This Week at Edge Grove

Over the weekend, I came across a recently published article highlighting the importance of play in learning. It focused on the energy and engagement children show when learning through their own play, something we see so clearly in our own school environment. This idea ties in beautifully with our recent Enrichment Week, where pupils had the opportunity to learn beyond the traditional classroom curriculum. From scooters and dodgeball to bouncy castles, the experiences this week truly enriched the children’s learning in joyful, memorable ways.

With the warm summer weather now in full swing, it has been wonderful to make full use of our outdoor learning spaces. Reception children proudly showed me their “water ways” and enthusiastically used the area to practise counting in 10s, an excellent example of learning through play.

Year 1 also impressed me with their creative writing this week. Their adverts for Burglar Bill’s Bakery were full of imagination and persuasive language. From ‘scrumptious Black Forest cakes’ to ‘warm croissants’, their writing left me feeling quite hungry!

A particular highlight for me this week was the Year 2 Showcase. Each and every child gave a fantastic performance. With bright hats, goggles, and even a rubber duck, the stage was bursting with summer spirit and talent. Well done to all involved!

Looking ahead, next Thursday is our Transition Morning. Please keep an eye out for further communication about this exciting day as children prepare for their next steps.

Wishing you all a restful and sunny weekend.

Mrs Wynne
Assistant Head (Junior)

Nursery

This week, our Nursery children enjoyed another fabulous week filled with sunshine, learning, and laughter! Continuing our ‘Staying Healthy’ theme, we explored the different types of food we eat and talked about whether they help our bodies grow strong. The children designed their own “perfect picnic” meals and discovered the importance of “eating a rainbow” to get all the essential vitamins and minerals.

Creativity was in full swing as the children painted beautiful still-life pictures of fruit bowls and experimented with printing patterns using real vegetables – it was messy, colourful, and so much fun!

We ended the week on a joyful note with a Teddy Bears’ Picnic. The children loved sharing teddy-shaped snacks and cuddling with their favourite teddies in the sunshine. A perfect way to finish a week full of healthy choices and happy moments!

We’re so proud of their curiosity and energy!

Reception News

What a fantastic week we’ve had in Reception! The children have been busy consolidating their learning from this term while enjoying a wide range of exciting activities.

In phonics, they’ve been applying their growing knowledge to their writing, remembering to use finger spaces, capital letters, and full stops. We’ve also been learning the “ow” sound and making rhyming lists. How many “ow” words can you think of at home?

A real highlight this week was Keen Bean’s Fun Day! The children’s physical skills were on full display as they zoomed around the go-kart circuit, worked together in team-building games, and tackled the bouncy castle assault course. There was no shortage of energy, and many children called it “the best day ever!”

The sunny weather inspired our creative side too, as we explored light and shape through shadow art. The children loved experimenting with how shadows are formed and creating imaginative outlines.

We ended the week on a high with our Teddy Bears’ Picnic. It was a joyful afternoon spent with friends, delicious treats, and plenty of cuddly companions.

Well done, Reception, another wonderful week full of learning, laughter, and fun!

Year 1 News

It has been a hot but fun-filled week in Year 1!

In English, the children continued their learning around Burglar Bill by creating an imaginative sequel—Bakery Bill! We were so impressed with their creative ideas, from stolen cakes to the prime suspect… the baby! We were also wowed by their use of ‘bossy’ verbs as they wrote their own sets of cake-baking instructions. After the brilliant homework from a few weeks ago, it’s clear we have a whole class of budding bakers!

In Science, the children showed fantastic enthusiasm as we explored the water cycle. They created mini versions of the cycle and worked hard to learn new scientific vocabulary, including evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

The highlight of the week was definitely Enrichment Day. The children demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and team spirit as they tackled each challenge, from dodgeball and the assault course to speedy go-kart driving. It was a day full of energy, laughter and lots of smiles!

Well done, Year 1, for another brilliant week of learning and fun!

We are looking forward to next week where we spend the morning in our new class as well as practising for Speech Day. Well done for another super week Year 1!

