4-7 Years
Useful Links
Academic
Pastoral
Pre Prep
This Week at St Faith’s
National Anti-Bullying Week
During Monday’s assembly, it was a privilege to announce this year’s House Captains and present them with their badges. Two pupils from Year 8 have been appointed to lead each House, taking on significant responsibilities of leadership and support within our school community.
I also took the opportunity to inform the children about the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection, which commenced this week. Earlier that morning, I received a call confirming the inspection, and during tutor time, pupils completed the ISI survey. I trust that families also had the chance to fill out the parent survey. Your feedback is invaluable to this process, and I am most grateful for your contributions. While the final report will take several weeks to complete, it will share it with you as soon as it becomes available.
The main focus of our assembly was National Anti-Bullying Week., with this year’s theme, Choose Respect. This theme was developed by the Anti-Bullying Alliance in collaboration with educators and pupils. Teachers and children wanted a theme that empowered them to do something positive to counter the harm and hurt that bullying causes.
Mr Critchley provided a comprehensive reminder to pupils about the various forms of bullying, including verbal, physical and online. He also outlined the key traits of bullying, including repetition and power imbalances. The pupils were reminded that choosing respect means having due regard for other people’s feelings and being kind and sympathetic. Mr Critchley emphasised the importance of being proactive if worried about someone being bullied, and encouraged children not to remain passive bystanders but to report any concerns to a trusted adult.
At St Faith’s, all pupils have access to ‘My Voice’ via iPads (Years 7 & 8), Teams or Seesaw, where children can also raise any concerns they may have. Please support us at home by reinforcing these very important messages, as well as our expectation that the children should strive to ‘be their best selves’ at all times. At St Faith’s, we are committed to fostering a respectful and supportive community.
Academic Enrichment Day (AcE Day)
On Wednesday, pupils in Years 3 to 8 participated in the second Academic Enrichment Day of the Michaelmas term, stepping away from the usual timetable to engage in a variety of creative, educational activities.
For Years 6 and 8, the focus was on study skills and exam preparation. Other Year groups explored themes ranging from history to motor racing, artistic endeavours, and literature. These enrichment days celebrate diverse learning styles, giving pupils the opportunity to choose how they engage with different topics, in line with our tailored education approach.
Highlights of the day included:
Year 4: Pupils donned Roman attire as they immersed themselves in the culture and history of the Roman Empire. Visiting historian Nigel Amies led the day, providing an engaging and interactive learning experience.
Year 5: Children had their first opportunity to design and drive a Goblin electric car and as an added bonus, they met ‘The Stig’ (well at least the St Faith’s version!). The pupils experienced the thrills of a drag race and were also challenged to think creatively. As well as deciding on a team name, they had to design bodywork which reflected the character of their team and helped the car run efficiently. In the teamwork session, the children considered what their own strengths were, and they were also encouraged to consider the strengths of others in their teams. This session was an ideal opportunity to say thank you to two of the original Goblins – Mrs Price and Mr Brent. Goblins was set up by Mrs Price over 11 years ago and with their continued support it has flourished and grown into the experience that Year 5 enjoyed this week.
Year 3: Inspired by Quentin Blake’s Mrs. Armitage on Wheels, pupils wrote poetry, designed imaginative picnics (for Mrs Armitage and her dog!), and modelled plasticine figures of characters. They also enjoyed designing their own bicycles. In the afternoon, they explored engineering concepts through practical challenges in which they learnt how gears operate.
Year 7: As part of the St Faith’s Arts Awards, pupils shared skills by teaching one another new techniques. In the morning they planned how they were going to deliver their ‘lesson’ – with a variety of skills on display. For example, the pupils considered how to create an oil-pastel etch, to practise yoga, or to give an instrumental music lesson to someone who has never played that instrument before. There was an undeniable buzz throughout the school as pupils embraced the day’s opportunities to learn, create, and collaborate.
There was an undeniable buzz throughout the school as pupils embraced the day’s opportunities to learn, create, and collaborate.
Autumn Concert
On the eve of St Cecilia’s day, the patron saint of music and musicians, the Music Department celebrated a spectacular Autumn Concert featuring over a hundred pupils from Years 5-8 across twelve ensembles. The evening showcased the breadth of our Music Department, highlighting the talents of our young musicians and the inclusivity of children with a range of musical abilities and experiences.
