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    • Why choose an all-through school?
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    • Welcome to Simon Balle Sixth Form
    • Year 7 Music Aptitude Admissions 2026-2027
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Category

Newsletters

Newsletter 8

17th January 2025David Ayres

Friday 17th January

Co-headteachers’ welcome

Wishing a very Happy New Year to all of our families at Simon Balle. For those who we have not yet had a chance to see in person over this first fortnight of 2025, we wish students and families a fulfilling and successful term and year ahead. 

We have spent as much time as possible in classrooms across our all-through in this important and productive first two weeks of term. And so, it is apt to be writing to you all about the joy of learning. For many, January is a time of making resolutions, so for us at Simon Balle it is the perfect time to be supporting our wonderful young people to be prepared to embrace new challenges, intellectually and holistically. As you all know, we make no apologies at all for being a school that will always have high academic expectations of every student – for this is how we reach goals we thought may not be possible, and how we move with confidence into uncharted waters. Through our newsletters and social media, we always work hard to celebrate exciting enrichment opportunities – trips and clubs and sport and music and student leadership and more… However, it is worth remembering that sometimes – in fact often – magic happens in ordinary classrooms where extraordinary staff support extraordinary students to learn. The joy of learning might not always give us a ‘wow’ photograph, and yet we know that education has the power to transform lives. The moment where a child suddenly realises that they understand; a time where they relate this new learning to that which has gone before; the connection between teacher and student where they both show a deep appreciation for the subject studied; the dialogue between students as they grapple with fascinating concepts… All of this we have had the privilege of witnessing already in 2025, from age 4 to 18 and within all parts of the broad and ambitious curriculum we are proud to lead. 

Whilst we cannot possibly give examples from everywhere, a ‘window’ into what takes place daily at Simon Balle may be helpful. At just one point this week, Mr Moss and I delved into Year 9 students categorising the reasons for Germany’s loss in WW1, followed by Year 11 business students understanding the advantages and disadvantages of batch production. A number of our Year 13 students are busy preparing for Oxbridge interviews, to whom we wish the very best of luck, and, not far away, Reception are learning all about ‘People who help us’ – they are looking forward to a parent doctor and firefighter coming to visit them (thank you!) and their writing is showing such promise as they work to apply their phonic sounds to words and now across a whole sentence. We experienced engagement in wonderful literature as we moved around the all-through site, including Year 6 who are simultaneously developing their understanding of history together with reading comprehension and application of skills to writing through their study of Now or Never by Bali Rai. Years 10 and 13 are showing such a commitment to their exams, with great collaboration in motivated pairs as they prepare for speaking and listening; and walks through the maths and science corridors demonstrated such persistence of KS3 and 4 students with retrieval of key vocabulary and its application to questions to start every lesson based on securing knowledge and then moving forward. As we start this new calendar year, it is important to once again emphasise the significance of partnership between home and school, for we know that nurturing this partnership is how our young people can, and do, thrive. From a teaching and learning perspective, please do use the curriculum page on our website – it is always kept up to date so that we all have a shared sense of purpose, and granular information of what is taught and how this is progressive so that students build their knowledge on prior content. Assessment information has and is being shared with almost all year groups now, from Larch end of term data to Year 11 and Year 13 mocks. We value the insight gleaned from these ‘check-in’ points, and we hope that parents/carers with children in Years 7 – 9 will particularly benefit from a clearer and transparent KS3 assessment system launched this year. If you have not already had the chance to do so, please visit the assessment page on our website where a video should help with any questions you have in interpreting your child’s current data. Assessment is used as a launch point into ‘what next’ so we look forward to connecting with you all and together sharing the very highest of aspirations of all that our students can achieve and will become in 2025 and beyond!

Phase 1 – People Who Help Us

In Reception this half term, we have begun our new Topic focused on ‘People Who Help Us’. Starting off with inspiration from the book ‘Real Life Superheroes’ by Julia Seal, the children have enjoyed learning more about different jobs and roles within the community and how they help us, from doctors to vets, from cleaners to postal workers, from hairdressers to dentists! We are privileged to be welcoming a number of volunteers to come in and speak to the children about their roles over the next few weeks. Thank you so much to Melvin who visited earlier this week to share all about his role as a firefighter! The children absolutely loved learning all about the work of a firefighter and even got to see real equipment and uniform – which Miss Ponder even tried on!

If you are interested in volunteering, and could give around 30 minutes to an hour of your time to meet and share with the children about your work, please get in touch with Mrs Philip, Phase 1 Leader philipc@simonballe.herts.sch.uk. 

SEND

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

Families Feeling Safe has funding from HCC to run workshops which are free to attend and open to all parents in Hertfordshire. The first workshop ‘All Feelings Matter’ can help parents and carers learn more about:

  • Why all feelings matter for everyone.
  • How feelings, thoughts, and behaviour link together.
  • Recognising physical and emotional feelings, including anxiety and anger.
  • Ways to support healthy emotional development.
  • The stress response system and ‘3-Part Brain’ concept.
  • The importance of feelings and the Protective Behaviours process.

