Friday 15th November

Co-headteachers’ welcome

We started the new half term with another amazing week full of learning, engagement and exciting activities. It is a long term but I am always amazed by how well resilient, thoughtful and energised our students are. Here are a couple of highlights…

Each year, it is always a poignant and powerful moment when our entire all-through school community gathers on the playground to pay our collective respects. This week, we came together to mark Remembrance with a heartfelt and moving ceremony. The atmosphere was filled with solemnity as we listened to beautiful music, the chamber choir’s stirring performance, and students reading poetry and delivering speeches that truly resonated with us all. The occasion was made even more special with Poppy and Millie performing the Last Post, which led us into the two-minute silence, observed with deep respect by everyone present. It was a profound reminder of the importance of reflection, unity, and gratitude as we honoured those who have given so much.

This week, our Year 6 students had the incredible opportunity to perform their play in the brand-new Beam Theatre in Hertford. It was truly inspiring to see our students bring to life such an important text, like Macbeth, with such enthusiasm and understanding. This performance is part of our ongoing mission to foster a deep love of literacy and to introduce our students to the timeless works of Shakespeare. Building a strong foundation in these classics not only enriches their learning experience but also prepares them for future studies, as Macbeth is a key text at GCSE level. A huge well done to our talented Year 6 performers and all the staff who supported them! It’s moments like these that showcase the power of literature in our students’ educational journey. The importance of literacy was also evident as The Senior Leadership team recently read with our Larch students and showed the importance and joy at reading books and discussing story lines, characters and what may happen next. Such imagination and enjoyment for all to see!

We are also delighted to share the fantastic news about our students’ recent participation in the Quadcopter Challenge — a nationwide competition designed to inspire young minds to take up Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. This competition helps students develop skills that will be invaluable throughout their lives and in future careers. Our four Year 9 students showcased incredible creativity, dedication, and teamwork by pitching their ideas, preparing models, and finally test-flying their quadcopters over the past few months. This was our first year entering the competition, and we are thrilled to announce that Simon Balle placed 3rd overall! This amazing achievement is a testament to the hard work and enthusiasm of our students, and we would like to extend a huge thank you to Mr. Hopwood and Mr Hughes  for their dedication to promoting STEM within our school. Congratulations to everyone involved!

Staying with Stem we are absolutely thrilled to share some outstanding news regarding our recent A-Level Chemistry practical moderation. An AQA exam moderator recently visited to observe a lesson, speak with students, and review folders. Their feedback was nothing short of phenomenal! Out of the 450 schools assessed by this moderator, Simon Balle was recognized as being within the top 5 — and, in their view, quite probably number one. This exceptional feedback highlights the tireless dedication of our staff, the robust systems we have in place, and the high-quality teaching that takes place every day. I would like to extend a public thank you to our incredible science department for their commitment and passion. This is truly a proud moment for our school community!

There is still so much to look forward to in the run up to Christmas and we cannot thank you enough for your tireless support, engagement and positivity for our fantastic all-through school.

Year 6 Macbeth performance at the BEAM

The Beam Theatre was an amazing experience for our year 6 production. We were all so bewildered by the scene we saw before us; it was very astonishing and many of us didn’t get over it. We were very impressed with all the lighting, sound effects and the stage itself. We all really enjoyed rehearsing on the stage where some great actors performed before us. It was very fun acting with all the lights, staging and sound, it felt like we were professionals. The wings were very dark with cool lighting. When it came to the big moment, we were all quite nervous. When Owl’s half came to a successful conclusion, we all watched the audience file out of the auditorium for the interval, it was our turn. We all stepped onto the stage feeling quite nervous. But in the end it was all quite fun being on the stage with our friends with our parents there in the audience. After the show we all felt very proud and our parents were too. We hope the year 5’s enjoyed it and we look forward to performing it again someday.

Written by Amelie and Florrie in Eagles Class

Year 9 Volcano Day

On Thursday 24th October, Year 9 Geography students participated in Volcano Day, showcasing their creativity and knowledge of Topic 9.1 Tectonic Hazards. Each student created a unique volcano to enter into a competition, and all the entries were displayed in the hall throughout the day as a celebration of their hard work. The volcanoes came in a variety of materials, from cakes and Lego to tissue paper and intricate artwork. Some even featured eruptions, while others included impressive wooden carvings and crocheted designs. The time, effort, and creativity put into the projects was truly remarkable, and the Geography Department were delighted with the fantastic results.

The event also saw Year 9 students leading guided tours of the volcano models for students from the Larch. Pairing up, Year 9 students enthusiastically shared their favourite volcanoes and explained the geography behind how volcanoes form and erupt. The maturity and enthusiasm shown by the Year 9 students was commendable, and the Larch students actively engaged, asking insightful questions throughout the day.

House Leader food bank collection

From the week commencing the 25th November, the House Leaders will be leading the KS2, 3, 4 and 5 assemblies and advertising the collection for Herts and district food bank. We would be so grateful if our Simon Balle families could donate to this collection if they are able to. We will be collecting:

• Tinned meat, fish, fruit, baked beans
• Tea, coffee, UHT milk, long life juice
• Packets of soup, rice and pasta
• Baby products such as wipes and nappies
• Toiletries
• Feminine hygiene products
• Biscuits 
• Christmas selection boxes

In the secondary phase, please leave your items in a safe place in your form room.

In the primary phase, please drop your donations off at reception.

The deadline for all items is Tuesday 10th December.

Many thanks in advance!

Ms Cannon and the House Leaders

Click here for our latest Careers Opportunity blog which includes:

• Apprenticeship vacancies
• Law opportunities

Anti-Bullying Ambassadors

This week 11 of our secondary students received training as part of the Princess Diana Award to become our Anti Bullying ambassadors. They engaged in a variety of workshops and started to plan their project to bring back to school. We look forward to hearing more about the training and thank all the students for being great role models and representatives of the school.

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

Teacher training

Come and train to teach at Simon Balle All-through School – applications are now open!

We are proud to be a placement school for Initial Teacher Training at Alban TSH who offer flexible, highly-personalised, school-based routes into teacher training. This includes: tuition fee paying, salaried positions, assessment only and Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship for a wide range of secondary courses as well as primary (5-11 and 3-7). There is also the opportunity to gain PGCE status in addition to QTS. Alban TSH is an experienced provider of teacher training and has established partnerships with many outstanding schools in the region. Get in touch with our team teaching@albantsh.co.uk to find out more or our Assistant Head, Mr I Finch.

Reporting absence via the Arbor app

You can use the Arbor parent portal app to report absence. Go to the homepage of the Arbor app, click on the orange Quick Actions tab, click attendance, and on the right-hand side you will see a green box where you can click ‘Log Absence‘. 

Don’t forget that the app is also where student reports will be published: Y8 and Y13 parents and carers should check the app at the end of the day today.

Instructions for how to get the app and use it can be found here on Arbor’s support page.

Musical News

November has started with lots of piano success across the All-through, some brilliant music medal results and details of our upcoming concerts – read all about it here: https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/musical-news-november-2024/

Library News

Behaviour and safety

Please take a moment to read the two attached guides to Online Bullying and Respect.

choose-respect

combat-online-bullying

Sports Hall Update

Work continues at pace and the roof and side walls are starting to appear. We have had several large deliveries that have resulted in minor disruption to the entrance gate, but thanks to your continued support in avoiding picking up and dropping off at the school site things have run smoothly.

In the case of on site evening events such as the upcoming Y9 student consultation evening, we would ask you to avoid driving to the site, as you would during the day. There will be limited parking and the construction work means that the car park is much darker than it would normally be.

If you do need to drive, we would ask you to make use of one of the town centre car parks. The Old London Road car park next to the fire station is an 11 minute walk. Please respect our neighbours and the parking restrictions that exist in the roads surrounding the school.

Parent Staff Association

Doughies – 22nd November

This is a reminder to order your artisan pizza or cookie kits before Monday, for delivery on Friday 22nd November. Larch orders will be sent home with the children.  Secondary orders can be collected from the Larch office.

Pizza kits cost £7 and £2 of every sale will be donated to the PSA.

https://doughies.co.uk/products/simon-balle

See flyer for more information

Winter Raffle

Tickets for our fabulous Winter Raffle are now available to purchase from the PSA website where you can also view a list of prizes. Be one step ahead and pay for yours online today.

Next week, families in Reception to Year 9 will receive a set of 20 tickets.  Families in Year 10 and above can collect tickets from the Larch office.

Payment can be made any time online which is our preferred method.  Alternatively, you can pay by cash or cheque via the pre-printed ticket envelope. All counterfoils need to be completed and returned by 6th December.

If you are able to donate a prize for the Winter Raffle, please let us know by emailing psa@simonballepsa.org.uk

Frost Fair 7th December – volunteers

We are excited to invite you to volunteer at our annual Frost Fair on Saturday, 7th December! Each year group of the all-through will be responsible for running a specific area, coordinated by the PSA. However, you’re welcome to sign up to help in any area that suits you best. 

• Reception – Hook-a-bauble
• Year 1 – Teddy Tombola
• Year 2 – Snowball Scavenge
• Year 3 – Splat-the-sprout
• Year 4 – Money Tree
• Year 5 – Nerf Splat & win a Stanley Cup/AirUp
• Year 6 – Human Bauble Machine
• Year 7 – Gingerbread decorating/creative room
• Year 8 – Festive bake off (serving)
• Year 9 – Boba bar (serving)
• Year 10/11/12/13 – Prize Table

Volunteering is a great opportunity for families to join in together, or for adults or children (upper KS2 and secondary) to help on their own.  House points will be awarded for student signups. 

To help with your volunteer planning, we can share that Mrs Cox’s dance group and the choirs will be performing as follows:

• 1pm Mrs Cox’s dance group.
• 1.30pm Secondary Choir.
• 2pm Larch Choir, years 4, 5 and 6.
• 2.30pm Larch Choir, years 2 and 2.
• 3pm Mrs Cox’s dance group.

Parenting support sessions

Please find attached details of free parenting support sessions for parents and carers living in Hertfordshire.

Supporting Links Course Brochure Spring 25

Supporting Links ASD & ADHD Workshops Spring2025

Looking ahead to Christmas

Christmas dinner

This year’s Christmas Dinner will be on Tuesday 17th December for secondary students, and Wednesday 18th December for primary students. Tickets for Christmas Dinner will be available to purchase via ‘Parent Portal’ between 15th November and 1st December. After this date it will not be possible to purchase a ticket.

This year the cost of tickets will be £4.50 for secondary students and £4.25 for primary students. Primary students who have school dinners on a Wednesday will not need to pay for Christmas Dinner as already included in invoice.

A letter outlining the details has been sent home today. You can read the full text of that letter here: 2024 Christmas Dinner letter

Save the date – Carol Service

The annual Simon Balle Carol Services are taking place during the last week of term: 

• Monday 16th December, 7pm – Secondary Carol Service
• Tuesday 17th December, 6pm – Larch Carol Service

The PSA will serve refreshments before each service. If you are able to volunteer with the serving of refreshments, please sign up here: https://volunteersignup.org/WT7KY 

We ask all our music families to donate a box of mince pies or a packet of shortbread, these should be brought to the music office any day this week.

