Weekly Newsletter

I’ve been lucky enough to spend a great deal of my time this week in classrooms. It truly is one of the best parts of my role! Earlier in the week, I joined Year 1 as they explored the features of a letter. They are already fantastic at writing sentences, and it was a real treat to see their confidence and love for independent writing continue to grow. I also had the privilege of teaching some of the children during their non-fiction comprehension lesson on Friday. We learned all about cats, and the children impressed me with their beautifully written full-sentence answers.

Year 2 absolutely wowed me with their letters home from the trenches. Powerful vocabulary such as ominous, eerily, and scurried brought the horrors of trench life vividly to life. I also learned all about Cher Ami, thanks to the children’s detailed factfiles about this remarkable homing pigeon.

On Thursday, I spent the day teaching our Nursery children, which was, as always, an absolute joy. Their maths was a particular highlight: not only could they recognise numbers to 20, but they also demonstrated brilliant understanding when ordering them. Well done, Nursery! Of course, the biggest excitement for our youngest pupils came today with a visit from the Fire Engine, complete with flashing lights and accompanying sirens. The older children were very jealous. 

Reception stole the show this week with their newfound excitement for learning about police officers. Their smiles grew even bigger when they received their very own personalised video message from PC Wynne (Mrs Wynne’s husband), who explained all about his role as a Traffic Officer. The big question now is—can Mr Wynne be persuaded to do an in-person visit in the Spring Term…?

I look forward to seeing many of you over the weekend as we come together for Edge Grove’s Winterfest.

Nursery

It’s been a wonderful week in Nursery, filled with festive fun and fantastic learning! The children have loved helping to decorate the classroom, adding lots of Christmassy touches that have supported both their gross and fine motor skills. We have been enjoying The Jolly Postman and have even been busy writing our own letters to Santa. In maths, the children have been exploring missing numbers to build their number recognition and confidence. Overall, it has been a brilliant week, and we are so proud of all the children for their enthusiasm and hard work.

Reception News

What a wonderfully busy week we have had at school, and it feels as though the Christmas celebrations have truly begun! The children were full of excitement as they learned about the magical Northern Lights, discovering how these stunning colours dance across the sky. Using chalk and their fantastic artistic skills, they created their own colourful masterpieces, filling our classroom with vibrant swirls and glowing skies. 

In maths, we explored how to write a number sentence and used a 10 frame and counters to show our thinking clearly and solve simple problems with confidence. 

Our imaginative writing took on a very creative twist this week as the children became police officers! They proudly made their own police badges and notebooks before heading off around the classroom, writing down all the wonderful ways they could help people. 

A highlight of the week was a special surprise from Mr Wynne, who kindly sent a video explaining how he helps others while riding his motorbike—a moment the children found truly inspiring. 

To end the week, Reception enjoyed first-class seats at the brilliant Year 4 play, and they were still singing the songs with huge smiles when they returned to the classroom. What an exciting start to the festive season!

Year 1 News

Year 1 pupils have had another fabulous and busy week! In Maths, we have continued exploring our knowledge of 3D shapes – a skill that will certainly come in handy when we’re trying to guess what our presents are under the Christmas tree!

In English, we are carrying on with our story Mr Big. The children have worked hard on developing their prediction skills and have stepped into the (very large!) shoes of the titular character to discuss his thoughts and feelings throughout the story.

We are now truly getting into the festive spirit, and rehearsals for The Big Little Nativity are well underway. The children are doing brilliantly, and we cannot wait for you to see their performance in just a few weeks time!

Year 2 News

In the build up to Christmas, this week in year 2, the children have been focusing on the value of kindness. We listened to a wonderful assembly led by Mr Stanley and felt inspired to make our own year 2 kindness wall. The children thought of acts of kindness they have seen in school and wrote their example on a post-it. We came together to build a wall of kindness in the Apthorp to help inspire others to ‘pass-it-on.’ 

Rehearsals for our highly anticipated Christmas production of The Big Little Nativity are well underway! Thank you for helping your children to learn their lines! We can’t wait to share the final production with you in a couple of weeks. 

