17th January 2025
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Headmaster’s Message
St Hugh’s at Cocklebarrow races
A reminder that St Hugh’s will be at the Cocklebarrow Races on Sunday 26th January. Do come along and say ‘hello’ if you are attending!
dining at st hugh’s
Dining Room Experience
We have embarked on a three week journey to enhance the experience at meal times in the dining room. This week the focus is taking a balanced meal and in assembly, children were reminded of what that looks like. We want pupils to be responsible for what is added to their plate and to think about whether they have each of the major food groups to help them grow, stay healthy and be the best they can in lessons. Next week, we will focus on table manners and then finally on food wastage.
Pre-prep positions of responsibility
School Council: (from children’s votes) RGB: Otto T RLB: Sophia M 1SH: Jessie S 2PW: Tilly S 2LB: Wesley A
Bickley: Captain – Eddie H-S, Vice-Captain – Daisy B
Malvern: Captain – Emma B, Vice-Captains – Archie H & Isabella P
Carswell: Captain – Margot L G, Vice- Captains – Emilie J-S & Tobias P
Chislehurst: Captain – Merryn M, Vice-Captain- Caspar D
nursery
This week in... NURSERY
Phonics: Our new sound is ‘b’ for boot. We have also been playing rhyming word games.
Topic: We used the story ‘Oliver’s Milkshake’ to inspire our Let’s Make, Let’s Create session. We have used collage materials to decorate fruit pictures for our Kitchen Disco display. Our farm shop has been busy with sales of real carrots and potatoes, paid for with pennies.
Maths: The focus numbers this week are 2 and 12. We have been pairing socks and and matching other pairs of objects.
reception
This week in... Reception
LEARNING DETECTIVES: This week, we have introduced a new responsibility in the classroom. Each day, a Learning Detective is chosen to look out for brilliant learning from their friends e.g. 'I saw Sophia focusing like an eagle'. The children have taken this role very seriously!
TOPIC: Reception were very excited to start their new topic 'To Infinity and Beyond' this week. Via our new space themed home corner, the children have put on their space suits and blasted into space to complete many space missions and experiments. This week, we have learnt about famous space astronauts, including Yuri Gagarin, Neil Armstrong and Tim Peake. We learnt about all of the exciting things they do as an astronaut and how they survive in Space.
MATHS: We have been focusing on counting to 10 using counters in the ten frame. You could practise counting at home – match digit cards to collections of objects, roll a dice then throw that number of balls into a bucket, set the table and count out the correct number of plates, forks, knives etc.
PHONICS: We introduced two new digraphs or 'Special Friends'. This week, the sounds had the same letters, but they make a different sound. We learnt the long stretchy sound 'oo' (poo at the zoo) and the short bouncy sound 'oo' (look at a book). Our tricky word was ‘he'.
YEAR 1
This week in... YEAR 1
Maths: In Maths this week, we have continued to work with numbers to twenty, understanding that the teen numbers are made up of one ten and then some more. For example, 17 is ten and seven more. We have represented these numbers with concrete and pictorial resources and written them as addition sentences.
Literacy: This week we have been on more adventures in our stories. We have travelled to Kenya, asking and answering questions about Handa’s lost hen, Mondi! We also ventured under the sea, using our sensational senses to describe what we found! We used our brilliant descriptions to write a story about life under the ocean!
Topic: This week we have begun to explore our brilliant bodies! We have labelled our bodies, using the correct language and we have connected these parts to how our senses use them to understand the world.
French: Year 1 had their first lesson with Monsieur Pimm where they covered 'Transport'. They learnt the language for different methods of transport (les moyens de transport) and played some games!
YEAR 2 This week in... YEAR 2
SCIENCE: This week we explored the Polar regions and learnt interesting facts about the North and South Poles. We then compared them using a Venn diagram to organise facts.
MATHS: This week, we have been continuing to learn about money. We have learnt to make different amounts using given coins, compare amounts of money and add amounts of money together. We have really enjoyed using the coins and notes to help us.
