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Posted on: 28/11/2025

Books For Christmas by Mrs. Emanuel

Tantalising images of brightly coloured book treats are setting my social media feeds alight! It's such an exciting time of the year for book buyers, story lovers and school librarians alike and this blog aims to suggest gifts that I hope will be enjoyed by families together at Christmas and cherished for a long time beyond.   All links are to bookshop.org supporting independent bookshops, and I would recommend Crocus Books and Gifts in Gerrards Cross, Chorleywood Bookshop and the gorgeous new Waterstones Uxbridge on the Lower Mall of the Chimes which has an excellent range for children including many of the books mentioned here.    For the youngest children, Five Little Fingers: A Collection of Finger Rhymes is a sturdy board book with delightful and easy to follow instructions for actions and movements.  Oh Dear, Look What I Got, is the new classic from the We’re Going on a Bear Hunt team, with simple words and pictures to pore over. You Choose Christmas enables children to create their own stories page by page. Super fun, easy to play with family members of all ages and it will amuse a child reading on their own. Another festive delight for all is The Boy Who Grew Dragons: A Christmas Delivery.   Dipping into non-fiction is a brilliant way to engage children and there is an abundance of lavishly illustrated and cleverly designed books for primary ages. The Cosmic Diary of a Space Explorer, Astrophysics for Supervillains, and the flap book See Inside AI, are all accessible, highly illustrated and jam-packed with facts. Animals, dinosaurs and insects are always popular in the library; these books are stunning; Book of Dinosaurs, An Animal a Day  and The Secret World of Spider Webs are all on my wish list! The excellent Talking History features inspiring speakers, their rallying speeches and their stories, and the entertaining Lost in History, is a very funny Where’s Wally-type spotting book.   From facts to fiction now via highly illustrated novels. Rune 1 and Rune 2 are very popular among Year 5 and 6, who might like to try the fantasy Warrior Cats series, or the quirky Boss of the Underworld. Everyone will love the joyful and vibrant Happy Hills series too! An excellent seasonal gift and a must for every bookshelf is a collection of myths – try the beautiful Greek Myths and the remarkable Storyland: Britain Began with Myths...   When it comes to longer fiction reads, new “classic” immersive fantasy books include The Boy to Beat the Gods, Spirit Warriors, Mayowa plus the brilliant Kingdom of the Sea by Zohra Nabi, who also penned my current favourite, the Victorian mystery Deep Dark. Murder mystery continues to be popular; a festive choice is The Very Merry Murder Club, a collection of stories by different authors. For history and adventure fans (young and old) Safiyyah's War is perfect. The Girl Who Raced the World is a dramatic re-imagining of Around the World in 80 Days, and is published with beautiful end papers and map details; a lovely gift.   I hope I have covered all ages and tastes! If you are able, take a family trip to your local bookshop or your local library this festive season, and enjoy choosing books to read as a family. Taking time out to read aloud a shared story, or curling up side by side to read your own books will create a sense of warmth and togetherness that will last much longer than the holidays.   Happy reading! 
