Get Active After School at The Pioneer Club

Looking for a fun, active way to spend time after school? The Pioneer Club in St Albans offers a safe, off-screen space for young people to hang out, make friends, and get moving, and it’s also home to the UK’s oldest indoor skatepark!

They’re running new sessions for school-aged children:

After School Club: Scooter, skateboard, and roller-skate sessions:

• Thursdays: 3.00–4.30pm (£5 per session)
• Fridays: 3.00–6.30pm (£6 per session)

Little Wheels Club: For younger siblings, including balance bikes, micro-scooters, skateboards, and rollerskates:

• Thursdays & Fridays: 9.30–10.30am (£7.50 per session, with membership options reducing the price to £4.54 per session)

All profits from the skatepark and events go towards supporting local young people, so attending a session helps other kids in the area too.

For more information, visit the Pioneer Club at Heathlands Drive, St Albans (AL4 9PW) or contact Dave on 07980 840689.

Wheatfields Fireworks Extravaganza

We’re really looking forward to the Wheatfields Fireworks Extravaganza taking place this Sunday,  and it’s set to be another fantastic evening for everyone to enjoy.

A quick reminder that advance tickets are available until 9pm today, Friday 7th November, after which tickets will be on sale at the door (at a slightly higher price).

Don’t miss out, so get your tickets in advance and join us for a brilliant evening of fireworks, food, and all the ooooohs and ahhhhhhs!

Discover Green Careers 

Interested in trees, nature, or the environment? Join this online event for an inspiring evening with young professionals shaping the future of the tree and environmental sector.

Our panellists will share their career journeys, tips, and lessons they've learned, plus there will be a live Q&A where you can ask your own questions.

Hosted by Charlie Knowles (Tree Warden Scheme) and featuring:

• Katie Jones – The Tree Council
• Lucy Grabe-Watson – Ancient Woodlands UK
• Harry Munt – Young Tree Champions
• India Blake – Forestry Commission & Logging Off Club

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain insights and advice if you’re thinking about a green career.

Mr L Siciliano Retires Today

After 14 years of dedicated service supporting our school as a cleaner, Mr Siciliano has retired as of today.

He has been a familiar and valued presence around the school, always ensuring our environment is welcoming and cared for. To celebrate his retirement, he was presented with thoughtful gifts and a voucher, which was a small token of our gratitude for his hard work and commitment over the years.

We wish him all the very best in his retirement and thank him sincerely for everything he has done for the Sandringham community.

2025 Christmas Cracker in St Albans 

We’re excited to share news about the 2025 Christmas Cracker street festival in St Albans on Sunday 16th November, 12 - 6pm.

What a perfect way to kick off the festive season, and there’s something for everyone, including:

• Music, entertainment, and school choirs
• Games, arts & crafts, and create & play zones
• A free Santa’s Grotto
• Over 100 food, drink, and gift stalls 

Bring your friends and family along for a fun day out to launch the Christmas season in style.

Help Needed for the School Show 

We’re getting ready for our upcoming whole school show and need your help - we are looking for 2 patchwork quilts to be used in the production.

If you can donate, please bring them to the Sandpit Theatre by Monday 10th November.

Thank you for supporting our students and helping make the show a success!

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 follow the link on your House Google Classroom (it will be posted on Monday at 8.a.m.) to fill out the Google Form. 

Good luck! Why not play at home and see who is the quickest to get the answer (unfortunately we can only accept answers from students).

Mr Smith Shines in National Swimming

Our Head of Swimming, Mr Smith, led by example this past weekend at the Masters National Championships in Sheffield.

He delivered an outstanding performance, coming 1st in the 400m freestyle and 2nd in the 800m freestyle - a fantastic achievement! 👏

Congratulations to Mr Smith for representing our school so impressively both in and out of the pool.

Remembrance Day Service 

Next Tuesday, 11th November, we’ll be holding our annual Remembrance Day service in school to honour those who have served and sacrificed, past and present.

This is an important moment for us all to come together as a community, to reflect, and to show our respect. We ask that everyone takes the time to listen carefully, remain quiet, and be respectful throughout the service.

Let’s all take a moment to remember the courage and sacrifices made by so many, and to appreciate the opportunities we have today because of it.

Christmas Fair Raffle Tickets Are Now On Sale

Exciting news - Raffle tickets for our Sandringham Christmas Fair are now available and can be purchased via ParentPay.

We want to extend a huge thank you to all the wonderful contributors who have been incredibly generous with their donations. As you can see, there is a fantastic variety of prizes to be won, so make sure you get your tickets for a chance to be part of the draw.

Don’t miss out, so grab your tickets and keep those fingers crossed they call your number!