Details of how to join the session are on the attached link All feelings matter workshop.pdf

PE and Sport at Simon Balle

Please find the updated extracurricular timetable for this term on the Sport Simon Balle website: https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/sport/secondary-sport/

The opportunity for Excellence Scheme

The Opportunity for Excellence Scheme is now open to any of your students who compete at a minimum county standard in a sport, they would be eligible to apply for this scheme to receive a free gym membership at either John Warner or Laura Trott Leisure Centre for the year.

See link to apply: Apply for the Opportunities for Excellence scheme | Location – Borough of Broxbourne Council

If you would like any further information please email Miss E Newman newmane@simonballe.herts.sch.uk 

Badminton festival

We hope you enjoyed the schools badminton festival at Chauncy Secondary School – It would be amazing if you feel inspired to take up badminton and we have a selection of sessions across Hertfordshire all offering the first 4 weeks for just £10. You can register here:- https://nationalbadminton.org.uk/locations/hertfordshire/

Click here for our latest Careers opportunity blog, including:

  • The Hertfordshire Virtual Careers Fair for parents and carers
  • Generation Welwyn Hatfield 2025
  • Unifrog – Virtual Apprenticeship Fair
  • EDF Apprenticeships – NOW OPEN
  • Opportunities from employers and universities 
  • Links for Y13 students looking to apply for Apprenticeships at GSK, Amazon, Mercedes and many more
Punctuality – Secondary Site
 
In line with a range of our school values such as Responsibility, Resilience and Respect, we promote the importance of excellent punctuality on a day-to-day basis. Students know that between each lesson they should move purposefully around the school site in order to maximise learning time and we are so proud of how they do this.
As with all of our values there are rewards and consequences attached and students are aware that if they are late to lessons then they must attend the late lunchtime session in order to reflect – this takes place in B1 at the very start of lunch each day.
With regards to arrival to school, the attendance policy states that students should be on site by 8:35am. A member of the senior leadership team patrols the car park and student entrance each day and it is important that parents are also aware of the procedures if a student is late in the morning. Please note the following points and discuss with your child(ren) if relevant:
– If a student is late through the gate in the morning they will give their name to the senior leader on the gate and they will be required to attend the late session in B1 at lunchtime on the same day
– If the student is late through no fault of their own, we ask that parents email our office on admin@simonballe.herts.sch.uk to explain this. The student’s name will still be taken by the senior leader but if the students knows that they were not at fault then they will not need to attend the late session
– If a students is late without legitimate reason, and is told to attend the late session and they do not attend it, then they will receive a C3 centralised after school detention in order to reflect
Overall the punctuality in Simon Balle is truly excellent and we really value our partnership with parents in helping this to be the case.

Sociology Conference

Last Thursday our Y12 Sociologists attended the annual A Level Sociology Conference at UCL. It was exciting for the students to hear about contemporary sociological research and to engage with Q&A sessions with the research leads. This introduction to research methods has set them up nicely for the next unit they will be studying.


BEAM Theatre

My name is Amy and I am the Participation Coordinator at Herts Inclusive Theatre. 

I am writing to let you know that HIT are bringing Power Up East to BEAM in Hertford at the end of January and we would love to welcome you!

Power Up delivers free drama workshops for young adults, weekly from Jan-March, culminating in a celebratory event at the end. Using theatre, games and creativity, the workshops will explore empowerment, independence, advocacy, representation and communication. 

Working with experienced inclusive drama practitioners, the workshops will offer opportunity to build confidence, make friends and most importantly, have fun.

  • Fee: Free!
  • Ages: 16+
  • Time: 2-3:30pm
  • Date: Wednesdays, 29th Jan 2025-26th March 2025 (Dates Inclusive) 
  • Locations: Social One, BEAM, Hertford

For more information and to book, please visit our Pebble bookings here. If you need support in booking your place, contact me at the office on 01727 22 1414 or by email at amy@hit-theatre.org.uk

Building works and car park

The work on the sports hall has resumed following the Christmas break, and everything continues to be on schedule. The cladding should be appearing over the next month, but most of the activity is now taking place inside.

Students may have noticed that some damage was done to the entrance barrier by one of the delivery lorries. Whilst we are waiting for the repairs to be carried out, we ask you to respect the system that was put in place to restrict access to the carpark: cars driving quickly through the site, or parking and maneuvering carelessly, puts our students and staff in danger. Only those with an access pass should be driving onto the site. Students should be encouraged to walk to the Old London Road car park to be picked up: this is a much safer and far less congested place to wait.

Children’s Mental health week 3-9 Feb

We have a number of assemblies and activities taking place during this week that fit in with the campaign’s focus of Know yourself, Grow yourself. 

There will be a live performance by the up-and-coming boyband “Absnt Mind,” complemented by a thought-provoking discussion on Mental Health, Body Image, Cyber Bullying, and an engaging Q&A session for your students. 

On Wednesday 5th Feb students in PE lessons, staff and any student that would like to be involved will be taking part in ‘Pedal for purpose’. Everyone active has kindly sent us three static bikes for us to take part in this challenge and keep the bikes going from 9.00 – 4.00pm to cover as many miles as possible. In doing this we hope to raise money for Herts Mind Network. If  you are able to donate please follow the link 

https://12milesfor12charities2025.heroes.help/campaigns/Simon-Balle-School

Hertfordshire’s Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services

Hertfordshire’s Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) system wants to understand what parents and carers need when they are faced with supporting their child or young person’s poor emotional wellbeing.

