Friday 13th September
Co-headteachers’ welcome
Welcome back to a new and exciting school year at Simon Balle All-through School! We hope you all had a refreshing and enjoyable summer break. As we embark on this academic journey together, we are filled with enthusiasm for the opportunities and achievements that lie ahead. This year again we are committed to fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment where every student can thrive.
The title of our staff inset focussed around developing ‘flourishing’ students. We have always said there is no tension between fantastic enrichment and high academic expectations. We are passionate about providing the best possible experience for our students. Our culture, values and ethos are very important to us and this permeates into everything we do. A large part of our inset training was discussing an ethic of excellence for our students, showing what can be achieved through drafting, redrafting, reflection and modelling. As Thompson said, ‘Our core work is to build school cultures that promote excellence all day long…this is what our school culture is built upon: the dogged determination to help our students achieve beyond what they think is possible. We want our students taking a risk, being creative, learning from their mistakes and building a positive learning environment.
We are well aware that ‘the greatest textbook a student can have is a good teacher’. We have spent a lot of time and resources to recruit the very best in a difficult recruitment climate. We are again fully staffed and are pleased to welcome the following new staff members to our school:
| NAME | POSITION |
| Miss Ansell | Primary Teacher |
| Mrs Everett | Modern Foreign Languages Teacher |
| Mr Rosen | Computer Science Teacher |
| Mrs Claire Ingle | English Teacher |
| Mrs Newland | KS3 Teacher |
| Mr Baxter | Business Teacher |
| Mr Morgan | PE Teacher & Pupil Premium Lead |
We are thrilled to share that our students have once again achieved remarkable results across all key stages, reflecting the hard work and dedication of our students and staff. Our Key Stage 2 results are well above the national average, showcasing the strong foundation we provide for our younger learners. At GCSE, our students surpassed expectations by over half a grade compared to national averages; a testament to their perseverance and the exceptional support they receive. Finally, our Year 13 students achieved an outstanding 67% A* to B grades at A-Level, with an average points score significantly exceeding the national average. These achievements highlight the excellence of our educational environment and the incredible commitment of everyone in our school community. Congratulations to all for these stellar results!
As we embark on a new school year, we are thrilled to introduce our enrichment programme, designed to provide our students with a range of exciting learning opportunities beyond the standard curriculum in our all-through school. This year, our programme is brimming with activities and clubs that cater to a wide variety of interests, from arts and sports to science and technology. We believe that these enrichment opportunities will not only enhance our students’ educational experience but also help them discover new passions and talents
Over the summer, we’ve made significant progress on the construction of our new sports hall, and while the building work has been a bit disruptive, it’s thrilling to see our vision for an enhanced sporting facility taking shape. Please be mindful that parking is currently limited due to the construction, so we kindly ask that you avoid driving your child to school unless you have specific permission. Please don’t block driveways or turn round in unsuitable locations – secondary age students should be perfectly capable of walking from the Old London Road car park next to the fire station. On another positive note, our Modern Foreign Languages building is now fully operational, providing a wonderful environment for language learning, and we’ve also converted our lecture theatre into two fantastic classrooms. It’s an exhilarating time to be a student here, with these new resources enriching our educational experience.
Finally we want to mention fantastic parental involvement in our school community. Your involvement, whether through supporting excellent student attendance, supporting your child’s learning at home, attending school events or actively encouraging our enrichment programmes, plays an essential role in their development. Together, we can create a cohesive support system that not only addresses academic needs but also fosters emotional and social growth. We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your continued commitment and support. Your engagement is crucial in helping us provide the best possible educational experience for our students. Let’s work together to make this year one of growth, achievement, and memorable experiences for all.
Communication and information platforms
A large all-through school like ours is a busy place. This brings both opportunities and challenges, particularly when it comes to communicating with people and staying organised. Inevitably this will involve the use of a variety of systems and platforms. We are committed to streamlining these, but there is never one perfect tool for every job. Here is an overview of the online platforms that we use.
It has been fantastic to see over 3000 positive points awarded in the first week to students demonstrating our CARE values. As part of the streamlining process we have moved the recording of the rewards and consequences over to Arbor. Thank you for your patience and understanding whilst we do this. We are aware of some confusion as to what parents and students can see and are working with Arbor to improve this. A parent guide will be sent out shortly when we have rectified.
Sixth Form Open Evening
We look forward to welcoming you to our Sixth Form Open Evening on Wednesday 2nd October 2024 from 17:30 – 19:30. Our Sixth Form Open Evening offers you the perfect opportunity to begin considering life after GCSEs.
