• About Us
    • Welcome to the Old School Henstead
    • Why Choose Us
    • Our Aims
    • Our People
    • Inspection Reports
    • Senior School Entry & Scholarships
    • Policies
  • Admissions
    • Admissions & Open Days
    • Visit Us
    • Parent Testimonials
    • Our Prospectus
    • Fees
  • School Life
    • The School Day
    • Breakfast Club
    • Assemblies
    • Forms & Houses
    • Lunches
    • After School Clubs
    • Uniform
  • Curriculum
    • Curriculum Overview
    • English
    • Mathematics
    • Science
    • Humanities
    • Art & Design
    • Music
    • Languages
    • Drama
    • Outdoor Education
    • Sport
    • School Trips
  • Pastoral
    • Houses
    • School Council
  • Early Years
    • Early Years Department
    • Nursery
    • Aims & Objectives
  • Contact
    • Our Details
    • Vacancies
    • Contact Form & Map
  • News & Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Term Dates
    • Newsletters
    • PTFA
Start typing and press
Enter to search
open search form close search form
  • Telephone: 01502 741150
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Follow
Skip to content
The Old School Henstead

The Old School Henstead

The Old School Henstead is an independent prep school in Suffolk, Henstead, for boys and girls aged 2 to 11 years old. Sign up for our next open day today.

open search form close search form
  • About Us
    • Welcome to the Old School Henstead
    • Why Choose Us
    • Our Aims
    • Our People
    • Inspection Reports
    • Senior School Entry & Scholarships
    • Policies
  • Admissions
    • Admissions & Open Days
    • Visit Us
    • Parent Testimonials
    • Our Prospectus
    • Fees
  • School Life
    • The School Day
    • Breakfast Club
    • Assemblies
    • Forms & Houses
    • Lunches
    • After School Clubs
    • Uniform
  • Curriculum
    • Curriculum Overview
    • English
    • Mathematics
    • Science
    • Humanities
    • Art & Design
    • Music
    • Languages
    • Drama
    • Outdoor Education
    • Sport
    • School Trips
  • Pastoral
    • Houses
    • School Council
  • Early Years
    • Early Years Department
    • Nursery
    • Aims & Objectives
  • Contact
    • Our Details
    • Vacancies
    • Contact Form & Map
  • News & Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Term Dates
    • Newsletters
    • PTFA
By: Admin 30 April 202530 April 2025
School Journal

21st March 2025

You can view all our previous newsletters here.

School Newsletter spring term 21st March 2025
I always thoroughly enjoy the final week or two of each term because it's filled
with wonderful events that bring us all together - children, staff and parents. This term is no exception, with poetry, drama, swimathons, parades, bingo, and of course, celebrating mums! Henstead is all about the children, and we truly value the opportunity to come together with you to celebrate them.
Their learning and
happiness are at the heart of everything we do, and as a teacher once remarked to me, our role goes beyond providing a great education; we want to create wonderful memories that they’ll look back on with deep affection, for the rest of their lives.
- Mrs Sonn
Key Dates: Tuesday 25th March - Sponsored Swimathon Wednesday 26th March - LAMDA Performances (8.45am in the hall - parents welcome) Wednesday 26th March - Spring Disco - 4.10pm - 5pm Thursday 27th March - Easter Service at St Mary’s Church, Henstead (8.50am - parents welcome) Monday 31st March - House and individual poetry competition (8.45am in the hall - parents welcome) Monday 31st March - EYFS Mothers Day Afternoon Tea - 3pm - 4pm Wednesday 2nd April - Trip to the Food Museum (Years 3 - 6) Thursday 3rd April - House Cross-country & Colour Run Friday 4th April - Easter Bonnet Parade in the orchard or hall, dependent on weather (8.45am - parents welcome) Friday 4th April - Easter Bingo 4pm - 6pm (Families welcome) Friday 4th April - Last day of term Full details regarding each of these events will be provided nearer the time and more dates will be added weekly.
School Events
Concerts
We have lots of wonderful events to look forward to in the coming weeks ahead.
Our Swimathon will take place on Tuesday 25th March. If you would like to sponsor Team Student or Team
Teacher, please click here
The Easter Bonnet Parade is on Friday 4th April at 9am in the orchard. There will be prizes for the most detailed, most creative and the tallest!
Our PTFA Easter Bingo will take place on Friday 4th April at 4pm - 6pm. Tickets will include your bingo book and dabber!
Tickets can be purchased here
Easter Service
You are all warmly invited to our Easter Service at St Mary’s Church, Henstead on Thursday 27th March. Please could your child/ren arrive at the church for 8.45am. If you are unable to attend and would like us to transport your child via our minibus, please email the office - office@theoldschoolhenstead.co.uk
 
EYFS Mothers Day Afternoon Tea
Calling all nursery mums and grandmas. Come and be spoiled at an afternoon tea just for you! If you would like to
attend or require more
information, please speak to
the nursery team.
  