It can be difficult to understand why they might be experiencing low moods, anxiety or self-harming behaviours, how to cope as a family, or knowing the strategies that could help at home. In preparation for commissioning a new service, we want to make sure parents and carers feel supported, have professionals and peers to speak to and share experiences with, all while knowing they are far from alone.

Complete the survey here

The survey will be open until Sunday 26 January 2025

Parent Staff Association

Larch UV Discos

Based on previous feedback, we are offering two UV Discos for Larch children this year.  Please refer to email for detailed information.

Friday 17th January, 4.30-5.30pm for Years 1, 2 and 3.

Friday 24th January, 4.30-5.30pm for Years 4, 5 and 6.

To book tickets for the Year 1, 2 and 3 UV Disco on Friday 17th January, please click here.  Ticket sales will close on 12th January, or when tickets sell out – whichever comes first.  Book early to avoid disappointment.

To book tickets for the Year 4, 5 and 6 UV Disco on Friday 24th January, please click here. Ticket sales will close on 19th January, or when tickets sell out – whichever comes first.  Book early to avoid disappointment.

Rescheduled AGM – 4/2/25

Our Annual General Meeting was previously cancelled as we did not have enough attendees to meet quorum.

We have rescheduled the AGM for Tuesday 4th February, 7pm for a 7.15pm start.  Please do attend if you can, we really need as much support as we can get.  You are not committing to anything by attending, we simply need a good turn out in order to go ahead with the AGM.

After the AGM, we will continue with a committee meeting.  At this point, you are welcome to stay or leave.

Please use this link to indicate if you can attend the AGM.

You can also use the same link to sign up to other events, such as Big Band bar support in March.

My Name Tags

There is a large volume of unnamed lost property in both phases of the school.  Named items are easier to locate and return to their owner.

When you order name labels via My Name Tags with our school ID 37273, commission will be paid to the PSA and lost property will decrease!

Dates for your diary

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

  • Fri 17th Jan: Larch UV party (Y1-3)
  • Tues 21st Jan: Art trip (Tate and V&A)
  • Wed 22nd Jan: Y11 student consultation evening
  • Fri 24th Jan: Larch UV party (Y4-6)
  • Tues 28th-Fri 31st Jan: GCSE Business studies trip (Y10 and Y11)
  • Mon 3rd Feb: Y8 assessments start
  • Wed 5th Feb: Sixth form experience day for Y11
  • Wed 5th Feb: Y9 Preferences Evening

Wishing you a Happy New Year

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

Front Page News,Newsletters

Newsletter 7

13th December 2024David Ayres

Friday 13th December

Co-headteachers’ welcome

December is a time of giving, and this spirit has been a shining feature of our school throughout the month. From supporting the local food bank to engaging in meaningful work within the community, our students and staff have exemplified generosity and care for others. A special highlight has been our Year 12 and Year 4 students taking part in a Santa Dash to raise funds for Herts Young Homeless, showing incredible dedication to supporting a vital cause. Equally inspiring was our Christmas Jumper Competition in aid of Save the Children, which combined fun and purpose in the best possible way. The fantastic array of colourful, creative, and quirky jumpers brought festive cheer to the school while reminding us of the importance of helping those in need. It has been heartening to see the Simon Balle community come together with such energy and kindness during this season of giving.

The Christmas Frost Fair on the 7th December was a true triumph, bringing our school community together in festive celebration despite the challenging weather. The event was alive with the buzz of activity, featuring an array of stalls, delicious food and drink, and outstanding singing and dance performances. It was wonderful  to see our Sixth Formers and Year 7 students showcasing their entrepreneurial flair by running their own stalls, demonstrating creativity and teamwork. A heartfelt thank you goes out to our incredible PSA, school staff and the many volunteers who made this event possible. Your dedication and hard work ensured the success of this whole-school celebration, which truly embodied the Christmas spirit. We are so proud of everyone who contributed to this joyous occasion!

As we approach the final week of term, excitement is building for two cherished traditions: our Christmas lunch and the school Christmas Carol Concert. These events are the perfect way to celebrate the season and reflect on an incredible term. From academic achievements to social milestones, our students and staff have worked tirelessly and accomplished so much. It has been a term full of growth, success, and community spirit, and we look forward to ending it on a high note with these festive celebrations. 

We wish everyone a fantastic Christmas and New Year and we look forward to welcoming you all back in January!

Christmas events

Christmas is in full swing now…

Reception Nativity

We are immensely proud of our Reception children as they have performed their Nativity show this week! Not only did they perform to their families at the main performance on Thursday, but they have also had audiences from the Larch and Busy Lizzies earlier in the week to watch our dress rehearsals. They have all worked so hard on learning the songs and their lines and we hope all our attendees enjoyed the show. Well done! 



