We’re Hiring!

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

• Foreign Language Assistant (German)

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.

Sixth Form Applications Now Open

We’re excited to share our brand new Sixth Form video, which was shown for the first time at this weeks Into the Sixth Evening - give it a watch for a great insight into Sixth Form life at Sandringham.

Applications for the Sixth Form are now open, and you can start your application here.

Deadline: Friday 6th February

We are also offering Open Morning Tours on:

• Wednesday 21st January
• Tuesday 27th January

They provide a great opportunity to see the Sixth Form in action and ask any questions you may have.

In Tribute to Pragathi Bhat

Following the tragic news shared with our community this week, we would like to pay tribute to Pragathi Bhat, one of our Yr 13 students, who sadly passed away after a medical emergency. 

Pragathi joined the school at the start of Yr 12.  She was a hard-working, courteous, kind and polite student, with a close circle of friends at school.  She studied Biology, Chemistry and Psychology A levels and had ambitions of studying Psychology at university. Pragathi made a valuable contribution to wider school life by supporting our Teaching School Hub events.  Pragathi was a valued member of the sixth form and will be greatly missed.

We know that a loss like this is incredibly hard to understand. Support is available and will continue over the coming weeks, and we encourage open conversations at home for those who wish to talk about how they are feeling.

Below are links to various support networks that may be helpful, in addition to the support available within school:

Bereavement Support:

Chum.co.uk Bereavement Services

Cruse Bereavement Support

Health For Teens Bereavement network

General Support and Counselling:

The Sandbox

Rephael House 

Last term, four students from Yr 13 sat the British Mathematical Olympiad Round 1 run by the UK Mathematics Trust.  A follow-on Round to the Senior Maths Challenge, the British Mathematical Olympiad Round 1 is a 3.5-hour Challenge consisting of six questions.

Entry to the British Maths Olympiad Round 1 is by invitation based on a qualifying SMC score. Around 1000 students qualify from the SMC each year.

This was a fantastic opportunity which offers students the chance to develop their mathematical problem-solving skills. It encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems.

Students that perform well are awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals.

Harry P,  Marcus L, and Eugene V all achieved a Merit.  

Vova Z achieved a distinction and a silver medal, and was first in the East of England region. Vova qualifies for Round 2.

Congratulations to all students who took part.

DofE Skills Opportunity: Pottery

Students completing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award can take part in a Pottery Skills course, focusing on handbuilding techniques over 10 weeks.

Starts 13th January @ Wheatfields Junior School
Tuesdays 4:45–6:00pm

This course can be used for DofE Skills sign-off and also includes a 3-week personal project.

It’s a great creative opportunity to develop new skills while working towards your award.

Spaces may be limited, so don’t miss out.

Generation Welwyn Hatfield - Careers Event

We’re pleased to share details of the next Generation event, Generation Welwyn Hatfield, taking place on Friday 6th February at The Fielder Centre, Hatfield.

It's encouraging Yr 10 students and above, along with parents, to attend the Twilight Session from 3.30–5.00pm.

The event will feature over 50 employers, all ready to talk about:

• Their companies
• Career pathways and roles
• Apprenticeships and future opportunities

This is a fantastic chance for students to explore career ideas, ask questions, and gain valuable insight into the world of work.

Find out more and book your place click here or check out the video to get an idea of what will be going on during the event.

Whale Installation at St Albans Cathedral

An extraordinary and thought-provoking art installation is currently on display at St Albans Cathedral, bringing three monumental sperm whale sculptures into the nave and creating a powerful dialogue between nature, art, and architecture.

The whales have been crafted by British sculptor Tessa Campbell Fraser using recycled and sustainable materials. Suspended within the cathedral, they explore themes of climate awareness, interspecies communication, and the fragility of ocean life, while celebrating the beauty and mystery of these magnificent creatures.

General viewing: Thursday 1st January - Wednesday 4th February.
Sundays: 1.00 - 3.00pm only.

House Points

Shakespeare are ahead at the start of 2026. It's a close race for second and third place so looking forward to seeing how the spring term pans out.

