Supporting Mental Health – Hertfordshire Services

As always, we value the importance of supporting mental heath within our school and wider community, and we’d like to highlight the Hertfordshire Children and Young People's Mental Health Service Directory, a valuable resource for students, carers, families and professionals.

This directory brings together a wide range of services offering both early intervention and more specialist mental health support for children and young people. Whether you're looking for advice, counselling, or more targeted care, the directory is a great starting point.

Click Here to access the directory for more detailed information and contact links.

We encourage all parents and carers to explore this resource and keep it handy should your child or someone you know need support.

We’re Hiring!

Come and be part of our fantastic team here at Sandringham. We’re currently looking for:

- Technical Theatre Manager

- Assistant Librarian

- Teaching Assistant 

If you, or anyone you know would like to be part of our passionate and dedicated team, please visit here for more information and to apply.

We’re excited to share our brand new “Welcome to Sandringham” video which is now live on the website.

A huge thank you to all the students who took part in filming. Your professionalism, enthusiasm, and positive energy made the whole process a real joy, and the final result truly reflects the spirit of our school.

We hope you all enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Free Course for Parents: Talking Additional Needs

Are you a parent or carer of a child aged 2-19 with suspected or diagnosed additional needs? Join our FREE 6-week in-person course, "Talking Additional Needs," starting this November.

This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with other parents, carers grandparents and other adults, share experiences, and find support in your local area.

When: Wednesdays, 7pm - 9pm

Dates: November 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th November and 3rd, 10th December

Where: Reddings Family Centre, Harcourt Road, Bushey, WD23 3PE

Also available as an online course via Zoom, 9:45-11:15am on 17th, 24th Sept, 1st, 8th, 15th & 22nd Oct 2025

BOOKING ESSENTIAL. Spaces are limited, so book now using the referral form below.

Please see flyer for further information, or contact Supporting Links with any questions: 07512 709 556, bookings@supportinglinks.co.uk

Win Your School Uniform with Stevensons.

Stevensons is offering an exclusive in-store competition for families who book a uniform fitting appointment this summer.

When you attend your scheduled in-store fitting, you’ll be invited to take part in our Lucky Dip at the till. If you find the golden nugget, you’ll win back the cost of your uniform on the spot!

• Enjoy a dedicated one-on-one fitting with a uniform expert
• Beat the back-to-school rush
• Enter for your chance to win your uniform absolutely free

Appointments are limited and filling fast, so don’t miss out, book your uniform fitting today and be in with a chance to win.

As Mr Gray mentioned above - next Friday, on the last day of the summer term, we’ll be rounding off the school year with one of Sandringham’s most loved traditions, Culture Day!

This special event is a celebration of the wonderfully diverse backgrounds that make up our school community. Following the success of Culture Day 2024, we’re excited to once again honour the heritage, traditions, and cultures of both our students and staff.

The day will be filled with fun and learning, and community spirit, a true festival of culture to mark the end of another fantastic school year.

Let’s finish the term in style together.

Yesterday, one of our students, Tobias, had the fantastic opportunity to spend the day working at Seven Seeded Ltd, an artisan bakery that supplies handcrafted products to schools, cafés, hotels, and restaurants across Hertfordshire and London.

Throughout the day, Tobias gained hands-on experience across several departments, including Pastry, Bread, Baking/Ovens, and Packing. He began his day in the Pastry kitchen, crafting delicious pain au chocolat and plain croissants from scratch. From there, he moved to the Bread section, where he rolled mini baguettes and prepared brioche dough for baking.

Tobias then joined the Baking team, placing trays of finished products onto oven racks ready for baking. His final stop was in Packing, helping prepare fresh goods for overnight delivery to customers.

A special highlight of the day was a meeting with David Dwek, Managing Director of Seven Seeded, who was thoroughly impressed with Tobias’s enthusiasm and work ethic.

Well done, Tobias, for making the most of this experience and representing Sandringham so well.

Imperial College Chemistry Experience Day

Last week, 10 of our year 10 students attended a Chemistry Experience Day at Imperial College London. This was a fantastic opportunity to gain insight into what Chemistry looks like beyond school, and the students really enjoyed the day. Huge thanks go to Mr Reynolds and Mrs Whitmore for leading the trip! Read on to see what Salma enjoyed most about the day. 

