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.

Potential Kids - February & Half Term Sessions

As February very quickly approaches, along with half term, Potential Kids will be running all of their regular sessions for neurodivergent children and siblings, along with additional half term activities.

Their teen sessions (ages 12+) have also returned, running monthly on Thursday evenings in a relaxed, youth club-style setting. Free Early Years sessions (under 5s) will move to Wednesday afternoons from February.

During half term, Connect sessions will take place at The Galleria (free, but booking required), and free adult wellbeing sessions will continue on Friday afternoons for parents and carers.

New faces are always welcome - see the attached flyer for details.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award: Dates for the diary

As we move towards expedition season, here are some key dates for your diaries:

Wednesday 4th March - DofE Presentation Evening - this is a celebration event for students in Yr 11-13 who have achieved their Awards in the past year. Invitations will be sent out at the beginning of February and there is still time for students to complete their Awards - emails are being sent out to prompt students on what they need to do to complete.

Spring/Summer term Bronze Expedition Training - this is for Yr 10 students currently participating in the Bronze Award. The training takes place in a number of after school sessions - dates will be shared on the Bronze Google Classroom.

Wednesday 25th March (tbc)- DofE Bronze expedition Information evening - this is an opportunity for Yr 10 families who have children participating at Bronze level to come along and find out about how the expeditions are run.

Wednesday 15th - Saturday 18th April - Gold Practice expedition in the Peak District.

Sunday 10th May - Monday 11th May - Bronze Practice expedition in the Chilterns.

Wednesday 20th May(tbc) - Bronze Launch - this is an information evening for current Yr 9 students and their families who are interested in enroling at Bronze.

Friday 5th - Saturday 6th June - Bronze Qualifying expedition in the Chilterns.

Thursday 2nd - Saturday 4th July - Silver Qualifying expedition in the Peak District.

Friday 3rd - Wednesday 8th July - Gold Qualifying expedition in the Lake District.

Girls Allowed - Supporting Young Women

The Girls Allowed Project is a welcoming and supportive group for young women aged between 11 - 17, focused on building confidence, resilience, and essential life skills in a safe and inclusive environment.

Sessions explore a range of relevant and meaningful topics, including body image, healthy relationships, self-esteem, and positive role models, giving young people the opportunity to share, learn, and grow together. Its held at the Pioneer Centre every Thursday, 5 - 7pm.

For more information, please scan the QR code or visit the website here.

SEND Health & Wellbeing Survey 2025 

Parents and carers are encouraged to support young people aged 11–25 with SEND to take part in the SEND Health and Wellbeing Survey 2025, which is open now until Friday 6th February 2026.

The survey is anonymous, can be completed on any device, and includes a save and continue option so it can be done over more than one session if needed. Young people may require support, and it’s recommended they are given privacy when answering personal questions.

The survey helps shape local services by gathering valuable information on areas such as mental health and wellbeing, physical activity, safety, and bullying, ensuring future support better meets the needs of SEND young people and their families.

Start the survey here or scan the QR code on the flyer.

Thank you for supporting this important opportunity to have young people’s voices heard.

Happy Lunar New Year Celebrations 

Mandeville Primary School’s PTA will be hosting its first-ever firework display on Saturday 7th February, elebrating Lunar New Year - the Year of the Horse.

This family-friendly community event runs from 5 - 7pm and will include lion dance performances, a fireworks display, cultural activities, arts and crafts, and food and drink.

Tickets must be pre-booked via Eventbrite so please scan the QR code on the flyer.

Holiday Clubs

Barracudas Activity Day Camps, the UK’s favourite school holiday camp for children aged 4 to 14 years, will be open at our school in 2026.

80+ exciting activities including arts and crafts, sports, teambuilding and much more! We also have specialist activities including archery and motorsports offered at our Easter and summer camps.  