1. Shakespeare 14,560
2. Turing 12,590
3. Fawcett 12,305

Special mentions this week:  

• G Thomas (8N) (12) – Most points this week
• T Tearle (7A) - 184 - Highest scoring year 7
• M Altiganer (8F)- 162 - Highest scoring Year 8
• T Somers (9S) - 187 - Highest scoring year 9
• G Birkin (10s) - 114 - Highest scoring year 10
• L Jones (11H) - 43 - Highest scoring year 11
• F Evans (12S) 33 - Highest scoring sixth former
• 12S - Highest quiz score - 96/105
• Elgar most house points this week - 301
• 8S winning house sport
• 7S winning house sport
• 10A winning house sport

Get Ready for a Face-Melting Evening of Music

The Battle of the Bands is back at the Sandpit Theatre on Tuesday 27th January 2026, starting at 6:30pm.

Come and cheer on our talented student bands as they compete for the crown in what promises to be an unforgettable evening of live music.

Tickets are on sale now via the Sandpit Theatre, so grab yours early as you don’t miss out.

Need Someone to Talk To? Just Shout 85258

There is always someone out there to talk to - If you ever feel stressed, anxious, low, or just need someone to listen, 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.

House Charity Raffle - Prize Donations Needed

Our House Charity Raffle will be taking place in February, and we’re currently asking for any donations for raffle prizes.

If you are able to contribute a prize, big or small, please let Mr Keenleyside know - all donations are greatly appreciated and help make the raffle a success. Raffle tickets will be going on sale in a couple of weeks, so keep an eye out for more details soon. Thank you for your continued support of our House charity events.

Spring Term Online Parenting Groups 

Family Lives, funded by Herts County Council, is offering a series of free online parenting groups this Spring term for parents and carers living in Hertfordshire.

These programmes provide support, guidance, and practical resources to help parents and adult family members support their child’s growth and development. Participants also have access to Family Lives’ helpline, live chat, and online resources for ongoing support.

Spring Term Sessions:

Less Shouting, More Co-operation

• Tuesday 20 January - 3 March, 7:00 - 9:00pm
• Or Thursday 9 February - 23 March, 9:45 - 11:45am

Bringing Up Confident ADHD/ASD Children

• Friday 23 January - 6 March, 9:45 - 11:45am

Getting on with Your Pre-Teen/Teenager

• Tuesday 3 February - 17 March, 7:00 - 9:00pm

Dads Together

• Wednesday 4 February - 18 March, 7:00 - 9:00pm

Booking & Contact Information:
To book a place, complete the online referral form here or scan the QR code on the attached flyer. For more information, email services@familylives.org.uk or call 020 4522 8701 /020 4522 8700.

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).

Cold Weather Safety Reminder

With very cold weather conditions and frozen surfaces affecting pavements and roads, we’d like to remind everyone in our community to take extra care when travelling.

Slips and falls are more common during this time, so please walk carefully, wear suitable footwear, and allow extra time for journeys where possible. Taking a few simple precautions can help prevent injuries and avoid an unwanted trip to A&E.

Please take a moment to read the community safety advice being shared and stay safe during the icy conditions.

AUTHOR BROGEN MURPHY VISIT – SIGNED BOOK OFFER!

We are so excited to have Brogen Murphy, a Cambridge-educated zoologist turned award-winning author coming to Sandringham School next Wednesday 14th January to give a talk to Yr 7 students. Brogen will be talking about their debut novel, Wildlands - winner of the 2025 Children’s Wainwright Prize and our 2026 Whole School Read. The book follows two sisters stranded in a forbidden, wolf-filled wilderness.

Don’t miss out! The book is on special offer until Monday.

The author will be signing books for the students at the event.

IMPORTANT – Parents, you can order the book from Our Bookshop - click here 

The signed books will be handed out on the day. This will be very exciting for everyone.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM BEN AT OUR BOOKSHOP - Please include the student’s name and class so the books can be labelled up for the event. Postage is not required; we will deliver all the books on the day.