English has been a slightly muddier affair! We have been imagining that we are soldiers in World War I, writing a letter home from the trenches on the Western Front. The children have been fascinated to learn about the Christmas Truce and how on this special day, the soldiers stopped fighting to play football with the German soldiers. Children have been recording their experiences of the “squelchy mud,” the “ominous clouds on the horizon” and of course complaining about the “tinned beef and dried biscuits.” 

Well done for another wonderful week of learning and thoughtful discussion Year 2.

We have had a vibrant and rewarding week across both Year 3 and Year 4, with the children continuing to demonstrate impressive enthusiasm, maturity, and determination in all areas of their learning. Classrooms have been full of energy and curiosity, and it has been a pleasure to see pupils engaging so positively with their lessons and supporting one another so thoughtfully. Their growing confidence and eagerness to take on new challenges has been particularly encouraging.

A special highlight of our week has undoubtedly been the Year 4 production of Cinderella Rockerfella. The performance was nothing short of outstanding, beautifully rehearsed, full of sparkle, and delivered with a level of professionalism that truly belied their age. Every child shone on stage, showing not only talent but also teamwork, commitment, and joy in performing. We are incredibly proud of all our Year 4 pupils for creating such a memorable and entertaining show.

I am very much looking forward to Winterfest and hope to see you there. Have a wonderful weekend.

Year 3 – Miss Kyriacou, Miss Corin, Miss Lundrigan

We are pleased to share an update from another productive and engaging week in Year 3. The children have embraced a wide range of learning opportunities, demonstrating curiosity and commitment across all subjects.

In English, Year 3 pupils have been diligently developing their comprehension skills. Our focus has included inferring meaning, clarifying vocabulary, and retrieving key information from texts. In addition, the children have been producing well-structured paragraphs featuring descriptive language and expanded noun phrases. We are delighted with their progress and creativity.

In Mathematics, the children continue to strengthen their understanding of subtraction. They have been applying this important skill to a variety of problem-solving tasks, and their growing confidence and reasoning abilities are evident.

Our History lessons remain engaging as we continue our study of the Bronze Age. This week, the children created their own Bronze Age fact files, demonstrating impressive enthusiasm and insight. In Geography, we have moved from our study of mountains to the captivating topic of volcanoes. The children have shown great interest while learning about what volcanoes are and where they can be found around the world.

Congratulations to our Year 4 pupils on their outstanding production of Cinderella Rockafella. Their hard work, enthusiasm, and confidence shone through in every scene, resulting in a performance that was both entertaining and memorable. We are incredibly proud of the dedication they demonstrated throughout rehearsals and on stage. Well done, Year 4, for delivering such a fantastic show!

We kindly remind parents that if a child arrives after registration at 08:25, they must sign in at the main building office before proceeding to the Apthorp building.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child’s educational journey. We look forward to many more weeks of successful and enjoyable learning.

Year 4 – Mrs Futerill, Mrs Warnes

Our Panto-filled week has been amazing. We are so proud of all the children and their incredible performances. Every role plays a part and when that part is played with energy, enthusiasm and passion, it makes for the very best result. As you could tell, they enjoyed performing immensely! Our efforts have also focused on our backstage work as well as on-stage. Our amazing backstage coordinators, Matthew and Ray, were instrumental in the success of the show. They were in charge of making sure everyone was in the right place at the right time. As you can see, we have some ‘backstage’ shots of how it feels on the night. Such fun.

Year 5 – Mr Russell and Mrs O’Brien

This week in Year 5…

Our PSHE lessons have introduced the important concept of being a “Critical Consumer.” The children have been learning to think carefully about the different things they should consider before making a purchase, and the wider consequences their choices might have. We discussed various scenarios, and the children offered fantastic advice on factors like:

Need vs. Want: Do I truly need this item?

Value for Money: Is it worth the cost?

Environmental Impact: How was this made, and where will it go when I am finished with it?

In our Form times this week, we held an election to appoint our new Class Digital Leaders. These roles are a fantastic new responsibility, and the successful candidates will be helping Mr. Kay with various IT-related tasks around the school. A huge congratulations to Teddy and Izzy, who were voted in by their classmates! We look forward to seeing the great work they do.

This week, we have also focused on our fortnightly school value of Kindness during a number of year group assemblies. We had excellent discussions about what it truly means to be kind, as well as exploring practical ways we can all spread kindness both in school and at home. The children were particularly enthusiastic about completing the special kindness wall task set by Mr Stanley and Mrs Wright. We are already seeing some wonderfully thoughtful contributions and are very excited to see the finished display!