Save the Children – Christmas Jumper Day

We’ll be raising funds for Save the Children on their annual Christmas Jumper Day (Thursday Dec 12th). In exchange for a donation via the fundraising link here, students can wear a Christmas jumper instead of their normal school jumper.

PSA Frost Fair

Please come along to our very popular Frost fair on Saturday 7th December. As usual there will be festive games, entertainment and refreshments on offer.

Art & Design Christmas Card House Competition

Students from the Larch and secondary school are invited to design a festive or winter themed card to be featured on the front of the co-headteachers official Christmas card. All details are on the attached poster (click to enlarge).

Dates for your diary

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

• w/b 18th Nov: Y7 assessment week, Larch end of term assessments
• Wed 20th Nov: Larch celebration of music
• Fri 22nd and Mon 25th Nov: secondary flu immunisations
• Wed 27th Nov: Y11 PRE trip
• Thurs 28th Nov: A level Business revision trip
• Fri 29th Nov and Mon 2nd Dec: Occasional days – school closed
• Sat 7th Dec: PSA Frost Fair, 1-4pm
• Thurs 12th Dec: Christmas Jumper Day
• Mon 16th Dec: Secondary Carol Service, All Saints Church, 7pm
• Tues 17th Dec: Secondary Christmas dinner
• Tues 17th Dec: Larch Carol Service, All Saints Church, 6pm
• Wed 18th Dec: Larch Christmas dinner
• Friday 20th Dec: Last day of term, early finish 12pm Secondary; 12.15pm Larch

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

Friday 25th October

Co-headteachers’ welcome

Dear all,

At this incredibly busy but wonderfully positive half term draws to a close, Mr Moss and I would like to thank you all – students, parents/carers, staff, governors and trustees – for all that you have contributed to Simon Balle during Autumn 1. We wish you a restful and happy half term, and we look forward with eagerness to the second half of the Autumn term where we know that academic and enrichment opportunities await every student ages 4 – 18!

The main introduction to this fortnight’s newsletter (below) comes from three valued members of our community who are now embarking upon important leadership roles within our local governing body and wider Trust. The purpose of this short piece is to introduce themselves to you all. On behalf of all of the senior leadership team, we would like to emphasise what a crucial role all governors and trustees play in our school – their expertise across so many areas, their transferable and considerable knowledge and skills, and their tireless energy and enthusiasm as volunteers. We are hugely appreciative and privileged to work with them all, together always placing our young people at the centre of what we do, to ‘create tomorrow’s citizens today.’

Welcome from the governing body

Greetings to all, whether you are a parent/carer, staff member, or member of the wider community,

We have just completed a planned change to be the Laurel Education Trust and the Simon Balle Governing Body. As the incoming Chairs and Vice Chair of the boards we wanted to give you some information about what it is we do.

Jo Brown is Chair and Will Davies is Vice Chair of the Laurel Education Trust. The purpose of this body is to hold schools within the Trust to high academic and pastoral standards and provide infrastructure and administrative services to allow the schools working within the Trust to do what they do best: catering for the academic and pastoral needs for the children and students who attend each setting.

Adam Cooper is the Chair and Will Davies is the Vice Chair of the Simon Balle Governing Body. The day to day governance and oversight of  school business sits here. They focus on how the school engages with its children and young people as they grow through the school, overseeing safeguarding, academic results, student and parent voice and school improvement initiatives amongst other things.

This is obviously a change to the way the way governance has historically operated. We are looking forward to Mill Mead joining the Trust and these changes will also allow for future expansion. We are in no rush to do this and wish to ensure everything is running as it should before this is considered.

We all have children in various phases at the school (see the governors/trustees bios here) and truly believe that this is a school that should work for the whole community. If you see us (at sports events, parents information events, music events etc) please do talk to us, in fact any governor or trustee, we will be happy to talk to you, get your views and answer questions you might have.

Jo, Adam and Will

Year 9 Battlefields visit

Year 9 students visited the battlefields of the Western Front of the First World War, exploring a variety of sites linked to the conflict in and around Ypres, Belgium. One highlight was our students laying a wreath on behalf of the school community at the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate; seeing the thousands of names of men whose graves are unknown, including relatives of some of the students, was a poignant moment and helped them to reflect on the brutality of war in the past and around the world currently. Members of the public commented to staff how respectfully our students observed the minute’s silence and how well they conducted themselves in general. Overall, the trips were a huge success, offering an invaluable opportunity for cultural enrichment and complementing the students’ learning of history and war poetry. Planning has already begun for next year.

Poppy Appeal

After half term we will have our poppies throughout the school for staff and students to purchase. Donations can be cash or via a QR code. We will be holding our annual remembrance day service on Monday 11th November. Break time will be slightly later than normal for our secondary students, so please make sure they have eaten breakfast in the morning, and that they have a coat in case of bad weather.

Generation Hertford Careers Fair

On Monday 21st October we had the pleasure of taking all our Year 10 and some Year 13 students to the careers fair at Beam, organised by the Careers Enterprise Company, to help students explore potential career paths and gather information about various industries. The event featured a wide range of exhibitors, including local businesses, colleges, and vocational training organisations.

This was an opportunity for our students to talk to employers and it was great to see so many of our students actively participating by asking questions and engaging with exhibitors. Many representatives reported positive interactions with our students and appreciated their enthusiasm.

Most students found the fair informative and hopefully provided them with insights into various options and the skills needed in their plans for the future.

Please click here for our latest Careers Opportunity blog

Year 8 New Scientist Live Trip

The Science Department took Year 8 students to the New Scientist Live exhibition at the ExCeL Centre in London on Monday 14th October 2024. The trip featured handpicked speakers who showcased everything that science offers, from mind-bending maths puzzles to the wonders of nature. Students met dozens of exhibitors and saw the huge range of careers STEM can offer. There was a programme of talks by leading scientists on recent advancements in STEM and the students had access to a range of interactive exhibits on the show floor, providing a hands-on experience with technology of the future.

Year 6 Globe Theatre Trip

The trip of a lifetime

The Globe was built by the company William Shakespeare was in (the Lord Chamberlain’s Men) over 500 years ago. Then it caught fire due to a misfire of a cannon (which was meant to be for a battle scene). When Shakespeare died, the globe was pulled down and rebuilt over 400 years after it was originally built! The Globe was home of drama and it still is today!

Activities

We arrived at The Globe after a train journey from Hertford East station to Liverpool Street Station and then walking across Southwark Bridge. When we got there, we had a tour which was extremely interesting. We found out that some people didn’t even get to sit down – it only cost one penny to stand and these people were referred to as ‘groundlings’. You could pay one penny for an additional cushion if you had a seat or you could use the money to buy a snack such as a pie. Then, we were split into three groups and did a drama activity linked to Macbeth. It was very fun and we learnt a lot about characterisation, my favourite activity was the ‘Yes, No, Maybe’ game where we took it in turns to say each word but we had to use a completely new gesture every time – which was over the top for an audience to understand (Dorothea). My favourite activity was ranking the characters within a scene 1 to 5 – when King Duncan was found dead – to show the level of importance for each character (Harry F).  

Written by Harry and Dorothea in Year 6 Owls.

Year 11 revision workshop

The whole of year 11 have been participating in a “How to  revise”  workshop in the hall. Lots of useful tips and hands-on activities, so that the half term can be put to good use, creating resources and timetables to help with revision in the run up to the Mock exams in December: They should be doing revision every day, little and often and repeating, little and often and repeating.

SEND

Understanding Neurodiversity Session

We were delighted to welcome Alison Lindsell, of Amwell View, to the Simon Balle Larch.

Alison ran an informative, interactive session for our Year 5 & Year 6 students exploring neurodiversity, in particular Autism and ADHD. The students were fascinated to discover how many famous people have neurodiverse disagnoses; and were enthusiastic to answer questions and share their understanding.

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 this Booking link.

Parent meetings

This half term the SEND team have met with parents of Year 7 and Year 10 SEND students to reflect on the start of term. These conversations have been really useful to speak about adjustments in place for students and celebrate their successes.  

Courses for parents

Several informative courses for parents and carers can be found at SEND Station. Some of these courses are free and others have a small cost to attend.

PE and Sport Update

In the last week of this half-term, our students have been actively participating in our Inter-house Sports competitions. All students have shown fantastic engagement and displays of sportsmanship all around. The boys have taken on touch rugby, while the girls have been involved in hockey, applying the skills they’ve been honing during their lessons. 

The enthusiasm and effort shown by all students have been truly inspiring, as they put their teamwork, strategy, and skills to the test. Each house has given their best, and it’s been wonderful to see such strong camaraderie and sportsmanship both on and off the field. Results from the competitions will be emailed to students after the half-term break. 

Well done to everyone involved, and we look forward to seeing more of this energy in the upcoming lessons and events.

It has been a busy half term with extracurricular fixtures starting across all sports in friendly, district, county and national competitions. 

For more information on our fixtures as well as recent Inter House sports results, please go to the following link; https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/wp-admin/post.php?post=46389&action=edit

You can view all upcoming events/fixtures on the Simon Balle Sport page here: https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/sport/

Music news

It’s been a busy couple of weeks in music, from a RNCM workshop for our A Level students, to piano recitals and a Larch Brass Performance!

Read all about our musical news here: https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/musical-news-october-2024/

Library News

The Great European Larch Bake Off

Well done to everyone who baked cakes for the Larch MFL bake off on Thursday 3rd October. We were very impressed with all of the entries! There were 38 entries altogether.

Congratulations to the winners:

• Juliette, Wrens
• Ella, Doves
• Iris, Kingfishers

Here are the other entries:

Speakers’ Corner

Well done to Rowan, Natish, Alex, Samuel, Isla, Isaac and Milly for your Speakers’ Corners this half term. We have had a large variety of topics from puppets and pantomime to countries and different cultures around the world. Lots more Speakers’ Corners to come after the half term holiday!

To sign up to do a Speakers’ Corner you just need to speak to Miss Iles and Mr Belsey and we will arrange a date with you.

You can do your Speakers’ Corner individually, in pairs, or in small groups.

Here are a few suggestions for what you could talk about for your Speakers’ Corner:

• A recent sporting/musical achievement.
• An art project you are working on.
• A science experiment or other school competition or project you have taken part in.
• An exciting holiday you have been on abroad.
• An interesting trip you went on in the UK or an exciting event you attended. 
• A topic you are interested in that you have researched. 
• A hobby you enjoy doing.
• Books you enjoy reading.
• A culture/language/faith/traditions that are important to you.

