13th June 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
The highlight of this week has been the Year 5 trip to the Tutankhamun Immersive exhibition in London. The photographs looked stunning and the exhibition was terrific according to the children I spoke to. I urge parents to take children there if you are able. Please click here for more details.
Year 5's musical extravaganza
More Year 5 news: we were lucky enough to be joined by Mrs Sayers and her two children who performed and ran an incredidble musical workshop, giving the whole class the opportunity to practise playing a variety of brass instruments: Such a wonderful experience to share!
Monday, Drama Workshop with Reception and Key Stage 1
Sustainability Conference
Last Friday, the Key Stage 2 members of our eco council attended the Scholars’ Education Trust Sustainability and Climate Conference. There were several guest speakers and some workshops which the children found very interesting. They learnt about the importance of pollinators in our eco system and how we can support their survival, and how to look after local wild areas. Then they had a workshop from Greenpeace and created posters on the effects of climate change which the charity is sending to the local MP! Lastly, members of the Climate Action Group at Sir John Laws school delivered a workshop on recognising different birds and how to help them thrive in the wild. Lots of useful things were learned and the children will have the opportunity later this term to share this with the rest of the school.
Sports Day, 18th June, 1.30pm-3.00pm at Sir John Lawes (SJL)
Sports day will be next week on 18th June starting at 1.30pm at SJL. Please can parents please complete this e-form to let us know who is attending and if your child needs to be escorted back to school for wrap around care. Please note that there will be no co-curricular clubs running after school on this Wednesday. This form needs to be completed by Monday, 16th June 2025.
Our After School Club will remain open for the children and those children booked in will be escorted back to school by staff. Awesome Engineers, Dance club, Netball and all teacher clubs will not run on this date. Parents are invited but please can we ask you to be quiet as you walk past SJL's sports hall as there are exams on and please arrive no earlier than 13.15pm. You will need to access the field via the tennis courts. Parents can sit on the grassy bank to watch the Sports Day. The children will have lunch before they go and they will need a water bottle and a hat - no need to bring in a school bag. Please apply suncream in the morning. Please speak to your class rep or teacher if you are DBS checked and can help walk the children to SJL.
It’s Clean Air Day on 19th June 2025
Air pollution affects your health from before your first breath until you last. It’s linked to a range of health issues throughout life – from premature birth and effects on organ development in childhood, through to heart and lung disease, diabetes and strokes in adulthood. By cleaning up our air, we can all benefit from immediate and long-term health benefits, and help future generations live happier, healthier lives.
What can you do?
Try active travel - walk, wheel or cycle whenever you can rather than driving, being in a car stuck in traffic can expose you and those around you to more pollution.
Benefits of active travel include:
· Producing little or no air pollution
· Getting more exercise - which are good for your physical and mental health
· Avoiding traffic jams
· Reducing your carbon footprint to help to tackle climate change
· Saving you money and discovering more of your local area
Need to drive?
Try to PARK AWAY from the school and enjoy a short walk. This small change can significantly reduce air pollution around school gates.
Transition
We will be hosting a meeting for all Reception parents on Monday 7th July at 9.00am to discuss the transition to Year 1 and the changes that this step in their journey may have. There will then be a session at 2:30pm to share key information on the transition from Year 2 (Key Stage 1) to Year 3 (Key Stage 2).
The aim of these sessions is to inform parents in advance of changes within these year groups to ensure a smooth transition for the children. It would be great to see as many of you as possible at these sessions.
School Photos
All children should have brought home a photo card featuring a QR code and instructions from Kittle Photography on how to access and order the class school photo.
Quick reminder- Tuesday 24th June - school closed to children
Tuesday 24th June is the Trust conference day when all schools in the Trust will be closed to pupils. I know that FoHA are organising an event for parents to take part in if they wish to do so. Please make sure this date is in your diaries as there will be no one at school on that day if you accidentally forget!
Leavers' Event, Wednesday 9th July, 4.00pm - 6.00pm
Year 6 parents get ready for a delicious treat! Year 6 will plan, prepare and be serving a spectacular three-course meal to their families on this special day. To ensure everyone has plenty of time to enjoy their meal and get organised, pick-up will be at 12:15pm on Wednesday, 9th July. Full details are on Class Dojo for Year 6 parents.