Art has also been a keen highlight this week with Isabella, Adam, and Jesse really enjoying the print artwork that they have created.

We were blown away by the high standard of performance from Year 4 in their pantomime “Cinderella Rockafella” this week. We thoroughly enjoyed the dress rehearsal with Ava and Alex finding it particularly funny. Well done to the Year 4 cast!

We have a number of responsibility roles in Year 5 and Harry has enjoyed having the ownership of being Chromebook monitor this week.

Outside of the classroom, Raphy was really pleased with his performance at Table Tennis club where he is continually pushing himself to be top of the ladder.

Iyanu was also proud of herself for learning and performing two complicated pieces at her violin concert in just under 5 weeks!

A big well done to everyone for their hard work this week. We look forward to the next one!

Have a lovely weekend!

Year 6 – Mrs Allen, Mr Kay, Dr Moradi

This Week in Year 6…

It’s been another busy and productive week in Year 6, with more 11+ interviews, academic assessments, and scholarship workshops taking place. The pupils are navigating this period of pressure with tremendous maturity. They are learning to manage their time, stay organised, and support one another – skills that will serve them well long beyond this term. 

We are incredibly proud of the calm, focused attitude they continue to show.

A real highlight of the week was the Year 4 production of Cinderella Rockerfella. Our Year 6s were brilliant audience members and thoroughly enjoyed cheering on the younger pupils. For many of them, it brought back fond memories of their own performance of Aladdin back in 2023!

In form time, we’ve had some thoughtful discussions about managing conflict and maintaining positive relationships. These sessions have helped pupils reflect on empathy and communication, tools that are invaluable in the classroom and beyond. We also joined a fun, interactive, online assembly with Mrs Wright about kindness and gratitude. Pupils have been busy writing their ‘kindness notes’ for the Apthorp Kindness Wall, so do keep an eye out for the display!

Sport continues to be a strong area for the year group, with great results in recent fixtures and plenty of enthusiasm across training sessions. Alongside this, there has been lots of excellent learning happening in all subject areas, with pupils showing curiosity, commitment, and independence.

Year 6 have also taken on their new pupil responsibilities with real enthusiasm. Congratulations to our newly elected Digital Leaders, and to all pupils who are stepping up to serve the school community in a variety of leadership roles. To name but a few:

• Junior Department Teaching Assistants 
• Eco Representatives
• Pupil Voice Committee (Anti-Bullying Week)
• International Men’s Day Ambassadors
• Food Committee
• Neurodiversity Champions
• Year 3 & 4 Indoor Play Assistants
• Backstage Assistants
• Academic Ignite
• Co-curricular Ignite
• Roaring Readers – library leaders 
• Peer-on-peer mentors 

These roles are offering pupils the chance to develop confidence, teamwork, and initiative, as well as an understanding of service and responsibility. Leadership helps them grow as role models, deepen their sense of belonging, and make a positive impact within the school.

A wonderful week all round – well done, Year 6!

Our unanimous highlight of the week has been preparing for Winterfest!

Please do bring cash to support the Seniors at Winterfest tomorrow.  Here is a reminder of what they are offering:

Happy Winterfest!

Senior of the Week:

This week’s Senior of the Week is Isaac!  The Secret Mission was respect and responsibility around School, and Mrs. Wildman, our lunch supervisor, has nominated Isaac; she heard Isaac say ”boys, there are visitors round the corner!” and quietly ensure that everyone looked extra smart and that everyone crossed the courtyard at a reasonable decibel!  Thank you, Isaac, for being a very responsible Head Boy.

The Power of Reading

By Mrs Jane Broadis, Head of English and Future Schools Curriculum

Those of you who have been in the school for some time will be familiar with me promoting reading, and encouraging you to read with your children, long after they can independently read for themselves.  It is only through being introduced to more complex texts by someone with better reading skills than them: novels and non-fiction at school, shared news articles and information texts at home, that children can understand more complex vocabulary and ideas. Children reading alone will skip over tricky words, or try and make meaning themselves, and this is where we see misconceptions in the classroom, when children have not had an adult who can help to explain and define the challenging words they have encountered.

