We are delighted to be able to share with you Reception’s wonderful performance of ‘The Twinkly Nativity!’. This will be available for you to download until the 19th. We hope you enjoy watching it with your family!
What an amazing term it has been! Full of music and celebration!
Thank you for all of the ongoing support - communicating with us, celebrating our concerts, celebrating your students, following along with us on this journey! You are a valued part of Team Music!
Merry Christmas from Team Music, and we'll see you in 2024 for much more music!
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Fortnightly Focus | Reading Music
Enjoy our latest Musical News! Lots to celebrate! Found via the link in our bio!
#music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #simonballebigband #readingmusic #musiceducation #hertfordshiremusic
This coming Tuesday - 13 Bands are performing. Our Popular Music Team are so brilliant at nurturing bands with confidence and team work. We are one all-through musical school!
#teammusic #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #hertfordshiremusic #musiceducation #hertford
We are so proud of everyone in Team Music. Our musicians are incredible. Please watch and see what we achieve. We are on musical all-through school.
#teammusic #simonballemusic #simonballeschool #simonballeallthroughschool #hertford #musiceducation #hertfordshire #hertfordshiremusic
Concert Takeover!
Enjoy the highlights from the Wind and Brass concert!
#music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #simonballemusicalhighlight #simonballeconcertband
It’s been quite an action packed month of sport with our second edition of Inter-House Sport taking place as well as competitions in Swimming, Football, Netball, Rugby and Netball. Please see below for an in depth look.
Inter-House Sport
Last week saw our second inter house sport event of the year with fantastic levels of play in both the football and netball competitions across year 7-10 groups. Students enjoyed competing for their houses with many students writing out detailed team sheets and tactics ahead of each day. See the results on the link below and we look forward to our next inter house event in the spring term!
Extra-curricular programme
Please see below our extra-curricular sports programme for the upcoming Spring term. Other than swim club, students can attend on the day without signing up. You will also notice that we have an action packed Saturday fixture football card. Our key events in Athletics are the District Sportshall Athletics which we host. This will include around 20-25 of our Year 9 & 10 sports leaders running the event at Wodson, this will be a great experience for our students as well as the opportunity gain vital employability skills in the process. We also look forward to the District Indoor Athletics Championships on Monday 22nd January, where we will be attending with a strong team of Year 7-11 students. Lots to look forward too and please visit the sports pages for more information on upcoming fixtures – https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/sport/
Football
Year 7 Boys went through to the last 32 of the National Cup. They were able to hold up against a very strong Woodlands academy side with the first 40 minutes of the game being end to end. Max F was then able to finally beat their keeper with 2 fantastic strikes at goal leading to a final result of 2-0. Now looking forward to the 6th round in the new year where we face one of either St Ivo’s or Northampton school for Boys.
The U14 girls played the third round of the county cup against a very tough side Ridgeway Academy. The girls conceded early on in the game but battled hard in the weather conditions to bring it to 2-2 at half time with goals from Emily and Tilly. With it all to play for in the second half the girls managed to get a last minute goal by Aidan to bring the game to 3-3. Unfortunately the girls lost 3-5 on penalties, but it was a performance to be proud of. We look forward to the District cup in the new year.
Y7 Girls before their County Cup game earlier this month
The Year 11 boy’s have had a fantastic start to the season showing real potential within the national cup however we came up against a very strong side from Kingsford Community School. After an 80 minute battle it only came down to 1 goal against us from a well drilled side. In the final minutes of the game we applied the pressure and had plenty of opportunities to equalise however their defensive line was very strong and able to hold us out. The side are now looking forward to the District cup starting in the new year.
Senior Boys victory
The senior boys football team are through to the quarter final of the county cup after beating Tring School 4-1. The whole team played really well but a special mention has to go to Ellis M for his hat trick from centre midfield. The other goal scored by Alfie P on his debut for the Senior team. The quarter final will be after Christmas against either Merchant Taylors or Beaumont school.
Hockey news
Hockey training has been well attended with the addition of boys training. We are looking forward to the boys fixtures beginning after Christmas and entering the county tournament again at the end of January.
Netball News
The year 8s have been working hard at training despite the cold, wet afternoons. The A team have been competing in the county cup and had a tough semi-final game against Presdales. The team showed excellent resilience and determination against the strong side. There were moments of brilliance in the through court attack, demonstrating good speed and timing. However it was an unfortunate loss which meant we were knocked out of the country cup league. The A and B team also played Presdales again in a friendly fixture. The A team showed excellent progression and narrowed the gap in the score line compared to the previous game. Maya T showed excellent composure and dominance in attack. The B team had a closely contested game. It was fantastic to see Lila T play GD and get numerous interceptions and tips, despite playing out of position.
We have had to rearrange our friendly fixture against Chauncy so we look forward to taking them on in the new year.
Rugby News
Over the past month Year 7 & Year 8 teams have performed very well on a weekly basis.
Last week both teams played against Haileybury College, with the Year 7 team winning convincingly, this being their 4th consecutive victory and now look forward to Herts and District competitions during the Spring term.
The Year 8 team came back from 4 tries to nil at half time to draw the game 20-20, with tries from Jack T, Maxwell R (2) & Ben H. It was a great performance from the team and a great end to their school rugby season.
Swimming News
We had our first friendly gala of this academic year last Friday and it was great to see some excellent swimming across the year groups from our Simon Balle students.
There were some excellent individual swims; Sadie won her freestyle and butterfly races. Toby won his butterfly race. Zara won her butterfly race and Rex won his butterfly event too. We had some 2nds in breaststroke and backstroke for Willow, Matilda in breaststroke, Lilia in breaststroke.
