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Posted on: 27/06/2025

Weekly News - Friday 27th June 2025

PA Summer Fete We are very much looking forward to welcoming pupils, families, alumni and the local community to the Parents' Association annual Summer Fete, which is taking place at Upper School tomorrow from 1.00 - 4.00 p.m. As usual it promises to be a fun packed affair with lots of enticing stalls, games, refreshments, a BBQ, face painting and much more. Entertainment will be provided courtesy of our talented choir and musicians so don't miss it! Please do come along to support the terrific work of the PA who have worked so hard to bring the event together to raise funds for the children of SHC. Everyone is welcome so do spread the word and invite along friends and family.  Year 6 Production - Moana Huge congratulations to Year 6 who set the stage alight with their highly anticipated production of Moana at the Compass Theatre in Ickenham last night. The Year 6 production is always a highlight of the children's time at St. Helen's College and this year it certainly did not disappoint!  All of the children displayed enormous confidence and stage presence, learning and delivering their lines accurately, and participating enthusiastically in all of the group ensemble numbers. Behind the scenes the children worked collaboratively together to bring the show to life in what was an extremely polished production. Well done Year 6 for a fantastic show and good luck for the final performance this evening! Year 2 Trip to Iver Environment Centre On Thursday Year 2 visited Iver Environment Centre for a full day of outdoor activities. Despite the rain, the children relished a day in nature, taking part in a mini beast hunt, pond dipping and building their very own bug house as part of work on wildlife habitats. The day was rounded off in the fun adventure play area which proved to be the best part of the day!          Staff News After nearly 24 years, Miss Carmichael a valued member of staff at Lower School will be leaving at the end of term.  Miss Carmichael established our second nursery many years ago and has been hugely influential to the ongoing success of early years at St. Helen's College. We will all miss her and wish her all the best on her future adventures.  Summer Arts Evening (Exhibition And Concert) The Summer Arts Evening (Art Exhibition and Concert), a celebration of the artistic achievements of the children in Upper School, is taking place at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip next Tuesday 1st July. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece of artwork at the art exhibition and all three Upper School choirs, the school orchestra and many soloists will be performing at the evening concert. There will also be poetry and drama recitations. Our Middle School string group will be performing in the foyer before the concert. Please book your tickets if you haven't done so already!   Art Exhibition The exhibition will be open from 3.30 - 5.00 p.m. on Tuesday 1st July, and again from 6.00 - 6.45 p.m. The art exhibition is open to all SHC families. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece of art at the exhibition. We will also be offering you a drink to enjoy while you peruse the artwork. Tickets for the art exhibition are priced at £5 per family and you may come and go as many times as you please during the opening hours. You are welcome to take your child's artwork home with you directly from the exhibition. Uncollected work from the exhibition will be transported back to school and sent home with children after the event. Evening Concert Many children will be performing at the concert from 7 p.m. on Tuesday 1st July, including those in the school choirs and orchestra. Tickets are priced at £15 per person for the evening concert and include access to the art exhibition. (Doors open at 6 p.m. in the evening for welcome drinks/visits to the art exhibition). Please book your tickets through SchoolsBuddy.  Chess Club Success The St. Helen's College chess club have triumphed again! The tactical team played two rounds against St Bernadette Primary School this week, scoring 1 point for each win and 0.5 for each draw. Overall SHC secured a very comfortable win, achieving a score of 13.5 to St Bernadette's 2.5. Well done to all of the following players who took part in the competition: Aakash B (5G) Parth K (5R) Rayhan R (5G) Leonard S (4C) Andrew B (6H) Rohan F (6R) Edwin L (6R) Ishani A (3B) Library Books Please be reminded that all school library books must be returned next week. Books which have been outstanding for a long time and any books not returned by Friday 4th July will incur a fee via Schools Buddy so that replacements will be ready on the shelves for September. Please direct any book related queries to Mrs Emanuel: semanuel@sthelenscollege.com         Baby Mindfulness Classes Mrs. McLaughlin's next set of FREE Baby Mindfulness classes will begin after the summer break on Wednesday 10th September. These weekly classes are for mothers and babies (aged from six weeks until crawling) and are held in the Evans Hall at Upper School. Classes provide a safe space for mums and babies to bond, take part in breathing, gentle yoga and other mindfulness exercises. This is a great opportunity to meet other local mums and babies. To find out about joining these classes, please email Mrs. McLaughlin on pmclaughlin@sthelenscollege.com. The classes are open to everyone, whether they have a child at St. Helen's College or not, so please do spread the word! Coming Up Monday 30th June - Friday 4th July - Y6 Bikeability  Tuesday 1st July - Wimbledon Tennis Visit (selected Year 5/6 pupils) Tuesday 1st July - Upper School Summer Arts Evening Wednesday 2nd July - Y1 Visit to Mad Bess Woods Wednesday 2nd July - Parents' Evening for Ducklings and Nursery Thursday 3rd July - Reception Trip to Whipsnade Thursday 3rd July - Ducklings Sports Day Monday 7th July - Y1-5 Move Up Morning Monday 7th July - New Y1 and New Y2 Parent Meetings  Tuesday 8th July - N/R Move Up Morning  Tuesday 8th July - Y6 Project Exhibition  Tuesday 8th July - Tennis Competition Y3/4 Final  Tuesday 8th July - Parents' Evening Ducklings and Nursery Tuesday 8th July - Y6 Prizegiving Thursday 10th July - End of Term 11.50 (Ducklings & N); 12.00 (R); 12.10 (Y1,2); 12.20 (Y3, 4); 12.30 (Y5, 6)      
Posted on: 20/06/2025

