Latest News - 25th Sept 2026
A Chance to Get Involved
You may have seen the message from Sarah Harris, our Chair of Governors, inviting nominations for a new Parent Governor.
Our Governing Body is an important part of school life, although much of its work inevitably happens behind the scenes. Governors work closely with me and the wider leadership team, asking questions, providing challenge and support, and helping us think carefully about the direction in which the school is heading.
Having parents as part of that group is really valuable. You see the school from a different perspective to those of us who work here every day, and that perspective contributes to the conversations and decisions that help shape STFS.
You certainly don't need to be an expert in education or have previous experience as a governor. We are looking for someone who cares about the school, is willing to give their time and is interested in helping us continue to develop and improve.
If it is something you have ever thought about doing, I would really encourage you to consider putting yourself forward. The deadline for nominations is 3.30pm on Friday 2nd October, and all the details about how to apply are in the Parent Governor nomination email sent to families this week.
I look forward to welcoming a new parent voice to our Governing Body.
We’d Love to Hear From You
We really value the views of our parents and carers, and we would be grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete our short Parent Feedback Form for your child’s year group.
Your feedback helps us understand what is working well, where we could improve and what matters most to our families. We do read the responses carefully, and they form an important part of how we reflect on and continue to develop the school.
Please use the appropriate link below:
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to respond. Hearing directly from our families is incredibly useful and helps us make sure we are focusing our efforts in the right places.
European Day of Languages
On Friday, we celebrated the European Day of Languages, rounding off a week in which languages have been a real focus across the school.
Throughout the week, our assemblies explored languages from a number of different perspectives. Students learnt some beginner Welsh and considered why learning another language is so valuable, discovered the fascinating story of the Rosetta Stone, and looked ahead to the future to explore where languages can take you and the opportunities they can open up.
On Friday, every classroom door featured ‘Hello’ in a different language, encouraging students and staff to try out different greetings as they moved around the school. KS3 students also had the opportunity to take part in special one-off language taster sessions in Italian, German, Korean or Turkish, giving them the chance to experience a language they might never have tried before.
Our passport sticker challenge encouraged students to put their language skills into practice too, collecting stickers by speaking to members of the Languages Department in different languages throughout the day.
The European Day of Languages is about celebrating the huge variety of languages spoken across Europe and beyond, but also about encouraging young people to be curious about languages and cultures other than their own. It was lovely to see students getting involved, having a go and hearing so many different languages being spoken around STFS.
Mobile Phones in School
I would like to remind parents and carers of our expectations around mobile phones and other smart devices in school, particularly following the changes to the national position this year. Government guidance now sets a clear expectation that schools should be mobile phone-free throughout the school day, and recent legislation means schools are required to have regard to that guidance.
At STFS, our expectations are straightforward. Pupils may bring a mobile phone to school, but once the school day begins it must be switched off, out of sight and kept in their bag or locker. Phones should not be seen, heard or used at any point during the school day – including between lessons, at break or at lunchtime. The same applies to smartwatches, AirPods and other connected devices.
There are good reasons for this. Removing phones from the school day reduces disruption and distraction, supports concentration and learning, encourages pupils to interact with one another and helps reduce some of the safeguarding and wellbeing issues associated with social media, messaging and online behaviour.
We do, however, need the support of parents and carers to make this work consistently. Please do not call or message your child on their mobile phone during the school day. If there is something they need to know, contact the school office and we will make sure the message reaches them.
Where a phone or other device is seen or used, it will be confiscated and taken to the school office. Refusal to hand over a device when requested will result in a further sanction in line with our Behaviour Policy.
We are not asking pupils to leave their phones at home; we recognise their value for travelling to and from school and keeping in touch with families outside school hours. What we are asking for is a clear boundary during the school day. Please reinforce this with your child at home and support us in applying the expectation consistently.
Save the Date - Year 11 Leavers Prom 2027
We are delighted to confirm that our Year 11 Leavers’ Prom will take place on Wednesday 23rd June 2027
Please save the date! More information about the venue, timings and tickets will follow later in the year.
Looking Ahead
We’re really looking forward to taking our Year 7 pupils to Caldecotte Xperience next week for a fantastic day of team-building, challenge and fun.
The day will give pupils the chance to get involved in a range of outdoor activities, working together, solving problems, encouraging one another and perhaps stepping a little outside their comfort zones along the way. It’s a brilliant opportunity to build confidence, develop new friendships and strengthen the sense of community within the year group.
