At Duncombe we are proud of our achievements as a school, from the success of our children both inside and outside of the classroom, to the range of activities and events we as a school community take part in and celebrate throughout the school year.
This page is regularly updated with the latest news and highlights from across the school.
What a final!
July 18, 2017
We moved away from Duncombe’s annual MasterChef competition this year and held our first ‘Great Duncombe Bake Off’ and wow, what a contest! The competition has been running throughout the year with heats for both Lower and Upper School running each term. The level of skill and attention to detail was apparent from round 1 when we saw (and tasted) an array of fabulous cupcakes from
Scientifically Winning
June 19, 2017
Recently a team of Year 5 children participated in the STEM challenge at Haileybury. 15 other schools took part in the challenge and we’re pleased to share with you that Duncombe won the ‘Scientific Design and Computing Challenge’. The theme was space related and involved Chemistry, Maths, Biology, Physics, scientific design and computing challenges. The children tested fuels for a rocket launch, filtration systems, folding
Year 6 get to know the RSPB Centre
June 16, 2017
As part of their Science enrichment, Year 6 have been to visit the RSPB centre at Rye Meads. They had a wonderful day and an excellent hands-on experience of bird-watching, pond-dipping and learning about habitats and the natural environment of all living things. They were able to identify many different bird species from wet land to dry land. A super day in beautiful surroundings.
WINNERS!!!
May 19, 2017
Our first ever tennis tournament took place at St Edmunds on Friday. Due to the unknown there was a little bit of nervousness but that was soon brushed aside as the first matches got underway. The tournament started with girls doubles and boys singles then was followed by boys doubles and girls singles. Every match was fought hard for and we ‘aced, smashed and volleyed’ ourselves
What a way to revise
May 19, 2017
Our teachers Miss Micele and Mrs Galaska, decided a change of scenario would beneficial to our Yr6 children ahead of next week’s SATs exams. So the children picked up their revision equipment and ventured over to our lovely tranquil Dell. The revision session started with a warm up game, which was swiftly followed by and a SPAG (Spelling Grammar and Punctuation) trail. Who said revision
Grow tall little seeds
May 19, 2017
Two weeks ago all the children planted runner bean seeds and sunflower seeds. Over the course of the next four weeks we will be using our observational skills to record all the changes that happen to the seeds. We hope that they will all grow!! After half term the plants will be sent home with the children so that the plants can be planted out.
Maths with a twist!
May 19, 2017
This morning Yr1 children were working alongside their Yr6 buddies. They were all involved in a maths workshop put together by Mrs Takiwara. They used their prediction skills to guess how many giant footsteps long the running track is, had fun measuring the capacities of containers using water and they were also challenged to work out a variety of number puzzles . All the children enjoyed the experience
A local trip for Yr4
May 19, 2017
On Thursday 11th May, in preparation for our trip to York, we took a train ride to Ware. Even though the train journey was over in a few moments, we thoroughly enjoyed relaxing on the train and catching a few sights of the beautiful Hertfordshire surroundings. When we arrived in Ware we walked beside the river to the boat which would return us to Hertford.
Fencing Champion
May 11, 2017
Last weekend one of young ladies, Maddi in Yr5, became the ‘British National Under 10 Girls Foil Champion 2017’ in The 2017 British Youth Championships. Maddi, her family and coach Acland Bryant traveled to Telford, where she was up against 24 other entrants. We’re told the competition was tough and intense, yet Maddi persisted and endeavoured to do her very best. As a result of
Congratualtions
May 5, 2017
Congratulations to Boris who made the cast for the “Wizard of Oz” show produced by Q Youth Theatre and MGM. Break a leg Boris!” Congratulations to Archie and Jake who went on their first football tour to Selsey, Chichester for their U10 7 aside team. They played 5 matches over 2 days undefeated to reach the final. They remained undefeated and won the tournament 4-0,
Turkish teapots and dancing
May 5, 2017
Reception had a special visitor this week at their Turkish morning, Mrs Lewis one of our lovely mummys. Mrs Lewis came into the class and spoke to the children about Turkey and shared lots of interesting factors. At Duncombe we enjoy leaning in different way, and so Mrs Lewis brought her visit to life as much as possible with a show and tell which included
Delicious mud porridge
May 4, 2017
Kindergarten ventured off to the Dell during Forest School to make mud porridge for the Goldilocks and the 3 bears! Daddy Bear said our mud porridge was too cold, Mummy Bear said our mud porridge was too lumpy but Baby Bear loved it. Kindergarten love porridge as well, so much that we’re going to have it for our snack this afternoon.