The year 9/10 girls team won their freestyle relay and the senior team won the medley relay with the year 7 and 8 girls and boys teams both coming 2nd. The teams were made up of the following students, a massive well done to you all:
Rex, Alfie, Owen, Emily, Lilia, Frez, Annabel, Olly, Harry, Charlie, Toby, Zara, Abi, Willow, Matilda, Sadie. We have the District galas coming up in March!
Swimming club for all abilities is on Monday mornings during term time 7:40am – please see Mrs Castle if you would like to attend.
Finally we wish you all a happy Christmas from the PE & Sport Department and we look forward to a sporting 2024.
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas…
It has been incredible to see our community in action in support of one another at this very special time of the year. From the most inspiring Reception nativity performance, to our sixth form leaders supporting musicians and readers in preparation for our Carol services: so many Simon Balle values from patience, kindness, compassion, responsibility and resilience are evident. The all-through shines where all years combine, from the Herts Young homeless Santa Dash (Year 4 and sixth form); the Frost Fair with leadership evident from Year 6 sports leaders to sixth form business students; donations of gifts to future Living and goods to the food bank; to our raising of over £1,700 for Save the Children through Christmas jumper day; and to the traditions of this festive season shared further as we move into the last week of term – including Christmas lunches. We believe passionately that students will achieve great things – academically and in the widest sense – when they belong to our community; evidence of this is in abundance this fortnight.
A huge thank you to all students for their dedication with assessments at this time of year, particularly to our Year 11 students during mocks and our Year 13 students in preparation. With students in all year groups, Year 1+, following assessments we will be focussing on the quality of the feedback we give – research shows the importance of formative feedback so that students can see areas to now target where there are gaps in knowledge, or areas to develop skills, or misconceptions to be identified and resolved. It is much more important that we support students to understand these – as these will lead to future gains – rather than focussing on raw scores or grades alone. Any questions, do stay closely in contact with us.
As you read the newsletter below, you will see that once again there is so much to celebrate – from Inter-house sports, to sixth form internal and external applicants for September, and we thank you for your parental partnership with online and in person parents’ evenings, as well as your support for many enrichment trips and events: including Year 4 Narnia evening, Year 12 Art trip, secondary theatre trip to the Mousetrap and the theatre coming to us in the Larch (Jack and the beanstalk). A very exciting Year 10 STEM day is still to come next week.
And finally, at the end of this first team of headship, Mr Moss and I would like to thank you all for your continued support to ensure that we are all deeply proud of our all-through school. It is a special place to work and to learn – and it is a privilege to lead our dedicated and specialist staff team to motivate and support your incredible young people. Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, and a happy and healthy new year when it comes.
PE News
A full round up of this term’s sporting news will be published next week on the Sports blog, but we’ve included some photos of this week’s inter-house competition and a brief taster of what’s been happening.
This week both Year 7 Boys and Year 8 Boys teams played against Haileybury College, with the Year 7 team winning convincingly and the Year 8 team coming back from 4 tries to nil at half time to drawing the game. Both girls and boys football teams have had cup action, with the Y7 boys going through to the last 32 of the national cup, and the senior boys reaching the quarter finals of the Hertfordshire cup.
Pedagogy portal
Every academic year we work closely with the Alban Teaching School Hub and host trainee teachers who want to join our wonderful profession. If you are interested in teacher training or even want to know a little more; do get in touch with the school or the Alban TSH. This week’s portal contains the views of a current trainee and their journey and pedagogy practice so far, whilst training at Simon Balle. We hope it inspires you to get in touch and perhaps use the Alban TSH to train at Simon Balle All-through School.
https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/pedagogy-portal-train-to-teach/
Sixth Form practice interviews
Sixth Form enrichment over the past few weeks has focused on interview techniques for Year 12 students. It has been great to see so many young people supporting each other as they reflect on their own skills and experiences. In preparation for these mock interviews, students were asked to research an employer and prepare their CVs as well as responses to interview questions. We were lucky to be supported by over 20 fantastic local employers, who willingly gave up their time to support our students with their career development.
“Gaining real world interview experience was so useful. The verbal feedback from my employer was so helpful. He gave me a number of targets to help strengthen my CV and future applications.” Sam, Year 12
Library News
It has been a busy term in the Simon Balle libraries, culminating with today’s Jólabókaflóð (Book Flood) and Christmas Bingo. You can read more about all the events that have been taking place by visiting the Library Blog.
Spotlight on Phase Three
Over the last few weeks, Year 5 have been designing their Christmas cushions and have just started to create them in class. They have all shown resilience with their sewing skills and creativity with their designs.
In English, Year 6 have been enjoying reading Skelling and applying their skills of persuasion by writing an advertisement to sell houses. Last week they impressed us with their incredible poems based on the main character.
PSA News
The Frost Fair was enjoyed by many visitors, and thanks to the incredible support from our school community, it is estimated that we raised an outstanding £8230! Funds raised will support both phases of the school. A huge shoutout to our dedicated students who selflessly volunteered their time to make this event unforgettable. Special thanks to Chirp, shystudio, and Edwins for their fantastic sponsorships, and a heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. Major for her generous donation.
Unwanted gift appeal
‘Tis the season of giving, and while we appreciate the love and thoughtfulness behind all the festive gifts, we’re embracing a fun twist this year! If you find yourself with an unwanted Christmas gift that’s been waiting for a new home, we’d be absolutely delighted to take it off your hands. Your generosity will fuel our exciting plans for prizes, raffles, and PSA fundraising endeavours in the upcoming year. Drop off your donations at either school office, marked “FAO SBPSA.”
