Search this Site:

This Week at St Faith’s

Shrek Jr. The Musical

On Wednesday and Thursday evening Ashburton hall played host to an amazing Year 6 production of Shrek Jr. The Musical. This was a show full of energy, humour and poignancy, as well as some very catchy tunes. It is a story that reminds us of the power of friendship, acceptance and embracing what makes us unique. We can all feel confident about who we are and learn to see beauty in others – ogres and all!

Watch the video

Easter Community Wellbeing Day

Last Saturday, St Faith’s played host to the SFPA Easter Community Day. The Eco Committee collaborated with the charity Cultivating Change to work on the school garden and produce a range of spring themed crafts. There were several well-being activities throughout the morning, encouraging families to take part in nature-based pursuits and experience the many positive mental and physical health benefits of gardening and ‘growing your own’. Activities included Eco Garden preparation, Easter egg heads and seed station, seed planting sessions and yoga and well-being sessions. Of course, the morning would not have been complete without the ever-popular Easter Egg Hunt.

Watch the video

Storytelling Competition

In preparation for our recent World Book Day celebrations, over 100 pupils entered a Storytelling Competition overseen by Ms Morris. Pupils from Foundation to Year 8 creatively retold a story of their choice and filmed their performances, using props, costumes, wonderful storytelling voices and actions. Several children were highly commended for their fantastic performances and our Year 4 winner received an Easter-themed prize. Ms Morris also visited the Pre Prep Assembly to give the entrants their certificates. The winning and highly commended videos have been shared with tutors to show to their classes. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all parents who helped support their children with filming, special effects and even some memorable performances!

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Mrs Switsur notes that during the study of C.S. Lewis’ famous story The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, a Year 5 class was set the challenge of creating a model linked to the land of Narnia and presenting all the information written in lessons within their creation. This generated a very wide range of wonderful ideas, which are now on display in 18L so parents can see just how inventive the children have been.

Year 5 Passover Tasting Experience

Meanwhile, in Humanities Year 5 pupils finished their studies on Judaism with an opportunity to taste some of the foods eaten during the Passover Festival. They sampled matzah crackers, which reminded them of unleavened bread, and parsley dipped in salt water, representing the tears of the slaves. They also tried charoset paste (made with apple and brown sugar), symbolising the mortar used in building Pharaoh’s cities. Some pupils were brave enough to try horseradish, symbolic of the bitter lives of the Hebrews under harsh rule. Finally, the sweet grape juice reminded the pupils that this is a celebratory meal of thankfulness for freedom.

Year 6 Tudor Projects

Year 6 pupils have enjoyed a highly creative approach to learning about life in Tudor England. They selected areas of interest to research, ranging from Tudor sports and crime and punishment to the food consumed by the rich and the poor. The pupils then presented their findings in a variety of ways, including cooking a Tudor meal, baking rye bread, planting lavender, building a Lego model, learning to sing Greensleeves and creating some fashion models. The Year 6 pupils certainly expanded their knowledge in an engaging manner and entertained their families along the way!

Escape from Kraznir

In English, Year 7 pupils have been working all term on their fantasy writing project ‘Escape from Kraznir‘. They have crafted a series of chapters, focusing on highquality descriptive writing and engaging the reader. Presenting their work in a highly engaging and creative way, the pupils produced projects of which they can be proud of. From escaping dungeons to exploring mysterious forests, their stories were skillfully written and took the reader on fantastic and imaginative journeys.

Art and Design Group Visit the ‘Rise Up’ Exhibition

This week Ms Ankin arranged for the Year 8 Art & Design Group to visit the ‘Rise Up’ Exhibition at the nearby Fitzwilliam Museum here in Cambridge. The trip provided the pupils with the opportunity to see a variety of thought-provoking and extraordinary paintings, sculptures, installations and artefacts. Before heading back to school, the group also took the opportunity to view and appreciate the range of portraiture on display in the upper galleries, which enhanced their prior knowledge and understanding of their work on portraiture from the Michaelmas term.

Quiz Club General Knowledge Semi Final

Miss Dow writes, “What a fantastic achievement for four of our pupils in Years 3-6 to win a place in the semi-finals of the Quiz Club General Knowledge National Championships. The contest took place on Thursday and the quizzes were conducted online, hosted by a professional Quizmaster. The Championships reinforce teamwork, as well boosting confidence and encouraging strategic thinking.”

