Today marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another for our Year 11 students. As you walk out of school today, take a moment to reflect on how far you've come. The friendships you've built, the challenges you've faced, and the memories you've made have all shaped you into the people you are today.

Just remember - exams are just one part of your story. They don’t define you, but they do give you the chance to show what you’ve learnt and what you’re capable of. Trust your hard work, believe in your potential, and know that your teachers and everyone else here are still here to support you along the way.

Keep going. You’ve got this, and of course, Good luck!

Yr 9 Dance Leaders have all completed their first sessions based on a musical of their choice, where they delivered a hour long sessions to their peers!

Excitingly, they are now beginning to work on their next sessions that they will be leading to Yr 5 students from Wheatfields Junior School over the next month.

Well done Dance Leaders on all your hard work so far.

Over the Easter holidays, one of our curious and thoughtful students took the opportunity to explore the inner workings of one of the world’s largest companies. Visiting the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Dunstable, they gained first-hand insight into how people and technology work together on a massive scale, and how innovation is shaping the future of work. Read all about it below:

"In the Easter holidays, I visited the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Dunstable which holds free tours on Mondays and Wednesdays.

We were shown every step of the procedure from staff sorting the stock onto towers, to staff picking the items from the towers, to staff packing the items for orders, to the orders being shipped out to depots for delivery. Although our guide said it was unlikely that the human staff would be replaced by all the computer-assisted machinery within the next thirty years, it was easy to see how the machinery cut out a lot of the work for people.

It was an interesting tour and we were told about things like safety, where certain areas were contained (staff in the picking area were enclosed) and careful procedures had to be taken by staff if entering/exiting their work space. For example, if there was a malfunction in the stowing area, a member of staff wearing a special “light” accessory would enter and the light would help disable the robots.

We learnt that staff were often trained in several areas to keep their work interesting and some have 5 free hours paid every year. Every hour, the staff have to have 15 seconds of rest or movement and a team of Associate Forum Members represent the staff with any issues they would like to have addressed. Staff are also able to put improvement ideas forward. Amazon offers a tuition scheme which allows staff to study and have up to £8,000 of their fees paid for by the company over four years. They have to stay at the company for one year but the fees will still be paid if they leave after that.

The tour was well organised and I learnt how technology can integrate with humans to work together but that they can also replace human skills. As well as making a lot of money, Amazon is obviously trying to improve business procedures and the way the company treats its staff, local community and the environment. I learnt that we should be curious about what is around us and to keep an open mind. Although we could ask questions, the visit has led me to think of others, so I would like to go back one day to find out more!"

By Evan L

A huge congratulations to Bryn J, who has successfully completed his Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

As part of the award, Bryn volunteered as a Run Director at Jersey Farm parkrun, taking on a key leadership role to help organise and oversee the weekly community event. This is a fantastic achievement that reflects Bryn’s commitment, initiative, and willingness to give back to the local community.

Well done Bryn, great job!

Last week, our A Level Biology students took part in an action packed trip to Osmington Bay, Dorset, where they put their classroom knowledge into practice through a range of hands on activities.

Yr 12 student Belal G has written a brilliant account of the experience, from stream ecology to coastal transects (with a bit of competitive archery thrown in!): 

"Last week we went on the A Level Biology trip to Osmington Bay, Dorset. Our first activity was stream ecology, where we measured river variables like width, depth, and water speed at two sites, and compared species diversity. After dinner, we headed back to the classroom to reflect on the day and begin analysing our findings with statistical testing.

On the Thursday we undertook Psammoseral Succession fieldwork, investigating the effects of abiotic factors like pH, wind speed and temperature on organisms, using specialist equipment. After this, we were challenged to some archery, which turned quite competitive! In the evening after dinner, we reviewed our work in the classroom, and had some free time before bed, somehow still fitting it all into just 24 hours.

On the last day we packed up and went to Newton’s Cove, where we used transects to investigate seaweed, crab, shrimp, and limpet distribution along the shore. We had the opportunity to explore the beach and got to see and even hold different types of crabs like Spider crab, Hermit crab and Velvet Swimming crab. We then had our final lunch together before heading back to school to end the trip."

Huge congratulations to our incredible Yr 13 students who received awards at yesterdays KS5 Awards Ceremony.

We're proud of every single one of you for your hard work, resilience, and achievements this year. With just one week left in your Sandringham journey, we wish you the very best of luck in your upcoming exams and whatever exciting path lies ahead.

