Friday 16th January
Co-headteachers’ welcome
As we set our New Year resolutions, I will admit to being personally guilty of seeing them falter by mid-January. Reflecting on why, it is usually because the goals were unmanageable or lacked a concrete plan. In education, we often speak of clarity and consistency; sustainable progress is built on realistic steps and a clear sense of purpose—values we strive to model for our students every day.
With the new term underway, our oldest students have now submitted their UCAS applications. While a milestone, this is only one of several vital pathways we support. The apprenticeship route continues to grow rapidly, offering exceptional opportunities across diverse industries. We are proud of our local reputation for excellence in apprenticeship guidance, recently highlighted when our Assistant Headteacher was invited to speak at a national event on the expanding landscape of vocational opportunities.
Careers education remains a cornerstone of our all-through curriculum. Recent highlights range from a live court trial experience for the Sixth Form to a series of visits from industry leaders. This term, our focus is to embed career links into every subject, helping students understand not only what they are learning, but why it matters in the professional world.
Underpinning these achievements is a culture of aspiration, confidence, and leadership. A unique strength of our all-through setting is the way older students mentor their younger peers. As Robert Ingersoll wrote, “We rise by lifting others.” This ethos is visible daily, and we are working to further embed leadership opportunities across all year groups via the School Parliament.
As we settle into the term, I wish everyone a purposeful start to 2026—one built not on grand resolutions, but on the small, meaningful steps that move us forward together.
Celebrating Our INSET Day: Strengthening Our Community and Practice
Our whole-school INSET day on Monday 5th January was a valuable opportunity for staff to come together, reflect, learn and grow in preparation for the Spring Term. Warmly welcomed by Senior Leaders who set the tone by leading a meaningful session on our school’s culture and ethos, we took this INSET Day as an opportunity as a staff team to remember the values and expectations that unite our community and support every child to thrive in a positive, inclusive environment.
Following this, colleagues participated in the first of two training sessions delivered by Trauma Informed UK. A trauma-informed approach recognises that many children experience stressful or harmful life events that can affect behaviour, wellbeing and learning. A trauma-informed school seeks to support all pupils by prioritising strong, trusting relationships, emotional safety and compassionate responses over punitive measures. These approaches are grounded in research from psychology, neuroscience and education and aim to promote healthier school cultures where every child and adult feels valued and understood.
The training emphasised how vital it is for all staff to continue to understand the impact of trauma, to use relational skills and to contribute to a supportive culture where children can feel safe, connected and ready to learn. It also highlighted the importance of supporting staff wellbeing as part of a holistic approach to school life.
Later in the day, staff worked in their departments and phases to review the Autumn Term, share reflections, and set clear aspirations and action plans for the Spring Term. These focused discussions ensured that our ongoing development is purposeful and closely aligned with our school development priorities.
We’d like to share our thanks to all staff for their engagement and dedication as we saw yet another example of how their ongoing engagement and commitment to professional growth benefits our whole community.
United Against Bullying – Survey Update
Thank you to everyone who completed the United Against Bullying survey before Christmas. We received an excellent level of engagement, with over 200 responses from parents and carers, 700+ from students, and 150 from staff.
Your feedback has been invaluable in helping us better understand our community’s experiences and in shaping an action plan to ensure every student feels that they belong and are safe at school.
We will be sharing further information shortly, including clear guidance on how to report bullying concerns and our whole-school approach to preventing and responding to bullying.
Thank you for your continued support in helping us create a positive and inclusive school environment.
Preference timeline for Year 9 students and parents
W/C 19th January 2025 – Subject leads to present information about their subject to students during drop down sessions in the hall
Monday 26th January – Preference letters to be sent to all Year 9’s stating their pathway in advance of preference evening
Wednesday 28th January – Year 9 Preference evening starting at 6pm. Presentation in the main hall followed by a ‘Preference fayre’ at which all departments will be present.
Monday 23rd February – Deadline for preferences to be submitted (please note this is the first day back to school after the half term break)
Early March onwards – SLT interviews to be conducted
PE and Sport
New Year, New Goals – Get Active This January!
January is the perfect time for a fresh start and a great opportunity to embrace a more active lifestyle! At Simon Balle, we’re encouraging all students to make a New Year’s Resolution to move more – whether that’s joining a new club, being active with friends at lunch time, or taking part in one of our fantastic extra-curricular sports activities.