Larch UV Party
Get ready to glow, Larch families! Tickets for the much-anticipated UV Party for years 1 to 6 are now on sale via the PSA website! To join the neon fun, hop onto the website and make sure to register then patiently await admin approval to complete your checkout, if you are new to the website. Don’t miss out on this luminous extravaganza – tickets will be on sale until Friday January 12th. Get your glow on, Larch! See the UV Party Poster here
Support for families
A coffee morning is being held on Monday 15th January by SPACE for parents with children who have a diagnosis of ASD or ADHD or are on the pathway to a diagnosis. They are a local charity who offer support to families who are neurodiverse. If you would like to attend please contact vivashk@simonballe.herts.sch.uk to reserve your place. You can read more about this on the county website, or watch a summary of the information on YouTube.
Family Lives are delivering a range of online support for families living in Hertfordshire. Please take a look at their Facebook page and the two flyers for more information.
- https://www.facebook.com/FamilyLivesHertsandBeds
- Herts Within my reach flyer
- Herts Parenting SEN Children Through Separation
Jedidiah on Fore street is a wonderful free fresh food pantry, helping the people of Hertford who are feeling the cost of living crisis to fill their fridges and feed themselves and their families. The pantry opens every week day from 12-1pm and all are welcome to come along and help themselves to the array of fresh food donated by our local supermarkets.
Careers News
Please click here for our latest careers opportunities blog. This edition includes links to the New Unifrog online courses (available to all students in Y7 – 13). Click here to access the new careers section on the school website which includes:
- Links for students and parents
- Careerometer and Skillometer to help students explore different careers
- Links to Local Market Information
- And many other useful resources
Holocaust memorial Day visit to St Albans Cathedral.
Holocaust Memorial Day is commemorated nationally on 27th January 2024. This year we have been lucky enough to secure 50 tickets to the St Albans commemorative event on Tuesday 30th January. The trip will take place in the afternoon and students will be returning home to school around 4.30.
This is a fantastic opportunity where students will be able take part in a number of workshops focused around the Holocaust and the events that preceded it. The highlight of the visit will be to listen to a presentation from a Holocaust survivor and then have an opportunity to partake in a Q&A session. This trip is currently open to Y9, 11 and 13 and has proved very popular. We do however still have 6 spaces still available. The trip costs £13. If you would like further information on the trip then please contact Mrs Page on pages@simonballe.herts.sch.uk who will be able to give you more information and arrange payment.
Don’t forget!
We break up for the Christmas holidays at 12.00pm on Thursday 21st December. We return to school at normal time on Monday 8th January.
Between now and Christmas
There are still a few events taking place between now and the end of term:
- All week: further work is being done on the changing rooms, so secondary students need to come into school wearing PE kit on the days they have PE (apart from Y7 and 8 on Tuesday 19th).
- Monday 18th December: Y8 STEM day (drones)
- Monday 18th December: Secondary carol service, All Saints Church, 1900-2000
- Tuesday 19th December: Y7, 8 and 12 visit All Saints for the carol service in the morning (full school uniform required). Secondary Christmas Dinner (there will be no other food service at break or lunch, so those that have not bought a ticket for the Christmas lunch will need to bring a packed lunch)
- Tuesday 19th December: Larch carol service, All Saints Church, 1800-1900
- Wednesday 20th December: Larch students visit All Saints Church for the carol service in the morning. Y10 Stem day (rockets)
After Christmas
- Monday 8th January: Y11 Business trip information evening, 1800, Main Hall
- Wednesday 10th January: Sixth Form History and Politics Berlin trip information evening, 1800, Main Hall
- Wednesday 10th January: Y6 SATs information evening, 1800, Larch Hall
- Tuesday 16th January: Y6 STEM day (experiments)
- Wednesday 17th January: Y11 Tate Modern trip
- Tuesday 23rd January: Y11 parents evening (face to face)
- Friday 26th January: PSA UV Party after school – details to follow
- Thursday 15th February: Y4 Roman Britain Workshop
Wishing everyone in our community a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Rachel Kirk and Mr Michael Moss (Co-headteachers)
Train to Teach – Initial Teacher Training at Simon Balle
“Approaching the start of my training was definitely something that had me very nervous, but the moment it began almost all of those nerves melted away. You learn so many interesting new methods and techniques to bring forward to a class and get the opportunity to really develop your own style of teaching within an environment where you receive constant constructive and useful feedback – as well as being supported in every aspect you could need.
On the ‘Schools Direct’ route am I on with the Alban Federation, I am lucky enough to be provided with a rich curriculum every Wednesday which helps me understand the science of learning and informs my practice. I follow up this with conversations and targets with my School Mentor in my weekly meetings.
While the process is busy and you need to put a lot of hard work into the training, it always feels rewarding and satisfying to either see your plans come to success, or lay the foundations for your own development to improving as a teacher. I have thoroughly enjoyed my training so far and would definitely recommend it to others considering this path – especially within a school like this.”
Current Trainee Teacher at SBAS 2023/24
Please do visit the Alban Teaching School Hub and check out some great Train to Teach webinars.
Library News
It has been a busy term in the Simon Balle libraries. Well done to all students who have joined in with library events and activities and thank you to the Larch and secondary school library ambassadors for all their help this term.
Speakers’ Corner
Well done to everyone who has presented for Speakers’ Corner this term. We have had a variety of topics from transport and wildlife to the secret listeners of World War 2 and a review of Avatar The Last Airbender. Speakers’ Corner takes place in the secondary library at lunchtime on Thursdays. If you are in the secondary school and would like to do a Speakers’ Corner next term, please speak to Miss Iles.
Well-being Wednesday puzzlers
The puzzle team has been busy. We have completed seven 1000 piece puzzles this term. Well done team! We are now working on a Christmas puzzle.
If you have any suitable 1000 piece (or smaller) puzzles at home that you would like to donate to the school library, please drop them off at the secondary reception.