Weekly News - Friday 20th June 2025

Year 1 Musical Production Wow, what a performance! Year 1 took to the stage at the Compass Theatre this week and delivered an outstanding performance of 'Sir David Hattenscarf and the Wonders of the World'. This fun musical whisked the audience away on a whistlestop tour around the world, following the adventures of a group of children on a magic carpet as they discover the ecological impact that humans have on the planet.  The children put on an energetic and very polished show, it was wonderful to see them shine in such an accomplished performance. They displayed fantastic stage presence and confidence, with every child taking a speaking part and making it their own. You can see more photographs here.  Prep Sports Day  There was glorious sunshine and high spirits at Prep Sports Day which took place today at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex. The anticipation was high as the children participated in a variety of track and field events including the high jump, long jump, sprints, hurdles, javelin and shot put, competing to win all important points for the coveted House Cup.   After lunch came the sprint finals, including a ‘through the Years 4 x 100m relay’ and a whole school House relay. It was super to see all of the children make such a terrific effort and fully embrace their role as a House team member. Thank you to our Year 9 alumni sport leaders who coordinated the events and were fantastic role models for the children. You can view a selection of photographs here.  Congratulations to Windsor House who beat off stiff competition to win the House Cup and well done to the following pupils who were awarded the Victor Ludorum and Victrix Ludorum: Year 3/4 Victor Ludorum - Isaac A Year 3/4 Victrix Ludorum - Kashi P Year 5/6 Victor Ludorum - Maicen M Year 5/6 Victrix Ludorum - Ella K Ducklings Farm Visit  Today, as part of their topic work on the farm, the Ducklings had some very exciting visitors! The children were delighted to receive a special visit from Ark Farm who brought along a selection of farmyard animals for the children to feed and pet. They had great fun meeting rabbits, guinea pigs, a dog, a tortoise and even a hedghog! The children had a wonderful time and it was a valuable opportunity for them to find out more about the animals and have a chance to touch them up close.      Chess Tournament Win! The St. Helen's College chess team fought off stiff competition to successfully retain the winning shield at the Hillingdon and Ealing School Chess Tournament last weekend.  Congratulations to Aakash B (5G), Rohan F (6L), Leonard S (4C) and Ishani A (3B) who each received a gold medal for being part of the winning team. Additional congratulations to Aakash who won a gold medal for joint first place in the U12 section and Leonard who won a silver medal for second place in the U10 section. Excellent work!      PA Summer Fete - Saturday 28th June The Parents' Association Summer Fete is almost upon us and promises to be lots of fun for all the family with stalls, games, a BBQ, entertainment and more. The PA are calling for volunteers to help run the stalls, please do sign up! For more information contact your class representative. Pets As Therapy Fundraising It has been a pleasure to welcome Buddy from Pets As Therapy to St. Helen's College this year where he has done a fantastic job meeting the children and listening to them read in the library. Pets As Therapy is a very special charity which provides support to many vulnerable people in many different settings and therefore we are excited to be fundraising for them next week.  For a donation of £1 the children will have the chance to guess the number of sweets in a jar. The correct, or nearest, guess will win the jar of sweets and a Buddy cuddly toy. It is £1 per entry and children may enter as many times as they wish, all the money raised will go to the charity. The children will have the opportunity to guess from Monday to Thursday next week and the winner will be announced in assembly on Friday. Good luck everyone!  Holiday Club Holiday club will run from Friday 11th July - Friday 29th August (excluding Bank holiday Monday 25th August). Bookings will open on Thursday 26th June at 4.00 p.m. Please log into Schoolsbuddy to make your booking, places must be booked in advance to arrange appropriate staffing ratios. Please note that bookings will close on Monday 7th July at 4.00 p.m.  Next Week Monday 23rd - Year 6 Rehearsal at Compass Theatre Wednesday 25th - Friday 27th June - Year 6 Rehearsals at Compass Theatre  Wednesday 25th June - Meet The Teacher Meetings for Ducklings, Nursery and Reception Thursday 26th June - Year 2 Trip to Iver Environmental Centre Thursday 26th and Friday 27th June - Year 6 Production at Compass Theatre Saturday 28th June - PA Summer Fete
Posted on: 13/06/2025