Nothing’s puzzling us!
April 28, 2017
This week saw the first of hopefully an annual ‘Duncombe Puzzle Challenge Day’ in association with NACE. Ahead of our ‘Whole School Puzzle Challenge Day’, on Wednesday evening our parents had the opportunity to apply their strategic thinking, riddle solving and logic to a number of challenge based activities as our NACE representative Anne Nelson unpacked the NACE programme and its manifold benefits for Duncombe
Learning outside the classroom
April 28, 2017
On Tuesday, Year 5 went on a Science field trip to Colchester Zoo where the children had a very interesting minibeast classification workshop and exploration time of the zoo looking at different vertebrates and invertebrates. They were able to get up and close to some animals including hand feeding the giraffes and elephants. Some children handled a Giant African Land Snail in the Discovery Centre.
Another mission completed!
April 28, 2017
Hi Guys, it’s me DB. Now that we’ve nearly recovered from the London Marathon on Sunday, Mr Le Tissier and I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all of you for your amazing support both before, during and after the race. The training was hard at times, but when we crossed the finish line after only 3hrs 42mins (we came in 7,102 place out
DB on trains, planes and automobiles!
April 13, 2017
This week I have been enjoying an ‘overseas’ training camp with Mr Le Tissier. I’ve been on trains, planes and automobiles! To be honest, I was fairly underwhelmed with my first flight on an aeroplane – 20,000 ft just doesn’t cut it when you’ve been to space! I did get to see a nice sunset though. I finally arrived in Guernsey, an island between England
DB London Marathon training update
April 6, 2017
Hi guys, DB here hope you’re all having a great Easter break! As you can see, Mr Le Tissier and I have embarked on a few more training runs for the London Marathon since the last post. We’ve been pounding the pavements and taking in some scenic views, perfect running weather! But as the race becomes closer, we’ll start to dial down the distance of
A new home ground!
March 9, 2017
At Duncombe School we’re proud of our close links with the local community and so we’re extremely pleased to announce that Hertford Rugby Club is Duncombe’s new ‘home ground’. It’s been a fantastic few weeks of Rugby at Duncombe School. We’ve held 4 home matches and we remain unbeaten on home turf and on […]
Watch out Beckham
March 9, 2017
A BIG congratulations to our U11 footballers who managed to reach yet another final last week. The team played some quite breath taking football throughout the tournament and the skill, passion and effort that was on show was nothing short of superb. Very well done! Mr Sopher
The wonders of London town
March 9, 2017
An early start on Monday morning led to Year 6 visiting the Houses of Parliament. The engaging and informative guides told us all about the House of Commons, the House of Lords as well providing us with a whistle stop tour of the history of Great Britain. During the afternoon we explored the […]
WHAT A WEEK!
March 7, 2017
Over 100 countries took part in ‘World Book Day’ on Thursday 2nd March, but Duncombe went one better and we held our first ‘World Book Week’ and what a success it was! Our Head of English, Miss Micele devised a whole week’s worth of activities that every year group have […]
Under my umbrella… ella ella !
March 2, 2017
As part of our science work we tested a variety of materials to see which would make a good umbrella. Thick and thin fabric, tin foil, plastic were all tested. The children were asked to predict, based on their knowledge’ which material would not let the water through. Once predictions were […]
Hmmmmmmm whats that lovely smell?
March 1, 2017
It’s the beautiful smell of freshly baked cupcake. Yesterday afternoon saw the launch of our ‘Duncombe Bake Off’ and in this first round 9 Upper School children were set the task of creating 6 identically filled and iced cupcakes. It was very difficult to say goodbye to 3 of our bakers, […]
Spending time with your buddy
February 28, 2017
We love to read here at Duncombe, but more importantly we love to help each other learn. And so this morning Year 4 did some buddy reading with Year 2 and Year 6 got to catch up with their buddies in Year 1 and read stories to them. Everyone […]
Move over Jamie – we’ve got new chefs on the horizon!
