6th March 2026
Dear Parents
World Book Day, Thursday 5th March 2026
On Thursday we celebrated with World Book Day. Mrs Watson created a raft of activities for the class teachers to undertake with the classes. Below is a small selection from the class teachers as to what their children did.
Ladybird class had a fantastic day full of stories! Throughout the day, we embraced our ‘drop everything and read’ moment – what a joy it was to share stories together! We talked about our favourite story characters, and many children were inspired to write their own stories. One independent writer, Edison, even shared that ‘Mr Bump always bumps!’ The Mr Men books are now very popular in our class!
Elmer class celebrated with special buddy reading sessions alongside Milne Class. We shared and read our favourite books from both home and school, fostering a love of reading across year groups. We also enjoyed watching a delightful story from the National Theatre, listening carefully as children shared clues about their costumes and guessing which characters had come to join our class for the day. To finish our celebrations, we redesigned the covers of our favourite books, thinking about what we believe the covers should look like. It was a wonderful day filled with stories, imagination, and a shared love of reading.
Moomin class dressed in character costumes and cosy clothes, we introduced our Writing Journals, designed our own bookmarks and story covers, and enjoyed ‘buddy reading’ with Year 5. We also took part in a book swap and participated in lots of other fun activities. It was a truly memorable day, highlighting the importance of reading and storytelling.
Potter class played “Guess My Character,” sharing clues about our favourite book characters for the class to solve. We also joined a BBC Live Lesson, which inspired us to think creatively about stories and reading. Later, we enjoyed a buddy reading session with Year 6, sharing books and ideas. To end the day, we re-designed the front covers of our favourite books. It was a day full of books, creativity, and a shared love for reading.
Milne class enjoyed listening to Year 1 read to them and then returned the favour by reading a story to the younger children. The class also played a fun game called 'Guess the Character", redesigned their own book covers and spent plenty of time enjoying their favourite books. It was a fantastic day celebrating!
Dahl Class had a wonderful World Book Day! We started by re-designing the covers of our favourite books. We then played 'Guess the Book Character' and shared our oracy home learning. Later, we took part in a live online World Book Day lesson, enjoyed buddy reading with Year 2, and watched a theatre performance online. It was a day full of fun and storytelling!
Shakespeare Class enjoyed acting out their favourite scenes from books for the class to guess. We also participated in buddy reading with Year 3, joined the BBC live lesson, and created new book covers for our favourite stories. During our oracy activity, children shared clues about their characters, and of course, there was lots of fabulous reading throughout the day!
Blue Plaque Unveiling, Judy Fryd, 6th March 2026
Some of our children in Year 4 had the wonderful opportunity today to support the local community in Harpenden at the plaque unveiling for local treasure, Judy Fryd. Judy was a champion for children’s rights and education, and her work has inspired many within our community. Judy was the founder of MENCAP and she initially worked from her home in Harpenden in Westfield Road.
Today the local community got together to unveil a blue plaque on the house where she lived when she set up MENCAP which is a wonderful tribute to her legacy, celebrating her life and achievements. Our pupils represented the school beautifully and were proud to be part of such a meaningful occasion, helping to honour someone who gave so much to the local area.
A special thank you to Mrs Goldsmith, who was integral to the organisation of this event and for inviting Harpenden Academy.
Forensic Science Activity, 6th March 2026
To mark the start of British Science Week (6th-15th March), each class took on the role of detectives in a forensics workshop this morning. The children worked in teams to identify and analyse clues to help them solve the mystery of the missing dog.
During the session, students took on the role of detectives, learning how to analyse clues, examine evidence, and work through a simulated mystery involving a missing dog. They engaged in hands-on activities such as fingerprint analysis, footprint comparison, and observation exercises, all designed to develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Easter Service, Tuesday 24th March 2026
On Tuesday, 24th March we will be holding our annual Easter Service at St Nicholas' Church, Church Green, Harpenden, AL5 2TP. The service will start at 2.00pm and will last for approx 30-40 minutes. We will walk all children to the church and if parents want to join us at the service we would be delighted to have you with us. Please complete this RSVP by Friday, 13th March 2026. This is a hard deadline as we need to make sure we have staffing to walk the remainder of the children back to school for normal pick up. Please complete a form for each child.