Year 2 News

It has been a delightful week brimming with exciting activities and accomplishments.

This past week marked our eagerly anticipated Enrichment Week. The children participated in a variety of fun and engaging activities designed to enrich their learning experiences. Well done to all the pupils for their enthusiasm and creativity!

A special commendation goes to our Year 2 children for their outstanding performance during the Summer Showcase. We were thrilled to see every child participating in wonderful singing and dancing routines. The piano performances were particularly impressive and a credit to all the work the children have put in.

Some of the pupils also had the joy of cycling around our school grounds this week if they had not already done so earlier this term. Blessed with fantastic weather, they thoroughly enjoyed the experience, which was not only fun but also a great opportunity to practise their cycling skills in a safe environment.

We had an incredible visit from Zoolab on Thursday! The children learned about diverse animal habitats and how animals adapt to their environments. The interactive session allowed our pupils to see various animals up close, igniting their curiosity and enthusiasm for science. Ask your children about their favourite part of this experience!

Dear Parents,

Wow, what a week we have had!  Enrichment Week has been full to the brim with activity schedules for Years 3, 4 and 5. Table tennis, rocket launches, STEM workshops, clay modelling, Hazard Alley and Go Ape all featured in the timetable, and then the latter half of the week was all about the residential elements – Norfolk Lakes for Year 5, and camping on-site for Years 3 and 4.

These incredible character-building, resilience-teaching, independence-growing experiences are so valuable to a child’s education and I want to thank you for supporting your children this week to ensure they got the most out of their time. I also want to thank the amazing staff in the Middle Department for guiding our pupils through the week with calm and caring encouragement. None of this would be possible without you!

Have a wonderful sunny weekend and charge up for the final two weeks of term!

Mr Thorne
Assistant Head (Middle Department)

Enrichment Week has flown by in a flurry of character-building activities in both Tavistock (Year 6) and Devon (Year 7 and 8). From kayaking, archery and surfing to raft-building and high ropes, it has been action-packed and we are sure your children will be ready for a good wash and some sleep!

Thank you for supporting your children this week to ensure they got the most out of their time and thank you to the many staff that made these trips happen. None of this would be possible without you!

Have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to two more busy weeks of term!

Instrument Lessons

Edge Grove offers 1-2-1 instrument tuition for all of our pupils from Reception to Year 8.  Our lessons are provided by professional musicians employed by the school, offering a vast array of musical instruments to suit our pupils.  

These include:

• Piano
• Singing
• Drums
• Harp
• Guitar
• Bass Guitar
• Ukulele
• Recorder
• Clarinet
• Flute
• Saxophone
• Trumpet
• Trombone
• French Horn
• Violin
• Viola
• Music Theory
  

Research has highlighted how beneficial musical learning is on a child’s mood and behaviour, and indicates that greater progress can be achieved across all areas of school life due to it.  This includes an improvement in academic progress, simply through learning an instrument!  If you would like to see a summary of the research, it can be found here.

In addition, senior schools are always on the lookout for excellent instrumentalists, particularly of the orchestral variety (clarinet, flute, trumpet, violin etc).  Places and scholarships are more likely to be given to instrumentalists of this nature in order to build orchestras and bands.  Moreover, a majority of scholarships are offered to pupils who play more than one instrument.  If you’re interested in potential scholarships, I have roadmaps to scholarship success with planned activities and targets which can be found here.

Lessons are £34.20 for half an hour, charged in arrears.  We timetable our lessons on SchoolBase and rotate them weekly so that pupils do not miss the same lessons week-on-week.  An initial trial lesson is available for all instruments, which are also £34.20 each.

If you wish to sign up for lessons in September or a trial, please follow this link.

Archery

Last Saturday the Parents challenged the Pupils at archery; it was a close contest throughout the morning before the Pupils edged ahead. Final scores: Pupils senior team 1685 points, Parents 1515 points, Pupils junior team 1355 points. Tomorrow (Saturday) is the End-of-Year Tournament with trophies to be won in each year group.

