To see 'News and Events' for the Senior School click here

To see latest News section click here

Newsletter Summer 2005 Click on the image of the left to view the latest Newsletter. This is being sent to all parents with the end of term mailing.

Term Dates for 2006 to 2007

Click here to download latest term dates

Year 5 trip to Pelham Environmental Centre 6th June 2005

Pond-dipping and looking for mammals were two popular activities when Year 5 went to the Pelham Environmental Centre for a day of 'fun' science to complement their work in School in life cycles. They even caught four fish! Click on the photos to enlarge

Infants Visit to Dinosaur Park June 2005

Reception, Class 1D and Class 2 paid a visit to the Dinoaur Park on 22nd June and as you can see from these photograghs they had a wonderful time. The park offered a wide variety of opportunities to experience dinosaurs. Life size models were dotted around the woods and the children could really get a feel for the enormity of these animals. The journey and the excitement of the day was too much for some - see last photo! Click on the photos to enlarge

Junior School Cricket Summer 2005

Winners of Annual Saffron Walden 6 a side competition held/hosted/ organised by FJS. The Junior School rounded off a wonderful season by winning the Saffron Walden and District 6 a side Tournament which was hosted and held at Friends' School. Thirteen schools and sixteen teams assembled at 9.00 on Saturday 2nd July. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Sports Day Friday 24 June 2005

Waiting for the results... Click on the above to enlarge

Richard Hutton's 'Complaints Book' The notebook of the Steward of the Quaker workhouse at Clerkenwell, 1711-1737. The workhouse at Clerkenwell was started in 1702 and developed into our school. Click on the image on the left to see an online copy of this fascinating historical set of personal notes about life in our school almost 300 years ago.

Almost 20 years ago now, Tim Hitchcock, Professor of Eighteenth-Century History at the University of Hertfordshire, transcribed and edited the 'Complaints Book' of one of the School's earliest masters. This was published as Richard Hutton's Complaints Book by the London Records Society (vol. 24, 1987). The Society has now posted most of its publications on the web, and among the resources available is vol. 24.

Click here to read an introduction to this book by a former Head of Friends' School John Woods on page12 in our Tercentenary Book 'The School on the Hill'.

Click on the above picture to find out more about the Friends' School Development Proposal.

Latest Newsletter - Spring 2005 Just click on the image on the left to view this pdf version. If you have difficulty then see full instructions on our Newsletter page.

Year 6 Play Peter Pan - March 05

Click here or on the above photo to see more.

‘Honey’ – Infant Department Production
- 23 March 2005

Photos by Debbie Ballingall. Click on the thumbnails to enlarge.

Friends' School 3rd Inter-Schools Cross Country - Friday 11th March 2005

Click here to see more photos.

It was a bright but breezy day which saw forty-eight runners setting off around our school grounds. The Under-9s were off with 1 ½ laps of the course to complete, followed by the Under-11s with a tough 2 ½ laps. The Under-9s race was won by Rory Hutchinson from Dame B's and first girl home was Libby Whitfield from Friends'. Fairstead won the Under-9s team event with Friends' School in second place. The team was: Libby Whitfield (5th), Joshua Hughes (11th), Jack Folland (12th), Charlotte Crome (10th). Our two Year 3 boys did exceptionally well. Congratulations also to Charlotte on being 3rd girl and exceptionally well done to Libby! The Under-11s race once again proved thrilling with a fierce battle between Jake Young (RAB) and Ryan Waters (Friends'). Jake proved the stronger on the day with Ryan taking the silver medal. Becky Westerhuis put in a gold medal performance to finish as first girl. Friends' School took 1st place in this event thanks to Ryan Waters (2nd), Becky Westerhuis (10th), Christopher Gibbs (7th) and Elizabeth Cooke (17th) with Fairstead in 2nd place. The overall trophy this year went to Fairstead House.

Team placings:
1. Fairstead 71 4. Henham and Ugley 101
2. Friends' 74 5. RAB 106
3. Dame B's 87 6. St Margaret's n/a

The Nursery visit Mole Hall Wildlife Park

Reptile Club

"When Gimli came in Mrs Ballingall showed us how to get Gimli out of his vivarium. Then we sat in a circle whilst Mrs Ballingall let Gimli loose. He went wherever he wanted. He is a Corn Snake. Some of us held Gimli and then drew pictures of him and coloured them in while Mrs Ballingall took some photographs." (Ella White) "We each had a turn at holding Gimli" (Beth Gregory. Please see the display board in the Reception Area.