Students in other year groups are also welcome to order a book then pop along to the Sandpit theatre after school next Wednesday, have their book signed and meet the author.

French: penchant

German: Vorliebe

Spanish: afición

Thinking Question: This week the word of the week is originally a French word, what other words have we taken from French?

Our Year of Reading Begins Now

As families might be aware, the government and the National Literacy Trust are working together to promote a ‘national year of reading’ to recognise the significant benefits of reading for pleasure and in a bid to tackle the decline in reading for pleasure nationally.  We have always supported and prioritised reading at Sandringham but are taking this opportunity to complement the national push with our own: ‘Our Year of Reading’ is Sandringham's own campaign to support and encourage the whole school community to read this year. We will be featuring updates about the campaign in the Sandprint each week to keep families updated of events your children will be experiencing in school. This week, for example, we have launched the annual Whole School Read, Wildlands, which you can read more about in the items from the Library team in this week’s newsletter.  In addition, students will be reading for pleasure in tutor times on the following days: 

• Year 7 - Wednesday

• Year 8 - Wednesday

• Year 9 - Thursday

• Year 10 - Tuesday

• Year 11 - Wednesday

Families can support these initiatives by having conversations about what their children are reading and what they are enjoying about it.

The Whole School Read For This Year Is...

We’ve chosen Wildlands by Brogen Murphy as our (much anticipated!) 2026 Whole School Read.

Wildlands is an exciting eco-adventure set in a near-future in which a large area of England has been re-wilded with previously extinct animals. The story follows two sisters who find themselves stranded in the wildlands and must work together to survive. Themes of the book include re-wilding, nature and the environment, not relying on technology, resilience and sibling relationships. The Whole School Read is a fantastic opportunity for us to read and discuss one book as a school community and we hope many of you will enjoy Wildlands. Let us know if you read it! The LRC team have epraise awards and badges for participating students. We’ve already received fantastic feedback from students who volunteered to read Wildlands for us last month ahead of the WSR launch. Neve W, Yr 7, said ‘I loved Wildlands! I really enjoyed how things kept going wrong and the characters had to find a way to get through and keep going.’

P is for… penchant [noun]

Definition: A strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something.

Example: He has a penchant for adopting stray dogs.

Synonyms: Affection, Propensity, Taste.

Antonyms: Antipathy, Dislike, Hatred.

Etymology: From French pencher (‘to lean’), from Latin pendere (‘to hang’).

Yr 8: A massive well done to our U13 Netball team! They had a great game and win against St Edmund’s College this afternoon. Well done to Megan who got POM and a special mention to Zara and Eva in Yr 7 who stepped up to play with the Yr 8s. Great work everyone!

It was a busy and successful autumn term for Sandringham sport, with students across all year groups representing the school in a wide range of fixtures, competitions, and events.

From strong team performances to individual achievements, our students have shown commitment, teamwork, and pride in representing Sandringham. A huge well done to everyone who has taken part and supported school sport this term.

We’re excited to see what 2026 brings and look forward to another year of sporting success.

Plenty of sports fixtures happening as we jump into the spring term. Good luck to all the teams and individuals involved - wrap up warm as it could be a chilly week. Looking forward to seeing all the updates on @sand_pe and in next weeks Sandprint.

Sandringham School Dance Department invites you to step Into the Upside Down

This year, the theatre transforms into Hawkins, Indiana, where nothing is quite as it seems. As you enter, be prepared to cross the boundary between worlds and embark on a thrilling journey inspired by the secrets, shadows, and supernatural energy of Stranger Things. From the neon pulse of the ‘80s to the eerie echoes of the Upside Down, our dancers will guide you through a story where courage, friendship, and mystery collide.

5th - 7th February 2026

We are offering a Velocity 2026 VIP Package, which includes:

• Priority front row table seating
• 2 programmes
• Games on your table
• Stranger Things themed cocktail/mocktail
• And a few surprises from the other side…

Tickets are now on sale here - be sure to get yours quickly to avoid disappointment. This is one show not to miss!