I remember last year thinking that the London Marathon event that 30 of our pupils took part in was one of my highlights of the year, if not of my time at Whitehill. To therefore have the opportunity to do it again with even more pupils was everything we wanted it to be.
We entered two of the races this year with 15 taking part in the 2.6km race in the morning and another 25 running in the mile event just after lunchtime. Despite the early morning cloud in Hitchin, by the time we were in London, the weather was perfect (for watching), and it was once again, a party atmosphere.
I positioned myself along Birdcage Walk to watch the two races, with parents spreading themselves out along the route to provide vocal (and in some cases visual) encouragement to the runners. A huge thanks to my staff team who gave up their Saturday to make this happen and to run alongside. We also had a guest adult running in the form of Leo (now Year 8) who managed to get himself a medal when he crossed the finish line. He was chuffed with that.
One bonus this year were the three Highbury siblings who ran with us and have got a taste of what is in store when they join Whitehill in the future. Another bonus is the sponsorship that is put into the min-marathon events meaning the school benefits to the tune of £400 (£10 per runner). Let’s hope we can secure an entry next year too.
We celebrated their success and that of the 190 pupils who took part in the in-school marathon run during our Achievers’ Assembly on Friday. All of these pupils received a certificate and a commemorative pin badge.
The weather this week has been delightful and being on the playground in the morning was lovely. The same can be said for break duty on Monday where I could chat with pupils and make the most of the fresh air.
My assembly on Monday morning had a slightly different theme as we welcomed Mr Router, our peripatetic brass teacher who came in to demonstrate the instruments that could be learned at Whitehill if pupils wanted. Showing my age, I had absolutely no idea what one of the songs was he played, nor the reference to a film character, but apparently, he looks just like ‘Steve’ from Minecraft and managed to get many who have seen the film to sing along.
After school on Monday, we had the last of this year’s netball competitions with the boys’ teams taking part. It was a fast-paced affair with some strong play across all participating schools. Our boys did really well, reaching the final and narrowly losing out to St Andrew’s during golden goal extra time. That concludes a highly successful season. Well done to all who represented the school this year and a special thank you to the parents who have regularly provided transport to fixtures and competitions. We couldn’t do it without you.
On Tuesday morning we welcomed our local authority adviser back to Whitehill. He spent time with Mr Wells and Miss Smith, as well as senior leads, looking at the way maths is taught across the school. It was a very productive morning, and as always, the pupils were on top form.
I have handed out a few Headteacher Awards this week for quality work and attitudes. Indi and Samuel (Year 5) came and had a chat about their English work and then Jordan (Year 6) shone in a maths lesson.
I think I might have broken a record on Wednesday morning when I conducted a tour of the school for prospective parents. It was a really enjoyable tour, with pupil reps in top form and some insightful questioning on the part of my guests. It was so long, my admin team thought about sending a search party out for me. The truth is, I was just enjoying talking about the school.
We had a group of Year 5 pupils participating in a rugby festival on Wednesday, organised by Herts Police. The festival included matches against other schools as well as some coaching opportunities with players from Bedford Blues. It was warm and so breaks in play and shade were very welcome during the morning and the pupils had a very enjoyable time.
I have tried to be outside at lunchtimes this week chatting to pupils, watching a few 20 v 20 football matches, and laughing with one particular Year 4 as they show me and then try to get me to do quite impossible gymnastics. My body is not quite as flexible as theirs, if it ever was!
On Thursday morning, I headed up to Harrogate for four days of meeting and work with my professional body, the NAHT. It meant I missed the training day in school and wasn’t around on Friday to lead my favourite assembly. It is a busy few days, particularly as it goes on until Sunday, but it is interesting to work with heads and leaders from across the country. It was especially exciting this year as on Wednesday morning I received an email from the General Secretary saying that he has invited me to sit on one of the two VIP tables at the gala dinner. I better make sure my bow tie is packed and dress shirt ironed!
We had a group of pupils take part in the Year 4 Maths Challenge on Thursday afternoon. At the time of writing, we do not know how the pupils have done, but Miss Smith reported to me that they all tried really hard and seemed to achieving success with the most complex of questions.
I happened to be close to Lamarr Class when hey were doing music this week and couldn’t resist popping in to see Mrs Davies conducting a tuned percussion orchestra. The pupils were so focused and did so well, reading the music and playing along. I just had to award all pupils a Headteacher’s Award for their amazing effort.
In my absence on Friday, I have been sent the details of our Achievers’ Assembly and am pleased to share with you the winners of our weekly awards: Voyager won Class of the Week; Fire won the House Cup and Mayan won the Wombles.
I have already mentioned the marathon celebrations but we also shared awards for Julia (Year 5), Nevaeh (Year 5), Thananika (Year 3) and some swimming certificates for a group of our year 6s. The music this week was provided Seb (Year 5) who played his guitar and Lottie (Year 6) who sang for us. Miss Gooderham also get a special mention this morning for receiving the news that she has won a prize for the quality of her dissertation submitted recently as she completes her degree with flying colours.
Next week is the third of our three short weeks in this first half term. We are not in school on Monday as it is a Bank Holiday. Let’s hope the weather remains kind. Being careful not to jinx anything, the rest of the week looks relatively straight forward and quiet. From what I can see, the main event in the diary is a cricket match against Wymondley after school on Thursday.
I am away from school on Thursday but should be back on Friday.
That is all for this week. Have a lovely, extended weekend and I will see you all on Tuesday.
Best wishes,
Steve Mills
Headteacher
The mini marathon was such a fantastic event! My kids loved it. Thanks Whitehill!