Dropping off and picking up

Thank you for your continued support with regard to the use of the car park. Can we once again urge you to pay careful attention to signage and parking restrictions both on our site and in the surrounding streets. The ‘White Lodge’ turning is a no entry road and must not be accessed from Mangrove Road. Several of the roads in the immediate vicinity of the school have their own parking restrictions in the form of yellow lines, no waiting areas and resident-only zones. In addition to this we would ask you to respect other peoples’ driveways, the footpaths and the verges. As previously communicated, the best place to drop and collect students from is the Old London Road car park next to the fire station. The 11 minute walk should be manageable for the majority of our students, and the collecting from there means that you can avoid the traffic on Mangrove Road.

Online Safety

Please take a moment to read the two attached guides to Age-Inappropriate Content and Cyber Resilience.

age-inappropriate-content

12-top-tips-for-building-cyber-resilience-at-home

Arbor App for Parents

While we are in the process of moving certain systems and functions to Arbor, it is a good time to remind parents about the Arbor Parent App. Our records show that 95% of parents have already engaged with the app at least once this year. There is a degree of experimentation going behind the scenes whilst we tweak how various pieces of information are displayed, so please be patient with it. The Y9 and Y11 reports are due to be sent out via the app later today, which will be the first major test for it.

Instructions for how to get the app and use it can be found here on Arbor’s support page.

Uniform reminder

As we head further into autumn and winter can we remind you to make sure that students come to school wearing appropriate clothing. A coat is an essential item once the colder, wetter weather sets in. Please remember to clearly label items so that they can be reunited with their owners when they are inevitably misplaced around the site. It might also be worth taking the time to check that students are still in possession of all the equipment they started the year with, and that shoes and uniform are in good condition.

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service newsletter

Please take the time to read through the autumn edition of the quarterly schools newsletter from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. There is advice on keeping your home warm and safe, fireworks, fire safety and vaping.

EAST HERTS & BROXBOURNE Autumn 2024 Accessible – V2

PSA

PSA AGM – Wednesday 6th November

Please do join us for our Annual General meeting on Wednesday 6th November, at 7pm.

Head towards Larch and make your way to the Sycamore Room which is located behind the PE changing block.

It would help us if you could register your interest here, so that we have an idea on numbers attending and who is on site.

Frost Fair 7th December – volunteers and raffle

Families, students and staff – please support your year group where you can, to ensure this event is a success! Volunteers can sign up to a time slot here: volunteersignup.org/L3Y3Y

If you are able to donate a prize our eagerly anticipated Winter Raffle, please let us know by emailing psa@simonballepsa.org.uk

Joules Outlet Sale – 8th ~ November

We’re reaching out today to ask for your help with promoting our upcoming Joules Outlet sale on Friday 8th November.  This event is open to the wider community so please do share with friends, family and colleagues! The Joules Outlet team have advised us that the sale is subject to a minimum number of tickets being sold so please do help us by sharing our booking link.  At the moment, we have not sold enough tickets and are at risk of having to cancel the event:

https://www.pta-events.co.uk/simonballepsa/?event=event&eventId=75551

Doughies – 22nd November

Sadly, Doughies will close their business at the end of the year.  The good news is, we have a final delivery date booked!  To place your final order for a cookie or artisan pizza kit, please click here before

Pizza kits cost £7 and £2 of every sale will be donated to the PSA.

https://doughies.co.uk/products/simon-balle

Community events

Hertford Library event

Hertford Library are hosting a Creative Writing Poetry Workshop for Young Adults 14-18 on Monday 28th October. You can read more about the event here.

Drama Day at BEAM theatre

Dates for your diary

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

• Mon 4th Nov: Y12 Assessment week starts
• Mon 4th – Thurs 7th Nov: Y13 Geography field trip to Dorset
• w/b 4th Nov: Y12 assessment week
• Tues 5th Nov: Y6 Macbeth at Beam
• Wed 6th Nov: Y11 expectations evening
• Thurs 7th Nov: GCSE drama visit
• Thurs 7th Nov: Y4 Phasels wood information evening
• Fri 8th Nov: Joules seconds sale
• w/b 11th Nov: Y9 assessment week
• w/b 18th Nov: Y7 assessment week
• Fri 29th Nov and Mon 2nd Dec: Occasional days – school closed

Wishing you all the best for the half term holiday,

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

Friday 11th October

Co-headteachers’ welcome

We are now in week six and, although busy, it is lovely to feel the buzz around the school. 

We have been so appreciative of the wonderful support we have received for our Simon Balle All-through School Fund. So many contributions have been so gratefully received, and your comments too are so affirming, related to opportunities, enrichment and learning. We must ask again please that if you can give, please do so, no matter how small or large your contribution. You can donate to the Simon Balle All-through School Fund here, and we cannot stress enough how much we need your contributions to continue to offer what we do. Read on to gain just a glimpse of the last fortnight – so much to celebrate and to reflect upon. 

After our successful all-through Open Morning, this week we showcased our amazing sixth form. We are extremely proud of our outstanding academic student outcomes, but we know that we are so much more than our exam results, enriching our students’ experiences with a plethora of enrichment activities to develop the citizens of tomorrow. Our strap line is ‘More Than Just Great A-Levels’ and I do hope it came across. We are passionate about developing confident, resilient, adaptable citizens to react to the ever changing business world. I think our Colour Run for Year 12 and 13 summed up our ethos of hard work and fun!

Back to the day to day, it is lovely to walk around our all-through school and listen to students talking about what they are learning and their career aspirations. Hearing students rephrase their answers, develop points and logically work through their problems is why we come into teaching. 

When students leave school they will often recall their best teachers, an amazing experiment, a situation in class but more often it is recalling a caring moment from a teacher or an enlightening trip. Year 6 is soon off to visit the Globe Theatre in London. What an inspiration this will be for their very own performance of Macbeth at the Beam Theatre, Hertford. The underpinning of these enriching experiences leads to exceptional oracy, excellent reading and inspired writing. Our Reception children too are enjoying our revamped outdoor area which provides a wide range of learning opportunities, both socially and academically. 

Last week I had the absolute pleasure of accompanying our Year 9 students on their recent battlefield trip, and I can confidently say it was a truly enriching educational experience for everyone involved. These trips offer our students a unique opportunity to step outside the classroom and engage deeply with the history they are learning, and this one was no exception. Our journey took us to some remarkable and historically significant sites, including Tyne Cot Cemetery, Essex Farm, Langemark Cemetery and the Menin Gate, where students paid their respects and reflected on the sacrifices made during World War I. We also visited the informative and moving Passchendaele and Flanders Museums, which brought the history to life in a way that no textbook ever could. The students were incredibly engaged throughout the trip, asking insightful questions and demonstrating a genuine interest in understanding the events that shaped our world. It was truly inspiring to see them connect with the history on such a personal level.This was a trip that will leave a lasting impression on us all, and I’m confident it has deepened the students’ understanding of the past in a way that will stay with them for years to come.

On a sporting front I am delighted to share that we have marked an exciting milestone in the construction of our new sports hall with the official signing of the steel framework. This symbolic event represents the strong foundation we are building for the future of our students’ health and well-being. The new sports centre will provide state-of-the-art facilities that will enhance both our physical education program and extracurricular activities, and we look forward to its completion in the coming months. 

On Tuesday we celebrated a wonderful Harvest Festival at All Saints Church, where our primary phase students took part in a heartwarming service. The children filled the church with joyful hymns, thoughtful poems, and beautifully told stories, all reflecting the importance of gratitude and giving during this special time of year. It was a truly uplifting event, and I want to thank all of the students, staff, and families who contributed to making this a meaningful and memorable celebration.

It’s already been such a jam packed term yet unbelievably there is still so much to come. Our youngest students will begin to prepare for the rite of passage that is the Nativity play which we are all looking forward to and the eldest students are preparing for mock exam season. We would like to thank you for all the support you give our students and teachers to make this such a special place.

House Leaders 2024-25

At the start of September, Year 12 signed up for a range of enrichment and leadership activities. Fifteen eager and enthusiastic students formally applied to be House Leaders, showing the Simon Balle value of responsibility in their applications. Our House Leaders are:

They have formally met once and have already started to plan their first House event which will be launched next week! Stay tuned!

Y13 Business and Economics trip to New York

I certainly fulfilled a dream when I took thirty, year thirteen students to New York in September. I couldn’t believe it when we took our first walk down Broadway to our evening meal, I had done it! A year of meticulous planning to make sure that every student got the experience they dreamed of was worth every sleepless night. To see the astonishment on their faces when looking out at the New York skyline at night or sailing past the Statue of Liberty for the first time and walking through the bright lights and carnival of Times Square, places they had only ever seen in the movies. Mr Pooley, Mrs Smillie and I were proud of every single one of our year thirteen Simon Balle students. They were mature, responsible, polite, kind to each other and generous to others, never missing a meeting time, following instructions and looking out for each other. This was not only a business and economics trip, this was bigger than that, this was an opportunity to showcase what the Simon Balle community has achieved, we have all contributed to our Simon Balle objective of making our students responsible citizens that we can all be proud of. 

Mr Papas

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.

Following on from Open morning the SEND team have been running some ‘talk and tour’ visits for students where there are additional needs. Visiting school during the day has provided parents and potential students with an insight into how secondary schools look when lessons are taking place. 

Hertfordshire Community have Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners who are holding workshops for parents this term. These sessions will look at emotional literacy, sleep and self-esteem along with general support for emotional wellbeing. Further details regarding when these sessions are taking place are shown on the attached flyer. No referral is needed to access these workshops.

Fire Safety Guide

Whether it’s during a major event like bonfire night or simply while using a heater on a chilly day, fire safety is a vitally important topic on which to educate children and young people. One mistake with fireworks, electronics or open flames can have catastrophic consequences: damage to property, serious injury or even worse.

As parents and educators, it’s vital that we teach the children in our care how to protect themselves around fire and flammable materials in a mature and responsible manner. This free guide offers expert advice on how to educate children and young people on fire safety, detailing what precautions can be taken to keep them as safe as possible when exposed to fire-related dangers.

Fire safety guide

Please click here for our latest Careers Opportunities blog

Assessment

Over the course of the next two half terms secondary students will be completing the first of their two main assessment points. The first is referred to as the mid-year assessment, even though it might feel as though it is very early. More information about these will be sent out by heads of year at an appropriate time in advance of each assessment. Subject staff will also be talking to students in lessons.

You can read more about assessment on our website. This page includes elements of the presentation that was shown to KS3 (Y7-9) parents at the recent expectations evening.

Poppy Appeal

After half term we will have our poppies throughout the school for staff and students to purchase. Donations can be cash or via a QR code. We will be holding our annual remembrance day service on Monday 11th November. Break time will be slightly later than normal for our secondary students, so please make sure they have eaten breakfast in the morning, and that they have a coat in case of bad weather.

Online Safety

Please take a moment to read the two attached guides to Instagram and In-Game Chat.

