20th June 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
The Summer really did land this week with Sports day and the sunshine, plus plenty of trips too.
Sports day
We would like to thank all the parents who attended and made the day so memorable — your support is truly appreciated. The children really enjoyed the day and their behaviour was exemplary especially as it was such a hot day.
We also want to express our gratitude to all the staff members for helping to organise the event, as well as the parent volunteers who kindly helped walk the children. A special shout-out to Mr Davies and Dermot for their hard work in putting up all the gazebos in the hot sun — your efforts were greatly appreciated!
We missed Miss Harvey this week, as she would normally have organised Sports Day. Instead, we made some adjustments to the format, considering the weather and teachers’ suggestions. We introduced more sprints and flat races at the end of the day, which added a fun and energetic touch to the event. Congratulations to Emerald team who were this year's winners! Please see some photos below:
Year 3 Bhaktivedanta Manor
On Tuesday Year 3 visited the Bhaktivedanta Manor in Watford. We had a great tour that involved visiting the shrine room, the garden, the greenhouse and the garden shed. At the farm, we got to pat and feed the cows who are their sacred animal. We finished our morning with an interactive workshop where we acted out the story of Rama and Sita. What a great morning!
Visual Reality Headsets
This week, Harpenden Academy was lucky enough to have the opportunity to host a number of VR workshops across the school. Team Dahl delved back into Ancient Greece as a wonderful summation of their last history unit.
New Reception Parents' Meeting
On Thursday we held the new Reception September 2025 parents meeting. It was lovely to see the hall full and to meet the next cohort of children coming to our school. The parents will soon be officially in the Bromcom system so will be able to access newsletters and other information about the school. Welcome to Harpenden Academy.
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.
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.
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: Hazel E (Reception) and Jos R (Year3)
Please click here to view our Harpenden Academy vacancies
Please click here to view our Scholars' Education Trust vacancies
