10th July 2026

Dear Parents

The penultimate week of the school year has been a hot one!

Year 4 River Lea Trip last week

We had an absolutely wonderful time on our trip to the River Lea last week! The children were fantastic representatives of our school and jumped straight into being real geographers.

During our adventure, we:

• Measured the river to see how deep and fast it was flowing.
• Explored the local wildlife, spotting different plants, birds, and insects that call the river home.
• Raced our handmade table boats down the water—which was definitely a highlight and brought out some brilliant team spirit!

Harpenden Academy’s Got Talent (HAGT), Friday 3rd July 2026

Harpenden Academy’s Got Talent was last Friday and I would like to thank all the children and adults who made the morning so successful and such fun. Mrs Haines is brilliant at making this event work so wonderfully and it takes her hours of her own time to make the magic happen. This year, however, we also needed the help of Mikey Wong and Mr Wong who’s technical know-how with the sound made it all possible. This was the perfect ending to Mikey's work experience week and we are very grateful to him and his Dad that they could step up to help with the sound. Thank you.

Break the Rules Day, Monday 6th July 2026

Thankfully the 'Break the Rule's' day allowed us all to dress in a cool way to reflect the weather although there were a few wonderful outfits! We raised an impressive £421 which will go towards FoHA's pot of cash. Thank you for your support. 

Year 5 Maths Enrichment Day, Monday 6th July 2026

On Monday 6th July, ten Year 5 pupils had the exciting opportunity to attend a Maths Enrichment Day at St George's School. Throughout the day, they took part in a variety of engaging mathematical challenges designed to develop their problem-solving skills, logical thinking and ability to work strategically. The pupils particularly enjoyed tackling games and activities that required careful planning, teamwork and mathematical reasoning in order to succeed.

After working hard throughout the morning, the children enjoyed a delicious lunch, complete with some well-earned treats. They also benefited from the fantastic support and encouragement provided by St George's sixth form students, who guided the activities and inspired our pupils with their enthusiasm and excellent leadership.

The children represented the school exceptionally well, demonstrating resilience, perseverance and a positive attitude throughout the day. It was a valuable and enjoyable experience, and we are very proud of their participation and exemplary behaviour.

An email from St Georges:

Irock assembly, Tuesday 7th July 2026

On Tuesday we were treated to the finale of i Rock. The irock assemblies are always highly entertaining and really allows the children to show off their skills and confidence in performing. The confidence some children show in front of an audience is really great to see and shows what can be achieved.

Year 6 Leavers Picnic and Leavers assembly Wednesday 8^th July and Friday 10^th July 2026 

We are coming to the very end of our time with our current Year 6 children. Their leavers event was on Thursday with 'Picnic in the Playground' and their 'leavers' assembly was this morning. These are always emotional but uplifting events as we really do say goodbye to the children. Following their Transition Day, during which they spent the day at their secondary school, they are, in many ways, ready to take the next step—probably more ready than their parents in some cases.

It was a lovely evening, and we are so very proud and happy for them to start the next chapter of their education.

 

 

Move Up Day, Thursday 9^th July 2026

While the Year 6 children were at their secondary school, transitioning from “children” to “students,” the rest of Harpenden Academy was also celebrating their 'Move Up' day. The children spent the day with their new class teachers and in their new classrooms. Additionally, a few extra children from other schools, who will be joining us in September, also participated. We then wrapped up the day with our Open Day, giving parents and children the opportunity to visit their new classrooms or take a walk around the school as a whole. This isn’t something parents or children get the opportunity to do in fairness, so it was a lovely evening. Thank you to the parents who came along.

Teddy Bears' Picnic, Thursday 9th July 2026

As well as the children moving up to their new classes, we held a very special Teddy Bears' Picnic to welcome our lovely new Reception children to Ladybird Class. Despite the very hot weather, everyone had a wonderful time getting to know their new friends, while parents enjoyed the opportunity to meet and mingle too.

The children took part in lots of fun ladybird-themed activities, including biscuit decorating and creating their own ladybird arts and crafts. There were plenty of delicious treats to enjoy, and lots of cuddly teddy bears came along for the picnic too!

We are so excited to welcome our new Reception children when they start with us in September, and we can't wait for all the adventures that lie ahead.

End of Year Reports

Please access your child's MCAS profile and click into 'Reports' to view your child's end of year report. They have been published today. If you have any issues accessing your report then please contact the school office. 

Parent Governor Role

I am delighted to say that we have 2 new governors joining our governing body in September these are :

• Gwendoline Manly
• Heather Smart

Thank you to all the parents who took part in this election, and I am thrilled that we have 2 committed parents who will be an asset to our school.