In-game-chat

Instagram

Dropping off and picking up

Thank you for your continued support with regard to the use of the car park. Can we please urge you to pay careful attention to signage and parking restrictions both on our site and in the surrounding streets. The ‘White Lodge’ turning is a no entry road and must not be accessed from Mangrove Road: please do not use this to turn round in or as a way to drive into the main school car park as neither pedestrians or motorists will be expecting traffic from the wrong direction. Several of the roads in the immediate vicinity of the school have their own parking restrictions in the form of yellow lines, no waiting areas and resident-only zones. In addition to this we would ask you to respect other peoples’ driveways, the footpaths and the verges. As previously communicated, the best place to drop and collect students from is the Old London Road car park next to the fire station. The 11 minute walk should be manageable for the majority of our students, and the collecting from there means that you can avoid the traffic on Mangrove Road.

PSA

Joules Outlet Sale – 8th ~ November

We’re reaching out today to ask for your help with promoting our upcoming Joules Outlet sale on Friday 8th November.  This event is open to the wider community so please do share with friends, family and colleagues! The Joules Outlet team have advised us that the sale is subject to a minimum number of tickets being sold so please do help us by sharing our booking link:

https://www.pta-events.co.uk/simonballepsa/?event=event&eventId=75551

Doughies – 22nd November

Sadly, Doughies will close their business at the end of the year.  The good news is, we have a final delivery date booked!  To place your final order for a cookie or artisan pizza kit, please click here before 

Pizza kits cost £7 and £2 of every sale will be donated to the PSA.

https://doughies.co.uk/products/simon-balle

Frost Fair 7th December – volunteers and raffle

Families, students and staff – please support your year group where you can, to ensure this event is a success! Volunteers can sign up to a time slot here: volunteersignup.org/L3Y3Y

If you are able to donate a prize our eagerly anticipated Winter Raffle, please let us know by emailing psa@simonballepsa.org.uk

Dates for your diary

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

• Mon 14th Oct: Y8 Science Live trip
• Wed 16th Oct: Y10 student consultation evening (virtual)
• Wed 16th – Thurs 17th Oct: Larch student consultations (face to face)
• Thurs 17th Oct: Drum recital
• Mon 21st Oct: Y6 Globe Visit
• Mon 21st – Tues 22nd: Y13 English trip to Stratford upon Avon
• Thurs 24th Oct: Y9 Volcano Day
• Fri 25th Oct: Y12 Media/Film trip to Sky Elstree
• Mon 26th Oct – Fri 1st Nov: Half term holiday
• Mon 4th Nov: Y12 Assessment week starts
• Mon 4th – Thurs 7th Nov: Y13 Geography field trip to Dorset

Wishing you all the best for the week ahead,

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

Friday 27th September

Co-headteachers’ welcome

It is hard to believe that October is just around the corner, yet I am delighted to be writing to you to share just a few of the highlights from this first month of the new academic year. 

Firstly, we want to extend an enormous thank you to you as parents/carers for your partnership with us. This month has seen a number of important parent evenings in person, all the way from Reception – Year 12. As a result of these, we have so much clarity for the year ahead, related to the importance of phonics and early reading; relevant and exciting changes to assessment reporting in Years 7 – 9; and support, as ever, for careers guidance and inspiration through the years and into sixth form. We value the face-to-face contact, and we know you do too, much as the virtual platforms remain so important to us as the year proceeds. If you have any questions at all related to slides sent out, please do not hesitate to contact the primary phase leaders or secondary heads of year in the first instance. 

It is a great privilege for us as co-headteachers to host our all-through open morning each year, and this year surpassed our expectations once again. With over 1000 people attending throughout the morning, our all-through school was a-buzz with the vibrancy of learning. Our tour guides – at all ages – were such ambassadors for our school, demonstrating pride and commitment. Those in music or sport and indeed every department were an inspiration to those visiting. We know this from the feedback we received! As the sun shone, we were delighted once again to see the belonging of students of every age to our special community. 

… “ Just to say what a great atmosphere there was at your open day. Relaxed and welcoming. I was impressed….”

… “  Special mention to our tour guides …  They were both very, very lovely students and did your school proud…”

… “ I looked around the school with my daughter this morning, and I just wanted to feedback on how fantastic our pupil tour guide was …  He was obviously so proud of the school, gave us excellent information and I was just generally impressed with how he carried himself. We were very impressed generally with the school- from what was going on in the classrooms, to the band playing, and the excellent presentation by the headteachers.”

… “ I wanted to share my sincere thanks for an excellent Open Day you held on Saturday. It was incredibly well organised and an insightful event. I really appreciate the time and effort your kind students put into giving our family an informative tour of your primary phase. I was very impressed with their knowledge of the primary setting and their confidence. They answered all our questions and both students kept saying what they ‘loved’ about the school. As I also heard from other parents whilst walking around, “it’s been the best school we have visited.”

In our co-headteacher speeches on Saturday, during which our Year 7 and Year 13 speakers demonstrated their incredible oracy skills, we spoke of ‘flourishing’ and how supporting and championing every student to flourish requires an incredible team of students, parents/carers, staff, governors/trustees and every member of our school community. We would like in this newsletter to take a moment to shine a light on our governors and trustees. Their roles can be often hidden from view, and it is very important for all parents/carers to understand that, as leaders, we receive their expertise, their diverse knowledge and skills, their unwavering support, and equally as important, their direct challenge, throughout the academic year. As volunteers, they give tirelessly to the school, and over my 20+ years in education, I have never worked with a more experienced and expert board than that in place at Simon Balle. In this newsletter, we would like to extend our thanks in particular to Mr Paul Connolly, Mrs Ann Orpin and Mr Roy Hardcastle who have given such an incredible service to our school and community. The hours they have given cannot be counted, their generosity of spirit cannot be measured, and the impact of their wisdom, which has been so far-reaching, cannot be written in words. As they pass the baton on, we are delighted to let you know that Mr Connolly and Mrs Orpin will remain as ‘members’ to the Trust board. 

As the half term continues, we trust that your children will continue to enjoy their academic studies and the plentiful enrichment opportunities available to them. From the Year 5 residential last week to the Year 13 business/economics trip in New York now, and to the vast array of extra-curricular opportunities that Mr Prendergast has emailed this week, our message to all is to please, ‘get involved’ – ‘give a new club a go’ – ‘try something different’ and simply experience that sense of ‘belonging’ to Simon Balle. 

We look forward to Sixth Form Open Evening on Wednesday 2nd October. We are ‘more than just great A levels’ and, once again, we look forward to welcoming both internal and external prospective students and families to gain a sense of who we are – where we believe, quite genuinely, that there is no tension between the highest of academic expectations and outcomes, and the richest of experiences with character education and enrichment.

Sixth Form Open Evening

We look forward to welcoming you to our Sixth Form Open Evening on Wednesday 2nd October 2024 from 17:30 – 19:30. Our Sixth Form Open Evening offers you the perfect opportunity to begin considering life after GCSEs.

On the evening you will have the opportunity to explore the school site and visit each of our departments. Our outstanding and experienced subject teachers will be on hand to showcase their subject and talk you through the finer details of the course. Talks from our Sixth Form Leadership team will take place in the main school hall at 17.45 and again 18.45. Sixth Form student guides are also available to offer you a tour of the school and talk about our wonderful enrichment programme.

Many of our students also enjoy studying a range of new subjects, available to them for the first time. Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Politics, Film Studies and English Literature are often popular choices. We offer a creative pathway for students keen to follow their passions. Students have the opportunity to study A Level Music, Art & Design, Drama and Media Studies, in addition to History, Geography, Philosophy, Religion and Ethics.

However, we also believe that Sixth Form should be about MORE THAN JUST GREAT A LEVELS. We are proud of our students’ individual talents and enjoy supporting them to grow as young people. 

Once again, we look forward to welcoming you on to our Sixth Form Open Evening.

SEND

Our all-through SEND team has continued to grow over the past few years. There are some familiar faces, alongside a few new ones.

All teachers are teachers of SEND so please do discuss any concerns with your child’s class teacher or form tutor. Staff in school regularly speak to the SEND team for advice as well as to share successes and challenges. 

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.

Some student require access arrangements for GCSE and A Level exams. The latest guidance for students, parents and carers can be found here parent handout AA

Hertfordshire County Council have put together a Neurodiversity Handbook to support with neurodiversity. They have asked that this comprehensive resource is shared with parents regardless of whether pupils have a diagnosis. 

DSPL3 are hosting a coffee morning for parents on13th November and have asked us to share the details.

Nut allergy warning

We have been informed by the Food Standards Agency that some mustard products being imported into the UK may contain nuts. We have spoken with our caterer, Accent, and they have advised that any student who suffers from a nut allergy should avoid consuming any products from the canteen that carry a “may contain mustard” warning. This is the safest option for those with nut allergies until we can determine which products, if any, may be affected.

For more information, you can follow this link https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-aa-42-2024-update-4 to the Food Standards Agency, as there are some popular high street products that are also affected.”

Year 11 Theatre Trip

On Monday 23rd September the drama department took 36 year 11 students back to 1955…well the Adelphi Theatre to see Back to the Future The Musical! 

Adapted from the 1985 classic movie we were thoroughly entertained by the songs, fantastic characterisations and superb special effects. A great evening was had by all and the students commented they would highly recommend the show.

Please click here for our latest careers opportunity blog

PE News

It’s been a fantastic start to the season with sports clubs over subscribed and fixtures up and running. Please see a full update of all sports fixtures and the final results of our Key Stage 3 Inter-house sports competition by going to the following link – https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/september-sports-blog/

Library News

ROALD DAHL QUIZ RESULTS

Well done to everyone who participated in the Roald Dahl quiz in the secondary library on Friday 13th September and earned points for their houses. 

Especially well done to the runners up and winners!

• In third place: Frankie (7M)
• In second place: David and Yuko (7R)
• In first place: Jake and Toby (7R)

The Great European Bake Off

Well done to everyone who baked cakes for the MFL bake off yesterday. We were very impressed with all of the entries! There were 26 entries altogether. We will be awarding house points to all of the bakers. Well done especially to those who wrote their recipes in foreign languages! Thank you to everyone who came to vote! We had over 220 votes!

Congratulations to the winners!

The cake that best linked to the European Day of Languages theme: Number 25 – Robert and Arthur, 8R

The tastiest looking cake: Number 18 – Isaac, 7A

The best decorated cake: Number 3 – Summer, 9N

You can take a look at all the other entries in this gallery:

Author visit

On Wednesday 18th September we were delighted to welcome the author Nazima Pathan to the Larch. Nazima spoke to years 4, 5 and 6 about her new book Dream Hunters and showed students how to create their own fantasy adventures with the essential ingredients of characters, maps and magical tools in an interactive session, followed by a book signing. You can purchase copies of Nazima’s book from The Book Nook bookshop in Ware, or online at booknookshop.co.uk. You will get 10% off the RRP of the book when you use the code DREAM at the checkout.

PSA

Joules Outlet Sale – 8th ~ November

The Joules Outlet team are returning to Simon Balle on Friday 8th November. Tickets for this event are now on sale, via the PSA website.

Book before 10th October to secure an Early Bird Discount! Please do share with friends and family!

Frost Fair – 7th December

Plans are underway for this year’s Frost Fair and Festive Market which will take place on Saturday 7th December, 12-4pm.

