising vital funds for Herts Mind Network, ensuring that mental health support is available to everyone in our local community. Our theme – 12 -reminds us that we don’t need to fix everything at once. Whether it’s 12 minutes of mindfulness, 12 reps of an exercise, or checking in on a friend at 12 o’clock, small efforts added together make a huge difference. Much more to follow in terms of our specific plans!

A huge thank you for everything you all contribute to ensuring that Simon Balle is a happy and safe environment for all of our young people. Our partnership between home and school is so valued. When students belong and thrive, the world is opened to them in relation to academic, and ambitious, possibilities of every kind.

Year 9 Preferences

It was wonderful to see so many families on Wednesday for the Year 9 Preferences evening. The rooms were buzzing with excitement,  there were lots of great questions being asked and the teachers were delighted to share their passion for their subjects. It was encouraging to see the year group thinking seriously about their futures, considering careers and looking ahead to the next stage of their education.

Next Steps: Please ensure you complete your forms following your guided pathway. If you have any questions regarding the process, or the pathway you are guided to, please email: y9preferences@simonballe.herts.sch.uk

You can also view the Preference Information Booklet 2025/26 and the assembly presentation slides on the Year 9 Google Classroom or click the following link to see just the information booklet: Year 9 Preference Booklet 2025/26

Submission Process To ensure all choices are entered correctly, I need to check the forms personally with each student. Therefore:

• Forms must be handed directly to me (Miss J Green) in my office.
• Please do not hand forms to form tutors or other staff.
• I am available before school, at break, lunch, or after school.

Deadline: Monday 23rd February (This is the first day back after half term).

You are also welcome to hand your form in any time before this date. Any necessary follow-up meetings regarding preferences will be arranged in March.

Thank you,

Miss J Green 

Head of Year 9

Staffing

We are writing to inform parents and carers across our all-through community that we are delighted to welcome Mrs Patrick, who will be joining us as SENCo from the start of the Summer Term 2026. Mrs Patrick is an experienced SENCo, having worked both within school settings and the Local Authority, and we are very much looking forward to her becoming part of our Simon Balle All-through team welcoming her breadth of knowledge and expertise in this important area of school life. 

As many of you in our Larch community will already be aware, Mrs Raven, Primary SENCo, will be going on maternity leave at the end of this half term. She will return next academic year further reinforcing and widening the expertise in our all-through SEND team once again.

Over the course of this week, Miss Mizon, Assistant Headteacher, and Mrs Raven, Larch SENCo, will be in contact with parents of children with SEND in our Larch community to organise meeting times with Mrs Patrick. They will also share details of an upcoming coffee morning where parents will have the opportunity to meet members of our all-through SEND team, including Mrs Patrick.

We look forward to welcoming Mrs Patrick to our Simon Balle All-through community and wish Mrs Raven the very best with her forthcoming maternity leave.

Please click here for our latest Careers Opportunities blog, which includes: 

• Government Social Research: 2026 degree apprenticeships
• Buzzacott: 2026 accountancy and business apprenticeships
• Virtual work experience with Google

SEND

If you would like to speak to a member of our all-through SEND team, please schedule a virtual appointment of up to 15 minutes by using the following link: Virtual SEND Team Appointments

Big Schools’ Birdwatch

On Monday 26th January, a team of secondary school students took part in the Big Schools’ Birdwatch which is a nationwide research project that helps the RSPB to monitor how British wildlife is doing throughout the country.

We observed the wildlife on the school playground, school field and woodland. We saw a variety of common species such as the blue tit, robin, black-headed gull, carrion crow and jackdaw. We also saw some more unusual birds such as the song thrush, redwing and pied wagtail. Two grey squirrels were spotted chasing each other around a tree and we enjoyed seeing a fresh white carpet of snowdrops in the woodland. 

Our results were submitted to the RSPB to be added to their national data. Well done to the birdwatching team!

Calling our Larch bakers!

The House Leaders are launching a Valentine baking competition. Please bake a Valentine treat, take a photo of it and email your photo to Ms Cannon. The winners will be announced in the House Leader assembly after half term. The deadline to enter is Monday 23rd February. Please email your photos (with your child’s name and class) to: cannonh@simonballe.herts.sch.uk. Many thanks and good luck!

Please enjoy our Musical News 8 – so much to celebrate!

Harry Potter Quiz

We have the annual Harry Potter quiz for secondary school students in the secondary library on Thursday 12th February.

Larch Wet Play Games

We always aim for the children to go outside during break and lunch, however in particularly poor weather conditions children spend time in their classrooms to play with their friends. If you have any spare games at home that you would be happy to donate for children to use during indoor play, please drop them to the Larch office. Please ensure any games dropped off have all parts, are in good condition and do not have any electrical parts requiring batteries. This could include card games such as Uno and Top Trumps, Lego and other traditional board games that can be played at tables.

Parent Staff Association

Spring Music events – bar support needed

Spring is a busy time for the secondary music community with the Concert Orchestra’s Music Prom on 13th March followed by Big Band on 14th and in April the Brass and Wind evening on 25th.

The PSA likes to support these wonderful evenings by running a licensed bar.  Are you able to help? Sign up here.

Annual General Meeting advanced notice: 18th March

An AGM (Annual General Meeting) is a meeting held once a year where we come together to review what has happened over the past year, including finances, reports, and key  decisions. It is also a chance to elect committee members and discuss plans for the year ahead. We plan to hold our AGM on Wednesday 18th March in the secondary library, meeting at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

Good attendance at the AGM is important because it ensures decisions represent the wider all-through community and that we can meet our legal requirements. The more people who attend, the stronger and more democratic our organisation becomes. Please consider attending our AGM, even if you do not wish to be elected as a committee member. We need a minimum number of attendees in order for the AGM to proceed.

Register your interest via the sign up link.volunteersignup.org/WT7KY

Dates for your diary

A full calendar of events can be viewed on the school website.

• W/b 2nd Feb: Y10 assessment week
• Wed 4th and Thurs 5th Feb: Y11 pathway meetings
• Wed 4th Feb: Y11 performance clinic
• Fri 6th Feb: Y10 ELSA careers day
• Mon 16th – Fri 20th Feb: Half term holiday
• Thurs 26th Feb: Y13 student consultation evening (in person)
• Mon 2nd Mar: Y11 core mocks start
• Wed 4th Mar: Y13 student consultation evening (in person)

Wishing you all the best for the week ahead 

Mrs Rachel Kirk and Mr Michael Moss (Co-headteachers)