Parent discounts: Parents can get £25 off a full week or £5 off a day by applying this code in the promotions box: HSCP26. *can’t be used in conjunction with other codes (apart from our Early Booking Offer)

Ofsted registered, confidence building camps with high staff to child ratios.  

Save up to £125 with their Early Booking offer and your exclusive code! 

Book now at www.Barracudas.co.uk or call 01480 467 567. 

Calling All Young Bakers - Junior Bake Off Applications Are Now Open!

Do you love baking cakes, biscuits, bread, or simply experimenting in the kitchen?

Applications are now open for the 12th series of Junior Bake Off on Channel 4 - and this could be your chance to shine.

From the team behind The Great British Bake Off, Junior Bake Off celebrates Britain’s most talented young bakers aged between 9 - 15.

Applications close on Sunday 15th March, and Filming begins this Summer.

If you’re passionate about baking and up for an exciting challenge, apply online here.

This is an amazing opportunity to showcase your skills, meet other young bakers, and take part in a much loved TV show.

On your marks... get set... bake!

Oaklands Open Evening 

Oaklands are very much looking forward to their upcoming Open Evenings at their St Albans and Welwyn Garden City campuses.

Welwyn Garden City Campus - Tuesday 3rd February @ 5 - 7:30pm

St Albans Campus -  Thursday 5th February @ 5 - 7:30pm

Click on the QR codes for more information and how to register.

Let’s Dance Companys Special Guest Acro Workshop

LDC is excited to announce a Special Guest Acro Workshop, open to all students, taking place at Sandringham School via their usual weekend clubs.

The workshop will be led by Acrotrix, one of the world’s leading acro companies, offering dancers the chance to train with an internationally respected acro specialist in a focused and high-quality workshop environment. It's taking place on Sunday 22nd March in Sandringham School Gym (their current acro club venue).

This is a fantastic opportunity for dancers to develop their acro skills and gain expert technical input. Visit here to find out more information or to book your spot.

Let’s Dance Company also offers a wide range of other dance classes, so do visit their website to find out more.

HOUSE POINTS

Shakespeare remain out in front with a steady collection of points over the week. Slow and steady for all as we move closer to the February half term.

1. Shakespeare 16,388
2. Turing 14,365
3. Fawcett 13,852

Special mentions this week:  

• Y Tan (7T) (20) – Most points this week
• T Tearle (7S) - 198 - Highest scoring year 7
• M Altiganer (8F)- 192 - Highest scoring Year 8
• T Somers (9S) - 204 - Highest scoring year 9
• G Birkin (10s) - 133- Highest scoring year 10
• L Jones (11H) - 48 - Highest scoring year 11
• W Magson & B Stevenson (12S) 44 - Highest scoring sixth former
• 12S - Highest quiz score - 123/135
• Hepworth most house points this week - 569
• R Tune (A) - 1st in House Photography, H Mak (H) - 2nd, L Malin (H) - 3rd

Fencing Success

We are delighted to share some brilliant news about Evelyn (10A), who has achieved an impressive milestone in her fencing journey.

Evelyn began fencing in Yr 6, and after nearly four years of dedication and hard work, she was crowned Eastern Region U16 Girls Sabre Champion on 25 January this year, which i'm sure you'll all agree, is a remarkable achievement.

This success is a testament to Evelyn’s commitment, resilience, and passion for the sport. We wish her every continued success as she balances her love of fencing alongside her studies at Sandringham.

Congratulations Evelyn!

National Apprenticeship Week 2026

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) is the biggest week in the apprenticeships and skills calendar! It takes place from 9th to 15th February 2026. The week brings together everyone passionate about apprenticeships and skills to celebrate the value, benefit, and opportunity that they bring.

The theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2026 is ‘Skills for Life’. For more information, visit the NAW website, download the NAW toolkit and view the NAW events map. We have highlighted some interesting events that will be going on which can be accessed in the sixth form careers section of the school website.

Author Event at St Albans Library - Jonathan Stroud

Book lovers won’t want to miss this exciting event at St Albans Library. Best selling local author Jonathan Stroud will be visiting on Saturday 21st February between 2:30 - 4pm for a fun and interactive session.