Stallholders

If you are interested in taking a pitch, please register your interest via our Stallholder Register.  We will invite you to make a booking providing that your offering does not clash with an existing booking.  If you do not hear from us, please assume that we are unable to accommodate you on this occasion.

Raffle

We are always so thankful for your generous raffle donations.  If you are able to support this year’s Winter Raffle by making a donation, please get in touch! psa@simonballepsa.org.uk

Volunteer opportunities 

The success of the fair depends on a good number of volunteers.  This year, we have 229 volunteer slots to fill! From games, the inflatable snow dome and creative zone, to serving candy floss, giant pigs in blankets, mulled wine and boba, we can guarantee you’ll find something in your comfort zone.  Take a look at our Volunteer SignUp Sheet today and help us to make another memorable event!

Asda Rewards

Every time customers shop with Asda until 30th November, using their Rewards app, they can choose Simon Balle School to receive a percentage of their spend. And that’s not all — every time a customer chooses our school, Asda will donate £1 to the Simon Balle Cashpot, plus a further £50 when your first customer shops.

Download or update the Asda Rewards App today and follow the guide below. It is super easy to do…

Asda Rewards, how to activate.

Privacy notice

Please take the time to read our privacy notices for parents/carers and students https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/policies-accounts/gdpr/

Travelling to school by car

Please remember to think carefully about where you are dropping off and collecting from. The safest and most convenient place for everyone is the Old London road car park next to the fire station: this car park has easier access for motorists and is only an 11 minute walk for the students (Mangrove Road is narrow, prone to congestion and not suitable for dropping students or attempting to turn round in). We would also ask you to be considerate of our neighbours in the residential streets around the school site: please do not block driveways, park dangerously or respond aggressively to residents. 

If you have been granted a special access pass to the school car park, this is intended for the sole use of the person specified. You must drive carefully through the school site, and should not be obstructing access for staff. We also ask you not to move cones as these are reserving spaces for students with the greatest level of need.

Dates for your diary

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

• Wed 2nd Oct: Sixth Form Open Evening 1730-1930
• Thurs 3rd – Fri 4th Oct: Y9 Battlefields trip ABL
• Thurs 3rd Oct: Larch MFL Bake Off
• Fri 4th and Mon 7th Oct: Flu immunisations Y7-11
• Tues 8th Oct: Secondary Piano Recital
• Thurs 10th – Fri 11th Oct: Y9 Battlefields trip MNR
• Thurs 10th Oct: Y13 Geography trip info evening
• Mon 14th Oct: Y8 Science Live trip
• Wed 16th Oct: Y10 student consultation evening (virtual)
• Wed 16th – Thurs 17th Oct: Larch student consultations (face to face)

Yours sincerely,

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

Friday 13th September

Co-headteachers’ welcome

Welcome back to a new and exciting school year at Simon Balle All-through School! We hope you all had a refreshing and enjoyable summer break. As we embark on this academic journey together, we are filled with enthusiasm for the opportunities and achievements that lie ahead. This year again we are committed to fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment where every student can thrive.

The title of our staff inset focussed around developing ‘flourishing’ students. We have always said there is no tension between fantastic enrichment and high academic expectations. We are passionate about providing the best possible experience for our students. Our culture, values and ethos are very important to us and this permeates into everything we do. A large part of our inset training was discussing an ethic of excellence for our students, showing what can be achieved through drafting, redrafting, reflection and modelling. As Thompson said, ‘Our core work is to build school cultures that promote excellence all day long…this is what our school culture is built upon: the dogged determination to help our students achieve beyond what they think is possible. We want our students taking a risk, being creative, learning from their mistakes and building a positive learning environment. 

We are well aware that ‘the greatest textbook a student can have is a good teacher’. We have spent a lot of time and resources to recruit the very best in a difficult recruitment climate. We are again fully staffed and are pleased to welcome the following new staff members to our school:

We are thrilled to share that our students have once again achieved remarkable results across all key stages, reflecting the hard work and dedication of our students and staff. Our Key Stage 2 results are well above the national average, showcasing the strong foundation we provide for our younger learners. At GCSE, our students surpassed expectations by over half a grade compared to national averages; a testament to their perseverance and the exceptional support they receive. Finally, our Year 13 students achieved an outstanding 67% A* to B grades at A-Level, with an average points score significantly exceeding the national average. These achievements highlight the excellence of our educational environment and the incredible commitment of everyone in our school community. Congratulations to all for these stellar results!

As we embark on a new school year, we are thrilled to introduce our enrichment programme, designed to provide our students with a range of exciting learning opportunities beyond the standard curriculum in our all-through school. This year, our programme is brimming with activities and clubs that cater to a wide variety of interests, from arts and sports to science and technology. We believe that these enrichment opportunities will not only enhance our students’ educational experience but also help them discover new passions and talents

Over the summer, we’ve made significant progress on the construction of our new sports hall, and while the building work has been a bit disruptive, it’s thrilling to see our vision for an enhanced sporting facility taking shape. Please be mindful that parking is currently limited due to the construction, so we kindly ask that you avoid driving your child to school unless you have specific permission. Please don’t block driveways or turn round in unsuitable locations – secondary age students should be perfectly capable of walking from the Old London Road car park next to the fire station. On another positive note, our Modern Foreign Languages building is now fully operational, providing a wonderful environment for language learning, and we’ve also converted our lecture theatre into two fantastic classrooms. It’s an exhilarating time to be a student here, with these new resources enriching our educational experience. 

Finally we want to mention fantastic parental involvement in our school community. Your involvement, whether through supporting excellent student attendance, supporting your child’s learning at home, attending school events or actively encouraging our enrichment programmes, plays an essential role in their development. Together, we can create a cohesive support system that not only addresses academic needs but also fosters emotional and social growth. We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your continued commitment and support. Your engagement is crucial in helping us provide the best possible educational experience for our students. Let’s work together to make this year one of growth, achievement, and memorable experiences for all.

Communication and information platforms

A large all-through school like ours is a busy place. This brings both opportunities and challenges, particularly when it comes to communicating with people and staying organised. Inevitably this will involve the use of a variety of systems and platforms. We are committed to streamlining these, but there is never one perfect tool for every job. Here is an overview of the online platforms that we use.

It has been fantastic to see over 3000 positive points awarded in the first week to students demonstrating our CARE values. As part of the streamlining process we have moved the recording of the rewards and consequences over to Arbor. Thank you for your patience and understanding whilst we do this. We are aware of some confusion as to what parents and students can see and are working with Arbor to improve this. A parent guide will be sent out shortly when we have rectified.

Sixth Form Open Evening

We look forward to welcoming you to our Sixth Form Open Evening on Wednesday 2nd October 2024 from 17:30 – 19:30. Our Sixth Form Open Evening offers you the perfect opportunity to begin considering life after GCSEs.

On the evening you will have the opportunity to explore the school site and visit each of our departments. Our outstanding and experienced subject teachers will be on hand to showcase their subject and talk you through the finer details of the course. Talks from our Sixth Form Leadership team will take place in the main school hall at 17.45 and again 18.45. Sixth Form student guides are also available to offer you a tour of the school and talk about our wonderful enrichment programme.

Many of our students also enjoy studying a range of new subjects, available to them for the first time. Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Politics, Film Studies and English Literature are often popular choices. We offer a creative pathway for students keen to follow their passions. Students have the opportunity to study A Level Music, Art & Design, Drama and Media Studies, in addition to History, Geography, Philosophy, Religion and Ethics.

However, we also believe that Sixth Form should be about MORE THAN JUST GREAT A LEVELS. We are proud of our students’ individual talents and enjoy supporting them to grow as young people. 

Once again, we look forward to welcoming you on to our Sixth Form Open Evening.

Author visit for years 4, 5 and 6 in the Larch

On the afternoon of Wednesday the 18th of September, The Book Nook bookshop in Ware have arranged a visit to Simon Balle School, with Children’s author Nazima Pathan, during her school book tour for her debut children’s book, Dream Hunters, a brand-new epic adventure middle grade set in a reimagined India where dreams can be captured and bottled.

Students from Years 4, 5 and 6, will take part in a fun session with Nazima, who will be talking about the world of Dream Hunters and showing them how to create their own fantasy adventures with the essential ingredients of characters, maps and magical tools in an interactive session, followed by a book signing.

The team from The Book Nook bookshop in Ware, will be selling books on the day of the event, and children can bring in either cash or their pre-loaded debit card, or you can order a copy from our website at booknookshop.co.uk for your child(ren) to bring in on the day for Nazima to sign!   When you order you will get 10% off the RRP of the book if you use the code DREAM at the checkout.

Music Hall of Fame

We have launched our 2024-25 Hall of Fame, so don’t forget to vote for your favourite pieces!

Click on the link below to vote for your top 3 pieces of Classical Music from our Simon Balle Hall of Fame. This will be the music we listen to in assemblies each week as we count down the Top 15 as voted for by you.

Last year’s winner was Ride Of The Valkyries by Wagner, but will it retain its place at the top? The decision is up to you!

Vote here!

VOTING CLOSES ON FRIDAY 20th SEPTEMBER

Do have a listen to the pieces in our Hall of Fame on our spotify playlist:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/39aeNJ0J2bkGeVJYuF4Wrp?si=5aa523b0dfe7423e

Simon Balle’s reading culture

Students should read for at least 20 minutes each day: The more students read, the more successful they will be in their school work and in the future.

We want to reward you for reading. Take part in Get Rewarded for Reading! 

Last year New house won the Get Rewarded for Reading trophy – will they be able to retain it in 2024-25?

Why we should all read:

Academic and career success

• Reading ability is a greater indicator of academic success than someone’s social background or their parents’ level of education.
• Literacy skills (reading and writing) are essential for our future jobs and careers.
• Reading helps us to gain empathy for other people and a better understanding of ourselves and different points of view, identities and cultures.

Mental health and wellbeing

• Reading reduces feelings of loneliness.
• Reading for enjoyment is really good for our wellbeing and mental health particularly for people who suffer with anxiety, stress or depression.
• Reading for pleasure helps you to have better sleep patterns.

Hertford Library event

Hertford Library are hosting a Creative Writing Poetry Workshop for Young Adults 14-18 on Monday 28th October. You can read more about the event here.

SEND

The start of the year is an opportunity to review policies in place and as such the SEND Information Report 2024-2025 has been updated for this academic year. This can also be found on the website. 

If you have concerns or questions the first port of call is the class teacher or tutor but if you would like to speak to a member of the SEND team online appointments are available using this Booking link on Mondays and Thursdays.

SEND Local Offer

Every county in England has a SEND Local Offer as per the SEND Code of Practice 2015. This provides information about health, education and social care for children and young people (birth to 25 years old) with SEND. 

Hertfordshire’s Local Offer has information, advice and signposting on support available in education, clubs and activities, parent workshops, services for young people and parents, preparing for adulthood, EHCPs and more. The website is easy to navigate and has contact details for all their services including links to associated organisations and charities. 

The Local offer is running a webinar on Wednesday 25 September 8pm – 9pm. Use the link to Join the meeting.

