Dear Parents and Carers, 

What a difference the sunshine makes! It has been another busy and productive week in school, and it has been wonderful to see our grounds and woodland areas being enjoyed so fully – long may it continue. 

On Wednesday, some of our Year 5 and 6 children were lucky enough to take part in a tour of the UK Parliament. During their visit, they learned about the history of the building and the traditions surrounding the work of the government. The children explored the King’s Robing Room, the House of Lords and Westminster Hall, and had the opportunity to meet our local MP, asking some thoughtful and insightful questions. The whole group were a real credit to the school, demonstrating great curiosity and impressively strong prior knowledge throughout the day. 

On Tuesday, we hosted a Year 5 football tournament with several local Guildford schools. Our team performed superbly, winning one match, drawing two and losing two. A narrow goal difference in our match against St Joseph’s placed us 4th overall. The standard of football across all teams was impressive, and every player showed great determination and sportsmanship throughout the tournament. 

To celebrate 50 days to go until England and Wales host the Women’s Cricket World Cup, the Surrey Cricket Foundation hosted a special event on Thursday for some lucky Year 3 children. The children enjoyed trying out batting, bowling and fielding, while learning the importance of teamwork and how to develop strategies to improve their skills. It was a fantastic way to kick off the cricket season at HT. With clubs running for Years 3–6 this term, please do encourage your child to give cricket a try if they haven’t already. 

The Reception chicks have continued to be a highlight this week. It has been fascinating to watch how quickly they are growing, and all of the Reception children have been captivated by them – with plenty of opportunities to hold them too. The Year 5 Young Carers group were also able to visit Pewley to see the chicks. As part of their learning around growing and change, the Reception children have enjoyed guessing baby photos – what adorable babies they were! 

Yesterday marked Paul’s official last day at HTPD, although in true HTPD style, we already have some dates booked in during the summer term when he will be helping with activities.   I know all the junior children would like to thank him for the ice-lolly send-off, and I’m sure they will look forward to his future ‘guest appearances’.

 In other staffing news, after nearly two decades at the school, Sheena Preston will be retiring at the end of the academic year. We would like to thank her for her enormous contribution to the children and wider school community, both at the infants and juniors. She has played a vital role as a link between the school and the PTA and will be greatly missed. We wish her all the very best for a well‑earned, slightly slower-paced retirement – and I look forward to inevitably receiving a postcard or two in September! 

Finally, we are delighted to share that Sarah Bligh, who is currently covering Beccy’s maternity leave, will be staying with us. She settled into the school community incredibly quickly, which is never easy mid-year, and we are very pleased she will continue as part of the team. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the sunshine! 

Best wishes 

Vicky 

Thought of the week: ‘What is most important in your life?’