A recent article from the national charity BookTrust outlined the importance of reading with young children:

Why Reading Together Matters for Children – BookTrust

Shared reading is one of the simplest and most powerful ways parents can support their child’s development. BookTrust’s recent guide highlights that reading together does far more than build vocabulary: it strengthens the mental skills that help children learn, manage their emotions, and navigate the social world.

These skills—often called executive function and self-regulation—include paying attention, remembering information, controlling impulses, and adapting to change. They underpin almost everything children do in school: listening to instructions, switching between tasks, coping with frustration, staying focused, and working with others. Crucially, these abilities are not fixed. They grow through everyday interactions with adults, and shared reading is an ideal context for this growth.

When parents read with children—pausing to talk about the story, encouraging predictions, asking thoughtful questions, or connecting events in the book to real life—children practise focusing, recalling details, thinking flexibly and managing excitement or impatience. These small moments of guided discussion help children learn to reflect, reason and regulate themselves. Frequent, interactive reading offers the brain repeated opportunities to strengthen these skills.

Reading together also creates an emotionally safe space. Exploring characters’ feelings helps children develop empathy and expand their emotional vocabulary. When adults model calm, curiosity and patience during reading, children absorb those habits. Over time, these everyday routines support better learning, more resilient behaviour and stronger relationships.

Parents don’t need special training or long stretches of time. Just a few minutes of shared reading most days—done warmly and interactively—makes a measurable difference. Asking “What do you think will happen next?”, “Why might he feel that way?”, or “Have you ever felt like that?” turns a simple story into a rich thinking exercise.

In short: reading with your child is not only about books. It is a practical, enjoyable way to nurture the skills children rely on throughout primary school and beyond. A small daily habit can have a long-lasting impact on attention, emotional confidence and the joy of learning.

To help parents support their children with reading, I have curated a collection of fantastic fiction and non-fiction books for sale at this year’s Winterfest; these are books that I know align with the interests of children at Edge Grove and promote curiosity and learning in areas which complement the taught curriculum. You may have seen my Instagram advert! 

We also have a new ‘Author’s Corner’ at Winterfest this year where Serena Holly (better known to many here at Edge Grove as Jasmine Richards) will be selling and signing copies of her new Christmas book, ‘The Other Father Christmas’. It is hugely inspiring when children meet someone who writes, especially when we have so many children who write for pleasure at Edge Grove.

See you at the book stall!

Future Schools Update 

Mrs Broadis, Head of Future Schools Curriculum

This has been a busy week of assessments for our Year 6 pupils, and they are continuing to thrive and impress us under the pressure.

It’s a busy, demanding time, but the overwhelming feedback is that pupils have felt well prepared and confident – and when they tell us the assessments were hard, we rejoice, because in these days of adaptive tests, this means they were getting their answers right!

I would ask all 11+/13+ parents to keep us informed of interview and assessment dates by emailing both Future Schools and the School Office. This way we can ensure our systems are in place to support children to the best of our ability, so they can go out brimming with well-placed confidence and character! 

Below is a list of those senior schools which Edge Grove families have chosen in the last four years, with links to Admissions pages.

Independent Schools

Abbot’s Hill

Aldenham

Belmont/Mill Hill

Berkhamsted

City of London School

HABS Boys

HABS Girls

Haileybury

Immanuel College

John Lyon

Merchant Taylors’ School

North London Collegiate School

Queenswood

Royal Masonic School

Sherrardswood

St Albans

St Albans High School for Girls

St Columba’s

St Helen’s 

St Margaret’s

St Paul’s 

UCS Hampstead

Wycombe Abbey

13+ Boarding Schools & Colleges

Bede’s

Charterhouse

Cheltenham Ladies’ College

Eton

Harrow

Marlborough

Wellington College

State Schools

Dame Alice Owen’s School

JFS

Henrietta Barnett School

Queen Elizabeth’s School

St Albans Girls’ School

Herts SW Consortium Schools

(Registration for Secondary Transfer for September 2026 is now closed. No late registrations will be accepted.)