Mental Health training

The Emotional Mental Wellbeing in Education Team are offering funded training programmes to support school-based professionals and parents/carers to improve the mental health and wellbeing of pupils aged 8-18.

 All MHFA Training is facilitated by an approved MHFA Trainer. 

The training which is currently on offer is: MHFA 1 day Champion Course for parents/carers of Hertfordshire school children

Please see the flyer attached (Parent Carer 1 Day MHFA Training (1)) for more information and use link below for ease of booking:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mental-health-first-aid-mhfa-1-day-course-for-parents-carers-tickets-679261578667?aff=oddtdtcreator

Simon Balle All-through School is proud to announce that we have successfully achieved the Quality in Careers Standard through Investor in Careers, effective July 2024. This prestigious recognition reaffirms our commitment to delivering exceptional careers education, information, advice, and guidance (CEIAG) to our students. As holders of this award for the next three years, we continue to strive for excellence in preparing our students for their future careers.

Our comprehensive CEIAG program has been highly commended for its strong structure, effective delivery, and positive impact on students.  Achieving the Quality in Careers Standard is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our careers team, students, parents, and the wider school community.

We look forward to building on this success and continuing to support our students in achieving their career aspirations.

Please click here for our latest careers opportunity blog

PE News

The term has got off to a great start in PE lessons with students settling in well. This month students in Year 7, 8 & 9 have started with a house competition, focussed on the Long Jump, 100m, Throw and a Cross Country run. Results will follow in our monthly Sports Blog at the end of September.

The Year 7 District Mob Cross Country race, our first sports competition of the year, took place on Wednesday at Chauncy School. The Year 7 girls were led home by Grace P who finished in third place, earning the team second place overall, behind a strong Presdales team. James P finished 7th in the Year 7 boys race, with the team finishing third overall. Well done to all who participated.

To view our Sports Extra-curricular programme, please visit the PE web pages via the following link – Secondary Sport Enrichment Programme.

Parents evenings

Parents evenings are now going to be known as ‘student consultation evenings’ going forward. These will continue to be a mixture of face to face and virtual events, and will run alongside other opportunities to visit the school. 

Top tips for supporting your child

Read the latest in this excellent series: supporting-children-to-manage-conflict-effectively

Privacy notice

Please take the time to read our privacy notices for parents/carers and students https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/policies-accounts/gdpr/

Open morning reminder

Please don’t forget that Saturday 21st september is our all-through open morning. Secondary students are expected to be on site by 0810 and Y5 should arrive between 0800-0815. Form tutors will be sharing more specific details with students during the week, and a email was sent home last week outlining times for Friday (early finish for secondary students) and Saturday. In return for coming to school on Saturday, the students get an extra day off in the autumn term.

Open Morning info letter

PSA

Asda Rewards

Between 2nd September and 30th November 2024, every time customers shop with Asda using their Rewards app, they can choose Simon Balle School to receive a percentage of their spend. And that’s not all — every time a customer chooses our school, Asda will donate £1 to the Simon Balle Cashpot, plus a further £50 when your first customer shops.

Download or update the Asda Rewards App today and follow the guide below. It is super easy to do…Asda Rewards, how to activate.

Joules

The Joules Outlet team are returning to Simon Balle on Friday 8th November. Tickets for this event are now on sale, via the PSA website.

Be the first to snap up Preview Tickets, allowing early entry into the sale room but hurry, there aren’t many tickets available! Book before 10th October to secure an Early Bird Discount! 

Treasurer needed

As we kick off the new academic year, we are urgently seeking a replacement Treasurer to start immediately.

At a time when fundraising is more important than ever, this role is crucial to both the success of the PSA’s fundraising efforts and smooth running of key events, as well as delivering on initiatives, such as the following examples achieved in recent years:

• shade and shelter projects for both phases of the school
• mini-bus hire
• funding to help subsidise school trips
• refurbishments for areas such as the swimming pool
• building decoration and school signage
• funding towards end of year celebrations

Your help with this key role will support the work of the PSA to ensure these important contributions continue. 

You will receive a handover as you act as interim Treasurer, ahead of being elected on to the Committee during the Autumn term Annual General Meeting (AGM).  If you would like to express your interest in this role or to find out more, please email our Co-chair, Jo Duggan, on duggan_jo@yahoo.co.uk  

Thank you letter

Finally please see the attached letter from the Parent Staff Association.

Dates for your diary

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

• Mon 16th Sep: Y8 Expectations evening
• Tues 17th Sep: Y9 Expectations and Battlefields trip info evening
• Thurs 19th Sep: Y13 Expectations evening
• Fri 20th Sep: Secondary early finish (1310 for those helping on Saturday, 1510 for everyone else) (Larch finish at 1515 as usual)
• Sat 21st Sep: Open Day
• Wed 25th Sep: Y11 performance clinic
• Thurs 26th Sep: Y7 information evening

Yours sincerely,

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

Friday 12th July

Co-headteachers’ welcome

As we approach the final week of this busy and exciting summer term, and indeed the end of the first year of our co-headship, we would like to reach out to thank everybody within our special Simon Balle All-through School community. 

This week alone has seen highlights including Saffron Sounds on Saturday, our formal Awards ceremony on Monday, Sports Presentation Evening on Wednesday, Transition day and EPQ presentations on Thursday, Larch sports day today and we look forward to a Slice of Summer tomorrow! The all-through art exhibition is being busily prepared as I write and trips out next week include the Year 6 cohort off to Sheringham for geography fieldwork, our D of E bronze students out on expedition, and the annual music tour off to Ghent. There is no doubt at all that our community is thriving at this time! 

We were delighted to be able to publish our Outstanding Ofsted report yesterday, and, in this final newsletter of the year, it is fitting to be able to quote from our report in order to thank your wonderful young people for all they bring to Simon Balle. 

‘Pupils thrive within the impressive positive ethos of this school. They are well equipped to become, ‘tomorrow’s citizens today.’ 

‘Pupils take great pride in demonstrating school values, such as compassion, kindness, respect and patience.’

‘[Pupils] sustain their concentration and focus on learning exceptionally well … Pupils work hard to learn and achieve. This helps them to reach the school’s high expectations.’

‘Pupils benefit from the school’s excellent enrichment provision.’

‘Pupils behave exceptionally well. They are pleasant, polite and caring young people.’

With so much news to share and celebrate in this newsletter (guest edited by Y4), all that remains is for us to thank you for your ongoing support within our school community, and for us to put our young people at the centre: they are exceptional and it is them that continue to allow Simon Balle to be a place where all can flourish. 

When we get there, we wish you all a wonderful summer. We look forward to welcoming our Year 11 and Year 13 students in for results days, and our new Year 7s back for summer school. After a very well-deserved rest for all, we look forward to a new academic year as we know that 2024-2025 will bring enriching experiences a-plenty and abundant opportunities  to sustain all that is offered at our Outstanding All-through School.

Art exhibition and Slice of Summer

Don’t forget that the Art Exhibition and the PSA’s Slice of Summer event are both taking place tomorrow (Saturday 13th July). We hope to see as many of you there as possible.  

Please visit the London road subway to see examples of our students’ GCSE and A-level art and design work. This work had been selected by Hertfordshire County Council to be displayed within our community. Yesterday, along with other local schools  we were invited to see the work being unveiled. The art is of such a high standard and we are very proud of all that our students have achieved.

We’d also like to draw your attention to the fundraising page for our Art Development Fund. Donations will go directly towards inspiring current and future students through celebrating their creative work and contributing to the inspiring learning environment.

Saffron Hall

Last weekend’s Saffron Sounds event was another resounding success. You can read more here.

Mock election

After two weeks of campaigns and a hustings in both the Larch and secondary school, we held our own mock election on Thursday 4th July. All students from year 3 to year 12 were invited to a polling station to vote for the political party whose ideas they liked the best. The results were announced at break time the next day for the Simon Balle All-through School mock election constituency:

• Conservative Party 43  (4.4%)
• Green Party 151 (15.5%)
• Labour Party 484 (49.4%)
• Liberal Democrat Party 123 (12.6%)
• Reform UK 170 (17.4%)

Well done to all the sixth formers who worked so hard to represent the views of the different political parties and to create so many conversations between students about who they may vote for.  We have been really impressed by the willingness of everyone to get involved in the whole electoral process from the campaigning to the hustings to voting on election day. We hope the habit of voting will stay with our students for a lifetime.  

Year 12 Politics and History students visit Parliament

We had a fantastic trip to the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court this week. We were lucky enough to see the Speaker’s Procession in the House of Commons as well as visit the viewing gallery to see new MPs taking their oath of allegiance. We also crossed Parliament Square to visit an exhibition in the Supreme Court. An empty Courtroom meant that students were able to sit in the Justices chairs and hold an impromptu debate on whether 16 and 17 year olds should be given the vote!

Larch student leadership

It’s a new and exciting time for the Larch Student Leadership Team for 2024/25 with a brand new structure to allow more students to be a part of the team.

Huge congratulations go to our newly elected Larch Student Leadership Team. Lead by our fantastic new Larch presidents Oscar G, Romilly P-S, Valentina M:

We look forward to celebrating their achievements further next week with an invitation to the Co-Headteacher’s to mark the start of their leadership journey! Watch this space for more to come in the new academic year!

Year 8 Science Trip: Colchester Zoo:

On Monday the 1st July 170 Year 8 Science students visited Colchester zoo to listen to talks on the importance of Conservation. Students were able to continue their Science work beyond the classroom by observing their chosen animal up close, learning key facts and enriching their understanding. An excellent day and fantastic opportunity for our students.

Y4 Newspaper articles

Year 4 have been writing newspaper reports about their play. Year 3 and 4 will be acting and singing in their performance of Who’s Your Mummy? on Monday night. The purpose of the article is to inform the reader about the play. Keep your eyes on social media for photos from the performance!

Drama Enrichment

Students from years 6, 7 and 8 got creative to complement their exploration of myths and legends in drama enrichment.

After performing scenes based on Pandora’s Box and Beowulf, the students made props and costumes based on the myths and legends they had explored in their drama enrichment sessions. Creations included: Grendel’s arm, a storm of evil, Pandora’s Box and a series of masks.

Exciting new theatrical opportunity for September

The Company of Players is an amateur theatre company that’s been performing in Hertford since 1962, with their own intimate little theatre in Bengeo that seats just 63. 

From September CoPS will be re-launching their Youth Group, working in partnership with Hertfordshire based Mimic Theatre Company, to offer weekly drama-focused workshops for young people aged 13-18. Students will develop their acting skills and technique through script work, improvisation, devising and much more. They’ll build confidence, meet new people with a shared interest and learn to work together, all in a fun and supportive space led by experienced theatre practitioners. Unlike many other youth theatre provisions, CoPs Youth Group won’t include any song or dance skills, so it’s perfect for those students who prefer drama to musical theatre, and can be a great route into joining us on stage in adult productions too.  Thanks to funding from the Arts in East Herts Showcase, CoPS are thrilled to be able to offer the first half term without any fees, so students can try for free!

