We are currently looking for a Family Support worker to join our fantastic school. More information is available on our website here.

Please share with friends who may be interested.

Hepworth continue to maintain their lead with 2092 house points in total, Turing are a close second with 2073 and Austen also not far behind on 2044. Special mentions this week go to:

• Selina Elvers (9A) with the most points this week (12)
• Newton for winning this weeks house points – 386
• 7A for the highest average points in their tutor group (21)
• Matthew V (7H) leading the school with 36 points
• 8E for the highest quiz score total – 15/20

UPCOMING EVENTS  

• Tuesday 1st October- Year 7 Speed stacking 
• Friday 4th October – STEM/Library House competition in the LRC
• Friday 18th October- Last Form Standing

This week we have been focussing on the House Competition and students have been reflecting on how they can participate further to support their house and contribute more to the school community. Rather than a whole school assembly, this week each house received an assembly from their Head of House and Sixth Form House Captains. During this they would were told about how the House system works and how they can get involved. Each house is also named after an influential figure in British history, and in each assembly students heard about that person’s life. This allowed them a chance reflect on how they can embody some of the characteristics of their r house’s namesake and what made them so special.

Year 9 had a creative day working on their own products in a "Sandringham Does the Apprentice" style format. Below is a write up from Fin D in 9E about his experience of the day.

On Wednesday, we were working together in our form groups with the task of designing a drink to sell. The first session involved coming up with a name and logo. Our was called Slurp Juice and our target audience was teenagers so we thought about a tag line and colours/styles that would appeal to them. We decided on £1.60 as the price point as this felt affordable but still high quality and we tried to make it look dark as thought this would appeal to people our age. Our drink was made up of blackcurrant, lemonade and apple juice. We then had to present our ideas to the form group which I enjoyed and at the end of the day, we went to the Sandpit to see a video of edits from each form group about their experience of the day. It was fun to spend time with my form and get a chance to be creative, whilst working well as a team. 

We had a brilliant trip to Leeds last week with our GCSE Dance students. The day involved theory workshops, a live performance and practical workshops working with professional dancers at Phoenix Dance Theatre. The students were superstars and enjoyed their dance day out. Thanks to all involved! 

A write up from Abi and Emily in Year 11 about their ELD at Willen Lake on Wednesday 

After arriving at Willen and finding out that we couldn't go on the inflatables due the weather, we were all feeling a bit deflated. Fortunately, we were able to take part in some other activities such as archery, rounders, frisbee throwing, ball skills and other team building exercises. It was nice to have a day together as a year group and catch up with friends with the focus on having fun rather than our upcoming exams. The teachers also got involved which was fun. It was a good boost ahead of our mocks in November. Thanks to the teachers for arranging. 

The deadline for SLT applications in Y8 – Y12 is 4pm today (Fri 27th).

The deadline for Year 7 has been extended until Wednesday 2nd Oct due to the Peak District Trip this week. 

A reminder that more detail about the SLT and their plans can be seen here and this is the link for students to apply for a place -  SLT Application Form 2024-25

We would love enthusiastic students who have ideas and are keen to make a difference to improving our school community to sign up.

As mentioned in the Headlines, this week we have enjoyed having 30 students and three teachers, Frau Kranz, Frau Läsecke and Frau Schliemann, from the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Gymnasium in Quickborn near Hamburg. They have spent the week enjoying time in school and also visiting local attractions. More to report on this next week but thank you to the host families involved and to other students for making them feel so welcome.

This week, students in Year 7 and 8 made a start on the first project of STEM Club - designing and making their very own water bottle rockets. They will work through the design and manufacturing process over this term, thinking about aerodynamics and material design, as well as understanding the launch process. It’s not too late to join - sign up on SOCS! 

The plastic bottles used will be reused in the spring as part of a vertical garden project, making sure we are being as sustainable as possible throughout the year.

Toby and Eleanor from 7J wrote about their experience of the Year 7 trip this week.

We have just got back from our trip to the Peaks and it was a really fun experience. The coach trip was very long but a nice chance to catch up with friends and we got very lucky that there wasn't any rain on the walk to Thorpe Cloud. The walk itself was tiring and it was quite windy at the top, but it was worth it for the stunning views. Other highlights of the trip included buying ice creams from a National Trust Nature reserve and the disco where we all dressed up in neon and danced to our song requests. It was great to spend time with our friends and meet some new teachers. On Wednesday, we headed to Alton Towers where the queues weren't too long so we were able to get on lots of rides. Our favourites were the Wicker Man, Nemesis and Smiler. It was nice to be home, but we really enjoyed the trip. Thank you to all of the teachers who came and the nice Sixth Formers for organising such a fun disco and chatting to us on the walk and rides. 

Tess W (8N) has written the following about her Year 8 ELD with a focus on "Build Your Legacy."