Music Monday
Well done to Ryan, Ziva, Naomi, Olive, Lucas, Benjamin, Ethan, Holly, Isabel, Amelia, Jamie and William for playing in the library this term for Music Monday.
Lunchtime piano concert
Well done to Ethan, Seren , Sophie, Dominic, Zoe, Lucas, George, Oliver, Ziva, Ethan, Vanessa, Benjamin, Hector, Sylvie, Orson, Edward, Lola, and Holly for their piano playing for the lunchtime piano concert this term.
Poetry Writing Competition certificates – A visit from Alice Hemming
The author Alice Hemming came into school to hand out certificates and prizes to the winners and runners-up of the poetry writing competition in year group assemblies.
Book Battles
Book Battles takes place on the 1st Wednesday of the month. Activities this term have included a very competitive duck race and some imaginative charades. We finished off the term with the very serious task of returning the tail to the Christmas donkey and the antlers to the moose.
Next term, the first Book Battles will be on Wednesday 10th January.
Larch students’ visit to the secondary school library
Some students from years 5 and 6 have been visiting the secondary school library and choosing new books to read.
Non-fiction November
Well done to everyone who read non fiction for Non-fiction November. The students who scored the most house points for Non-fiction November were Alisha, Summer, Vanessa and James and the record for the most Non-fiction November house points goes to Summer. Well done!
Book fair in the Larch library
From Monday 4th to Thursday 7th December we had the Travelling Books book fair in the Larch library. The fair has raised some money for the school which we can now spend on new library books. Thank you to the staff who helped out at the fair and well done to everyone who bought books.
FREE books for our school with Britannica Magazine!
We can benefit from getting £200 worth of FREE non-fiction books for our school library if we get 10 or more parents to sign up to any of Britannica’s subscription plans at www.whatonearth.co.uk which start at just £24.99 for six months.
Parents/carers can then enter the code SIMONBALLE in the discount code box at the online check out at www.whatonearth.co.uk. Once Britannica receives 10 orders from parents/carers using this unique school code they will send a £200 book voucher to the school.
Everyone who signs up also gets a FREE Britannica Encyclopaedia worth £25.
Gonville and Caius Medical Society Access Day – Y10/11/12
This year, Gonville and Caius Medical Society will be running an Access Day on 20th January from 10:00 through to the late afternoon. This day intends to introduce students to Medicine at Cambridge, with a range of different events running throughout the day. All these events will be held online, and students will need to register their interest if they wish to be considered for a place. Each session will last about 45 minutes and will give a comprehensive overview/insight into Medicine at Cambridge.
Overview of sessions running:
– Medicine at Cambridge Talk
– Personal Statements for Medicine Talk
– Interview talk (with general tips for medical school interviews)
– Admissions Assessments Talk
– Taster Lecture from Dr Fraser (Caius’ Director of Studies in Medicine)
– Q&A session with current undergraduate students
– Mock small group teaching session
To register interest, students must fill in the following form by midday on 8th January 2024. We expect that this will be a highly subscribed event, and as such cannot guarantee all students a place on the Access Day. Students can expect to hear the outcome of their application by 12th January.
Register of Interest: https://cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3JzUti1wQbeHZKm
This opportunity is open to students from Years 10-12.
We are pleased to share with you that the BAM UK Technical Apprenticeship Vacancy for 2024 is now open!
We are recruiting for approximately 50-60 new people to join us in Sept 2024. These include:-
Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Building Services Engineering
Scotland Graduate apprenticeships (Civil Engineering & Quantity Surveying)
Digital Engineering (Level 3 Programme)
All 3 adverts are visible here – apprenticeship 2024 job openings at BAM (bamcareers.com)
Technical programme next steps:
Roles will close on the 16th of Feb after National Apprenticeship week and Scotland will close 15th of March after Scottish Apprenticeship week. B
The Early Careers team will complete the first review of applications during this time.
Interviews and assessment centres will follow in March and April with support from the business with a view to offer in May.
Job of the week – MyPath:
https://www.mypathcareersuk.com/job-of-the-week
Excellent resource for students to explore a wide range of different careers
Fix Auto Apprenticeships – Year 11 and Sixth :
Fix Auto UK are are looking for motivated, passionate candidates looking for an exciting, prosperous career in an essential industry. This is a full-time role with guaranteed employment on completion of your apprenticeship. You will be earning while you learn – earn money and gain valuable skills enhancing your future career opportunities with personal support throughout. These fantastic opportunities are
open to EVERYONE.
We are recruiting for technical and non-technical apprentice roles within the industry.
Apprenticeships include:
Multiskilled Accident Repair Technician (Paint, Panel and MET) (Level 3)
Vehicle Damage Paint Technician (Level 3)
Vehicle Damage Panel Technician (Level 3)
Vehicle Damage Mechanical, Electrical and Trim Technician (Level 3)
Parts Advisor (Level 2/3)
Fix Auto UK Apprentice Programme run a Pre-Employment Programme (PEP) to ensure that we find “perfect candidates”. PEP aims to ensure that we uncover motivated, passionate and employment ready young people, but also to make sure you feel this is absolutely the right career destination for you. By completing the PEP, you will have a great understanding of the apprenticeship role, the industry and your potential future employer.
What next?
If you would like more information or you are interested in taking the first steps into a prosperous,rewarding career please email jwatson@fixauto.co.uk. We will then be in touch with more information about Apprenticeships in your area!
Spotlight Opportunity: Discover Apprenticeships with Virgin Media O2!