Posted on: 5/09/2025

Weekly News - Friday 5th September 2025

It has been wonderful to welcome back all of the children to school this week and get to know our new joiners who are settling in well already. Staff have been busy in school over the summer working hard to prepare for what promises to be a very exciting and rewarding year ahead. On Thursday our new Head Ms. Green led a welcome assembly at Upper School where she used an old and a new pair of trainers as a fun and thoughtful metaphor for change as the children adapt to their new classrooms and embrace fresh opportunities and challenges this year. Everyone here at St. Helen's College will certainly be putting their best foot forward this term and supporting one another to reach success.      Meet The Teacher Events Thank you to all of the parents who attended the Meet The Teacher meetings at Upper School and the individual Early Years parent meetings at Lower School this week. Year 2 parents will have the opportunity to Meet The Teachers on Tuesday 16th September at 8.15 a.m. We encourage and highly value regular and open communication between home and school as this is critical for us to deliver the best care for your child and to support their progress. Your child's class teacher should be the first port of call for any queries or concerns regarding your child, either by email or at the end of the school day. If your class teacher is unable to assist for some reason, please feel free to contact a member of the Senior Leadership Team directly on the email addresses below: Pre-School and Lower School queries: Ms. Matthews, Head of Pre-Prep, at jomatthews@sthelenscollege.com Upper School pastoral and safeguarding queries: Mrs. Gilbert, Deputy Head - Pastoral, at mgilbert@sthelenscollege.com Upper School academic teaching and learning queries: Mr. Roche, Deputy Head - Academic, at sroche@sthelenscollege.com   Pre-School Opens Year Round Provision This week our popular pre-school Nursery, home to our Cygnets ( aged 3+) and Ducklings (2+), re-opened with new extended hours and a year round provision, offering a fully flexible setting to accommodate the needs of busy working parents. Opening hours are 8.00 a.m - 6.00 p.m. and parents can book morning, afternoon or all day sessions for their child. The pre-school continues to be staffed by our well loved team of skilled early years practitioners who provide the very best nurturing care and educational development. At Lower School there is now a separate entrance for Nursery to streamline arrival and collection at the end of the day. We warmly welcome our new Ducklings, Cygnets and their families to St. Helen's College where they are already settling in very well.  Playground Equipment Our maintenance team have been very busy over the summer break updating facilities and supervising the extremely exciting installation of two large pieces of new playground equipment at Upper School. The two bespoke natural wood climbing frames have been carefully designed by Touchwood to stimulate learning and development through play and, of course, to provide the children with lots of fun! To begin with, as they get used to it, the children will be exploring the equipment safely in small groups at breaktimes and so far are thoroughly enjoying the experience!       LAMDA Results We are delighted to share fabulous results from the LAMDA examinations last term. Massive congratulations to all of the pupils whose hard work and commitment was clearly recognised by the examiner, who also commented on the professional manner with which the children conducted themselves. The results are as follows: Zoe F Acting Grade 5 - Solo Merit Ari P Acting Grade 1 - Duo Distinction Aayan B Acting Grade 1 - Duo Merit Aarav L Acting Grade 1 - Combined Merit Kyan K Acting Grade 1 - Combined Merit Elisa K Acting Grade 2 - Solo Distinction Aryan S Acting Grade 2 - Solo Merit Aadhya M Acting Grade 3 - Solo Distinction Kiran S Acting Grade 1 - Solo Distinction Sienna K Acting Grade 2 - Solo Merit Shanaiya K Acting Grade 5 - Solo Distinction Aydin K Musical Theatre Grade 1 - Solo Distinction Aria R Acting Entry Level - Duo Distinction Raya R Acting Entry Level - Duo Distinction Nirvaana SF Acting Entry Level - Solo Distinction Harleen S Acting Grade 1 - Combined Distinction Tanavya B Acting Grade 1 - Combined Distinction Eleanor G Acting Grade 4 - Solo Distinction Ivvan M Acting Grade 2 - Solo Distinction Mustafa F Acting Grade 3 - Solo Distinction Anika C