Trips
We have always prided ourselves on the number of first-hand experiences we give our children and these forthcoming weeks there are quite a few. Here are a few of the events coming up:
Virtual reality
Years 2, 5 and 6 will be entering into the world of virtual reality on next week with VR headsets all related to the topic work they are undertaking.
Bhaktivedanta Manor
Year 3 will be going to the Hindu Temple, Bhaktivedanta, on 17th June. This is a lovely trip and the children are going to really enjoy learning about this special place.
World Games Day- Oaklands College
This is open to particular children in Year 4 with the support from Year 6 sports leaders. If your child is taking part in this you will have been notified individually already.
Save The Date - Year 6 Farewell Assembly Friday 11th July 9.00am - 9.30am (Year 6 parents only)
REMINDER: Times Table Rock Stars Launch, Monday 23rd June
On Monday 23rd June, we will be hosting an exciting day to launch Times Table Rock Stars for Year 2- Year 6. Times Tables Rock Stars is an online maths programme that takes all the worry out of learning times tables and has a proven track record of boosting children’s fluency and recall in multiplication and division.
There will be an informative pre-launch meeting for parents at 8.30-9.00am on Tuesday 17th June, to get parents up to speed with the programme so that they can best support at home. Please do come along! We hope to see lots of you there.
Changes to PE kit from September 2025
We are writing to inform you of an upcoming change to the Harpenden Academy PE kit, which will take effect from September 2025.
Currently, students wear cotton PE shirts in their respective house colours, however from September 2025 the school uniform will move to one standard Airtex-style PE shirt for all students. This change has several key benefits:
- Performance & Comfort: Airtex shirts are designed for active wear, offering superior breathability, moisture-wicking properties, and quicker drying times compared to cotton. This ensures students remain comfortable during physical activity and training sessions.
- Improved Second-Hand Uniform Access: With a single shirt design the tops will be able to be used within families and also will be more straightforward for second-hand sales, ensuring affordability and accessibility for all families.
- Built in school number for such events as District Sports or other sporting events the children take part in with the other schools in the local area.
We understand that uniform changes require adjustment, and we appreciate your support in making this transition smooth for all students. In order to assist with making this transition we are expecting a period of 12 months where students will continue to wearing the existing cotton house t-shirts, enabling you to make the change when your child outgrows the uniform.
Further details on the new shirts, are available on the Beats and Stevensons website. They are currently available to pre-order starting at £11.99.
We will also be collecting old PE tops for recycling in order to fit with the school’s sustainability objectives. If you would like to recycle your old PE top please bring it to the main office.
Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Miss Keir
We have had some brilliant news regarding Miss Keir in Potter class. Last week Miss Keir found out that she has been accepted to Oxford University to read theology at Wycliffe College. We are all so very proud of her and are so pleased that she has been able to achieve this remarkable achievement. Of course, the down side to this is that she will be leaving us at the end of this year which we are all really sad about, but my goodness me, what an opportunity this is.
I am sure that those of you who have worked with her will share in our congratulations to her on her wonderful achievement.
Traffiic Light Creative and Performance Arts
Summer Holiday Workshops are here! Places are filling up so book now to secure your space. Please book directly with Traffic Light Arts. admin@trafficlightarts.co.uk
Legoland
FoHA has secured Legoland tickets for just £19pp for Tuesday 24th June which is an inset day.
https://www.foha.co.uk/fohashop/p/legoland
Summer Movie Night
https://www.foha.co.uk/fohashop/p/summer-movie-night
Grab Your Popcorn - It’s FoHA Summer Movie Night!
Join us for a fun-filled evening with a family-friendly movie, snacks, and great company.
- Monday 14th July - Reception and KS1
- Wednesday 16th July - KS2
Time: 3.30-5.30pm on both evenings
Venue: School hall, Harpenden Academy
£3.50 per child including a drink and snack
Don’t miss this chance to relax, have fun, and enjoy a night at the movies - FoHA-style!
Happy birthday this week: Madeleine K (Reception)
Please click here to view our Harpenden Academy vacancies
Please click here to view our Scholars' Education Trust vacancies