Looking for a Copy of the School Production of ‘Oliver’

One of our former students from 2011–2016 has reached out with a heartfelt request. They were part of the 2015/2016 school production of ‘Oliver’, and unfortunately never received the DVD that had been ordered at the time. They are hoping to track down a copy to relive some lovely Sandringham memories.

If anyone has a copy of this production, or knows someone who might, please contact the main school reception.

Any help in tracking a copy down would be greatly appreciated.

Our Visual Arts team run a variety of exciting clubs for KS3 students, including Textiles, Photography, and after school Ceramics.

This term in Ceramics Club, students have been getting creative with coil pots and small sculptures, producing some fantastic work.

Clubs are filling up fast, so don’t forget to sign up on SOCS if you’d like to join in the fun. Ceramics Club is especially popular, so make sure you grab your spot.

Sandringham Christmas Fair – Saturday 6th December

Get ready to step into the festive season - our Christmas Fair will take place on Saturday 6th December between 11am -  3pm in the Main Hall.

There will be lots of festive treats, fun stalls, and activities for the whole family to enjoy.

As always, we need your help to make the day a success:

• Parents and Staff Volunteers: Please sign up here to lend a hand where you can throughout the day.

• Tombola Donations: You can contribute via ParentPay which is already set up on the system, or you're very welcome to bring chocolates, sweets, or bottles to Reception.

Come along, enjoy the festive atmosphere, and help us make this year’s Christmas Fair a wonderful celebration for the whole Sandringham community.

Last weekend, two of our students made us proud at the 25th Anniversary of the Ballroom and Latin National Grand Finals at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.

William (7N) performed brilliantly, achieving 4th place in the Juvenile Boys Age 10-11 Ballroom category with his Waltz and Quickstep, and 5th place in Latin with his Cha-Cha and Jive, which was a fantastic result against strong competition.

Conrad (11A) had a triumphant weekend, winning 1st place in the Junior Boys Ballroom category and 2nd place in Latin with the same dances. What a wonderful example of dedication, perseverance, and passion for dance.

Congratulations to both William and Conrad on these outstanding accomplishments.... keeeeep dancing as Tess and Claudia say!

Next Friday, 14th November, we’ll be supporting BBC Children in Need, as we do every year. It’s always a fantastic opportunity for our school community to come together and help make a difference to children and young people across the UK.

To raise money for this wonderful cause, we’ll be holding a non-school uniform day. Students are encouraged to wear their own clothes (and maybe even something spotty or Pudsey-themed!) and make a donation via ParentPay, which has been set up for this event.

Every penny raised helps to support vital projects that change young lives, so we thank you for your generosity and support in advance.

Help Us Give the Christmas Fair a Festive Glow Up

The Christmas Fair is just around the corner, and we want to make the school look fabulously festive this year, but we need some extra elflike help.

If you have any old or unwanted Christmas decorations, please consider donating them to us. Your contributions will help transform the school into a magical festive space for everyone to enjoy.

Drop off your decorations at Reception and help get Sandringham Christmas ready.

Need Someone to Talk To? Just Shout 85258

We’ve recently come across a really great organisation called Shout, which offers free and confidential support for anyone who might be going through a tough time.

If you ever feel stressed, anxious, low, or just need someone to talk to, you can text SHOUT to 85258 any time, day or night, and a trained volunteer will listen and help you find a way forward.

It’s completely free, available 24/7, and totally confidential.

You can find out more by visiting their website here.

Order Your Christmas Tree & Support The School.

It's going to be here before you know it - so why not be orgainsed and get a beautiful quality Nordmann Fir tree delivered straight to your home with Christmas Treeasy and help raise £3.50–£6.50 for our school/PTA per tree.

Free delivery, optional recycling, stands, and logs available. Pre-order 9ft & 10ft trees by 20th November - weekend slots go fast so be sure to get in there early.

Order online here or scan the QR code attached, and don’t forget to select our school to ensure your donation counts.

A huge congratulations to Ms Critchley whose novel The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is published today in paperback by Bonnier Books UK.

Winter 1938. Gillian Larking is used to blending in and going unnoticed until her new boarding school roommate, the vibrant and spirited Violet Claybourne, invites her to spend the holidays at her home, the crumbling Thornleigh Hall. Gillian is dazzled by the family’s faded grandeur, and above all by Violet’s beguiling older sisters. But following a terrible incident in the house’s grounds, Gilly begins to realise the Claybourne sisters aren’t quite what she thought they were. And if she’s to survive in their world, she may have to become just like them. . .

Nominated for the CWA Dagger Award for best historical crime fiction of the year and featured in Good Housekeeping magazine, The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is the perfect darker read for winter evenings. Miss Critchley’s book is available in all good bookshops. For any readers who prefer to read on Kindle, the book is on a limited time Amazon Kindle deal for November, and the audiobook is read by award nominated actress Nathalie Buscombe.