February 28, 2017
Our current Year 5 pupils really shone last week when they invited their parents in, and hosted Come Dine with Us. The menu was delicious; beef or vegetable lasagna, accompanied by a crisp, green salad and crunchy garlic bread, all followed by a sumptuous banoffee pudding, of bananas, toffee […]
Stepping back in time
February 27, 2017
Today our Year 4 children have been transported back in time to the 1870’s to experience what life would have been like as a Victorian school child. They are being taught the 3 R’s Reading, aRithmetic and wRiting, as well as getting to grips with writing on a slate using […]
Splish splash water everywhere
February 24, 2017
Science day in Treetops was a very wet affair this year. The children moved around the building to explore and investigate water. Did you know you can make a bubble big enough for a child to stand inside? Well the Treetops children did! And they loved making cube shaped bubbles […]
Don’t look down!
February 23, 2017
Our Year 5 children are learning the art of climbing in PE this year. Haileybury have very kindly allowed our children to go along and experience their climbing wall as part of this year’s PE curriculum. Who knows we may have the next Alex Honnold in our classroom.
Roll up, roll up get your freshly made paper here!
February 21, 2017
Our Year 1 children recently had the opportunity to make their own paper. This formed part of the children’s work on Materials. They were all very excited. The paper had been soaking over night and resulted in a delightful mushy paper pulp, rather like rice pudding, one child said!!! All the […]
Say hello to Speedy
February 9, 2017
Meet Speedy Speedy is 8 years old and has been part of the Duncombe family for a number of years. He’s lived in various classrooms around the school, but his current home is with us in Reception. We have two ‘snail monitors’ each day and we check the temperature and […]
Superheroes to the rescue!
February 7, 2017
Our Nursery superheroes showed no fear when they faced the rain and a number of superhero challenges to win their superhero medal. The children had to show a range of powers and qualities to gain their medal. They demonstrated supersonic speed, eye sight, bravery, balance and strength. All of the children […]
Eggiciting times
February 7, 2017
Year 2 had a very eggciting day when as part of their Science topic on materials they had to create a capsule to protect an egg. They were given 7 different materials as a group and had to predict which one would stop their egg from breaking when dropped from […]
Future Schools Information Evening
February 6, 2017
Duncombe prides itself in the provision and guidance allocated to pupils and parents on the hot topic of secondary school selections and entry. To this end, there was a “Future Schools Evening” held on Thursday 26th January. Parents had the opportunity to hear from the Deputy Head, Head of Learning, […]
Cakes glorious cakes!
February 6, 2017
It would appear the whole of Duncombe School had their baking hats on yesterday, ahead of today’s animal charity bake sale for ‘Blue Cross for Pets’. We have been amazed by the cake creations from the children and have seen everything from penguin and lambs cakes to unicorns and sausage […]
Triumphant performance
February 3, 2017
Well done to all our performers today. You all controlled your nerves well, remembering to do everything your teachers taught you. Our year 3 recorders began the concert, thank you to Mrs Sutton Muldoon for her direction. They all played splendidly, keeping in time and reading the music well. Our brass players […]
Hogwarts have been on the phone…
February 2, 2017
and they want Duncombe’s children! Year 3 are studying English in an exciting new way this term, using Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone as the stimulus. Last week, children were invited to attend ‘Hogwarts’ as pupils and wrote complex sentences about Quidditch! They also looked at non-chronological reports and planned […]
The Battle of the Brains
January 31, 2017
The annual ‘Battle of the Brains’ competition took place yesterday at Princess Helena College. The battle was extremely well competed by our bright young team. We came away from the competition having won the most amount of rounds. However, when it came to the final we came second to a […]
This term’s Knebworth charity is …..
January 31, 2017
Blue Cross for Pets This charity provides support for pet owners who cannot afford private veterinary treatment, helps to find homes for unwanted animals, and educates the public in the responsibilities of animal ownership. Our Knebworth representatives have lots of exciting fundraising activities planned, starting with an animal themed bake […]
Fortune envelopes and tasty food
January 30, 2017
Today we had a special visitor to Kindergarten and Early Kindergarten. Mrs Zhou came in to give our children a special talk about Chinese New Year. Her daughter Serena also modelled a beautiful Chinese outfit. We learnt about the year of the Rooster, and how the animal of the year […]
Show us those pearly whites
January 27, 2017
This week Kindergarten’s topic has been on the dentist. We have explored tooth brushing in the messy play, sequenced tooth brushing routine, made smiley mouths, talked about healthy eating and how to look after our teeth. We also had a visit from the dentist who shared tips on looking after our […]
Happy Chinese New Year or 新年好 / 新年好
January 26, 2017
This week in Nursery the children have been learning all about the Chinese New year. They have learnt about Chinese writing, the year of the rooster, the different animals in the Chinese zodiac and they have tasted some Chinese foods, the firm favourite was the prawn crackers!