LITERACY: In literacy we have been looking at poetry. We looked at different winter themed poems and identified their special features. We then had a go at writing our own poems, full of amazing description!
FOREST SCHOOL - YEAR 2
PRE-PREP WELLBEING DAY
A huge thank you to Mrs Lings who on Tuesday delivered Wellbeing sessions to all of Nursery & Pre-Prep. The Year 1 and 2 children used the story – ‘Thank you for looking after our Pets’ and EYFS children explored the story – ‘I have Feelings’.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
This week in... MIDDLE SCHOOL
On Monday, Year 3 enjoyed a moment of pause from their busy start to the St Hugh's term. During the session, we explored different yoga poses that resembled the Native American animals we learnt about on our trip to the Ashmolean, and a relaxing 5-minute body scan meditation.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Year 4 have been consolidating note taking skills this week in English lessons, a skill used lots this term for their ‘Take One…’ projects. They have explored features of nonfiction books, condensing nonfiction texts and factual videos into notes which they have then transformed into their own informative paragraphs, in their own words. Next week, Year 3 and 4 will begin research for their non-chronological reports. Year 4 started their 'Hide Art' this week. We learnt about how hide was used by Native Americans for clothing, covering their homes, calendars, artwork and bags. We made our own hide by ripping the edges of A3 paper, then stained it using tea bags. We will add artwork next week when it has dried! The Take One project is fully underway. Several children have already been getting creative at home. Emily H, in 4NP, made cornbread. A snack that was popular with the Native Americans.
READING – Congratulations to this week’s winning House – Bickley – who have an average word count of 9,021.
We have two new millionaires – Hatty H-S (1,085,377 words) and Ollie B (1,040,304 words). Well done Hatty and Ollie!
Middle school - Positions of responsibility
House Captains
Bickley: Emilia H
Carswell: Ophelia L
Malvern: Rocky V-L
Chislehurst: Ida N
VICE-HOUSE CAPTAINS
Carswell: Ollie B, Sebastian L, Harry S
Chislehurst: William A, Arabella F, Alexa G
Malvern: Henry H, Gwen G
Bickley: Henry K, Oliver S
More positions to be announced next week...
Leviathan
This week’s questions are as follows...
Upper School
1. Who bought the first item ever sold on eBay? 2. And what was it? 3. What type of pasta resembles little ears?
4. Who wrote the lyrics for ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’? 5. Which country is represented by the two letter code CH? 6. What is the most number of red cards ever issued by a referee in a single match of Football? 7. What is the average temperature of the human body? 8. Who wrote the novel 'Kidnapped' in 1886?
Middle School
1. Who wrote the lyrics for ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’? 2. What is the name of the planet that Superman comes from? 3. What is the most number of red cards ever issued by a referee in a single match of Football? 4. What is the official name of the Houses of Parliament?
boarding
This week in... BOARDING
Last Friday, the Boarders took part in a Pool party complete with music and a lively game of water polo. They enjoyed another Quiz on Wednesday with a nail biting final between the Year 6 girls and Year 8 boys, with the girls snatching victory, correctly guessing Mr Harris-Bass’ expert charade of Kathmandu. The Year 8 Boarders have had a busy week in particular with their exams, but have enjoyed letting off steam with the very popular game ‘Spotlight’, Dodgeball and various activities in the new Common room.
And finally, congratulations to William B who was awarded Boarder of the Week for being kind, helpful and great company.
English - Pupil Work
The wind howled across the barnacled valleys of Northumberland. Rodents stirred in the bushes adorning the mountainsides, the turbid sky roared with thunder as drops of rain festooned every shrub, tree, rock or house that stood upon the muddy earth. The locals recoiled from the street of the small hamlets that littered the barren land as puddles formed like mould, devouring the murky streets in a monotonous grey and brown. Lights flickered in the houses as the streets became silent save the strident howls of the sky. The sky became darker, the air thick with rain and the ground muddled with water. The lights of the various houses gleamed in the darkening night; scowling eyes peered through them, disgusted at this opprobrium of weather. In the early hours of the morning, the clouds came to a repose and the howling ceased its impertinence. Villagers watched incredulously at this remarkable change as the sanguine sun shone through the delicate cloud.