Spring Disco
Spring Disco tickets are on sale now at Β£3 from the office. Please ensure children bring a change of clothes to school. A tuck shop will be available, so feel free to send them with some small change to spend!
Summer Show
Our summer show this year will be a musical medley tied together with an original story. This will give children from all year groups a chance to shine. We are holding soloist auditions for everyone in KS1 and KS2 and they will be held on the afternoon of 4th of April.
If your child would
like to audition,
please can they
prepare a short song
to perform.
Selections will be
announced in the first week after the Easter Holidays.
I can't wait to hear all of your wonderful voices! - Mrs Braidwood
Nursery
Concerts
The nursery children thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with herbal teabags, observing as the water changed colour. They were excited to explore using real-life resources such as china cups, saucers, bowls and jugs, which sparked conversations about home life while encouraging turn-taking and sharing.
The variety of teabags provided a sensory experience, as they eagerly smelled the different aromas, deepening their exploration. This activity also offered a great opportunity to incorporate mathematical skills, as they counted the teabags and measured the liquid.
- Miss Hammond
Year One and Two
British Science week with a theme of ’Change and Adapt’ was a great opportunity to test the children’s understanding of animal adaptations. We had a fun quiz where the children had to draw what animal was being described from a set of three clues that ranged from clue one being the hardest to clue three being the easiest. Some great answers and drawings!
- Mrs Dakin
Year One and Two
In French we have continued with our food theme, looking at Le petite dèjeuner. We used our knowledge on vowels to help fill the missing gaps to complete the spellings of some popular breakfast items. The children are looking forward to a French breakfast next week!
- Mrs Dakin
year one and two students in French class
Concerts
The children in years three and four have been exploring poetry this term. We have been looking at the work of Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris who wrote 'The Lost Words' and 'The Lost Spells' which are poetry anthologies based around the natural words, which have been sadly lost from the dictionary. This week, the children have written their own β€˜verb poems' based on an animal they found in the glossary of words, to bring that creature back to the world. They then created a detailed watercolour
  painting of their chosen animal inspired by the illustrations that they found in the books.
- Mrs Braidwood
Year three and four students with their verb poems
Year Three and Four
Concerts
   On the Friday of science week I set the children a challenge. We discussed how some animals have adapted to be able to camouflage themselves against predators.
Each child had to hide a paper butterfly somewhere in the room and blend it into its surroundings. On Monday, my task was to see how many I could find. The person who camouflaged the butterfly the best
would win. Look at the amazing places the children hid them!
- Mrs Braidwood
Spotlight on...
End-of-term assessments are underway in the prep school, and pupils are putting their knowledge to the test. I’m always impressed by their attitude and conduct during these exams, as they approach them with a calm maturity and quiet determination to do their best. They understand that these evaluations are not just about results but about celebrating their successes and identifying any gaps in their learning, helping them reach their full academic potential.
It’s important to remember that a child’s education is not defined by exams alone, but by a rich and stimulating learning experience throughout the year. This not only enhances academic achievement but also fosters social and emotional development, confidence, problem-solving skills, andβ€”arguably most importantlyβ€”resilience, a skill that will serve them well in the years beyond Henstead.
- Mrs Sonn
Year Five and Six - Food Tech Lesson
Science Week
Crochet Club
Concerts
Crochet Club pupils most recent creation: beautiful coasters, perfect for resting drinks on.
  
Achievements
A huge well done to Izaak and Sophia, who performed their LAMDA duo piece at the Norfolk County Music Festival.
Langley School Senior Show
Concerts
 A great time was had by all at the Langley School Senior Show β€˜Bound for Broadway’.
All of the children were exceptionally well behaved and did the school proud.
Mascots
This half-term our school values are adventurer and analyser.
Last week’s mascot winners were:
Year 1/2 - Amy for settling in so well and trying her hardest in all her lessons.
Year 3/4 - Anna for great progress across all subjects - particularly English and maths.
Year 5/6 - Monty for exceeding expectations in science and applying critical thinking skills to his work.
House Competition (Golds)
Each week the children are awarded golds for good work and behaviour. These golds are individual awards and feed into the running total points for their
house.
Last week’s winners were:
Waveney - Ottilie M 
Deben - Lexi 
Orwell - James 
Yare - Hazel
This week’s winners are:
Waveney - Margot 
Deben - Monty 
Orwell - Ottilie 
Yare - Emma
TTRS Champions
TTRS highest complete sets of tables all correct.
Year 1/2 - Florrie Year 3/4 - Margot Year 5/6 - Hazel
  
