AET Pupil Conference Feedback 

Last week’s Sandprint referenced the second annual AET Pupil Conference where 15 of our young people represented the school with great distinction. Here are some of their comments about the day:

I enjoyed seeing all the schools come together and learn more about wellbeing. Seeing the other students I didn’t know was a bit strange at first but I soon made friends from other schools! The activities were the highlight, I loved building the Lego and growing the plants! Such a cool experience overall. (Isabelle)

I enjoyed the points system that ran through the day. The competition between the groups made the activities fun as we were earning points towards the final competition (Ernie)

It was a positive experience to make new friends and interact with them through activities using teamwork and more. It was great to meet pupils my age, and some a lot younger and older! (Alara)

Everything was great – I didn’t even mind queuing for lunch (Imara)

A Budding Film Maker Amongst Us

On Monday 23rd March Evan L from the Yr 9 module German group attended an awards ceremony at the Council Chamber at Harpenden Hall. He was presented with a prize by the Deputy Mayor of Harpenden, Councillor Kirsti Wenn. Evan had taken part in a film competition which was organised The Friends of Alzey, Harpenden’s Town Twinning organisation. We are delighted to announce that Evan was a runner up in the competition. Evan produced a very entertaining film in German about a hamster. All the films can be watched on the Friends of Alzey website here.

GCSE Dance Choreography Exam

Congratulations to all Yr 11 GCSE dancers for completing all their practical examinations and a massive thank you for all the time, effort, energy and commitment from choreographers and performers. We are so proud of you and all you have achieved in your practicals this year. Bring on the theory paper!

Oaklands College Open Evenings

Oaklands College is hosting some upcoming Open Evenings for students and families interested in exploring post-16 options.

Welwyn Garden City Campus - Tuesday 28th April from 5:00 - 7:30pm
St Albans Campus - Thursday 30th April from 5:00 - 7:30pm

These are great for Yr 10/11 students who would like to find out more about the courses and opportunities available after GCSEs.

HOUSE POINTS

As we head into the Easter Holidays, Shakespeare remain in the top spot with Turing and Fawcett still chasing in second and third. Can someone make a play for first place in the Summer term... we'll wait and see!

1. Shakespeare 20, 656
2. Turing 18, 478
3. Fawcett 17, 532

Special mentions this week:  

• K Juleff (7N) (13) – Most points this week
• T Tearle (7S) 273 - Highest scoring year 7
• M Altiganer (8F)- 236 - Highest scoring Year 8
• T Somers (9S) - 235 - Highest scoring year 9
• G Birkin (10s) - 172- Highest scoring year 10
• L Jones (11H) - 57 - Highest scoring year 11
• B Stevenson (12S) 55 - Highest scoring sixth former
• 12S - Highest quiz score - 163/185
• N for most house points this week - 357

Yr 12 Hamburg Trip 

Our A Level German students have been reflecting on their recent trip to Hamburg by creating a fantastic short film capturing their experiences.

The film highlights some of the key moments from the visit, giving an insight into both the cultural experiences and the language skills developed during the trip. It’s a great showcase of their creativity, teamwork and enthusiasm for learning beyond the classroom.

Well done to all involved in putting together, it's a brilliant tribute to your time there.

Rugby Success for Sandringham Sixth Formers

We are delighted to celebrate the achievements of Violet P, Cerys M, Eesha M and Annabel N, who were part of the Old Albanians U18 Girls Rugby Team competing in the England National Cup semi-finals last weekend.

Travelling to Durham to face a strong home side, the team showed incredible resilience and determination to secure a 36 - 31 victory in front of a large crowd.

This fantastic win means they have now progressed to the National Finals at Worcester Warriors Stadium in May, which is a huge milestone and the first time in the club’s history.

A huge congratulations to all four students on this outstanding achievement, and we wish them the very best of luck in the finals!

Easter at Church Farm, Ardeley

Church Farm Ardeley is hosting a fantastic Easter Farm Day from 28th March - 12th April.

Your day pass includes a range of family-friendly activities such as an Easter-themed activity book, woodland play area, Easter Bunny riddle trail, farm bingo, and the chance to see lambs, chicks and other farm animals. Visitors can also enjoy walks around this real working farm.

There are also a number of additional activities available, including meeting the Easter Bunny, and an Easter egg hunt - a great day out for families to enjoy the outdoors and get into the Easter swing of things.

Check out the poster and website for more information, and how to book tickets 

Mental Heath Services Directory 

It’s important for students, parents and carers to know that help and support are always available should you need it. Hertfordshire’s Children and Young People’s Mental Health Service Directory brings together a wide range of services that can provide help with emotional wellbeing, anxiety, stress, behaviour challenges and more. 