Weekly News - Friday 13th June 2025

Pre-Prep Sports Day On Thursday the Pre Prep children put their best foot forward at Court Park for our highly anticipated Sports Day. The children participated in a range of different sporting activities rotating around 'stations' designed to challenge their agility, speed and technical skills.  The atmosphere was buoyant as the parents and children cheered one another on to win valuable points for the all important House shield. However, in the end there can be only one overall winner. Congratulations to Cambria House! Well done to all of the children for taking part. Thanks also to the enthusiastic Year 6 team leaders for supporting and inspiring their younger peers and to the Parents' Association for providing refreshments for parents. We look forward to the forthcoming Prep School Sports Day next Friday.  Singing Competition Today marked the hotly contested final of the St. Helen's College Singing Competition. As ever, the finalists performed brilliantly and to an extremely high standard. This year there were an amazing 67 entries, so selecting the 25 finalists was not an easy task for Mrs. Fawbert, Mrs. Garnes and Mr. James! To judge the final we were very lucky to welcome Gillian Dibden MBE to Upper School. Gillian set up the prestigious Taplow Choirs, a centre to bring together children and adults to develop their singing skills, and was awarded her MBE for youth choral services. Gillian had the unenviable task of judging our finalists based on the following criteria; breathing, phrasing and projection; musicality, intonation, diction and timing; overall performance and interpretation. The children also enjoyed an inspiring performance from professional singer, actor and St. Helen's College alumna Lily Wood. Lily, from the SHC class of 2012, studied musical theatre at drama school and counts work with the Horrible Histories team among many of her professional achievements. It was a pleasure to welcome Lily to the Singing Competition as a terrific role model for pupils with singing talent. Huge congratulations to all of the finalists. The categories and winners were as follows:  Middle School Y2 solo - Pavleen J (2C) and Amelia AK (2S) was highly commended Y3 solo - Mia S (3B) Middle School groups - Raya R (3M), Avni J (3M) and Kiran S (3B) Overall MS winner - Pavleen J Upper School Y4 solo - Eleanor G (4T) and Alicia Z (4T) highly commended Y5 solo - Gurdaya J (5R) Y6 solo - Rohan F (6R) Upper School groups - Alex A (6H) and Leo A (5R) Overall US winner - Gurdaya J (5R) Boys Win Cricket Tournament! Huge congratulations to the team of eight St. Helen's College cricketers who won the Boys Best cricket tournament on Wednesday. Twenty teams from independent schools took part in the event, held at Uxbridge Cricket Club on Wednesday, and the stakes were high. The boys delivered a spectacular team performance throughout, winning all seven matches across the day. Every one of the boys contributed by scoring runs and taking wickets for the team. We are incredibly proud of them for their thoroughly well deserved win.      National Quiz Club Final at Oxford Congratulations to a team of Year 6 girls who have won a place in the Quiz Club National Mathematics Final at the University of Oxford next month.  Ashvika A (6R), Amelia L (6R), Diya B (6H) and Evie J (6H) will be competing against teams from leading independent schools from across the country in this prestigious event. The finals take place on Friday 4th July and we wish them every success! Forfar Debating Competition Year 6 are competing in a Forfar cross school debating competition and today successfully reached the semi-finals. Six pupils competed against Springmead School in Somerset via video link and won the debate whilst opposing the motion 'AI is a threat to our jobs'. The children presented many salient points and answered probing questions with confidence and reassurance. Well done to the team members who took part; Ashvika A (6R), Mustafa F (6R), Roshni J (6R), Alex A (6H), Avar D (6H) and Shanaya P (6H). New team members from Y6 will take part in the semi-finals coming soon!   Summer Arts Evening (Exhibition And Concert) We are delighted to invite parents to join us for our Summer Arts Evening (Art Exhibition and Concert) at the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip on Tuesday 1st July. This very special event celebrates the arts at St. Helen's College Upper School. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece of artwork at the art exhibition and all three Upper School choirs, the school orchestra and many soloists will be performing at the evening concert. There will also be poetry and drama recitations. Our Middle School string group will be performing in the foyer before the concert, and parents of children who are performing only in the foyer will not necessarily need to book tickets for the concert (although are welcome to do so).  Please read the following information carefully and book your tickets soon! Art Exhibition The exhibition will be open from 3.30 - 5.00 p.m. on Tuesday 1st July, and again from 6.00 - 6.45 p.m. The art exhibition is open to all SHC families. Every child in Years 2 - 6 will have at least one piece of art at the exhibition. We will also be offering you a drink to enjoy while you peruse the artwork. Tickets for the art exhibition are priced at £5 per family (not per person) and you may come and go as many times as you please during the opening hours. You are welcome to take your child's artwork home with you directly from the exhibition. Uncollected work from the exhibition will be transported back to school and sent home with children after the event. Evening Concert Many children will be performing at the concert from 7 p.m. on Tuesday 1st July, including those in the school choirs and orchestra. Parents will need to buy tickets for this event, and these will be made available first to parents of performers. If any remain unsold after a fortnight, these will then be made available to other families.  Tickets are priced at £15 per person for the evening concert and include access to the art exhibition. (Doors open at 6 p.m. in the evening for welcome drinks/visits to the art exhibition). Concert tickets are limited to three per family and will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Please book your tickets through SchoolsBuddy. Bookings are open now. Year 6 Musical - Moana! Our Year 6 musical production of Moana will be performed at The Compass Theatre in Ickenham on Thursday 26th and Friday 27th June at 7.30 p.m. Tickets are now available via the Compass Box Office and can be bought online here. The Year 6 show is always an absolutely highlight of the academic year and tickets usually sell out very quickly so please do book early! Year 4 and 5 children will have the opportunity to watch the dress rehearsal during a school day. PA Father's Day Stalls  Many thanks to our dedicated St. Helen's College Parents' Association team for running the Father's Day gift stalls at Lower and Upper School on Tuesday. As ever, the stalls were very popular and the children enjoyed selecting and purchasing their special gift. Please be reminded that the PA Summer Fete will take place on Saturday 28th June from 1.00 - 4.00 p.m. at Upper School. It promises to be lots of fun for all the family with stalls, games, BBQ, entertainment and more.     Next Week Tuesday 17th June - Year 1 rehearsing at Compass Theatre Tuesday 17th June - Year 3/4 Sports Day practice at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex - p.m. Tuesday 17th June - Year 4 Transfer Meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday 18th June - Year 1 dress rehearsal (Nursery/Reception going to watch) Wednesday 18th June - Year 5/6 Sports Day practice at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex - p.m. Thursday 19th June - Year 1 performance at Compass Theatre 1.30 p.m. Friday 20th June - Ark Farm visiting Ducklings Friday 20th June - Prep Sports Day at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex
Posted on: 6/06/2025