On Tuesday, we went on an educational chemistry trip to imperial college. In the morning, we began with lectures and a brief tour of the STEM campus, focusing mainly on the chemistry department. In the afternoon, we did lab work, by finding the concentration of aspirin in aspirin tablets.

Personally, the highlight of my trip was the lab work as I enjoyed having hands-on experience of how an imperial student would go about their studies. It was especially interesting using new technologies that we don’t have in the Sandringham science rooms. Furthermore, sitting in a lecture was enjoyable as not only did it expand my knowledge on ideas we’re learning about in school, but it also helped me understand concepts about atoms. Seeing the imperial campus was very exciting, especially the courtyard areas, and it made me realise how diverse and beautiful the campus is. 

Overall, the day at imperial helped our learning a lot, and was definitely an enriching, unforgettable experience.

Salma C, Yr 10. 

The Puzzle of the Week is a Mathematics challenge run weekly. This week's puzzle is shown above. For every entry you will receive 1 house point, if you answer correctly you will win 2 house points and if you are the fastest person to answer the puzzle correctly then you will win 5 house points!  To enter, simply scan the QR code and fill out the google form.  Good luck! Why not play at home and see who is the quickest to get the answer?

Hertfordshire County Council’s Services for Young People is running the Positive Pathways Summer Project - a fantastic free opportunity for young people aged 13 to 17 to get involved in positive activities during the summer holidays.

The project focusses on helping young people to:

• Build confidence and social skills
• Make informed decisions and set personal goals
• Learn practical life skills
• Develop personalised action plans with support from Youth Workers
• Take part in a range of fun and engaging activities

Check out the attached flyer for more information and how to book your spot.

Gold DofE Assessed Expedition 2025

Last week, 27 students completed their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Assessed expedition in the Lake District. This requires students to spend a minimum of 8 hours per day for 4 days journeying through wild country. The consensus from students is that it is the hardest thing they have ever done!!!!! The expedition requires excellent navigation, fitness, teamwork, campcraft and mental toughness, as well as the determination to complete the other 4 sections of the Gold Award.

On arrival in the Lakes, the whole group do an orientation walk, reviewing map skills, bearings and walking on different terrain en route to the hostel. Where they have a long evening going over routes, checking kit and final preparations. The weather was foul for the orientation walk, with very heavy rain, strong winds and poor visibility and all students and staff drenched by the end. However, it was valuable experience for the students as the following day, the weather remained poor for the first day of their expedition with very low visibility, down to 30 metres at times, strong winds and more rain.

On the first morning, three groups set off from the Glenridding area over the Dodds and a fourth group from Elterwater over to Borrowdale.  Despite the challenging conditions, all groups had a very long but successful first day and were relieved to reach their campsites, even with the midges, geese and facilities.

The second day was marginally better weather and reasonably dry in the evening at the campsites as groups had a very boggy but enjoyable walk up over High Tove onto Watendlath heading south to the Borrowdale valley or headed from Borrowdale over High Spy.

Day 3 and 4 the groups had very good weather which meant excellent views and visibility around the Borrowdale Valley which helped boost morale, despite the blisters, achy feet and heavy rucksacks.  

In addition to developing their navigation and campcraft skills, each of the groups demonstrated excellent teamwork and determination, despite some of the worst weather, heavy, wet tents and a few wet sleeping bags. There were the usual blisters, sore ankles, sore knees and a range of highs and lows for each individual. As is often the case walking in the hills, walkers often stop and speak to passing hikers and it was a pleasure to hear how polite our students are from members of the public.

The staff supervising the expedition were very impressed and proud of the teamwork and leadership shown by every student as they supported team members and dealt with difficult terrain, navigation and weather. Their assessment included navigation, camp craft and completing an aim for their expedition and is finished with a debrief with their assessor, drying tents and cleaning trangia’s, followed by an evening meal together back at Elterwater Hostel.

The students have worked extremely hard preparing for their expedition and have been a pleasure to work with. They have also been dedicated to completing various other sections of their Gold D of E and should complete the award in the coming months.