U13 Girls’ Indoor Cricket County Final

Mr Clayton-Smith writes, “On Monday the U13 Girls’ Cricket Team took part in the U13 Girls’ Indoor Cricket County Finals. A few weeks prior, the girls had competed in the local rounds against The Perse Upper, Stephen Perse and Wisbech Grammar. In their local round, they won two of the three games, with some excellent individual performances, as well a whole team effort, as is the nature of the game.

In the county finals, we played against The Perse Upper once again and St Bede’s. The girls put on an excellent display of cricket in their first game against St Bede’s. With some powerful striking, accurate bowling and focused, agile fielding, the girls came out victorious. Game two against The Perse Upper was a slightly different story, with some early wickets falling to a strong bowling attack. Although we bowled well, we finished as runners-up, which was a highly commendable outcome in a strongly competitive tournament. It was also a great opportunity for Mrs Fordham to have an early evaluation of the team ready for the season ahead. This is a team with great ability and considerable potential, and we look forward to an enjoyable and successful term.”

Years 7 and 8 House Swimming Gala and IAPS Swimming Results

On Thursday, the second House Swimming competition of the academic year took place, with 55 pupils involved to see who would emerge as the swimming House Champions of Years 7 and 8. There was an impressive programme of competitive swimming, with many pupils racing in the pool for the first time. It was an extremely close finish, with Chaucer House winning by just one point! The final points tally was as follows: Chaucer 358, Newton 357, Bentley 308 and Latham 300. Well done to all who took part.

We have heard this morning that 13 pupils have qualified for the IAPS National Swimming Finals, which takes place in June at the London Aquatics Centre. Individual qualifiers are in the U12 boys’ 50m backstroke and 50m freestyle, U13 boys’ 50m backstroke and the U13 girls’ 50m backstroke and 50m breaststroke. Also accompanying them is the U12 Boys’ medley relay team and the U13 girls’ medley and freestyle relay teams. Congratulations to all involved.

Group of smiling students in red sports jackets and black pants pose in front of a brick building with a swimming pool sign. Some hold bags and wear medals. Two trees in pots flank the entrance.

U11 Boys’ Hockey East Regional Finals

Mr Thompson writes, “Last Friday our U11 Boys’ Hockey team competed in their final hockey event of the season, the East of England In2Hockey Finals. With four of the final eight National Finalists attending, the standard was going to be incredibly strong. Our team was eager and looking forward to the challenge! We were set to play five pool matches and if things went well a semi-final and final.

Playing a standard of hockey way above their years, the team made excellent progress through the pool matches, winning 5, scoring 14 and conceding 3. Notably, they beat Bishop’s Stortford along the way who were an extremely strong team! We faced a solid and physical Ipswich side in the semi-final, which we overcame impressively with a 4-0 victory. The final, against Stortford who had knocked out The Perse, was an amazing game. Although we dominated possession and created chances, you always felt Stortford carried a threat when going forward. The game finished 1-1 and, in the end, we lost narrowly on shuffles.

However, fourth in the country, second in the East and an unbeaten season on the school weekly circuit, is a season to rival any of the previous great St Faith’s sides that represented our school! An absolute pleasure to work with, a fantastic group of pupils who were the perfect ambassadors for the school. I am so proud of them and cannot wait for the opportunity to work with them all again.”

And Finally…

This afternoon, on our last day of term, the school came together for our End of Term service, reflecting on the meaning of Palm Sunday. The Senior Brass Ensemble’s stirring performance before the service set the tone for a joyful gathering. Their rousing accompaniment to hymns and Jeremiah Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary after the service uplifted the school community, inspiring hope and celebration as everyone prepared to head into the Easter break with joy. Through readings and music, we learnt about Jesus’ humble entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, as he was welcomed by crowds hailing him as King and shouting “Hosanna.” The Chamber Choir delivered an energetic performance of the Sanctus and Benedictus from a mass setting by American composer Alan Pote. As the children left the service, they were each given a palm cross to take home. These palm crosses serve as a reminder of the values and messages of Palm Sunday: the importance of humility and kindness, the power of hope, and how small acts of love and compassion can make a meaningful difference. It was a moment of unity and reflection, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended.

As the vibrant, uplifting colours of Spring appear around us, whether you are staying local or venturing afar, may I wish you and your families a very happy Easter. Following a restorative break, we look forward to welcoming back to pupils, eager for the start of the Summer term, with all the exciting opportunities it will bring.

Wishing you a peaceful and happy weekend,

With all best wishes,

Crispin Hyde-Dunn