Our Governors and Staff

Governance

St. Helen's College Ltd. is part of the Forfar Education Group and as such the Forfar Education Group Governance Board acts as governors of St. Helen's College.

Chairman

Mr. John Forsyth

Email:  jf@forfareducation.co.uk             Tel: 07443 103805

 

  

 Safeguarding Governor

Mrs. Jo Storey

Email:  js@forfareducation.co.uk             Tel: 07990 045810
 

Advisory Governors

  
Miss L. E. Beckett BEd Hons  
Mr. D. A. Crehan BSc  BA  MSc  MEd C.Phys  ARCS  
Mrs. G. R. Crehan BA  MA  PGCE  
Mr. J. Crehan BSc MSc Chartered MCSI QTS        

Head Teacher

  
Ms S. Drummond  BEd (Hons) MEd      Shirley Drummond

Senior Leadership Team

  
Deputy Head
Mr. A. McLaughlin  BA PGCE
 		 Aidan McLaughlin

Head of Lower School
Mrs. L. Hunt Mont Dip  BEd   

 Lucy Hunt

Director of Studies
Mr. M. Lewis BSc PGCE

 Mark Lewis

Director of Co-Curriculum
Mr. L. Harrington BEd QTS

 Leo Harrington

Director of Administration 
Mrs. S. Smith  BA (Hons), MA, PG Dip.

 Su Smith

Teaching Staff                  

Form Teachers - Lower School
Mrs. N. Mann BA  PGCE, Senco
Miss M. Carmichael  BA Early Years                       
Miss L Yates BA Early Years FdA
Ms J. Matthews BSc PGCE Early Years Lead, Deputy DSL
Miss A. Cooper  BEd RE Lead
Miss C Owens PGCE BA

Form Teachers - Upper School                                  
Mrs. C. Reid  BA  PGCE (Maternity leave)
Mrs J Sohail BEd
Mrs. A. Coker  BSc PGCE Computing Lead             
Mr. J. Bustard BSc History Lead                                           
Mrs. P. McLaughlin BA  PSHCE Lead
Mrs. B. Cipollone  BEd                     
Mrs. K. Thompson BEd                             
Mrs. E. Gilham BTec  BSc  PGCE Science Lead/ACE
Mr. S. Roche  BA PGCE  English Lead
Mr. L. Harrington BA  PE/Games Lead
Miss K. Linton  BSc PGCE Maths Lead

Art      
Mrs. N. Pruce  HLTA

MFL  
Mrs. S. Martinez CACHE3 MFL Lead

Drama
Mr. A. McLaughlin BA  PGCE Drama Lead
Mrs. L. Moore  BTec Dip. Perf. Arts   

PE/Games      
Mr. L. Harrington BA PGCE PE/Games Lead
Mr. M. Dyson Cert. PE    
Miss S. Ward  BA, PGCE                   
Miss E. Barham  BTec Dip. Sport
Mrs. B. Webb  BSc (Hons)     

Computing    
Mr. M. Lewis BSc PGCE 

Music  
Mrs. C. Fawbert  BMus LRAM  Director of Music
Mr. T. Chan BMus PGDip  Guitar
Mrs. E. Edwards BMus PGCE  Music
Mr. I. Lynch DipRAM Trumpet
Mrs. J. Maclean HNC  BA  LTCL  Cello
Mrs. K. Nash MMus GRSM LRAM  Violin
Mrs. J. Smith GMus RNCM  Flute/Piano
Mrs M. Garnes BA  Choir, Clarinet
Mr. R. James BA MA  Singing, Choir

Additional Needs
Mrs. D. Hopkins BAEd NASENCo                    
Mrs. N. Mann BA  PGCE     

Counsellor
Mrs. J. Brooker  CACHE3, Dip. L4                                                                  

Ducklings Staff        
Mrs. C. McGee NVQ3, EYFD  Ducklings Manager           
Miss A. Thompson NVQ3                         
Mrs. M. Warwick-Bowman BTec CACHE3                                                

