March Sports Blog

28th March 2024Daire Brennan

It’s been a fantastic month for Sport at Simon Balle with so many students representing the school across a variety of sports. Our Year 9 & 10 students have yet again been involved in Sports leadership events across County and District Athletics and Cross Country events, officiating and leading at their usual high standards. Thank you to all who have volunteered their time. March has also been a very busy month for Saturday football with successful block fixtures against Roundwood Park, John Warner and Sir John Lawes schools.

In the Larch, congratulations to our Cross Country teams, Football and Netball teams who have had a great term. In Cross Country, at the recent district competition, four teams came 1st, four teams came 2nd with the school finishing first overall. In Netball and Football, both Y5/6 teams have reached finals which take place after the Easter break.

Finally, please find next terms extra-curricular programme by clicking on the following link – Summer Term – Sport extracurricular programme 2023_24

Please see below for a comprehensive round up of the months Sporting successes.

Year 10 Boys – District Football Champions

Last week the Year 10 Boys played in the District Cup Final v Robert Barclay Academy. It was a very tough game but the boys worked extremely hard and battled superbly. Playing some great football they managed to take the lead but were pegged back and the full time score was 1-1. After a stalemate in extra time the game went to penalties. The students showed real courage and determination to step up and take penalties (10 out of 11 players had to take one) And we were successful winners 8-7 on pens.

The Year 9 Boys team again made the final of the District cup final looking to retain their title. Unfortunately, this year, despite the boys best efforts Richard Hale won the game and became the new district champions. A great achievement for this team to make the final 2 years in a row. Hopefully they will be able to repeat this again next year.

Both Year 7 & 8 teams also made semi finals, however the Year 8’s were beaten by a strong Chauncy team and the Year 7’s lost a close battle against Richard Hale.

The Senior boys Football team has had a very good year. Making 2 semi finals in the District and County cup. Unfortunately, in the county cup we were beaten by a very strong Sir John Lawes team who will most certainly be favorites to win the competition. In the District cup the team were unlucky to lose on penalties but should have won the game in normal time. We will rebuild the team next year with a number of the boys leaving us to move onto university, jobs or apprenticeships. We wish them all the best of luck in their future careers

Year 7 Girls – District Football Champions

On Wednesday 16th March the Girls had their last Football fixture of the year, The District Cup Final. The girls faced a tough side in Chauncy, who had also won their group stages to make the final. With a few girls out with illness the girls had to step up and play an unfamiliar line up and formation. Despite this, one minute into the game the girls scored their goal after a fantastic through ball. Confidence was high and within 10 minutes the girls were then 2-0 up. Chauncy had some great chances through on goal and managed to slip one past our keeper making it 2-1 at half term. Going into the second half the girls were keen to put away some more goals after hitting the crossbar twice in the first half. Goal! A fantastic follow up from Annabel secured a 3-1 lead. Chauncy came back feistier and had a few great chances but nothing our defence and goalkeeper couldn’t handle. The girls battled hard right til the end and won 5-1, with Annabel scoring a Hatrick in the second half. A thoroughly deserved win for the girls who had narrowly missed out on the county cup final earlier in the season! The PE department are very proud of the girls and their achievements this season, we look forward to next season as U13s!

District Swimming

On Friday 22nd March, Year 7-11 students competed in the annual District Swimming Gala Championships which was held at John Warner Pool. We have a very talented group of swimmers and also some tough competition from Presdales, Leventhorpe and John Warner. We came 1st place in 13 out of 21 races. Many swimmers were also competing against swimmers a year older due to the age groups being mixed.  Both boys teams won their relays and the girls teams both came 2nd. Particular praise needs to be given to Lilia T (year 8) who swam up an age group against swimmers who were in year 9 and 10 and still won her individual breaststroke race and Harry B who had some strong competition but still kindly offered to swim 2 legs of the relay due to an injury and helped the team win both their relays! Winners of the races are listed below. Also a big well done to Harry, Frez, Willow, Ollie and Emily P who all came 2nd in their races. 

I was very proud watching you all and thank you for your commitment to attend and compete on a Friday evening! Well done to all swimmers! 

In addition to this, after the gala, Zara R went on to another gala to represent East Herts District at the County Gala and she got a bronze medal in the 50m Butterfly! 3rd fastest in the county!  Amazing Achievement.

Harry B also attended the county gala and got a personal best time!

1st place medal winners: 

  • Owen L, year 7 – boys 50m Freestyle
  • Lilia T, year 8 – girls 50m Breaststroke
  • Toby G, year 10 – boys 50m Breaststroke / boys 50m Butterfly
  • Rex T-W, year 7 – boys 50m Butterfly
  • Alfie H, year 8 – boys 50m Breaststroke
  • Amelie J, year 7 – girls 50m Backstroke
  • Ethan G, year 8 – boys 50m Backstroke
  • Zara R, year 10 – girls 50m Butterfly
  • Year 7/ 8 boys won both their freestyle and medley relay – Rex, Alfie, Owen and  Ethan
  • Year 9/ 10 boys won both their freestyle and medley relay – Ollie, Harry and Toby.

Netball News

Y10 Netball Final

The girls traveled to Herts and Essex School for the final of the county plate competition. It was an amazing achievement to reach the final and the team didn’t disappoint with the performance they put in. After taking an early lead Herts and Essex proved to be too strong and despite fighting until the final whistle Simon Balle finished as runners up. 

Y8 Netball District Tournament

On Tuesday 19th March the year 8’s competed in a district tournament entering both an A and B team squad. The A team played some difficult matches but progressed well throughout the event working better together as a team as the matches went on. The team showed excellent resilience, especially those playing out of position. Overall the A team came 4th in the district, playing a round robin competition.

The B team played excellent in the group stages only losing one match which qualified them for the semi final. The team showed great movement and speed, winning the Semi-final. They played Chauncy in the final which was a really well contested game. The team showed excellent patience and fearlessness in defense meaning they won the final by one goal. Therefore the B team are district champions in the B team competition!

Players of the tournament were Erin H, Chloe P and Bella L.

Year 7 had their District Netball Tournament on Monday 25th March. After it being rescheduled once due to rain, the girls were excited and ready to compete! Both teams had some strong competition throughout their tournament. 

After an initial defeat in our first game against Leventhorpe we pulled together and made some positional changes which enabled us to come back and we beat Broxbourne. We narrowly lost our last game by just 2 goals against Presdales. All girls played really well and showed great resilience, teamwork and effort. Well done. 

Player of the Tournament for the A-Team: Lola W and Hope A 

The B team also had a great district tournament and in their round robin had some tough games but also won some games too. They put 100% into every game and Charlotte B (a sixth former who kindly offered to manage and umpire for the team) reported how much effort the girls put into the games and how well they played. 

Players of the Tournament: Jessica and Emily  

Y9 Emerging Schools Netball

On Wednesday 13th March, the year 9 girls netball team entered the emerging schools’ netball tournament at Wodson park. There were 8 teams in the round robin competition. The girls had a good start, winning their first game convincingly. Out of the remaining 6 games, we won 4 and lost 2 (gaining a single point for getting over half the opposing teams’ score). The girls secured 3rd place overall.

This Girl Can

Last week, a group of Year 7 students attended the ‘This Girl Can’ festival at Wodson Park Sports Centre, accompanied by their Year 9 mentors.

The day consisted of three sessions focused on developing confidence, teamwork, and trying new activities. The girls learned how to play two new emerging sports, pickleball and spikeball. 

The students were also fortunate enough to meet Paralympic Athlete Kylie Grimes, a triple Paralympian of the London, Rio and Tokyo games. Kylie became the first woman to ever win a Paralympic Gold medal in Wheelchair Rugby when GB beat USA 54-49 in the final at Tokyo 2020.

World Champion Inline Skater and ten time British Champion, Jenna Downing, where students heard how she overcame the challenges she faced in her sport growing up.

‘This Girl Can’ is a great cause, funded by the National Lottery, and believing there is no “right” way to get active. The girls’ attitude throughout the day was fantastic and they came away feeling excited to start a club of their own back at Simon Balle, to encourage other girls to engage in fitness and sport.

Rugby News

In March we changed to 7’s rugby and for Year 7’s it was 10-a-side. Our U16 and U12 teams both competed at the prestigious Herts U16 7’s tournament and U12 10’s tournament this month. 