On the evening you will have the opportunity to explore the school site and visit each of our departments. Our outstanding and experienced subject teachers will be on hand to showcase their subject and talk you through the finer details of the course. Talks from our Sixth Form Leadership team will take place in the main school hall at 17.45 and again 18.45. Sixth Form student guides are also available to offer you a tour of the school and talk about our wonderful enrichment programme.
Many of our students also enjoy studying a range of new subjects, available to them for the first time. Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Politics, Film Studies and English Literature are often popular choices. We offer a creative pathway for students keen to follow their passions. Students have the opportunity to study A Level Music, Art & Design, Drama and Media Studies, in addition to History, Geography, Philosophy, Religion and Ethics.
However, we also believe that Sixth Form should be about MORE THAN JUST GREAT A LEVELS. We are proud of our students’ individual talents and enjoy supporting them to grow as young people.
Once again, we look forward to welcoming you on to our Sixth Form Open Evening.
Author visit for years 4, 5 and 6 in the Larch
On the afternoon of Wednesday the 18th of September, The Book Nook bookshop in Ware have arranged a visit to Simon Balle School, with Children’s author Nazima Pathan, during her school book tour for her debut children’s book, Dream Hunters, a brand-new epic adventure middle grade set in a reimagined India where dreams can be captured and bottled.
Students from Years 4, 5 and 6, will take part in a fun session with Nazima, who will be talking about the world of Dream Hunters and showing them how to create their own fantasy adventures with the essential ingredients of characters, maps and magical tools in an interactive session, followed by a book signing.
The team from The Book Nook bookshop in Ware, will be selling books on the day of the event, and children can bring in either cash or their pre-loaded debit card, or you can order a copy from our website at booknookshop.co.uk for your child(ren) to bring in on the day for Nazima to sign! When you order you will get 10% off the RRP of the book if you use the code DREAM at the checkout.
Music Hall of Fame
We have launched our 2024-25 Hall of Fame, so don’t forget to vote for your favourite pieces!
Click on the link below to vote for your top 3 pieces of Classical Music from our Simon Balle Hall of Fame. This will be the music we listen to in assemblies each week as we count down the Top 15 as voted for by you.
Last year’s winner was Ride Of The Valkyries by Wagner, but will it retain its place at the top? The decision is up to you!
VOTING CLOSES ON FRIDAY 20th SEPTEMBER
Do have a listen to the pieces in our Hall of Fame on our spotify playlist:https://open.spotify.
Simon Balle’s reading culture
Students should read for at least 20 minutes each day: The more students read, the more successful they will be in their school work and in the future.
We want to reward you for reading. Take part in Get Rewarded for Reading!
Last year New house won the Get Rewarded for Reading trophy – will they be able to retain it in 2024-25?
Why we should all read:
Academic and career success
- Reading ability is a greater indicator of academic success than someone’s social background or their parents’ level of education.
- Literacy skills (reading and writing) are essential for our future jobs and careers.
- Reading helps us to gain empathy for other people and a better understanding of ourselves and different points of view, identities and cultures.
Mental health and wellbeing
- Reading reduces feelings of loneliness.
- Reading for enjoyment is really good for our wellbeing and mental health particularly for people who suffer with anxiety, stress or depression.
- Reading for pleasure helps you to have better sleep patterns.
Hertford Library event
Hertford Library are hosting a Creative Writing Poetry Workshop for Young Adults 14-18 on Monday 28th October. You can read more about the event here.
SEND
The start of the year is an opportunity to review policies in place and as such the SEND Information Report 2024-2025 has been updated for this academic year. This can also be found on the website.
If you have concerns or questions the first port of call is the class teacher or tutor but if you would like to speak to a member of the SEND team online appointments are available using this Booking link on Mondays and Thursdays.
SEND Local Offer
Every county in England has a SEND Local Offer as per the SEND Code of Practice 2015. This provides information about health, education and social care for children and young people (birth to 25 years old) with SEND.
Hertfordshire’s Local Offer has information, advice and signposting on support available in education, clubs and activities, parent workshops, services for young people and parents, preparing for adulthood, EHCPs and more. The website is easy to navigate and has contact details for all their services including links to associated organisations and charities.
The Local offer is running a webinar on Wednesday 25 September 8pm – 9pm. Use the link to Join the meeting.
Mental Health training
The Emotional Mental Wellbeing in Education Team are offering funded training programmes to support school-based professionals and parents/carers to improve the mental health and wellbeing of pupils aged 8-18.
All MHFA Training is facilitated by an approved MHFA Trainer.