Jonathan will be giving audiences an exclusive sneak peek at his brand-new project, with plenty of opportunities to get involved and ask questions along the way.

Tickets are £5 per person and best suited for ages: 8+. Visit the website here for more details and to book.

A fantastic opportunity for young readers and aspiring writers to meet a much loved author and be inspired - early booking is recommended.

House Photography Competition

We’re delighted to share the results of this year’s House Photography Competition, which showcased a stunning collection of images from this years entries. The standard was incredibly high, with lots of beautiful and thoughtful photographs submitted.

Congratulations to the winners:
1st - R Tune (Austin)
2nd - H Mak (Hepworth) 
3rd - L Malin (Hepworth) 

Well done to all students who took part, and congratulations to our winners on their fantastic snaps.

Free Online Safety Webinars for Parents and Carers

Parents and carers are invited to take part in a free online safety webinar series, shaped by the voices of children and young people, and features expert insight from Childline and the NSPCC.

The eight part webinar series explores a range of online safety issues facing young people today, including online grooming, scams, and exposure to harmful content, using real life case studies and practical guidance.

Recordings of the first four webinars are available to watch online for free now, with live webinars starting in February. This is a valuable opportunity to build confidence in supporting children to stay safe online.

Click here to register and find out more.

Supporting Links - New Courses Dates Added 

Due to high demand, additional courses have been added for the Spring Term.

These courses are run by a local Social Enterprise that provides parenting support through courses, workshops, and 1:1 mentoring for parents and children across Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas.

The organisation values the experience and knowledge every parent brings and works to build confidence and positivity by offering practical guidance. Their sessions help parents better understand their child’s behaviour, develop effective strategies that really work, and strengthen communication - laying the foundations for positive and successful family relationships.

Places may be limited, so we encourage families to explore the available options and book early where possible.

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).

House Assembly Week

House Assembly Week was a great celebration of everything our Houses have achieved so far this year. Each House reflected on key highlights, looked ahead to exciting upcoming events, and took time to recognise and celebrate all their brilliant successes.

A strong and inspiring message ran throughout the week, focusing on charity and community, and how we can work together as a school to support those less fortunate than ourselves. Herts for Refugees was placed firmly in the spotlight, with students learning more about the vital work the charity does and how the funds raised by Sandringham make a real difference.

It was a powerful and motivating week that captured the spirit of all our Houses.

Battle of the Bands 2026

Tuesday evening saw an incredible 14 student bands, spanning Yr 7 to 13, take to the stage to compete for the title of Best Band.

With performances ranging from acoustic to rock, and a mix of original songs and covers, the evening was a fantastic showcase of musical talent. The standard of performance was exceptionally high throughout, making it a memorable night for everyone involved.

Congratulations to all the musicians who took part, and especially to our category winners:
Junior: The Splinters
Intermediate: Far Away
Senior: Amiicus

Well done to everyone who contributed to such a brilliant evening of live music.

Whole School Read - We Want To Hear Your Thoughts?

Following on from our successful launch of our ‘whole school read’ Wildlands, this week’s update reflects how many members of our community are reading this great adventure story.  At the Yr 7 author visit, over 90 students bought a signed copy of Wildlands and we have seen so many of them reading it in tutor time and in their English Library lessons. 

The Librarians have issued Wildands to 51 students and there are currently 15 on the reservation list. 25 ePraise awards and badges have been issued to students who have completed reading the book, which is a great start.In addition to this, a range of staff are currently reading Wildlands. 

We would encourage you to read the book at home and if any parents do read it, the Library team would love to hear from you and would like to send you a ‘Wildlands’ achievement badge too.

French: saillant

German: hervorstechend

Spanish: saliente

Thinking Question: How many languages do you think are spoken by students and staff here at Sandringham?

AdelAIDE Just Wants to Help, by Melinda Salisbury.

