19 December 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
What a wonderful way to end the term! On Monday, we lit the third candle on our Advent Crown, symbolising Joy—and this week has truly been filled with it. From Christmas lunches and the infant Pantomime to the junior quiz and our beautiful carol services, the festive spirit has been everywhere.
The singing at both St Mary’s and Holy Trinity churches was absolutely amazing, as was the Junior Orchestra. The children joined in with such enthusiasm and confidence, and their thoughtfully written prayers were truly moving. It was a privilege to share these special occasions with so many of you—I hope you enjoyed them as much as we did. Thank you for being part of such a supportive and vibrant community!
I’m delighted to share that our HTPD Christmas Fair and Santa’s Grotto raised an incredible £9,000! A huge thank you to everyone who helped make these events possible and for your generosity in supporting them.
Thanks to your kindness, we’ve been able to cover the costs of the HT Play and PD Nativity and also make a contribution to Real Change Guildford of £760. This donation will make a real difference to people rebuilding their lives away from the streets—a truly positive act of kindness.
This week, we also say farewell to Jane Bennett, as she begins her well-deserved retirement. We celebrate her many years of dedication and service to HTPD and wish her all the best for the future.
Finally, on behalf of the entire staff team, thank you for your Christmas wishes, your gifts, and your ongoing support. We deeply appreciate your partnership. We’re looking forward to a restful holiday and an exciting year ahead!
School will reopen on Tuesday, 6th January. Please note. teacher-led clubs begin the week commencing 12th January. Until then, we wish you a peaceful, hopeful, and happy Christmas!
Best wishes
Vicky
Thought of the Week: How can you make Christmas different this year?
Infant
Lunch: Week 1 Menu for week beginning 06/01/26 (the school lunch menu will remain the same until after February half term)
Junior
Dates for the Diary
Monday 5th January – INSET Day
Tuesday 6th January – Start of Term
Tuesday 6th January - Registration for limited availability clubs will go live at 6pm
Wednesday 7th January – 4K starts swimming
Monday 12th January – 3D starts swimming
Monday 9th February – Y4 Trip to Brooklands Museum
Spring Term Clubs List – please find attached the Spring Term Clubs List – flyer attached
All Clubs will start the week beginning 12th January (with the exception of Boogie Pumps 07/01, Ballet and Food Science Club 09/01)
Registration for the limited availability clubs will go live on Tuesday 7th January at 6pm.
Lunch: Week 1 Menu for week beginning 06/01/26 (the school lunch menu will remain the same until after February half term)
PTA
Dear Parents, Carers and Staff,
As we come to the end of the term, Friends of HTPD would like to say a huge thank you to everyone across Pewley Downs and Holy Trinity for your incredible support throughout the Christmas period, with particular thanks to our generous sponsors.
Our Christmas activities, including Christmas cards, the Knight Frank Christmas competition, the Christmas Fair, Santa’s Grotto and the Christmas raffle, brought our school community together in a wonderfully festive way. We were also delighted to welcome the Mayor of Guildford, who kindly drew our Christmas raffle (pictured attached).
Thanks to the generosity of our community, we are delighted to share that after expenses, we have raised over £9000 for the school during this festive period.
This would not have been possible without our fantastic volunteers, who gave their time and energy to make every event happen, or our amazing Year 6 pupils, who hosted a phenomenal set of games in the hall. We are also hugely grateful to all our parents and carers and to the staff across both sites for their continued support.
Looking ahead, we are excited for the 2026 new year, with discos planned at both Pewley Downs and Holy Trinity, and more events to come. If you would like to be more involved in Friends of HTPD in the new year, please do get in touch, we would love to hear from you after a restful festive break.
We wish all our families and staff a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.
With warmest thanks,
Friends of HTPD
Other
Football: Next Level Elite Player Development: Pro Club Scout Showcase – flyer attached