Speakers for Schools: Sign up to our #NAW virtual workshop and empower your students to discover how they can propel their career with a Virgin Media O2 apprenticeship! With new apprenticeships being released all year round, the variety available is wider than ever. Whether your students want to be out and about helping customers, diving into the data that drives the business, or connecting communities through network expansion, there’s something for everyone. So join us on 8th February at 10am to meet current Apprentices and the Virgin Media O2 Future Careers team! Book on a group/class of students here: https://www.speakersforschools.org/discovery-workshop/discover-virgin-media-o2-apprenticeships-virgin-media-o2/
Featured Inspiration Broadcast
Speakers for Schools: Join us on Thursday 11th January at 2-2:45pm to hear about Dr. Veena Aggarwal’s journey as a GP Registrar and her dedication to lessening the NHS’ environmental impact. Veena has worked with the National Greener NHS team and dedicates time to educating fellow GP trainees, contributing to the Greener Practice network and promoting sustainable primary care. Explore how she combines her role with a passion for a green, more sustainable healthcare future. Register a group or cohort of students here: https://forms.office.com/e/AEH8arHe1j
Year 12 Students -University residential opportunity for STEM subjects
The Engineering Development Trust are still accepting applications for the Residential Insight into University Course but these will be closing on 31st January 2024. This is a fantastic opportunity for students in Year 12-S5/S6 to experience STEM studies at university and the career opportunities that these subjects can lead to. This course is recommended on the UCAS website as a tool to prepare students for higher education to make their application stand out.
Click here for more information
Unifrog – Courses
Unifrog have added a new tool to their website called ‘Courses’ – these are online courses you can complete to further your knowledge and understanding in a particular area. Current courses include (there are also many more online):
- The psychology behind memory
- How to start a business
- An introduction to film making
- Books that changed the world
If you are interested in starting a Unifrog online course, just log into your Unifrog account (all students Y7 – 13 have an account linked to your simon balle email address) and access the ‘Courses’ tool on your homepage.
Fully funded – virtual work experience
Speakers for schools are offering a wide range of virtual work experience opportunities – click here for further information
Featured Inspiration Broadcast: Speakers for Schools – Polar Marine Biologist
Join us on Thursday 14th December at 2-2:45pm to hear from Professor Lloyd Peck, polar marine biologist, and explore the wonders of icy ecosystems, cutting-edge research, and the thrill of discovery. Don’t miss this chance to have a peek at the science and hear about marine biology as a career! Register a group or cohort of students here: https://forms.office.com/e/ceGkWFyLFp
Spotlight Opportunity: Boots Camp is back!
I am excited to announce that we are working with Boots UK again, bringing back the National Boots Camp with another virtual progressive programme highlighting the different careers within Boots! Check out the attached flyer, as well as the links below, for more information!
▶ Watch this video to hear from students who took part in the last programme
📅 Save the date! 8 virtual sessions between 10th January – 13th March after school on Wednesdays from 3:30-5pm.
🔗 Follow and share this link for more information and to get involved!
“Inspiring” was the common word heard as many staff left the Main Hall after such a wonderful and informative day led by Tom Sherrington. It was an opportunity to provide teaching staff with time to further engage with strategic methods to “engineer professional learning processes” so that they are “effective and sustained” using Tom’s Walkthrus
The first session was about the core concepts of how students learn and why they might struggle. This, therefore, can provide Implications for responsive teaching. Tom was able to link all of this to our new Teaching and Learning Principles.
The session provided staff the chance to see how Walkthrus work to support professional learning. Specific Walkthrus such as ‘Cold Calling’ and ‘Signal Pause Insist’ were clarified. These are great methods to deeper the thinking of students. Tom also linked particular Walkthrus to our second school priority. We looked at how to consistently set high expectations, build positive relationships and use positive framing. This is how we use positive praise only to achieve potential outcomes. Finally in the session we discussed the power modelling has on students if used precisely by staff.
The second session was all about how we ‘check for understanding’ and Tom highlighted a number of Walkthrus related to questioning, retrieval and developing student agency. This was done through highlighting how we can develop vocabulary through strategies such as practice and quizzing.
Finally, Tom supported staff with actions to take into our team pedagogical briefings we have fortnightly. A lot of current research supports the impact of the ‘Team Coaching Approach’ and how we can use that to full effect at Simon Balle to self assess with the strategies and Walkthrus we are using to ensure maximum impact on students’ learning.
Overall, a truly inspiring day, allowing staff the time to professional develop and reinforce our drive to always want to be better in all we do.
Friday 1st December
Co-headteachers’ welcome
We hope that all were able to have a relaxing and happy long weekend. Certainly the students (and staff!) I have spoken with this week were pleased to have an opportunity to rest and recoup because it is a busy and exciting few weeks ahead, academically and in relation to so many wider community opportunities.
And so, first to reflect upon our open events for prospective students and their families in the last fortnight. Our sixth form open evening was busy and vibrant with our current sixth formers doing us proud in showcasing departments across our broad curriculum, giving guided tours and talking with such eloquence and confidence to both our current Year 11 and external students interested in Simon Balle. With more than 500 visitors to site, and a packed out hall for speeches, it was a privilege to share the success of our sixth form with so many. ‘More than just great A levels’ is what we are, and we received much positive feedback from students and parents visiting as they understood both our high expectations academically, and our extensive enrichment programme. Music, as ever, was front and centre with live performances and a packed out department to find out more about our music academy and its opportunities. Visitors commented too on the tangible ethos of care communicated by our students. Students make progress that is significantly above the national average if they join or continue their journey at Simon Balle, and a broad and ambitious curriculum, as well as a pathway to excellent future destinations is what we pride ourselves on. To find out more, and to apply for sixth form please visit here – applications must be in by 10th December 2023.
