Dear Parents/Carers 

Welcome back to the Summer Term. I hope you had an enjoyable Easter break and managed to enjoy some of the glorious weather, lighter evenings and beautiful signs of spring all around us. 

At HTPD, we pride ourselves on our strong pupil attendance; however, it is worth pointing out that at the juniors, we have had 116 pupils or 31%, and 59 pupils or 33% at the infants absent before or after a school holiday. As you are aware, school attendance is a national priority and attendance data is closely monitored internally in school, as well as by our Surrey County Council Inclusion Officer. Recent research cited in the March 2025 DfE publication, ‘The link between attendance and attainment in an assessment year’, has found that:

‘At KS2, pupils who attended school nearly every day in Year 6 (with an attendance rate of 95-100%) were 1.3 times more likely to achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths compared to pupils who only attended 90-95% of the time. This means missing just 10 days of year 6 reduced the likelihood of reaching the expected standard by around 25%. Pupils who attended nearly every day were 1.8 times more likely to achieve the standard than persistently absent pupils who only attend 85-90% of the time (relating to 4 -6 weeks more time in school).’  

Our internal tracking data also shows a strong correlation between lower attendance and progress/attainment. Whilst illness is unavoidable, we strongly urge you to not withdraw your children in term time for family visits or holidays. Every day in school counts. 

It’s been a busy few days back. On Wednesday, Kayleigh took two Year 5 girls to Imperial College to compete in the final of the Faculty of Natural Sciences Competition. The girls worked incredibly hard on designing their innovative solution to address Goal 2: Zero Hunger, one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Their idea was a robot that could travel around town centres, collecting donations for local food banks. According to the judges, their presentation was engaging and well thought out, their idea was exciting, and they spoke with great confidence. We are all very proud that they reached the final four in the country, and we can't wait to see what comes next for our budding young scientists. 

On Thursday, the infants had a visit from the author Lucy Reynolds to talk about the book ’The Thousand Year Tree’. The book had been co-written and illustrated by Weyfield Primary Academy, inspired by the thousand-year-old Yew Trees at Newlands Corner. The book was published by the Surrey Hills Society to celebrate our vital ancient trees and how we can all protect them for the future.  

Year 4 enjoyed a magical morning wandering through the Chantry Wood to seek inspiration amongst the carpet of bluebells. They really found 'heaven in the moment' as the spring air was filled with the delicate scent of these vibrant flowers. The children found the serene and enchanting atmosphere perfect for dreaming up metaphors and similes for their poems. It was the perfect moment to pause, breathe deeply, and appreciate how lucky we are to have this on our doorstep.    

Our Year 4 boys went to Weyfield School on Wednesday afternoon to take part in a Football tournament. It was a cold evening, but the boys didn't let that stop them as they played their hearts out. It was a great tournament, and we are so proud of the way in which the boys represented Holy Trinity! Good luck to the Year 6 netball players in this afternoon’s tournament at Tormead. 

I’m looking forward to seeing you all for the first full week back on Monday. Enjoy the weekend; let’s hope the sun continues to shine! 

Best wishes 

Vicky 

Thought of the week: He is not here; he has risen! Luke 24:6 

WHOLE SCHOOL

Year R and Year 3 admission offers for September 2025

If you have been offered a school place for Year R or Year 3 in September, please remember to accept / decline by the 30 April deadline.