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.ukwith the student's name and tutor group, reason for absence and expected return date (if known).
WEEKLY LUNCH MENU - Week 3
You can see our three-weekly menu here - we are on Week 3.
SCHOOL NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Good afternoon,
I hope everyone had a restful half-term break - as ever, it has been great to welcome the students back.
Year 11 and Year 13 students continue to do an amazing job of navigating the exam series. Meanwhile, school life for everyone else continues to yield a wealth of great experiences. This week alone has seen three school trips take place: a trip to the Verulamium in St Albans for Year 9 Classics students; a university taster day in Hatfield for Year 12; and an Art trip to the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge for our Year 10s. Thank you to everyone involved in organising these opportunities.
This edition of the newsletter celebrates four of our Year 13 students - Alice, Ellie, Hannah and Rebecca - who received their Gold DofE Awards at Buckingham Palace. The level of commitment and hard work that goes into achieving this is phenomenal and these students deserve the highest praise. Well done!
Today, families will be receiving a letter from me outlining an exciting fundraising drive that we are embarking on - HGS Amplify. The school's Main Hall is in desperate need of a new AV system as our current equipment does not provide the quality of experience that our students and community deserve, whether that be in supporting our performing arts activities or when presenting to parents and students.
The equipment required is incredibly expensive and, as I'm sure you are aware, school budgets are under real pressure at this time. Therefore, we are launching a fundraising drive with the aim of raising £70,000 to bring our Main Hall up to the standard befitting of our aspirations to provide the very best experiences for all of our community and making school life truly unmissable. I have recently been made aware of another Hertfordshire school that was able to raise £400,000 in just one weekend! I would like to appeal to our families to give some consideration to making a donation in support of this project. Any donations will be gratefully received and I look forward to sharing updates along the way and hopefully greeting you in an updated Main School Hall in the near future.
Many congratulations go to Ellie-Rose who came 9th in the country in her first national tumbling championships!
They are GOLD: Alice, Ellie, Hannah and Rebecca, all in Year 13, achieved their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards last month, and were invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace in recognition of their incredible effort, commitment and perseverance. Many congratulations to them all on this fantastic accomplishment!
A huge thank you to Lana, Isac and Eleanor in Year 12 who put together June's diversity display. As usual, there are many awareness days and events to mark and celebrate this month, including Pride, Windrush Day and Refugee Week. The month will culminate in our very own important annual tradition: Founders' Day!
If you have any PE kit items that you no longer need, they would be gratefully received for our nearly-new sales, to help current and future HGS families and raise funds for the school. Please bring any donations to Reception. Thank you!
Did you know you can hire our spaces and facilities, including our Halls, Dance Studio, Gymnasium, Drama Room, Netball/Tennis courts, classrooms and more?
If you run a local community group, sports classes or holiday camps and are looking for a top-quality venue in beautiful surroundings, please contact our lettings partner Edu Lettings. (ALL hire enquiries must be made directly to them.)
Hertfordshire County Council are gathering the views of parents and carers in their road safety survey.
The survey is linked to a new Road Safety Strategy in Hertfordshire and asks about routes used by children and traffic speeds, including what would make journeys to school feel safer for those who choose to walk or cycle.
Please take a few minutes to do the survey and help to shape safer school journeys for local children.
Have your say on Hertfordshire's
Digital Mental Health Support for Children Recommission
In Hertfordshire children and young people who are registered with a Hertfordshire GP can currently access a range of services to support them with their emotional and mental wellbeing. This includes free online, virtual and digital support delivered through WithYouth young people’s service for 5-18-year-olds (including the Lumi Nova game) and The Sandbox for 10–25-year-olds.
To ensure they are commissioning services that are based on the needs of children and young people, Hertfordshire County Council and the NHS are seeking the views of those who have or may access these services’ support.
By completing this short survey as a young person or a parent/carer of a young person, you will help them understand your views and opinions as well as indicating what you might want from future online, virtual or digital mental health and emotional wellbeing support.
Free Online Meal Planning for Hertfordshire Families
Families living or working in Hertfordshire can now claim FREE access (worth £86 per year) to FiveDinners.com, a new online meal planning service created by celebrity chef Theo Michaels.
Thanks to funding from Hertfordshire County Council, this service is completely free from April 2026 to March 2027.
If you’re fed up with deciding what to cook, want to save money on food shopping, or would like to eat a bit more healthily, this could really help.
Your free membership includes:
A personalised meal plan every week
A full shopping list
Access to quick, budget‑friendly and family‑friendly recipes including vegetarian and vegan options
If you live in North Hertfordshire, please register using your home postcode.
If you do not live in Hertfordshire, please use the postcode for your child’s school
You will not be signed up to subscription or be asked to provide any bank or card details.
W are looking for local work experience hosts for our Year 12s in the week of 13 July, in areas such as Administration, Sales & Marketing, Hospitality and Retail. If you may be able to help please email: clare.townsend@hgs.herts.sch.uk
Thank you!
Our Careers department would love to hear from Allied Health Professionals, such as OTs, Dieticians and Radiographers, who could potentially talk to students about their work or carry out mock interviews at our careers events.
ADD-vance is a dedicated group of professionals, who also happen to be parents of autistic and/or ADHD children. Their mission is to support the families of neurodivergent children and the professionals involved in their care.
ADD-vance offers online workshops for parents and professionals, including:
• Understanding Anxiety
• Applying for an EHCP
• Supporting the transition to secondary school
A central hub for SEND services, support, events, things to do and guidance in
Hertfordshire which can be filtered by location, date and age range: SEND Local Offer | Hertfordshire County Council
There will be various support services in attendance such as ADDvance, Family Centre, Messy Minds and Step2Skills.
Herts Hub is a new website that's intended to be a one-stop portal for Children and Young People's Mental Health Services, accessible to both parents and young people. Take a look at https://www.hertshub.co.uk/
Living with Anxiety
For 14 - 18-year-olds
This is an 8-week online group designed to help those who may be experiencing anxiety or finding it difficult to manage their emotions day to day. It's a friendly and supportive space where young people can:
Better understand their anxiety and what triggers it
Learn practical tools and coping strategies
Build confidence through shared experiences and guided activities
Each week, they will focus on a different theme, such as challenging anxious thoughts, managing social anxiety, and developing healthy coping habits. Participants also receive a workbook to help them reflect and practise between sessions.
Group Details:
Tuesdays at 7-8pm
Online via Zoom
Families can access the group by referral (parents, teachers or professionals can refer).
Or call:0208 189 8400 to speak to one of their support workers directly if you have any questions. Alternatively, chat with them on their instant messaging between 2pm and 10pm every day by clicking the blue 'chat with us' button.
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.
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.
Tuesdays at 7-8pm
Online via Zoom