Laxton 6-a-side Football Tournament Saturday 5th March

The Junior School team performed very well at the Laxton Six-a-side Football Tournament. The conditions were far from perfect as the snow and rain had left the pitches in a very muddy state. This did not stop the team from putting in a series of good performances based on team work, a willingness to pass the ball and a great deal of determination.

The team reached the final which was a very competitive affair and only lost during extra time to a golden goal.

Click on photos to enlarge

Eco Schools Silver Award

The Junior School is very proud to have received the Silver Level Award in the Eco Schools Scheme. This recognises the tremendous effort put in by pupils, parents and staff to make the school much more aware of the environment, the importance of citizenship and the need to promote more healthy lifestyles.

Uttlesford District Council have recently visited the school to explain how refuse collection and recycling work in our area. Ed Lock, part of the recycling team at Uttlesford, presented the award to some members of the Green Team.

Kinetic Theatre Company

Kinetic Theatre Company recently performed to the pupils at Friends' Junior School Saffron Walden.

More Tea Vicar, billed as "A Material Musical with a Magnetic Attraction" was a 1940's musical curiosity about the grouping and classifying materials section of the Science Curriculum with particular emphasis on metals and magnetism.

Kinetic Theatre is a two-person performing group who give very lively interpretations of scientific topics to both Infants and Juniors. Although the shows are targeted at the children teachers are also assured of a few humorous touches just for them.

"Very educational, very funny and lots of audience participation", was the verdict from Friends' Junior School

March 05

Friday 4 March - snow but school as normal.

Successful School Ski Trip Returns February 05

30 pupils in years 5 to 8 have recently returned from a week of skiing in Claviere in Italy. "Great weather and a fabulous ski school" said Jenny Allwood, who organised the school ski trip.

Click on the above photos to enlarge. Click here to see more photos.

Outcome of Fundraising Events for our Tsunami Appeal as of 23rd February 2005

The Junior School raised £3,000 through our 'Swimathon'. This is normally split between the Alex Ruffell Memorial Fund which supports a school in Zimbabwe and the Junior School. On this occasion the £1,500 which would have gone into Junior School funds will be put towards our whole school project over the next 3 years which is to 'Sponsor a School in Sri Lanka'.

The Senior School raised £1,800 through an number of events including cake, pizza and pancake sales, a rock concert, a Valentines disco, an austerity lunch and donations from staff. See the senior school news section for more details. From this we have already been able to send off £423 to UNICEF and £377 to the Disaster Emergency Fund. The remaining £1000 will be used to support our whole school Sri Lanka Project.

We will need to raise some further funds over the next 3 years but are not far off our target now for our Sri Lanka project. More details of the school in Sri Lanka' that we will sponsor will be circulated when we have received this information. In the meantime you might like to visit their website at http://www.adoptsrilanka.com

Many thanks to all who participated in and supported these fund raising events.

Andrew Holmes

National Sudan 1 Food Colouring Alert

Our caterer Gary Oakshot has checked the Sudan 1 products lists on the Food Standards Agency website at www.food.gov.uk, and as far as he is aware we have not been using any of the products listed.

Music Austria Tour October 2004 Click on the photo to see more

Nursery Ofsted Inspection Report Oct 04 Available + Action Plan

Click here to see the full Ofsted report (in pdf format) for the Nursery School including the School's Action Plan, or click here to see the report on the Ofsted website

'Our Seasonal Words and Music' performed by the Senior and Junior Schools at St Mary's Church on Wednesday 15th December 2005

Quaker Homeless Action Christmas Shelter Appeal

This year we are asking pupils to donate: TOILETRIES eg. Soap, flannel, shower gel, shampoo,toothpaste, toothbrush, nailbrush, shaving foam, disposable razor TOWELS old, but clean and still serviceable

To make the gift more festive, cover top and bottom of the box separately with wrapping paper. Put an elastic band round the box if possible.s

No box? Not enough to fill a box? No problem - bring loose items too.

Collection point: clearly sign-posted outside Reception in the entrance hall of the senior school from Monday 6th December to Friday 17th December.

Further details from Christine Sleight or Ann Fear.

Click here to find out more about 'Quaker Homeless Action'.