Please see details below about Archery and Squash Summer Courses.

English Channel Swim

As we all gear up for a busy final few weeks of the academic year—with Sports Day, the Swimming Gala, and various athletics meets on the horizon—one member of the Sports team is taking on an especially impressive challenge…

Miss Evans is preparing to swim the English Channel… for fun!!

We wish her the very best of luck with this incredible feat. What an inspiring way to finish off the academic year!

Miss Evans to Attempt Record-Breaking English Channel Relay Swim

On June 29, 2025 – Miss Evans is set to take part in a historic English Channel swim as part of an eight-person relay team attempting a Guinness World Record. The team aims to become the first ever to swim from Alderney in the Channel Islands to the British mainland — a gruelling 56-mile journey expected to take over 30 hours.

In preparation for the challenge, Miss Evans has spent months training in cold open water, acclimatising to the tough conditions expected during the crossing. The swim, which is being officially observed for Guinness World Records certification, is as much a test of mental strength as physical endurance.

The team is fundraising for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the Marine Conservation Society, and welcomes public support.

To support Miss Evans and her team, please visit the links below to donate via their JustGiving page.

https://www.justgiving.com/team/odysseysquad (RNLI)

https://www.justgiving.com/page/mark-ransom-8. (Marine Conservation)

SUMMER HOLIDAYS 2025 ARCHERY/SQUASH Courses

ARCHERY MORNINGS
Dates :
Week 1: Wed 23rd , Thurs 24th , Fri 25th July
Week 2: Tues 12th , Wed 13th , Thurs 14th August
Week 3: Wed 27th , Thurs 28th , Fri 29th August
Times : 10:30-12:00 (please arrive at 10:15am)
Venue : Edge Grove School, Aldenham Village, Herts WD25 8NL
Organiser : Julian Craxton (Archery GB Club Coach)
Cost : £10 per session
These outdoor sessions will cover all aspects of the sport with plenty of competitions and
prizes. All standards and ages welcome with all equipment provided. Newcomers to archery
also welcome.. Spaces are limited so an early booking (by phone or text) is recommended.

SQUASH AFTERNOONS
Dates :
Week 1: Wed 23rd , Thurs 24th , Fri 25th July
Week 2: Tues 12th , Wed 13th , Thurs 14th August
Timings: 14:15 to 15:45
Organisers : Julian Craxton (England international and Herts county coach) + Jago Nardelli
(England international)
Venue: Radlett Squash Club, 425 Watling Street, Radlett WD7 7JG
Cost :£10 per session
These sessions will include coaching, games and competitions. Juniors should wear games kit
and bring a clean pair of non-marking court shoes. Rackets and safety glasses will be
provided. All standards and ages welcome!! If you know anyone who would like to try
squash, please bring them along!!

Please contact Julian Craxton on 07711 748557 to book in or if
you require further details.
——————————————————————————————————-

No fixtures this week.

Check back next week when we will be one week closer to crowning this year’s winner of the House shield!

As our Year 6 pupils move into the final phases of their chosen senior schools’ admissions processes, parents with pupils in lower year groups may be starting to think more about the journey that they and their child will be embarking on in the not too distant future. If your child is in Year 5 or below and you would like to meet to discuss their academic profile and next steps, please book an appointment via Mrs Thomas, Head’s PA on futureschools@edgegrove.com 

The Future Schools Presentation to Parents is now available to view on the Future School Documents section of the app.

INFORMATION FROM SENIOR SCHOOLS

ABINGDON SCHOOL

Abingdon Senior School will start to welcome girls to our First Year (Year 7) and Sixth Form from September 2026. We will therefore welcome girls at the 13+ stage in 2028.  

We have a number of events for prospective families running throughout the course of this term and next – all of which can be booked online via this link.

ABBOT’S HILL SCHOOL

13+ Scholarship Opportunities

We have recently launched some new Scholarship opportunities. Scholarships will be available in the following areas:

Sport
Music
Drama
Art+Design

Enquiries to  https://www.abbotshill.herts.sch.uk/scholarships/ or email admissions@abbotshill.herts.sch.uk

BISHOPS STORTFORD COLLEGE

Whole School Open Event – Saturday 20th September

11+ entry in September 2026. 