This book is a cautionary tale about the dangers of social media and AI.  Note that it is dyslexia friendly and also a  great quick read for those that want to try a new author out.

Freya desperately wants to be a famous influencer, like her former best friend, Hye-jin, but no matter what she does, her posts flop. Until Freya's stepdad arrives home with AdelAIDE, a home-assistant robot.

It quickly becomes clear that AdelAIDE is much more powerful than other home-assistant technology, and the thing AdelAIDE wants most of all is to help her new owners. Especially Freya.

AdelAIDE has lots of ideas to help Freya boost her profile and get more likes and followers. But when Freya starts to follow AdelAIDE's more radical advice, things quickly spiral out of control...

Anis S in Yr 7 has recently finished this book and comments “This book has characters who are desperately trying to be popular. An amazing book with lots of mystery”

S is for… salient [adjective]

Definition: Most noticeable or important.

Example: The report covered all the salient points of the case.

Synonyms: Pertinent, Notable, Major

Antonyms: Unimportant

Etymology: From Latin salientem (present participle of salire, ‘to leap’).

Senior ‘B’ Boys: A big 2-1 win takes Sandringham into the last 8 of the National B competition. Goals from Wynn & Novotny which secured our place in quarter finals. An away trip to Shrewsbury ahead. Good Luck boys.

A huge congratulations to Aoife who has been selected to represent the Northern Ireland Netball Team in the European Championships in March. We are so very proud of you and wish you the very best of luck!

Yr 7: The Yr 7 A netball team had a resounding win against NBS in the District Plate Competition, and move into the next stages comfortably. OPM - Eva for some outstanding shooting. CPM Charlotte who was effective in attack, and Abbie who made so numerous turnovers! Well done girls - you were all brilliant!

As the indoor season gets into the swing of things, it’s great to see Sandringham students flourishing.

A PB for C Hardy in junior girls PV at the weekend. Representing @dacorumacofficial

Looking forward to seeing what this season brings.

Yr 7: Due to a miscommunication, our youngest team ended up playing a more experiences Yr 8 Aldwickbury side. Despite this, our boys were impressive and battled hard against the physicality of boys a year older. We defended hard, moved the ball and drove to the basket. A loss in the end, but lots to be proud of. MVP Landau & Sharpe.

Yr 8: Our Yr 8 Basketball team take a home victory against Watford Boys Grammar School  with a 54-37 final score. Thank you to Watford for travelling and a great competitive fixture.

Yr 9: A good win against a solid Watford Grammar team this week, with the game finishing 63-47. Another win in the county league for this side which is great result.

As we enter February, I don't think we could squeeze many more sports fixtures into one week! Good luck to everyone taking part, we look forward to seeing how you get on @sand_pe and in the Sandprint next week.

Yr 7 Boys: Last weekend we had 12 debutants representing Sandringham vs Simon Balle. 2 brilliant performances resulting in a 4-4 draw and a 4-3 win. Well done to all those involved!

Yr 9 Boys: Last weekend saw our Yr 9 boys play away to Simon Balle. Unfortunately walking away with a 6-2 loss. Cox bagging both goals. More new faces in the squad this week as we increase school involvement for the sport.

Yr 10 Boys: A professional performance with organisation and great decision making at the forefront of a 4-1 win v Simon Balle. Goals from Gallen (2), Gardner & Dingwall whilst Roe saves a penalty. A great response from the weekend before. MOM Dingwall.

National Semi Finalists!

Our U14 girls have secured a place in the National Semi Finals after a 4-2 win over Loughborough High School.

Amazing achievement from these four girls, congratulations!

Velocity 2026 Is Nearly Upon Us!

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

All tickets are SOLD OUT - we can't wait to see you there.

Science Spectacular!

Sandringham School's Science Faculty presents their annual Chemistry Show!

Expect exciting experiments, funky facts and lots more.

4th March @ 6pm 

Book your tickets here now.