The Year 7 Boys had a fantastic start to the tournament beating Longdean school, unfortunately we then faced our toughest opponents of the year- Berkhamsted, and Watford Boy’s in back to back games. We finished the morning in 4th place in our group which was an excellent result for the team.

The U16 boys got off to a great start against JFK scoring winning by 4 tries. The boys then had close contests against Queen Elizabeth Boys and St Clement Danes, just losing out by one try. A special mention to Charlie O for his fantastic leadership of the team as well as Simon Balle player of the tournament Stanley M.

Basketball News

It’s been an excellent term of basketball for the Year 7 boys squad. It has been really encouraging to see a committed group of players training after school weekly and making such good progress. The development each boy has made both individually but also as part of the team has been very pleasing to see. The team are unbeaten this season and with one game to go are currently top of the district league. Notable victories have been against Richard Hale and a very strong Broxbourne side who really tested us in the final few minutes of the game but we showed great composure to win by 8 points. The boys have learned so much from each game and a comprehensive 56-26 victory last week against Chauncy showed just how far this group of players have come in such  short time

The Year 8 Boys team put in a spirited performance away against Chauncy this week in their final game of the season. Well done to all of the players who have played this year.

The Year 10 Boys have had a good month playing against Goffs and Chauncy. The boys were coming off the back of a good win against Richard Hale, when they faced Goffs at the start of the month, just losing out 25-18, however we had 2-3 debutants which was a fantastic experience for the boys to represent the school. This week the boys played Chauncy, whom they have had many close contests and this time was no different. After a strong start from Simon Balle who were 26-14 ahead, Chanucy managed to come back to within 3 points, however through the strong tactical leadership of Lucas N, the boys won out in the end by 55-51 in an excellent game.

The Year 11 Boys faced Chauncy school in a very close battle, finishing 24-26. All in the team put in their all, closing down Chauncy within the last quarter scoring 12 of our points. It has been excellent to see the boys attending training session and enjoying playing basketball throughout their time at Simon Balle.

Inter House Sport

Our third inter house competition of the year took place this week with all students from years 7 to 11 participating in their form groups. Boys played hockey and girls played football with some excellent, competitive matches being showcased across the week. Results are below:

Year 8 Boys: Year 8 Girls:
Winners – New Winners – Lea
2nd – Beane 2nd – Ashbourne
3rd – Lea 3rd – Beane
4th – Rib 4th – Mimram
5th – Ashbourne 5th – Rib
6th – Mimram 6th – New

 

Year 9 Boys: Year 9 Girls:
Winners – Rib Winners – Lea
2nd – Mimram 2nd – New
3rd – Beane 3rd – Rib
4th – Ashbourne 4th – Beane
5th – Lea 5th – Ashbourne
6th – New 6th – Mimram

 

Year 10 Boys: Year 10 Girls:
Winners – New Winners – Lea
2nd – Ashbourne 2nd – Mimram
3rd – Lea 3rd – Ashbourne
4th – Beane 4th – Beane
5th – Mimram 5th – New
6th – Rib 6th – Rib

The second half of the year 7 competition has been postponed until after Easter due to the weather.

Orienteering update

Peter Palmer – Orienteering

Last September, I got invited to a national orienteering event by my orienteering club, South East Orienteering Association. The event is called Peter Palmer and is made unique by the fact that the race starts at 5am in the morning. Funnily enough, I had the first leg, which was around 6 km on a direct route, and I had to wear a head torch for most of my leg due to the lack of visibility.

The race was held at Stowe House which offered very special terrain and features. Despite its potential though, there were some issues with some of the symbols and notation used on the maps which only added to the difficulty of navigating in the dark.

The event is comprised of two relays that happen simultaneously and each race is made up of a team of around 6 from each region. In the end, we managed to achieve outstanding times and win the race my team was competing in.  (by Bors F in Year 10)

A great effort by Bors and his team. We are very fortunate to have such talented orienteers at Simon Balle and we wish them the best of luck for the rest of the season. 

 

Newsletter 12

25th March 2024David Ayres

Friday 22nd March

Co-headteachers’ welcome

As we dust off our tennis rackets and bring out the cricket pads from the garage we can reflect back at a fantastic term and look forward to an exciting summer term ahead. Although the summer weather is not upon us we are certainly able to benefit from the lighter evenings.

Last week we were pleased to announce the opening of our new MFL block. This is a replacement building for our dilapidated mobiles and they look amazing. We did an official opening with students across our all through school, our MFL department and members of our governing body. A special thanks goes to our Business Manager, Haydn Walsh for his vision and tenacity in pushing this build over the line. This is all part of future proofing and providing the very best learning environment for our teachers and students.

We have had several enrichment activities over the last few weeks. From our Spanish trip in Year 8 and 10, our sixth form in Berlin, our politics students attending as delegates at the Model United Nations to Year 2 on a trip to Windsor. Within school we also had a ‘awe and wonder’ week as our science staff took over the assemblies. It is hard not to be excited about learning opportunities across our all through school!

In the next academic term we again have yet more wonderful opportunities. Year 12 are on work experience for a week, Year 7 are off to Bawdsey Manor and Year 8 and 10 are off to France. There are, as usual,  numerous musical and sporting activities for your children to participate in. We all know the impact this has on mental health and positive wellbeing.

Finally the new term for many will signal the final preparations for the public exams starting as early as mid April. A big thank you goes out for all the hard work by staff in preparing our students to do their very best. Our students have worked really hard and we wish them our very best!

Simon Balle’s Got Talent!

On Monday 25th March, at 6pm, we are hosting our first talent show! We have an array of talent on display, from musicians, to drama performances, dance, and much more! Please come and support our students. 

Tickets are now available through the parent portal and will be on sale until 3 hours before the show. They must be purchased in advance, and are a bargain at just £3!

https://simon-balle-payments.co.uk/

Go to Make a Booking, then Music Events. Please select the correct event – Talent Show! Tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis and are unreserved. You will receive an email confirmation.

Library News

There’s lots happening in the library at the moment. World book day was celebrated right the way across the all-through school, our regular Speakers’ Corner and Music Mondays have been taking place, and there’s a host of exciting events coming up to celebrate Easter.

Click on the posters above to see the upcoming events, and then read about everything in the latest Library News blog post.

Please click here for our latest careers opportunity blog. This edition includes:

  • Film
  • Medicine
  • Construction
  • Sustainability
  • University bursaries 
  • Career as a pilot

Sixth Form

Red Nose Day Football – rain or Shine

The annual Sixth Form Charity Football match to support Red Nose Day was another highly entertaining match. We had sunshine, a VAR decision, rain, a dramatic last minute goal, more rain and a penalty shoot-out following a 2-2 draw.

Well done to all the students that participated and thank you to Mr Prendergast for officiating and everyone else that came to support and remained until the very end.

UCAS Excel Trip

Year 12 students had the opportunity to engage with a number of next step providers as they begin to consider life after A Level study at Simon Balle All-through School. Following weeks of enrichment preparing for the event, it was great to see students interacting with universities such as @rncmlive and employers and asking those all important questions as they continue planning their destination after Sixth Form. Our staff enjoyed upskilling themselves and learning more about the opportunities available and making connections with @ucfbuk @unioftheartslondon and the @dysoninstitute to support the careers provision at Simon Balle All-through School.

A Level Politics Conference

A Level Politics students attended a conference last week where they heard from a range of speakers across the political spectrum including politicians from Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Reform UK.   The conference finished with the hosts of the Rest is Politics podcast, Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell, answering questions from the students about current political events. The speakers touched on so many aspects of our Politics course including whether the voting system for general elections needs to be reformed, policy differences between political parties and the protection of human rights within our political system.

Year 12 Next Steps Evening

On Thursday 21st March we held our ‘Next Steps Evening’ for Year 12 students and parents/ carers. Annabelle Bullock from Hertfordshire University delivered a talk focusing on University applications, labour market information, improving employment prospects and finance and funding for university applications. We also discussed our internal next steps programme and the support provided to all students in year 12 for apprenticeship and university applications. We hope that the evening was informative and has given our Year 12 students the motivation to start exploring their next steps in more detail. 

Arts Ambassadors

Thank you to all those students who applied to become Arts Ambassadors. We were really impressed with the range of skills and knowledge of different art, craft and design techniques. Congratulations to the following students who will represent the all-through Creative Arts:

Freddie, Chloe, Jack, Alec, Aluna, Albert, Callum, Cara, Gemma, Mya, Isabelle, Eloise, Grace, Sophie, Issachar, Jessica, Csongo, Lottie, Isabella, Carolina, Christina,  Kaiyah, and Lila  – As Larch Arts leadership role.