Lights, camera, action!
January 23, 2017
Exciting times at Duncombe today as we were shooting for our new marketing material. We’re looking forward to sharing the outcome with you very soon.
Helping hands in Forest School
January 22, 2017
Learning outside the classroom with Forest School was at its peak on Friday. Year 2 were giving the squirrels a helping hand by making them an assault course, which included a swing and a bridge wide enough for the squirrels to cross in pairs.
Duncombe Dragons
January 22, 2017
Flying bikes and umbrellas for dogs were just a few of the ideas Year 5 were trying to gain investment for from the ‘Duncombe Dragons’ in class today. Similar to the popular TV show, the children had to research an invention, present to the class (some in rap music form) […]
Healthy mind, healthy body
January 19, 2017
3C this afternoon have been talking about different types of foods and sorting them into groups of what’s healthy and what’s not so healthy.
Nothing stops us learning
January 18, 2017
The icy wind and a sheet of snow may have forced PE lessons inside today but it certainly did not stop learning at Duncombe School. Pupils in Year 6 could be found inside busily discussing the principles of leadership as they continued to work towards their Sports Leaders Award.
Red and yellow and pink and blue, purple and orange and green!
January 18, 2017
In Kindergarten they not only sing about rainbows, but they can make their own rainbows with an amazing science experiment!
Bonjour from Treetops!
January 18, 2017
Our 3 and 4 years olds welcomed each other in French and shook hands. we believe it is so important to get children trying out a variety of languages as early as possible. Our nursery children love their weekly French lessons.
A Merry Duncombe Christmas
December 15, 2016
With this being our last day of term, today is Duncombe’s ‘Christmas Day’. The day started with the children (and staff) laughing so much their tummies hurt, watching some of our wonderful members of staff perform their take on ‘The Night before Christmas’. Then as with any Christmas Day, there […]
Bringing festive cheer to the elderly
December 13, 2016
Our Year 4 choir have been practising extremely hard over the last few weeks in preparation for their carol service at ‘The Dell Residential Home’ in Hertford. The children visited ‘The Dell’ along with their Music teachers Mrs Turner and Mrs Sutton and sang an assortment of traditional Christmas carols […]
Rocking around the Christmas tree
December 13, 2016
Seeing your child take part in their first Christmas sing-along show at school always brings a tear to the eye. So there were tears of Christmas happiness over in Duncombe Treetops this morning. With our children in Early Kindergarten dressed as Christmas Puddings, Stars and Snowmen and Kindergarten rocking their […]
Off to see Santa
December 13, 2016
On Monday, EKG, KG and Nursery headed to Springtime Nurseries to visit Father Christmas. An extremely excited coach of children were treated to a magical train ride around the Christmas displays, where we saw a Polar Bear band, Santa’s elves and much more before arriving at Santa’s grotto. The children […]
Taking Self Defence seriously
December 12, 2016
Duncombe’s Self Defence coach, Mr Boddy attended our assembly this morning. He handed out awards to an array of children for progress, focus and concentration and for a willingness to be committed to learning whilst attending the Self Defence course at our after school club. Mr Boddy has been part […]
Movie stars in the making
December 12, 2016
We could not be more proud of our budding thespians. Nursery and Reception told the story of Christmas this week. They performed firstly to the whole school and then to their parents and grandparents and they didn’t show any nerves at all. They sang beautifully, remembered their lines and most […]
Watch out J K Rowling!