Our extra-curricular programme offers something for everyone – from competitive team sports to recreational clubs designed simply for fun and wellbeing. Taking part in physical activity not only improves fitness, but also boosts confidence, reduces stress, and helps build friendships across the school.
Here is our jam packed extra curricular programme for this half term: https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/sport/secondary-sport/
Let’s make 2026 the year we all choose to move more, feel better, and live healthier!
London Mavericks Netball Masterclass
Last half term our most talented netballers from Years 8–10 were given a fantastic opportunity to take part in an exclusive netball masterclass led by London Mavericks. The session provided an inspiring insight into the high-performance environment of elite netball and challenged our students to take their game to the next level.
The focus of the masterclass was on attacking play, specifically dominant drives and creating effective space on court. From the very first drill, the intensity was high, with students demonstrating great energy, teamwork and determination. It was fantastic to see how quickly they were able to apply new skills and concepts into match play scenarios, a real testament to their coachability and commitment.
Coach Amy was extremely impressed with the standard of play and the level of talent across all three year groups. She praised the players’ work ethic, willingness to learn, and enthusiasm throughout the session.
Opportunities like this are invaluable for our students, allowing them to experience professional-level coaching and develop both their technical and tactical understanding of the game.
A huge thank you goes to Coach Amy and the London Mavericks for delivering such an engaging and high-quality session. We can’t wait to see how our students continue to build on what they learned as the season progresses. We are looking forward to the Netball Super League returning in the new year and aim to get tickets to watch some of London Mavericks’ games!
Feedback from the Cricket Master class
Before Christmas students were lucky enough to have some master class sessions from Coach Becky who is part of the Hertfordshire cricket set up and is an amazing advocate for girls cricket.
Year 7, 8 & 9 were all given an hour session which helped develop their bowling and batting skills. The girls were given some new tactical ideas and some great new drills that we can continue to use in lessons. The students were engaged, focused and competitive and Becky was so impressed with how they developed throughout the session.
At the end of the day the PE staff were lucky enough to have a CPD session with Becky on how we can develop our cricket knowledge and skills making for a fantastic scheme of work in the summer term.
Festive Badminton
The secondary phase got into the festive spirit the week before the holiday with our first ever Festive Badminton event and what a brilliant way to end the term!
Over 130 students took part across the secondary bringing plenty of energy, smiles and festive cheer. From homemade T-shirts and creative christmas outfits to some seriously impressive badminton skills.
Huge well done to everyone who got involved and an extra shout out to our winners:
- Year 7 winners: Dominic K and Oscar G
- Year 8 winners: Rowan M and Bradley P
- Year 9 and 10 winners: Tom S and Mason K
- Sixth form and Staff: Miss Newman and Mr Goodwin
Art news
Creative Arts Digital Suite Grant
We are delighted to announce that our school has been awarded a substantial grant from the Wolfson Foundation to create a state-of-the-art Digital Arts Suite, marking a major step forward in enhancing creative learning for our students.
This innovative new space will provide students with access to industry-standard technology, specialist software, and high-quality digital resources—empowering them to explore a range of digital skills and techniques. The suite will support both GCSE and A-Level pathways, enabling young artists to develop advanced technical skills, refine their creative voice, and build portfolios that reflect real-world practice in the creative industries.
The grant forms part of our wider commitment to expanding opportunities in the arts and ensuring students have the tools they need to succeed in an ever-evolving digital landscape. With the new Digital Arts Suite, students will benefit from enriched lessons, greater independence in their creative projects, and increased exposure to contemporary digital arts processes.
We look forward to opening the space next year and celebrating the extraordinary work our students will create. This project represents not only a major enhancement to our arts curriculum, but also a vibrant new hub for imagination, innovation, and creative discovery.
The Wolfson Foundation is an independent grant-making charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to contribute to civil society by supporting high-quality projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts.
Since it was established in 1955, the Wolfson Foundation has awarded over £1 billion (£2 billion in real terms) to around 14,000 projects throughout the UK, all on the basis of expert review.
Subway Arts
We’re thrilled to welcome back the Subway Art Project, supported by Cllr. Rachel Carter and Hertfordshire County Council. This year’s display features a selection of artwork submitted by 2025 GCSE Art students from Hertford’s secondary schools. We are incredibly proud of the three students whose pieces have been chosen for exhibition in the London Road Subway—a space many of our students walk through each day on their way to school. A celebration of aspiration, community, and pride.
