ℯNEWS may, 9 2025
VE Day Celebrations
This week, staff and pupils came together to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day - a momentous occasion in our shared history.
On Friday morning, Mrs Hampton led a special assembly, during which she spoke thoughtfully about the significance of VE Day and the events that led to the end of the Second World War in Europe. Pupils reflected on the importance of peace, resilience, and remembrance.
Throughout the week, the commemoration continued in classrooms. Children enjoyed class tea parties, immersed themselves in the music of the 1940s, and explored a fascinating collection of historical artefacts from the Imperial War Museum. These hands-on experiences helped bring the past to life and deepen pupils’ understanding of this pivotal moment in history.
Quiz Club Maths
Four brave Mathematicians from Form Six took their seats for the annual Quiz Club Maths tournament on Thursday. Led by Mimi, the quartet included Izzy, Charlie and Maxi as they faced 112 other teams across an hour of solving mind-bending problems. There were thirty questions divided into six sections, progressively becoming more challenging. They included finding the area of a regular octagon; the second most common name among a gaggle of children; and the days of the week that a certain hen lays its eggs.
We began slowly, but gradually picked up the pace. When all the points were counted up and then assimilated by the grand judge, Mr Simon Blair, we finished in a very credible 29th place. As the top thirty teams automatically go into the semi-finals, we will be assembling the team again for the next round on Thursday June 5th. Many congratulations to the fearsome four players.
School Play: The Wizard of Oz
The children in Forms Three to Six gathered on Wednesday to be introduced to all the characters and to start the rehearsals for the school play. They have all now received their script and we would appreciate it if parents could help children to start to learn their lines and cues. We will be sending information about costumes soon. Thank you to those parents who have offered help with props and scenery, we will be in touch.
Virtual Coffee Morning - What To Expect: 11+ Exams
The first of three linked topics for our Summer Term virtual coffee mornings was directed at parents of pupils in Form Three to Form Five, introducing the process of selecting, visiting, and registering interest in potential senior school choices. This was an informative meeting with a large turnout and with such a juicy topic, starting with location and ending with an understanding of the meaning and purpose of waiting lists, it predictably ran over time.
Mrs Hampton is looking forward to her next virtual meeting on 22nd May, this time for Form Five parents, where she will go into greater detail about the 11+ process and begin to explore important strategies, such as revision, how many schools is too many and how to support your children to remain well-balanced and resilient during the challenging 10-week assessment season.
Finally, she will be inviting Form Six parents on 5th June to a session on preparing children for the transition to senior school. This will include developing independence (such as walking to school alone), navigating friendship groups, managing a two-week timetable and of course, that hot topic—how to avoid the trials that come with a smartphone. Just to clarify for all our families: in this instance, a dumb phone will do just fine - and, in her opinion, will help keep your children safer.
Second Hand Clothing Drive - FARAH
A big thank you to CHS parents who made the second-hand clothing drive a success. This was such a wonderful way to support the local FARAH charity in Primrose Hill. Thank you to Ms Dvorkis, Form One co-parent representative, for taking the donations over to them on behalf of the school community.
Proposed Cycleway
We have recently been notified that, once again, a cycle lane has been proposed for Stanhope Place that may have consequences in displacing traffic heading from our area towards Bayswater Road and Park Lane.
As this is an issue that may affect all of our CHS community, we are asking you to take an interest in the proposal and should you have any objections to it - or other representations about it - please contact the Council’s agents, WSP Traffic Order Team, 3rd Floor, WSP House, 70 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1AF, or by email at tmo.westminster@wsp.com quoting reference 8141-A/LH. The deadline is 21st May.
Upcoming
Dress Up Day - Junior One, Form One, Form Two - Tuesday 13th May
We are looking forward to a vibrant and imaginative day across the Junior classes on Tuesday, 13th May.
Junior One will arrive dressed as minibeasts, ready to embark on an exciting bug hunt. They will also enjoy baking some delicious ladybird biscuits.
Form Two will be stepping into the shoes of royalty for a regal banquet. Dressed in royal costumes, the children will perform their specially written speeches and learn a traditional Tudor dance to mark the occasion.
Meanwhile, Form One will be joined by dinosaurs and archaeologists for a thrilling day of exploration, as they prepare for their upcoming trip to the Natural History Museum on Thursday, 15th May. Children are encouraged to dress as dinosaurs or intrepid explorers to fully immerse themselves in the experience. It promises to be a delightful day of role play, creativity and cross-curricular learning for all.
Trip to the Houses of Parliament - Form Six
Form Six will be heading off to the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday, 14 May. They will be taking part in a tour of the Palace of Westminster and will have a parliamentary workshop as well. There is a good chance they will get to speak to the Westminster MP, Rachel Blake.
Trip to The Natural History Museum - Form One & Form Three
Forms One and Three will be heading across the park to one of London’s enriching educational attractions—the Natural History Museum.
Form One pupils are eager to delve deeper into their current topic on dinosaurs, following their upcoming dress-up day on Tuesday. This visit will provide a wonderful opportunity to bring their learning to life, exploring real fossils and exhibits that complement their topic this term.
Form Three will have the unique chance to take part in a variety of hands-on activities, including a Dino Dig experience, where they will investigate fossils like real palaeontologists. They will also attend an interactive show on Earthquakes and Volcanoes, designed to enhance their understanding of natural phenomena and support their Geography curriculum.
These carefully selected activities aim to spark curiosity, deepen scientific knowledge, and make meaningful links to classroom learning in a fun and memorable way.
Second-Hand Uniform Sale - Friday 16th May
Please bring in any laundered donations, with name tags removed, on Thursday, 15th May.
Parent Fundraising Committee
You should all have heard from your class representatives by now regarding volunteering to be a class rep for the next academic year, 2025/26. If any parents are interested but are not currently part of their class parent group, please email the Chair of the Committee directly at: Parentscommittee@gs.connaughthouseschool.co.uk
Artwork of the Week
Rafeeq in Form Five, for a brilliant paper sculpture, inspired by the elaborately decorated boats in Canaletto’s ‘Regatta on the Grand Canal’. Well done, Rafeeq!
Dates for your diary
MAY
13th - J1, F1 & F2 Dress up day
15th - Form One & Three Trip
16th - Second Hand Uniform Sale
21st - Junior One Open Dance
22nd - Virtual Coffee Morning F5 with Mrs Hampton - What Parents need to know ahead of 11+
26th - 30th HALF TERM
JUNE
5th – Virtual Coffee Morning F6 with Mrs Hampton – Transition to Senior School
16th - School Play
20th - Sports Day
24th - School Photo
30th - Whole School Trip
JULY
1st - F6 Secret Trip
4th - School Fetê
10th - Last day of Term, Midday collection