Thank you to Mr Hartnell, Mr Foy and Mr Nieddu and Mr Rowley for supervising the expedition.

ParentPay Reminder: Check Your Account is Up-to-Date

A reminder for everyone - we kindly ask all parents to check their ParentPay accounts to ensure that payments are up-to-date before we break up for the Summer. Please also ensure that canteen accounts are cleared and topped up to avoid any issues. Keeping balances in check helps us continue to provide a smooth service for all students.

Parent Pay Instructions - End of academic year & Clearing Accounts Instructions:

1. Login to your account.
2. Navigate to the Dashboard.
3. Click Pay for Meals.
4. Enter the amount you want to pay.
5. Use One-Click Payment to complete the transaction instantly.
6. You can also set up Autopayment: When your balance falls below a threshold (£1.00 min to £50.00 max), your account will automatically top up by a selected amount (£2.50 to £100.00).
7. Store your bank card securely for easy One-Click Payments and Autopay setup.

Thank you for your support.

As part of our careers provision at Sandringham, Yr 7 students go on a work exploration day with a parent or friend. 

This year, students have visited a wide range of organisations, such as Roche, the University of Hertfordshire, Supercell and many more.  With so many roles taking place in the home, students have needed to be adaptable, for example, a couple of them are helping a local fashion advisor in her home. 

We are so grateful for all of these opportunities for the students. Our photos are of Annabel D and Claudia F at Prominate Ltd, Josh C and Seb F-C at Premier Foods Head Office and Annabel E at Natwest, Bishopsgate. 

Well done Yr 7, we are proud of you wherever you were!

We’re pleased to share an exclusive discount for Sandringham parents from Barracudas Holiday Clubs, which is perfect for keeping children active and entertained over the summer break.

Barracudas is offering £20 off a full week or £4 off per day - with over 80 exciting activities for children to enjoy.

It has flexible booking options, so it’s a convenient and fun solution for busy families.

Check out the flyer attached for the exclusive discount code.

Hertfordshire County Council’s Services for Young People is offering an exciting Holiday Activity Programme this summer and it’s free for young people aged 12 to 16.

Held at the Links Academy in St Albans, the programme offers a wide range of activities including:

• Fun physical activities like sports, dance, and team games
• Creative sessions such as music production, cooking, and arts & crafts
• Free healthy food provided every day
• Informal workshops on healthy lifestyles and wellbeing
• A chance to socialise and make new friends
• Access to advice and information about other local services

Check out the attached flyer for more information and details on how to sign up - spaces are limited, so don’t miss out.

Come and grab a bargain and support sustainability at our Second hand Uniform Sale this weekend at School.

Saturday 12th July
10am – 12pm
Under the canopy to the right of Reception

Perfect for stocking up before the new term. All items are in great condition and available at low prices. 

Looking forward to seeing you there!

We’re pleased to share the latest leaflet from the Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) team, detailing a range of free emotional wellbeing workshops running from July to September 2025.

These sessions are delivered virtually via Microsoft Teams, making them easily accessible to families and young people. Topics are designed to support emotional health and wellbeing, and families can sign up through Eventbrite.

Please take a moment to view the leaflet and share it with professionals, families, and young people who may benefit.

DofE Silver Qualifying Expedition.

On Thursday last week 10 groups of year 11 travelled to the Peak District for their Silver Qualifying expedition.  They set off  from either Baslow or Hassop and travelled south with many groups walking through the stunning grounds of Chatsworth House and the picturesque village of Edensor. Having passed the checkpoint in Rowsley, they headed to Barn Farm campsite via Stanton Moor plantation which is a stunning area  steeped in history with many standing stones and the Nine Ladies stone circle.  Day 2 saw groups embarking on a circular route which would lead them back to the campsite. They had to strike camp and pack everything to carry with them. This was their longest day travelling through some of the most beautiful parts of the Peaks - some groups followed the river near Youlgreve, some travelled through Gratton Dale and Long Dale, some journeyed along sections of the Pennine Bridleway and some traversed Gratton Moor.