Acting Grade 6 - Solo - Bronze Medal Merit Anika S Acting Grade 2 - Solo Distinction Naiya L Acting Grade 4 - Solo Distinction Sara B Acting Entry Level - Solo Distinction Alana K Acting Entry Level - Duo Distinction Sophie B Acting Entry Level - Duo Distinction Sehej G Acting Entry Level - Solo Distinction Harsimar G Acting Entry Level - Solo Distinction Eisah KH Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Sahara D Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction   Spanish Competition Well done to all of the children who took part in the St. Helen's College Languagenut Spanish competition over the summer holidays. Huge congratulations to the top three pupils on the leadersboard: 1st place - Rayan R in 5G (119,500 points) 2nd place - Aarya G in 2S (61,100 points) 3rd place - Ali AR in 3B (59,100 points) They all received certificates and were awarded House points for their hard work.  School Open Morning Our next 'School At Work' Open Morning for prospective new families is on Wednesday 24th September. If you know of anyone with a child who might be interested in visiting the school, please do let them know.  We will also be hosting Reception Discovery Mornings on Thursday 2nd October and Thursday 16th October for children eligible for Reception entry in 2026. These are for external applicants only and are an opportunity for the child and their parents to meet staff and explore our Reception setting. Prospective families can book appointments for Open Morning and Reception Discovery Mornings via the school website here.   Staff News We are delighted to welcome new members of staff to St. Helen's College this year and remind parents of new roles for existing members of the team: Ms. Matthews - Head of Pre-Prep Mr. Roche - Deputy Head - Academic Mrs. Gilbert - Deputy Head - Pastoral Mrs. Coyle - Nursery Manager Mrs. Porter - Year 3 Form Teacher Mrs. Moore - Performing Arts and Drama Lead Mrs. Ruano - Early Years Practitioner PA Welcome Event  The Parents' Association very much hope that all new families will come along to their Welcome Event on Saturday 6th September from 2 - 4 p.m. The event will take place in the hall at Lower School and is a lovely opportunity to meet the PA and other new families. Autumn Co-curricular Clubs Booking for autumn term co-curricular clubs will go live on SchoolsBuddy today at 4 p.m. There are plenty of fun and exciting clubs for the children to get involved with, from sports and games to art, music and languages. The timetable can be found here. Please log into SchoolsBuddy for more information and to make your selection by Sunday night, when bookings will close. For any specific queries please contact Mr. Harrington at lharrington@sthelenscollege.com. Upper School Swimming As usual, each class in Years 2 to 6 will enjoy an intensive week of swimming lessons this year at Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex. Here are the dates for your diary: w/c 29th September - 4C w/c 6th October - 4T w/c 10th November - 3P w/c 24th November - 3M w/c 26th January - 5G w/c 2nd February - 5R w/c 2nd March - 6G w/c 9th March - 6R Year 2 will take part in swimming lessons in the summer term, the dates will follow in due course. Chiswick Book Festival The Chiswick Book Festival 2025 is running from 10th - 15th September and has a fantastic children’s programme for ages 3 to 11+. Our librarian Mrs Emanuel will be helping out as usual and enjoying a wonderful array of award-winning authors. For older children there is an event with JP Rose and her book Birdie, a heartfelt tale about the love of pit ponies and families - one of the new books available to read in the library this term! Exciting interactive sessions include a comic book masterclass with Kev F Sutherland and improvised poetry with Jonathan Sellars. Multi-talented local author Mariesa Dulak is treating us to two beautiful stories The Silver Shadow and There’s a Tiger on the Train - another new read in the school library. Tickets are available to book here.  Pupil Absence Please be reminded that requests for any absences in advance e.g. school visits must be sent directly to Ms. Green at sgreen@sthelenscollege.com. However, to report illness or medical appointments please continue to contact Mrs. Fazlian in the welfare office, at lfazlian@sthelenscollege.com by no later than 8.30 a.m.   School Calendar Please note: the school calendar is now hosted on Outlook and can be accessed via the school website here.   