Christmas dinner – Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th Dec

Christmas dinner will be taking place next week (Secondary on Tuesday, Primary on Wednesday). Secondary students please take not: there will be no other food on sale on Tuesday, either at break or lunch. Students are advised to bring a snack for break and anyone that hasn’t bought a ticket for Christmas dinner will need to bring a packed lunch. You can read the full text of the Christmas Dinner letter here: 2024 Christmas Dinner letter

Christmas Jumper Day and Santa Dash 

Thank you to everyone that supported yesterday’s fundraising activities. The donation pages are still open if you still want to contribute.

Christmas Jumper – Save the Children – £1278.00

Simon Balle All-through School  – Christmas Jumper Day – https://christmas.savethechildren.org.uk/fundraising/cjd240013979?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=dssb-email

Santa Dash – Herts Young Homeless – £546.00

https://www.justgiving.com/page/simon-balle-1701254185708?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

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.


In addition to the two evening carol services, there will be two daytime services for the students to attend. On Tuesday Y7, 8 and 12 will be walking down to the Church in the morning, and on Wednesday the Larch students will be doing the same. Please ensure that students bring a coat so that they are suitably dressed for the weather.

Jólabókaflóð (Book Flood) – On 18th December the secondary library will be hosting the annual Book Flood festival. See the poster below for more details.

Herts and District food bank collection

Thank you so much for all of your generous donations for the Herts and District food bank. Our House Leaders have really embraced our Simon Balle values and have been diligently collecting the items from the Larch and the Secondary phases. Thank you again!

Food Bank support

Should you find yourself in difficulty over the festive season please do not hesitate to contact noxont@simonballe.herts.sch.uk where we can support you through our local food banks. Please ensure you get in touch before the end of term.

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 using the following Booking link.

On the links below are details of workshops available to all parents and carers living in Herts. 

Supporting Links BITESIZE programme 2025

Supporting Links ASD & ADHD Workshops Spring2025

Supporting Links Course Brochure Spring 25

Places can be booked directly by parents and carers by following this link and are free. Bitesize Parenting for parents in Herts | Eventbrite

The Hertfordshire SEND Local Offer

The Local Offer is a guide for families, providing information on special educational needs and disabilities services available throughout Hertfordshire for eligible individuals. 

Please use the link for further information The Hertfordshire SEND Local Offer 

For the latest Hertfordshire SEND news, highlights and information, please use the following link: The Latest SEND News from Hertfordshire.gov.uk where you can also register to receive regular SEND updates. 

DSPL3 Newsletter for Parents – Autumn 2

Library News


 

Please click here for our latest Careers Opportunity blog

PE News

With over a week to go, there are still lots going on in PE, including Inter-house Sport taking place this week and many more fixtures over the next 4-5 days. We will be publishing our sports blog on Wednesday which will include the final Inter House Football results as well as detailed reports on all fixtures and results so far in December. The December Sports Blog will be available on the front page on Wednesday as well as by going to the following link –  Sports Blog

Keeping safe this Christmas

Please take a moment to read the two latest online safety guides for parents, and the Fire Service Winter Safety newsletter.

what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-ipads

What parents and carers need to know about whatsapp

EAST HERTS & BROXBOURNE Winter Safety

Statutory Admissions Consultation 2026/2027

In accordance with the requirements of the Department of Education’s School Admissions Code 2021, Simon Balle All-through School is consulting on the proposed admissions arrangements for the school year 2026/2027 and is seeking responses from parents/carers, schools and community groups.

The proposed changes are:

  1.       Adding Rule 6 Musical Aptitude Test.

The reasons for the consultation are:

  1. Music, both academically and in extensive enrichment provision, is a unique strength at Simon Balle All-through School
  2. Not every school can offer the same breadth and depth of musical opportunities
  3. Young people showing musical aptitude, living in Hertford, Hertford Heath and the priority areas, are being offered the chance to commit and belong to our musical community, growing as advanced musicians.

The proposed admission arrangements can be found on the school website (https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/admissions/secondary-admissions/).

The consultation period will run for 6 weeks commencing 9th December 2024 and closing on 20th January 2025. 

Responses to these arrangements are invited and should be submitted to Mrs M Salter, Admissions Officer by email: admin@simonballe.herts.sch.uk or by post to the school address: Simon Balle All-through School, Mangrove Road, Hertford, SG13 8AJ by 20th January 2025.

The Governing Body will then consider all the responses before determining the final admission arrangements by Friday 28th February 2025.

Parent Staff Association

Frost Fair

The weather didn’t dampen spirits on Saturday’s Frost Fair. Hundreds of visitors came to enjoy the atmosphere and make this all-through event memorable.

We would like to extend our thanks to all that made this a success, from performers to student helpers, to our bank of volunteers. 

Kings Group and Edwins generously sponsored us. Thirteen Artisan Bakery cooked our giant pigs in blankets. Accent supplied helping hands and trays of cookies which the children enjoyed decorating.

This incredible community event simply could not happen without you.

All raffle winners have now been contacted and have until we break up for Christmas to collect prizes. Uncollected items after this time will be assumed unwanted and will get redistributed.

During the Frost Fair, sadly a visitor lost an opal pendant.  This highly sentimental item is dearly missed.  Please check bags and belongings, just in case it may have got caught up.  Please contact the PSA or school should you find it, we would love to be able to reunite this with its owner.