The energy within the room was electric as each performance, from the Senior Trumpets heralding the start of the concert from the balcony, to the two senior choirs, the Purcell Ensemble, two jazz ensembles, the String Orchestras, Wind Band, flute and brass ensembles, and Concert Band captivated the audience which packed Ashburton Hall. The concert was a testament to the cohesion and collaborative efforts of our dedicated Music Department. A standing ovation rounded off the evening with grateful appreciation for the fabulous performances from all pupils involved, reflecting their hard work and passion.
As we think of St Cecilia today, we encourage you to remember that she is not only the patron saint of music but also of musicians. Do celebrate the musicians in your family this evening and over the weekend. May her grace and harmony inspire us to bring joy and peace to all whom we encounter.
Here’s to the wonderful talents of our young musicians and many more musical celebrations to come!
Year 7 and 8 Charity Tuck Shop
There is never a shortage of customers when the charity tuck shops set up at St Faith’s. Year 7 & 8 pupils were working tirelessly at Tuesday break time to keep queues to a minimum and to raise money for their chosen charity, Cultivating Change. During the course of this term, there have been two fundraising tuck shops and the pupils have raised a total of £95.25. Well done to them for their continued efforts, which are very much appreciated by Cultivating Change. Thank you also to our families for your ongoing support of our charitable initiatives.
Sports Highlights
On Monday the U12 girls made the trip to the West Country. Clifton College is just to the west of Bristol where this year’s U12 Girls’ IAPS hockey was hosted. Mr Johnson reported on the event.
The girls played some good quality hockey in the first three group games, against Repton, Cheltenham and St Hughes. Their defensive shape was very solid which led to the girls not conceding any goals in these games, which is always vital in these very short and sharp tournament encounters. However, without being able to convert any of our own chances all three games were drawn 0-0, which turned out to be our Achilles heel as other teams were slotting goals in other games. With such tight margins it was a tough encounter against a robust Twyford side that became our undoing, dashing our hopes of a top two finish to qualify for the cup knockout stages. Twyford muscled over the line with a 2-1 victory, in spite of us playing well again. The girls won their final group game 1-0 against Amesbury, taking a well-deserved 3 points.
Onto the knockout stages of the plate. This was a nervy encounter against Downsend, which saw our opponents play a direct game once again, resulting in a narrow 1-0 loss.
The girls demonstrated excellent sportsmanship throughout, and they have made huge progress this season. Mr Thompson described their performances as just needing some ‘seasoning’ as they played some superb hockey, and now just need to work on converting more of their many scoring opportunities. This bodes well for next season as they develop their all-round game.
The school would like to say a huge thank you to the parents for their incredible support of this event and sharing this wonderful opportunity and experience.
IAPS Gymnastics Nationals
Congratulations to the 35 pupils who represented St Faith’s at IAPS Gymnastics Nationals on Saturday and Sunday 9th and 10th November. The boys’ competition took place on 9th November at St Catherine’s School, Bramley. Our Under 9 team, which ideally should comprise of boys predominantly from Year 4, remarkably also included two members of Year 3 and two from Year 2. It is hard to believe how well they acquitted themselves, given their age and experience. The team finished in 5th position, and gained great experience from participating in the event.
The Under 11 and Under 13 teams won their competitions by the narrowest of margins, as a result of some outstanding vaulting. The Under 13s beat Summer Fields by 0.4, scoring over 67 points to snatch the gold medals. In the individual competition, our pupils took the gold medal, as well as 3rd and 5th positions. The Under 11 team beat their closest rivals, Davenies, by 0.2. Special congratulations must go to our pupils who won, were placed as individual champion, and 4th position respectively.
On Sunday four teams of girls represented St Faith’s at the 4-piece competition which was held at Tormead. The enthusiasm shown by the Under 9s and Under 11s was magical. The Under 9s competed their very first group sequence and loved the experience. The Under 11s seemed relaxed and composed with two members of the team enjoying their first ever National event. Special congratulations to one of team participants for completing a handspring on Vault for the first time.
The Under 10s had a wonderful competition in an incredibly tough category. They collected 5th place ribbons for the team event, 3rd place ribbons for a fabulous group routine and, in addition, one pupil finished in 6th to receive a podium placing.
The most exciting event of the whole weekend was the Under 13 girls’ event. The Year 8 girls performed their best rendition of the group sequence and won by a small margin. In the team event they excelled, beating the opposition by 15 points, 130.0 versus 115.1
In the individual competition, our pupils were placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd and were also awarded trophies for ‘Most Artistic Floor’, the ‘Highest Scoring Floor’ and the highest scoring vault of the day.
