Latest News - 2nd Oct 2026
Respect, Positive Relationships and Year 7 at Caldecotte
This week, our assemblies have focused on respect and building positive relationships – something that sits right at the heart of a happy, supportive school community. Pupils have been thinking about what respect looks like in practice: listening to one another, valuing other people’s feelings and opinions, including others, offering support and treating people with kindness.
It was lovely to see so much of this week’s assembly theme brought to life on Tuesday, when our Year 7 pupils headed to Caldecotte Xperience for a fantastic day of team-building, challenges and plenty of fun – helped along by some glorious weather!
Throughout the day, pupils threw themselves into a huge variety of activities, including archery, abseiling, climbing, caving, raft-building, stand-up paddleboarding and canoeing, with a well-earned pizza lunch providing the fuel to keep them going.
Of course, days like this are about much more than the activities themselves. What stood out was the way pupils worked together and looked out for one another. They encouraged friends who were trying something new, cheered each other on when stepping outside their comfort zones and shared their own skills and confidence to help others succeed.
It was wonderful to see existing friendships strengthened, new friendships continuing to blossom and pupils growing in confidence together. These are exactly the positive relationships we have been talking about in assemblies this week, and a great example of our RISE values in action.
Year 7 have made such a positive start to their time at STFS, and Tuesday gave us another glimpse of the strong, supportive and inclusive community they are building together.
A huge well done to Year 7 for embracing the day with such enthusiasm, and thank you to all the staff who helped make it such an enjoyable and memorable experience.
Parent Governor Election – Voting Opens Monday
The nomination period for our Parent Governor vacancy has now closed, and we are delighted to have four candidates who have put themselves forward for election. We would like to thank each of them for their willingness to give their time and contribute to the continued development of STFS.
Voting will open on Monday 5th October and close at 3.30pm on Friday 16th October 2026.
Voting will take place securely online using Choice Voting. Parents and carers will be able to read each candidate’s statement before casting their vote.
All parents and carers will receive an email on Monday with full details of how to vote. Please keep an eye on your inbox, including your junk or spam folder.
Every vote counts, and we encourage all eligible parents and carers to take part in choosing who will represent the parent community on our Governing Body.
If you would prefer to vote using a paper ballot, please contact the school office and we will be happy to arrange this for you.
Our 3G Pitch - Work Beings Soon!
We were delighted to share some exciting news this week about our 3G pitch. After a lengthy period of planning and fundraising, work to resurface the pitch is due to begin in mid-October, with the aim of reopening it in mid-November.
This is a significant investment in our sporting facilities and one that will benefit our pupils for many years to come. We are extremely grateful for the support we have received from the Football Foundation, as well as the generous donations made to the school by members of our local community, which have helped make the project possible.
Once the new surface is installed, wearing the correct footwear will be essential to protect it. Guidance has been sent to families this week explaining which types of boots and trainers can be worn on the pitch, and we would ask everyone to take a moment to familiarise themselves with this.
We also want to make sure that having the correct footwear does not become a barrier to any pupil using the new facility. We will therefore be launching a Boot Bank, where families can donate suitable football boots that are no longer needed, as well as trade in or swap boots as children grow.
We are really looking forward to seeing the transformation take place over the coming weeks and, most importantly, to seeing our pupils back out enjoying the pitch later this term. We’ll keep you updated as the work progresses.
Open Evening
On Thursday, we were delighted to welcome over 500 visitors to our Open Evening. It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase our school and celebrate everything that makes STFS such a special place. We received some lovely feedback from families, particularly about our fantastic pupils who led tours, spoke about their subjects and shared their experiences of school life. So many visitors commented on how polite, friendly and courteous they were, and I couldn't have been prouder. They really are a credit to our school.
Next week, we look forward to welcoming more families for our school-day tours, giving them the opportunity to see STFS in action.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope you all have a lovely weekend
Francis Murphy
Headteacher
Netball Season Has Begun!
Yr 8 team:
The Year 8s fought hard in their first game of the year on Monday night against The Grange School. Despite their efforts, they unfortunately just missed out, losing 9 – 2. A special well done to Zurie, who was named Player of the match!
Yr 10 team:
The Year 10s had two tough fixtures on Wednesday. They started the afternoon with a fantastic 9 – 0 victory against The Grange School !
They then faced St Michael's in a closely fought game. The girls played brilliantly and battled right until the final whistle, narrowly losing 5 – 4. Well done Fayyah, who was named Player of the Match!
A brilliant start to the season – well done to all the girls for their effort, teamwork and determination.
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.
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.
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.