To start with, we met Adventure Man, a guest speaker who told us all about his crazy adventures such as getting all the way from Thailand back to the UK by just biking and running. It was impressive as not only was this a great physical achievement but he also raised a lot of money for charity. After that, students went back to class in form groups and we learnt more about what it means to leave a legacy and created a sheet thinking about how to make our legacy online safe and positive. The rest of the day, we thought about our impact as a bystander and how we can help in different social situations such as bullying. During session 5, we had to make a video with a positive message as a superhero on how to be kind. My superhero focused on helping people in danger and making sure that others feel happy. I learnt how to stay safe online and also how being a kind person can leave a positive legacy where people who have experienced kindness pass that on to others.

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?

As mentioned previously, we are really fortunate that Paul McNally, an experienced teacher of Latin and Classics, hosts a private Latin class at Sandringham after school each week. Paul says of the classes, "half of our English vocabulary is made up of Latin words and roots; Latin provides the root words for all of the modern sciences; Latin is the language of law, government, logic, and theology and Latin effectively develops and trains the mind. It helps create curious, intellectually rigorous children with a rich interior world, people who have the tools to see our world as it really is because they have encountered and imaginatively experienced another that is so like, and so very unlike, our own.”

Classes have already started but there are still spaces, so if you would like to join, please contact Paul McNally directly via email mcnallyp@sandringham.aetrust.uk

As always, we would love to hear from you if you would like to nominate a student for the Student Spotlight. This can be anyone who you feel has gone above and beyond either in the school or in the community. Equally if a student feels passionately about a subject, they can submit an article for consideration. Both can be sent to holianm@sandringham.aetrust.uk. We look forward to hearing from you. 

As mentioned last week, we are aware that several of our students in Year 9 and 10 are studying additional languages out of school as native speakers and may be interested in sitting a GCSE or an A-Level in Summer 2025. Although the exact timeline of next summer’s exams has yet to be confirmed, we would be grateful if initial expressions of interest could be emailed to admin@sandringham.aetrust.uk for the attention of David Williams and the Exams office. Please clearly include the student name, tutor group, the language they are studying which they wish to be examined in and whether it is an entry for a GCSE or an A-Level exam.

The deadline for expressions of interest is Friday 11th October. After this date we will not be able to investigate entries for Summer 2025. Once we have all the requests, we will work with families to see if we can accommodate them. Thank you.

A write up of Year 10's ELD with a focus on Personal Development from Hina B-S (10S) 

In the morning we had different workshops about various elements of PD including sexuality, race and sex. These were in our form groups with teachers giving statements and the whole class discussing their opinions. It was a eye opening experience and a good chance to spend time with our forms. There was a guest speaker, Bennie, who provided two talks; one on discrimination and the other on identity. At the end of the day, there was a panel including myself, Reuben, Diego, Miss Wiggett, Miss Chapman, Mr Lacey and Mr Nicholls where the statements were posed to us on the topic of Personal Development. This was a good a chance to give our opinion on questions such "how can we build the gap between consequences received by male/female students?" and to hear a teachers' points of view on such subjects. I enjoyed the panel the most and it was a good chance to think about some of topics which I perhaps hadn't thought of before. 

Hertfordshire County Council and the NHS are delighted to share with you the exciting and new Supporting your Neurodivergent Child handbook that has been developed for Hertfordshire parent/carers and professionals.  The  Neurodiversity Handbook has useful resources, support and signposting on a whole range of things relating to Neurodiversity.  The resource is accessible to all regardless of whether a young person has a diagnosis or not, and can be used at any point during a young person’s journey.

The Elites have possessed powers for decades, gifted to them by the Plague, while those born Ordinary are banished from the Kingdom and shunned from society.

No one knows this better than Paedyn Gray, an Ordinary posing as a Psychic to blend in with the Elites. When she unexpectedly saves one of Ilya’s princes, she’s thrown into the Purging Trials, a brutal competition showcasing the Elite’s powers.

Katy L, in Year 8, who has recently read the book says, ‘I really liked the dynamic between the two main characters. The plot twist was so surprising.’

FRENCH: Le mot de la semaine: décrier

GERMAN: Das Wort der Woche: anprangern

SPANISH: La palabra de la semana:  desacreditar   

Thinking Question:

Here, the English word originates from the French term. Why do you think English and French share so many words, whereas Spanish and German vary more?

D is for ... decry [verb]

Definition: To publicly denounce.

Example: They decried human rights abuses

Synonyms: Condemn, Minimise, Belittle

Antonyms: Approve, Praise, Compliment

Etymology: Decry comes from the Old French descrier, "to cry out" or "announce." When you decry something, you simultaneously condemn it and discredit it, a formal act.

Great running from Toby P in the Southern Road relays last weekend taking 2nd placed team for his club. A good start to the winter and preparation for the XC season here at Sandringham.