December 8, 2016
Back in September, Year 6 wrote some exciting animal adventure stories after visiting Paradise Wildlife Park. The stories were entered into a competition which was judged by a large panel including local author, Tamsyn Murray. Both Mrs Galaska and Miss Micele from Duncombe were extremely impressed with the high standard […]
Learning outside the classroom
December 8, 2016
Year 6 had a fantastic visit to the Natural History Museum in London. They took part in an Evolution workshop and were incredibly confident with their knowledge. The Scientist taking the workshop commented to both myself and Mr Le Tissier how amazed he was at the children’s advanced Science thinking and […]
Shaking Up Shakespeare at Duncombe
December 8, 2016
Anthony Glenn, the one man show of ‘the Nutcracker’ entertained Duncombe’s Years 3 to 6 pupils with the enchanting tale. The show proved to be a resounding success, as budding Duncombe performers assisted him in retelling the story. A cracking start to the festive season! Here are some comments from […]
Duncombe Choir getting into the Christmas Spirit
December 8, 2016
On Monday, Year 5 and 6 Choir went to sing at the Mercury and Observer Community Awards Ceremony at Hanbury Manor. It was great fun and we sang many songs. The soloists sang beautifully and everyone listened intently. Alastair Readman sang a beautiful version of Silent Night in German and […]
Interview with Danny Granville, ex-professional footballer turned Games Teacher
November 11, 2016
Lottie G and George M from Year 6 are this years sports captains and they recently interviewed our very own Duncombe Games Teacher, sports star and ex-professional footballer Danny Granville. Name: Danny Granville Job: Arsenal Youth Coach, Duncombe PE & Games Coach. Ex-Professional Footballer. Nationality: English. Premier League Football Teams […]
A President Elect and a pineapple numbers discussion!
November 11, 2016
Ahead of the American Presidential Election, some of my Year 6 pupils were discussing who would win. Freddie declared, rather confidently “If Donald Trump wins, I’ll give Mr Le Tissier a pineapple!” True to his word, on Thursday morning Freddie presented me with a pineapple. In class I thought I […]
Welcome Home DB!
November 4, 2016
What an exciting morning for all, with rapturous applause to welcome home the returning hero that is our very own Duncombe Bear, Space Explorer! Pupils and staff then sang a rousing chorus of “Ground Control to Major Ted, Take your sandwiches and put your wellies on . . . Can […]
Ground Control to Major Ted
October 21, 2016
‘Ground Control to Major Ted’… School Mascot launches into space! It was mission control at Duncombe this week as our school mascot was launched into orbit and then tracked by video on a tour of space. Duncombe Bear or DB as he is being affectionately called, headed to the outer stratosphere […]
Music, meditation and maha-mantras.
October 14, 2016
This week Year 5 visited Bhaktivedanta Manor near Watford as part of their Religious Education studies on Hinduism. The Temple was established in 1973 by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Our pupils had a fun packed day; touring the main house including the temple, theatre and the founder’s quarters […]
Nature deficit disorder? Not on my watch!
October 7, 2016
There has been much written in the press about ‘nature deficit disorder’ and the benefits of children learning in a variety of environments is plain to see; last week Year 6 pupils visibly flourished as they performed outstandingly in their class assembly and I put this down to a particularly congenial […]
Dem bones, dem bones, dem Duncombe bones.
October 7, 2016
Nursery were very lucky to be visited by Megan’s Grandma this week. She worked for many years as a radiographer and came and spoke to the children about her job. We learnt all about the human skeleton, x-ray machines and we even met a ‘Granny with no bones’ (a balloon […]
The Time-travelling slide
September 30, 2016
How lucky are we at Duncombe to have the wonderful sunken outdoor space that is the Dell. And, what a fabulous assembly “The Time-travelling slide”, held in the Dell this sunny morning by 6LT all about what their futures might hold… “stand on your left leg, hold your nose with […]
What will your futuristic ideal home look like?
September 30, 2016
UPPER SCHOOL ART COMPETITION We have been invited by local estate agent Steven Oates to draw, paint or colour, using your wildest imagination, on A4 landscape what your futuristic house would look like. A Prize of a £50 gift voucher with the winner’s artwork to be featured on the […]
Master Chef
September 22, 2016
You should all be receiving a copy of the eagerly awaited Master Chef entry form attached to this weeks newsletter, or download a copy here. There are two categories which are Lower School (Years 1-3) and Upper School (Years 4-6) with 12 children in each group going into the first […]
A bang, splash and wooosh!