Posted on: 10/07/2025

Weekly News - Thursday 10th July 2025

As we reach the end of another very busy and successful year here at St. Helen's College we would like to wish you all an enjoyable, peaceful summer holiday. We look forward to seeing all of the children return and welcoming all of our new families next term. Year 6 Prizegiving On Tuesday evening we welcomed Year 6 pupils and their parents to the Evans Garden for our annual Prizegiving ceremony to celebrate the achievements of the children as they approach the end their time at St. Helen's College. This is always a very special evening to recognise their hard work, talents, personal development and contribution to the school across the years. Our Guest of Honour this year was Lucy Crehan, who shared an inspirational speech with many words of wisdom. We were also very lucky to hear performances from the Chamber Choir, a solo from Zinnia M and a very special vocal performance from Jill Crehan too! We wish Year 6 all the very best as they embark on the next step at their new schools.  Year 6 Project Exhibition  Also on Tuesday it was a pleasure to host the Year 6 Project Exhibition, a terrific showcase of the pupils' individual research projects. The children were tasked with researching a topic of their choice in depth and presenting this creatively at an open morning for their parents, staff and peers. The result was a hugely varied display of chosen subjects ranging from space, military tanks and rollercoasters to crystals, cricket and chocolate!  Many children had very impressively built their own websites, animations and videos demonstrating their advanced tech skills and know how. Well done Year 6.      Maths Quiz Final Huge congratulations to the team of Year 6 girls who attended the prestigious Quiz Club National Mathematics Competition final at the University of Oxford last week.  Ashvika A (6R), Amelia L (6R), Diya B (6H) and Evie J (6H) competed against teams from leading independent schools from across the country in this demanding event. The girls delivered a brilliant performance, achieving 11th place out of 33 and should feel extremely proud of themselves!        ABRSM Music Examinations Congratulations to all of our musicians who have worked hard to prepare for music examinations this term and achieved excellent results. They are as follows:  Pupil Grade Instrument Result Liberty Y 1 Clarinet Distinction Anika C 1 Violin Distinction Dev S 1 Piano Distinction Siara R 1 Piano Merit Tansy M 1 Singing Merit Mia S 1 Singing Merit Hugo VS 1 B Flat Cornet Merit Aarav D 1 B Flat Cornet Merit Kashi P 1 Singing for Musical Theatre Merit Yuvraj R 1 Piano Merit Sikhya R 1 Singing Merit Sikhya R 1 Piano Merit Armaan V 1 Tabla Merit Shayla R 1 Piano Pass Nihaal P 1 Guitar Pass Anika C 2 Singing for Musical Theatre Distinction Avaani H 2 Flute Merit Aarav C 2 Flute Merit Sanaya M 2 Singing for Musical Theatre merit Gurdaya J 2 Piano Merit Caitlin P 2 Piano Pass Simar C 2 Piano Pass Leo A 2 Piano Pass Aaryav K 3 Guitar Merit Shayna C 3 Singing for Musical Theatre Merit Roshni J 3 Guitar Pass Rohaym U 3 Guitar Pass Simrina N 3 Flute Pass Rayan S 4 Guitar Merit Simar C 4 Violin Pass Zoe F 5 Piano Pass Constantina S Initial Violin Pass Shivansh P Prep Test Singing Pass   Tennis Competition Finals The annual Tennis Competition is a long standing St. Helen's College tradition and the competition is fierce!  On Tuesday the children gathered courtside to cheer on the finalists in a series of exciting matches. The standard of play was extremely high across the board and the atmosphere was electric as the players competed for vital points. Well done to all of the finalists and congratulations to the overall winners! The finalists were:  Year 3 Winners - Amina H (3M) and Jamie F (3M) Year 3 Runners Up - Ishani (3B) and Noah K (3B) Year 4 Winners - Isaac A and Libby Y (4T) Year 4 Runners Up - Laksh K (4T) and Alba M (4C) Year 5 Winners - Aadhya M (5G) and Zaki A-J (5G) Year 5 Runners Up - Jana A (5R) and Shaylen P (5R) Year 6 Winners - Simar C (6R) and Avar D (6H) Year 6 Runners Up - Shanaiya K (6H) and Rohan F (6R) Pupil Leadership Team At the final assembly this morning we heard from our outgoing Head Boy and Head Girl about how much St. Helen's College has meant to them and we announced our Pupil Leadership Team for next year. They are: Head Girl - Avleen P Head Boy - Yuvraj R Deputy Head Girl - Amara B Deputy Head Boy - Reyan C Caledonia House Captains - Armaan V and Mahi B Cambria House Captains - Caitlin P and Noah K Hibernia House Captains - Daynan C and Gurdaya J Windsor House Captains - Rayhan R and Ella K House Winners After a fiercely fought House Contest, the final winners for the year were announced in our year end assembly today. Congratulations to Cambria! The final points tallies were: Cambria 5103       Hibernia 4956        Windsor 4521     Caledonia 4268   Teacher For A Day On Wednesday pupils in Year 6 stepped into the shoes of teachers and staff across school as part of 'Teacher for a Day'. The children had terrific fun shadowing members of staff to experience some of the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities. This included not only teaching roles but also school librarians, kitchen staff, PE teachers and school office staff! They stepped up to the task brilliantly, leading assemblies, football training, phonics lessons and creative activities. The event raised  £308.30 for Mary's Meals, thank you Year 6!      