CoPs Youth Group in partnership with Mimic Theatre Company, weekly from 13 September. Fridays 6.30-8.30pm at 3rd Hertford Scout Hut, Port Vale, Hertford SG14 3AF

The usual cost (after the first half term) will be £60 per six-week half term (during term time only) and includes refreshments, and student membership of the Company of Players is also included. More info about CoPs can be found at www.cops.org.uk and any interested students, parents or carers can email us at info@cops.org.uk to get a reminder of the first session nearer the time, or for further information or questions

Y12 Film students visit to Warner Brothers Studio, the making of Harry Potter

Magical secrets were revealed, and we won’t look at quidditch the same way again! With a focus on the career opportunities within the British film industry, Y12 enjoyed the tour of the Harry Potter sets as they saw how the magic of the books was brought to life through the various departments which are responsible for creating what we see on screen. There was “no foolish wand waving or silly incantations” (to quote Professor Snape), however there was butterbeer and much admiration of the merchandise in the gift shop!

Larch academic data

Further, more detailed, analysis will be shared on our website in due course but we are delighted to share with you the headline outcomes from our KS2 SATs this academic year demonstrating we are significantly above national average in all areas!

A fantastic set of results that are testament to the outstanding commitment from students, staff and parents across the Larch! Well done, Year 6 – we are all so proud of you!

Y10 exams

A big congratulations to the Year 10’s who have successfully completed their “End of year” exams. The year group conducted themselves well and coped admirable with the exam procedures. All of them now have a much better understanding of how the real GCSE’s will run, what equipment is required and how and when to use their study leave or revision room option.  Results and feedback are being given out to students during lessons as and when appropriate, so please do encourage them to discuss this with you at home.

Well done Year 10 – from a very proud Ms Green

Please click here for our latest careers blog

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

Sports Hall

Please remember that construction of the new sports hall will start on Monday 15th July. Access to the car park will be significantly restricted, with students needing to be dropped off and collected elsewhere (the Old London Road car park is the most suitable place for this). We will be posting updates to the sports hall page of the website.

Sports News

It’s been another busy few weeks in Sport at Simon Balle which culminated in our Sports Presentation Evening on Wednesday night. Parents, carers and students all showed up to provide a fantastic atmosphere on the night. There were many award winners as well as nominees for a wide range of sports and main awards. The evening began with a review of the year and a celebration of our District Athletics winners, it was then onto our awards. Our 4 key main award winners were as follows;

• Sportswoman of the Year – Naomi P
• Sportsman of the Year – Ellis D 
• Larch Sportswoman of the Year – Grace P 
• Larch Sportsman of the Year – Louis B

We will add a more detailed report in our end of year monthly sports round up next week. 

In other Sports news, our Year 8 Rounders team became District Champions this week beating Chauncy in the final. In Cricket the Year 10 Boys are due to play Parmiters in a County final on Tuesday 16th July. Both Year 7 & 8 Boys are still to play District semi-finals, with more updates to follow on their progress next week. 

In Athletics over the past few weeks we have competed at the Nicky Morris and Bruce Longden Girls and Boys Invitational events. Winners from the Nicky Morris Girls event were as follows;

• Georgina B – Y7 Shot Putt
• Emily P – Y8/9 Discus
• Cora N – Y8/9 800m
• Naomi P – Y10/11 400m

At the Bruce Longden Boys event, Rex T-W was the star performer winning the Year 7 Hurdles, standing Triple Jump and was also part of the victorious 4 x 100m relay team. Rex was also awarded the Sally Gunnell award for up and coming hurdlers. Mason K won the Year 7 100m and alongside Marley H and Max F was part of the winning relay team too. Barney W-B won the senior 800m. 

More information will follow in next week’s monthly Sports Round-up. 

School Nursing Team

Please take a minute to read the Summer Term newsletter from the school nursing team.

PHN Newsletter teen Summer2024 11

Safeguarding

Please spend a moment reading the most recent issue of ‘what parents need to know’.

what-parents-need-to-know-about-sharing-intimate-images

Library news

Sports Diary Entry Writing Competition

Well done to everyone who entered the Sports Diary Entry Writing Competition! All entries were judged anonymously by the author Alice Hemming and Miss Iles. Congratulations to the winners and runners-up:

Runners-up

• Renae (year 6, Eagles)
• Emily (7R)
• Cherry (7R)

Winners (you can read their entries by clicking on the names below)

• Isshi (7L)
• Isla (year 6, Owls)
• Holly (8R)

Foreign Language Friday Food Fiesta

For our last Foreign Language Friday of the year we celebrated in style with the Food Fiesta in the library on Friday 28th June.

Students had the opportunity to practise speaking in a variety of languages whilst trying foods from different countries.

School for Nature

We were delighted to receive a certificate from David Attenborough in recognition of the work we have done for the environment. Well done to all those involved. 

Reminder

Y10 and Y11 students wear a maroon jumper. These can be purchased through Stevensons.  The PSA will also have some available for purchase at the Slice of Summer on Saturday 13th July, subject to availability.  

Please could we ask for any donations of clean, good condition uniform, especially green jumpers.  These can be dropped off at the Secondary Reception.  Thank you. 

Dates for your diary

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

• Sat 13th July: Slice of Summer and Art and Design All-through Exhibition 12-4pm
• Monday 15th July: Year 3 and 4 School Production 5.30pm – 7pm
• Monday 15th – Wednesday 17th: Year 6 School Journey to Sheringham
• Wednesday 17th: Phase 1 and 2 Open Afternoon 3.15pm – 4.15pm
• Wednesday 17th: Year 2 Celebration Event (parents invited)
• Friday 19th: Year 6 Leavers Assembly 8.50am (parents invited). Will be held in the secondary hall.
• Fri 19th: early finish – 1200 Larch, 1210 Secondary

New term

• Mon 2nd Sep: INSET (no students in school)
• Tues 3rd Sep: Reception in school (morning), Y7 and Y12 in school all day
• Wed 4th Sep: all students in (normal school day)
• Wed 4th Sep: group photos Y7, 11 and 13
• Thurs 5th Sep: individual photos Y7, 9, 11 and new Y12s

We hope you have a wonderful summer holiday

Yours sincerely,

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

Friday 28th June

Co-headteachers’ welcome

The second half of the summer term is always exceptionally busy, but reminds us all as staff that we do genuinely have the best jobs in the world. At this time we are privileged to see almost every aspect of education lived out in the daily lives of our wonderful all-through students. 

Whilst we have already written about public examinations, it is so important to note that students in every year group (all the way from Reception up) are showing such wisdom and responsibility with internal assessments at this time, and we are proud of each and every one of them. Whilst our approach is always age-appropriate, our message is the same to all – ‘please show us your best, and we look forward to supporting you with what is next.’ As many sets of results filter in, we look forward to celebrating these with you, both individually and as a collective community. 

We pride ourselves on our work to support with transition at Simon Balle. Sometimes this is just as important at interim points from year to year as it is for the big milestones across key stages or even schools. In all, our ‘why’ is to ensure that ‘nothing is left to chance’ and to lead with commitment in our communication across students, parents/carers, feeder schools and more. It is with great delight that we are visiting nursery settings and Year 6 in primary schools, hosting induction days (please see sixth form induction below) with Year 7 soon to follow, and spending time with so many to ensure high support and high expectations in equal measure. Much more to come in the next four weeks!

It is a great problem to have, but where do I start with celebrating how pastoral and personal development enrichment experiences are supporting students across our all-through school in this fortnight?! To provide a flavour, I am keen to share:

• Sports. District athletics on Wednesday (secondary) and Thursday (primary) this week – just so many achievements to share, as well as being the overall district athletics champions at both Primary and Secondary levels. It is a joy to see skills, honed through careful practice; determination, built over time; and just such community spirit in support of one another.
• Politics. If you thought the nation were gripped you should zoom in further to all that is taking place at Simon Balle. We are so proud of our sixth form politics students who are passionate and knowledgeable, as well as gaining their own experiences of all that is required to be compelling politicians, aiming to inform and persuade. Do keep an eye on our social media for more!
• Music. At the time of writing, a phenomenal (and hot!) rock gig is underway. Thank you already for so many parent comments of support in relation to both the musicality, independence and autonomy shown in such sophisticated music making. No concert must overshadow another at this time of year, and the Year 2 strings showcase is also to be very much looked forward to: the numbers and quality are a delight! Saffron Hall – the time is nearing – please keep students committed to rehearsals- please see our website for FAQs – and we look forward to welcoming you all. You can read more about all these events in June’s Musical News post.
• STEM. From the Big Bang Fair in Birmingham (which included innovation from deterring seagulls from our school site to designing and building a low-cost laptop using a 3D printer and a mobile phone as the CPU) to the Year 9 industrial cadets celebration at Glaxo, Ware, where innovation and teamwork were celebrated in winning both events!

And finally, what a community we are! It is a great time of year to celebrate this and we welcome you into school and to so many events from our Awards Ceremony to Sports Presentation Evening, and from our music concerts to Larch transition opportunities. Please do check dates and invites here and in email communications to all. Finally, an enormous plea to support us at A Slice of Summer. All details are below, but we literally cannot continue to offer all that we do as an outstanding academic school, with amazing and enriching experiences, without your support. We thank you in anticipation for all that you can offer, and we look forward to the fortnight ahead.

District Athletics Champions (Primary and Secondary Level!)

• Y3 first place
• Y4 first place
• Y5 first place
• Y6 joint first place

We only have these headlines at the moment (the news was breaking as we were going to press), so we’ll have a full report for you in next week’s Sports News https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/category/sports-news/

Sixth Form Induction Day – A Glimpse into the Future

On Monday, 24th June, our school welcomed soon-to-be sixth formers for an engaging and insightful Induction Day. This event provided students with a valuable opportunity to experience subject lessons, participate in team-building activities, and immerse themselves in the vibrant life of a sixth former.

The day began with students attending a series of subject lessons, designed to give them a taste of the diverse and challenging curriculum that awaits them in September. From the complexities of further mathematics to the creative freedom of art and design, the sessions were tailored to ignite curiosity and enthusiasm. Students appreciated the chance to meet their future teachers, ask questions, and get a feel for the academic expectations of sixth form.

In addition to the subject lessons, the induction day featured a variety of team-building activities. These exercises were not only fun and engaging but also essential in helping students build strong relationships with their peers. By working together to solve problems and complete tasks, students developed trust and camaraderie, laying the foundation for a supportive and cohesive sixth form community.

The sense of community is a cornerstone of our sixth form. Throughout the day, the importance of fostering a supportive and inclusive environment was emphasised. Whether through academic collaboration, social events, or peer mentoring, students were encouraged to contribute positively to the sixth form community. The induction day highlighted how a strong community can enhance the overall educational experience, providing a network of support and encouragement.

As students look forward to starting sixth form in September, the induction day serves as another crucial source of support. The experience equips them with the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about their subject choices and future pathways.