Premier Education Holiday Camp
Unfortunately, due to reasons beyond our control, the Premier Education Easter Holiday Camp has been cancelled.
Red Nose Day celebrations
Red Nose Day celebrations continued
Lunch Menu - w/c 24th March
Thank you for your feedback on school lunches. We’ve updated our menu with some new dishes which we are confident the pupils will enjoy. If children do not like the lunch on a specific day, a personal choice of sandwich is provided along with accompaniments.
MONDAY - Jacket potato with cheese, beans or tuna
TUESDAY -Chicken with rice and peas
WEDNESDAY - Tomato pasta with sweetcorn and garlic bread
THURSDAY - Beef burger or sausages with potato wedges and corn on the cob
Nursery: Sausage, mashed potato and carrots
FRIDAY - Fish and chips with garden peas
Daily - Soup of the Day Carrot/Cucumber/ Pepper Sticks
Piece of Fruit, Yoghurt, Raisins and Biscuit Alternatives for vegetarian, vegan and food intolerances.
Lunch Menu - w/c 31st March
Concerts
MONDAY - Jacket potato with cheese, beans or tuna
TUESDAY - Chicken in pitta bread with salad and mozzarella sticks
WEDNESDAY - Macaroni cheese with broccoli
THURSDAY - Beef burger or sausages with potato wedges and peas
FRIDAY - Pizza and carrot sticks
Daily - Soup of the Day Carrot/Cucumber/Pepper Sticks Piece of Fruit, Yoghurt, Raisins and Biscuit
Alternatives for vegetarian, vegan and food intolerances.

Related

Looking for a nursery or school place?

In School Journal

School Journal

Post navigation

Looking for a nursery or school place?

Useful Information

  • Newsletters
  • Term Dates
  • Upcoming Events
  • Visit Us

🌟 We're Hiring! 🌟 Specialist Medical Learni 🌟 We're Hiring! 🌟

Specialist Medical Learning Support Assistant

Could you make a life-changing difference to one child's education?

The Old School Henstead is looking for a compassionate, reliable and committed individual to join our team as a Specialist Medical Learning Support Assistant.

This is a truly unique and rewarding role, providing dedicated one-to-one support for a child with a rare medical condition. You'll help them access learning, take part fully in school life and flourish in our nurturing environment.

No previous experience with this specific condition is needed – we'll provide full specialist training and ongoing support. What matters most is your willingness to learn, your ability to build positive relationships and your commitment to putting the child at the heart of everything you do.

You'll be working as part of a job-share, alongside experienced colleagues, and supported by our staff team and medical professionals. This is an opportunity to gain specialist skills while making a genuine difference every single day.

πŸ“ Location: The Old School Henstead, Suffolk
πŸ“… Start Date: September 2026
⏰ Hours: Part-time (2 full days per week, term time only)
πŸ’· Salary: HLTA Pay Band (Band F)

To apply, please email office@theoldschoolhenstead.co.uk to request an application form.

The full job description, person specification and application form can be found on our website.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post with anyone who may be interested.

#HensteadSchool #MagicOfHenstead #NowHiring #LearningSupportAssistant #EducationJobs #SuffolkJobs #TeachingAssistant #SEND #SchoolJobs #MakeADifference
πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ Mini Marathon 2026 πŸƒ πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ Mini Marathon 2026 πŸƒβ€β™‚οΈπŸƒβ€β™€οΈ

This morning, in the relative coolness before the hottest part of the day, pupils, parents and staff took to the field for our annual Mini Marathon – the final challenge in this year's 'thon' series following the Swimathon and Bikeathon.

Our pupils were outstanding, showing real determination as they completed lap after lap of the field and encouraged one another all the way round. It was wonderful to see such resilience and team spirit on display.

The morning concluded with teacher Mr Hunter getting a well-earned (and very refreshing!) soaking from the pupils. 

A big well done to all the parents who joined in, and to Millie, former Head of School, who returned to Henstead this week for work experience and was keen to take part too.

Now for the big question... who has won the overall 'thon' championship? πŸ† The combined results from all three events will be announced at Speech Day next week!

#MagicOfHenstead #HensteadSchool #MiniMarathon #TeamHenstead #SchoolSport #Resilience #Determination #SpeechDay
πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ Mini Marathon 2026 πŸƒ πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ Mini Marathon 2026 πŸƒβ€β™‚οΈπŸƒβ€β™€οΈ

This morning, in the relative coolness before the hottest part of the day, pupils, parents and staff took to the field for our annual Mini Marathon – the final challenge in this year's 'thon' series following the Swimathon and Bikeathon.

Our pupils were outstanding, showing real determination as they completed lap after lap of the field and encouraged one another all the way round. It was wonderful to see such resilience and team spirit on display.