Move Up Mornings On Monday and Tuesday it was 'move up morning' when pupils across the school had the chance to visit their new classrooms and meet their teachers for next year. This is always popular with the children and provides an opportunity to introduce them to their new setting to help facilitate a smooth transition in September.  Parents' Evening Thank you to all of the parents of children in Ducklings and Nursery who attended parents' evening on Tuesday. We hope you found it a useful insight into their learning and progress. Thank you for your continued support. GOSH Fundraising A huge thank you to the St. Helen's College community for raising a tremendous £3107 for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children during our recent week of fundraising activites. You can watch a thank you video from the school here.  Summer Spanish Competition Join our sizzling first Spanish Languagenut Summer Competition and turn your holidays into a fiesta of fun!  Whether you are relaxing at home or soaking up the sun, complete exciting Spanish activities to earn House points and win a certificate! It’s your time to shine, show off your skills, and make your House proud. Pupils should log on to Languagenut to complete the competition which will begin on 14th July and finishes on the 31st August. It is open to current year 2, 3, 4 and 5 children. ¡Vamos, campeones!    Baby Mindfulness 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! Autumn Term Information You can see the Uniform and Equipment List on the School Documents page of the website. Please take the time over the summer to ensure that your children have all that they need for September. Please also check the School Calendar to make note of relevant dates for next term.    
Posted on: 4/07/2025

Weekly News - Friday 4th July 2025

Summer Arts Evening Thank you to all of the families who joined us for the St. Helen's College Summer Arts Evening at the Winston Churchill Theatre on Tuesday evening. It was a magical evening of creative expression and a glimpse of just some of the stunning work the children achieve here at SHC.  The art exhibition featured pieces from every single prep school child in Years 2 - 6, and displayed the enormous variety of techniques and materials the children are lucky to explore in their lessons. Following the exhibition we were treated to an evening concert where the children took centre stage to perform solo, choral and instrumental musical pieces, poetry recitations, LAMDA pieces, group ensembles and more. The children gave outstanding performances, and should feel extremely proud for working so hard at their artistic endeavours.  House TED Talk Competition This term the children in Years 2 - 6 have participated in a TED Talk Competition to win precious points for their Houses. The children were tasked with entering an approximately two minute long TED-style talk about an area of interest to them, in order to inspire their audience.  There was a wide variety of entries and it has been extremely interesting to hear the pupils present their TED talks in House assemblies over the past few weeks. One finalist was chosen from each House in the categories of Middle School (Years 2/3) and Upper School (Years 4/5/6), and the finals were held on Thursday this week. Every pupil listening then took part in a blind vote to choose the winner! The Upper School finalists were: Gurdaya J (5R) - Hibernia Mahi B (5R) - Caledonia Rayhan R (5G) - Windsor Rania Q (5R) - Cambria  The Middle School finalists were: Hadi Q (2C) - Windsor Shivansh P (2S) - Hibernia Nikita M (3B) - Caledonia Pavleen J (2C) - Cambria The overall winner for Years 4-6 was Rayhan, with an exceptionally well-prepared and well-delivered talk about Egypt, and the overall winner for Years 2-3 was Pavleen, who delivered an interesting and inspiring talk about 'The Word Why' with style and confidence. Very well done to everyone who entered this super competition and especially to the finalists and winners. Ducklings Sports Day On Thursday afternoon our very youngest pupils at Ducklings participated in their first St. Helen's College Sports Day which took place in the grounds on site. The children participated in a variety of fun sporting activities including sprints on the lawn and an obstacle course to challenge their agility and coordination. The children were delighted to win rosettes and medals for their efforts! Thank you to all of the parents for joining us, it was a lovely afternoon.        