This Week at St Faith’s

It has been a pleasure to welcome the children back to school after the Christmas break, and I do hope that you and your families enjoyed a happy and restful holiday and a peaceful start to the New Year. Despite the cold weather, snow flurries and icy mornings, the pupils have returned with good spirits and have settled quickly into the rhythm of the Lent term.

We are also delighted to welcome Mr Fernandes, one of the specialist Science teachers from The Leys, who will be joining us until the end of the academic year. His presence further strengthens the close links between our two schools.

Three children wearing matching red and black striped blazers and shorts play soccer with an orange ball on a wet outdoor court. One child is about to kick the ball while the other two watch.

Two children wearing winter coats, hats, and gloves play and smile at each other outdoors near a wooden playground structure. The girl on the left has red ribbons in her hair, and the boy on the right is dressed in red and black.

Two young children in warm coats and boots stand and smile on a rope climbing frame at a playground. Other children play in the background on a green and black outdoor play surface.

Four boys in red and black striped blazers stand on a wet outdoor basketball court. Two boys face each other, one holding a ball, while another raises his arms. A fourth boy smiles, looking toward the camera.

Two young children in matching red jackets and sweaters smile at the camera. One wears a red and black beanie, while the other has short dark hair. They are outdoors, with trees and a blurred background behind them.

Four young children in winter coats and red hats play with colorful plastic building blocks at an outdoor table, while another child in a black coat reaches for blocks. A playground is visible in the background.

Four boys wearing red and black striped blazers and shorts stand in a circle on an outdoor basketball court, appearing to play or engage in conversation. Trees and fencing are visible in the background.

Four children in black jackets smile while standing behind a red rope climbing net on a wooden playground structure. Two more children are visible behind them, partially hidden. All are outdoors on a cloudy day.

Seven girls in black sportswear stand on a playground rope bridge, smiling at the camera. Greenery and playground equipment are visible in the background.

Two young children wearing plaid skirts, jackets, and boots smile and hold hands while spinning around on a wet playground. One child wears a red coat and hat; the other wears a black coat.

Three schoolgirls in red and black striped blazers playing table tennis outdoors. One girl is about to hit the ball while the others watch and smile. A brick wall and a blue fire exit door are in the background.

Four young children dressed in red coats and hats are smiling and talking on yellow steps outside a brick building. One child with a ponytail faces away from the camera. The group appears cheerful and playful.

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Epiphany: Choosing to Carry the Light

As we enter the season of Epiphany in the Christian calendar, we are reminded of the journey of the three wise men, guided by the star towards something extraordinary. In assembly this week, we reflected on how the start of a new term offers a similar moment of choice: how we begin our journey and what we decide to carry with us.

We return with memories from last term — friendships strengthened, challenges met and lessons learned — but we also appreciated that we have the freedom to choose the attitude we bring into the weeks ahead. We thought about how we each might we be a guiding light to others – through kindness, patience, and the small, everyday actions that quietly brighten someone else’s path.

Continuing this theme of sharing light, in assembly pupils heard a short story about a vicar visiting a man who had stopped attending church. Sitting together over a cup of tea, and without saying a word, the vicar removed a glowing coal from the fireplace and placed it on the hearth. Separated from the flames, it soon grew cold. When she returned it to the fire, it reignited and shone brightly once more. The message was clear: each of us can be a source of warmth and light for others, and together, we can help one another burn more brightly.

Our Bible reading came from the Gospel of St John, reminding us of the promise of light in dark places. We reflected too on William Holman Hunt’s famous painting The Light of the World. The pupils were very interested to learn about Holman Hunt’s vivid use of colour, detail and allegory in his paintings. We considered the dark surroundings in the picture, the symbolic lantern, and overgrown door with no handle on the outside, meaning it can only be opened from within – a powerful image of invitation, guidance and hope.

Holiday Clubs

Following the end of term in December, the school remained open for a wide range of holiday clubs. I am extremely grateful to the staff who gave their time to support pupils and families during this period. The Multi-Activity Course, STEM Camp and Art and Christmas Craft workshops all took place, and it was clear that pupils were relishing the opportunity to explore new skills and interests.

Looking ahead, many of these activities will be offered again during the Easter holidays. We also anticipate the return of the ever-popular St Faith’s Cookery School, along with Little Wyverns for our Pre Prep children. Before then, during the February half-term, Bikeability courses will be available for pupils in Years 5–8, supporting our ongoing sustainability initiatives. We continue to encourage cycling to school where feasible, and it has been reassuring to see pupils remaining careful and visible during the darker winter months, using high-visibility accessories and bike lights.

A young girl with glasses and pigtails, wearing a red sweater, holds up a white paper snowflake in a colorful classroom filled with art supplies and drawings.