You can view and download the full directory here:Link

The directory lists a variety of services, including early-intervention and specialist support such as:

• School nurses and duty lines
• Counselling services
• Youth wellbeing support
• Mental Health Support Teams in schools
• Digital and online support tools
• Single Point Access for professional assessment and referrals
• and more to help when you need it. hwehealthiertogether.nhs.uk

There are also services you can contact directly without a professional referral, including free and confidential support for young people in Hertfordshire. So please don’t hesitate to reach out for support when you need it.

Sporting Kids Easter Football Camp

Sporting Kids are running an Easter Football Camp for children aged 3 - 14, taking place at Pennine Way Stadium.

This is a great opportunity for young players to stay active, develop their skills and enjoy football in a fun, inclusive environment over the Easter holidays.

Sporting Kids also offer weekly sessions locally, including a Girls Football Club for ages 6 - 14, helping to encourage more girls to get involved in sport.

To book a place, please visit their website - see the attached poster for more detail.

Wind Band Day

Hertfordshire Music Service is hosting a Wind Band Day on for woodwind, brass and percussion players in Yrs 4 - 9.

Open to students with at least two terms’ experience (with a beginner group also available), this is a great opportunity to develop skills and play as part of an ensemble.

Wednesday 20th May - 9:30am - 2:30pm - £30 per student
Booking deadline: Wednesday 13th May

For more information and to sign up click here.

Please note: Headteacher permission is required as the event takes place during the school day.

We’re Hiring!

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

- Exam Invigilator 

If you, or anyone you know would like to be part of our passionate and dedicated team, please visit the website here for more information and to apply.

Pre-Loved Uniform Donations Needed

We are collecting donations of pre-loved school uniform and PE kit to support an upcoming uniform sale after the Easter holidays.

If you have any items in good condition that are no longer needed, please consider donating them to 19 Skyswood Road, 9NY - Please pop uniform in the black storage box out the front.

A pre-loved uniform sale will be taking place shortly after Easter (dates to be confirmed), helping to promote sustainability within our school community, and support families where possible.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Updated Behavioural Policy Update

Please be aware that there has been the following change to the Behavioural Policy following what was sent out earlier in the week - one new sentence in Appendix 3:  

We will notify the family following the confiscation of a mobile phone.

To read the full policy, please visit the policies page on the website here. 

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).

A Level Dance Practical Exam Complete

We couldn’t be prouder of our Yr 13’s this week. It’s bittersweet now the practical has come to an end - you gave it everything today and danced your hearts out!

Thank you to all our performers for choreographies and bringing their ideas to life!

Bring on the final 50%, and remember, you can always get deeper in your lunge and you flipped that whip today!

London Marathon Support 

On Sunday 26th April, Miss Lennox will be taking on the London Marathon in support of St John Ambulance, a charity whose lifesaving work supports communities across the country. She is incredibly proud to be running on their behalf and would be grateful for any donations, no matter the size, to help further their vital work.

If you would like to contribute, your support would be sincerely appreciated - please click here for the Justgiving page where you can donate directly.

Thank you in advance for your generosity, and we wish Miss Lennox the very best of luck for the big day.

Theatre Tech Club in London Town

Last Friday, a group of us from Theatre Tech Club attended a workshop at the Criterion Theatre in London. It was a busy day full of technical activities. We started off with a briefing about the day’s events and our tasks. We were given a script of a scene from Midsummer Night’s Dream which we had to adapt with the knowledge we gained for the actors to perform at the end of the day. We were put into groups and rotated round to learn about the different aspects of technical theatre. These were lighting, sound, stage management and directing. In the lighting workshop, we designed the lighting to create different atmospheres and moods for the play. The sound workshop involved us sourcing sounds from the internet to put into the Qlab program to use during the performance. In stage management, we were tasked with choosing props for our professional actors and marking them on a props table. The stage manager also had to “call the show”, telling the light and sound operators via the headset when to press the button for cues. Finally, the director’s role led the actors to act in a specific way so that they could perform to match our chosen atmosphere, settings and character traits. Each of us within our groups had been assigned one of the roles above in the morning and had the responsibility of making the ultimate decisions of that role for our group’s adapted performance in the afternoon. It was really interesting to compare how a West End theatre operates compared to the Sandpit and understanding the correct usage of equipment with importance of creativity, teamwork and communication. The staff were very welcoming and were very happy to pass on their knowledge. Thank you very much to Abi, Helga and Andrew for taking us and making sure we had a safe and enjoyable experience.

Dance Success

We are delighted to celebrate the success of Chelsea L who recently competed in the Luton Festival of Dance.

Achieving an impressive score of 87 in the Classical Ballet section, she has qualified for the All England Dance Championships - a fantastic accomplishment.

She will now go on to compete in the Regional Finals in May, and we wish her the very best of luck.