Larch UV Party

We are excited to bring back the much loved after school UV Parties to Larch in January 2025. Save the date!

  • Friday 17th for years 1, 2 and 3.
  • Friday 24th for years 4, 5 and 6.

More information to follow.

In order for this to go ahead, we need a good number of helpers to serve drinks, apply UV paint and tattoos (no tattoos on faces please).

If you are interested in registering to become a volunteer for our events, please complete this short form: https://forms.gle/7BjT4wbLhHrWuh2d8

Providing we have enough volunteers, tickets will go live on 6th January, via our website.  Spaces will be limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Lumos Live – Coldplay by Candlelight

Calling all Coldplay fans!

Lumos Live presents: A Coldplay Candlelight Experience at All Saints Church, Hertford, on Saturday 11th January 2025 at 7pm. Lasting around an hour, you will enjoy many Coldplay favourites performed by a string trio. Book via our link for a portion of your ticket sale to be donated to Simon Balle PSA: https://fatso.ma/0Zzm

Coldplay by Candlelight

Dates for your diary

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

  • 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
  • Monday 6th Jan: Term starts for everyone
  • Mon 6th Jan: Y13 mock exams start
  • Tues 7th Jan: Y10 mid year assessments start
  • Thurs 16th Jan: Y11 mock results day

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

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

Front Page News,Newsletters

Newsletter 6

28th November 2024David Ayres

Thursday 28th November

Co-headteachers’ welcome

As November draws to a close, we have taken time to reflect on how fortunate we are to lead and work within this special community at Simon Balle. In particular, we would like to thank you – our wonderful parents/carers – for all you do to connect and engage with us. As your children’s first and most important educators, we are always indebted to you for the educational support you provide, whatever the age of your children from 4 to 18. The support may look different as young people grow, but we know that the partnership between home and school remains just as important through every key stage and at every point, so that we can collectively provide that all-important pastoral, academic and holistic support. In this newsletter, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to you all. 

So, some stats from the term! Together, you have attended more than 33 after school or evening events since September! These have included information evenings for your child’s year group; curriculum workshops from phonics to meta-cognition; preparation for exciting and upcoming trips; performance clinics in targeted year groups, and both online and in-person parents’ evenings for so many; concerts, musical celebrations and a theatre performance; sporting matches and events; and open events for transition to Reception, Year 7 and Year 12. We are continuing to work hard to communicate as effectively as we can if your child has special educational needs, and we are delighted to have held 39 Calendly meets since September (thank you for your highly positive feedback related to these); we have held, or booked in the remaining weeks for this term, 24 EHCP reviews; and, by the end of this term, we will have reviewed and sent out 215 SEND profiles, designed to ensure a consistency of support for every child, and a shared understanding between home and school. 

Put simply, when we ask for support, we are delighted by the ways you give back. We now have 15 volunteer parent readers in Reception. We have 86 parents signed up to support our PSA with the upcoming Frost Fair, with preparations busily taking place – we know that many, many more will sign up still, and be there to support and enjoy on the day. Last week, there was a different sporting event every single night, with ‘busy Wednesday’ showcasing Year 8, 9, 10 and 11 boys and girls football and netball, at home and away. Across the all-through we are so grateful for parents/carers giving up their time to watch and cheer us on, whatever the weather, and, despite the genuine challenges of our car park, it really won’t be long before we can launch the opening of our sports hall – we cannot wait! Last week, there was a musical concert every single night of the week too, and 25% of our young people – yes, that’s 400 children – took part, some on many evenings. We know that your involvement includes supporting (perhaps sometimes nagging!) practice, carrying heavy instruments up the hill to school, celebrating achievements, investing financially, and attending concerts providing that all-important audience. We couldn’t do it without you. 

As you all know, we have had to establish a school fund this year for the first time, asking for your support financially in really difficult times for education where there is a significant shortfall in all we want to continue to offer and the funding we receive. Once again in this newsletter, we want to thank you, not just for your financial contributions, but for the kind and understanding words shared, where so many of you have reached out to value what we do, and to thank us. 

Often it is the small things that make a difference to both your child/ren and us at Simon Balle. Reading with your child every day in the Larch, to providing a routine and structure to home learning as they grow. Listening to your wonderful young people share tales of excitement and, at times, supporting those difficult parts of the journey to navigate through. And, of course, all of the above continue! It is not too late! Please sign up to the Frost Fair; please continue to give to the school fund if you can; please connect with us across our all-through staff whether with class teachers / form tutors, the SEND team, the music or PE department, sixth form team and much more. 

We very much look forward to the remaining weeks of term, where we know our connection will continue at this special time of year, from the Reception Nativity to Year 12/Year 4 Secret Santa Dash, from collecting for food banks, to Carol services for all ages – thank you for helping us to create the very special ethos that exists here at Simon Balle, and thank you for engaging with us. In the meantime, please do enjoy a restful and happy long weekend.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

There’s a lot planned for December. Please take a few minutes to look at the information below and remember to take a note of the key dates.

Christmas dinner

This is your last chance to buy tickets for this year’s Christmas Dinner. Tickets for Christmas Dinner will be available to purchase via ‘Parent Portal’ until Sunday 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 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.