Miss Butler and Mrs North were extremely proud of everyone’s efforts and thoroughly enjoyed their spirit and good cheer throughout the weekend. Thanks must also be made of Mrs Oxborough who acted as official scorer for both National events.
Looking forward to this Sunday, our gymnasts will take part in the U9 & U13 Girls’ and U9, U11 & U13 Boys’ Two-Piece ISGA Gymnastics Championships at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School. We wish them all the very best of luck.
Year 6 IAPS Boys’ Rugby Festival
Last Friday the Year 6 Boys’ Rugby Team travelled to Stamford School to compete in their IAPS competition. Mr Clayton-Smith gave this report on the event:
Game 1 v Bishop’s Stortford College 5-5 draw
Game 1 and we were a bit slow to start. Having drawn with BSC in the regular season we knew this game could go either way. After conceding an early try we defended valiantly for much of the game with some much-improved individual tack technique and defensive breakdown work. Struggling to go forward and move the ball wide simultaneously, we found ourselves gifting the ball to the opposition rather too easily. However, with the last play of the game in motion, we saw the boys go forward and keep the ball alive, moving the opposition side to side and eventually scoring in the corner. It was the rugby we know we can play, giving us much hope for the day ahead.
Game 2 v St John’s College School 5-5 draw
The same story repeated itself against an improved St John’s, who we had just beaten the week before. Their improved forward movement had us once again on the back foot and having to defend. We did this again with great character and improved technique. We showed more signs of playing to our full potential, moving the ball better to the width and stretching the opposition defenders. Encouraging signs of improvement, but still not quite at our best.
Game 3 v Laxton 0-15 loss
Sometimes things just don’t go your way and a strong and clever Laxton side took advantage of this. We showed great resilience to regroup.
Game 4 v King’s College School 20-5 win
Another improved Cambridge side, King’s started the game brightly. However, our forward motion mixed with excellent offloading behind the defence and running with intent saw us break tackles and finally play the rugby we knew we were all capable of. A Crossfield kick (we were the only side attempting them throughout the day) to score demonstrated the quality of rugby we could put on display.
Game 5 v St Hugh’s School 10-0 win
With some momentum and confidence, we attacked with more intent to go forward and offload behind the defenders and played some exciting rugby. Mixed in with excellent pressure in defence that St Hugh’s never really got a foothold in the game.
Game 6 v Spratton Hall 5-15 loss
The best game of the day was saved until last. Both teams playing some exciting, creative, and high-quality rugby saw the ball moving from end to end. Spratton Hall was an excellent team and just had the edge, but when you play to your best and lose, all you can do is shake the hand of your opponent, say well played and walk off the pitch with your head held high.
Played 6
Won 2
Drew 2
Lost 2
A great day out for the boys and invaluable experience playing against some new schools. The boys were truly excellent ambassadors for the school all afternoon and displayed all the core values of rugby (Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline, Sportsmanship), and we couldn’t be prouder teachers. As you can see from the picture the boys had a fantastic day. They improved with each game, playing with a smile on their face and next to their friends, making it a special occasion for all and a day where memories are made. Thank you to Mr Gillick for driving and coaching and for the parents for their unwavering support and spotless touchline etiquette. This is a very special team capable of very special things. Watch this space…….”
Swimming Fixtures
Our first two swimming fixtures of the year have taken place in the last two weeks, and it has been a great start to the year. Mrs Critchley reported that one new school record has already been set, with a time of 35.20 seconds in the U12 50m backstroke. Both galas were extremely close. The scores going into the final events were virtually even, and after a rather nerve-jangling finish, we came out winners against King’s Ely, but not against Kimbolton. A super time was had by all, and we look forward to the next gala against Bishop’s Stortford in two weeks’ time. The final results are available in the index of this newsletter.
Reception 2025 Play Session
Amidst all the wonderful activities going on for AcE day on Wednesday, we were visited by some very young, potential new members of the St Faith’s community. We were delighted to welcome nine young visitors for their play assessment with the Early Years team. It was wonderful to see how well they settled into Mrs Harmsworth’s classroom whilst their parents stayed on site and enjoyed refreshments in the Dining Room. After a very positive session, offers have now been made to all nine families.
And Finally…
As the colder weather sets in, we would be grateful if parents could ensure that children are bringing their winter coats and gloves, and as appropriate scarves and hats to school. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.
Wishing you a restful and refreshing weekend,
Crispin Hyde-Dunn