Dear Parents and Carers, 

I’ve really enjoyed welcoming prospective families to both school sites over the past few days. It is always a privilege to talk about our values and vision before showing visitors the “zest for learning and love of life” that is so evident throughout the school. Whether in classrooms, on the playground or outdoors in our beautiful grounds, the children bring our vision to life every day. Particularly memorable were conversations with pupils in Years 2 and 6, who were fantastic ambassadors for HTPD. Reflecting on their time at school, they spoke enthusiastically about the clubs they have enjoyed, their favourite subjects, the teachers who have inspired them, the many trips and enrichment opportunities on offer, our wonderful grounds and, of course, the joy of Fluffy Fridays. Hearing their reflections was a powerful reminder of just how much our children experience, achieve and enjoy during their time with us. 

It has been another busy and exciting week of sport at HTPD! 

On Monday, twelve Year 6 pupils joined children from a number of local schools to train as this year's Sports Crew. Throughout the day they took part in a carousel of activities designed to develop leadership skills and learn how to organise engaging, inclusive and inspiring sporting opportunities for others. We look forward to seeing them put these skills into practice over the coming year as they lead games and activities across the school and work towards earning their silver and gold Sports Crew badges. 

Our annual House Cross Country competition is now well underway. Children in Years 3, 4 and 6 have completed their races on Pewley Down, showing tremendous determination and resilience as they tackled the course. While some outstanding performances were recorded by our fastest runners, the true highlight was seeing children encouraging and cheering on their friends as they crossed the finish line. We are now hoping for favourable weather so that Year 5 can complete their race, after which the final scores will be added up to reveal this year's winning house. 

Yesterday, a group of Year 4 pupils represented the school at a Touch Rugby Festival hosted by Guildfordians at Stoke Park. The children took part in a range of warm-up activities, developing their understanding of the game's key skills and rules before competing in a round-robin tournament. It was wonderful to see the team demonstrating excellent communication, teamwork and determination throughout the event, alongside some impressive ball-carrying and skilful play. Most importantly, the children showed great sportsmanship and enthusiasm, embracing every challenge with confidence and positivity. Well done to all the pupils involved for representing the school so admirably and being excellent ambassadors for HTPD. 

Netball has also featured heavily this week. On Tuesday, three Year 6 teams played against Queen Eleanor's at Holy Trinity. It was a fantastic afternoon of netball, with all three teams securing victories whilst also developing their understanding of the game and growing in confidence as players. Earlier in the week, two Year 5 teams travelled to Tormead for a friendly fixture against older pupils. It was an enjoyable and valuable experience, helping the girls to develop their understanding of positioning, movement and teamwork on court. Today, one of our Year 6 teams is representing the school at the Guildford Schools Netball Tournament at Tormead. We wish them the very best of luck and look forward to hearing how they get on. 

We were also delighted to welcome Reception families to our Stay and Play event this afternoon. It was wonderful to see the children sharing their learning environment so confidently and proudly, and to have the opportunity to celebrate the excellent start they have made to school life. 

Meanwhile, Year 3 enjoyed exploring our school's chalk meadow as part of their learning about habitats. The children discovered why this special conservation area is protected and learned that a habitat is the natural home of plants and animals. Before carrying out a meadow survey, they made predictions about the wildlife they might find and then recorded their observations through drawings, writing and photographs. It was a fantastic opportunity to develop scientific enquiry skills while deepening their understanding of the importance of caring for our local environment. 

Our Harvest Festival assemblies will take place at 8.50am on Tuesday 13 October at the infants and on Wednesday 14 October at the juniors. We are delighted that Curate Clare Marren will join us at the Infants' service and Rector Simon Butler at the Juniors'. Parents and carers are very welcome to attend. These gatherings provide an opportunity to share in our worship through singing, prayer and reflection as we give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy. If you're in need of a little joy and positivity, do come along and join us. 

This year, our Harvest celebrations will focus on supporting those most in need within our local community. Alongside collecting food donations for the North Guildford Food Bank, we will also be raising money for Real Change Guildford, a local charity chosen by our School Council. In recognising World Homeless Day, the children wanted to support people who are working to rebuild their lives away from the streets. Donations can be made via ParentPay or by sending cash into school. We hope that, together, we can make a meaningful difference for those facing hardship in our local area. 

On the day of the Harvest assemblies, we will also be collecting donations of the following items for the Food Bank: 

• Laundry liquid 

• Spray cleaner 

• Drinking chocolate 

• Spreads (jam, honey, marmalade, Marmite or chocolate spread) 

• Tea 

• Tinned tomatoes 

Thank you in advance for your generosity and support. 

Next Friday, 16 October, is our first Fluffy Friday of the academic year. These special days give children the opportunity to explore interests beyond their usual classroom experiences, work alongside different adults, mix with children from across the year groups and spend extended periods immersed in activities they may not normally encounter. Fluffy Fridays are always a highlight of the term for both children and staff and form an important part of our enrichment offer. As ever, the range of activities on offer is impressive, and I look forward to seeing the children embracing new challenges, developing new skills and discovering new passions. 

Next week is the final week before half-term. This year, families will enjoy a two-week October break, beginning on Monday 19 October. Staff will be in school for the first two days of the holiday for INSET (professional development). On the first day, we are looking forward to working with a guest speaker as we develop our approach to the teaching of writing and continue to strengthen our writing curriculum. The second day will focus on the vital foundational knowledge and skills children need to acquire throughout their journey at HTPD. I am sure there will also be opportunities for some fun along the way too. School resumes for children on Monday 2 November. 

We are currently finalising term dates for the next academic year and will publish them as soon as possible after half-term. 

Finally, I would like to wish everyone attending the Friends of HTPD Family Barn Dance this evening a wonderful time. I am sorry that I cannot be there myself, but I hope the event is a great success and that families enjoy a fun-filled evening together. Thank you, as always, to the Friends team for organising opportunities that help bring our school community together. 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. 

Vicky