Weekly News - Friday 6th June 2025

GOSH Fundraising Week It has been a super week of exciting activities across the school as we raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children to support their campaign to build a state of the art Cancer Care Centre. As many of you will know, GOSH are currently supporting one of our Reception pupils, Noah, so it is a charity that is extremely close to our hearts. At Ducklings and Lower School, children enjoyed dressing up for a 'superhero tog day', playing bingo, joining in a danceathon, singing karaoke, taking part in a treasure hunt and much more! At Upper School the children had a marvellous time at the 'Soak The Teacher' event today which proved to be highly entertaining!    Noah's family have a special message for all the staff, parents and children at St. Helen's College, 'We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to you all for raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Your generosity, kindness, and support mean so much to us. The messages you’ve shared have been truly uplifting and give us hope during these challenging times. Noah has had a tough start to life, and most recently he relapsed for leukaemia. He has now finished his treatment, and we are hopeful that it has worked so he can begin to lead a normal life. The hospital means the world to us — and so do all of you. With deepest gratitude, Noah, Naima, Dilly and Sabe.' The St. Helen's College community have raised more than £2400 so far, however it's not too late to donate, if you haven't already done so, via the Just Giving page here. Orchestra Day at Northwood College Today members of the Upper School orchestra attended a dedicated Orchestra Day alongside musicians from Northwood College for Girls and Orley Farm School. The children collaborated to perform pieces by Handel, Shostakovich and Schubert and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, expanding their musical knowledge and skills in the process. Well done to all of the children involved who, as ever, were terrific ambassadors for St. Helen's College.        Kingfishers Class Assembly On Thursday our Kingfishers Reception class presented a quite SUPER assembly all about superheroes. Showing a maturity beyond their years, they told us all about how we can all be superheroes and what it means to be a superhero in the world today. They spoke of kindness, of helping others and of the importance of courage. They also explained why we have all been raising money for Great Ormond Street hospital this week. This was an important, touching performance and we were very proud of the children for speaking and singing so beautifully. Well done, Kingfishers!     3M Class Assembly On Friday it was the turn of 3M to present their '3M's Got Talent' class assembly to parents. Following the recent St. Helen's College Life Skills Day, the children demonstrated some of the things they have learnt and have been putting into practice at home. They even challenged their parents to compete in fun timed competitions to hang clothes, sort recycling and wrap a present!  As well as practical skills the children also highlighted the importance of developing everyday skills such as communication, decision making and relationship building, all of which are vital to master in order to manage life successfully. Thank you 3M for presenting such a confident and entertaining assembly brimming with enthusiam!  Nursery Trip to Hobbledown Heath The Nursery Robins and Wrens enjoyed a thrilling trip to Hobbledown Heath today where they had fun exploring the animals and play activities. They were introduced to the meerkats and were lucky enough to feed them little cubes of their favourite food - butternut squash - which they reached out for with their paws!  The children listened intently to a talk about tortoises learning all about how they hibernate in winter. Afterwards the children had great fun playing on the climbing equipment, water pillows (a firm favourite with both pupils and staff) and exploring the sand areas. Overall it was a terrific trip and a valuable experience for the Nursery children. Girls Best Cricket Event On Wednesday girls from Year 5 and 6 attended a Girls Best Cricket event at Harefield Cricket Club. The girls put on a very strong performance despite this being the first cricket fixture for many of them. They played two group games and won both, and went on to beat the Newnham Junior School B team in the quarter finals and Lady Bankes Primary School in the semi-finals. They finished runners up of the whole competition which is a fantastic achievement. Well done girls we are very proud of you!      Quiz Club Semi Finals On Thursday three teams of pupils from Year 5 and 6 took part in the highly anticipated semi finals of the national Quiz Club competition. The children competed against 62 other independent schools from across the country and put in a great effort. Well done to all of the pupils who took part, Team 2 may have a chance to go through to the final, watch this space! Team 1 placed 47th (1205 points) - Mufaddal J (6H), Mustafa F (6R), Alex A (6H), Daynan C (5R) Team 2 placed 17th (1430 points)  - Ashvika A (6R), Amelia L (6R), Diya B (6H), Evie J (6H) Team 3 placed 42nd (1250 points) - Avar D (6H), Saayan S (6H), Maicen M (6R), Ayush A (6R) Ducklings Provision  We are pleased to announce that, in response to demand, from September 2025 Ducklings will become a year-round provision and that we will be supplying a full meal service to our Ducklings from September too. This means that we can now offer year-round continuity of care and education for all of our pre-schoolers. You can find more information about the available sessions with times and prices in the Admissions section of the website. Parents' Evening  Thank you to all of the parents who attended parents' evening this week for Years 1 - 6. We very much value this opportunity to discuss and support the children's progress and work together on future goals.  Father's Day Stalls The St. Helen's College Parents' Association will once again very kindly be running Father’s Day gift stalls for the children on Tuesday 10th June between 8.00 - 8.30 a.m. This is a fantastic chance for the children to choose exciting special gifts for Father’s Day, priced between £1 - £5 each. Stalls will be set up in the Lower School playground (payment via cash or card) and in the gazebo area at Upper School, accessed via Parkway (cash only please in small change).  Seasonal School Lunches Our dedicated catering team at Accent Catering are commited to delivering a fresh, seasonal menu throughout the year. This month they are celebrating the small but mighty garden pea! We are looking forward to a selection of delicious school lunches incorporating peas throughout June. If you would like to try some new recipes yourself at home with your children why not give a pea and parmesan arancini a try? Or perhaps plant and grow your own peas! Recipes and instructions can be found here. Blaze Summer Netball Camp  Blaze Netball Club are running a netball camp from Monday 28th - Friday 31st July at Douay Martyrs School. Sessions will run from 10.00 a.m. - 12 noon for Reception - Year 1 (£15 per day or £55 all week) and from 10.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m. for Years 3 - 9 (£27.50 per day or £100 all week). To book or for more information contact: blazejuniors@outlook.com Next Week Saturday 7th June - LAMDA exams Tuesday 10th June - PA Father's Day Stalls  Wednesday 11th June - Best Boys Cricket Event Y5/6 Thursday 12th June - Pre-Prep Sports Day, Court Park Friday 13th - Singing Competition Saturday 14th June - LAMDA exams
Posted on: 23/05/2025