September 20, 2016
Duncombe pupils started their Year 5 experience with a bang, splash and wooosh! Off they sailed to the very sunny Isle of Wight on the 12th September as part of their enrichment/ sport program. This trip is aimed to encourage them to gain in confidence, to participate and experience life away […]
Outdoor learning ‘boosts children’s development’ – BBC News
September 9, 2016
On Speech Day Jeremy spoke of the development of the Duncombe Forest School learning experience and how this is going to expand through KS1 and 2 over time. We know, as a school that has used Forest School learning with our youngest pupils for quite a while, that there are […]
100% pass rate LAMDA results!
September 2, 2016
We are delighted to announce all ninety-seven candidates from Years 3 – 6 have passed their LAMDA Speech & Drama examinations. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 achieved healthy Merits and some exceptionally high Distinctions. Indeed, all 33 year 4 pupils gained Distinctions which is a record across any one […]
Mayze and Josh, meet Yeti with Spaghetti and Hairy McLary!
June 24, 2016
Yr 5 Mayze and Josh enjoyed their visit to the Leaf Cafe on Wednesday 22nd June. They expressively read some fun tales to some very interested and attentive toddlers. Some of their favourite stories included the exciting Yeti with Spaghetti and the fun adventure Hairy McLary-Sit. Both parents and children were very […]
Year 5 Science Group success
June 21, 2016
Year 5 Science Group came a brilliant 4th out of 24 schools at the Science Challenge Day at Haileybury Thursday 16th June. They competed against 23 other schools in three challenges Physics, Biology and Chemistry. The Physics challenge involved investigating thermal energy, the Biology challenged involved finding out how much […]
Toddler Reading Time
June 10, 2016
On Wednesday morning, Maddie and Max Yr5 visited The Leaf Cafe. They were faced with the challenge of reading out loud and remembering to show the toddlers the illustrations! Both did a fantastic job, using plenty of expression and sound effects in their delivery to engage their audience. Some of […]
Duncombe singing from the Royal Festival Hall rooftops
May 19, 2016
Duncombe Senior Choir performed at the Barnardo’s Young Supporters’ Concert at the prestigious Royal Festival Hall in London on May 18th. A beautiful massed Choir concert of some 600 primary aged pupils, with dancing and solo performances thrown in. As is tradition for these events, artwork is submitted in advance […]
New Appointment of Deputy Head Pastoral for September 2016
May 18, 2016
I am delighted to announce that Miss Nicola Sands has been appointed as Deputy Head Pastoral from September 2016. Miss Sands joins us from Brighton College Prep School, Abu Dhabi, where she is currently the Deputy Head Pastoral. As shared earlier this term, the field was exceptionally strong and I […]
Picnic to celebrate the Queens 90th Birthday
May 13, 2016
We have greatly enjoyed a Picnic in honour of the Queen’s 90th Birthday today with traditional sports day games and activities along with a cake, ice cream or lolly we toasted Her Majesty’s good health in a fine fashion. Each pupil has been given a commemorative bookmark in recognition of the […]
Reception Trip to Mill Green
April 22, 2016
Before the Easter Break, Reception had a lovely visit to Mill Green Mill and Museum. The children were very excited to see a working waterwheel and took part in the Little Red Hen Workshop, listening to the story and joining in with the animal noises while wearing masks. They also […]
From Old Hall into outer space
March 18, 2016
Thursday saw the arrival of the Science dome which took up the whole of the Old Hall. Children from Nursery through to Year 6 experienced a wonderful journey through space, learning about our solar system and beyond. The excited chatter from all the children was lovely to hear and has inspired […]
Easter Toddler Party
March 11, 2016
Here at Duncombe we are getting EGGs-ited about Easter and invite our Toddlers to our EGGs-taordinary Party where they are sure to have an EGGs-ellent time!
Check your Recycling Bin and help us to win a new school garden
March 4, 2016
We have registered to enter the WIN A GARDEN competition being run by Van Hage and Mercury and Herts Observer this month. Please do collect the tokens and hand them into the school office – please ask neighbours, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, colleagues . . . . to collect on […]
Duncombe School Pupils reach the heights again!
