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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 1/2 to 11 years old. Sign up for our next open day today.

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  • About Us
    • Welcome to the Old School Henstead
    • Why Choose Us
    • Our Aims
    • Our People
    • Inspection Reports
    • Senior School Entry & Scholarships
    • Policies
  • Admissions
    • Open Days
    • Come And See Us
    • Our Prospectus
    • Fees
  • The School Day
    • Breakfast Club
    • Lunches
    • After School Clubs
    • Prep
    • Holiday Clubs
  • Curriculum
    • Teaching & Learning
  • Pastoral
    • Assemblies
    • Forms
    • Houses
    • School Council
    • Uniform
  • Sports
    • Sports
    • Outdoor Education
  • The Arts
    • Art & Design
    • Drama
    • Music
  • Early Years
    • Early Years Department
    • Nursery
    • Aims & Objectives
  • Contact
    • Our Details
    • Vacancies
    • Contact Form & Map
  • Parents Area
    • 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 £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 ‘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, and—arguably most importantly—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 ‘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.

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A day spent paddleboarding in the sunshine with a A day spent paddleboarding in the sunshine with a glorious view of Mount Snowdon? Yes please! ⛰️

Especially when you follow it up with a walk around Dorothea Quarry, a World Heritage site, and a game of Pooh sticks 😁
We conquered Snowdon! ⛰️ Then went and had a We conquered Snowdon! ⛰️

Then went and had a dip in the lake to cool off 💙 Today has once again shown the determination and teamwork of the Henstead children. They managed to get to the summit in an incredible 2hrs 45 mins!
This year's trip to Wales is off to a great start! This year's trip to Wales is off to a great start! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

The children did an incredible job at gorge scrambling today. They had to undertake rock climbing, waterfall scaling and abseiling  as well as scrambling up the gorge. The entire time we could see how well they supported each other and worked as a team to make it to the top! 

Once we returned to our base another intense game of Risk began whilst dinner was in the oven. The children  planned the menu and bought all the food for the week yesterday evening. We are so proud of all of our year fives and sixes - Well done team! 💪
We are recruiting! We are looking for a kind, pat We are recruiting!

We are looking for a kind, patient and dedicated one-to-one Learning Support Assistant to work three days a week (term time only), supporting a pupil in Upper Key Stage Two with complex medical and learning needs. This is a highly rewarding role that offers the chance to make a real difference in a child’s daily school experience.

The successful candidate will be compassionate, adaptable and capable of building a strong, trusting relationship with the pupil. You will provide personalised support to help them engage in learning and feel safe, valued and supported throughout the school day.

While dyslexia training is desirable, it is not essential. 

Full medical training will be provided so no previous medical experience is required, just a willingness to learn and a caring, dependable nature.

Due to the child’s age, it is likely they will move on to a senior school in or around Loddon, Norfolk. With this in mind, we are ideally looking for someone who would be open to the possibility of continuing in the role and transitioning with the child to that location, should the opportunity arise.

For more information, please contact: d.sonn@theoldschoolhenstead.co.uk
Nutritious Nettles🍲👍 Last week, our senior Nutritious Nettles🍲👍

Last week, our senior pupils rolled up their sleeves in Food Tech and made nettle soup from scratch. Along the way, they learned that nettles are packed with iron, calcium, and vitamin C—great for giving the immune system a natural boost.

The stinging nettle might have a prickly reputation, but it turns out this humble plant has some wonderful healing properties. 

According to the pupils, it tasted great, too!

#nettles #nettlesoup #cookingatschool #foodtech
Anyone Fancy a Swim? The boys and girls were deli Anyone Fancy a Swim? 
The boys and girls were delighted to see the ducks again and loved watching them swimming in the sunshine. 🥰
They've grown so much since they hatched just before the Easter holiday!
Buckets, splashes, sunny fun - beach days are numb Buckets, splashes, sunny fun - beach days are number one! 😀

We had a fantastic day at the beach last Thursday - how lucky we are to live so close.  It's such a joy to be able to hop on the minibus and be building sandcastles and splashing in the waves in no time.  Beach days = best days!

#beachlife #funwithfriends #seaside 
😀☀️❤️🏖
It's great to be back! It's great to be back!
Henstead Easter Holiday Club! There's still time t Henstead Easter Holiday Club!
There's still time to sign up for our Easter Holiday Club. 😀🌟
We have a fantastic line-up of fun activities to keep your kids entertained, all run by our dedicated teaching staff. 
From baking Easter treats to exciting scavenger hunts, with acres of glorious countryside to roam and play, we've got it covered. 
Primary-aged children who don't currently attend Henstead are very welcome to join us!
For more details, email office@theoldschoolhenstead.co.uk
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© 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
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