Weekly News - Friday 23rd May 2025

Year 6 Residential Trip To France     Year 6 are travelling home today tired but happy after a very busy and exciting week-long residential trip at the Chateau de la Baudonniere in Normandy, France.  The children had a fantastic week immersing themselves fully in the French language and culture, building on language skills established in the classroom here at school. There were copious opportunities for the children to practise their French speaking skills whilst taking part in a wide range of educational and fun activities: shopping at a local market, aeroballe, archery, raft-building, canoeing, a visit to the mini-farm and the famous parcours de sante!  Other highlights included a visit to the stunning Mont-Saint-Michel for a picnic and meeting their French pen pals in person. What an unforgettable trip! We hope the children will remember this special residential to France, and continue the friendships forged here at St. Helen's College, for many, many years to come. Wrens Class Assembly On Thursday our Nursery Wrens presented an enchanting class assembly all about 'Billy No Buzz' a bumble bee who was different from all of the others. The children remembered their lines perfectly and did a marvellous job delivering them clearly and with confidence. They also sang with gusto and even treated us to some dance moves! This charming assembly shared an important theme about inclusivity and what it means to be a good friend and respect others. Well done Wrens!        3B Class Assembly  On Friday it was the turn of 3B to present their class assembly to parents and peers. The children enthusiastically shared an overview of the many lessons and activities they have been hard at work with this term. They shared exciting highlights from their recent residential trip to PACCAR, where teamwork and collaboration were high on the agenda, and explained many of the skills they developed during Life Skills Day. To top off the assembly they invited a parent to participate in a sandwich making competition to put their abilities to the test! Looking forward to the rest of term 3B are already planning their entries for the singing competition and the House TED talk competition. There is much to be excited about, thank you 3B!   IAPS iArt 2025 Huge congratulations to Amayra C in 2C who has been awarded second place in the Years 1 - 2 age group in the IAPS iArt 2025 competition. This is a terrific achievement as the competition is stiff and the submissions from prep schools across the country and internationally are of an extremely high standard. Amayra's artwork (pictured here) was inspired by the theme of reflection. The judges' comments highlight how well she 'used beautiful autumnal colours and rich textures effectively'. Amayra has been invited to a special IAPS prize giving event on 27th June in Mayfair to celebrate her success. Well done, Amayra, and well done to all of our other budding young artists who entered the competition too! School Photographs Please be reminded that on the first day back after half term, Monday 2nd June, there will be official class photograghs for all Ducklings, Lower School and Upper School pupils. Please ensure all pupils attend in full, smart summer uniform with long hair neatly braided/tied back. They may bring PE kits with them to change into if required.  Fundraising For GOSH At St. Helen's College we are committed to fundraising for various charities throughout the year, aided by an enthusiastic and creative pupil body who very much enjoy giving back to the community. This term we are on a mission to raise as much money as possible for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, a very special institution currently supporting one of our Reception children and therefore extremely close to our heart. After half term we will be hosting a week of fun and exciting fundraising activities across the school to support GOSH's campaign to build a state of the art cancer care centre. At Ducklings and Lower School, children will enjoy 'superhero tog day', bingo, a danceathon and much more! A full itinerary has been sent to parents at Lower School and Ducklings via SchoolsBuddy. At Upper School the children are very much looking forward to a fun 'soak the teacher' event. Please donate generously via the Just Giving page here and let's raise as much as we possibly can for this most deserving charity.  Tour de Hillingdon Cycle Festival This Saturday 24th May, the Ruislip Residents' Association are organising a free, guided 30 kilometre cycle tour around Hillingdon to promote safe cycling through the borough. The event is part of the London Cycling Festival and is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a ride as a family exploring a variety of local highlights; Swakeleys Park; the Battle of Britain Bunker; Stockley Country Park; The Polish War Memorial to name but a few. The pace will be gentle with plenty of breaks, and families with younger children may choose to ride a shorter section of the circuit if they wish. Participants should meet at Manor Farm at 9.30 a.m., with the full route expected to take three hours to complete. To register and view the full route click here.  Uxbridge Chess Club Camp Hillingdon & Ealing Chess Association are hosting a May half term chess camp next week at Lady of Lourdes Church Hall in Uxbridge. There promises to be fun galore with puzzles, games and competitions providing chess fans with the chance to develop their tactics and strategy with like-minded peers. Sessions will run from 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. on Tuesday 27th, Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th May. You can see more information and book a place here.        The Great Exhibition Road Science Festival  Imperial College London are hosting The Great Exhibition Road Festival on 7th - 8th June in South Kensington to celebrate science and the arts with a weekend of exciting free events for all ages. The festival features creative workshops, live performances and interactive exhibits with lots to discover in themed zones covering everything from tech, being a scientist, the natural world, future medicine and nextgen developments. For a full programme and to register visit the website here.  Oak Farm Library Events Oak Farm Library have some special half term events including a 'Brilliant Bug Storytime', 'Crafty Creators Club' and a 'Lego SPIKE workshop'. For details visit their Instagram page here.  Free Perform Trial Class Today the children at Lower School enjoyed a special drama workshop from Perform. The children thoroughly enjoyed being whisked off to Africa and transforming themselves into animals including giraffes, snakes and elephants!  Perform are offering a free trial class for children who would like to attend regular classes. They hold classes in Uxbridge, Ickenham and Ruislip, for more information and to claim your trial click here. They are also running an Alice in Wonderland summer course for children aged 4 - 10 years, you can find more information here.    Next Half Term Monday 26th - Friday 30th May - Half Term Holiday Monday 2nd  - Friday 6th June - GOSH Fundraising Week  Monday 2nd June - Class Photographs (Full Summer School Uniform) Tuesday 3rd June - Parents' Evening Y1 - 6 Wednesday 4th June - Girls Best Cricket Event Y5/6 Thursday 5th June - Kingfishers Coffee Morning and Class Assembly Thursday 5th June - Online Parents' Evening Y6 and 2C Friday 6th June - Nursery Trip to Hobbledown Heath Friday 6th June - 3M Coffee Morning and Class Assembly Friday 6th June - Orchestra Day at Northwood College Saturday 7th June - LAMDA exams    
Posted on: 16/05/2025