Potential Kids - Easter Activities

Potential Kids are running a range of sessions throughout the Easter holiday for neurodivergent children and young people, their siblings, and parents/carers.

These sessions provide a welcoming and supportive space for families to connect, have fun and access tailored activities.

To book a place, please visit their website here or for further information email: info@potentialkids.org

Please see the attached poster for full details of sessions, timings and venues.

French: apathie

German: Gleichgültigkeit

Spanish: apatía

Thinking Question: How might languages change in the future? What could cause this?

Easter Reading for Everyone...

A reminder that alongside our fiction for younger readers and our YA fiction, the LRC has eighteen shelves dedicated to senior fiction, including books for older students, sixth form and staff. Librarians purchase new and trending books on a monthly basis and we’re always happy to recommend. We love to hear what students and staff are reading and our aim is to help you find a book you will enjoy!  The LRC also has an extensive non-fiction section including many recently published books on sport, science, history, politics, psychology and more. Don’t forget to visit the LRC to find a book to relax with over Easter!

Murder Mystery Display

A new display of crime & mystery book recommendations is downstairs in K Block. Please come and choose your next crime or mystery book from the LRC.  There is a huge selection of books to choose from in these popular genres so if you are not sure what to select come and see our display or ask our team of librarians who are always on hand to help.

The Inheritance Games, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why - or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.

To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions.

Hayley M in Yr 8 has recently read this and comments:

“From the moment I picked it up, I couldn’t look away! This book is packed with puzzles, mystery, twists, and intrigue. The mix of family drama, secrets, and riddles kept me hooked from start to finish. It’s an exciting, fast-paced read that will leave you wanting more!”

For those parents or carers wanting to read something similar, why not try  And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie

Younger siblings could try The Bletchly Riddle, by Ruta Sepetys

A is for… apathy [noun]

Definition: Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

Example: Voter apathy was blamed for the low turnout.

Synonyms: Indifference, Unconcern, Disinterest

Antonyms: Passion, Interest, Concern

Etymology: From Greek apatheia, from a- meaning “without” and pathos meaning “feeling”.

DISTRICT CUP RUNNERS-UP!

Runners up in the district for our year 8 girls - after a fantastic season across National, County and District competitions the girls had a tough game against STAGS in the District Final. Tough conditions saw a 0-0 score at FT and unfortunately although it was very close multiple times, we didn’t manage to get the goal in during extra time either.
STAGS managed to get the win on penalties.

A massive well done to those from Sandringham who stepped up to take penalties for us. Of course not the win we all hoped for but this doesn’t take away from the amazing season this team has had showing improvement upon improvement. Everyone who has played for this team across the season can be so proud of the effort they have put in. This is just the start for this team and we can’t wait to see how they progress as they move up the school

COUNTY CHAMPIONS

U15 Girls Indoor Cricket: Congratulations to the U15 cricket team for winning the Indoor Cricket Competition at Queenswood this week, booking their place in the regional finals. This will be the second time this side have made the regional finals. Well done all, especially the debutants.

DISTRICT CHAMPIONS 

Congratulations to our talented U15 female footballers who yesterday retained their district title beating Sir John Lawes 4-2 in the District Final.

A competitive first half saw the girls battle hard after going 0-1 down. They didn’t give up and stuck to their structures until B. Silveria found the back of the net.
A huge well done to debutant G. Betteridge who stepped up into our GK position. Playing in her first football game for the school she was absolutely fantastic! With some great saves made to keep the score line comfortable!

It’s been an amazing season and we're excited to see what we can continue to build.

Congratulations to all our athletes who competed in this weeks Indoor competition at Lee Valley.

Some outstanding performances and PB’s across all teams.

Strong efforts from our intermediate girls who won the meet!

COUNTY RUNNERS-UP 

Well done to our Yr 8 girls who narrowly missed out on the top spot so claimed 2nd in the County this week. A tough game against a great Beaumont side saw us on the back foot from the start. The girls dug deep and every player put their all in, but it just wasn’t quite enough to secure the win this time round.

Girls basketball has had a fantastic season nonetheless, with both our U13s and U15s coming 2nd in the county. With nearly 30 girls training every week, the commitment from each player to help us get to this point hasn’t gone unnoticed and everyone can be so proud of themselves. Well done all!

Our U18 girls are through to the District Cup Final after a tight end to end game against Beaumont.

The girls all worked tirelessly and goals came from L. Small and R. Kincaid.

The whole team deserves player of the match this time!

Boys District Cup Finals

An incredible achievement from our students this week as we WIN FOUR DISTRICT TROPHIES. To have four teams qualify for finals day is impressive on its own, but the boys all went one better.