Go get yourself a copy now!

How to Be More Hedgehog by Anne Marie Conway.

When a video of her practising her class presentation is uploaded onto YouTube - head thrust forward, eyelids fluttering, lips stretched wide - Lily's nightmare begins. Cyberbullying, kids at school whispering, even best friend Mia laughing behind her back. Lily's confidence takes a nose-dive and she can only see one way out: run away to Dad in Scotland and start all over again. But Lily quickly realises that running away isn't the answer - that her stammer will follow her wherever she goes...

Selena W in year 7 has recently read the book and wrote us this review: 'This book is about a girl who does not fit in; she was laughed at and she even lost her best friend but she still persevered. It demonstrates how you can be resilient even in the hardest of times’

For any students who enjoy wars stories and memoir Mrs Posner has created our lovely Remembrance Day display. The LRC has numerous books about conflict and displacement including classics such as Anne Frank; The Diary of a Young Girl, Goodnight Mr Tom and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, alongside new and contemporary fiction; The Boy At the Back of the Class, The Skylark’s War, Safiyyah’s War, our previous Whole School Read: You Don’t Know What War Is, and many more. If students have a particular interest or are looking for a specific book, librarians are always available to help. Students can also search for historical and war fiction using Accessit Library Management, ‘Quick Lists’ on their MySandstorm home page.

French: perspicace

German: eindrigend

Spanish: incisivo/a

Thinking Question: Sometimes languages ‘die’ - how might this happen?

I is for … incisive [adjective]

Definition: Intelligently analytical and clear-thinking.

Example: She was an incisive critic.

Synonyms: Sharp, Astute, Shrewd

Antonyms: Weak, Incompetent

Etymology: From Latin incidere (‘to cut into’), from in- (‘into’) + caedere (‘to cut’).

Yr 8 Girls: Another win for our Yr 8 football team today in their first game in the County Competition against RPS. Excellent play from every single person on the team with some incredible goals to go with it! Player of the match went to Isabella K for her fantastic defending.

Hopefully everyone had a great half term, and managed to get a good rest in before the second half of term kicks in. This upcoming week is packed with plenty of fixtures to get you all back into the swing of things. Good luck to everyone representing the school and your teams.

YR 8 boys: This team progressed into round 3 of the county cup this afternoon after a 2-1 home win v's TBSHS. A fantastic match that went right down to the final whistle. We're proud of this bunch of lads after going 1-0 down to rally back and win 2-1. Goals from Seb & Sam. MoM Rory.

Senior Boys: This impressive team are into the hat for the next round of the ESFA after an entertaining game for the neutral. The boys ran out 8-7 winners after extra time. 6-6 after 90 minutes. Goals from Everett, Dracos, Holgado, Walker, Ajaegbu.

1st XV: An impressive performance from our 1st XV saw Sandringham secure a 33–14 victory over Beaumont. With the squad at full strength, the backs clicked beautifully while the forwards dominated at the breakdown, showing excellent teamwork and determination throughout the match. Tries by Walton (3), Shadbolt, and Thompson. Congratulations to the team on a fantastic display of skill and strength on the field.

Yr 7: This week the Yr 7A Team have played both STAGS and SRA and unfortunately lost both matches, though some very promising netball was played. OPM - Eva (vs STAGS) and Zara (vs SRA) and CPM - Anna (vs SRA). We look forward to the next game...

Yr 7: The Yr 7B team continue with their winning streak with a win over SRA. OPM Gabriela M and CPM Imogen T. Things are looking bright for this great team!

Yr 9: A win in the District Cup vs SRA for the Yr 9A Team. Excellent performances all round. OPM - Grace B and CPM - Chloe H. Onto the next round...

Our Senior Boys team kicked off their National Schools competition campaign in style with an impressive 83 - 37 victory on the road v's St. Edmund’s.

The team showed excellent teamwork, determination, and skill throughout the match, dominating both ends of the court. This strong start sets a positive tone for the rest of the group stage, and the players should be very proud of their performance.

NEXT WEEK...

Sandringham School Drama Faculty presents the world-famous Willy Wonka, and he is opening the gates to his mysterious factory…but only to a lucky few. Young Charlie Bucket and four other golden ticket winners will embark on a life-changing journey through Wonka’s world of pure imagination including chocolate waterfalls, nutty squirrels and the great glass elevator, all to be revealed by Wonka's army of curious Oompa-Loompas.

We can't wait to see it!

Tickets are now sold out.

Join us for KT's Academy's winter production of Dancing through the decades.  

Join us down memory lane, where the children will showcase their performance skills through the decades.

A variety of dance, singing and acting performances showcased by our students. 

Saturday 29th November

Get your tickets here.

Save the date!

5th - 7th February 2026.

More information coming soon.

We can't wait!