Are you worried about your child’s eating habits? We have provided a range of useful resources to help you understand and support your child’s diet and eating habits:

1. Magnificent Munchers

Magnificent Munchers work with children from 2-16 years of age. We offer both individual and group food therapy sessions tailored to meet your child’s specific needs. We work with parents/carers helping them understand the steps to eating process by working at their child’s pace. With our high staff ratio and specialist therapy knowledge we aim to help children learn to explore a wider variety of tastes and textures and become happy social eaters.

2. Hertfordshire.gov Online Workshops

How do I get my child to eat better?

A 1 hour bitesize workshop. No matter how restrictive your child’s diet is, there are things you can do to help. This workshop will be delivered online on Zoom on Thursday 4th Dec 2025, 10-11am.

Understanding ARFID webinar

Practical guidance for parents and carers on ARFID. This workshop will be delivered via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday, 3 December, 6:00pm. Tickets from £7

3. Beezee Families

An award-winning healthy lifestyle programme for families.

What an incredible two nights of performances we had this week with Year 4’s Cinderella Rockerfella! I am so proud of each and every pupil who gave their heart and soul to the show. Well done all!

Year 3 have also been working hard in preparation for Winterfest tomorrow. They will be performing a collection of Christmas songs, coming together as a year group choir the likes of which has never been seen!

Meanwhile, the Junior Department have been busy rehearsing their nativities, Whoops-a-Daisy Angel and The Big, Little Nativity. We’ve had an abundance of sheep, donkeys, wise men, and the occasional camel charging through the department this week – quite a sight to behold!

We are also looking forward to our upcoming Carol Service on Friday 5th December, which is open to all. The service will feature a collection of carols alongside readings and performances from our two stunning Edge Grove choirs.

And finally… on Thursday 11th December, our choirs will be going off-site to Battlers Green Farm and The Mead Care Home, where they will be spreading Christmas cheer through song.

Busy, busy, busy!

Festive, festive, festive!

Mr Evans and Mrs Allen
Director of Music and Director of Drama

Creativity is Flourishing!

It has been an incredibly busy and inspiring week in the Art Studio, with pupils across all year groups producing fantastic work, exploring new materials, and getting delightfully messy. Our focus this week has ranged from historical texture to modern printmaking!

• Year 2: We have seen remarkable inventiveness from Year 2 as they channeled their inner Roald Dahl. The pupils have been busy crafting spectacular, 3D trees based on the famous landscape featured in their class novel, The Twits. The results are wonderfully wild and scrunchy!
• Year 3: Year 3 has been bridging the gap between History and Art by creating some truly fantastic Stone Age Paintings. This was a brilliant cross-curricular link to their area of study, where they focused on using naturalistic, simple lines and dry media (charcoal and pastels) to achieve the rugged texture of authentic cave art.
• Year 4: The Year 4 artists have been immersed in the world of Cubism, adding the finishing touches to the composition of their fantastic Picasso Self-Portraits. We finally got the paints out this week, making a lovely, colorful mess as they applied bold, expressive colors to their dynamic portraits.

Both Year 5 and Year 6 have spent the week creating different kinds of prints, mastering the technical process of transferring an image.

• Year 5: These pupils have been creating stunning under the sea-inspired prints, taking inspiration from the beautiful colors and forms captured by artist Amy Cundall. They explored various techniques, focusing primarily on foam printing to achieve vibrant underwater scenes.
• Year 6: Our Year 6 artists have been exploring more expressive techniques. Their dramatic Monoprints have been inspired by the powerful, emotive work of German artist Käthe Kollwitz, allowing them to focus on tone and human emotion in their compositions.
•  Seniors have been finishing off their perspective drawings inspired by Stephen Wiltshire. These have challenged the boys over the past few weeks and I am so proud of their perseverance!

Around the School

Keep a close eye on the frames and display boards around school! We are gradually updating them with fresh, exciting pieces that have been created in the Art Studio this year.

Mini Ceramics Exhibition – Thursday 11th December!

We warmly invite you to join us for a special Mini Ceramics Exhibition in the Art Department.

• What: A display of the fantastic ceramic houses created by pupils this term.
• When: Thursday, December 11th
• Time: During the Afternoon Pick-up time

Please do pop in with your children to celebrate their wonderful three-dimensional achievements!

Hi-de-hi!

