Senior School Newsletter - 6th Edition

Latest Planning

It has been an exciting couple of weeks with approval from the Surrey Highways for our traffic plans, the Environmental Agency concluding their assessments and the final approval through the planning meeting getting ever closer. We have plenty of time for the construction of our new Senior School complex, but it is pleasing to see all of our plans coming to fruition. Below are the designs for our new pedestrian and vehicle entrance from White Rose Lane and the development of the Old Woking Road junction to help reduce car speed and aid pedestrian and cycle crossing at this point.

Site Proposal

White Rose Lane Entrance

Old Woking Road Junction

Onsite Pedestrian Improvements

I look forward to updating you after Half Term on our next steps relating to the construction of our Senior School.

Year 9

Academic Update

This term, we have started to refine the Year 9 timetable. By carefully structuring subjects and class times, we aim to optimise the learning opportunities and cater to the diverse interests and talents of our future Year 9 cohort. In addition to refining the timetable, our team has started to expand on our Year 9 schemes of work. These schemes provide a detailed outline of the topics and activities that will be covered throughout the academic year. Moreover, they serve as a foundation for the exciting opportunities we are organising, including educational trips and workshops.

Importantly, our Year 9 curriculum has been designed to seamlessly transition from the excellent provision in Year 8. Building upon the foundations laid in the previous year, our curriculum aims to challenge and inspire pupils, fostering continuous growth and academic excellence. Furthermore, the curriculum is aligned with the Common Entrance (13+) syllabus, ensuring that the pupils are well prepared for the challenges ahead. Our choice of exam boards plays a crucial role in shaping the learning experience of our Year 9 pupils. By aligning our curriculum with the requirements and standards set by these boards, we ensure that they receive a robust and relevant education that prepares them for future academic endeavours. The insights and guidance provided by exam boards inform our teaching practices and curriculum development, ensuring that pupils are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in their GCSEs in Year 11.

Facilities Update

We are excited to introduce a new and exclusive cafe area tailored specifically for Year 9. This vibrant space will be carefully crafted to provide a welcoming environment where they can not only socialise and relax, but also cultivate independence. At the heart of our cafe area is the belief in nurturing independence. They will have the freedom to make their own choices, whether it is selecting their favourite snacks or finding the ideal spot to recharge and connect with the beautiful school grounds. Next term, the Pioneer Student Committee will contribute to the important menu decisions to ensure that the array of hot drinks and snacks are bespoke to the year group. Most importantly, this cafe area is reserved exclusively for Year 9, providing them with a sense of ownership and belonging within the school site. By having a space uniquely theirs, they can foster a sense of identity and camaraderie, before moving to the GCSE Hub in Year 10.

Trips Development

With the Year 7 & 8 St. Lucia Cricket Tour getting ever closer, our attention has been on the type of offering we may be looking towards in the future. Our staple array of trips during Trips Week will continue to develop as we look for new and innovative experiences for the children. Beyond this, plans for a multisport trip to Dubai is being considered as is a Senior Ski Trip specifically for Year 7, 8 and 9 in addition to the Junior Ski Trip for the younger years. From a musical perspective, Italy has been recommended as the most culturally enriching country for our musicians to visit on their first choir and instrumental tour for some time. Closer to home, our thespians will utilise the wonders of the West End in London for unparalleled levels of enrichment with both actors and producers hosted in the most wonderful theatres. There is much more being considered behind the scenes as we plan and prepare for the best opportunities we possibly can for the future.

New Minibuses and Expanding Service

At the beginning of the Summer Term, we will have enlarged our minibus fleet with the addition of two new nine seaters which will allow us greater flexibility throughout the average week. We are specifically pinpointing the growth of our morning and afternoon bus service which has grown significantly this year and will continue to grow in readiness for the academic year 2024/25. The expansion of our minibus service will include more opportunities for families to utilise our early morning pick up which enables the children to arrive for 7.30am and join Early Morning Breakfast Club. This allows the children to miss the busiest traffic time and become part of the breakfast community. There are often forty children or more enjoying lovely food and revelling in each other’s company.

Community Support

We have recently held a very productive PHBSS Committee meeting with a number of our Year 7 parents. Discussion centred on areas for implementation in September of this year, thoughts for Year 9 in 2025 and the move towards our Senior School building being open and ready for use. The parental voice is of great importance for us as a school and the value that these meetings bring are instrumental in shaping the future. This is why we have created a Year 5 & 6 equivalent group to work with us throughout the Summer Term before we begin the new academic year with committees in Years 5 to 8.  

Thank you to all of those who have championed our planning application with letters of support. If you are yet to do so, and are happy and able to write, please do this before Friday 22 March. It is wonderful to see such support for our expansion, something that will hugely benefit the whole school community in the future.

We continue to grow our Outreach Program and in doing so, engaging with our wider community, and offering children opportunities within our school. We now have annual events, closer partnerships with certain primary schools and Headteacher meetings on a regular basis. This will be an area in which our children will benefit as opportunities to work with adults and children from these schools develop.

HBSS Pioneering Group - Food

Following on from our first meeting of this half term, the committee met with me and Chef Adam to begin discussions relating to food options and the delivery of this most important aspect of school life for our Senior School pupils. The Year 9 Café was the hot topic, but this quickly moved into the provision for the new development and the link between break time snacks and the lunch offering. Many ideas were shared and we will meet again soon to make a more agreed future vision.