Sam J - Year 8
Inspired by ‘Jane Eyre’.
English - Pupil Work
My hands are gilded in the golden light as I raise them up into the sun's rays; the crystal-clear, blue sky reflects its exotic hue onto the cooling wash of water that glides past my fingers that dangle off the side of the boat. A variety of grasses and flowers brush my forearm as we float past the bank; the diamond jewels of the water brush my fingers, creating perfectly circular ripples for eternity. The soft, sweet juice of ripe, vibrant berries lingers on my lips before a sharp acidic taste of lemon suddenly fills my mouth - the two flavours mix and mingle, swirling and swaying until the taste fades. I look to see the sun being engulfed by the clouds; the boat starts to rock backwards and forwards. I jump onto the grassy bank and start to run, running past the pansies that now mock me, grab me; running through the lower branches of the trees using their long claws to reach me. I can see the gate ahead. I urge my legs to move faster, faster - desperate to escape this nightmare.
Mariella M-S - Year 8
Inspired by ‘Rebecca’.
YEAR 7 SCIENCE
This week, Year 7 have been looking at the structure of a leaf and the cells involved in the vital process of photosynthesis. We have spent time viewing leaves under magnifying glasses and microscopes, observing the layers of cells within a leaf. They have also discovered that leaves use chlorophyll and light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose, which acts as a source of food for the plant. This glucose is stored as starch. We wanted to prove that photosynthesis occurred by removing chlorophyll from a leaf using boiling ethanol, and testing it for the presence of stored starch using iodine.
YEAR 6 ART
Our study of starchitects was a great start to the term for some of our Year 6 pupils. We looked at famous skyscrapers and architects and then in groups we were challenged to build our own. We had to design and create a stable structure, as high as we could, using only paper and tape. We had a very quick lesson in rolls, folds and joins, and off we went! Sometimes a new concept has to be all about exploration so that's what we did. Take a look and see if you can work out which group's structure was the highest and stood all by itself.
Sport this week
It has been one of those brilliant weeks of Sport, with so many opportunities and success for our pupils. On Tuesday, every pupil in Year 4 was in action with 9 Football and Netball fixtures against Pinewood and Windrush Valley. Wednesday was the turn of the Upper School Pupils, as every pupil in Years 5 – 8 competed against Pinewood in 21 Netball, Hockey and Football fixtures. Across the afternoon we had a very even split of victories and defeats. On Thursday, it was the turn of Year 3, when every pupil in Year 3 played in Netball and Football fixtures against Chandlings School. At the same time, in the Swimming pool we had a Year 6 – 8 team in action against Cothill School. Finally on Friday, the 1st team Boys’ Hockey competed at the County tournament. It has been a fantastic week seeing all the children enjoying their Sport and working together.
Swimming & Middle school Cross Country
Swimming
On Thursday night, we had a Year 6-8 Swimming team in action against Cothill School. We used it as an opportunity to put out a development team, which was fantastic as it gave some pupils the opportunity to compete in their first Swimming gala and highlighted the strength in depth we now have in our Swimming. The competition was incredibly close with lots of excellent swims. After 20 races the scores were tied and it came down to the very last race of the day, whoever won this race would win the fixture. It was Cothill who took the victory on this occasion, but we remain very proud of the performance of all our swimmers.
