Barrow Hills Bulletin

8 May 2026

Friday 8th May 2026

Welcome to the Barrow Hills Bulletin, your weekly newsletter with a snapshot of life at School.

Message From the Head

Dear Parents,

Sports Day Poster

Year 6 have had a great week adventuring in Snowdonia, starting strongly with all students and staff reaching the summit of the mountain. Next week, Year 4 will stretch their teamwork and independence with a residential visit to Sayers Croft.

We enjoyed some excellent cricket fixtures for the U10s and U9s this week, and thank you to all the parents who came along to support and encourage the children. A special mention goes to Mateo and James, who were playing for Guildford City in their hockey victory at the National Tier 2 Finals. Congratulations also to George and his U14 relay team, now placed second in the UK.

The fine weather saw Reception working in the greenhouse, planting seeds, and all children will have the chance to help sow a new wildflower bed, with a nod to David Attenborough’s 100th birthday. In Science, Year 1 have been visiting the labs with Mr Behan, while Year 2 have started transition activities, thinking ahead to the next academic year and Year 3.

Have a great weekend.
Mr Towers, Head

News from Upper Prep

The children in Upper Prep have thrown themselves into all activities with their usual energy and enthusiasm.

It has been a very busy week in terms of sport with an athletics event at Edgeborough School on Monday for Philip, Delilah, Charlie – and Hermione who competed despite having one arm in a cast! George P also attended Athletic District Trials at Charterhouse. Outside school, George took part in an athletics event with his team on the weekend and his U14 relay team is now 2nd in the whole of the UK. Well done George! Cricket fixtures were played in the sunshine on Wednesday.

The Year 8 children continue to prepare for their 13+CE exams in June by revising little and often both at home and in school. I have been impressed with their diligent and focused approach.

The Year 7 children have enjoyed rehearsing for their Evening of Music and Drama this week. It promises to be a most entertaining evening!

Please join us on Tuesday 9th June at 7pm.

Finally, this term is extremely short so here are some dates for your diary:
May 18th: IAPS Debating Final (Tom and Josh)
May 22nd: Break up for Half Term
June 1st: Return to School
June 2nd – June 5th: Exams start for Year 7 and Year 8
June 5th: Proms at 5pm on Headmaster’s Lawn
June 12th-16th: Trip to Costa Brava
June 26th: Sports Day
June 29th: Leavers’ Assembly
June 30th: Leavers’ Cricket
July 2nd: Leavers’ Service
July 3rd: Prize Giving and break up for the summer holidays.

Mrs Mason, Head of Upper Prep

News from Prep

It’s been a quieter week at Barrow Hills with Year 6 enjoying their residential trip to Snowdonia where they have had lots of fun caving, gorge walking, zip lining and, of course, climbing Mount Snowdon. Well done, Year 6, for stepping outside of your comfort zone and thank you to the team of staff, Mrs Burnett, Mr Hinds, Mr King and Mr Mullins, for a great week away.

One of the highlights of my week came yesterday, when I spotted a number of Year 5 children using their imaginations and exploring creativity through play. They used our construction zone to build a car, which they then played in, making the moves up as they went, for the entire lunch break.

Closer to home, sport has kept Years 3, 4 and 5 busy, with an Athletics event at Edgeborough School on Tuesday evening, and cricket matches against both Amesbury and Cranleigh. As the summer term progresses, we have a number of additional sport fixtures to look forward to. Please take the time to check the team sheet which will detail any additional events which may impact collection time, and kit required in school.

Next week, we anticipate further residential fun, this time for Year 4, who head for a 2 night stay at Sayers Croft, based in our beautiful Surrey Hills. I can’t wait to hear what they get up to!

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.
Miss Tyrrell, Head of Prep

News from Pre-Prep

It has been another busy and exciting week in Pre-Prep, filled with curiosity, creativity, and wonderful achievements!

Our Year 1 pupils enjoyed an engaging and hands-on Science lesson in the lab with Mr Behan. Following a thoughtful discussion about the different parts of a plant and their functions, our budding scientists explored a pansy.

Reception also had a fantastic opportunity to visit Mr Gaszka in the greenhouse earlier this week. The children were fascinated to learn all about how lemons grow, sparking lots of curious questions and excitement about the natural world. They also planted sunflowers seeds and look forward to watching them develop in the coming weeks.

Year 2 took their first steps towards transition to the Prep department with great enthusiasm. They enjoyed a drama-based workshop led by Mrs James alongside Year 3 teacher Mrs Wallace, giving them a taste of what is to come. The adventure continued with a slightly later lunch with Year 3, as well as the absolute highlight—playtime on the Prep Adventure Playground, all to themselves!

We are also very proud to celebrate our Work of the Week award winners: congratulations to Xander (Kin), Ethan (Rec), Anabella (Year 1) and Sophie (Year 2) for their fantastic efforts and achievements in maths, spellings, phonics and construction this week. Well done!

Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs Barnett

This Week's Articles

Sharing Stories with Nursery

The children love to share books with each other in nursery. They especially enjoy...

Junk Modelling with Kindy

The Kindy children have managed to fit in a great deal despite it...

Year 1 Dissect Pansies in the Science Lab

The children had a practical lesson in the Science Lab with Mr Behan. After...

100 Years of Sir David Attenborough with Forest School

We have been celebrating 100 years of Sir David Attenborough!

We have discussed how...

Gardening with Reception

This week, the Reception children were lucky enough to visit our gardener, Mr Gaszka,...

Year 5 Astronomers

Our Year 5 astronomers have truly reached for the stars this term! As part...

Year 6 In Snowdonia

Our Year 6 pupils have had an unforgettable time on their residential...

Ballet at Fareham Live

Current pupil Millie and former pupil Lexi recently took to the stage...

Mr. P’s Parent Maths Problem of the Week

Last week’s parent problem was taken directly out of this year’s Junior Maths Challenge....

Pre-Prep Awards

Work of the Week

Congratulations to Xander from Kindy, Ethan from Reception, Anabella from...

Prep Awards

Platinum

Wilbur and Hannah from Year 3

Lachie from Year 5

Diamond

Hugo from...

Extracurricular Achievements - Sport

Year 8 have had some fantastic sporting achievements recently:

Mateo and James play hockey...

The Wellbeing Hub

11th – 17th May – Mental Health Awareness Week: The theme this year is...

Music Lesson Timetables

Music lesson timetables are published every Friday via the School Portal. While our music teachers endeavour to attend on their designated days, there may be occasions when adjustments are necessary. We kindly ask parents to check the published timetables each week to ensure that students bring their instrument and music to school on the correct day.

Sun care in the Summer Term

With the warmer weather approaching please can we ensure that children are coming to school with water bottles, caps and have had sun cream applied in the morning.

BHPA Second-hand clothes collection

Aquathlon Race Series at the Guildford Lido

Phoenix Triathlon Club is thrilled to host a three-part Aquathlon Race Series at the Guildford Lido this summer.

Designed to be fun, friendly, and accessible, these events are the perfect introduction to multi-sport racing for beginners, while also offering a fantastic local race opportunity for seasoned athletes.

Event Highlights:

The Venue: Swim in the iconic 50m Olympic Guildford Lido, followed by a safe, traffic-free run in Stoke Park.

The Dates:
Friday 12th June, Friday 10th July, and Friday 4th September 2026.
(All events start from 7:00 PM).

Fully Licensed: All races are officially licensed by the British Triathlon Federation (BTF).

Competitive Spirit: Prizes will be awarded for podium positions in female and open categories with medals for all finishers!

Full cafe facilities open at the Lido

Free parking

Dedicated marshals at all points with professional Medical staff on hand

Race Categories & Distances:

Category	Age	Swim Distance	Run Distance
TriStar Start	8 years	50m	600m
TriStar 1	9-10 years	150m	1.5km
TriStar 2	11-12 years	200m	2km
TriStar 3	13-14 years	300m	3km
Youth & Junior	15-19 years	500m	5km
Adults	20+ years	500m	5km

Entry Fees:
Adults (20+): £32.50
Under 19s: £25.00

Group & Multi-Race Discounts:
We are offering exclusive discount codes for schools, clubs, families, or individuals entering all three races. Please reply directly to this email at aquathlon@phoenixtri.co.uk to secure your discount code or to ask any questions.

How to Book:
Click on the date you wish you book for and fill out the form – Friday 12th June, Friday 10th July or Friday 4^th September.

Tree Tots at Barrow Hills

We’re thrilled to invite little ones into our Nursery and Forest School for a our weekly toddler class – Tree Tots @ Barrow Hills!

Tree Tots welcomes girls and boys aged 6 months – 3 years for a magical hour of play. Babies can relax in our baby sensory corner as toddlers take on themed activity stations – we’ll then all come together for songs, games and story time.

The classes will meet every Friday at 9am during term-time – the first two classes will be free to attend, (thereafter £5 per child), and include a hot drink and snack for both carers and their little ones!

Please do bring along any children and spread the word with friends – tickets must be booked in advance, through the Happity website.

Barrow Hills Parents’ Association

Bacon Butties were a welcome treat this morning, and helped raised £276. The Bacon Butty stall runs every Friday from 7:45am, serving a selection of delicious breakfast treats and hot drinks, and is a fabulous meeting point for everyone to catch up at the end of the school week.

Thanks to our amazing team and the community for your support!

Bridewell Schools Dry Cleaning & Launderers

The Little Gym Godalming

For any parents who are looking for camps running across half-term, Little Gym in Chiddingfold are running half and full day camps for children aged 3+, packed with gymnastics, imaginative games, and creative fun. Find out more on their website.