Here’s our weekly dose of House System shenanigans, triumphs, and absolutely top-tier comedy.

A thunderous round of applause for Motunrayo in Gills, who sent in this nutty gem:

What did the nut say to the nutcracker when it told a joke?
You crack me up!

Congratulations to Jay in Hedgerows, who captured a stunning sunset that is officially more orange than our sports bibs and more dramatic than the Seniors lunch queue. Truly gorgeous.

If you see Jay, feel free to nod knowingly and say “nice composition,” even if you’re not quite sure what that means.

Mr Evans has been extremely busy with Panto rehearsals (say it with me… “OH YES HE HAS!”) This means it’s been a beautifully quiet week around school. Teachers have enjoyed the reduced risk of being recruited for spontaneous chorus lines, and students have enjoyed the brief respite from being asked to “project their voices.”  Fear not — once Panto season is over, expect full-volume chaos to return.

Mr Evans
Head of Houses
Director of Music
Enjoys writing in the third person.

Joke Entries this Week
Why is six afraid of seven? Because seven eight nine.
Did you hear about the race between 19 and 20? 21.
What is a cat’s favourite colour? Purrrrrpel.
What day does a lion eat a person? “Chewsday”
What do you call a hippo that has chicken pox? A hippo- spot – amus
Why don’t I write with a pencil with no lead? It’s pointless
What do you call a monster with no ears? Nothing, he can’t hear you.
What do you call a sleeping bull. A bulldozer
When is it time to go to the dentist? Tooth-hurty!
Why did the ghost not want to go out in the rain? Because the ghost didn’t want the rain to dampen its spirits.
Why did the golfer bring 2 pairs of pants? In case he got a hole in one.
What do you call a reindeer with bad manners: Rude-olph.
I’ve always found trigonometry tricky. But then my maths teacher told me to look at it from a try-angle.
Why did you stop being a vegetarian? It was a huge missed steak.
What’s the difference between a piano and a fish? You can tune a piano but you can’t TUNA  fish.

We’ve had a fantastic week in the Sports Department. Most year groups have now moved into their Rugby and Netball pre-season training, with Years 1 & 2 set to begin in the New Year.

Our Colts Netball players enjoyed a brilliant training session at Beechwood Park on Wednesday. It was great to see them adapting to 7-a-side netball after playing 5-a-side Bee Netball for the past couple of years. The Colts footballers also played their final matches of the term in freezing conditions. They have worked incredibly hard all season, and it has been wonderful to see their development.

While the Year 4s have been performing their socks off at the panto, the Year 3s have begun their rugby and netball training, focusing on basic skills and learning the fundamentals of both sports.

We look forward to seeing you all at Winterfest on Saturday, and in the coming weeks at the Inter-House hockey and football matches.

Edge Grove Colts A vs St Martins A

The final whistle of the football season blew for the Edge Grove Colts A squad following a spirited performance against St Martins, resulting in a 3-1 defeat. Despite the scoreline, the team showed tremendous determination and progress, fighting until the very end.

The Colts A were determined to finish the season strongly and focused immediately on getting a foothold in the game. However, St Martins demonstrated why they were tough opponents. The deadlock was broken when their central midfielder found a pocket of space and unleashed an absolute rocket of a shot into the top corner – a truly unsaveable strike. Edge Grove quickly regrouped, with Teddy providing a moment of heroism by throwing his body on the line to dive at the feet of the same dangerous midfielder, preventing a swift second goal.

Unfortunately, the St Martins pressure eventually told. Their midfielder again played a pivotal role, displaying “dancing feet” to evade defenders before teeing up his striker for a simple tap-in, making the score 0-2.

Mirroring the resilience shown in previous weeks, the Colts A team immediately rallied. Tommy, Tyler, and Cooper began combining brilliantly, moving the ball quickly up the pitch to feed chances to striker Jack. Before the half closed, both Cooper and Jack tested the St Martins keeper with shots that were well saved, and Edith came agonisingly close, with her powerful left-footed effort skimming just over the bar.

An early third goal for St Martins in the second half made the task of staging a comeback significantly more difficult, but the Edge Grove side refused to surrender. Harry remained a rock at the back, providing calm defensive cover and initiating attacks by distributing the ball effectively to Tommy. Louis was a constant source of threat down the left flank, showing incredible skill as he took on his man, beating three defenders in one remarkable run before finally being tackled just as he was set to pull the trigger.