 

Look out for the House World Arts Day information via student email next week. This is due on the first day back after the Easter break on Monday 15th April. Arts ambassadors will collect them in morning form in the Larch and any submissions in secondary can be delivered to the main reception before morning form. A selection chosen by the ambassadors will be submitted for the underpasses in the local community.

Science Week

The Simon Balle community had a wonderful time supporting this year’s British Science Week! The theme this year was ‘time’. In the Larch, all year groups were able to participate in exciting assemblies led by Mr Davison and the secondary Science staff, which included some fascinating experiments. Years 3-6 also had a session called ‘Ask a Scientist’ in which Mr Davison was really impressed with the quality of questions and answers. Year 5 also had the opportunity to visit the secondary labs and use bunsen burners for the first time! The Larch Science team are really looking forward to seeing the children’s entries for the Poster Competition, winners will be announced in due course! Please take a look at our social media pages for some brilliant photos capturing all the excitement of British Science Week.

Learning in the Larch – Phase 1

It has been another few weeks of amazing learning in Reception and Year 1!

Reception have been reading the story ‘Jasper’s Beanstalk’ and learning all about plants. We have even planted our very own runner beans, and will be keeping a diary to record our observations as we watch them grow! We continue to develop our outdoor area and the children have been really enjoying the new resources introduced so far… watch this space for our launch after Easter! The children are learning important skills to carefully look after our resources and how we tidy up responsibly. We hope this continues at home! 

In Year 1, the children have been thoroughly enjoying learning about shape poems, and we have been using our senses to explore fruit to inspire writing our own poems. We are learning all about ‘Who Were the Greatest Explorers?’ in History, and the children have been fascinated by the explorations of Captain Cook, Roald Amundsen and Captain Scott. Finally in DT the children are designing and creating their own ‘fabric faces’, and we have been so impressed by their sewing skills!

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, please use the following booking link: Booking link

STEM Update

Last week we launched the Industrial Cadets Programme for Year 9 students. Industry mentors from Glaxo will be coming in every Thursday to support students with their projects. Students have chosen the following project titles: My school is an island and A theme park for the future.

A group of Year 12 students have built a drone with a falcon attached, which is designed to deter seagulls from visiting the school grounds. Below are some images, illustrating their work to date.

If you would like to get involved, please come to S8 on Thursdays after school, 3:10pm – 4:10pm.

Secondary Dinners

From Tuesday 26th March we will be sending out automatic alerts on ParentPay every Tuesday and Thursday for students with a dinner money balance in arrears.

Students’ accounts are allowed to be overdrawn by £5.40 (equivalent to a meal deal for two days) to give two days’ grace for account balances to be topped up. If you do receive an email alert, please make sure that you top up your child’s account as soon as possible to ensure that their account is in credit.

If you would like to receive low balance reminders before your child’s account becomes overdrawn, you can set this up on your individual ParentPay account on this link (requires logging into your account before clicking the link). Instructions on how to set up low balance reminders can be found on the ParentPay website by clicking on the ‘Help’ link at the top of the screen, then choosing ‘Managing Your Account’ in the knowledge base, and then choosing ‘How to set alerts’.

PE News

It’s been an incredibly busy March already for Sport and PE, with still many more fixtures to go. We have had much success across Football, Netball, Basketball and Rugby as well as a ‘This Girl Can’ trip and the continued great work from our Year 9 and 10 Sports Leaders. 

This week we have had our Year 10 Girls play in the County Netball final against Herts & Essex School. There are 3 teams in District Football finals with the Senior team still in with a chance of reaching another final. The Year 7 Boys Basketball team are currently unbeaten in the District league with one game to play.

We’ll be publishing our Easter Sports Blog on Thursday, and this will include Inter House Sports results, an update on the District Swim Championships, as well as next term’s Sports extra-curricular programme.

Parent Staff Association

Slice of Summer – Raffle donations needed!

Our summer and winter raffles have been tremendously successful over the years.  We are looking forward to launching the summer 2024 raffle next term but need your help.

Are you or your company are to able to donate a prize or sponsor the raffle?

Previously, we have given away ipads, spa days, hotel stays, gift vouchers, afternoon teas and lunches, theatre vouchers, experiences, uniform vouchers and more.

Please get in touch if you can help us! 

psa@simonballepsa.org.uk

Slice of Summer, 13th July – Sponsor search

Is your business in the position to sponsor our summer fair?

Does your company offer Match Funding? It is an easy way to boost fundraising efforts!

Can you donate a star prize to the Summer Raffle?  All donations will be well received.

Please email psa@simonballepsa.org.uk

Interested in taking a pitch at the summer fair? Join our Stallholder Database to express your interest.

Larch Frozen Fridays

Traditionally, each Friday after the May half term, the PSA offers ice cream sales to Larch families.  This is a much enjoyed treat for the warmer months but can only happen with a good number of parent helpers.  If you are able to support sales on a Friday between 3-3.30pm, please sign up to a slot via this form. 

Thank you in advance.

Dates for your diary

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

  • Monday 25th March:  Simon Balle’s Got Talent 
  • Monday 25th March: Years 3,4,5 and 6 Cross Country at Hertford Rugby Club
  • w/b 25th March: House sports
  • Thursday 28th March: last day of spring term (finish at normal time)
  • Monday 15th April: first day of summer term (start at normal time)
  • Tuesday 16th April: Y8 France trip
  • w/b 22nd April: Y12 Work experience
  • Tuesday 23rd April: Y8 parents evening (virtual)
  • Wednesday 24th April: Gym and Dance display

Wishing everyone in our community a happy Easter

Yours sincerely,

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

Library News #5

21st March 2024Rosemary Iles

Easter Events in the Library

National Reading Champions Quiz

On Friday 22nd March, the following 8 students are representing the school in the National Reading Champions Quiz. Well done team!

  • Jemima – year 9  
  • Charlie – year 9  
  • Vanessa – year 8 
  • Christos – year 8  
  • Isshi – year 7  
  • Yahya  – year 7  
  • Megan – year 6 
  • Zoe – year 6

 

Get Caught Reading

Well done to everyone who has been caught reading in the library so far!

Get Rewarded for Reading

The end of term results will be announced during the last week of term and the awards will be presented in the celebration assemblies.

Speakers’ Corner

Well done to Thomas and Kieran for their informative and engaging Speakers’ Corner talks this half term. Kieran spoke about the 777 and its production and Thomas spoke about his trip to Malaysia. 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.

Music Monday

Well done to Ethan, Ziva, Amber and Ryan for playing the piano and to Noah for playing the guitar in the library this half term for Music Monday. If you would like to play the piano or guitar in the library next term for Music Monday, please speak to Mr Lovell, Mrs N Iles or Miss R Iles.

World Book Day

World Book Day (Thursday 7th March) was celebrated throughout the week.

*The Larch Book Swap on Friday 8th March was full of excitement as students in all year groups had the opportunity to choose a book to take home to read. Thank you to everyone who donated books. 

*In the secondary library on Thursday 7th March we had a book themed Bingo. Well done to the winner, Maxwell!

*Throughout the week students across all year groups attempted the Guess Who quiz which was quite a challenge! Members of staff had submitted their favourite children’s book along with a childhood photo of theirs and students had to guess which member of staff went with each book and photo! Thank you to all the members of staff who sent in their childhood photographs.

Musical News – March 2024

20th March 2024Heather Morgan

Welcome back!

Being proud of our musicians is a daily occurrence at Simon Balle. Every day they never fail to amaze. Surprises, musical achievements, laughs, great music, amazing stories.

This is purely as a result of our ethos and hard work. Hard work from the musicians and you at home. Without your help at home, our musicians would achieve nothing. Without you listening to practice, celebrating, coming to performances and taking an interest, the musicians would be nothing.

Music is a team effort. In every way. When one member lets the team down, the team is affected. It is, above all though, something that requires very hard work. Commitment.

We live in an age where almost everything is instant, achievable, and gratifying, and if it isn't, there's almost always an easy fix. Not so with learning music. It isn't easy, you have to persevere, and you have many ups and downs along the way. But, it's oh so worth it.

Enjoy the music. That your children create. With your support.