Weekly News - Friday 16th May 2025

Life Skills Day At St. Helen's College we prepare children for life now and after primary school. As part of their personal development on Tuesday this week every child took part in an exciting Life Skills Day, designed to teach (or allow children to practise) some essential life skills which are not always taught in school. Age-appropriate activities were provided for all of the children to teach a wide range of skills such as financial planning, sandwich making, shoelace tying, tent pitching, den building, clothes hanging and folding, gift wrapping, car washing, recycling, making a bed, Muay Thai mindset and different ways of looking after our bodies. There truly was something for everyone! The children were so enthusiastic about having a go at new activities and consolidating existing knowledge and skills, and we are delighted that they made the most of the opportunities on the day. We hope your child came home and spoke to you about their day and all the wonderful experiences they had.  We would also like to extend sincere thanks to all of the parents who visited us on the day to run workshops or assist our staff - and, of course, to all of the staff who worked so hard to put on such a special day. It really was a community event and such a valuable experience for the children. You can see some more photos from the day on our Galleries page here.   Year 4 Residential Trip - Flatford Mill Our Year 4 children are returning tired, happy and enlightened today following their three day residential trip to Constable country! They stayed at the stunning Flatford Mill and, while there, spent time developing their artistic, geographical and scientific skills and knowledge by taking part in a range of outdoors activities. The children spent time pond dipping to observe aquatic life and investigate organisms under the microscope; den building to create strong and waterproof structures; mammal trapping to catch small mammals in 'hotels'; twilight walks to explore wildlife; campfires and much more. Building on the life skills day here at school on Tuesday, the trip was a brilliant opportunity to put into practise teamwork and to develop and build confidence in their personal independence whilst away from home.  Owls Class Assembly Wow! What super work from our Owls Reception children in the assembly they presented to their families on Thursday morning. Theming their performance around traditional fairy tales, the children each spoke out loud very eloquently and with confidence. The children shared a thoughtful poem all about how books and reading can expand our knowledge, broaden our horizons and empower us to fully advocate for ourselves in the world. To view a clip, click here. Thank you Owls for reminding us of the joy of reading and how the themes from traditional fairy tales, such as kindness, sharing and thoughtfulness, convey important lessons for building successful relationships as we navigate through life.    Prep and Pre-Prep Sports Day Sports Day is always a highlight of the summer term and we are very much looking forward to welcoming families along! Information about both the Prep and Pre-Prep Sports Day has been sent out to parents via email this week. The dates are as follows: Pre-Prep Sports Day (N-Y2) - Thursday 12th June at Court Park Prep Sports Day (Y3-6) - Friday 20th June at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex Ducklings - Thursday 3rd July at 2.00 p.m. on site   Year 5 Senior School Transfer Meeting Thank you to the Year 5 parents who joined us for the senior school transfer meeting on Wednesday evening. We hope that you found the information provided useful and we look forward to guiding and supporting you and your children through the 11+ application, examination and interview processes for your chosen schools.  Month End Music Recital We enjoyed another super set of performances from our young musicians at today's Month End Music Recital in the Evans Hall at Upper School. This is a great opportunity for the children to practice playing to an audience informally to build confidence and celebrate their progress. This month children from Years 1 - 6 performed pieces on the piano, violin and flute and we also enjoyed also a vocal performance. Very well done to all of those who took part. Walk To School Week Next week it is national 'Walk to School Week' and on Tuesday 20th May - ‘Shoesday Tuesday’ - our TfL Explorers would like to get everyone walking to school in their favourite pair of shoes! Children may wear odd shoes, or even a pair of shoes that are really wacky to school that day! Please ensure that the shoes your child wears will be suitable for the whole day's activities (including PE/Games, if they have these timetabled on a Tuesday). Strictly no high heels allowed!       Harefield Cricket Club Junior Training Harefield Cricket Club are welcoming new junior players for the summer season. Sessions are open to all boys and girls aged 8+ years and of all abilities. Training takes place every Friday evening between 5.30 - 6.45 p.m. For more information please email: ha.cricket.club@gmail.com or call Stephen Croft on tel: 07555 371910 Next Week Monday 19th - Friday 23rd May - Year 6 Residential Trip To France Thursday 22nd May - Wrens Coffee Morning/Class Assembly (from 8.15 a.m.) Thursday 22nd May - Year 1 - 5 Parents' Evening (4.00 - 7.00 p.m.) Friday 23rd May - 3B Coffee Morning/Class Assembly (from 8.15 a.m.) Monday 26th May - Friday 30th May - HALF TERM (Holiday Club running Tuesday to Friday).
Posted on: 9/05/2025

