Friday 11th October
Co-headteachers’ welcome
We are now in week six and, although busy, it is lovely to feel the buzz around the school.
We have been so appreciative of the wonderful support we have received for our Simon Balle All-through School Fund. So many contributions have been so gratefully received, and your comments too are so affirming, related to opportunities, enrichment and learning. We must ask again please that if you can give, please do so, no matter how small or large your contribution. You can donate to the Simon Balle All-through School Fund here, and we cannot stress enough how much we need your contributions to continue to offer what we do. Read on to gain just a glimpse of the last fortnight – so much to celebrate and to reflect upon.
After our successful all-through Open Morning, this week we showcased our amazing sixth form. We are extremely proud of our outstanding academic student outcomes, but we know that we are so much more than our exam results, enriching our students’ experiences with a plethora of enrichment activities to develop the citizens of tomorrow. Our strap line is ‘More Than Just Great A-Levels’ and I do hope it came across. We are passionate about developing confident, resilient, adaptable citizens to react to the ever changing business world. I think our Colour Run for Year 12 and 13 summed up our ethos of hard work and fun!
Back to the day to day, it is lovely to walk around our all-through school and listen to students talking about what they are learning and their career aspirations. Hearing students rephrase their answers, develop points and logically work through their problems is why we come into teaching.
When students leave school they will often recall their best teachers, an amazing experiment, a situation in class but more often it is recalling a caring moment from a teacher or an enlightening trip. Year 6 is soon off to visit the Globe Theatre in London. What an inspiration this will be for their very own performance of Macbeth at the Beam Theatre, Hertford. The underpinning of these enriching experiences leads to exceptional oracy, excellent reading and inspired writing. Our Reception children too are enjoying our revamped outdoor area which provides a wide range of learning opportunities, both socially and academically.
Last week I had the absolute pleasure of accompanying our Year 9 students on their recent battlefield trip, and I can confidently say it was a truly enriching educational experience for everyone involved. These trips offer our students a unique opportunity to step outside the classroom and engage deeply with the history they are learning, and this one was no exception. Our journey took us to some remarkable and historically significant sites, including Tyne Cot Cemetery, Essex Farm, Langemark Cemetery and the Menin Gate, where students paid their respects and reflected on the sacrifices made during World War I. We also visited the informative and moving Passchendaele and Flanders Museums, which brought the history to life in a way that no textbook ever could. The students were incredibly engaged throughout the trip, asking insightful questions and demonstrating a genuine interest in understanding the events that shaped our world. It was truly inspiring to see them connect with the history on such a personal level.This was a trip that will leave a lasting impression on us all, and I’m confident it has deepened the students’ understanding of the past in a way that will stay with them for years to come.
On a sporting front I am delighted to share that we have marked an exciting milestone in the construction of our new sports hall with the official signing of the steel framework. This symbolic event represents the strong foundation we are building for the future of our students’ health and well-being. The new sports centre will provide state-of-the-art facilities that will enhance both our physical education program and extracurricular activities, and we look forward to its completion in the coming months.
On Tuesday we celebrated a wonderful Harvest Festival at All Saints Church, where our primary phase students took part in a heartwarming service. The children filled the church with joyful hymns, thoughtful poems, and beautifully told stories, all reflecting the importance of gratitude and giving during this special time of year. It was a truly uplifting event, and I want to thank all of the students, staff, and families who contributed to making this a meaningful and memorable celebration.
It’s already been such a jam packed term yet unbelievably there is still so much to come. Our youngest students will begin to prepare for the rite of passage that is the Nativity play which we are all looking forward to and the eldest students are preparing for mock exam season. We would like to thank you for all the support you give our students and teachers to make this such a special place.
House Leaders 2024-25
At the start of September, Year 12 signed up for a range of enrichment and leadership activities. Fifteen eager and enthusiastic students formally applied to be House Leaders, showing the Simon Balle value of responsibility in their applications. Our House Leaders are:
| Kayla, Bernardas and Grace | Asbourne |
| Ruby and Ivy | Beane |
| Elizabeth, Merry, Vladyslava, Kallum, Amelie and Grace | Lea |
| Charlie | Mimram |
| Paige and Ire | New |
| Darsha | Rib |
They have formally met once and have already started to plan their first House event which will be launched next week! Stay tuned!
Y13 Business and Economics trip to New York
I certainly fulfilled a dream when I took thirty, year thirteen students to New York in September. I couldn’t believe it when we took our first walk down Broadway to our evening meal, I had done it! A year of meticulous planning to make sure that every student got the experience they dreamed of was worth every sleepless night. To see the astonishment on their faces when looking out at the New York skyline at night or sailing past the Statue of Liberty for the first time and walking through the bright lights and carnival of Times Square, places they had only ever seen in the movies. Mr Pooley, Mrs Smillie and I were proud of every single one of our year thirteen Simon Balle students. They were mature, responsible, polite, kind to each other and generous to others, never missing a meeting time, following instructions and looking out for each other. This was not only a business and economics trip, this was bigger than that, this was an opportunity to showcase what the Simon Balle community has achieved, we have all contributed to our Simon Balle objective of making our students responsible citizens that we can all be proud of.
