HGS Weekly Newsletter | Autumn Term, Week 8 | Date: 24 October 2025

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Half Term
All Day
from 27 Oct until 31 Oct
27
October
A week
All Day
from 03 Nov and on Monday every 2 weeks until 20 Dec
03
November
ASSESSMENTS: Y11 Autumn Mocks
All Day
from 03 Nov until 14 Nov
03
November
Flu Vaccinations (Y7, 8, 9)
9:00am – 3:30pm
03
November
Drama Trip to the Hamlet Conference, National Theatre (Y12 & 13)
All Day
06
November
D&T Trip to St Andrew's Primary School (Y13)
All Day
07
November
Artist Visit (Y12, 13)
9:00am – 3:30pm
07
November

 

REPORTING STUDENT ABSENCE

 

We have an online absence reporting form for all absences (whole day or part of the day). If you are unable to use the form you will need to email absence@hgs.herts.sch.uk with the student's name and tutor group, reason for absence and expected return date (if known). 

WEEKLY LUNCH MENU - Week 1

 

You can see our three-weekly menu here - we are on Week 1.

SCHOOL NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Photo of Headteacher Mr Crowther

Good afternoon,

The first half-term of the academic year has come to an end; it has been an exceptional one in school and beyond, with a wealth of experiences taking place for our students, not least the Year 8 residential at PGL Caythorpe - more photos have been added to the album, as you will see below. 

At the start of this week many members of our community marked important Hindu and Sikh festivals. I wish all of those celebrating these events a very happy Diwali and happy Bandi Chhor Divas.

The final week of the half-term has been no less full of activity, with Year 13 benefiting from the Talk The Talk communication workshops on Thursday; lots of pink hair accessories brightening up the corridors for breast cancer awareness today; and also the highly anticipated Austen and Teresa Thrift Sale in aid of Garden House Hospice Care, which you can read about below. 

Last night saw the first music concert of the academic year, and what an amazing success it was! The hall and the balcony were packed and the audience were treated to a fantastic showcase of musical talent, hard work and perseverance. It was a great night and I thank every student, every parent/carer and all the music staff who have worked so hard to put on the event. I'm already looking forward to the Carol Concert and it's only October!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of issuing more than 40 Headteacher's Awards in recognition of significant contributions and achievements by students across the year groups. It's such a highlight of the week to see so many students celebrating their work and their efforts. You can read about more achievements in Maths this week, for which there will also be Awards - well done Molly, Anna and all the students who participated and achieved Gold, Silver and Bronze in the Senior Maths Challenge.

I would like to thank every parent and carer for their ongoing support and I would also like to thank every single student and staff member for their contributions to our fantastic community this half-term. 

Wishing everyone a restful week.

James Crowther, Headteacher

The battle for the House Cup - Mario Kart round! Lots of heated competition
on the Switch over lunchtimes last week.

We are delighted to be supporting Garden House Hospice Care as our nominated charity this year. Garden House has touched the lives of many members of our school community, and following lots of student nominations, we agreed it was the perfect choice for our school to support - especially given the crisis that the charity currently finds itself in.

Based in Letchworth, Garden House Hospice Care provides free specialist palliative care for patients, families and carers facing life-limiting illnesses from across North Hertfordshire, Central Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, serving a population of around 500,000 people. The charity needs to raise £16,609 every day to provide its services free of charge, and it relies on the support of the community to help fund its work.

We will be donating all the funds we raise through our House charity events to this wonderful charity this year.

...And first up was the Austen & Teresa Thrift Sale over lunchtime today. This is always a popular event and we had a huge amount of donations on offer to meet the demand! Thank you to everyone who brought in items, to the Year 12s who organised them all, and to the crowds of enthusiastic yet orderly shoppers! 

  

We are thrilled to announce our students’ outstanding achievements in this year’s Senior Mathematical Challenge. The competition, organised by the UK Mathematics Trust, celebrates problem-solving, logical reasoning and mathematical creativity among top young mathematicians nationwide.

Special congratulations go to Molly (Y13) and Anna (Y10), who both achieved Gold Awards and have been invited to take part in the follow-on round on 19 November.

We are also incredibly proud of the wider success across the school, with nine students earning Silver and 25 students achieving Bronze.

Well done to everyone who participated and represented the school with such enthusiasm and excellence!

   

 

Lots more photos added! PGL Caythorpe 2025 - Our two-night residential trip for Year 8s saw our students embrace new challenges and push themselves out of their comfort zones in a range of outdoor activities, up in the air, on the water and everywhere in between! Well done all on your perseverance and positive attitude!

View the photo album

We welcomed back communication experts Talk The Talk this week to run their 'Talk About the Future' workshops for our Year 13s. These are designed to help students develop their spoken communication competencies for life after school, and specifically interviews with potential employers and colleges or universities. Thanks as always to Talk The Talk for the very useful and practical advice - we hope Y13 feel it was a boost to their skillset and confidence. 

In Textiles Club, Years 7 and 8 are currently making mini wall banners, learning about applique, hand-embroidery and the sewing machine. Textiles Club takes place every Thursday after school. See our full extracurricular timetable here

We are once again taking part in the Link to Hope Shoebox Appeal this year. Rev Andrew Henton-Pusey from Walsworth Road Baptist Church came to talk to our Years 7-9 & 13 in our assembly about the project. If you are able to take part, the packed shoeboxes need to be in school by Wednesday 5 November. Thank you for your support!

FInd out more and download the contents form

NOTICEBOARD - LOCAL

NOTICEBOARD - WELLBEING & SEND

 

What is offered by
Services for Young People?

Hertfordshire Services for Young People deliver a range of youth work projects for young people aged 11-17 (up to 25 for care leavers and those with SEND), in young people’s centres and other community venues in all districts of Herts.

They are committed to giving young people high-quality opportunities to learn life skills and excel in their personal and social development. They also aim to address issues at the earliest opportunity to give young people the best chance to thrive, have a voice in their community, reach their potential and make a successful transition to adulthood.

Find out more

A partnership of local agencies, DSPL publishes a weekly round-up of courses, workshops and events related to young people's wellbeing and additional needs in the North Herts area. 

Their forthcoming events include:

  • School Avoidance Workshop
  • Sleep Workshop
  • Developing Child's Literacy
  • PDA Online Support Group
  • Identifying ADHD/Autism

See all upcoming events

  •  Free confidential helpline on 0808 800 2222
  •  Email us for support at askus@familylives.org.uk
  •  Talk to us online via our Live Chat service
  •  Online advice, peer support and information on all aspects of family life at www.familylives.org.uk
  •  Face to face support groups and workshops
  •  Find us on social media @FamilyLives @BullyingUK
  •  www.facebook.com/FamilyLivesHertsandBeds