Mark Taylor

Director of Music

Music Exam Success

In February, students from Year 4 to Year 12 sat their Trinity Classical exams.

Preparing for and sitting the exam can be a daunting experience, but students rose to the challenge and their results reflect this!

87% achieved Merit or Distinction, which is incredible!

Click the Trinity logo for the results.

 

A Celebration of Brass

On Thursday, Brass players from across both the Primary and Secondary phase came together to showcase what they have been working on!

It was a brilliant evening with opportunity for inspiration! You can watch it here!

 

Last Thursday I performed at the Brass celebration evening in the Brass ensemble. I feel that it came together really well and everyone worked together very hard to produce lots of good music. My highlight of the evening is when I played a solo piece called Lucky to be me. It was such a confidence boosting experience and I am much more comfortable playing on my own in front of an audience.  

Millie, Year 10

Click in the top corner for more videos!

An Evening with the Simon Balle Big Band

Big Band Evening 2024 was absolutely amazing! To have each and every musician perform at the standard they achieved was incredible.

The team work, the musicianship, the sense of community, your enjoyment, people coming from far and wide and so much more. Younger musicians watching the older musicians, new musicians joining the experience. These are amazing students performing at such an incredible standard, working so, so hard. Everyone made a huge step up and grew that little bit more.
It was an utterly brilliant evening, and everyone should be so proud! Please enjoy the videos!

I played saxophone in Big Band 2 and violin in Senior Strings, accompanying the Big Band. This was my first Big Band Night, and the atmosphere was unlike any concert I'd been in before! The strings contributed to the sound and tone of the more jazzier Big Band pieces so much, I think the strings should do more with the Big Band. With barely any rehearsals, BB2 went smoothly, offering younger musicians a chance to perform in the Big Band Nights. I loved being part of some ensembles and listening to all of the Big Band songs - I can't pick a favorite! The night never seemed to end!

Holly, Year 8

Click in the top corner for more videos!

Year 2 Strings Training Celebration

Congratulations to our Year 2 String players who have completed their Strings Training Programme!

On Tuesday evening, our Year 2 String players showcased their achievement to parents, families and their peers with the support from Mrs Johnson and Mrs Nunn.

Strings is the very beginning of the musical journey in the Larch. Students pick to learn the Cello or the Violin, and begin working towards their Strings Training Programme!

All Year 2 players have been awarded their certificates, what an incredible achievement! We are really proud of our students!

You can watch the full celebration evening here:

Click in the top corner for more videos!

A Celebration of Singing & Secondary Strings

A wonderful evening full of music from a variety of ensembles!

Find our videos here:

 

Click in the top corner for more videos!

A Piano Evening

Another brilliant evening of music!

Mr Lovell's students came together for a recital evening in preparation for their upcoming exams.

 

Click in the top corner for more videos!

Our Instagram!

We are continuously posting updates over on our Instagram - from exam success to concert videos, to photos - follow us for all things Simon Balle Music here!

We are on Instagram

Get your tickets now!

Our Wind and Brass Concert is on Saturday 26th April at 6.30!

Postcards Travels from around the world!

A spectacular celebration with some musical surprises!

#music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #teammusic

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Get your tickets now! Our Wind and Brass Concert is on Saturday 26th April at 6.30! Postcards Travels from around the world! A spectacular celebration with some musical surprises! #music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #teammusic

Year 2 Students have been working hard at playing the song ‘Naughty Pussycat’ on the glockenspiel.

They have also been working on recognising the note ‘Middle C’ when written in music notation.

Great work Year 2, well done!

#music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #hertfordshire #mudiceducation #teammusic #primaryeducation

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Year 2 Students have been working hard at playing the song ‘Naughty Pussycat’ on the glockenspiel. They have also been working on recognising the note ‘Middle C’ when written in music notation. Great work Year 2, well done! #music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #hertfordshire #mudiceducation #teammusic #primaryeducation
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What's Coming Up?

We have so many upcoming events, including our spring term Rock Gig and a Celebration of Wind and Brass.

All information can be found on our What's On page!

Save the date! Our end of year celebration at Saffron is Saturday 6th July, keep an eye out for more details on the Saffron page (click the picture).

Many other events can be found on our What's on page: https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/music/whats-on/

 

Career Opportunities 9

11th March 2024Ciaran Prendergast

Childcare Apprenticeship Hertford

https://services.ucas.com/careerfinder/vacancy/25430/early-years-apprenticeship-at-busy-bees-hertford-hartham-park-level-3

 

Unifrog – Virtual Work Experience Week

In case you missed it, Unifrog are excited to be hosting our very first Virtual Work Experience Week on 1–5 July! For students who missed out on in-person placements, or those who wish to build their employability skills, this opportunity is a great way to connect with some top employers:

Hosts of Unifrog's Virtual Work Experience Week

Each day will be a combination of live webinars and time for students to complete a real workplace task through our Courses tool. To participate, students will need individual computer access to work through their task. They can watch the live webinars individually or in a group setting.

Registration will open soon.

 

 

Speakers for Schools – Free Virtual Online Work Experience 

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFgWrcGXkU/DtycRdW77kMpQi8TB9Qjrg/view 

 

Speakers for Schools – For the love of animals!

Across three days, Flamingo Land, Edinburgh Zoo, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and a final organisation, still to be announced, will take you on a unique virtual journey.

Students will hear from industry experts about their roles and the range of job opportunities working with animals, have a virtual tour of their sites, including getting up close with a polar bear and a giraffe as well as learning about behaviour studies and how zoos prepare for new species.

Application deadline: 19/04/2024

Dates: 29/04/2024 – 01/05/2024

Students aged 14-19 can apply directly through our experience portal – view the full advert here.

 

Speakers for Schools –  Pick of the Week:

Siemens Energy- Green Skills & Sustainability – Be a part of changing the world’s energy systems

Students will hear from professionals at different stages of their careers, who will share their experience working with circular energy, recycling, carbon footprint, and carbon emissions and their career journey to date. There will also be a CV masterclass, advice on work and home life balance and a session covering the importance of communication.

Application deadline: 16/05/2024

Dates: 13/06/2024 – 14/06/2024

Students aged 14-19 can apply directly through our experience portal – view the full advert here.

To see more fully-funded employer encounter opportunities, please click here: https://www.speakersforschools.org/work-experience-opportunities/

Featured Inspiration Broadcast:

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT WITH MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL/CADBURY

Join us on Tuesday 16th April from 10-10:45am to hear from Senior Food Scientist Martyn and his colleague Sophie as they help us unpack what working in the food industry can look like plus the variety of soft and hard skills you’ll need.

Register a group or cohort of students here!

To see more upcoming virtual broadcasts, please click here: https://www.speakersforschools.org/upcoming-broadcasts/

 

 

CallTime Careers Masterclass with Film & TV Director Stephen Woolfenden

CallTime and Stephen discuss how he moved into Directing from a career as an Assistant Director. Followed by a Q&A with the online audience.

Click here for more information 

 

Yr 12 Biology/ Biochemistry Opportunity

Fully funded summer school opportunity for your Year 12 (or equivalent) students.

Imperial Life Sciences Scholars is for students interested in studying Biology or Biochemistry (not Medicine or Biomedical Science) at university. It will take place online from 29th July to 2nd August. Further eligibility criteria can be found on the application form linked here.

This summer school focuses on academic enrichment and university preparedness, and supports the supra-curricular engagement that highly selective universities such as Imperial College London look for in student applications. Please see the flyer attached for more information.

It is our aim to support students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in higher education to take part in a summer school. As such, we’d particularly keen to receive applications from students from these backgrounds.

To apply, students should complete the application form as soon as possible and before the final deadline at 12pm on Thursday 2nd May.

I would be very grateful if you could share this opportunity with students who you believe would benefit from it, or with another member of staff who may be best placed to do so. If you would like us to keep in touch with you about the summer school, then please fill out this short Microsoft Form to register your interest.

 

 

Careers as a Pilot Webinar (21st March)

Very excited to share that we have been able to schedule a HOP Webinar to explore the career of an Airline Pilot. We will be joined by Quamar Quazi – a First Officer with British Airways next Thursday (21st March) who will share his experiences in engineering, the RAF Cadet Forces and now as a commercial pilot.