Autumn Term Clubs 2026

We sent out an email to the school yesterday with information regarding our Autumn term clubs.

Please click here to access our list of Autumn Term clubs

Please note that we are recruiting a Sports Coach so we will update this list and send it to parents over the summer break once our sports clubs are confirmed. We have extensively added to our clubs in response to our cultural survey sent out this summer term and we hope you like the selection of clubs we have on offer. 

Please read the club page as it details our new clubs, the contractor and teacher timetables and information regarding how to book. 

Contractor Clubs

You can book on contractor clubs with immediate effect. There will be a charge directly with the provider for these clubs. 

Teacher clubs

All parents will be able to book their child on to teacher led clubs from Thursday, 3rd September 2026 from 5.00pm. You will be able to login to your child's MCAS profile and select the club option from the menu. At 5.00pm you will be able to enrol your child on to their chosen club. If the club is full the system will add your child to the waiting list and the office will inform you if there are any cancellations. We will always do our best to try and accommodate your child’s choices and we will send you a reminder of the booking date in September. We will remind you in September of the booking window. There is no charge for these clubs. Please do not rely on these school clubs as childcare, it is dependent on teacher commitments and we may need to cancel them at short notice.

THE FINAL WEEK

We will be holding a leaving assembly for Mrs Watson, Mrs Moss and Miss Patterson on Monday morning, followed by a visit from our governing body in the afternoon.

However, the main event is Sports Day on Tuesday, 14th July 2026. I sent out a letter earlier this week explaining the changes we have had to make to accommodate the requests from SJL, as they are undergoing major building work. The weather, however, remains the deciding factor. Clearly, we will not hold Sports Day if the heat is extreme and I’m sure parents would understand that. Unfortunately, until we get closer to the date, we cannot predict the weather with certainty, so please keep an eye out for updates.

As always on the last day of term, Friday, 17th July 2026, we will finish school at 12 noon for the children. The staff will remain at school to begin dismantling the old year and preparing for the new one. We have room changes to accommodate, art rooms to be dismantled and displays to be taken down. Please remember to collect your children at noon, as teachers will be busy and it isn’t pleasant for children to be left behind while their friends head off into the summer holidays.

We will be sending out a very brief final newsletter next week to round up the year.

Reception & Key Stage 1 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 13th July - Reception and KS1

Time: 3.20-5.15pm

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!

For more information and tickets, please visit

https://www.foha.co.uk/fohashop/p/summer-movie-night

SchoolGrid - Reminder

We have hit a bit of a snag with SchoolGrid. School finishes at 12 noon on Friday, 17th July however to close the ordering on SchoolGrid for that day we have had to mark it as a holiday. Please be reassured school is open and children ar expected to attend although we will finish at 12 noon and there will be no lunch that day.

It will look like this but school is open:

Chef and Author 

Patti is a Ghanaian Fusion Chef and author of three successful cook books.  Patti visited the school the school recently and amazed the children with her fun, colourful and very tasty food. 

Patti runs fun cooking workshops with school kids in London, Hertfordshire and beyond.

Her sessions are lively, interactive and informative, and children leave inspired to cook and find out more about the world of flavour.

Patti is running a cookery workshop in St Albans on 15th August at the St Albans' Museum at 11.00am. 

www.pattismenu.com

Instagram: pattismenu 

Hertfordshire Libraries Summer Reading Challenge

Turn the page and turn up the volume this summer at your local Hertfordshire Library! In collaboration with The Reading Agency, we’re combining the power of reading and music with Read to the Beat, this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. All children are welcome, no matter what your reading level; listening to an eAudiobook on BorrowBox, sharing a picture book or exploring stories together all count. Libraries across Hertfordshire will also offer free themed activities throughout the summer. The Challenge runs from Saturday 4th July to Saturday 5th September at all Hertfordshire Libraries. Children are encouraged to read six library books, complete challenges and collect exclusive stickers. Finishers receive a medal, certificate and prize draw entry for a musical workshop with author and composer Gareth P. Jones! Best of all, it’s free—just sign up as a Hertfordshire Libraries member to get started.

Find out more at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/SummerReadingChallenge, Call 0300 123 4049 or email libraries.information@hertfordshire.gov.uk.

Traffic Lights Summer Classes

Happy Birthday to:- Lily M (Yr2), Athena M (Yr6)

Please click here to view our Harpenden Academy vacancies

Please click here to view our Scholars' Education Trust vacancies