The morning concluded with teacher Mr Hunter getting a well-earned (and very refreshing!) soaking from the pupils.

A big well done and thank you to all the parents who joined in, and to Millie, former Head of School, who returned to Henstead this week for work experience and was keen to take part too.

Now for the big question... who has won the overall 'thon' championship? πŸ† The combined results from all three events will be announced at Speech Day next week!

#MagicOfHenstead #HensteadSchool #MiniMarathon #TeamHenstead #SchoolSport #Resilience #Determination #SpeechDay
More Sports Day Fun - The Famous Henstead 'Slip 'n More Sports Day Fun - The Famous Henstead 'Slip 'n' Slide' race!
πŸ†β˜€οΈ Henstead Sports Day β˜€οΈπŸ† Last we πŸ†β˜€οΈ Henstead Sports Day β˜€οΈπŸ†

Last week's Sports Day had a bit of everything. The morning was packed with field events, including long jump, high jump, ball throw and tug of war, with pupils earning valuable points for their houses throughout. πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ

In the afternoon, attention turned to the track for the athletics events, before the much-anticipated mums' and dads' races. We also had the annual pupils and staff versus parents tug of war, which was as competitive as ever! πŸ’ͺ

Of course, no Sports Day would be complete without the traditional water-slide race πŸ’¦ and the equally traditional soaking of the House Leaders at the end of the day! πŸ˜‚

Congratulations to Deben, who were deserving winners after a fantastic team effort across all the events. πŸ†πŸ’š

A huge thank you to everyone who came along to support the children, and to all those who stayed on to enjoy the Summer Fair afterwards. πŸŽͺ🍦

A brilliant way to round off another memorable Sports Day and a perfect example of the magic of Henstead – children, families and staff coming together to enjoy a day full of fun, friendship and community spirit. ✨

#SportsDay #TeamSpirit #SchoolCommunity #SummerFair #HouseCompetition #SchoolLife #ActiveSchools #Deben #MagicOfHenstead #MakingMemories
🎭✨ Confidence in Action ✨🎭 Last week, o 🎭✨ Confidence in Action ✨🎭

Last week, our LAMDA pupils took to the stage in front of the school and their families, showcasing their fantastic speaking and performance skills.

We couldn't be prouder of their confidence and hard work. 🌟

Congratulations to all those who have recently achieved Distinctions in their LAMDA exams, and good luck to those sitting theirs next month!

#LAMDA #StudentSuccess #ConfidenceBuilding #HensteadSchool #MagicOfHenstead #ProudSchool
🌟 JOIN OUR TEAM 🌟 We're looking for a carin 🌟 JOIN OUR TEAM 🌟

We're looking for a caring and enthusiastic 1:1 Learning Support Assistant to support a Year 6 pupil from September 2026.

If you're passionate about helping children thrive, enjoy building positive relationships and want to make a real difference every day, we'd love to hear from you.

πŸ“ Term time only
πŸ“ Monday-Friday mornings
πŸ“ Small classes
πŸ“ Supportive team
πŸ“ SENCo training and guidance provided

πŸ“§ Send your CV to: d.sonn@theoldschoolhenstead.co.uk

Please share!
#SEND #LearningSupportAssistant #TeachingAssistant #EducationJobs #SuffolkJobs #SchoolJobs #MagicOfHenstead #TheOldSchoolHenstead #JoinOurTeam
MAKE A DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY We're looking for a MAKE A DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY 

We're looking for a caring and dedicated Specialist Medical Learning Support Assistant to support one of our pupils.

✨ 2 days per week
✨ Term time only
✨ Full training provided
✨ A role that truly changes lives

This is a unique opportunity to combine educational support with specialist medical care, helping a child feel safe, successful and included every day.

If you're compassionate, reliable and passionate about helping children thrive, we'd love to hear from you.

πŸ“© Contact d.sonn@theoldschoolhenstead.co.uk for an application pack.

#HensteadSchool #MagicOfHenstead #EducationJobs #LearningSupportAssistant #SEND #SENDSupport #SchoolVacancy #SuffolkJobs #MakeADifference #SupportStaff #PrimaryEducation #JobOpportunity
🎭 A Glimpse Behind the Curtain 🎭 Rehearsals 🎭 A Glimpse Behind the Curtain 🎭

Rehearsals for Journey to the Past are in full swing.  See you in July!🎭✨
Load More Follow on Instagram

Pages

  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • Policies

Find Us On

  • Telephone: 01502 741150
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Β© The Old School Henstead Educational Trust Limited, Toad Row, Henstead, Nr Beccles, Suffolk NR34 7LG. Tel. +44 (0)1502 741150. Company No. 01459291. Charity No. 279265
Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}