5 June 2026
5 June 2026
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Recent reminders
Recent reminders
In Wednesday's whole school assembly, Mrs Fowler reminded girls from every year group about some longstanding Junior School rules:
Key rings or other novelties should not be attached to school bags and rucksacks; these can sometimes cause unintended injuries.
Long hair should always be tied back with plain blue or black accessories.
Toys should not be brought to school. 'Fidget toys' - where there is a clear benefit for a specific need - are only permitted with the prior agreement of form teachers, for use in class only and not as play objects.
Break time snacks – Monday to Thursday fruit or vegetable snacks only. Option on Fridays to bring a sensible nut-free 'treat' snack, e.g. cereal bar, crisps (no sharing bags). SWEETS ARE NOT PERMITTED.
Coming soon to Year 5 ...
Coming soon to Year 5 ...
Mr Cox, Mrs Braud, Mrs Astill, Ms Wall
Every NGHS Juniors study visit and field trip is carefully curated to maximise learning opportunities, building on what girls experience in school and providing them with memorable opportunities to consolidate their learning, widen their friendship groups and develop the resilience to spend one or two nights away from home.
We are very much looking forward to this month's Year 5 three-day visit to the Whitby area, which will have a packed program linked tightly to the girls' recent and current topics:
Exploring settings from books by Bram Stoker, Robert Swindells and Holly Webb - all of which the girls are currently studying (English).
Learning how communities are protected from coastal erosion (human geography).
Investigating rockpool habitats and retreating cliffs (physical geography).
OS map reading along the Cleveland Way (geography and outdoor learning).
Water safety workshop at an RNLI lifeboat station (PSHE and outdoor learning).
Recapping what life was like during the war years of 1939-1945 at Eden Camp (history).
Down on the farm 🍯🐝
Down on the farm 🍯🐝
Mrs Fowler
Our Reception Class recently enjoyed a field trip to Lodge Farm in Burton Joyce. Here, they learnt how long bees have been on our planet and were able to see the inside of a working hive full of busy bees. Everyone enjoyed handling honeycomb, and feeling and smelling the beeswax.
This was followed by a wonderful nature walk around the farm, collecting flowers, buds and leaves which were then placed inside a giant flower press. The girls were also lucky enough to see newts, chickens, sheep, bees, a buzzard and a swallow’s nest - and one group even had the thrill of watching a young hare!
Thank you to Rosa’s mother and grandfather for hosting this visit. We cannot wait to invite you to our Year 1 class in the next academic year, to unveil our flower press results!
Chess Report ♛
Chess Report ♛
Mr Cox and Mr Padvis
Our final fixture of the year on Thursday saw NGHS Juniors hosting a match for thirteen local primary schools. This event was an opportunity for eight of our youngest and least experienced club members to play competitively on home soil, in preparation for away matches and tougher opponents in the future!
Well done to Aliza, Holly F, Isabelle, Ameerah, Kiara, Connie, Noor and Naya from Years 3 and 4 - you rose to the challenge and it was lovely to see you enjoying the experience. And thank you to Sumaiyah, Maryam, Junli and Jasmine C-M from Years 5 and 6 for helping to host the event, providing a welcome for our guests, offering encouragement to our two teams, and even helping to fill gaps in teams which were short of players!
New for Year 1
New for Year 1
Mrs Garton
Wild by Emily Hughes is a picture book about a little girl who grows up in the forest and is raised by animals who teach her how to eat, speak and play. When humans discover her, they try to 'civilise' her by giving her clothes, rules and language - but she becomes unhappy and confused. Eventually she returns to the wild, where she truly belongs.
I am delighted to have recently introduced this text to our Year 1 curriculum; the girls are already picking up on the themes of belonging and identity, 'feeling at home', appreciating the natural world and articulating emotions such as happiness and frustration.
Above: With a range of stunning spaces including our cutting edge theatre, meeting rooms and a dance studio, the Squire Performing Arts Centre is a fabulous venue for conferences, community events and workshops.
Showtime! 👐🏼
Showtime! 👐🏼
Mrs McDowell
Final preparations are now underway for next week's performance in the Squire Performing Arts Centre of Shakespeare Rocks! by girls from Years 3 and 4.
