27th June 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
A short but busy week this week with the Trust Conference on Tuesday. I hope those families that were able to visit Legoland with the discount organised by FoHA had a fabulous time. I have only heard positive comments about it.
World Games Day
Last Friday a selection of year 4 and the sports leaders form Year 6 were invited to the World games day at Oaklands college. The children met with teams from all around St. Albans, Harpenden and the villages to try out new sports or to practice and refine new ones. The children did everything form Keeping Fit activities, to athletics and met with a football freestyler who tried to teach them football tricks. It was a hot day but the children all had a great time and finished off with an ice cream or a cooling lolly.
District Sports, Thursday 26th June 2025
Children from Key Stage 2 recently took part in this year’s District Sports event, competing in a range of exciting track and field events. From sprints and long-distance races to jumps and throws, our pupils gave it their all and showed fantastic determination, sportsmanship, and team spirit throughout the day. Representing the school with pride and enthusiasm, every child put in a tremendous effort, making staff, parents, and classmates incredibly proud. Their encouragement of one another and positive attitude helped create a brilliant atmosphere both on and off the track.
A special mention goes to Odiah, who ran an excellent race to come 3rd in his heat and then went on to finish 6th overall in a very competitive final—an amazing achievement! Congratulations also to Ellie, who showed great stamina and focus in her long-distance event, earning an impressive 3rd place finish. And well done to Jamie, who also came 3rd in his long-distance running event—an excellent result that reflected his determination and effort.
Well done to all our athletes for taking part and giving their best. Your efforts truly embodied the school’s values, and you should all be very proud of yourselves. We look forward to seeing what you achieve in next year’s competition!
Coaches Player of the Year
A huge congratulations to Wilbur from Year 4 who was awarded 'Coaches Player of the Year Award' by the team he plays for 'Wheathampstead Wanderers', who have enjoyed an extremely successful season. Wilbur is a keen allround sportsman who also enjoys representing Harpenden Academy in various sporting activities! Well done Wilbur and thank you for your contribution to our school.
Times Table Rock Stars
The Times Table Rock Stars launch was a huge success on Monday - there was such a buzz around school as the children tried out a variety of game modes and took part in some tournaments against other classes. Well done to Milne class (who have been trialling the app for the past few months) and won the whole school tournament! Please look out for your child's login details in a Class Dojo message sent on Monday afternoon so that they can continue to use Times Table Rock Stars at home. Just 5-10 minutes a day 4-5 times a week makes a huge difference to the children's times table knowledge and will help them become confident mathematicians as they progress through the primary and secondary curriculum. Thank you for your support!
Philharmonic Orchestra
On Wednesday, Year 4 and 6 had the amazing opportunity of going to see the Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall in London. The orchestra were performing the piece Petruska. Before we went we learnt the song ‘Mr Cheadle’s Menagerie’ which was written by the presenter of the event and during the performance we sang this along with the orchestra. We had a great time and really enjoyed the experience of hearing an orchestra live.
Ladybirds’ Seaside Adventure – A Victorian Experience!
On Thursday, the Ladybird class enjoyed a fantastic seaside-themed workshop, brought to life by History off the Page. The children were transported back to the Victorian era to discover what seaside holidays were like in the past — from the clothes people wore to the activities they enjoyed.
The morning was filled with hands-on crafting, as the children created their own seaside-themed items such as hook-a-duck games, postcards, and beautifully decorated shell boxes. These creative activities gave them a real taste of traditional holiday fun.
In the afternoon, the school hall was magically transformed into a bustling Victorian pier. The children took on various roles — running a fish and chip shop, selling souvenirs, and even telling fortunes as Victorian fortune tellers! The highlight of the day was a lively Punch and Judy show, which had everyone laughing.
The day was a huge success and gave the children a memorable and immersive experience. They thoroughly enjoyed stepping back in time to explore the joys of a Victorian seaside holiday!
School Journey – Year 6
Next week we will see our Year 6 pupils head off to Norfolk Lakes for their final “hoorah” before they start the process of leaving us. School journey for Year 6 is a rite of passage and allows the children to stretch their wings and become responsible for their timetable, equipment as well as increasing their independence.
It also marks the beginning of the end at their time at Harpenden Academy with their leaver’s meal and assembly round the corner when they come back. We wish all who are going- staff and children- a brilliant time and are excited to see your postings on Instagram and Class Dojo.
Parent Meetings
As we start to move your attention to next academic year, we feel it is important to hold parent meetings for specific year groups. The reason for selecting these year groups is we know that these transitional years can be more demanding on the children that other year transitions.
Monday 7th July: 9.00am meeting for parents of children who are moving from EYFS to Year 1
Monday 7th July: 2.30 pm meeting for parents of children who are moving from Year 2 to Year 3
Key dates coming up:
As we approach July there are a few dates that I would like parents to be aware of:-
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.
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
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: Teddy P (R), Sadie H (R), Keanu A (Yr1), Ashnoor D (Yr1), Rianne P (Yr2), Grace G (Yr3),
Arthur W (Yr4), Leona K (Yr4), Harleen N (Yr4), Tilly T (Yr6), Nicholas P-S (Yr 6)
Please click here to view our Harpenden Academy vacancies
Please click here to view our Scholars' Education Trust vacancies
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