Full list of winners below:

• Fine Art - K. Restell
• Business Studies - H. Young
• BTEC Business - E. Phillips
• Computer Science - G. Adeyemo
• Dance - S. Head
• D & T - J. Smith
• Wallace Award for Drama - S. Traviss
• Economics - R. McGregor
• Janet Florey Award for English Language - O. Hollingsworth
• English Literature - M. Miller
• Extended Project Qualification - S. Temple
• Susan Atkin's Cup (French) - A. Johal
• Swann Cup for Geography - S. Jones
• History - H. Hussein
• Mathematics - T. McDowell
• Further Mathematics - G. Dunkley
• Media Studies - J. Lavallin
• Music - A. Shallcross
• Music Technology - E. Huxtable
• Politics - L. Forbes-Whitehead
• Photography - M. Matthews
• Psychology - N. Lynch
• Philosophy & Ethics - B. Brooke-Hughes
• PE - M. Duncan
• Textiles - A. Akhtar
• CTEC Sport - C. Krishnanandan
• Science: Biology - A. Clark
• Science: Chemistry - L. Dent
• Science: Physics - H. Scholte
• Sociology - A. Griffiths
• Languages Cup (Spanish) - E. Martin
• Outstanding Contribution to Sport - M. Raath
• Linda Randall Award for Tenacity - A. Smith
• Linda Randall "Unsung Hero" Award - J. Baker
• Jan Palmer Sayer Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts - Z.  Delira-Gunn
• Thomas Williamson Award for Debating - K. Wong
• Attainment in Sixth Form - E. Wills
• Janet Lewis Award - C. Baria
• Steven Andrews Award - B. Cray
• Character Award - J. Lush

We’re delighted to celebrate the incredible achievement of Lucas and Harrison G, who have been crowned Hertfordshire Rugby Football Union County Cup and Shield Winners.

Representing Harpenden Rugby Football Club, they have played a key role in their team's undefeated run, beating all other southern county teams this season which is an outstanding accomplishment that reflects their talent, dedication, and team spirit.

For Lucas, in particular, this marks a significant personal milestone, and those around you are exceptionally proud.

Congratulations to both Lucas and Harrison on their brilliant season!

We’re thrilled to recognise the incredible success of Theo, Alp and David in Yr 9, who have had an exceptional season playing for the Nomads U14 rugby team.

The team not only finished their season undefeated, but also went on to win the Hertfordshire Youth Rugby County Finals this past weekend with an impressive 31–5 victory over Cheshunt.

Their teamwork, determination, and dedication to their training have really paid off, and those around you couldn’t be prouder of your achievements, both individually and as part of this winning team.

Congratulations boys! An outstanding season for you all.

On Friday 25th April, the History faculty focused its final Yr 11 session 6 in the Hall.

This was open to all our GCSE students and we ran our annual ‘Big GCSE History Quiz’. We did a series of rounds covering our various units, with lots of sweet treats consumed!

Thank you to the 31 students who attended! We would like to take the opportunity to say a huge well done on all your hard work throughout your GCSE study, and we wish you the very best of luck in your exams!

We’re incredibly proud to celebrate Chelsea. L, one of our talented dancers at Sandringham, for her outstanding performance at the Luton Festival of Dance.

Chelsea and her duet partner competed in the Classical Ballet Duet section, where they secured an impressive 3rd place, earning 86 points. This incredible score would have qualified them for the prestigious All England Dance Championships, so a real testament to Chelsea’s dedication, talent, and countless hours of practice.

Well done on this fantastic achievement Chelsea.

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?

Support for Families and Students Facing School Attendance Challenges

DSPL7 and Services for Young People, in collaboration with The Pioneer Club, continue to offer free drop-in support sessions for parents, carers, and young people in Years 7-11 who are dealing with Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA). These sessions provide valuable assistance for overcoming challenges related to school attendance.

We invite you to join us at The Community Café, Suets Yard, The Pioneer Club, Heathlands Drive, St Albans, AL3 5AY, on the following dates: 14th May and 19th June, from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Booking is required to attend.

For more details and to book a session, please refer to the flyer for contact information.

Clean Canals Challenge - win a day out at the canals! 

In partnership with Canal & River Trust, we invite you to take on an exciting engineering and environmental challenge! We need your creativity to design a sustainable, efficient, and innovative litter picking device to help clean up our canals and rivers. Your design will play a key role in protecting wildlife, improving water quality and making our canals and rivers a better place for everyone to enjoy.

Find out more here

If you want to take part, email Mrs Cooper by Friday 9th May to let me know! 