Registration is now open (and further details attached – via HOP. https://www.hopinto.co.uk/virtual-employer-encounters/virtual-employer-encounters/

 

GENERATION THREE RIVERS: SUSTAINABILITY CAREER FAIR

oin us at Three Rivers’ first ever sustainability focused careers fair! This exciting free event is aimed at residents interested in sustainability, engineering, construction, low-carbon technology and environmental conservation.

Meet with over 20 exhibitors spanning a diverse range of sectors, and learn about the employment and training opportunities available right here on your doorstep.

Take the first step towards a fulfilling new career, fit for a greener future.

This event is led by Three Rivers District Council in partnership with Hertfordshire Careers Hub and HOP, part of Hertfordshire LEP.

https://www.hopinto.co.uk/generation-careers-fair-hub/generation-three-rivers-sustainability-career-fair/

 

Year 13 – Black Bullion National Scholarship Week

National Scholarships Week is back, and in 2024, the week will be dedicated to transforming the perception of scholarships in the UK. Our goal is for scholarships to be viewed as something to strive for. It is time to move away from the UK’s stigma that scholarships are ‘hand-outs’ rather than prestigious opportunities that have been earned.

Click here for more information 

 

Bridge to a Career in Construction

Bridge to a Career in Construction is a unique, pre-apprenticeship programme run by The Talent Foundry in partnership with Mace Group – a global expert in shaping the built economy.

Click here for more information 

 

Medicine virtual work experience 

This course provides a ‘virtual’ work experience for those looking to apply to medical school. You will be introduced to the NHS before exploring the roles and skill sets of six different medical specialists. Along the way, you will also consider some of the challenges and wider issues doctors face.

Click here for more information 

 

Careers in Sustainable Construction

Next Thursday’s (14th March) HOP Webinar will focus on Careers in Sustainable Construction and the huge array of roles and future opportunities required in Hertfordshire within a Construction setting to help achieve ambitious Net-Zero targets. Modern methods of construction require young people and those already in the work place to understand how environmental sustainability effects the way that properties are constructed and maintained. This webinar could appeal to any young people that:

  • Have an interest in any construction trades or more general roles such as surveying, planning and project management.
    Have a passion for environmental sustainability

Click here for more information 

 

Newsletter 11

8th March 2024David Ayres

Friday 8th January

Co-headteachers’ welcome

Welcome back to Spring 2! We do hope that everybody had a restful and enjoyable half term, despite quite a lot of rain across the UK! I am reliably informed that the next time we will experience a sunset before 5pm will not be until October 27th 2024 – I am sure we are all looking forward to longer and lighter days, and the promise of all that spring will no doubt bring.

Hope is such an important value for us at Simon Balle All-through School, and yet this value can be so hard to teach with news across the world at this time difficult to read, to comprehend and certainly to explain to our young people. Yet, of course, young people bring a hopeful outlook to every new day – their smiles, their commitment, their ambition and more. ‘Creating tomorrow’s citizens today’ could never be more important and I am delighted to bring a glimmer of what is going on pastorally, right now, across our all-through school in the opening to this newsletter: 

  • On Friday last week, an insightful Talk and performance – Drug Education, Mental Health and Healthy Lifestyles – for Years 7 – 10
  • Broadening horizons  is always a focus – a wonderful Berlin history trip for A level students last week, an enriching Hertford museum trip for Year 3 linked to their Stone age learning, and, OCR sports students focussing on outdoor activities, just to provide a few examples
  • Our Duke of Edinburgh programme offers so much from volunteering and community to the independence and skills with expeditions – we currently have 136 participants, 100 bronze, 21 going from Bronze to Silver and 15 undertaking their Silver expedition
  • Our full programme of careers guidance is well and truly in swing – Royal Navy activities for Year 9 provided enjoyment and inspiration last week
  • We recognise that each students’ own pastoral journey will include times where a little more support is required, and we are here to spot that early and to intervene. We currently have over 50 students with 1:1 mentors through our MCR pathways investment, and we ensure that trusted staff across our all-through school are mental-health first-aid trained (15 at present) and with time to support with age-appropriate interventions, including drawing and talking in the Larch phase
  • We are excited to welcome the Mental Health Schools Team to our school and you will have received a separate letter outlining the support that they will be providing. 
  • We know that when our young people engage with fulfilling activities, they are, quite simply, happier. We refer regularly through our assembly programme to the 10 keys to happier living to support our young people to make positive choices here. With just a couple of examples, please see  the Larch sport round-up below, our first publication of ‘On the Balle’ on social media; and in the next week in music, we have both an all-through celebration of brass concert plus our annual Big Band Evening on Saturday – reflecting years and years of practice (individual and ensemble) to reach such musical highs!

One of the aspects of Simon Balle that we believe is so special is that we work actively to ensure that there is no tension between this in-depth pastoral support and our academic expectations – always high. A huge thank you to parents who are so busy supporting their young people with learning at home at this time: whether reading every day in Reception and above (this is non-negotiable for us) or supporting with revision timetables in Years 11 and 13 and/or attending our focussed performance clinic meetings, we thank you. We know that great things are achieved when we work in partnership between home and school. 

And, finally from me, a reminder that all of our excellence in pastoral support (not that we are ever complacent) together with the academic achievements of your wonderful young people are achieved through a skilled team of staff, who deserve excellent training and support. There are many examples of this throughout each term, but our INSET days are crucial for the whole staff team in coming together to align all that we do each and every day for teaching and learning – please read more in our pedagogy portal below.

Comic Relief 2024

On Friday, 15th March, SBAS will be joining the global movement to end child poverty by participating in Red Nose Day. Visit our Just Giving page and make a donation: Every contribution, no matter the amount, brings us one step closer to our fundraising goal. Here is a link to our page: Just Giving Simon Balle School Comic Relief.

We’re asking students in the Larch to wear something red, and the sixth form will be holding a charity football match at lunch – there will be collection buckets for any secondary students wishing to donate while they watch the match.

In addition to supporting Red Nose Day, we are partnering with the local food bank charity Jedidiah to make a positive impact on our local community. There will be foodbank collection points in the Larch and in the main school office in the secondary. Please bring non-perishable items such as tins, pasta, rice, nappies, toiletries etc. You can read more about Jedidiah and their work here: https://www.jedidiah.org.uk/.

The canteen will also be providing a special Red Nose Day menu across the all-through school (you can download this special set of recipes to make at home). We hope all students, staff and parents can get involved.

Pedagogy Portal

On Monday 26th February we welcomed staff back with some quality training that puts students at the forefront of our thinking. Click the link below to find out more. 

https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/pedagogy-portal-staff-inset/

Message from the Governing Body

The relationship between governors and school leaders and staff is a critical one in ensuring that the school is run well from an educational and financial perspective to enable the best possible outcomes for all students and families.

As in any organisation, open, honest and transparent communication will determine how well that relationship works. We have therefore built strong connections with, and trust in, each other to prevent any miscommunication which, in my experience, is the cause of many of the problems we face.

We make sure this relationship is maintained and built upon through the following process:

  • The Chair and Vice Chair meet every two weeks with the Co-Heads to discuss a wide range of topics and any issues
  • The Co-Heads and two staff members are an integral part of every Full Governing Body meeting
  • At least one of the co-heads attends every committee meeting i.e. Achievement and Standards (A&S), Finance/Assets/Resources (FAR), Personnel, Student/ Community/ Partnerships (SP&C), and Health/ Safety/ Environment/ Sustainability (HSE&S). 
  • These committees are where much of the work of the Governing Body is done and where a wide range of leaders and staff present and contribute in order to ensure the Governing Body has a good overview of the rigour and breadth of education at the school
  • All suggestions for improvement in the way we work, or complaints, are dealt with in an efficient and effective way, regardless of how they are received e.g. email, post, verbally
  • Governors further support school leaders and staff through meetings, school site visits and attending events

This process means that any issues raised by students, teachers, parents or members of the community are fully understood and then handled with care, respect, transparency and a sincere commitment to find solutions, whilst ensuring we adhere to our own policies and Government guidance.

From Mr P. Connolly

Learning in the Larch- Phase 2

What a successful few weeks it has been in Phase 2. Year 2 have been busily preparing for their trip to Windsor Castle, an experience that will really extend their learning in history. In English, they have been reading a book called ‘Cinderboy’, a modern day version of Cinderella involving a football stadium and a television. I look forward to seeing their own versions very soon! 