Similarly, as ever, it was a privilege to be showing prospective parents around the Larch on Wednesday. Parents commented on a calm and purposeful ethos; engaging learning taking place; support and challenge a-plenty; excellent relationships between staff and children, and children with one another; and the breadth and ambition of the curriculum exemplified. The Year 6 tour guides were incredible – every parent commented on their enthusiasm, their sense of belonging, their confidence, their pride. It is clear that we remain a school of choice – and across all of our three open events, a huge thank you to our Larch children for their music, and their tours.
Each newsletter we comment on enrichment – but each newsletter there is more to share! Much news is contained below from secondary phase geography field work to Year 6 Macbeth performances in London. Music concerts have spanned secondary strings and singing, secondary wind and brass, rock school, and a Larch extravaganza with both choirs, strings, wind and brass providing a lively and happy evening of music. Despite the darkening evenings, sports opportunities continue to abound – just this week we have been so proud of our Year 7 rugby team, and our Years 8-9 with hockey. Great performances, great values shown.
As you know from our pedagogy portal as a fortnightly focus on teaching and learning, we do not shy away from informing you as parents what we are doing to ensure that we sustain and further advance outstanding teaching at Simon Balle All-through school. This week, at our INSET day, we were privileged to welcome Tom Sherrington to inspire us all and set us on the next steps of weaving together his insightful work on walkthrus (teaching and learning guides) with our bespoke Simon Balle teaching and learning principles. We invest in excellent professional development to ensure that our students from 4 – 18 are taught consistently by subject experts who are passionate about the craft of teaching and learning together with their care for every student.
And finally, we look forward to so much coming up in the next few weeks. Firstly, good luck to our Year 11 students who are showing so much dedication to their learning. We wish them all the best on study leave and their mocks commencing soon. As the festive season comes once again, we welcome students and their families warmly to join us in so many events. Please do support us at The Frost Fair tomorrow (see below), and attend our Larch and/or secondary Carol services at All Saints Church, our Reception Nativity and much more. We hope that your children will enjoy all that we have on offer at this special time of year – please see below for a round up of dates.
- Saturday 2nd: PSA Frost Fair
- Thursday 7th: All-through Christmas Jumper Day
- Wednesday 13th: Reception Nativity Play
- Thursday 14th: Y12 Herts Young Homeless 5K run
- Friday 15th: Secondary Book Flood in the library
- Monday 18th: Secondary Carol Service
- Tuesday 19th: Secondary Christmas lunch
- Tuesday 19th: Larch Carol Service
- Thursday 21st: Early finish (12pm)
Christmas dinner
We hope that as many students as possible will join us for Christmas Dinner this year. A letter regarding dates and cost has been sent to all parents (primary and secondary). Tickets must be purchased via ParentPay by the end of today (Friday 1st December).
Frost Fair this Saturday
Get ready for a frosty fiesta at the upcoming Frost Fair tomorrow (December 2nd, 12-4pm)! Your presence will make it truly special.
A quick reminder that our event’s magic is fueled by volunteers. A heartfelt thank you to those who’ve already signed up! Your support means the world. To those still considering, it’s not too late to join the festive fun – lend a hand and be part of the jolly crew!
Check your existing sign ups, look for empty slots and sign up here.
Let’s make this Frost Fair the best one yet!
Christmas Jumper Day
Please join us in supporting Save The Children on Thursday 7th December. Make a donation via the link and then wear your Christmas Jumper to school.
https://christmas.savethechildren.org.uk/fundraising/CJD230032080
Parent Staff Association
Exciting news awaits! Elfridges (Larch Secret Shopping) and the KS1/2 UV Party tickets will soon be on sale. To join the festive fun, you need to register on the PSA website first. The process is simple. However, your registration will need to be manually approved by admin before you can checkout. Register today for a smoother checkout experience.
If you are able to volunteer at events such as these, please join our volunteer database.
Link to UV Party Save the Date
Food Bank collection (Herts and District Food Bank) OOD BANK COLLECTION FOR HERTS AND DISTRICT FOOD BANK:
From Monday 4th December until Tuesday 14th December, the Year 12 House Leaders will be collecting donations in our Primary and Secondary phases for our local food bank in Hertford. Providing families are able to donate, the following items would be gratefully received:
- Cup of soup packets
- Jars of sauces
- Tea and coffee
- Tinned tomatoes
- Spreads such as jam and honey
- UHT milk
- Long life juice
- Tinned meat/fish/veg
- Biscuits
- Tinned fruit/custard/rice pudding
- Toilet rolls
Students may leave their donations in their classrooms/form rooms, and secondary students may take their items to the sixth form resource centre.
Many thanks in advance!
Library news
Jólabókaflóð (Book Flood) and Christmas Bingo
Celebrating the Icelandic Christmas tradition, bring a book from home as a gift and hand it in to Mr Belsey and Miss Iles any time from Monday 4th December to Monday 11th December to collect a Book Flood ticket. Then join us at 1:25 pm in the library on Friday 15th December for the Book Flood: there will be Christmas bingo, Christmas music, and books to read and take home. Students should speak to Mr Belsey and Miss Iles if they would like to attend the Book Flood but are not able to bring in a book as a gift.
Book fair in the Larch
The Travelling Books book fair will be returning to the Larch library between Monday 4th December and Thursday 7th December. During the fair, the books will be available in the Larch library for students to browse. Here is a wish list document that students may bring into school and use during the school day if they wish to write down the books they would like to buy. Parents/carers can then view students’ book choices when they take their wish lists back home with them. Alternatively, you can browse the books online. The book fair will be open to parents from 3:15-3:45 pm each day from Monday 4th December to Thursday 7th December. Please note that the book fair will be cash free.