Weekly News - Friday 9th May 2025

Year 3 Residential Trip to PACCAR Year 3 are returning home tired and happy after two thrilling days at PACCAR Scout camp for their first overnight residential. The children enjoyed lovely weather for a busy couple of days spent outdoors taking part in an array of exciting activities. The children participated in crate stacking, zip lines, obstacles courses, campfires and much more. It was wonderful to see the children challenging themselves, building confidence and working together in teams to encourage one another to succeed. Well done Year 3! You can see some photographs on a gallery page here.     Robins Nursery Class Assembly  On Thursday our Robins Nursery children presented their class assembly all about mini beasts. What a lot they have learnt! Dressed in colourful costumes, they told us all about the mini animals that live in the sky and on the ground, including their individual characteristics and why it is so important that we take care of them.  The children spoke their memorised lines with care, and sang the many songs enthusiastically and with plenty of mini beast actions! Very well done indeed, Robins. You brightened up our morning and taught us so many interesting things.   VE Day assembly  On Thursday the Year 6 history prefects led a special assembly to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. The children shared their knowledge from history topic work on World War II to provide their younger peers with a valuable overview of events leading up to Victory in Europe Day in 1945 and explained how and why it is celebrated. Mr. Smith very kindly shared some wonderful original military uniforms and hats, some of which belonged to his wife's grandparents, along with old photographs of them wearing the uniforms. This was a lovely personal touch which really brought this period of history to life for the children. You can see more here.  Thank you to the history prefects for being brilliant ambassadors for the subject and for reminding us of the huge sacrifice so many made for our freedom, and how important it is for us to commemorate this on VE Day.  KS2 Maths Quiz Heat The KS2 Maths Quiz heat took place on Thursday. Twelve children from Years 5 and 6 took part in teams of four to compete in the live online quiz against 112 other prep schools. The questions challenged the children to draw on all their mathematical knowledge and work together as a team. The top 30 scoring teams will go through to the next round so congratulations to Team 1 and 3 who are through to the semi-finals! Well done to all of the participants, the results were as follows: Team 1 - Mufaddal J (6H), Daynan C (5R), Mustafa F (6R), Alexander A (6H) placed 19th (1340 points) Team 2 - Evie J (6H), Diya B (6H), Ashvika A (6R), Amelia L (6R) placed 32nd (1240 points) Team 3 - Saayan S (6H), Maicen M (6R), Ayush A (6R), Avar D (6H) placed 24th scoring (1270 points) 4T Class Assembly On Friday 4T's class assembly was all about the Windrush, exploring the lives the people who came to live and work in Britain from the Caribbean after the second World War. The children retold the story Granny Came Here On The Empire Windrush by Patrice Lawrence bringing to life the journey and experiences of families as they travelled to a new life in Britain. The topic has inspired some wonderful creative writing; the children shared their own poems and letters written from the perspective of Windrush families. The assembly was a wonderful reminder of the rich diversity within our school community and beyond. Well done 4T for a very informative and well delivered assembly.  PA Summer Fete The St. Helen's College PA Summer Fete will take place on Saturday 28th June from 1.00 - 4.00 p.m. and as usual promises to be enormous fun for all the family with face painting, family games, a raffle, BBQ, entertainment and more!  If you run a small business and would like to take a stall at the fete please email: sthelenscollegepa@gmail.com to reserve a space, pitches cost £25. Uxbridge Library Relocates Uxbridge Library has now relocated to the Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge so do pay it a visit to explore it's new home. Parents may also be interested in attending the Hillingdon Libraries Crime Fiction festival on 21st June. There is an impressive line up of internationally acclaimed authors, including Mark Billingham, Elly Griffiths (Dr Ruth Galloway and the Brighton Mysteries), the Reverend Richard Coles and CL Taylor (a multiple Sunday Times bestseller author of psychological thrillers). The one day festival is being held at the Winston Churchill Theatre, tickets are £8 for the day and can be booked here. For up-to-date information visit the Hillingdon Libraries Instagram account here.  Recipes of the Month The Accent Catering team deliver delicious and creative menus in the school kitchen, inspired by the best of seasonal foods. This month they are celebrating the humble new potato! We look forward to tasting this year's crop at lunch over the forthcoming weeks. If you would like to try some new recipes at home, why not give piccalilli new potato salad a try or sticky orange and new potato cake. The recipes can be found here.  Holiday Club - Half Term Holiday Club bookings for half term open today at 4 p.m. Holiday Club will run from Tuesday 27th - Friday 30th May and you should log into SchoolsBuddy to make your bookings. Places must be booked in advance as we need to arrange staffing rotas with regards to ratios. Please note that bookings will close on Wednesday 21st May at 4 p.m. and that, once booked, sessions cannot be cancelled or refunded for any reason, including illness.  Reminders - each child should bring with them a packed lunch, water bottle, two snacks and a change of clothes for Nursery and Reception children. Cressida Cowell Book Signing - Today! Multi-million-copy selling, award-winning author (and former Children’s Laureate) Cressida Cowell, creator of the book and film sensation How to Train Your Dragon, and other bestselling series Which Way to Anywhere and The Wizards of Once, will be visiting Chorleywood Bookshop to launch her brand new Dragon series, How To Train Your Dragon School. The event will be between 4.00 and 5.00 p.m. today, Friday 9th May, children may bring along their own sketchbook for Cressida to see if they would like to.  Next Week Tuesday 13th May - Life Skills Day Tuesday 13th May - Year 5 Transfer Meeting 6.00 - 7.00 p.m. Wednesday 14th - Friday 16th May - Year 4 Residential Trip to Flatford Mill Thursday 15th May - Owls Coffee Morning and Class Assembly Friday 16th May - Month End Music Recital   
Posted on: 2/05/2025