Rehearsals for this collaborative production are going exceptionally well; now that we are working in the theatre itself, the show is really starting to come together and it's looking great. Performers in both year groups have been working incredibly hard to learn lines and lyrics, and we look forward to entertaining our audiences next week!
Paris, here we come ... ✈️
Paris, here we come ... ✈️
Mr Rolfe
Rehearsals are also ramping up for the upcoming Ukuladies Paris Tour, which departs at the end of this term! Wednesday evening's preview for parents marked a significant milestone in our preparations, with the combined energy of 42 voices from Years 5 to 9 lifting the roof of the Hall.
This will be our fifth trip to Disneyland Paris, a bold and unique experience for our young musicians which continues to stretch the boundaries of what a Junior School music department can achieve.
Finding her Voice
Finding her Voice
Mrs Fowler
Finding her Voice shines a spotlight on the achievements of our girls beyond the classroom - moments where they’ve taken the skills, values and confidence nurtured at school and applied them in exciting, real-world ways, and then shared those high points with their classmates.
Holly makes waves 🏊🏻
This week, we’re delighted to celebrate the achievements of a Year 4 pupil whose recent endeavours have been the subject of great personal pride:
4B’s Holly has been making quite a splash. At the Nottingham Northern Open Meeting, she competed against swimmers from clubs across the region, delivering a performance full of focus and determination.
Across eight races, Holly earned six second‑place finishes and one fourth‑place spot, with seven new personal best times — a brilliant display of consistency and talent.
However her most defining moment came after lunch in her first ever 200m Individual Medley. A misunderstanding meant she hadn’t been fully briefed that each stroke required two lengths, and she unfortunately had to withdraw - even though she was in the lead. Even so, she was one of only three nine‑year‑olds selected to take on a field of older, more experienced swimmers.
Refusing to let the setback overshadow her day, Holly returned to the pool with renewed determination and finished her remaining events strongly. And back at school, she has enjoyed showing her medal and trophy haul to her classmates. Well done, Holly — what a brilliant show of RESILENCE, POSITIVITY and EXCELLENCE! 🏅
Year 6 Informal Concert
Year 6 Informal Concert
Mr Rolfe
On Friday, Year 6 hosted the Junior School's final informal concert of this academic year. These performances provide opportunities for every pupil studying an instrument or receiving voice coaching to perform in front of a supportive audience, building their confidence and skills.
The girls showcased a wonderful diversity of musical genres, instruments and traditions, and their show was a fitting finale for such an extraordinarily gifted and committed cohort of musicians. I look forward to seeing their musical journeys continue in the Senior School from September!
Sports Report
Sports Report
Miss Abbott
With slightly more settled weather, we were finally able to play our Year 5 and Year 6 cricket matches against Nottingham High School.
Demonstrating skills honed during the year in Cricket Club, Year 5 won their match convincingly, whilst Year 6 slipped to a narrow defeat. This was a good learning experience which has put both teams in a good position to develop and play to the best of their abilities in the City finals.
Years 3 and 4 have competed their final pentathlon of the year, the aim of which was to demonstrate progress across a range of fitness components. Congratulations go to Hastings who made a staggering improvement of 243 points on September’s total! This was an amazing effort by all concerned.
There were also some great individual results to celebrate, with the vast majority of girls in both year groups improving their scores - well done to everyone!
YEAR 3
1st Olivia Lewis (+67 points)
2nd Anya Knopp (+66 points)
3rd Emily O’Donoghue (+54 points)
YEAR 4
1st Freya Fitzhugh (+70 points)
2nd Marni Mahal (+62 points)
3rd Holly Westwell (+52 points)
Everybody welcome, everybody equal
Everybody welcome, everybody equal
Mr Cox
Themes of inclusion and celebrating differences run as continuous threads in our Junior School PSHE lessons, supported by class texts and history topics which look at the human experience - both past and present - through many lenses.
This week, Year 5 have identified examples of love and kindness in the picture book And Tango makes Three, a story which recognises the value of families in all forms. 5MC and 5JC approached this subject with great EMPATHY and maturity, rejoicing in the variety of relationships which they see in their own extended families and friendship circles.
Well done, girls - this was a great lesson, and you articulated your opinions and feelings really clearly. I am super proud of you all!
Below: Celebrating diversity and inclusion in the Senior School
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