Two young girls in a classroom smile at the camera. One holds up a paper snowflake craft, and the other, wearing a red shirt, shows a small paper snowflake in her palm. Art supplies and colorful artwork are visible in the background.

A white paper plate holds a golden fairy-shaped object, possibly made from clay or dough, covered in gold paint and glitter, resting on a dark wooden surface.

A white paper plate holds gold glitter-covered cutouts of a star and two snowflakes, on a blue surface.

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Welbeck Hospital Mural Competition

Last term, a number of our pupils submitted designs for the Welbeck Hospital Mural Competition, and we are pleased to share some of these submissions. The theme, Cambridge Reimagined, prompted imaginative and thoughtful responses.

Welbeck Healthcare is opening a new hospital in Sawston in 2026, and the winning mural designs will be projected onto a wall in the paediatric waiting area. Three winners will be selected, representing different age groups, with the announcement expected in March.

A colorful drawing shows famous Cambridge landmarks, including colleges, bridges, a ferris wheel, and people walking. The buildings and scenes are illustrated on separate floating islands over water.

A colorful drawing of a large water droplet containing a wooden bridge over a pond with floating pink flowers and yellow ducks. A sun with sunglasses and a squirrel sit atop the bridge; raindrops and clouds surround the droplet.

A colorful drawing of an underwater scene shows various fish, sea creatures, and plants, with a boat and people on the surface, set against a bright sun and blue sky.

A painting of a wooden bridge with a cat on top, stretching over two clouds. The sky transitions from dark with stars, constellations, and math formulas to a bright sunrise at the bottom.

A colorful drawing shows a clock tower on a yellow hilltop, a red bridge, fall trees with leaves, frogs, and an owl at night with a crescent moon and stars in a blue sky.

A colorful, childlike painting of a winter night scene with a yellow bridge over a frozen river, leafless red trees, a snowman, a small animal, a crescent moon, and stars in a dark blue sky.

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Cambridge District Schools’ Cross-Country Championships

Mr Mageean writes,

“Congratulations to all of our Year 7 and 8 Cross-Country runners who competed in the Cambridge District Schools’ Cross Country Championships at the very end of last term. The event was hosted wonderfully by Netherhall School, and it is a true test of cross-country endurance on a course that incorporates muddy terrain and a section that all pupils simply referred to as ‘the Hill!’

Mr Mageean and Mrs Fordham accompanied the pupils as they competed alongside all Cambridge schools in events where there were around 150 runners in each race! Our Year 8 pupils also endured stronger competition in their races as they were competing against Year 9 too (as the age boundary in school athletics and cross-country covers two year groups).

All our pupils ran extremely well on the day and it was particularly pleasing to see those who were competing for their very first time in a St Faith’s athletics vest. Special congratulations go to five of our pupils that finished in the Top 14 and therefore qualified to represent Cambridge Schools in the Cambridgeshire County Schools’ Championships that take place at Ely this coming weekend. We wish them every success.”

A young person in a red and black running outfit races along a grassy path bordered by trees and bushes on a winter day.

A young runner in a St. Faiths sports uniform and bright red shoes is jogging on a grassy, marked trail surrounded by trees and sunlight.

Six girls wearing matching red and black sports uniforms with St. Faiths on the front stand together outside on a grassy field, smiling and posing for the camera on a sunny day.

Two boys in athletic gear run side by side on a grassy outdoor trail, both wearing black shorts and red-and-black tank tops with St. Faiths printed on one shirt. Trees and grass are visible in the background.

A young runner wearing a red St. Faiths singlet and black shorts runs on a grassy trail marked by yellow cones, with trees and a fence in the background. The scene is lit by soft sunlight.

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Entry Assessments

On Thursday, we welcomed candidates and their families for Year 1 to Year 7 entry assessments, for pupils seeking places for September 2026. It was a pleasure to meet so many prospective families, and we look forward to making offers very shortly. For those unable to attend on Thursday, reserve assessment dates have been scheduled for 15^th and 20^th January.

Continuing the theme of assessments, on Monday, many of our Year 6 pupils will sit the Preliminary Assessment for The Leys, for a Year 9 place in 2028. The pupils have been working hard, so are very well prepared and we wish them all the best in their assessments.

And Finally…

January is often a time for good intentions, fresh notebooks and the quiet resolve to make a positive start, even on cold, dark mornings. The pupils have returned with focus and energy, and it has been encouraging to see how smoothly routines have been re-established across the school. I do hope the weekend provides a chance to relax, stay warm and anticipate the exciting events we can look forward to in 2026.

With all best wishes,

Crispin Hyde-Dunn

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