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.


3rd December – Larch Festive Accessory day.  Wear something seasonal with your uniform in exchange for a bottle, to support the Frost Fair Bottle Tombola.  Please ensure the bottle is unopened and in date!

Now until 6th December – Soft toy donations being accepted to support the Year 1 Teddy Tombola. Please drop off to Larch office. Can you volunteer to run this game?

Now until 6th December – Year 7 House Hamper donations being accepted by form tutors.  Bring in a house coloured item, to go into your form hamper. These will form part of the Winter Raffle. There is a prize for the form with the best hamper!

Now until 6th December – Winter Raffle. Don’t forget to enter our amazing draw! Buy online today.

Now until 6th December – Larch Best Bauble competition.  Free to enter, your beautifully designed bauble could win a £15 voucher for The Entertainer.  All named entries will receive a house point.  See flyer for more information.

6th December – All-through Festive Bake-off.  Will your bake win a £20 Amazon voucher? Please drop nut free named bakes to either school office by 6th December, for house points to be added. Bakes will be voted for and sold at the Frost Fair.

18th December – Jólabókaflóð (Book Flood) in the secondary library. See the poster below for more details.

Art and Design Christmas card House Competition.

Congratulations to the 6 winners on their fabulous designs. These  are in the process of being printed to be sent out on the front of the co- headteachers Christmas cards. Thank You to all the other contributions which will all be sent to our local care homes

Artificial intelligence

This month, staff and Year 12 students have been exploring the exciting and rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential in education. In a recent training session, teachers engaged in professional development focused on the latest advances in AI technology and how it can be integrated to enhance teaching and learning. From using AI to personalise learning experiences to supporting students with targeted resources, staff explored ways to harness AI tools responsibly and effectively within the classroom.

Year 12 students also took part in a session on using AI ethically and responsibly to support their studies. The session provided valuable guidance on how to make the most of AI for revision and learning, such as summarising complex information or generating practice questions. Students were encouraged to see AI as a support tool rather than a substitute for their efforts, learning the importance of critically assessing AI-generated content and ensuring their work genuinely reflects their knowledge and understanding.

Both sessions underscore our commitment to preparing staff and students to navigate AI responsibly, ensuring it becomes a positive addition to our learning community.

Please click here for our latest Careers Opportunities blog

Online safety

Please take a look at this guide to Snapchat: what parents need to know about snapchat

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

Developing Special Provision Locally (DSPL) 3 have developed an updated website. This aims to provide parents and school with information on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities within the DSPL3 area (Bishop’s Stortford, Hertford, Ware, Buntingford) including details regarding courses that are running. 

There is also a new Facebook page which can be found by searching for ‘DSPL3’.

GCSE Drama Theatre Visit and Workshop

On the 7th November GCSE Drama students visited Beam Theatre to watch a production of Shock Horror by Thunder Road theatre company. Thunder Road’s Shock Horror brings audiences a fresh, edgy take on horror with a wild mix of psychological twists and supernatural scares. Packed with dark humour and nail-biting suspense, this show is aimed at young people to excite them about theatre and explore how we don’t always need to rely on blockbuster movie budgets to create immersive and gripping performances.

Following the performance actor and producer Alex Moran delivered a 2 hour workshop at Simon Balle, culminating in the students creating their own mini horror stories.  Alex previously starred in the acclaimed National Theatre production War Horse and he shared some of his puppetry experience with the students. A fantastic opportunity for our GCSE drama cohort. 


PE News 

November has been a busy month for our students, competing in the District, County and National competitions across a variety of sports. For all our sports updates, please see our November Sports Blog

Sporting achievement

Congratulations to Rex who last weeked signed for Brentford FC Academy. Here is his write-up of the evening:

On Thursday the 14th of November I had my picture day for Brentford FC Academy. It has been a long journey to get to where I am today but I have finally done it and have been able to sign for this fabulous club. On arrival we were welcomed and watched an inspirational presentation given by the academy director. I had my photo taken with the director and some Brentford players, before being taken on a stadium tour by cub legend Marcus Gayle.


Music News

Simon Balle Musicians have been working really hard this month. Six performances in 5 days for 25% of the school! For all of our Musical updates, including our new podcast, Sixth Form enrichment, Year 4 curriculum and much more, please read all about it here: Musical News 2 – November 2024

Simon Balle’s Adult Community Choir – ‘Take Note’ – have their Winter Celebration Concert on Saturday 7th December, 7.30pm at St Andrews’ Church.

 

PSHE/RSE

We are currently reviewing our updated PSHE and RSE Policy, and your input is invaluable to us. These policies aim to ensure we provide a comprehensive, inclusive, and age-appropriate education for all our students. Please click here to view the draft RSE/PSHE Policy.

We would love to hear your thoughts or any suggestions you might have. Please take a moment to share your comments by emailing prendergastc@simonball.herts.sch.uk by 13.12.24.

Thank you for helping us shape an education that reflects the needs of our school community!

Library News


Hertfordshire Libraries Winter Reading Challenge 

The Winter Reads runs until Friday 31st January and is open to Hertfordshire library members of all ages. 