The relentless pressure finally paid off. Edith’s ferocious effort high up the pitch won the ball back, which then fell invitingly to Tommy. From long range, Tommy curled an outstanding shot that bent perfectly into the bottom corner, pulling a goal back for the Colts A to make it 1-3.

The team pushed hard for a second, creating a flurry of incredibly close chances. Tyler was desperately unlucky when his outstanding, controlled volley smashed against the crossbar. The rebound fell to Jack, who instantly whipped the ball towards goal only to see it cannon off the post.

I am immensely proud of the Colts A team. The progress shown from week one to the final whistle has been significant and a true pleasure to witness. Well done to every player on a fantastic football season.

Edge Grove Colts B vs St Martins B 

The Colts B team hosted St Martins today in their final football fixture of the year. It was a thrilling match, full of energy and strong performances across the squad.Oscar J put in a brilliant performance in goal, making multiple crucial saves to keep Edge Grove in the game. In midfield, Harry N played a disciplined defensive role at centre midfield, breaking up opposition attacks and helping to control the tempo of the game. Riley H, playing at left back, was awarded Player of the Match for his outstanding defensive effort. He made numerous key tackles and consistently worked the ball from the back up the pitch, showing great composure under pressure. At right back, Aiwanehi A combined effectively with Rafael K in central defense. Rafael had a fantastic game, frequently turning over possession and linking play from defense into attack. In attack, Hunter C showed strength and determination, with one powerful run leading to a goal scored by Harry N in the first half. Ved M impressed with his ability to retain possession, using his physicality to maintain control against the opposition. Raphael B also contributed well on the right wing, helping to create opportunities for the team.Despite a narrow 1-2 defeat, the boys should be incredibly proud of their efforts. It was an exciting and competitive match to watch, and the team showed great skill, resilience, and sportsmanship throughout the season. Well done, boys – keep up the intensity as we transition into rugby season!

Edge Grove Colts C vs St Martins C

On a crisp, frosty afternoon under clear blue skies, the Colts C team took to the field for their final fixture of the season against St Martins Colts C team. Despite a spirited and energetic display from Edge Grove, the team were unable to convert their effort into points.

From the first whistle, Edge Grove showed real enthusiasm, work rate, and determination. The boys battled hard throughout, putting in tackles, chasing every loose ball, and trying to piece their phases together. Although things didn’t quite click on the day, the commitment and desire were evident from start to finish. There were plenty of positives to take away and several key areas to build on as the group continues to develop. Importantly, the players kept their heads up, supported one another, and showed great character in what proved to be a challenging contest.

As this was the final game of the season, it was fantastic to see the boys enjoying the occasion, embracing the experience, and finishing the term with smiles on their faces. A big well done to all involved for their effort and attitude throughout the afternoon.

Edge Grove Colts D v St Martins Colts DI & DII

It was a tale of two halves, or rather two matches, for the Colts D team this week. 

The boys displayed resilience in the first game before unleashing a spectacular attacking performance in the second, making for a memorable afternoon of football.

Match One:

 The boys started the first match with excellent defensive organisation, playing some nice football in spells. Kevin was nothing short of incredible between the posts, flying across the goalmouth as if he had wings and denying the opposition time and again for large parts of the match.

Defensively, Syon kept a cool head, controlling the back line with maturity; he was invaluable to the team’s structure and made several timely clearances. Daniel utilised his speed and awareness brilliantly to keep the opposition attackers under wraps, while Itai was a tower of strength. With a never say die attitude, Itai used his power to fight for possession, consistently winning the ball in both defence and attack.

Going forward, Joshua was a constant threat, using excellent dribbling skills and determination to open up the St Martins defence. Sami worked the wings well, using his pace and skill to great effect, while Hamza worked tirelessly up front, making good runs into the box without receiving the reward his work rate deserved.

Unfortunately, a split second lapse in marking allowed the opposition striker to tap the ball home unopposed, resulting in a narrow 1 to 0 loss despite a valiant effort.

During the break, the team spent 15 minutes regrouping. We ran specific drills focusing on movement, communication, rapid ball distribution, and adding strength on the ball. The effect was immediate. The boys took to the field for the second match with renewed belief, resulting in a complete transformation.

