We sometimes have parents call through to the office to request a same day call back. Please note, often this is not possible. Teachers are teaching throughout the day and members of the pastoral team are with children. Unless the reason for your call is of a safeguarding nature, please expect a call back the next day. 

Please remember, to record your child’s ‘on the day’ absence, you can use the following methods: by phone (01438 233660 option 1)    
by completing the form on our website   
by submitting on to the Arbor Parent Portal (How to Guide)   

Please do not use the year group emails for this or admin@almondhill.herts.sch.uk. You will still be contacted by the office team to check absence if you have emailed one of these as it may not have been passed on and we have a duty to check children’s attendance.  Any emails regarding absence will not receive a response unless further information is required.  You can check your child’s absence on Arbor after the absence has taken place.

The way inspections are carried out and what inspectors are focussing on has changed and this link is information for parents provided by Ofsted: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofsted    

We would like to remind all parents and carers to take extra care when driving around the school. A recent incident (a very near miss) highlighted how quickly accidents can happen, even when children are using the designated pedestrian areas. Please ensure that you drive slowly, remain fully aware of your surroundings and check carefully before reversing or moving off. Our pupils can be hard to see and may not always anticipate vehicle movements. The safety of our children is our highest priority and we appreciate your cooperation in helping us keep everyone safe. Thank you for your continued support.  

Whilst it was not possible to record the recent reading workshop, for those who were unable to attend, we have shared the PowerPoint below along with an example of a phonics intervention.  

We are delighted to inform you that our application to Tesco Stronger Starts has been successfully selected for the customer vote in Tesco stores.  Voting will commence in store from mid-January 2026 until the end of March 2026. 
We applied to help with payments towards the deficit of the pop up pool.  
 
The project with the highest number of votes across our region will receive up to £1,500, the second placed project up to £1,000 and the third placed project £500.   

What happens next? 
Stores which will vote on our project: 

• 2202 Broadwater Stevenage Superstore SG2 8DT 

• 3213 Stevenage Extra SG1 1ES 

• 4775 Woolmer Green Express SG3 6FP 

• 6131 Old Stevenage Express SG1 3EF 

• 6546 Stevenage Chells Express SG2 0LU 

• 6565 Hitchin Station Lyon Express SG4 9SP 

To vote, you will need to make a purchase of any value within store. You will receive one token per transaction. It is not necessary to purchase a carrier bag to receive a token. 

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

Year 6 children and our school choir will go to St Nicholas’ church on Tuesday 16th December for their carol service which is one of our favourite Almond Hill traditions. It is always a lovely service and a real pleasure to be a part of. We expect the service to last for approximately 1 hour. If you are attending, space in the church only allows for two parents per child. Please don’t arrive until 1.30pm to allow children to arrive and get organised. 

We would also ask, to ensure all children are kept safe, that you allow children and staff to leave the church first and return to school and collect them from the school in the usual way. 

They will need to be signed out but children in Year 6 and the choir can leave early on this day (providing they are collected) but we are not able to release siblings early. If children are leaving independently, they will need to wait until 3.15pm. If your child is in Year 6, please collect from the bottom of Acorn House and if your child is in Year 4 or 5, you can collect from their classroom door. 

The drop off zone will be open for parents to use but please note, there is only room for 13 cars and this will not be manned so please drive carefully. 

We end the final week with another Almond Hill tradition – our talent shows will take place during the school day on Thursday 18th December. Teachers will be running auditions for children who want to take part and they will be informed by their class teacher if they have been successful. They may bring special props or chosen outfits for their performance. Children in the upper school will perform in the morning and the lower school in the afternoon. 

We will finish at 1:00pm on the last day of term. Please note there will be no childcare available on this day. As we are finishing on the same day as Letchmore, there will not be the option to stay for the remainder of the day, unlike when our finish dates differ. We kindly ask that all children are collected promptly at 1:00pm on Friday 19th December. Thank you.