If any parents, attending the church service would like to collect your child from the service, we can accommodate that. To be clear, we will only release children early to parents if the parents attend the service.
Please complete this e-form to let the school know if you will be:
a) attending the service and collecting your child from the church.
b) would like your child escorted back to school for collection at 3.20pm from school.
If parents are able to help walk the children to the church and you have a valid DBS then please contact the class teacher via Class Dojo to volunteer your help. This would be most appreciated by school.
We will remind parents nearer the time however we plan to continue our usual Easter cross tradition where the children bring in flowers on the Tuesday morning to cover our wooden Easter cross. Long stem flowers are the best so the children can weave these on to the cross - eg tulips, daffodils, roses.
On the Tuesday morning there will be a bucket at the front of each entrance for the flowers to be put in to at drop off.
Year 6 Secondary places
This week was a massive week for our year 6 children who found out their secondary school places. This is a real right of passage for our oldest children who now are “Year 7 in training”. We are really fortunate in that all children received either their 1st or 2nd choice in schools which is a relief for everyone. Congratulations to all the children and their families.
Catering contract
I’m sure that parents will be thrilled to hear that Harpenden Academy has a new catering company, Innovate, who will be taking over providing school meals after Easter. I do not have any further details for parents such as menus or any changes to the ordering process but once I have, I will forward these on to you.
Grow Your Dough
Last week we launched “Grow your Dough” where each child was given £2.26 to grow into a larger amount of cash. This week I have been asked by several children and parents about the children’s ideas to raise money. I have been asked to use the playground after school for a marketplace activity, asked if the children can sell homemade lemonade, sell coffee to parents in the morning and to all these questions I have said YES.
It’s lovely to see all these ideas flowing in from the children- if you want to use the school facilities to “Grow Your Dough” please drop us a line and I am sure we can accommodate.
Please let us know what activities you are getting up to as we would like to know and it will inspire others to follow.
Equally, if you do not wish to take part in the 'Grow Your Dough' scheme then please return the envelope containing £2.26 by 26th March 2026.
Future events
I thought it wise to repeat again the whole list of events that are happening in school so that parents are aware.
- Monday 9th March - Year 6 will be working with STEM club during the school day on various activities involving IT and science experiments.
- Wednesday 11th March KS1 children are off to the Royal Philharmonic for the afternoon.
- Monday, 16th March KS1 will have an Orchestra workshop in school- funded by FoHA.
- Wednesday, 18th March – the return of Mark the Science man- running various activities throughout the day from Rocket making to heart dissection.
- Thursday, 19th March KS2 will have an Orchestra workshop in school- funded by FoHA.
- Friday 20th March – 'Wear Red for Comic Relief' Non School Uniform
- Tuesday 24th March Easter Church Service 2.00pm at St Nicholas' Church
Clubs - Staff Meeting on Tuesday, 10th March
We have sent an email to parents to cancel Drawing and Football club this coming Tuesday, 10th March due to a staff meeting after school. Apologies for the short notice and any inconvenience.
Choir will still take place with Mrs Moss as we need the rehearsal time for our forthcoming concerts.
Harpenden Academy is taking part in The Big Plastic Count!
This March, thousands of people from across the country are joining the UK’s biggest people-powered investigation into household plastic waste –Harpenden Academy included! We’d love for your household to take part.
By counting every piece of plastic packaging you throw away in a week, you'll help pressure the government and companies to reduce plastic waste and create a better future for young people.
Plastic is essential for many people to live safely and independently. But walk into any supermarket and you’ll see the scale of the problem right there on the shelves: almost all of our food and household products are wrapped in plastic. How can we recycle our way out of the problem when too much plastic is being produced in the first place?
In previous years, The Big Plastic Count has revealed that most of our plastic isn’t even recycled. Most of it is burned in the UK and the rest is sent overseas or to landfill – all of which harms people and planet. Since the last count, the UK has elected a new government – one that says it’s serious about tackling plastic waste. This is our chance to put their promise to the test.