There are two challenges – one for adults and one for children (but you are welcome to do whichever challenge you prefer! They come with 12 suggested reading prompts, ranging from discovering a new author, attending a library event, reading a book from a Winter Reads display…! For children, there are 3 pre-set challenges, and there are 2 for adults. However, you are welcome to swap them out to a different challenge if you prefer.

It doesn’t even need to be one book per challenge – if you read 1 book that covers 2 or more prompts… excellent! That counts too!

After every 2 or 3 prompts, pop into the library to get your challenge stamped.

If you complete all 6 challenges and have them stamped in your local library, you are eligible to enter the prize draw to win an iPad! All you have to do is fill in a Winter Reads Prize Draw Card to confirm your entry.

There are lots of adults Winter Reads events coming up, which can be found on the website: Winter Reads | Hertfordshire County Council. As for Winter Reads children’s events: Einstein The Penguin with Iona Rangeley on 25th January at Welwyn Garden City Library at 11am. Details here: Winter Reads for children: Einstein the Penguin with Iona Rangeley | Hertfordshire County Council

Parent Staff Association

Frost Fair 7th December – volunteers

Please support our Frost Fair on Saturday, 7th December by volunteering just an hour of time.  What we can offer depends on how many sign ups we receive.

Student sign ups will receive house points and entered into a draw to win a £20 Amazon voucher.

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/biscuit/cupcake decorating/creative room
  • Year 8 – Festive bake off
  • Year 9 – Boba bar
  • Year 10/11/12/13 – Prize Table

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.

Dates for your diary

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

  • Fri 29th Nov and Mon 2nd Dec: Occasional days – school closed
  • Tues 3rd Dec: Y11 mock exams start
  • Tues 3rd Dec: Y3 trip to Hertford Museum
  • Tues 3rd Dec: Y9 student consultation evening (face to face)
  • Wed 4th-Fri 6th Dec: Y12 Geography field trip to Manchester
  • Thurs 5th Dec: Y12 performance clinic
  • Sat 7th Dec: PSA Frost Fair, 1-4pm
  • Thurs 12th Dec: Christmas Jumper Day, Y4/Y12 Santa Dash
  • Thurs 12th Dec: Y12 student consultation evening (virtual)
  • 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; early finish 12pm Secondary; 12.15pm Lar

 

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

Front Page News,Newsletters

Newsletter 5

15th November 2024David Ayres

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)

Front Page News,Newsletters

Musical News – November 2024

15th November 2024Heather Morgan

Let's get performing!

We are now in concert season. Concerts, gigs, performances, celebrations. Hundreds of musicians, thousands in the audience. All celebrating our musicians and Simon Balle Music.

Do come and hear what our musicians achieve. Details are below. Being a musicians is about working together, being a team, creating music for others to hear and celebrate. All that work comes together in a beautiful performance.

We must not forget our Carol Services. Amazing community events. Do put the dates in your diaries - once again All Saints' Church will be hosting us.

Stay in touch, help us continue to work together and I hope to see you very soon. Remember, you are part of Team Music as well!

Mark Taylor, Director of Music.

Piano Recital

Our Piano Recital featuring Year 11, 12 and 13 students was a fantastic evening of performances!

Please see all videos from the evening here. Well done to the incredible soloists.

Click the top right corner for more videos!

Music Medal Success!

Some of our Larch Musicians have recently taken a Music Medal exam, we want to say Congratulations to:

  • Edward for passing his Copper Music Medal
  • Zak for passing his Bronze Music Medal
  • Iris for passing her Bronze Music Medal
  • Lucas for passing his Bronze Music Medal

We are really proud of you! Please say well done at home!

Larch Piano Success

Our Larch Pianists have been working hard with Mrs Johnson.

Well done to Alba, Alexa, Alec and Valentina all for excellent work in your lessons and for practice at home!

Alec - After School

https://cdn.realsmart.co.uk/simonballe/uploads/2024/11/14103219/Alec-13-11.m4a

Alba - Take Note

https://cdn.realsmart.co.uk/simonballe/uploads/2024/11/14103220/Alba-7-11.m4a

Valentina - Fantasia

https://cdn.realsmart.co.uk/simonballe/uploads/2024/11/14103221/Valentina-12-11.m4a

Alexa - Music Box

https://cdn.realsmart.co.uk/simonballe/uploads/2024/11/14103220/Alexa-7-11.m4a

Upcoming Events

We have so many Concerts and Recitals happening in November.

Please make sure you have bought your tickets via the Parent Portal.

Go to Make a Booking > Music Events > Select the Correct one!

Click on the posters for all event information.

 

 

More on our Instagram!

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A post shared by Simon Balle Music (@simonballemusic)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Simon Balle Music (@simonballemusic)

Front Page News,Music,Newsletters

Newsletter 4

25th October 2024David Ayres

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.