Cross Country
Last week, all the pupils in Year 3 - 8 completed their first Cross Country of the term. Despite the weather, all the pupils tried their best and showed fantastic character and resilience to complete the course. The cold weather also led to challenging conditions underfoot, therefore anyone who set a personal best deserves a special mention; those pupils are listed below. Year 3: Mary W, Rosie W, Thea R, Frey T, Freddie B, Olly P, William H, Charlie C, Rex W, Marley H, Hugo CW, Henry A, Henry E, Jason M, Theo H, Spencer B-T, Theodore S Year 4: Johnny W, Leo V, Rory C, Oliver S, Henry K, Aidan S, Harriet HS, Lexi M, Ida N, Ottilie J, Darcey S, Year 5: Amelie H, Aggie A, Finn H, Iona T, Edit S, Hugo P, Alice HS Year 6: Nea N, Pheobe C, Honor W, Ralf L, Edward P, Luke G, Arthur Y, Yuki H, Maria L, Ollie H Year 7: Olivia vM, Lovis S, Aria T, Koala Y Year 8: Harry W
Girls’ Sports
Middle School
Two exciting afternoons for Year 3 and 4 Netball this week with Year 3 taking on Chandlings and Year 4 competing against Pinewood. It was fantastic to see lots of enthusiasm on the court with goals being scored and lots of positivity. The Year 3 girls enjoyed their first Netball match against Chandlings. From the first whistle the three teams all showed great teamwork and their use of space and confidence driving onto the ball was phenomenal for U8 level. It was an impressive performance across the board, with the girls really grasping the formations they have worked on in their Netball lessons and some excellent shooting. A brilliant start to their Netball, well done girls! In Year 4, the A team finished with a 13-7 win, showing resilience and perseverance, manging to show an array of successful passes and catches which led to this success. MVP was awarded to Lexi. The Bs also secured a win with the final score being 12-5! A shout out to Persie M for her fantastic shooting and Arabella F for her use of space and movement. MVP was awarded to Persie. The Cs started with a BANG showing fantastic communication skills on the court and great movement leading to another win and the score being 13-3! MVP was awarded to Emily for her amazing shooting skills scoring 6 goals in total! Finally, our D squad had a triangular fixture with Windrush Valley and Pinewood and secured two more wins! Both scores being 2-0! A special mention to Celia and Rosie for their fantastic movement up and down the court, as well as their leadership skills. MVP was award to Celia this week. Well done Year 4 on an excellent set of results!
Girls’ Sports
Upper School
A mixture of results for our Year 5-8s this week but a fantastic start to the season! It was great to see so much energy on the courts and St Hugh’s back in action as they all took on Pinewood. Senior 1sts played some of the best Netball Mrs Ricks has ever seen, making her extremely proud. Their perseverance to act upon feedback and to utilise the skills they learnt in lessons, was commendable bringing much excitement to the court. There was a lot of composure of the ball leading to excellent structure and a low error rate. Well done! Special mentions to Cassie for her use of space, Claudia’s quick movement on the court which developed a great connection with the other shooter. Mid-court worked tirelessly producing strong drives and team defence was relentless when applying pressure on the ball. MVP was awarded to Claudia for her resilience when playing out of position. The final score was a 35-16 win! Senior 2nds won 17-4, which is another spectacular result. The girls worked hard when defending and made lots of turnovers. They worked well as a team and showed excellent movement down the court. Poppy and Daisy were accurate with their shooting, allowing them great success. MVP was awarded to two players this week for their consistent high work rate. Well done Jess and Romily. Senior 3rds played as an U12 team this week in preparation for our tournament next week. Everyone worked incredibly hard against so very tall U13s! The game was fast paced, and they fought for every ball making some excellent interceptions. Well done to Bea for her excellent shooting skills, constantly moving around the D utilising the WA and C to gain a goal. Nina was awarded MVP for her presence of the court and work ethic. The final score a 14-9 win! Senior 4ths secured a 16-6 win! For the first game back, it was great to see the squad working together as a team improving the accuracy of their passing and possession. Special mention to Ellie C for her perseverance when defending showing a lot of determination to succeed. MVP was awarded to two individuals for their impressive shooting and great partnership skills. Well done Sophie and Hazel.