Year 3 finished their ‘Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Mountains’ unit with a bang, erupting some of the children’s volcano models with baking soda and vinegar. It was a pleasure to witness the excitement and engagement. They also visited Hertford Museum to deepen their understanding of the Stone Age and to kick off their learning about the Bronze and Iron Ages. Fun was had by all, handling lots of artefacts and asking some fantastic questions! When asking the children their favourite part, the majority said handling the baby woolly mammoth’s tooth! 

Year 4 have started the term with ‘Journey to Jo’burg’ as their focus in English which is a fantastic text where children begin to understand about apartheid in South Africa. Already this week, we have seen some beautifully written diary entries and descriptions inspired by the text. They have also been focusing on branching databases in Science, learning how to classify a variety of animals.

Sports Roundup

In addition to this month’s new publication On the Balle, we’ve got a mini roundup of all the recent sporting fixtures from the across the Larch and Secondary. Head over the sports news feed to read more.

Outdoor Learning

We are excited to announce we are developing our Reception outdoor area! 

Our mission is to have an outstanding outdoor space that promotes curious, independent and resilient learners while continuing to support all seven areas of learning. We want to ensure the space allows the children to freely explore and experience the natural environment which is essential for their wellbeing. 

In order to be sustainable, we would like to repurpose/recycle as much as possible. Please take a look at this document (EYFS Outdoor Area), and if you are able to support us to source materials, or provide expertise and skills, we would be very grateful. Please contact Miss Ponder – pondere@simonballe.herts.sch.uk if you have any questions or can support this project in any way.

Canteen News

Hopefully you spotted the special Red Nose day recipe cards above. There are also a set of recipes celebrating British Pie Week – there are quite a lot to choose from so you’re bound to find something that you like the look of.

March – OVER 10’S – BRITISH PIE WEEK – RECIPE BOOKLET

Ski Trip

At half term Simon Balle returned to the slopes for our first Ski Trip in over 10 years. Despite a long journey the students were fantastic and once settled in their rooms, they were fitted with their Ski equipment and given time to explore the hotel. The students started their Ski lessons on Sunday with 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon, this continued for the following 5 days. 

Throughout the week it was amazing to see the students make significant progress, whether they were a beginner learning to snow plough turn and then parallel ski, or an advanced skier developing and refining the skill of carving on different red, black slopes and world cup slopes. 

Following the Skiing, students engaged in apres ski activities of bowling, a pizza night, swimming and use of the hotel facilities that included a sports hall, trampoline park, theatre room and a games room. 

Please look out for information about next year’s trip in the coming weeks as well as more posts on social media about about this year’s trip.

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

Coffee morning invites have been sent (meetings to be held at the Larch Centre –  26th March 9.30am led by ADD-vance). Further information can be found on the link https://www.add-vance.org

Drama lighting

Thanks to fundraising by the PSA we have had the drama studio lighting re-fitted. 

This week the students have been experimenting with different lighting states and exploring the impact of colour on mood and atmosphere.  The new lighting system will enable students across the year groups to work with different lighting techniques in their drama lessons.

Sixth Form News

This February we held our first ‘Apprenticeship Information Evening’ for students and parents/ carers in years 11-13. The information covered topics such as:

  • The types of apprenticeship available
  • Myths about apprenticeships
  • Applying for apprenticeships and the application process
  • The selection process
  • Developing the skills required for apprenticeships

We were also fortunate enough to have a speaker from GSK who discussed the apprenticeship opportunities available at the company. We hope that all the students and parents/ carers who attended found it useful and informative.

On Tuesday 27th February, Year 12 and Year 13 students attended a presentation from the University of Hertfordshire on Student Finance in the Main Hall. This discussed repayments of student loans as well as the different bursary and scholarship opportunities available to students. For Year 13 students who have not applied to university we arranged for the Director of Fore Street Recruitment to talk to them with a focus on making competitive job applications, employment contracts and tips on what to look out for when accepting jobs.

Amongst all this (and preparing for exams) the students have found time to hold a Valentine’s Bake Off competition. There were some fantastic entries – click on the pictures for a closer look!

 

Please click here for our latest careers opportunity blog. This edition includes

  • Virtual University fairs
  • Apprenticeship opportunities 
  • London Career Festival

Royal Navy Teamwork and Leadership Activities

On 29th of February our Year 9 had some great activity and enjoyable sessions from the Royal Navy. Each form had two hours, half in what the Navy calls Upper Deck Sports and the second a STEM building activity. In the sports the students had plenty of exercise playing two team games, the first a cross between cricket and dodgeball and the second a variation on netball where students with buckets replaced the hoops. The building activity had small groups using a kit to build a communications tower which had to meet three criteria. 1.It must be freestanding 2.It had to be over 6 feet high and 3.The wheels had to be mounted at the top. Once the tower was built it had to withstand a shake test from the RN team. All the activities were designed to improve life skills, the foremost being teamwork, leadership and communication and our students showed these in abundance.

Help needed!

On the 22nd – 26th April 2024 our Year 12 students will be taking part in Work Experience placements. Unfortunately, some students do find it very difficult to find placements that are linked to areas they are interested in pursuing in the future and this is where we hope that you can help. We still have a number of students who are still looking for a placement. If you are able to offer a placement during this week please contact us at workexperience@simonballe.herts.sch.uk  and let us know the area of business/industry that you work in and we will be in touch as soon as we can. We would be very grateful for any support!

Parent Staff Association

Vice Treasurer Opportunity

Simon Balle Parent Staff Association is seeking a dedicated individual to fill the role of Vice Treasurer. You’ll help tol support our Treasurer and work with the school, ensuring the financial health and success of our association. This is a great opportunity to make a meaningful impact and contribute to the success of our school community. To find out more, please come along to our next meeting on 26th March at 7pm (Secondary Library) or email us by March 31st psa@simonballepsa.org.uk

Volunteers needed for the Wind and Brass evening

Can you help out on the bar during the Music Department’s Wind and Brass evening on April 27th? If so, please sign up via this link. Your commitment is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to creating memorable experiences together!

Secondary pre-loved uniform plea

The secondary pre-loved offering has been highly successful. We are running low on secondary items and so welcome your uniform donations, in clean condition with no stains or holes.  Please drop off to secondary reception.

Slice of Summer, 13th July – Sponsor search

Is your business in the position to sponsor our summer fair? Match Funding is an easy way to boost fundraising efforts – Does your company support this initiative?

Can you donate a star prize to the Summer Raffle? From Spa days to holiday home stays, vouchers to experiences –  all donations will be well received!

Please email psa@simonballepsa.org.uk

Interested in taking a pitch at the summer fair? Join our Stallholder Database to express your interest.

PSHRE

On Friday 1st March all students in Year 7-10 were fortunate enough to have a performance and talk from up and coming singer Grace George.

Grace talked about her own experiences coming across substances, why she chose to say no, and how she has seen other people affected negatively by these substances and making bad decisions. She discussed how living a healthy lifestyle is beneficial at all stages of life and impacts all areas of life. She talked through how these situations arose, her reaction, what she did, along with the risks and consequences of the situations. She also discussed the best ways to tackle peer pressure at school. The main message of the presentation was “to make the right decisions in life”, and “to live a healthy lifestyle.” On top of this, she discussed mental health, the causes of mental health problems (stress at school, relationships etc), her own mental health issues and who to turn to for help as well as the importance of speaking up. Alongside this she also performed some well known songs and her own tracks which the students thoroughly enjoyed!

Safeguarding

Please find the time to watch these important videos about railway safety – over 20 million students, parents and teachers from across the UK have already watched these videos which has led to a significant decrease in the number of fatalities and injuries in their area through watching the safety videos.. There are different versions aimed at different age groups please choose the one most appropriate for your children.

Dates for your diary

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

  • Saturday 9th March: Big Band Evening
  • w/c 11th March: Y8 & Y10 Spain trip
  • Friday 15th March: Model United Nations
  • w/c 18th March: Reception parent evenings 
  • Monday 18th March: Y2 Windsor Castle trip
  • Tuesday 19th March: Y12 UCAS trip
  • Wednesday 20th to Friday 22nd March: Y10 Geography day trips
  • Thursday 21st March: Year 5&6 District Netball at Wodson Park
  • Friday 22nd March: Year 5&6 District Football at Wodson Park
  • Monday 25th March:  Simon Balle’s Got Talent (more details to follow
  • Monday 25th March: Years 3,4,5 and 6 Cross Country at Hertford Rugby Club

Reminders:

  • Forgotten Items – If your child has left something at home and they need to have it in school, please bring the item in a bag with their name on it, to the school office from where the student can collect it.  Unfortunately, we are unable to take items directly to students.
  • Dogs –  We kindly remind everyone that dogs are not permitted on the school grounds. This is in place to ensure the well-being and safety of all individuals within our school community.

