A Year to Remember: Looking Back on 2025-2026
As we come to the end of another fantastic academic year, I would like to take a moment to reflect on what has been an incredibly successful and memorable 2025–2026 for our school community.
This year has been filled with so many reasons to celebrate. Our achievement assemblies have provided countless opportunities to recognise the hard work, determination and successes of our pupils. These occasions have highlighted the perseverance shown by so many children as they have challenged themselves, overcome obstacles and continued striving to do their very best. Alongside this, our School Values Awards and the subsequent Values Tea Parties have been wonderful opportunities to celebrate those pupils who consistently embody the qualities that make our school such a special place: perseverance, friendship and respect. It is always a joy to listen to the children talk about their lives and how they are growing and developing in these moments.
These values have shone through in every aspect of school life. Whether supporting one another in the classroom, showing kindness on the playground, or treating others with respect, our pupils have demonstrated what it means to be part of a caring and inclusive school community.
Throughout the year, pupils have enjoyed a wide range of educational visits and enrichment opportunities. These experiences have broadened horizons, brought learning to life, and created lasting memories. On every trip, our children represented the school brilliantly, showing respect for others, embracing new experiences and displaying the confidence to step outside their comfort zones.
We have also enjoyed tremendous sporting success, particularly in football. Our teams have achieved some wonderful results, but what has been even more pleasing has been the way they have conducted themselves. Their perseverance during training, friendship towards teammates and opponents alike, and respect both on and off the pitch have made us immensely proud.
A special mention must go to our Year 5 pupils, who have had an exceptional year. Their residential visit to Cardiff was a fantastic opportunity to develop independence, resilience and teamwork. Many pupils challenged themselves in new situations, demonstrating real perseverance and supporting one another through friendship and encouragement. Another unforgettable highlight was Year 5's trip to London's West End to watch Matilda. Inspired by the performance, the children then worked tirelessly to produce and perform their own version at St Andrew's. The dedication, confidence and talent they displayed was remarkable and was a true reflection of everything we seek to nurture in our pupils. Their perseverance throughout rehearsals, the friendships that strengthened along the way and the respect they showed for one another helped make the production such a tremendous success.
As we approached the end of term, we were all challenged by some exceptionally high temperatures. Despite this, our children and staff remained positive, adaptable and cheerful. Their resilience and determination to continue learning, even under difficult conditions, has been admirable and another example of the perseverance that we value so highly as a school.
None of these achievements would have been possible without the support of our wider school community. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our parents and carers for your continued encouragement, partnership and trust throughout the year. Your support at home and your involvement in school life make such a significant difference to the experiences and opportunities we can provide for our children.
I would also like to thank our dedicated staff team. Their hard work, professionalism and commitment to every child ensure that our school remains a place where children are encouraged to achieve their very best while developing the values of perseverance, friendship and respect in everything they do.
I would like to offer a very special thank you to Michael Hunter, whose term as Chair of Governors has come to an end. Michael has provided unwavering support, wise guidance and steadfast commitment to our school over many years. His dedication to the children, staff and wider community has been invaluable, and his leadership has helped shape the continued success of our school. On behalf of everyone at St Andrew’s, I would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for his outstanding service and wish him every happiness and success in the future.
Finally, we say a fond farewell to our Year 5 pupils as they leave St Andrew's after six wonderful years and begin the next stage of their educational journey. Watching you grow from curious young children into confident, capable and caring young people has been a privilege. We wish each and every one of you the very best as you move on to your new schools. Take with you the values of perseverance, friendship and respect that have been at the heart of your time here at St Andrew's. We hope the foundations you have built during your years with us will give you the confidence to embrace new opportunities, overcome challenges and achieve great things in the future. Good luck, we are incredibly proud of who you have become and look forward to hearing about all that you accomplish in the years ahead.
As we close another successful chapter in the life of our school, I hope all our children and families enjoy a happy, restful and well-deserved summer break. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to welcoming pupils new and old back on Wednesday 2nd September for another exciting year.
Joel Turvey, Headteacher.