Girls’ Sports
Colts A finished with a 13-8 win! This was an excellent result for the Girls with most of the passes being accurate and into space. Good teamwork was demonstrated throughout and a few excellent interceptions. MVP was awarded to Camila for her presence on the ball and her movement which was pivotal at times. Another win for Colts Stars with the final score being 5-4! We may have had most of the possession but the score line did not reflect this, so they will be working on their shooting this week. They read off each other well and the strength of their passes were awesome. Well done all. MVP was awarded to Alice H-S this week. A great first match of the term for the Comets. After the first half we finished 4-3 to Pinewood. The girls worked hard to close the gap, however, were sadly unsuccessful, ending the game 8-5 to Pinewood. MVP Anna S for listening and acting on feedback and for her determination to get the ball. All girls showed a good level of skill and fitness to work on for our next match against Hatherop. Colts Pulse started their season in style finishing with an 11-1win! The whole team showed brilliant movement down the court and quick thinking and passing. Accurate shooting was what won them the match, as well as fierce determination in defence making turnover after turnover. Special mention to Edit who was awarded MVP this week for her amazing shooting and continuous marking. Colts Blades may have finished with a 2-1 loss but there was a lot of effort from the girls. There were snippets of the game where skills were linked, and the Girls knew their positions on the courts. We will continue to develop these further to build on our performance further. Onwards and upwards. MVP was awarded to Florence for her motivation on the court.
Boys’ Sports
Middle School (Football)
There was some exciting Football played on Thursday afternoon by the Year 3 boys against Chandlings. Effort from all the boys was through the roof, which lays a good foundation upon which composure and fine tuning of skills can be made. Notable performances include Harry M, who scored twice from outside the box, Theo H who was menace in goal, a hat-rick from Freddie B and a rifled screamer from Marley H, which put the cherry on top of a fantastic performance from Mr Rogers’ side. The U9As had a tough start to the season against a clinical Pinewood side on Tuesday. Effort throughout the team was unquestionable and some of the interplay showed positive signs for the rest of the season. Rocky VL was superb in goal, making key saves and keeping the team in the game, Jonny W scored both goals, the first a strong strike with his right foot and the second as a result of clever footwork in the box, which he finished with his left. MVP however was Harry S, who pounded round every blade of grass and was clever in his link up play. The U9Bs got their season off to a strong start with three 12-minute matches, drawing the first 1-1, winning the second 5-0 and finishing with a 0-0 draw. William A converted late in the first game, Rory C scored a handful of goals in the second and Billy G put in a strong defensive performance in the final match. The U9C enjoyed a superb start to the season with a convincing 5-0 win against Pinewood. The work rate and determination shown by all the team was fantastic. Seb L was always involved making excellent tackles and passing the ball well. But MVP was Henry K, who dribbled the ball quickly, always pressed the opposition when they had the ball and scored two brilliant goals.
Boys’ Sports
Upper school (Hockey)
The 1st team competed in a physical encounter against Pinewood. The boys played the better Hockey throughout and were leading 1-0 at half time after Tommy H-B converted from a short corner. We conceded immediately after half time but from there had the better chances but failed to convert, leaving the final score at 1-1. George D deserved MVP after his excellent debut at right back. A 4-2 win for the 2s was a fair reflection of the quality showed by the team. Some good attacking play and clinical finishing from Milo H (twice), Rocco S and Ludo G was pleasing to see as was MVP Alfie S at right back, who had a fantastic game. For the first 3/4 of their match, the 3rds played brilliantly, holding shape, retaining possession and passing well, leaving them 3-1 up. In the final quarter however, the boys somehow managed to lose 4-3 in the end, losing some composure and conceding to counter attacks. William B was strong at right back and Oscar C made some good saves. The 4s started with a 1-0 win, with some fluid Hockey played between Ralphie B, Hector H and Edward P based on the strong defensive foundations of this week’s MVP, Lance S. The 5s also started the season with a 1- 1 draw, with some strong and consistent defensive work from Sam J combined with Samuel S leadership and perseverance saw some promising Hockey being played by the side.