Our U16 Performance Squad Netball Team had a great game this week battling against a strong Berkhamsted Team, eventually losing out by 3 goals in the @sistersnsport cup. OPM - Aoife & Liv S PP - Lexi and COM - Bea

Regional Swimming Finals: Our boys took to the pool last Friday and raced in both a Freestyle relay and Medley relay. Some superb performances from all involved with our juniors just missing out on medals.

Junior boys - 4th & 5th

Inter boys - 18th

Senior boys - 11th & 15th

A busy week for our football teams!

Last Saturday, our Year 7 A and B teams had games vs Berkhampsted. A full match report on the A team game separately, and a good performance from the B Team with a narrow loss 6-4 to a strong physical Berkhampstead team. Goal scorers Nathan x2, Albie x2. MOM Oscar, for his tough tackling 2nd half performance. 35 of our Year 8 stuednts also reprsenting the school vs Berkhampsted and despite 3 losses, there were some great debuts and strong individual performances. 

There was also a closely fought match for the U13 girls in their ESFA match vs Goffs earlier in the week, managing to take the lease late in the 2nd half and maintained the lead until full time. All played extremely well. Players player Hannah. Coaches player Karina

A comprehensive win against Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School for our Year 10 boys in the 1st round of the ESFA cup. Some lovely football played throughout with a clean sheet to top it off.

But unfortunately our U16s didn't fare quite as well in the first round of the ESFA against a strong Samuel Whitbread side. Some promising passages of play however, with lots of new combinations and all 16 taking to the pitch. Now we look to defend our county title.

Please see above for our upcoming fixtures 

A hugely positive performance from the Year 9s yesterday saw them win their National Cup first round game vs Dame Alice Owen. Some excellent rugby played from both sides in very wet and windy conditions. Well done boys.

A convincing win for the seniors girls in their first county cup game. Minutes for all players and for some, their first game in a Sandringham shirt. And our senior boys ran out 4-0 winners after a fantastic display beating a strong DAO side. Goals from Noah B & Chiemena C. We face a trip to Forest School in round 2.

A brilliant effort from our U15 girls last night with some quality football being played in horrendous conditions! The girls beat a strong Mark Rutherford School to progress to the next stage of the national cup! POM goes to Sacha D for her impressive opening goal and Lola S for her versatility.

Congratulations as well to the U13G football team on there 5-0 win over Cottsloe School in the 1st round of the National Cup. The girls played amazingly well and should be very proud of themselves. Goals scored by: Nell M x2, Anais S x2 Beatriz S. PP: Maya B CP: Anais S 

Finlay H in Year 7 has written the following match report for the U12 A team vs Berkhampsted

Despite winning our last matches 7-1 and 8-1 we knew that Berkhampsted were a good side and we would need to bring our A game. After a shaky start, when they caught us on the counter attack and scored two goals in the first 10 minutes, we had to regroup and switch on. There were some great runs from Rory and strong challenges from Max to ensure that we got back in the game and after a few attempts on goal, a calm finish from Mawan (who took the ball round the keeper) and a worldie from Danny meant that we went into half time with the score at 2-2. Some substitutions provided fresh legs going into the last 30 minutes and before we knew it, we were 4-3 up with goals from Rasmus and Danny again, who was on fire. Our defence stood their ground to make sure no goals went in and in the last 10 minutes I scored and so did Seb. Overall it was another strong performance from the whole team with a few B team players stepping up to help make it 3 out of 3 wins for us. MoM Danny

Following the fantastic success of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ & ‘Rapunzel’ our creative team are back with a Brand New pantomime adventure based on the classic tale.

 Puss In Boots and the Pea Green detective agency are ready to save Pantoland from a terrible threat!

The Hickory Dickory Dock clock has been stolen and someone is messing with the pantomime timeline. The police are struggling to sniff out a suspect and things are getting stranger by the hour! Join Puss In Boots on their epic quest to bring the time thief to justice. This sword-swinging, paw-scratching, time-stopping pantomime is an action packed treat for all ages!

Tickets are on sale here and cost from £10.00

Time for dancing, drinking and the search for true love. The club's getting hot but out in the cold the Bouncers are ready for anything. Meet Ralph, Judd, Les and Lucky Eric as they relive a night in a London disco in the 80s in an outrageous celebration of the UK nightclub scene.

This production of John Godber’s ‘Bouncers’ has seen huge success at multiple Drama festivals across the UK. Most recently at the UK’s largest festival, the National Drama Festival in Coventry. Previously, the show has seen multiple awards at the Welwyn Youth Drama Festival, placing first and winning multiple awards for elements of the show, as well as sold out performances across Hertfordshire. Now, the Bouncers are on their way to St Albans.

Tickets are on sale here and cost from £12.50