Application Deadline for entry to the College in September 2026: 

Monday 3 November 2025

Scholarship Assessment Days:

Tuesday 11 November 2025 (11+ art and music) 

Wednesday 12 November 2025 (11+ sport)

11+ Entry Testing Day:  

Saturday 15 November 2025

Outcomes sent to parents:

Friday 28 November 2025

CHANNING SCHOOL

Here are the Channing 11+ (2026) key dates for your diary:

11+ Application Deadline: Friday 7 November 2025

Bursary and Music Scholarship Application Deadline: Friday 7 November 2025

Channing offers both bursaries and Scholarships for Year 7.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at admissions@channing.co.uk if we can be of further assistance.

CITY OF LONDON SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

11+ Admissions Brochure

 For more information and to book, visit www.clsg.org.uk

ETON

Reminder of Registration Deadline – 2028 Entry to Eton

The registration deadline for 2028 entry (boys currently in Year 5) is 30th June 2025.

The registration form can be found by clicking on the following link – https://application.etoncollege.com/.

Please note 30th June 2025 is a strict deadline. There may still be the option for boys to apply for a scholarship as a non-registered candidate when they are in Year 8, however these places are very limited.

If any prospective families have not yet visited and wish to do so, we ask that they please get in touch and we will send them our Admissions tour dates. We usually run tours twice a week throughout term time, however there are limited spaces and they are first come, first served. We therefore recommend families book a tour as soon as possible to avoid any potential disappointment.

HAILEYBURY

We are always happy to welcome any interested families to come and visit us; this can be done in a number of ways:

• Families can book onto one of our Open Events. Please encourage prospective families to book their place via the School’s website. 
• Contact the Admissions department (admissions7to9@haileybury.com / 01992 706353 ) to arrange an individual family visit during term time.

Once a family has decided to proceed with an application to Haileybury, we encourage them to register with us by completing our online Registration Form.

HARROW

Scholarship Information for 2026 entry

Please visit our Scholarships page on our website (https://www.harrowschool.org.uk/admissions/scholarships) should you have any queries about scholarships at Harrow.

Please note that attendance at our scholarship assessment days is by invitation only and that a candidate’s eligibility to apply for a scholarship must first be determined by the relevant Director of Subject.

Please pay particular attention to the following changes to the 2025/2026 assessments:

• Sports Scholarship candidates will now be assessed in the Autumn Term prior to entry.
• This year, the Sport Scholarship assessment day will be held on Friday 31 October 2025, with additional days for cricket and football.
• The deadline for candidates to apply for a Sport Scholarship is Tuesday 30 September 2025.

Our Academic Scholarship exams take place next February.

Parents are encouraged to contact the Directors of Art, DTE, and Drama via scholarships@harrowschool.org.uk for more information on these specific scholarships. Potential Music Scholars should have already contacted the Director of Music for a pre-audition.

JOHN LYON SCHOOL

Admissions Brochure

To book a School in Action Open Morning please contact admissions@johnlyon.org

THE LEYS

Information on small group visits can be found here and, in addition, we’re always pleased to discuss the possibility of a private visit with families too.

LONDON 11+ CONSORTIUM

Information regarding the Consortium can be found on our website.

These are the key dates:

Closing date for registrations: Friday 7 November 2025

Consortium Assessment dates: Friday 28 November, Tuesday 2 December and Thursday 4

December 2025

Offer date: Friday 13 February 2026

Deadline to accept: Wednesday 4 March 2026 – 12 noon

MILL HILL

Visit Our School | Senior Admissions North London | Mill Hill

MILL HILL COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

APTITUDE TEST DATES FOR YEAR 7 ENTRY FROM SEPTEMBER 2026

Registrations for Aptitude Tests will open on Friday 21st March 2025 and close at 3pm on Friday 9th May 2025. Registrations for Aptitude Tests are to be made online via the Mill Hill County High School website

https://www.mhchs.org.uk/1763/apply-for-aptitude-tests-4

RADLEY COLLEGE – 2026 ENTRY INFORMATION

All the details of our Open Days can be found on our website here. 