Match Two:

 The Goals Flow The second match was a dominant display, ending in a 4 to 0 victory. Kevin was once again great between the sticks, earning a well deserved clean sheet.

At the back, Syon continued to coordinate the defence, proving instrumental to our cohesion, while Daniel read the opposition’s movement perfectly, closing them down effectively and making telling clearances. Itai stepped up as a general in the midfield, coordinating both defence and attack and looking resolute on the ball. Hamza, now deployed on the wing, was heavily involved and caused plenty of trouble from the flank.

The attacking output was spectacular. Sami played like a man on a mission, increasing his intensity massively. He coordinated excellent phases of passing, boasted impeccable movement, and scored two great goals. Joshua was immense up front, also netting two goals. The highlight of the match was Joshua’s brilliant solo effort, running from his own half to blast the ball into the top corner.

It was a fantastic turnaround and a great afternoon of sport. I am very proud of how the boys applied themselves today. Well done, Colts D!

Colts E vs St Martins (E&F)

2-1 and 2-0

The Colts E played in a mini triangular tournament against St Martin’s Colts E and F teams. The whole team played some fantastic football this afternoon for their final game of football season. Kush and Arhaan played really well defensively, Pranay made some excellent saves on goal, Toran and Rayan played well together in midfield using the wings to pass the ball, and Hridhann and Kwabena played brilliantly upfront putting pressure on the attack to score goals. All players showed great determination in both games and should be pleased with their efforts. Well done on winning both games to end the season!

Colts F vs St Martins

We finished the football season with an enjoyable afternoon of matches at St Martin’s School. We split our squad into two two as did St Martin’s meaning we were able to play a mini festival with lots of game time against different teams. The Edge Grove boys showed just how much they have improved this season with a great display of teamwork and passing football. We stayed in our positions and moved the ball quickly to players in space and created a number of goal scoring opportunities. We did not take advantage of as many of these as we would have liked but it was great to have the St Martin’s coach (their ex Director of Sport) say how impressed he was of how our boys passed the ball and how well we played as a team. It was great to come away with some good wins and a really positive afternoon of football. Well done to all the boys.

Colts Netball Training Matches vs Beechwood Park

The Colts Netball squad took part in their pre-season training and matches on Wednesday afternoon. They spent the first half of the session completing a series of drills, including moving the ball up the sideline and practising defensive skills both inside and outside the D. Afterwards, Beechwood Park and Edge Grove mixed into balanced teams for a mini-tournament. It was fantastic to see the Year 5 and 6 players working so positively together, moving the ball confidently up and down the court.
The season ahead looks bright for the Colts Netball team.

U8 Pre-Season Rugby and Netball Training

On Thursday afternoon, while the Year 4s were resting their voices, our Year 3 pupils took part in pre-season Netball and Rugby training. During both sessions, the pupils learnt how to move the ball quickly and effectively around the pitch/court while maintaining excellent hand–eye coordination. Although the weather was slightly against us, the Year 3s all made great progress throughout the afternoon, and we look forward to building on these foundations over the coming weeks.

Think of a moment when you truly felt heard, valued or seen. Perhaps someone listened with genuine interest, cared about your ideas or your lived experience, or simply made you feel welcome. Those small moments stay with us because they communicate something powerful: you matter.

The idea of mattering sits at the heart of World Children’s Day which took place on 20th November. It calls us to reflect on the quality of children’s lives and what more we can do to keep them safe, happy and thriving. It reminds us that every child regardless of background or circumstance, deserves love, respect and the chance to flourish. When children feel they matter, these outcomes become far more achievable.

To understand more about the concept of mattering – the feeling of being truly significant to those around us, watch What it Means to Matter. In this short webinar, Dr Weston shares practical, easy strategies that you can use to help children of all ages feel genuinely valued and loved.

Find inspiration on opening up dialogues with your tweens and teens with Mattering: Conversation Cards. These cards can be used at home or school and are helpful to prompt conversations about the different aspects of mattering.

Regular family check-ins can help everyone feel heard and valued. Use our simple Family Audit Template as a framework to help you all reflect together on what is working well and what might need tweaking in your family’s life.