Weekly News - Friday 2nd May 2025

  Year 5 Residential Trip To Isle Of Wight Our Year 5 children return today exhilarated and exhausted after a jam-packed week of activities on the Isle of Wight. On the trip down on Monday, they stopped off in Portsmouth to visit the Mary Rose exhibition and expand their understanding of the Tudor world. Once on the island, they took part in all sorts of adventurous activities and carried out coastal studies to enhance their geographical knowledge and fieldwork skills. Part of our carefully planned programme of residential trips which encourage independence, build friendships and develop important life skills, this week has proven once again that St. Helen's College children are courageous, kind, determined and talented, and that they strive for excellence in all that they do. Thank you also to the Year 4 families who attended the Year 4 residential trip information evening on Wednesday. We are sure that their forthcoming residential trip will also be a roaring success!  TCS Mini Marathon Congratulations to the Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils who ran the TCS Mini London Marathon last Saturday. It was super to see so many St. Helen's College children enjoying their run in central London on such a beautiful day. The children put their best foot forward to complete either the 1 mile and 2.6 km races, and crossed the famous finish line on The Mall with smiling faces to collect their medal.        4C Class Assembly Well done to class 4C, who presented a super assembly on Friday morning themed around sound. The children dived into the science to explain what sound vibrations are, how sound travels, the structure of the ear, animal adaptations and how sound is measured. They did a fantastic job demonstrating these concepts with simple experiments, you can see more here. We also discovered that the school kitchen is the loudest area of the school, thanks to their scientific investigation measuring the volume in decibels at different locations around the school! It was a wonderful to see the children present their knowledge so confidently and eloquently, well done 4C.    UK Mathematics Trust Challenge On Thursday our Year 6 and selected Year 4 pupils took part in the UK Maths Trust Junior Maths Challenge. This demanding 60 minute test comprises 25 multiple choice questions to assess mathematical reasoning, precision of thought and fluency to problem solve. The children concentrated hard and applied themselves very diligently to the test so we look forward to receiving and announcing the results in due course.  House Activities - Summer Term Our first House Assembly of the term took place this week and we are looking forward to the activities this term through which children can earn points for their Houses and enjoy some healthy competition! In particular, we are very excited to see how the children get on with creating TED Talks on their chosen subjects and, of course, preparing for the always popular annual Singing Competition. As ever, one of the highlights of the summer term (indeed, the academic year) will be our Sports Days. For our Early Years classes these are 'have a go' events; by the time the children are in Year 3, they take part in Sports Day at Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex, competing on a professional cinder track and using professional field event equipment. Next Week Monday 5th May - May Day Bank Holiday (School Closed) Tuesday 6th May - Photography Day (All children in Reception to Year 6 to wear full, smart summer uniform please) Wednesday 7th May - School At Work Open Morning (All Upper School children to wear full, smart summer uniform please) Thursday 8th May - Robins Nursery Class Assembly And Coffee Morning (8.15 a.m.) Thursday 8th May - Year 6 Yearbook Photos (All children in Year 6 to wear full, smart summer uniform please) Thursday 8th May - KS2 Maths Quiz Heat Thursday 8th May - Friday 9th May - Year 3 Residential Trip to PACCAR Thursday 8th May - Year 6 Residential Trip Information Evening - 6 p.m. Friday 9th May - 4T Coffee Morning And Class Assembly (8.15 a.m.)  
Posted on: 2/05/2025

Reflections from the Isle of Wight: A Week to Remember by Mr. Roche

As we prepare to leave the beautiful Isle of Wight behind, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed with pride. Over the past five days, our children have amazed us with their resilience, enthusiasm, and boundless energy. From the moment we arrived, they embraced every challenge thrown their way and demonstrated a level of independence far beyond their years. Simple things like organising their own belongings, supporting each other in unfamiliar routines, and taking responsibility for their time have shown us just how much they’ve grown in such a short time. One of the most noticeable developments has been in their courage and determination. Activities like climbing, abseiling, and zip-lining weren’t easy for everyone – but every child pushed themselves beyond what they thought was possible. Whether it was overcoming a fear of heights, speaking up during group tasks, or simply trying something new, they faced it all head-on. Their teamwork has been inspiring; the way they encouraged each other, celebrated each other's successes, and offered a hand when someone needed support speaks volumes about their character. Equally heartwarming has been the way friendships have flourished throughout the week. We’ve seen new bonds form through shared experiences and laughter, while long-standing friendships have deepened through mutual support and encouragement. Meal times, evening activities, and downtime in the dorms have been full of chatter, kindness, and a genuine sense of togetherness. It’s clear these memories – and these friendships – will last well beyond the journey home. As staff, we couldn’t be prouder. The children have represented our school with positivity, determination, and care for one another every single day. This residential has not only provided unforgettable experiences, but it has also reminded us just how much our pupils are capable of when given the opportunity to step outside their comfort zones. We return tired, but happy, and filled with admiration for every single child. What a truly successful five days it has been. Mr. Roche, Year 5 Teacher and Trip Leader, Ms. Gilham, Mr. Lewis, Mrs. Sakthivel and Ms. Drummond.  

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