French: hostile

German: aggressiv

Spanish: agresivo/a

Thinking Question: Which European language is considered a language isolate, meaning it has no known relatives?

For those students looking for a lighter read, the LRC has a new display featuring humours books. From budding stand-up comedians to hostage-taking cats, undercover football geniuses and mischievous aliens, we hope we’ve got a book you’ll enjoy reading over the long weekend and beyond. Thank you to Mrs Blandford for creating our fantastic, colourful, display. Do let us know if you have a favourite funny book!

The Great Theatre Escape, by Judith Eagle. 

Charley has grown up behind the curtain in London's West End; she has even begun taking a turn on stage.

But her dreams of being a performer are shattered when she is sent off to boarding school, a place where the girls are forced to do unpaid work in order to fill the pockets of the owners. When she discovers that her theatre home is in peril, Charley decides to escape, and make a dangerous journey along the coast in order to get back to - and save - all that she loves. 

Theo S in year 8 has recently read the book and comments: “This was an amazing book about a girls journey to save her theatre .”

Click to find out more.

B is for… belligerent [adjective]

Definition: Hostile and aggressive.

Example: The mood at the meeting was belligerent.

Synonyms: Aggressive, Combative, Hostile

Antonyms: Agreeable, Calm, Peaceful

Etymology: The word derives from the Latin ‘belligerare’ meaning "to wage war," from bellum "war".

Strong Performances at U14 & U18 County Doubles Tennis Tournament

Our tennis players enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of competition at the U14 & U18 County Doubles Tournament, with some new faces proudly representing the school.

The U14A team battled their way to the semi-finals, while the U14B team put in a great performance in the group stages. Meanwhile, our U18 pair secured an impressive 2nd place in the Plate competition. Well done to all players, great start to the Tennis season.

District friendly this week.

Yr 7 & 9 took part in the first district meet of the year and produced some strong performances early on in the season.

Athlete of the meet:
Year 7G - S Smith 🥇🥈🥉
Year 7B- S Okoudonor 🥈🥈🥉
Year 9G - E Duncan 🥇🥈
Year 9B - L Silcox 🥇🥉 + PB

Check out @sand_pe for video footage.

Senior District Athletics Championships

An incredible effort from our Yr 11-13 students who finished 2nd in both boys and girls competitions.

They have made the school and PE department proud for their commitment to this competition at a very busy time. Well done all and the lower school athletics teams will benefit from your performances.

Footage of M. Raath winning the Discus and H. Smith coming 3rd in Javelin on socials... check it out Instagram @sand_pe 

Our students put in a strong performance in the first County League meet of the season, competing against tough opposition and earning valuable points along the way. For many, it was their first experience of an athletics competition, while our more seasoned athletes showed they were quickly back into their stride.

Athletes of the Meet:
U14 Girls – F. Randall 🥇🥈🥇
U14 Boys – O. H-Bentley 🥇🥇
U16 Girls – L. Kynaston 🥇🥇🥇
U16 Boys – W. Anfield 🥇

Well done to all athletes for an excellent start to the season.

Check out @sand_pe for video footage.

Golf Society Swings into Action!

This week was session 1 of the Golf Society, which saw our enthusiastic junior "Tigers in training" get the season off to a fantastic start. While some students took on the front nine at Batchwood, others enjoyed a focused coaching session to hone their skills. The sunshine even made an appearance to mark the occasion. Well done to all involved, a great start to the golfing year.

We’ve got the double! Our U18 girls are now both COUNTY and DISTRICT champions!

What a team this is, their commitment to Sandringham football this year has been admirable and their grit, determination and pure passion has lead them to these great successes. You have all been a pleasure to work with.

To our year 13s (including M.Raath not pictured) thank you! What a way to sign off from Sandringham football, your contribution to the growth of girls football at Sandringham hasn’t gone unrecognised, and what a brilliant legacy you have built for our younger teams. All the best in the future!

A very special Thursday night for our U18 boys football team this week as they overcame a 3-0 deficit to take the game into extra time and seal a 3-4 victory to become District Champions once again.

After a T. Cohen first goal, N. Butler pulled a second back before B. Turville held his nerve as always, to calmly convert from the spot in added time. The boys grabbed the game late on when N. Butler got his second to take the win.

A special mention to our outgoing Yr 13 students who have been ambassadors for school football in the their time claiming some impressive silverware over the years. 

Congratulations Boys, a fantastic win to end the season.

Tennis and athletics dominating this weeks fixtures. Hopefully the glorious weather holds out for you all - looking forward to seeing the updates on socials and in next weeks Sandprint. Good luck to everyone.