Year 7 have made such a positive start to life at STFS, and we’re excited to see them take on the challenges at Caldecotte together. We hope they come home tired, happy and with plenty of stories to tell!
It’s just one of many things we have to look forward to as we head into another busy week at STFS. Thank you, as always, for your continued support and for everything you do to support your children and our wider school community.
I hope you all have a restful and enjoyable weekend, and I look forward to seeing what another busy and positive week brings.
Francis Murphy
Headteacher
Parent Governor Vacancy – Nominations Open
We are currently inviting nominations for a Parent Governor to join our Governing Body.
Parent Governors play an important role in the strategic leadership of STFS, working alongside other governors and school leaders to support and challenge the school and help ensure the best possible outcomes for all our pupils.
You do not need previous governance experience to put yourself forward. We welcome interest from parents and carers with a wide range of backgrounds, skills and experience, and full training and support will be provided.
Interested in joining us?
To put yourself forward, please email governor.applications@sirthomasfremantle.org by 3.30pm on Friday 2nd October 2026, including:
your full name;
the name and year group of your child/children at STFS; and
a short statement of no more than 250 words introducing yourself, explaining why you would like to become a Parent Governor and outlining the skills, knowledge or experience you could bring to the Governing Body.
Your statement will be shared with parents as part of the election process.
If you would like to know more about the role before deciding whether to put yourself forward, please contact us – we'd be very happy to answer any questions.
Football
With the arrival of our new football goals, this week we hosted our first ‘home’ game against Buckingham. It was lovely to see the students play on home ground and have some supporters on the sidelines. The Yr 9s fought hard but lost 3- 0. Yr 8s played on Tuesday and won 2 –1 and Yr 10s take on Buckingham today.
Inter House Games
We are excited to be launching our Inter House Games competions this term. Students will have the opportunity to compete against other Houses in Basketball at the end of this half term.
Tutors will sign up students who would like to take, Arbor permission must then be approved by parents/carers.
These events will be running after school.
May the best House win!
School Meal Menus
The current menus are available below, showing the range of meals and options available to students over the coming weeks. Please take a look through the menus with your child so they know what will be available each day. The current menus can always be found on our website and displayed in the canteen.
Raise funds when you shop online
Friends of Sir Thomas Fremantle School (FOSTFS), our PTA, have set up Easyfundraising as a simple way for families to help raise funds to support the school, at no extra cost to you.
Easyfundraising works with hundreds of well-known retailers. When you start your shopping through their website or app, the retailer donates a percentage of what you spend to FOSTFS, who then use these funds to benefit the school. You pay the same price you would normally pay.
Extra bonus for February
For a limited time, Easyfundraising is offering an additional £2 donation for every new person who signs up in February and selects Friends of Sir Thomas Fremantle School as their chosen cause. This bonus is paid on top of anything raised through shopping, making this a great time to get involved and encourage friends and family to sign up too.
Where it has the biggest impact
Easyfundraising can be used for everyday shopping, but the largest donations come from higher-value purchases. With holiday booking season underway, this is a particularly effective time to get involved.
Examples of high-value purchases include:
Holidays, flights and hotels
Insurance renewals such as home, car or travel
Mobile phone upgrades or new contracts
Laptops, tablets and other technology
Furniture, white goods or home improvement items
Broadband, TV or energy provider switches
Before you buy
If you’re about to make a purchase, please take a moment to check Easyfundraising first. It only takes a few seconds and can make a meaningful difference to the funds raised by FOSTFS for the school.
Thank you for supporting Friends of Sir Thomas Fremantle and helping to enhance opportunities for our students through such a simple action.
The services and events advertised in this newsletter are not all endorsed by the school. We are simply passing on information that may be of interest to our school community. Parents and guardians are encouraged to exercise their own discretion when considering these opportunities.
Upcoming Key Dates
Can You Help Our Preloved Uniform Shop?
As another Year 11 cohort prepares to move on to their next adventure, many families may find themselves with school uniform that is no longer needed.
We would be very grateful for any donations of clean, good-quality uniform items for our preloved uniform shop. Your donation could make a real difference to another family and help ensure that affordable uniform remains available to all students.
Donations can be dropped off at school reception at any time.
All proceeds from the Preloved Uniform Shop are reinvested directly into student-led projects and initiatives through the Student Council.
Thank you for your support.