Wishing everyone in our community a positive and fulfilling fortnight ahead.

Yours sincerely,

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

Pedagogy Portal – Staff INSET

8th March 2024Ian Finch

Staff INSET 28/02/24

Teacher INSET (In-Service Education and Training) days play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of education by providing us with dedicated time and resources for professional development. These days allow teachers to stay abreast of the latest educational trends, methodologies, and technologies, ensuring they are well-equipped to meet the evolving needs of young people. INSET days offer a valuable opportunity for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and skill-building among staff, fostering a culture of continuous improvement within our all-through school. Our current INSET day sparked healthy discussion regarding Assessment and Curriculum content as we continued our focus towards our school improvement priorities.

Here is how some staff have reflected on the day:

“During Monday’s INSET training, the staff concentrated on the significance of assessment and feedback. Throughout these sessions, we were presented with diverse examples showcasing how some of our colleagues implement assessment methods and provide feedback, which proved to be incredibly inspiring. Additionally, we had the chance to collaborate within our subject departments, allowing for meaningful discussions with fellow colleagues from both primary and secondary levels about our respective subjects”.

“Staff Inset days are integral to our continued professional development as teachers. Monday 26th February was an excellent opportunity for staff to share their expertise and knowledge across departments with the focus around feedback and assessment. It gave me lots of new strategies for assessment that I am looking forward to applying in my own lessons” 

“INSETs provide great opportunity for professional growth; well-considered speakers (both internal and external) allow recent research and best practised to be shared. We are lucky at Simon Balle to be able to draw on the experience of teachers in our community with current and previous involvement in consultancy work and teacher training. Networking with colleagues from different phases and departments is hugely beneficial in developing our spiral curriculum and cross curricular links”.

Sports Roundup

7th March 2024Daire Brennan

It’s been another busy 3-4 weeks with many competitions reaching the later stages. At the time of writing we have 5 boys football teams in District semi finals alongside our U13 Girls still in a National Football competition. Although weather conditions have not been great, we have still managed to fulfill our Saturday fixtures giving lots of boys an opportunity to represent the school. Netball continues to go from strength to strength with our Year 10 Girls reaching the final of the county plate competition. This will take place at 2pm on Tuesday 19th March at Herts and Essex school. In Sportshall Athletics, our teams performed well with the Year 7 Boys finishing 2nd and our Year 7 girls finishing 3rd in the District out of 9 teams competing. As you will have read in our ‘On the Balle’ edition, the Simon Balle Sports leaders continue to lead at many many events throughout the District and County, officiating and leading to a high standard, in doing so giving so many students the opportunity to participate. We are coming towards the end of the Basketball season too and will keep you updated on our progress on social media. Please see below for a quick round up of key moments from the last 2-3 weeks. 

Larch Sports

Sport continues to go from strength to strength within the Larch and there is plenty to celebrate. Fundamental to PE and sport is the development of gross motor skills in EYFS; this is hugely supported by the delivery of specialised gross motor interventions for our reception children as well as ensuring regular access to an array of equipment and opportunities to develop whole body movement. Always striving to develop further, our Outdoor Learning team has made great strides in developing a new vision to further support gross motor development. 

Engagement in structured sport and tournaments at lunch time continues to be high, with Mr Leonard and Mr Rouse’s Premier League football in full swing for KS2. We are also delighted to see that 70% of our KS2 children have engaged in extracurricular sports clubs this academic year, including dodgeball, karate, table tennis, indoor cricket. 

We continue to work with the Hertford and Ware School Sports Partnership to provide varied and enriching opportunities for all in our community. 30 of our Year 4 students recently attended an ‘engage and inspire’ event, led by the partnership, where they participated in a range of activities including: Bollywood dancing, athletics and bowls. 

The partnership also provides competitive event opportunities and it is important to note the success of our Y5&6 netball and football teams. Our football team has battled fiercely against local schools and have successfully earnt a place in the semi-final of the Hope Cup which is taking place next week. The netballers have also fought hard and after winning their 3rd round match 15-0 they too are through to the semi-final and face Hunsdon on 14th March.

Upcoming dates and advanced notices:

  • Thursday 14th March: Year 5&6 Netball Semi-Final vs Mill Mead
  • Thursday 21st March: Year 5&6 District Netball at Wodson Park
  • Friday 22nd March: Year 5&6 District Football at Wodson Park 
  • Monday 25th March: Years 3,4,5 and 6 Cross Country at Hertford Rugby Club

U16 Netball

The U16 netball team have progressed fantastically across the season. We entered the County League knowing we would come up against tough opposition.  The team demonstrated excellent tenacity and resilience every game. The girls have developed strong connections across the various court areas and have especially developed their through court attack. This was proven in our last match against Queenswood winning by a staggering 20 goals. The team were fearless in defense flying for interventions, calm and patient in attack and excellent communication and rotations in the shooting circle. It was a great way to end the season.

Year 7 Netball fixture vs Chauncy on Tuesday 6th March. 

We played a small tournament between 4 teams. Both SBS teams won all their games. They played really well with excellent passing and moving around the court. Particular merit must go to Lucy B for excellent movement into space. Well done to all! 

Hockey

Well done to the year 7 and 8 boys hockey team who went to the county tournament at Haileybury school at the start of the month. Up against some strong opponents the boys put in some fantastic performances narrowly missing out on a place in the semi finals. It has been a great year watching these boys improve and we look forward to seeing them play on an 11-a-side pitch next year!!

U16 Rugby

The Y10/11 Boys rugby team played in the Herts U16 7’s competition yesterday at Woollams and performed very well. They beat JFK in their first game by 3 tries and in their following games against QE Boys and St Clement Danes, we lost out by a try in each game. Charlie O captained the team fantastically and player of the tournament was Stanley M. Well done to all the boys who competed. 

Football

Saturday football update – As always, it has been brilliant to see so many students participating in Saturday Football, representing the school and proudly displaying our school values. Saturday mornings has always and will continue to be an opportunity for all students who attend training to be able to participate in competitive matches for the school but not only this students are able to play with their friends and enjoy it.  

Unfortunately, this year, due to frozen and waterlogged pitches there have been some disruption to our games against Richard Hale, Katherine Warrington and Roundwood Park with only one or two games going ahead because of access to a 3g surface. We are looking forward to our final fixtures of this year against John Warner (16/03) and Sir John Lawes (23/03). 

Year 7 boys 

Year 7 Boy’s have had excellent turn out with over 35 boy’s representing the school in Saturday football matches. The team have also made the Semi-Final of the District cup against Richard Hale (8/03). 

Year 8 boys 

The Year 8 boys have reached the District semi final after a good win against Richard Hale School last week by 4 goals to 2. We now look forward to this weeks’ semi final against 

Year 9 boys – Following a 4-1 win over St Mary’s and a bye against Leventhorpe. The Year 9 boys football team play John Warner in the semi final of the district cup. A replay of last year’s final.

Senior boys – What a great season this team has had! After beating Merchant Taylors in the quarter final of the county cup with goals from K.Francis and E.Day the team booked themselves a place in the semi final against Sir John Lawes. Unfortunately, on the day Sir John Lawes were too strong for us and progressed into the final. A great achievement to reach a county cup semi final and the first time a Simon Balle team has gone this far in this competition for some years. All thoughts are now focused on the district cup semi final to be played in a couple of weeks. 

Girls

The Girls have had a great half term of success in the District and National Cup. The U13 Girls have won both their games to secure their sport in the third round of the National Cup. Which will be played in Billericay on the 7th March against Mayflower High School. A fantastic achievement as the majority of the Girls are playing up an age group. The U12 Girls have also made it to the district final after winning their group stage which will be played against Chauncy.

 

Career Opportunities 8

22nd February 2024Ciaran Prendergast

HOP into Construction

TUESDAY 9TH APRIL 2024

Join CITB, Bam, Willmott Dixon and Morgan Sindall Construction, AVV Solutions for an informative session on career paths in the construction sector. Gain valuable insight and knowledge as well as a practical taster in Plumbing or Electrical or join us for BOTH.