If you would like to purchase any of the books you can either 1) pay for the books using a bank card and this QR code in the Larch library during the fair or 2) pay for the books online at home and then collect them from the Larch library during the fair.
To make payments please use the following link: www.travellingbooks.co.uk/pay. Then in the ‘Find your school’ search box, please type in the following number: 16903841. Please bring evidence of the book order and payment.
(You will not be able to purchase books until Monday 4th December.)
Piano concert on Thursday 23rd November
Thank you to the students from the Larch and secondary school that played the piano for the lunchtime concert in the library. Well done to Ethan, Seren, Sophie, Dominic, Zoe, Lucas, George, Oliver, Ziva, Ethan, Vanessa, Ben, Hector, Sylvie, Orson, Edward, Lola, Holly and Charlie for your piano playing.
Pedagogy Portal
On Tuesday’s INSET day we were fortunate enough to have Tom Sherrington work with our staff to help develop our School Improvement Priority around ‘Walkthrus’. Tom (the author of ‘Teaching Walkthrus’) works with schools and colleges providing support on curriculum, assessment and the quality of teaching and learning. He is a regular speaker and contributor to conferences and education festivals. We were extremely fortunate to spend time with him and the portal this week shows what he went through with staff during the INSET day.
https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/category/teaching-learning-news/
Careers
Please click here for our latest Career Opportunities Blog. This has a range of different opportunities for students in Year 11 -13 including CISCO work experience and virtual sessions with TFL, Lloyds and the RAF. You will also find some free resources for primary and secondary school students.
Please click here for a really useful document regarding current trends in the labour market.
Musical News
Head over to the Music pages to read about November’s Musical News
Volcano Day
It was great to have Y9 showing off their volcano creations last week. The whole year group took over the hall to showcase their models, cakes and artwork created as part of the tectonic hazards topic in Geography. The pictures here show a small selection of what was on display. You can also see how excited the Larch students were to find out about what the older students had been up to.
Harry in Year 9 reflected on the day:
“Volcano Day is a yearly event at the end of the volcano section of year nine’s tectonic hazards topic. During this topic, we have learnt about the earth’s structure and what benefits and negatives this causes for us. One of the hazards that is caused by the earth’s formation and tectonic plates are volcanoes. As this has been a key area of our topic, for volcano day we were given the opportunity to make a model, piece of artwork, cake or explosion and bring it into school to show other students and our teachers. We also got the opportunity to show this year’s creations to some of the younger years at Simon Balle school, who have also been learning about volcanoes. Volcano day was a fun, informative end to our topic and was a fun way to learn more.”
Y12 Geography field trip to Manchester
The Y12 Geographers have been exploring Manchester this week. They have interviewed BBC staff about the corporation’s move to Media City in Salford, attended a lecture at the Etihad about stadium-led regeneration in the east of the city and carried out fieldwork in a variety of locations around the city centre.
DofE “Making a difference”
The school has been running the Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme for the last 2 years, in that time we have helped many local causes through the volunteering aspect of the award.
It was so nice to receive a letter from the Manager of Hertford Library about three of our students and how impressed he was. He went on to say: “They have been polite, punctual, engaging, friendly and have built nice relationships with the children and staff at the library. The parents have also given me glowing reports about how much their children have enjoyed the club and look forward to coming every week, they have been as impressed as we have with how the boys have gone about running the club”
We would also like to thank Jonathan, Jack and Soham for entering into the true spirit of DofE, reinforcing the core values of the school. If you are interested in The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme we will be looking to recruit the next cohort around February 2024 (information to follow).
Health, wellbeing and safeguarding
What parents need to know about…
Please click here to find out about supporting children to deal with upsetting content.
Physical Education News
It’s been a fantastic month for Sport at Simon Balle across Football, Rugby, Netball and Hockey. You can read all about this in our latest blog post.
In relation to PE kit, we no longer are using Stevenson’s for PE kit and for this year have moved to ProSportskit.
The white polo top is no longer available and for this year (2023-24), if necessary you can purchase a Simon Balle PE T-Shirt as an alternative option. The information below can be located on our website.
PE kit is now available to order from ProSportsKit http://simonballe.deco-apparel.com/
- White and green PE top
- Black shorts or skort
- Green rugby socks
- Shin pads and gumshield
- Football / Rugby Boots
- Optional Extras: (from ProSportsKit – http://simonballe.deco-apparel.com/)
- Simon Balle Black Midlayer
- Simon Balle Shorts
- Simon Balle Black Leggings
- Simon Balle Tracksuit Bottoms
Year 11 Outdoor activities Trip
During the past couple of weeks, our Year 11 OCR Sports Studies students attended an Outdoor Activities trip to Harlow. Students completed 2 activities which were the High Ropes and Kayaking. This was part of their course and they were assessed on the practical skills as well as their knowledge and understanding of using equipment safely. Our students behaved impeccably and were a real credit to the school displaying resilience and courage in abundance.
Learning in the Larch
Reception: In Reception the children have been learning about doubling in Maths, using numicon to support their understanding. The children have also enjoyed the story of ‘Not A Stick’ and have done some brilliant writing with their own ideas, as well as being very creative during child initiated learning with what they can create!
Year 1: Year 1 have continued their hard work in Phonics as they learn more Level 5 sounds, and have focused on doubling and halving in Maths this week. They have also been learning about Advent, and have made a fantastic class Advent wreath!
Year 2: The children in Year 2 have been working hard on writing brilliant poems based on ‘The Sound Collector’. It has been wonderful to see the children use a variety of wonderful language to describe all of the sounds they have collected.
Year 3: It has been fantastic to read so many brilliant fables written by Year 3 this week. Taking inspiration from well-known Aesop fables, the children have taken those familiar stories and morals and turned them into their own original versions. When writing them, the moral was ‘slow and steady wins the race’ as it kept children focused which helped them take their time on each element of writing.