This was a long day and most groups were out walking and exploring for around 10 hours. The weather was practically perfect for the first two days with dry conditions and a refreshing breeze which kept the temperature at a comfortable level. The forecast was for rain on the second evening so there was a rush to pitch tents and cook dinner before the deluge arrive. However,  the worst of the rain bypassed the camp and although there was some rain overnight the breeze dried out the wet tents before morning. An early start was needed on the third day to finish in time for the coach departure from Middleton Top. The Limestone way was a feature of the routes on day 3 as well as a section of the High Peak trail.  All groups finished in good time and in high spirits although there were lots of tired feet and sore backs! An amazing achievement for all. Massive thanks to the staff who supported the students along the way.

Twitch by MG Leonard

Twitch is a twelve-year-old with three pet chickens, four pigeons, swallows nesting in his bedroom and a passion for bird-spotting. On the first day of summer holidays, he arrives at his secret bird-watching hide in the local nature reserve to find police everywhere: a convicted bank-robber and murderer has broken out of prison and is hiding in Aves Wood. Twitch soon finds himself entangled in the hunt for the dangerous prisoner. Can he turn his talents for bird-spotting to detective skills, and find the missing loot?

Ernie W in year 8 is currently reading the book and states: “What I like about this book is that it has such a unique story line and from the first chapter I was hooked. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys mystery or a good plot in books.”

French: élogieux/ élogieuse

German: lobend

Spanish: laudatorio/a

Thinking Question: Which language is the official language of the most European countries?

We’ve got your summer reading sorted! Don’t forget to visit the LRC before the end of term to find your perfect summer read.

To help you with your search, Mrs Blandford has created our fantastic new summer reading display full of summer themed books. Whatever you like to read, we have lots of suggestions! We also have plenty of new books and recommendations for staff. Well done to all our students who have read and borrowed books this year. We’ve seen some fantastic reading across all year groups and have loved hearing what students and staff have enjoyed. Happy summer reading!

L  is for… laudatory [adjective]

Definition: Expressing praise and commendation.

Example: The writer published laudatory reviews in the newspaper.

Synonyms: Complimentary, Approving, Flattering

Antonyms: Disparaging, Damning

Etymology: From Latin laudare, meaning “to praise”. A laudatory remark expresses strong approval or admiration for someone or something.

English Schools Athletics Championships

Wishing the very best of luck to these three outstanding athletes as they represent @hertsschoolsaa at the @englishschoolsaa Championships this weekend in Birmingham.
All three are ranked inside the top 15 nationally, which is an incredible achievement, and will be competing against the best young talent in the country. It’s a remarkable opportunity to perform on one of the world’s largest school athletics stages, and we hope they make the most of every moment.
Good Luck!

Tomorrow night, In its 45th year, Dance Unlimited presents “Lights, Camera, Action!”

We are celebrating movies throughout the ages - a tribute to the unforgettable films, choreographers, dancers and iconic scenes that have inspired generations.

Saturday 12th July 1:30pm or 5:00pm.

Get your last  minute tickets here.

This Sunday - get ready for a show full of fun, friendship, and fantastic dancing! This year’s showcase, “It Takes Two,” is all about famous duos — the perfect pairs who stick together through thick and thin.

From best friends and brave heroes to silly sidekicks and magical matchups, our dancers will bring these special partnerships to life on stage. With lots of music, colourful costumes, and styles like ballet, jazz, and street dance, every performance celebrates the joy of working together.

Come cheer on our amazing dancers as they show how teamwork, kindness, and a little bit of fun can make the perfect pair — because everything is better when you do it together!

Sunday 13th July 12:30pm

Get your tickets here.

Skyswood School proudly present The Wizard of Oz

Based on the classic novel by  L.Frank Baum, Tom Kirkham's brilliant adaption of the Wizard of Oz sees the key characters of the Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow join with  Dorothy on her quest along the Yellow Brick Road to find the Great Wizard. Toto has certainly grown in size, and a few surprise characters are introduced alongside the munchkins, winged monkeys and original cast.

Produced by The Schools Musical Company, the play is brought to life with a collection of fantastic songs and colourful characters.

16th and 17th July.

Get your tickets on The Sandpit Website