Click here for more information 

 

Are you in Year 12 and want to gain some experience in the law industry?

​DEADLINE FRIDAY 1ST MARCH !!!
Allen & Overy are a global law firm that helps the world’s leading businesses to grow, innovate and thrive. They currently have Work Experience opportunities that you can apply for, both virtual & in-person!

Applications closes THIS FRIDAY so be quick to apply! Check out the programmes below and apply today

Click here

 

INTERESTED IN working with one of the UK’s largest construction firms?

CBRE GWS Virtual Insight Session
Thu 7 Mar | 18:00 – 19:00
There are iconic buildings around the country that CBRE GWS have been a part of from planning and acquisition, through design and construction, operation, adaptation, and final disposal. Buildings include The London Emirates Stadium, Ikea & Pure Gym to name just a few!

Click here

 

Diverse entry routes into tech careers with Amazon

Women in leadership roles at Amazon and Blackbullion will be discussing their career beginnings in the tech industry.

Wed, 6 Mar 2024 15:00 – 15:30

Join forces with Blackbullion and Amazon for an engaging webinar featuring insightful conversations with two remarkable women with careers in the field of technology. Additionally, hear from the team at Amazon about their Future Engineer Bursary programme worth up to £20,000.

Click here

 

Virtual Parent & Carer Open Evening to DISCOVER! Creative Careers

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 18:30 – 19:30 BST

1 hour

A virtual evening where we will introduce you to the exciting future for the creative sector. Highlighting new opportunities available.

Click here to register 

 

Russell Group – Webinar

30 April to 2 May

These interactive virtual events will allow your students to explore all 24 Russell Group universities.

Students in Years 11 to 13 can learn from staff and student ambassadors as they cover a range of topics.

Click here to register

 

Unifrog Virtual University Fair 

13th March 4.30 – 7.00pm

Get to know more about university and join our virtual fair where you can join live sessions and get in touch directly with universities across the UK. We’ll be joined by top universities including the Universities of Exeter, Portsmouth, Sussex, Cardiff University, Manchester Metropolitan University, and many more! You’ll have the chance to get your questions answered and network one-on-one to get top tips on how to find and apply to your dream university course.

Click here to register

 

Unifrog Virtual Work Experience

During the week of 1–5 July 2024, Unifrog will be hosting virtual work experience in collaboration with five top employers. This will be free and open to all Unifrog students from Y10 to 12.

Each day will be hosted by a different employer to give students a taste of a variety of sectors: NHS, BBC, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Tesco, and Get Into Teaching. Students will start and end the day with live webinars, and spend the time in between completing a relevant workplace task set by the employer through Unifrog’s Courses tool.

Click here to register

 

Asda

Calling Y13 students from all subject areas. Asda are offering retail management degree apprenticeships across the UK. Students will earn a starting salary of £24,000 and get their tuition fees paid towards a Chartered Management degree. They could be running their own store within five years!
See Asda’s apprenticeships

 

Government Social Research – Apprenticeships for social science students are rare, so share this opportunity with keen students! The GSR are looking for Y13s to apply for roles in UK Government departments such as HM Treasury, Work and Pensions, and Health and Social Care at sites across the UK.
Get students to apply before 28 Feb

 

Essity – The name behind brands such as Cushelle and Lotus tissues, Essity has a range of apprenticeships in manufacturing, engineering, and technical areas, with sites across the UK. Perfect for students post A-Level, BTEC, or GCSE.
Learn about Essity’s apprenticeships

 

Lloyds Banking Group – Y13s are encouraged to apply soon to LBG’s wide range of degree and intermediate level apprenticeships. They have 20 roles in areas such as cyber, data, customer service, finance, and HR.
More about LBG’s apprenticeships

All students are encouraged to do Unifrog’s short course ‘Prepare for the world of work with Lloyds Banking Group’. Taking on as independent study, this is a great opportunity for students to gain a completion certificate to display on their CV.
Preview LBG’s course on Unifrog (click ‘use the platform as a student’ first)

 

London Careers Festival

​Wednesday 28 February 2024​
Meet with the likes of, British Airways, Savills, Gerald Eve, Thorpe Park, University of Surrey plus more to be confirmed!

This is an excellent opportunity for 14-25 year olds to meet with real professionals and learning providers to discover the many different routes to secure a successful career. 🚀

This careers expo-style event has been especially curated for the London Careers Festival 2024 to showcase an array of post-16 opportunities!

Event Details:
​
⏰ Wed 28 Feb | 10:00am – 2:30pm
📍 Guildhall Yard, London, EC2V 5AE

Click here to register

 

Speakers for Schools

Please explore our ‘What’s On?’ flyer which features our upcoming opportunities. Please share this e-copy with your Year 10-13 students : Click here

Spotlight Opportunity: Green Skills and Sustainability Careers in the Energy Industry

Encourage your students to sign up for this 2-day virtual work experience placement with Simens Energy on 13-14th March, 10am-2pm daily. In this interactive virtual experience, students will hear from professionals at different stages of their careers, who will share their experience working with circular energy, recycling, carbon footprint, and carbon emissions and their career journey to date. There will also be a CV masterclass and industry expert panel session. Students aged 14-19 can apply directly through our experience portal – view the full advert here

To see more fully-funded employer encounter opportunities, please click here: https://www.speakersforschools.org/work-experience-opportunities/

Featured Inspiration Broadcast: Infrastructure Industry Foundation: Sharing My Infrastructure Story

Join us on Tuesday 5th March from 10-10:45am to hear from a range of speakers on how they’re making the world more sustainable through their industry. You’ll hear how they got started in the industry, what they most enjoy about their job, and why you should consider a career in Infrastructure Investment to help reach our climate goals and power your future! Register a group or cohort of students here!

Buildings Update Number 2

16th February 2024Rachel Kirk

Dear Parents/Carers,

Re: Building and facilities developments at Simon Balle All-through School 

We hope this letter finds you well. As we approach the half term break, we wanted to take a moment to update you on the building works. 

First and foremost, we are pleased to announce the completion of the Modern Foreign Languages block. This will officially be handed over to us next week, with occupation from the start of March. This week also saw the successful move of one of our IT classrooms into the recently converted Jubilee Suite: thanks to the hard work of all the staff involved in moving and installing the computers there was a seamless transition for the students. Explorers (our after school club) will also move into the Jubilee Suite shortly, paving the way for the demolition of the two mobile classrooms at the front of the school in preparation for work to commence on the new sports hall.

As previously communicated, the erection of the contractors’ compound at the front of the school will cause considerable disruption to the car park. We are now in a position to confirm that this will be happening during the Easter holidays, so those parents currently in possession of an access pass may continue to use it until the end of the Spring term (Thursday 28th March).

From the start of the Summer term (Monday 15th April) there will be significant changes to the car park:

  • Access to the carpark will be limited to staff and a very small number of parents where a medical need means that walking to the site would be impossible. We are in the process of reviewing and communicating with parents that have applied for a new access pass.
  • The car park barriers will be closed from 0810 to 1545. Those dropping students at the Busy Lizzies breakfast club will need to arrive before 0810.
  • Parents without an access pass should not attempt to enter the car park at drop off or pick up times, nor should they drop students in Mangrove Road: this is dangerous for our students and other road users. The London Road car park (next to the fire station) is a far more suitable site: there is ample space to wait, and access is far easier (and quicker) than attempting to drive along Mangrove Road. It is an 11 minute walk from the London Road car park to the school: students and parents should factor this into their journey time.
  • The car park behind the Larch and astro will be a staff-only car park. 
  • Although not a change, we would like to remind you that there is absolutely no parking on site for sixth form students.

For those walking to the Larch, the contractors’ compound will block several footpaths within the carpark. The safest way to reach the Larch will be to walk along the pavement on the opposite side of Mangrove Road until you have passed both the current entrance and exit gates, and then cross over and walk up beside the swimming pool (please see this link for photos and maps).

We understand that this change may inconvenience some of you, but we are confident that it is in the best interest of everyone involved. 

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we implement these changes. Our priority is always the safety and well-being of our students, staff, parents and neighbours, and it is important to remember that these changes are necessary if we are to provide our students with such exciting new facilities.

Thank you for your continued support. Together, we can ensure that our school remains a place where every student can thrive and succeed.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Rachel Kirk, Mr Michael Moss and Mr Haydn Walsh

Co-headteachers and Director of Business