Upper school (Football)
U11As endured a nail-biting encounter against a relentless Pinewood side. Despite constant pressure, the first half saw St Hugh’s go 2-0 up, with the tenacious Morgan D capitalising on some leaky Pinewood defence to claim a brace. St Hugh’s conceded just before half time and clung on throughout the second half, until, with 5 minutes to go, Pinewood constructed 2 well deserved goals. Eddie F wins MVP; his athleticism, sharp reflexes and superb handling in goal kept our boys in the game for so long. After last week’s impressive start to the season, the U11Bs struggled and ultimately lost 4-0. A slight telling off at half time improved things in the second half, however, this was not enough to get back into the game. Ralph L was good at the back and MVP Ollie H was outstanding in goal. The U11C team put in a spirited performance in a gripping encounter that ended 1-1. After a scramble in the box, Ethan H was on hand to side-foot the ball into the net, but the side were unable to extend their lead further, eventually conceding midway through the second half. Charlie F was a gritty presence in midfield, but, for the second week running, Ibrahim A was MVP for his work rate and drive. The U10As put in a strong performance but ultimately lost 3-0, which was not a fair reflection of an even contest. 0-0 with 5 minutes remaining, after the boys missed some guilt edged opportunities, Pinewood scored and, in their efforts to get an equaliser, conceded twice more. A cruel end but Oscar H, Quin M and Finn H were all superb. It was much the same for the U10Bs; a 3-0 loss despite an even game. The boys had lots of possession in the final third but couldn’t finish their chances, unlike Pinewood who scored with every chance they had. Jude S was MVP for his attacking play down the right side of the pitch. Against a physical side, the 10Cs showed great resilience, keeping a clean sheet until half time due to relentless defending. Pinewood improved in the second half and started converting their chances, eventually winning the game, despite a goal from Henry R. Oliver C was brave all match and made some great saves, which earns him MVP.
holiday camps
Ultimate Activity Camps returning in 2025!
We can't wait to welcome Ultimate Activity Camps back in 2025, offering an incredible opportunity for children to discover new activities, boost their confidence, and make lasting friendships. Each week is packed with over 40 thrilling sports, games, and creative activities, all delivered in a safe and fun environment inspected by Ofsted.
Ultimate Winter Saver - save up to £75 per week
Make significant savings on your 2025 childcare arrangements and enjoy peace of mind for the year ahead.
· Prices start from £45 per day · Offer ends 21st January 2025 · Camps taking place in February, Easter, and Summer!
This offer is available online so please visit: https://www.ultimateactivity.co.uk/locations/faringdon to take advantage and save on your holiday childcare.
External Sports Clubs
External Sports Clubs
We are super excited to open our bookings for JANUARY 2025. Our ethos is to ensure our sessions are fun, inclusive and help develop Netball skills for all. Our sessions are well planned, engaging and we love to see the children finish each session with a smile on their face! When children finish in Year 7, we have links with local clubs and Matrix Netball. Our sessions run on Saturday Mornings for school years Reception - Year 7.
Week 1) 18th January Week 2) 25th January Week 3) 1st February Week 4) 8th February
Week 6) 1st March Week 7) 8th March Week 8) 15th March
Week 9) 22nd March Week 5) 15th February Week 10) 29th March
Times: Years 1&2: 9.00am-9.45am Years 3&4: 9.45am-10.30am Years 5,6&7: 10.30am-11.15am
Venue: Larkmead School, Sports Centre, Abingdon, OX14 1RF
If your child would like to come to Diamond Netball, we have included a link for the next block of sessions.
You can also see some of our sessions on our DIAMOND NETBALL FACEBOOK PAGE and you can also email us for any further enquiries: diamondnetballskilld@gmail.com
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