All 2028 entrants, regardless of their route of entry, will need to sit the ISEB Common Pre-Tests by 28 November 2025 .Parents need to register their children directly with the ISEB to sit the Common Pre-Tests via the ISEB Parent Portal. Parent Registration will open on 10 June 2025. 

Boys who have been shortlisted following receipt of the ISEB Common Pre-Tests results and Head’s report, will be asked to attend one of the following Assessment Days:

13, 15, 20, 22, 27 January & 3, 5 February 2026.

RMS – PRIVATE TOUR OF RMS FOR GIRLS – Contact Admissions to book a tour

 Do not hesitate to contact our friendly Admissions Team who will happily arrange a private tour of the School at a time convenient for you.
Please contact admissions@rmsforgirls.com 

SHREWSBURY SCHOOL

We are always delighted to welcome families to our Open Days, when they can get a sense of our beautiful campus site.  Each Open Day starts with a presentation from the Headmaster and other senior staff, followed by a Q&A session with pupils.  Families visit one of our houses and then enjoy a school tour with pupils, followed by lunch.  Open Days & School Tours | Shrewsbury School

The Director of Admissions, Martin Cropper (mc@shrewsbury.org.uk), is always pleased to talk to parents and to offer advice on our Admissions process.  We welcome applications for September 2026 onwards, and a small number of places for September 2025 have recently become available.

SOUTH WEST HERTS CONSORTIUM – Secondary Transfer 2026

This year, registration for the tests spans a period of almost ten weeks, from Tuesday 1st April to Friday 6th June 2025. As previously, no late registrations will be accepted. If a parent has extenuating circumstances for failing to register for the tests, this may be cited as part of an appeal to an independent panel at a secondary transfer appeal hearing.

The Test Administration Team can be contacted via email only at info@swhertsschools.org.uk. There is no facility to telephone.

Key testing dates can be found in the image at the bottom of this section.

TONBRIDGE SCHOOL

The School has numerous Open Mornings taking place. These are a great opportunity for families to discover what a Tonbridge education can offer their son, as well as the chance to meet boys and staff.

Come along and find out what makes us the top boys’ boarding school in the country as well as the best boys’ school in the South-East, as ranked by The Sunday Times’ Parent Power table.

Book your place using this link.

UPPINGHAM SCHOOL

Uppingham’s Visiting Days Families can sign up to attend via our website or contact Sarah Heading (sch@uppingham.co.uk). 

Tea Towels

https://foeg.edgegrove.com/events/tea-towels/

Please note that we have extended the deadline.

To order, click through and just before you pay, it will ask you what year group tea towel you are wanting to purchase! All profits go towards FOEG.

“It’ll be worth it when we get there!”

Whether overseas or nearer to home, many Tooled Up families will be planning holidays over the summer. While these trips offer new experiences, valuable family time and memories to cherish, we all know that preparing to travel with children whatever their age, is no small feat.

The build-up to a holiday is sometimes overwhelming enough to make us ask why we’re bothering! These Tooled Up resources have been written to make packing and preparation that little bit easier, and offer a useful reminder for things you might have forgotten.

Our Pre-Holiday Family Checklist is a great prompt for all the little jobs that need to be completed before the day of travel from packing passports, to checking timings on the boiler or making a plan for bin day. Stick it on your pinboard or your fridge so you can check off jobs as you do them!

Taking responsibility for packing their own travel items is a great way to make young children feel part of the holiday venture. They can tick off the Summer Holiday Packing Checklist for Children themselves as they pack.

If you have teens, it’s great if they can take charge of their own preparation and packing.

That’s especially true if they’re heading away from home without a parent for the first time. Use this handy list Summer Holiday Packing Checklist for Teens to make sure they remember all the holiday essentials!