Slice of Summer and Art exhibition

Don’t forget that the Art Exhibition and the PSA’s Slice of Summer event are both taking place on Saturday 13th July. We hope to see as many of you there as possible.  Please also see the PSA section at the end of this week’s newsletter.

Youth Sports Trust – Gold!

We are delighted to share that we have again achieved the Gold award in the School Games Mark. This is a significant accomplishment and a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, staff, and the entire school community.

Our commitment to promoting a healthy and active lifestyle among our students is at the heart of what we do, and this recognition highlights the importance of our efforts. 

We look forward to continuing to build on this success in the future as we head towards earning the Platinum award.

Assessment in the Larch

Following the completion of Year 6’s SATs in early May, there have been a number of other exciting opportunities where students across the Larch have been able to showcase their academic progress and attainment. 

In EYFS, the team has worked alongside students to complete the EYFS Profile which has now been successfully submitted and will be shared with parents in their child’s end of year reports. Headlines for the cohort’s data include 82% of students meeting the Literacy early learning goal, 89% meeting in Communication and Language, 90% meeting in Personal, Social and Emotional Development and 95% in Physical Development.

We’re delighted to share that 95.2% of our Year 1 students have passed their Year 1 Phonics Screener. This is significantly above last year’s national average of 81% and gives our students the best possible grounding as they develop as life-long readers.

This week in Year 2, in readiness for their transition to Year 3, students have completed the optional SATs. Every student has risen to the challenge of their assessments and there is much to celebrate! We look forward to sharing each individual’s outcomes with their parents in due course.

Year 4 have worked incredibly hard across the year to master their times table facts and across two weeks in June have completed their Multiplication Tables Check. The average score for our Year 4 cohort is an impressive 23.1 out of 25 with 59% of students securing 25 out of 25. These figures are both above last year’s national averages of 20.1 out of 25 and 31%.

All the while, alongside the usual end of year assessments happening in each year group in addition to those mentioned here, we have completed a cross-school writing moderation process with Millmead Primary School to standardise our judgements from EYFS to Year 6 in writing. 

We look forward to sharing your child’s end of year data with you all before the end of the academic year and celebrating their impressive progress since September!

Please click here for our latest careers blog, including information about a fantastic virtual event opportunity with Lloyds Banking Group for Y10 – 12 students

Industrial Cadets Bronze Award

A group of Year 9 students attended the Industrial Cadets Bronze Award Celebration event at Glaxo, Ware. For the last 12 weeks students have been working on engineering projects, investing 20 hours of study. 

At the event, students presented their projects to a panel of industry professionals, competing against other local schools.There were two awards at stake: the Innovation Award and the Teamwork Award. We are pleased to announce that our students managed to win both awards, which are already on show in the trophy cabinet!

The Big Bang Fair

Following the success of the Year 9 Industrial Cadets, three students represented our school as finalists at the Big Bang Fair in Birmingham last week.

Sam and Daniel (Year 12) experimented methods of deterring seagulls from the school site, modifying a drone by attaching a model falcon to it. Bors (Year 10) designed and built a low-cost laptop using a 3D printer and a mobile phone as the CPU.

All three students did an amazing job in qualifying as finalists, competing against other students nationally. Bors finished runner-up in his category, which is a fantastic achievement.

UK Maths Trust Junior Maths Challenge invitation-only follow on round

Congratulations to Year 8 students Oliver H and Eva W for being invited to take part in the UK Maths Trust Junior Kangaroo competition. This invite-only event is open to those that have achieved highly in the Junior Maths Challenge. Just been invited puts these students into the top 0.25% in the country. Both did extremely well, narrowly missing out on merit status by a few marks.  Congratulations both.

Open events 2024

We are looking forward to holding our annual open day on Saturday 21st September. We expect all secondary students to attend school on the morning to act as guides or helpers in departments. We also invite all Year 5 (current Y4) students to be on site. Students will either be conducting parent tours in the Larch, or helping in Larch classrooms. Some children will additionally be involved in music or sport – we will write to you separately if this is the case. We will send a Google Form in September to confirm if your child is available to support.

Full details will be sent out early in September.

Our full calendar of open events in the autumn term is as follows:

• Saturday 21st September 0830-1230: All-through Open Morning
• Wednesday 2nd October 1730-1930 – Sixth Form Open Evening
• Wednesday 27th November 0900-1015- Primary Open Morning

Transition – Year 6 into Year 7

We are really looking forward to welcoming our new cohort of Year 7s that will start with us in September. The transition process is well under way and new Head of Year 7 Mr Gordon, along with other staff, have conducted primary visits to our feeder schools to meet with every new student. This process was also completed in the Larch too with our Year 6 classes as we look to get to know the students even better. There is a real sense of excitement about moving on to the next step in the educational journey, as well as a few nerves! Mr Gordon is now working on the form lists for next year and there are some key dates coming up:

• Wednesday 3rd July – Parents Transition Evening – Secondary Hall – 5.50 arrival for a 6pm start (this is a parents-only event)
• Thursday 11th July – Transition Day – All Year 6’s to arrive in school at 8.20am
• Wednesday 28th-Friday 30th August – Summer School 

Summer School Sign Up Link

Food hygiene rating

Congratulations to our catering team for achieving the highest possible rating of 5/5 during the recent inspection by East Herts District Council. This is a fantastic achievement and testament to their hard work and dedication.

Student Presidents

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of six exceptional Year 12 students as our new Student Presidents. This year, the selection process was more competitive than ever, reflecting the outstanding calibre of our student body.

The journey to becoming a Student President was rigorous. Candidates underwent a comprehensive application process that included written submissions, interviews, and delivered a talk on the importance of student leadership. They all demonstrated a profound commitment to our school community and commitment to the role.

Meet Our New Student Presidents:

• Grace Swaffield
• Isabel Pullara
• Jesse Davies
• India O’Sullivan
• Taylor Arm
• Zoe Gollop

These students have shown that they possess the qualities necessary to lead our school with integrity, creativity, and passion. They are not only exemplary students but also role models who embody the values we strive to instil in all our students.

As they step into their new roles, we are confident that Grace, Zoe, India, Isabel, Taylor and Jesse will continue to inspire their peers and contribute significantly to the school’s growth and success. We look forward to seeing the positive impact they will undoubtedly make in the coming year.

Please join us in congratulating our new Student Presidents and supporting them as they embark on this exciting journey!

A reminder that your child can sign up for the summer reading challenge either online or in person at your local library. The challenge runs from July 6th in England, welcoming children aged 4-11. Participants can read any books they like (really – anything!)  and earn rewards for their efforts. This year’s theme, “Marvellous Makers,” celebrates creativity in various forms, from dance and drawing to music and junk modelling.

You can read more about the summer reading challenge on their dedicated website.

Summer reading letter to parents and carers: Summer Reading Challenge 2024

Nominate your school to win £1,000 for the library

This summer, our big schools prize is back to give five schools the chance to win £1,000 in National Book Tokens and a year’s free membership to the School Library Association; PLUS one overall winner will receive £500 to help them create a fun and welcoming library space for all.

Nominate a school and if yours is one of the five winning entries, you’ll also receive a £100 National Book Tokens gift card to spend in your favourite bookshop.

Click here to nominate a school
This competition will close after 31/07/2024.

Drama Club Performance

Students from years 7-10, who have been attending our weekly drama club, presented their first play to years 3 and 4 on Thursday 20th June. 

Jamie in the Land of Dinnersphere is an educational play promoting the importance of healthy eating. Jamie travels to the land of Dinnersphere on a mission to defeat the evil dinner witches who have taken control over school dinners…for the worse! With the help of the audience, Jamie and his new friends ensure that children in  British schools eat well so they live healthy, happy lives.

The performers have shown outstanding commitment getting the piece ready and consistently demonstrated our values of community, courage and aspiration. They also had a great time

A special thank you to Martha Hursey in year 10 for her prop making skills – robot dude and a giant key brought the story to life for both cast and audience.

Parent Staff Association

Slice of Summer final countdown!

Final plea for volunteers. Can you spare just an hour on 13th July, and support your year group at this year’s Slice of Summer? Student signups will be entered into a draw to win a £20 Amazon voucher. Sign up now!

5th July – Larch Character Spoon Competition. Win a voucher from The Entertainer.

W/C 8th July – Year 7 and 8 Hampers. Prize for the forms with the best hamper.

Wednesday 10th July – Larch Summer Accessory Day (donate a bottle)

Friday 12th July – All-through Summer Bake Off. Drop names entries to the staff room.  £20 Amazon voucher goes to the winning bake.

Summer Raffle reminder – please return your purchased or unwanted tickets promptly. Don’t miss out on your chance to win a two night stay for up to 6 people in a beautiful Whitstable holiday home!

By 10th July – If you are able to donate any soft toys that are in good, clean condition, these will support the Year 2 Teddy Tombola area at the Slice of Summer. Please drop donations to the office by 10th July.

Bar and Refreshment support needed

The PSA are happy to be supporting the Year 8 Celebration Evening on 9th July and the Sports Presentation Evening on 10th July.

Are you able to lend a hand with these events? Help is needed with serving refreshments.  You will not be alone but we do need more offers of help.

Please see the sign up sheet for information on timings and to sign up.  Thank you in advance.

Sports Hall construction begins on Monday 15th July

We are excited to announce that work will be starting on the Sports Hall before the end of term. The contractors will be arriving on site on Monday 15th July and will begin erecting the compound that will enclose the works.

As previously communicated, the building works will cause considerable disruption to the front of the school, particularly the car park. We will send more detailed plans in the next two weeks, but students who travel by car should make alternative arrangements for dropping off and collection: the London Road car park is an 11 minute walk, has ample space and is far easier to enter and exit than the school site.

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

• Wed 3rd July: Year 2 Deer Class Development Day and Y6 into Y7 transition evening (parents-only)
• Sat 6th July: Saffron Sounds
• Mon 8th July: Year 2 Rapid Fire Cricket and Awards evening 6-7pm (Invitations to follow)
• w/c 8th July: Year 7 and 8 Hamper competition
• Weds 10th July: Sports Presentation Evening (Invitations to follow)
• Weds 10th July: Larch Summer Accessory Day
• Weds 10th July: Phase 3 Open Afternoon 3.15pm – 4.15pm
• Thursday 11th July: New Reception Parents Morning
• Thursday 11th July: Larch Transition Day
• Fri 12th July: Larch Sports Day (more details to follow in due course)
• Fri 12th July: Year 3 and Year 4 Dress Rehearsal
• Fri 12th July: All-through Summer Bake Off
• Sat 13th July: Slice of Summer and Art and Design All-through Exhibition 12-4pm
• Monday 15th July: Year 3 and 4 School Production 5.30pm – 7pm
• Monday 15th – Wednesday 17th: Year 6 School Journey to Sherringham
• Wednesday 17th: Phase 1 and 2 Open Afternoon 3.15pm – 4.15pm
• Wednesday 17th: Year 2 Celebration Event (parents invited)
• Friday 19th: Year 6 Leavers Assembly 8.50am (parents invited). Will be held in the secondary hall.

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

Yours sincerely,

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