We have discussed tasks that are focused for 15-20 minute chunks of time and tasks that can ‘test’ knowledge. They have had examples (these have been explained in more depth) such as:
  • Flashcards – Learning key words and definitions. Shoe box/stairs (test)
  • Making an essay plan that you can learn and repeat to help structure any essay (re-draw to test)
  • Flashcards – Answering questions (test)
  • Labelling (test)
  • Teach someone else something and test them – do you know it well enough to teach someone else it accurately? Test them – was your teaching effective? (Consolidation)
  • Working in a study group with others – (Interactive testing)
  • Interactive ‘doing’ tasks – web tests and quizzes, fill in the blanks (classed as tests as they will have right and wrong answers)
  • Educake/Mathswatch/English podcasts/Corbet’s maths (Repetition/consolidation of knowledge)
  • Condense notes into diagrams / mind maps could pair with a labelling task (test)
  • Make top trump cards / Bingo games (Repetition/Consolidation)
  • Past papers / Mark schemes (Practising technique/planning answers/look at how marks are distributed)
  • Timed questions (Practising technique)
In the revision workshop we focused very much on their revision environment, and then HOW TO USE flashcards, mind maps, knowledge organisers, past papers and mark schemes.

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)

Front Page News,Newsletters

Musical News – October 2024

24th October 2024Heather Morgan

Team Music!

Music is certainly alive at Simon Balle - creating lifelong musicians!

We are so proud of all our musicians - those that joined us this term and those who are working so hard, continuing on their musical journey with us. Our ethos is clear - the more you put in the more you can get out. With practice, with support from home, with a mindset to 'do your best', we can achieve brilliant things, together.

I've been at Simon Balle a long time. This triangle of support and working together is so important and has never changed. Our youngest musicians cannot make progress without support and expectations to practice at home, every week, celebrating every achievement. Our older musicians need nagging, need the support and need to understand their musical pathway so they continue to succeed in music within their busy lives. All students need support and for us to work together. We can't do this for you at home!

Next half term is another time to celebrate our musicians through so many performances. Please have a look at our What's On page and ensure you are ready and have the dates in your diary. We celebrate together - as Team Music. Well, are we not all a musical team and community?

Keep enjoying the music!

Mark Taylor, Director of Music

Piano Recital -

A brilliant way to start the year with a piano recitals featuring some of Mr Lovell's students!

Click the top right corner for more videos

Royal Northern College of Music Workshop

A large part of our Sixth Form musical experience is our Advanced Musician’s Programme.

AMP is all about high expectations, excellent support and great opportunities in every aspect of our musical learning.

Musicians are expected to embrace the opportunities we offer, including:
◾ Masterclasses
◾ Workshops
◾ Weekly ensembles
◾ Concerts and recitals
◾ Performances out of school
◾ Working with younger musicians
◾ Having opportunities to experience the Guildhall Young Musicians in London (part of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama)
◾Working with the Royal Northern College of Music

This month, our Sixth Form Advanced Musician's had the opportunity to work with Professor Andy Stott, the Head of Popular Music at the Royal Northern College of Music @rncmlive and a group of Year 2 musicians.

During this incredible experience, our students enjoyed live performances, heard about life at a Conservatoire before engaging in song writing workshop.

Our students also had the opportunity to perform and gain feedback to support their own development.

Larch Brass Ensemble Performance

In the KS2 Celebration Assembly this week, we were treated to a brass ensemble performance, organised by Mr Peach featuring our Year 5 & 6 Musicians.

It was fantastic to see such a variety of brass instrument being used by our young musicians, and we're really proud of what they have achieved!

Watch a snippet here, and watch out for more on our Instagram @simonballemusic

Music in the Sixth Form

New applicants interested in being part of Team Music at Simon Balle All-through School, are recommended to Register their interest in joining the Sixth Form. You will be invited to join our rehearsals and concerts to experience first hand how amazing our music is. Changing schools can be daunting, so supporting you to already be part of @simonballemusic is very important to us. We will meet with you as part of the interview process and ensure that we can support your individual musical pathway.

Staying connected throughout is vital for musical progression and to start feeling part of Team Music. Click the banner below to read more about Music in the Sixth Form at SBAS - including our Advanced Musicians Programme.

 

 

What's On

Please see our big events coming up, but there is always more listed on our What's On page! https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/music/whats-on/

Click on the images to see the event details!

Front Page News,Music,Newsletters

Newsletter 3

11th October 2024David Ayres

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:

Kayla, Bernardas and Grace  Asbourne
Ruby and Ivy  Beane
Elizabeth, Merry, Vladyslava, Kallum, Amelie and Grace  Lea
Charlie  Mimram
Paige and Ire  New
Darsha  Rib

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)

Front Page News,Newsletters

Newsletter 2

27th September 2024David Ayres

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:





$CoMmEntÚ

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)

Front Page News,Newsletters

Newsletter 1

13th September 2024David Ayres

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:

NAME POSITION 
Miss Ansell Primary Teacher
Mrs Everett Modern Foreign Languages Teacher
Mr Rosen Computer Science Teacher
Mrs Claire Ingle English Teacher
Mrs Newland KS3 Teacher
Mr Baxter Business Teacher
Mr Morgan PE Teacher & Pupil Premium Lead

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)

Front Page News,Newsletters

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Simon Balle
All-Through School

Simon Balle All-through School, Mangrove Road,
Hertford, Herts, SG13 8AJ

01992 410400

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