Mr Papas
SEND
If you would like to speak to a member of the SEND team you can book a virtual appointment of up to 15 minutes with a member of the SEND team, using the following booking link: Booking link.
Following on from Open morning the SEND team have been running some ‘talk and tour’ visits for students where there are additional needs. Visiting school during the day has provided parents and potential students with an insight into how secondary schools look when lessons are taking place.
Hertfordshire Community have Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners who are holding workshops for parents this term. These sessions will look at emotional literacy, sleep and self-esteem along with general support for emotional wellbeing. Further details regarding when these sessions are taking place are shown on the attached flyer. No referral is needed to access these workshops.
Fire Safety Guide
Whether it’s during a major event like bonfire night or simply while using a heater on a chilly day, fire safety is a vitally important topic on which to educate children and young people. One mistake with fireworks, electronics or open flames can have catastrophic consequences: damage to property, serious injury or even worse.
As parents and educators, it’s vital that we teach the children in our care how to protect themselves around fire and flammable materials in a mature and responsible manner. This free guide offers expert advice on how to educate children and young people on fire safety, detailing what precautions can be taken to keep them as safe as possible when exposed to fire-related dangers.
Please click here for our latest Careers Opportunities blog
Assessment
Over the course of the next two half terms secondary students will be completing the first of their two main assessment points. The first is referred to as the mid-year assessment, even though it might feel as though it is very early. More information about these will be sent out by heads of year at an appropriate time in advance of each assessment. Subject staff will also be talking to students in lessons.
You can read more about assessment on our website. This page includes elements of the presentation that was shown to KS3 (Y7-9) parents at the recent expectations evening.
Poppy Appeal
After half term we will have our poppies throughout the school for staff and students to purchase. Donations can be cash or via a QR code. We will be holding our annual remembrance day service on Monday 11th November. Break time will be slightly later than normal for our secondary students, so please make sure they have eaten breakfast in the morning, and that they have a coat in case of bad weather.
Online Safety
Please take a moment to read the two attached guides to Instagram and In-Game Chat.
Dropping off and picking up
Thank you for your continued support with regard to the use of the car park. Can we please urge you to pay careful attention to signage and parking restrictions both on our site and in the surrounding streets. The ‘White Lodge’ turning is a no entry road and must not be accessed from Mangrove Road: please do not use this to turn round in or as a way to drive into the main school car park as neither pedestrians or motorists will be expecting traffic from the wrong direction. Several of the roads in the immediate vicinity of the school have their own parking restrictions in the form of yellow lines, no waiting areas and resident-only zones. In addition to this we would ask you to respect other peoples’ driveways, the footpaths and the verges. As previously communicated, the best place to drop and collect students from is the Old London Road car park next to the fire station. The 11 minute walk should be manageable for the majority of our students, and the collecting from there means that you can avoid the traffic on Mangrove Road.
PSA
Joules Outlet Sale – 8th ~ November
We’re reaching out today to ask for your help with promoting our upcoming Joules Outlet sale on Friday 8th November. This event is open to the wider community so please do share with friends, family and colleagues! The Joules Outlet team have advised us that the sale is subject to a minimum number of tickets being sold so please do help us by sharing our booking link:
https://www.pta-events.co.uk/simonballepsa/?event=event&eventId=75551
Doughies – 22nd November
Sadly, Doughies will close their business at the end of the year. The good news is, we have a final delivery date booked! To place your final order for a cookie or artisan pizza kit, please click here before
Pizza kits cost £7 and £2 of every sale will be donated to the PSA.
https://doughies.co.uk/products/simon-balle
Frost Fair 7th December – volunteers and raffle
Families, students and staff – please support your year group where you can, to ensure this event is a success! Volunteers can sign up to a time slot here: volunteersignup.org/L3Y3Y
If you are able to donate a prize our eagerly anticipated Winter Raffle, please let us know by emailing psa@simonballepsa.org.uk
Dates for your diary
A full calendar of events can be viewed on the school website.
- Mon 14th Oct: Y8 Science Live trip
- Wed 16th Oct: Y10 student consultation evening (virtual)
- Wed 16th – Thurs 17th Oct: Larch student consultations (face to face)
- Thurs 17th Oct: Drum recital
- Mon 21st Oct: Y6 Globe Visit
- Mon 21st – Tues 22nd: Y13 English trip to Stratford upon Avon
- Thurs 24th Oct: Y9 Volcano Day
- Fri 25th Oct: Y12 Media/Film trip to Sky Elstree
- Mon 26th Oct – Fri 1st Nov: Half term holiday
- Mon 4th Nov: Y12 Assessment week starts
- Mon 4th – Thurs 7th Nov: Y13 Geography field trip to Dorset
Wishing you all the best for the week ahead,
Mrs Rachel Kirk and Mr Michael Moss (Co-headteachers)
