Dear Parents and Carers 

What a relief it has been to enjoy sunny blue skies at a much more comfortable temperature this week! 

I would like to thank you once again for your understanding, support and kind messages following the extreme heat last week. While we can never guarantee that there will not be occasions when severe weather causes significant disruption, such as red warnings for snow, storms or heat, it is important to recognise that last week's conditions were exceptional and affected many sectors across the country, not just schools. 

Sadly, the Department for Education has indicated that there is no additional funding available for schools to install air conditioning. However, we will be meeting with governors in the new term to consider how we can make our buildings more resilient to rising temperatures in the years ahead. We are fortunate to have architects, surveyors and health and safety specialists among our governing body, and whilst there are few quick fixes for weather conditions as extreme as those we experienced last week, we are keen to develop a long-term strategy that supports the comfort and wellbeing of our children and staff. 

We are delighted that all of our sporting events have been able to take place this week. Monday after school saw the eagerly anticipated annual HT Year 6 Netball Team vs Mums Match. What has become a much-loved tradition proved more popular than ever this year, with two teams of mums taking on a determined and confident group of Year 6 players. The children arrived certain that victory was theirs. Unfortunately for the children, experience, height and a few very well-seasoned shooters proved a formidable combination. As the girls' coaches, Nick and Laura are sad to report that both Mums teams emerged victorious. However, the most important result of the evening was that everyone had a fantastic time, there were plenty of laughs, and—perhaps most remarkably—no one sustained any injuries! Thank you to all the mums who took part and helped make it such an enjoyable community event. We look forward to seeing if next year's Year 6 team can reclaim the title! 

On Tuesday, a group of Year 5 boys represented HTPD at the Surrey County Cricket Finals in Weybridge. The boys demonstrated fantastic team spirit and sportsmanship throughout the day, even striking up a friendship with another team in their group and spending lunchtime playing together. After four matches, they finished 5th out of 9 teams, making them the fifth-best primary school cricket team in Surrey — an outstanding achievement. Well done to everyone involved. 

Sports Day is always one of the highlights of the year, and this year's event certainly did not disappoint. The Infant field was awash with colour as children competed enthusiastically for their houses in a range of races and activities. Later in the day, the Junior Sports Day provided a thrilling conclusion to the competition. With very few points separating the houses, it came down to the final events before Nightingale House succeeded in taking the trophy from Mandela House, ending their recent winning streak. 

The day was a wonderful celebration of our school community, with children demonstrating determination, resilience and encouragement for one another throughout. Thank you to all the parents and carers who came along to support; it was lovely to see so many families there. We are also extremely grateful to the PTA volunteers who provided refreshments throughout the day. If you would still like to contribute, donations can be made via: Friends of Holy Trinity Pewley Down We also have the eagerly anticipated re-scheduled District Sports competition to look forward to on Monday afternoon. 

As we approach the end of term, there are some staffing updates to share. 

As you know, Laura Sutton officially finished her role last week. However, she will be returning for District Sports on Monday and is already throwing herself into her exciting new venture with the Guildford Primary Schools Sports Association. HTPD remains fully committed to supporting this partnership, and children will continue to benefit from the excellent sporting opportunities Laura coordinates across the district. Her passion for primary school sport will undoubtedly have a positive impact on many schools and children for years to come. 

Linda Britton will also be leaving HTPD at the end of this term. Linda has worked closely alongside Lilja and has played a significant role in raising the profile of music across the school. We are incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm, expertise and energy she has brought to our music provision. We are pleased that Linda will be returning in September to work with the choir in preparation for one final concert. Choir families should already have received a save-the-date with further details. 

We are fortunate to have such a talented team of musicians within our staff. Next year, Eva Press will be teaching music at the Juniors—an opportunity she has described as her "dream role". Eva is a gifted singer and piano teacher, and we know she will inspire many young musicians. 

We will also be saying goodbye to Kendra Jones at the end of term. Kendra has been a tremendous support to both staff and children and will be greatly missed. Her calmness, kindness and professionalism have made a significant contribution to the life of the school. We wish her every happiness in her next chapter, which will hopefully include a slower pace of life and plenty of term-time holidays! 

Whilst it is always sad to see valued colleagues move on, many of our recent departures reflect a natural stage of life where staff are seeking new opportunities or a different pace. We are fortunate to have a highly talented team who are committed to their own professional growth and development. Changes within the staff team create opportunities for others to step into new roles and continue developing their skills. 

I would also like to reassure parents that our commitment to providing a broad, rich and exciting curriculum remains unchanged. Whilst school budgets continue to be under increasing pressure nationally, HTPD remains determined to protect the opportunities and experiences that make our school special. We know how valuable these experiences are for children's learning, confidence and wellbeing. 

One exciting development for next year is that Jo Matysiak’s Forest School training is well underway, and there has already been a flurry of deliveries containing new resources for our Junior outdoor classroom. We are very much looking forward to seeing our woodland learning provision return to the weekly timetable in September. 

There is still a very busy two and a half weeks ahead before we break up for the summer holidays. Although we may need to adapt some lunchtime activities and sports sessions if temperatures rise again, we are hoping that the weather remains within more manageable levels. Please continue to ensure that your child comes to school with a named water bottle and sun hat, and that sunscreen is applied before school on warm days. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. 

Vicky 

Thought of the week - Being Prepared: Are you an organised and well-prepared person? When have you had to wait patiently? What do you think God would say if he came back today?