The training which is currently on offer is: MHFA 1 day Champion Course for parents/carers of Hertfordshire school children
Please see the flyer attached (Parent Carer 1 Day MHFA Training (1)) for more information and use link below for ease of booking:
Simon Balle All-through School is proud to announce that we have successfully achieved the Quality in Careers Standard through Investor in Careers, effective July 2024. This prestigious recognition reaffirms our commitment to delivering exceptional careers education, information, advice, and guidance (CEIAG) to our students. As holders of this award for the next three years, we continue to strive for excellence in preparing our students for their future careers.
Our comprehensive CEIAG program has been highly commended for its strong structure, effective delivery, and positive impact on students. Achieving the Quality in Careers Standard is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our careers team, students, parents, and the wider school community.
We look forward to building on this success and continuing to support our students in achieving their career aspirations.
Please click here for our latest careers opportunity blog
PE News
The term has got off to a great start in PE lessons with students settling in well. This month students in Year 7, 8 & 9 have started with a house competition, focussed on the Long Jump, 100m, Throw and a Cross Country run. Results will follow in our monthly Sports Blog at the end of September.
The Year 7 District Mob Cross Country race, our first sports competition of the year, took place on Wednesday at Chauncy School. The Year 7 girls were led home by Grace P who finished in third place, earning the team second place overall, behind a strong Presdales team. James P finished 7th in the Year 7 boys race, with the team finishing third overall. Well done to all who participated.
To view our Sports Extra-curricular programme, please visit the PE web pages via the following link – Secondary Sport Enrichment Programme.
Parents evenings
Parents evenings are now going to be known as ‘student consultation evenings’ going forward. These will continue to be a mixture of face to face and virtual events, and will run alongside other opportunities to visit the school.
Top tips for supporting your child
Read the latest in this excellent series: supporting-children-to-manage-conflict-effectively
Privacy notice
Please take the time to read our privacy notices for parents/carers and students https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/policies-accounts/gdpr/
Open morning reminder
Please don’t forget that Saturday 21st september is our all-through open morning. Secondary students are expected to be on site by 0810 and Y5 should arrive between 0800-0815. Form tutors will be sharing more specific details with students during the week, and a email was sent home last week outlining times for Friday (early finish for secondary students) and Saturday. In return for coming to school on Saturday, the students get an extra day off in the autumn term.
PSA
Asda Rewards
Between 2nd September and 30th November 2024, every time customers shop with Asda using their Rewards app, they can choose Simon Balle School to receive a percentage of their spend. And that’s not all — every time a customer chooses our school, Asda will donate £1 to the Simon Balle Cashpot, plus a further £50 when your first customer shops.
Download or update the Asda Rewards App today and follow the guide below. It is super easy to do…Asda Rewards, how to activate.
Joules
The Joules Outlet team are returning to Simon Balle on Friday 8th November. Tickets for this event are now on sale, via the PSA website.
Be the first to snap up Preview Tickets, allowing early entry into the sale room but hurry, there aren’t many tickets available! Book before 10th October to secure an Early Bird Discount!
Treasurer needed
As we kick off the new academic year, we are urgently seeking a replacement Treasurer to start immediately.
At a time when fundraising is more important than ever, this role is crucial to both the success of the PSA’s fundraising efforts and smooth running of key events, as well as delivering on initiatives, such as the following examples achieved in recent years:
- shade and shelter projects for both phases of the school
- mini-bus hire
- funding to help subsidise school trips
- refurbishments for areas such as the swimming pool
- building decoration and school signage
- funding towards end of year celebrations
Your help with this key role will support the work of the PSA to ensure these important contributions continue.
You will receive a handover as you act as interim Treasurer, ahead of being elected on to the Committee during the Autumn term Annual General Meeting (AGM). If you would like to express your interest in this role or to find out more, please email our Co-chair, Jo Duggan, on duggan_jo@yahoo.co.uk
Thank you letter
Finally please see the attached letter from the Parent Staff Association.
Dates for your diary
A full calendar of events can be viewed on the school website.
- Mon 16th Sep: Y8 Expectations evening
- Tues 17th Sep: Y9 Expectations and Battlefields trip info evening
- Thurs 19th Sep: Y13 Expectations evening
- Fri 20th Sep: Secondary early finish (1310 for those helping on Saturday, 1510 for everyone else) (Larch finish at 1515 as usual)
- Sat 21st Sep: Open Day
- Wed 25th Sep: Y11 performance clinic
- Thurs 26th Sep: Y7 information evening
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Rachel Kirk and Mr Michael Moss (Co-headteachers)