Elgar-thon

Click on the above photos to enlarge.

Photos by kind permisssion of the Saffron Walden Reporter and the Walden Local.

Friends' Junior School pupils recently took part in Elgar-thon, a sponsored performance of the composer's 'Land of Hope and Glory'. Money raised at the event, which was watched by parents and friends, went to the Coin 4 Notes Appeal, a joint campaign being run by the Elgar Birthplace, an important music centre near Worcester, and the Sargent Cancer Care for Children. Many of the children wore Elgar-style moustaches fo the performance. 11 November 04

Press Release

Friends' School Saffron Walden, which recently celebrated its Tercentenary, moved to the town into a brand new building in 1879. This building is now in need of substantial restoration and repair. In addition, recent increases in pupil numbers mean that the School needs to create more teaching space, particularly for the Junior School.

The Governors have commissioned a study to assess the building needs in more detail, and to produce a master plan to guide the School's building development for the future. Part of this study is exploring how to fund the likely building programme.

Another significant element of the study involves looking at ways of extending the community use of Friends' School facilities; these are already used on a regular basis by twenty-two local organisations ranging from sports clubs to performing arts groups.

At present, the work is still in its early stages. However, we hope to hold a series of discussions and open consultations with the local community, our parents, pupils and friends in the New Year.

Andy Waters
Head

November 15th 2004

Well done Early Years! Riding on the crest of a wave!

Click on the photo to enlarge

The Early Years received a glowing Report from their Ofsted Inspection. The Report describes the quality of provision as “very good” (which is the highest grade that can be given) which “enabled children to make very good progress towards their early learning goals.”

The Report goes on to describe the quality of teaching as very good with staff always on hand to guide and support, but allowing children to experiment and make decisions, setting their own challenges. Children behave extremely well in response to staff’s realistic expectations. They understand rules and routines and are co-operative and helpful towards one another. Excellent use is made of the wealth of good quality resources both inside the classroom and in the imaginative and stimulating outside play area.

Enabling children to develop confidence and self-esteem, in line with the school’s ethos, was identified as a strength of the school, as was the planning and assessment, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development. This is a superb report. All the Early Years team have worked very hard and this reflects well on their enthusiasm, expertise and skill. Copies of this Report are available from the school office. It will also be available in three weeks’ time on the Internet at www.friends.org.uk and www.ofsted.gov.uk see below:

Click here to see the full Ofsted report (in pdf format) for the Nursery School including the School's Action Plan, or click here to see the report on the Ofsted website

Andrew Holmes

12 November 04

Year 5 Residential trip to Aylmerton, Cromer in Norfolk 27 Sept to 1 Oct 2004

Click on the above to see more photos of the trip.

More photos have also been posted about the Year 6 trips to North Wales ( September 04) and Flatford Mill (June 04).

Activities Programme and Sport Fixtures

for the Autumn Term 2004 can be accessed from the Junior School Parents' Page

Junior School on Top of the World in Wales

Activity holidays are still a popular part of school life for pupils at Friends' Junior School.

A group of 30 Year 6 pupils from the school have just spent a week at the Field Studies Council Centre at Rhyd-Y-Creuau in North Wales.

They studied the mountain scenery, rock formation, glaciation, visited an organic farm, and as the high point of the week climbed Snowdon (1085m above sea level).

Andrew Holmes, Head of the Junior school, said "It was a fantastic achievement to get the whole year group to the top of Snowdon and it is something that they will always remember. I was very proud of them all".

September 04

Click here to see more photos of the trip

Visit of the Mayor September 04

The Lady Mayor of Saffron Walden, Councillor Chris Bailey, visited the Junior school during assembly and spoke to the pupils about her role as Lady Mayor and in particular about the fund raising events for the Mayor's charity including a talent competition and a classic car meeting.

Year 6 trip to Flatford Field Study Centre
June 2004

Click on the above to enlarge. Click here to see more photos.

Year 6 spent three busy but rewarding days at Flatford Field Study Centre bases at Flatford Mill. The pupils spent a day walking and sketching, retracing the footsteps of John Constable, as he would have walked from East Bergholt to Dedham. They also spent time on a night walk, orienteering, mammal trapping, looking at river features, learning about recycling, sustainability and enjoying the surrounding countryside.

Friends' Junior School National Curriculum results 2004

Click here to see Senior School exam results for Summer 2004