How to take part
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Stick your Count Sheet somewhere noticeable – like the fridge |
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Tell everyone at home that you’re counting plastic packaging and make sure they do, too. |
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Between 9-15 March, count every piece of plastic packaging before you throw it away – whether you’re at home, at school or on-the-go. |
Your Count Sheet includes categories for different types of plastic. This means The Big Plastic Count team can figure out what happens to your plastic after you bin it. For help with categorising, and to see the things you don’t need to count, head to: thebigplasticcount.com/plastic-id
Once your household has completed the investigation, your child can record your results at home via our unique class link: https://thebigplasticcount.com/submit/12104/potter-class
With your help, we’ll create a fairer future that’s free from the impacts of the plastics crisis.
Wear Green Day - Friday, 13th March 2026
All donations can be made via MCAS - thank you for your support.
Friday, 20th March 2026 – 'Wear Red for Comic Relief' Non School Uniform
On Friday, 20th March, we will be taking part in Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day and will be hosting a ‘Wear Red for Comic Relief’ non-uniform day. Children are invited to come into school wearing red instead of their school uniform. A £1 donation for Comic Relief via MCAS is kindly requested.
Traffic Lights
This Easter holiday, Traffic Light Arts have two fantastic workshop weeks! Booking is now open - email admin@trafficlightarts.co.uk
Film Competition, Harpenden Town Council
Harpenden Town Council, together with the Harpenden Arts and Culture Forum, are excited to invite local young people up to the age of 25 to enter a new film competition.
With a theme of “What’s Important to Me?” this competition is a celebration of creativity, voice, and perspectives across our community. We’re encouraging young people to tell their stories through film and explore what truly matters to them, whether that might be people, places, passions or ideas.
With various age and awards categories (including soundtrack and script), the competition aims to nurture emerging talent and encourage creative expression at every stage. The initiative proudly supports the developing arts sector in Harpenden and is backed by the University of Hertfordshire and the Hertfordshire Film Office.
Entries may be made by individuals, pairs, teams, community groups or schools and shortlisted entries will be invited to a grand awards evening on 17th April 2026, where the judges and category winners will come together to view and celebrate the winning films and the creativity behind them. There are also some fantastic prizes on offer.
For more information, please visit the webpage at www.harpenden.gov.uk/whats-important or get in touch directly. Entries close on Friday 13th March, 2026.
Harpenden Easter Egg Hunt - Good Friday, 3rd April 2026, from 11am, Harpenden Common, £6 per child (£8 per child on the day)
Harpenden Easter Egg Hunt tickets are now live - please visit Harpenden Easter Egg Hunt — Friends of Harpenden Academy to book your ticket!
Join us for some Easter family fun!
Hop along to Harpenden Common and follow our Easter Egg Trail, cracking the clues as you go. Once you’ve completed the trail, head over the road to Lourdes Hall to collect your Easter egg from the Easter Bunny himself
We’re delighted to welcome Traffic Light Arts, who’ll be running a range of creative activities for older children. There’ll also be glitter tattoos, face painting, and the return of our ever-popular bouncy castle for all the keen jumping bunnies!
Why not stop by our Lego-themed bar, hosted by the fantastic Platform Wines, where grown-ups can enjoy a drink while younger guests get creative with Lego nearby?
Too many eggs? Not to worry — we’ll have plenty of savoury and sweet treats available, including delicious food from Emilio's Lebanese Street Food.
It’s sure to be a great day out for the entire family!
Easter Egg Hunt: call out for parent volunteers
Last year, we sold over 500 tickets and welcomed nearly 400 families from Harpenden and the surrounding areas to enjoy our trail and the activities in our “Egg Quarters”.
To make this year’s event a success, we need a minimum of five parent volunteers from each class to support with:
- welcoming families to the trail and providing information,
- supervising the bouncy castle,
- helping with arts, crafts, face painting and glitter tattoos
- helping families cross the road safely
- setting up and clearing away our event
Children are very welcome along during your volunteer slot.
For more information and to sign up, please visit Friends of Harpenden Academy: Easter Egg Hunt - Volunteer Sign Up
Happy birthday this week to:- Emily B (R), Kayan M (2), Annabel D (6)
Please click here to view our Harpenden Academy vacancies
Please click here to view our Scholars' Education Trust vacancies
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