Yr 7 Boys - The Yr 7’s have had an impressive season, highlighted by this weeks District cup win vs Sam Ryder. The boys executed the plan from the first to the final whistle and seemed in control throughout. Each student played their part in an impressive 5-1 win, and we couldn’t be prouder of the start they have made to their Sandringham football journey. Rance (3), O’Sullivan & Foster grab the goals.

Yr 8 Boys - The Yr 8 Boys football team have retained their District Title this afternoon after a 2-0 victory vs Verulam. Stallwart defending accompanied with relentless counter attacking football provided the boys with a well earned victory. Goals from MoM N. Adeyemo & D. Kennedy. Well done to the boys who now look to County Cup final on the 16th of April. Their second final of the season and looking to do the double.

Yr 10 Boys - Another strong performance from the Yr 10’s who keep another clean sheet and beat Beaumont 2-0. A screamer from Rowland & a great worked goal finished off by Regan secured the win in the last 5 mins. Our boys were solid at the back and effective going forward, causing Beaumont problems from set pieces. A brilliant year in which they finally get their hands on the District Cup.

Yr 11 Boys - A great performance from the Yr 11 boys in their district cup final this evening V Sir John Lawes. The team could not have started any better with a goal after 7 seconds through Lewis Daniel. After nerves were settled the team only got better. Goals through Max Cooper, Sam McCree and a super 25 yard effort from Daniel Novotny saw the team come in to half time at 4-0. Throughout the second half the team maintained their excellent defence and a final goal for McCree earned us a tremendous 5-0 victory to retain the District Cup. 4 District Cups for this side.

Yr 7 Boys: The Sandringham boys were excellent this week, but came up against a very strong Leighton Middle school and ended up on the wrong side of the scoreline. We got to the hoop brilliantly and competed well against some exceptional individuals. 

Yr 8 Boys: Our Yr 8 basketball went away to Roundwood Park School. We came away 35-69 winners in a positive performance. Well done to all involved and thank you to Roundwood for being fantastic hosts.

Yr 7 Boys: Well done to the 21 U12’s who represented the school last weekend, especially to the debutants we had. A 2-1 win and a 3-2 win concluded our Saturday morning fixtures for the year. Thank you to all the students and families for your continued support of the boys this year.

Yr 9 Boys: For the final Saturday game of the year we went away to Samuel Ryder Academy. With two debuts for Issac and Harry. The team challenged well to gain a 0-1 win. Well done on a positive year boys.

Yr 10 Boys: A game played in the right spirit as the sun shined down on our last Saturday morning football fixture. Sandringham managed to win 3-0 against SRA with goals from Gardner (2) & Hemming. Well done to all the boys that have represented the school so brilliantly this term. 

We hope everyone has a nice, restful Easter break - the schedule when you arrive back at schoool looks to be a nice calm week to ease you into the Summer term.

A great run from Ross B to finish 55th in the National Y7 XC championships this week, helping Herts Schools to a 1st place finish and the team prize. Congratulations Ross, and to all the runners who helped create the final 1st place outcome.

CMG Arts Present Dream Big 

Join us to celebrate their youngest students from CMG Arts as they take to the stage with their big dreams and spectacular stage presence.

Sunday 14th July - 11:00am and 3:00pm 

Book your tickets here.

Best Theatre Arts

What happens when the lights go out? At a technology-free wilderness camp in the middle of nowhere, young people from three very different schools must learn how to live in a new, uncertain future. They’re disconnected, alone, and afraid. But don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world…

Created by playwright Megan Jenkins and composer Rob Castell, The Flare is an original, cutting-edge contemporary musical designed to inspire honest conversation between generations. Commissioned by Best Theatre Arts and Tip of the Iceberg Theatre Company, this groundbreaking, genre-defying project explores adulthood, nihilism, hope, and retribution, all guided and informed by the real experiences, fears, and opinions of today's young people as they navigate growing up in an ever-changing and sometimes terrifying world.

Running from 25th - 26th April 2026 - get your tickets here.

NBDA's Time To Shine 

Join us for an unforgettable day of dance as our talented students take to the stage in Time to Shine. Featuring a vibrant mix of styles and performers of all ages, this uplifting showcase celebrates hard work, creativity and the joy of performing. Come along and support our dancers as they step into the spotlight!

Get your tickets here.

NBDA has been established for over 60 years and is based in Welwyn Garden City. They are a friendly, all inclusive dance school offering a wide range of classes for children aged from 21/2 in ISTD Ballet, Pointe, Tap, and Modern. We also have Hip-Hop, Musical Theatre and Ballet technique classes, along with dedicated Adult Tap (for beginners to advanced) and Adult Ballet. They welcome all new dancing stars, where children make friends for life and whether they dream of the stage or simply love to dance, encouraging every student to be the very best they can. Email nbdastayingintouch@gmail.com for more information