Issue 15 - 19th December 2025
Dear Families,
This week, parents came to enjoy the end of term Rocksteady concert. 6C were also lucky enough to come along and enjoy the music. This term, there are quite a few new musicians in the rock bands but the standard of the performances was amazing! I can't wait to see what they are like by the summer term. Well done, Rockers!
Year 6 and our choir went to St Nicholas’ Church on Tuesday for a carol service and they sounded fantastic. I accompanied them along with some other staff and felt tremendously proud of their beautiful voices and wonderful behaviour.
The talent shows are a firm Christmas favourite at Almond Hill and this year’s certainly did not disappoint. It was fantastic to see such a wide variety of talents on show and how supportive the children were of their peers. Performing in front of an audience is not easy, so a big well done to all those who took part. A big thank you to Mrs Lyons and Miss Simmons, our hosts.
I would also like to say a huge thank you to the FOAH volunteers who have organised some lovely events for the children this term, including the silent disco, present room, Christmas card competition and the wonderful Christmas Fair, to name just a few. Not only are these events really enjoyable for the children, they also raise valuable funds for the school, which we use to enhance the experience for all children while they are with us. I am absolutely delighted to tell parents that the FOAH raised just over £2,000 for the Christmas fair and £850 from the present room! This is absolutely incredible and we are so grateful for your hard work!
I hope you all have a wonderful winter break with your families and a very happy Christmas to all who are celebrating.
We look forward to welcoming families back on Tuesday 6th January, ready for the spring term.
Emma Fordham
Headteacher
Key Messages
A parent has recently contacted the school to raise concerns about some children’s behaviour, including inappropriate and unkind comments directed towards a member of our community with a disability. I am extremely disappointed to hear this. As a school that actively promotes diversity and inclusion, we expect all children to treat others with respect, empathy and acceptance at all times.
I will address this matter with the children directly but I would also strongly encourage parents and carers to reinforce this message at home. Kindness, understanding and respect are values we all share and they go a long way in creating a supportive and inclusive school community.
Parent Feedback Survey
As you know, we are always looking for ways to improve our school and your feedback is invaluable in helping us do this. Please take a few moments to complete the survey below and share your thoughts on various aspects of school life. We genuinely use your feedback to shape our decisions so it is absolutely worth completing if you would like to influence how things are done at your child’s school.
There is a section where you can add your child’s name if you would like a response from the school. Please only fill this in if you are expecting to hear from me, as previously some parents received phone calls they weren’t anticipating.
Thank you for your continued support.
Year 3 Parents’ Evening – Save the Date
Year 3 teachers will be holding their parents’ evening on Tuesday 20th January, starting at 1.00pm up until 6.15pm. Please keep a look out for an email with additional information at the start of the spring term.
WhatsApp Group Chats
As you know, we regularly discuss WhatsApp in our newsletter and the challenges it can present for many children, particularly in relation to group chats. We strongly encourage parents and carers to monitor their child’s phone use and the content they are accessing.
Ultimately, you are only in control of your own child. If your child becomes upset by something being said in a group chat, the most effective action is to remove them from the group. Please also check their phone settings to ensure they cannot be added to group chats without their permission.
Remind your child that they can leave a group chat at any time if they see content that makes them uncomfortable or if they are part of a chat with someone they do not know. To leave a group chat on WhatsApp:
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Open the group chat
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Tap the three dots in the top-right corner
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Select More
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Choose Exit group
Stanley in Year 6, has recently connected with The Muster Point...
Stanley in Year 6, has recently connected with The Muster Point—a local community interest company that supports veterans. Together with Stevenage Sea and Marine Cadets and the wider community, the Muster Point has recorded a Christmas song to highlight the importance of support and togetherness for veterans, especially during the festive season.
Released on Friday, 12th December, the single is now entering the Top 100 in the music charts! Please help The Muster Point in their bid to reach number 1 and support the Veterans’ Christmas Single – Released to Combat Loneliness.
You can download it, stream it and watch it by following the links below:
🎵 Spotify: Click here
🍎 Apple Music: Click here
🛒 Amazon Music: Click here
▶️ Watch the video: Here
Bookings are open for WB Football Club
Dance with Dani
Dance with Dani at Almond Hill!Looking for a dance club that’s full of energy, fun and fantastic moves? There are still spaces - so book now for this term!
Dance with Dani is taught by none other than Dani, Miss Simmons’ daughter, who lives and breathes dance! With Dance A-Levels, experience teaching Year 7 dancers and the creator behind the amazing Year 6 graduation video performances each year, Dani brings passion, skill and tons of enthusiasm to every session.
🌟 Morning Club: Gym & Dance (Year 3– Year 6)
Tuesdays - 8:00–8:45am
💫 After-School Club: Advanced Dance (Year 5 – Year 6) Tuesdays - 3:15–4:15pm
Each class is only £5 and payable half termly through the 'classmanager' website.
Lindsey Pollard Dance
Bookings for January 2026 are open! This is a very popular club so we would advise booking early to avoid disappointment:
https://www.lindseypollarddance.com/classtimetable/childrensclasses
🌟Morning Club: Cheerleading
8.00-8.45am on Wednesdays
💫 After-School Club: Street dance
3.15-4.15pm on Wednesdays
Latest Edition of our School Newspaper
Our young journalists have worked very hard on this term's edition and we are very pleased to share it with you!
Click the logo below to read our newspaper!
Diary Dates
Did you know, you can subscribe to our calendar to keep up to date with the events going on within the school?
Follow the link below, select 'subscribe' and follow the instructions for your device.
50p Book Sales
Our pre-loved book sales take place during the school day. Children can bring cash to school for these. Books cost 50p each.
These have now finished for the Autumn term and will recommence in the Spring. If you are having a post-Christmas clear out, we would love some more donations of books for future sales. Please bring donations to your child’s class teacher or the school office. Thank you.
Pre-Loved Uniform Sales
These have now finished for the Autumn term and will recommence in the Spring.
SEND and Pastoral – Save the Dates
Coffee Morning: Tuesday 10th February
8.45-9.30am
Afternoon tea: Friday 20th March
2.30-3.15pm
We welcome all parents to attend (whether your child has a diagnosis or not) if they feel they would benefit from speaking to our SENCo and/or our pastoral team. In our experience, almost all children benefit from pastoral support during their journey at school. Examples of where this has been supportive in the past are when friendship issues arise, loss of a pet, online issues outside of school, family break up and bereavement. We are always delighted when more parents join us.
Attendance
Lower School Winners
3L 99.29%
Upper School Winners
5P 97.33%
Year 3 96.67%
Year 4 88.35%
Year 5 96.89%
Year 6 94.6%
All Students 94.16%
Class of the Week
The Tidy Award
House Points
Almond Hill Achievments
We would love to hear from you!
At Almond Hill, we love to share and celebrate your successes. If you would like your child featured in our weekly newsletter, please complete the form on our website.