Life Drawing Workshop
Last friday our 6th form art students participated in a life drawing workshop which was a valuable and eye-opening experience for them. It allowed them to develop their observational skills, improve their understanding of human anatomy, and work more confidently with proportion and form. The session encouraged focus, accuracy, and creative risk-taking, as well as respect for the professional studio environment. Overall, the workshop enhanced their artistic ability and gave them a deeper appreciation of drawing from life, which they can apply to future coursework and creative projects.
History
We’re pleased to share that Isabella, Year 12, has been offered a place on the Cambridge Higher Aspirations Scheme (CHAS) for 2025–2026. Following a highly competitive selection process, with nearly 1,500 applicants for just over 300 spots, Isabella secured a position on the programme and will be undertaking a series of supervisions in History including a residential placement.
Congratulations to Isabella on this outstanding achievement!
Drama
A busy end of term in the drama department with a GCSE visit to Alexandra Palace to watch A Christmas Carol, Year 10’s performed their own piece of devised theatre for a year 3 audience and we took 42 Drama Club members (and our sixth form leaders) to see the Beauty and the Beast pantomime at the Beam Theatre. A festive and theatrical end to term!
Simon Balle Business @ The Frost Fair
This year saw a fantastic presence from the Business Department at the Frost Fair—our strongest yet and a real testament to the subject’s growing popularity. Students from the Year 7 Make £5 Grow enrichment programme and Year 12 CTEC Business course showcased an impressive range of activities and products, all of which had been thoughtfully planned and professionally delivered.
Collectively, our business students raised approximately £380 for the PSA. But far more important than the final figure was the experience: developing confidence, embracing enterprise, and learning what it truly means to think like an entrepreneur. It was inspiring to watch students throw themselves into the challenge—showing the initiative, enthusiasm and resilience that every successful businessperson needs. Many were even applying pricing strategies on the spot, responding to demand and working hard to attract customers throughout the day.
In the months leading up to the event, students developed and refined their ideas, created marketing materials, and forecasted their costs, revenue and profit. Along the way, they gained invaluable skills in teamwork, communication and problem solving. Perhaps the biggest compliment of all came from a Year 7 student who asked, “Can we do it again in Year 8?” Well… you never know!
SEND
If you would like to speak to a member of the SEND team, please schedule a virtual appointment of up to 15 minutes by using the following link: Virtual SEND Team Appointments
Hertfordshire Local offer – SEND Strategy 2026 – 2029 Consultation Link and Feedback opportunity
The latest DSPL3 Newsletter for Parents – Autumn 2 is attached including details of their upcoming coffee mornings.
Safety advice from the Fire Brigade
Please see the attached advice from the Fire Brigade about staying safe around frozen water.
Click here for our latest Careers Opportunity blog which includes:
- Hospitality opportunities
- Law opportunities
- Cyber & Cryptography event
Parent Staff Association
Spring Music events – bar support needed
Spring is a busy time for the secondary music community with the Concert Orchestra’s Music Prom on 13th March followed by Big Band on 14th and in April the Brass and Wind evening on 25th.
The PSA likes to support these wonderful evenings by running a licensed bar. Are you able to help? Sign up here.
Annual General Meeting advanced notice
An AGM (Annual General Meeting) is a meeting held once a year where we come together to review what has happened over the past year, including finances, reports, and key decisions. It is also a chance to elect committee members and discuss plans for the year ahead. We plan to hold our AGM during the spring term, please look out for more information.
Good attendance at the AGM is important because it ensures decisions represent the wider all-through community and that we can meet our legal requirements. The more people who attend, the stronger and more democratic our organisation becomes. Please consider attending our AGM, even if you do not wish to be elected as a committee member. We need a minimum number of attendees in order for the AGM to proceed.
Register your interest via the sign up link.volunteersignup.org/WT7KY
Dates for your diary
A full calendar of events can be viewed on the school website.
- W/b 19th Jan: Y8 assessment week
- Tues 20th Jan: Young Voices
- Wed 21st Jan: Y11 student consultation evening (face to face)
- Tues 27th – Fri 30th Jan: Y10 Business Studies trip
- Wed 28th Jan: Y9 preferences evening
- W/b 2nd Feb: Y10 assessment week
- Wed 4th and Thurs 5th Feb: Y11 pathway meetings
- Wed 4th Feb: Y11 performance clinic
- Fri 6th Feb: Y10 ELSA careers day
Wishing you all the best for the week ahead
Mrs Rachel Kirk and Mr Michael Moss (Co-headteachers)