Teaching and Learning Assistants (TALAs)         

Lower School                         
Mrs. E. Coyle CACHE3                    
Mrs. E. Cotterill BEd                             
Miss H. Durkin BA    
Mrs. D. Gallacher  EYFD                                                                                 
Mrs. S. Lawrence NNEB/NVQ3                                      
Mrs. L. Coker NVQ3                         
Mrs. V. Edgson NNEB    
Ms M. Krawiel NVQ3                                          
Miss G. Oakshott NVQ3
Mrs. I. Pierce  BA 
Mrs. R. Place NNEB                       
Ms S. Thomas NVQ3 HLTA 
Miss J. Maylon-Williams BA                              
Miss K. Boden  NVQ3
Mrs. S. Sonigra CACHE3   
Mrs Y Nelson  BA FdA                                           

Upper School
Miss R. Fox  TAL3                                  
Mrs. S. Hill NVQ3 HLTA                                                           
Mrs. K. Mahesaratnam BA (Hons) HLTA                             
Mrs. T. Parker  NVQ3                          
Ms A. Raja-Ross BA, CACHE2, Found. Deg.
Mrs. S. Schlachter CACHE2
Mrs. B. Webb BSc (Hons)

Gap Student
Mr. L. Nash 

Administration Staff                           

Director of Administration
Mrs. S. Smith  BA (Hons), MA, PG Dip.

Business Manager
Mrs. S. Cargill   SBM Dip.                                                                     

Finance Manager
Mrs. F. Bool  Dip. Business Management   

Finance Assistant
Mrs. N. Sonigra AAT                        

IT Manager
Mr. P. Puchinszki  NSA, CCNA  

Marketing Assistant   
Ms. E. Furniss   BA, Dip. Nutritional Therapy                                              

Librarian                                   
Mrs. S. Emanuel  BA                                          

School Secretary
Mrs. S. Clements                                                       

Office Assistant
Mrs. K. Rumney                                                         

Lower School Receptionist
Mrs. L. Rooney  HND                        

Welfare and Attendance Officer
Mrs. A. Gilbey L3 Paediatric First Aid           

Welfare Assistant
Miss G. Oakshott NVQ3                                                           

School Meals Supervisory Assistants (SMSAs)

Lower School 
Mrs. J. Fong                                                                 
Mrs. S. Daly
Mrs. I. Fijalkowska
Mrs. L. Maskell
Mrs E. Bryce
Mrs M. Chatterjee

Upper School 
Miss J. Brooks                                                           
Mrs. J. Hunter                                                            
Mrs. S. Hawkins                                                        

School Patrol
Mrs. J. Hunter                                                            
Mrs. T. Beale                                                                                

Funtasia/Holiday Club                                 
Mrs. T. Beale
Mrs. E. Coyle CACHE3                                
Mrs. E. Cotterill BEd                                        
Miss H. Durkin BA                                                                  
Mrs. S. Lawrence NNEB/NVQ3 Funtasia Manager                                                      
Ms S. Porteous NNEB                                     
Miss J. Malyon-Williams BA                                                                                          
Miss A. Gilbey NVQ2, CACHE2    
Miss S. Lawrence
Miss S. Nash
Miss R. Nash 
Mrs. M. Warwick-Bowman BTec CACHE3
Mrs. J. Fong
Ms S. Daly
Miss P. Patel
Mr. J. Bustard  BSc PGCE
Mrs. C. McGee  NVQ3 EYFD
Mrs. I. Fijalkowsa
Mrs. S. Sonigra  CACHE3
Mrs. A. Thompson NVQ3
Miss D. Velani
Miss M. Pannu
Miss T. Rahman
Miss L. Parker
Miss A. Walters
Miss S. Valabhji 
Miss H. Hanshaw                                      

Premises Manager   
Mr. P. Graddon                                                          

Premises Assistants
Mr. C. Smith             
Mr. A. Fitzgerald                                                  

Cleaning Staff
Mrs. I. Fijalkowska
                                                     

News

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.  
View all news

Events

View all events