Year 4: In PRE, the children in Year 4 have been focusing on the Christian faith, learning about Advent. They were learning about the significance of the candles on the advent wreath and what each part symbolises. This continues their learning on the significance of a range of symbols from different religions.
Year 5: Over the past two weeks, Year 5 have been looking at how recent redevelopment has changed Hertford and how it has impacted local residents in their Geography lessons. In English, they have been working hard creating cinquains (small poems).
Year 6: Last week we were blown away by the courage and determination shown by all Year 6 pupils at the Shakespeare festival in London. We are so very proud of all of the efforts you put in and it well and truly paid off.
Year 6 SATs information evening
We would like to invite Year 6 parents/carers into the Larch for an information evening to give you more details about the end of KS2 SATs and the year ahead. We highly encourage you to attend, and in previous years have had near 100% attendance. We look forward to seeing you in the Larch hall at 6pm on Wednesday 10th January.
Larch Survey results
Thank you to all parents and carers for your invaluable feedback. We will endeavour to respond to all specific individual questions and below have responded to more general questions raised.
Some key statistics we are proud to share:
- 98% of parents/carers would recommend Simon Balle to others.
- 98% of parents/carers said their child is happy at Simon Balle.
- 99% of parents/carers said their child feels safe at Simon Balle.
- 98% of parents/carers said the school deals effectively with bullying, or that they don’t know as their child has had no experience of this.
- 98% of parents/carers said the school makes sure children are well-behaved or they’re unsure as they’ve not had any experience of this to comment.
- 91% of parents/carers feel the school has a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
- 95% of parents/carers are aware of what their child will learn during the year.
A selection of quotes from some of our families:
Thank you for ensuring that my daughter is not only being well-educated through your exceptional curriculum but will also graduate from the Larch as a well-rounded individual by exposure to the value system reiterated throughout the curriculum and school.
A truly wonderful school whose core values are event in their pupils and teaching staff. My children are thriving both emotionally and educationally, I couldn’t be happier.
We are constantly impressed by the standard of education, the range of activities available and the way progressive independence and choices become available as your child develops.
How do I find out what my child is learning this year?
In September we held information sessions for each year group that outlined the curriculum for the year and shared these slides with families- please let your class teacher know if you’d like this to be reshared. On our school website, our curriculum maps are plotted so you can see what your child will learn in each term, but also if you would like to look into a particular subject you can get more information as well as what they will learn in future years.
https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/curriculum-years/
https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/curriculum-overview/
When will I hear about my child’s progress?
We have plotted our parent evenings for Autumn to discuss settling into their new year group and targets for the year ahead, as well as another before May half term to summarise progress so far and any final targets to work on for the final half term. Your child’s annual report will be with you in Spring term (around half way between the two parent evenings), which will outline in more depth the specific strengths and areas for development in each core area and the wider curriculum. Spreading these progress updates to once per term means that enough time is given to work on their areas of development. Your child’s class teacher will be in touch if there are any concerns their progress has slowed down, however if you have any questions please speak to your child’s teacher and they will be happy to give you more information. Your child’s weekly dictation is also completed in their home learning book for you to see on a weekly basis.
Each year group has either workshops, assemblies or performances throughout the year- please look out for more information! We also look forward to inviting parents into the Larch for our annual summer open celebration evening where your child’s work throughout the year will be celebrated.
Why are parent evenings held virtually?
Feedback from our School Cloud system has been overwhelmingly positive, with 92% of parents reporting that they find it easy to navigate. Parents have informed us that the virtual evenings are useful as it means that families can attend appointments more easily with flexibility from home or work, appointments are held promptly with no risk of them running late, and more than one parent can join from different locations. On the rare occasion there is a technical difficulty, we are able to follow up with a phone call to ensure no information is missed. As always, please catch your child’s class teacher on the door at home time or drop an email to larch@simonballe.herts.sch.uk if you have any questions about your child’s learning.
Parents and carers of children with SEN
In September, your child’s student profile was shared, and progress will be reviewed and updated in January, and will be shared with you.
A reminder for all that the first point of contact (both for learning and pastoral wellbeing) should be your child’s class teacher/form tutor. Beyond this, please reach out to the heads of year and/or primary phase leaders. If your query is specifically in relation to SEND, please book a Calendly meeting in the first instance using this Booking link.
Term dates reminder (this year)
We will be breaking up for Christmas at 12.00pm on Thursday 21st December. The new term starts on Monday 8th January.
Term dates for this year and next year can be found here on our website.
The assessment and reporting schedule can be found here on our website.
Wishing everyone in our community a positive and fulfilling fortnight ahead.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Rachel Kirk and Mr Michael Moss (Co-headteachers)
Secondary Carol Service 2023
Please click on the below image for more details.
Larch Carol Service 2023
Please click the image for more details
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Fortnightly Focus | Reading Music
Enjoy our latest Musical News! Lots to celebrate! Found via the link in our bio!
#music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #simonballebigband #readingmusic #musiceducation #hertfordshiremusic
This coming Tuesday - 13 Bands are performing. Our Popular Music Team are so brilliant at nurturing bands with confidence and team work. We are one all-through musical school!
#teammusic #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #hertfordshiremusic #musiceducation #hertford
We are so proud of everyone in Team Music. Our musicians are incredible. Please watch and see what we achieve. We are on musical all-through school.
#teammusic #simonballemusic #simonballeschool #simonballeallthroughschool #hertford #musiceducation #hertfordshire #hertfordshiremusic
Concert Takeover!
Enjoy the highlights from the Wind and Brass concert!
#music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #simonballemusicalhighlight #simonballeconcertband