March 1, 2016
An outstanding THIRTEEN scholarships and awards have been offered this year to pupils at Duncombe. In addition, all Duncombe’s Year 6 pupils who sat entrance examinations have secured a place at the Independent school of their choice. This is a real testament to the hard work and commitment of the […]
Internet Safety Day
February 12, 2016
We held Internet Safety Day this week and an informative talk to parents, thanks to all that could attend. We were pleased to receive this feedback from Mrs Brady who attended the evening: “I thought the session was interesting and informative. It was extremely helpful to get some tips on how […]
Breakfast Concert
February 5, 2016
Once again the Old hall was full to the rafters with budding musicians, anxious but proud parents all eagerly anticipating a glorious music concert. We were not disappointed with recorders, pianists, a cornet, flautists, violin, guitarists and some beautiful vocals. A huge thanks to all who were involved
Celebrating Chinese New Year
January 29, 2016
1D took us on a wondrous journey through the Chinese New Year. A cultural trip that was both colourful and exciting! The props, storytelling and pupils’ art work really made for a wonderful experience. As ever, the pupils projected well and the growing sense of self confidence was extremely evident.
Treetops are all Eyes!
January 19, 2016
Treetops classes were fortunate to have a special visit from one of our parents, Mr Choudhry, on Wednesday. Mr Choudhry is an optometrist and, as part of our topic on ‘people who help us’, he came in to talk to the children about the importance of looking after our eyes, […]
Nursery and Reception Christmas Performances
December 11, 2015
This week Nursery and Reception put on their Christmas performances. Nursery performed ‘The Angel Express’ and were all in full chorus. We all enjoyed the news clips and hope we have some budding reporters in the making! It was clear to see the progress the children make when moving through […]
National Nursery Rhyme day
November 13, 2015
Treetops enjoyed a day of nursery rhymes today to celebrate ‘National Nursery Rhyme Day’. We all dressed up as our favourite nursery rhyme characters from Little Miss Muffett to a Bakers Man, A fun day was had by all.
Road Safety in Treetops
November 11, 2015
Reception and Nursery children were very excited to have a special visit from Hertfordshire County Council who came to talk to the pupils all about road safety. The pupils enthusiastically named all the different types of vehicles they need to look out for on the roads. We learnt the STOP, […]
Happy Diwali
November 11, 2015
Early Kindergarten and Kindergarten celebrated Diwali on Wednesday with a special visit form Mrs Pettengell. We spoke about the story of Diwali, the festival of light , lanterns and Divas, offerings of gifts, outfits and traditions. The children enjoyed looking at the special clothes; which were model so beautifully by […]
Foodbank Thank You
November 9, 2015
We have had a thank you letter from the Hertford and District Foodbank saying how grateful they are for our very generous food donations. You will be pleased to hear that the food totalled an amazing 492.72kg which is enough to feed approximately 31 people for 3 days. The clients […]
Headmaster’s Awards
November 6, 2015
Mr Phelan was delighted to welcome pupils to his office this afternoon to celebrate their successes having been nominated for a Headmaster’s Award. Well done to Leah, Louie, Edward, James and Rupert D. A lovely moment and one which we will continue to look to celebrate over the coming weeks […]
Welcome back!
November 2, 2015
Welcome back to all our children and parents, we do hope you all had a lovely half term break and took the opportunity for some rest and relaxation. We’re looking forward to the second half of the Autumn Term and as always we’ll be extremely busy, but we already have […]
Golfing Success – Oliver Barnes
November 1, 2015
To Oliver who played in a competition for Essendon Golf Club on Sunday 1st November with nearly 30 other children and won! Oliver beat much older children including his brother Jack! Well done Oliver.
MasterChef… THE FINAL!
August 20, 2015
The last week of term saw our finalists go head to head to claim the 2015 Duncombe’s MasterChef title. For the first time in the history of Duncombe’s MasterChef we saw three Year 3 children competing for the Lower School title and three Year 6 children for Upper School. Guest […]
Reception Graduation
August 20, 2015
Treetops was home to a very special celebration today, ‘Receptions Graduation’. Wearing graduation hats, each of the children came up to the front of the stage to be presented with their graduation certificate by Mrs Copeman in front of friends and members of staff. The children will move over to […]
Celebrating with Year 6
August 20, 2015
As we come to the end of another school year we’ve been looking back at all the wonderful things everyone here at Duncombe has achieved and been part of this year. We’ve shared the amazing celebrations of our 75th anniversary, various charity events raising thousands of pounds, sports days and […]