Y1 Visit to Mad Bess Woods Year 1 enjoyed a marvellous visit to Mad Bess Woods in Ruislip on Wednesday, where they were hosted by Mrs. Hunt and had a chance to visit the gardens of her house! They had a wonderful time exploring the beautiful surroundings there and were excited to find all sorts of minibeasts in the woodlands, including spiders with egg sacks. They were also treated to an ice cream from a visiting ice cream van and Mrs. Hunt even got to ride in the ice cream van!       Reception Trip to Whipsnade On Thursday, our Kingfishers and Owls Reception classes enjoyed a fun outing to Whipsnade Zoo. The day began with a fascinating workshop all about African and Asian animals, where the children were especially impressed to see the skull of a lion! They had a terrific time exploring the zoo and were lucky enough to see several very young animals, including a ten day old baby giraffe, a baby elephant, baby rhino and meerkats. The day was rounded off with a fun train ride around the park. The children thoroughly enjoyed the trip and it was a fantastic learning opportunity to support their classroom topic work. Year 6 Bikeability  Well done to Year 6 who have this week completed their Bikeability training. Bikeability is the government’s national cycle training programme which helps children to learn practical skills and understand how to cycle safely on today’s busy roads. Throughout the week they have mastered the basics of bike control and safety at Level 1 and have gained further competence at Level 2, riding out on the roads surrounding school. The children have gained the skills and confidence to negotiate parked cars, other road users, roundabouts, junctions and crossroads. We hope to see Year 6 putting their new skills into action from now on!    Basketball Success In their very first basketball match, St. Helen's College delivered a stunning performance, overpowering Ryefield Primary School with a commanding 36–8 victory. The team played with confidence and cohesion, setting the pace with sharp ball movement and relentless defence. Their ability to control the game at both ends of the court left Ryefield struggling to find rhythm or scoring opportunities. By half time, the lead was already substantial, and St. Helen’s College continued to dominate in the second half, showcasing impressive depth and discipline for a debut outing. Huge congratulations to the team!      Wimbledon Tennis Visit (selected Year 5/6 pupils) On Tuesday a group of children visited the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and enjoyed a super day discovering the club and watching exciting games on Court 2 and the outer courts. This was a lovely opportunity for some of our sporting pupils to visit an iconic sports venue and watch inspiring sports players in action!         London Fire Brigade Visit Reception Today the Reception children had a thrilling visit from the London Fire Brigade to support their topic work all about people who help us. They listened intently to a short talk from firefighters who explained the important work that they do. Afterwards the children had the opportunity to explore the fire engine outdoors! They had a fascinating tour of the vehicle and asked lots of interesting questions.        Music Lessons Individual music lessons are offered at school taught by our team of specialist music teachers, many of whom work professionally in the music industry. From Reception, children can learn the violin or the cello, and from Year 2 children can learn a wider variety of instruments including flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, violin, cello, piano, singing and guitar (NB: guitar can be learnt from Year 3).  There are currently spaces available to begin next term for the following instruments: trumpet, trombone, flute and cello. The waiting list is open for all other instruments and allocations for September will be made shortly. To request lessons or to be added to a waiting list please complete this Google form and Mrs. Fawbert will be in contact if a space becomes available. For any queries please email: cfawbert@sthelenscollege.com. Parents' Evening Thank you to all of the parents who attended the Ducklings and Nursery Parents' Evening on Tuesday. We very much value an open dialogue with families to review your child's progress and we hope you found the meetings useful.  Library Summer Reading Challenge A magical Story Garden was unveiled as the theme of the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge! Rebecca Knight from Oak Farm Library visited SHC for a special assembly to invite all pupils to take part in the challenge to collect magical stickers and earn a medal and certificate. Children will need to visit the library four times over the summer, you can find out more information about the challenge here. To discover libraries in the Hillingdon area (all of which local residents are able to use) click here. Enjoy and good luck everyone!   Next Week 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 Coffee Morning & 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 - Y6 Final Assembly 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)
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