FROM THE HEADMASTER
Peter Mellor
This has been a sad week for the Spratton Hall community, following the news that former member of staff, Peter Mellor, passed away at the weekend following a lengthy battle with cancer. Peter joined the staff in 1979, retiring in 2013. He was a much loved and hugely respected Maths teacher who also coached Games, with a particular love of football and cricket. He was a member of the Senior Management Team and Senior Master until his retirement. I worked with him personally for a number of years; he was an exceptional schoolmaster. I am sure many of our parents here, former Spratton pupils themselves, will remember him fondly. Our thoughts are with his wife, Christine, and his children, Rebecca and James.
Sport
It has been lovely to see so many sporting fixtures going on this week, including the Year 3 girls enjoying their first school hockey fixtures yesterday. Special mention to our U10 rugby team who have had a hugely impressive start to the season. They are unbeaten so far, including several tournaments. Of particular note is the Stowe Festival on Wednesday where they beat bigger schools with a strong rugby reputation, including Warwick, The Dragon and Caldicott. Very well done to them all.
On Monday, we are hosting an IAPS event here at school for the U13 Girls Regional Football round. Good luck to our own team taking part. Then, the Girls 1st Hockey team will be playing in the IAPS Hockey Regional rounds at Oundle next Friday.
Contact Details
Please could I remind parents to let the School Office know if you have changed your contact details. As well as address, this includes phone numbers and email addresses – thank you.
Open Morning
This takes place next Friday at 10am where we will be welcoming a number of prospective parents to the school. As always, our Year 8 pupils will act as guides, always a beneficial experience for them. If you know of any friends or relatives who would like to attend, please do contact Mrs Sarah Church on Registrar@sprattonhall.com.
Simon Clarke
Headmaster
PRE-PREP
Launching letters, sounds and words
Phonics is woven into the daily rhythm of every Pre-Prep classroom and, in Reception, Mrs George and Miss Yeo make it a wonderfully multi-sensory, hands-on experience. Everywhere you look, coloured letters are appearing—on mini whiteboards, the Smartboard, chalkboards, in trays of coloured sand… almost any surface becomes a stage for the children to practise and take pride in their emerging writing skills. Listen closely, and you might catch the children singing little phonics ditties like “slither down the snake” or “round the apple, down the leaf,” as they link sounds to letter shapes and revel in their growing confidence.
It’s Conker Collecting Season!
Adventures out on our school fields, this week, have turned into conker-collecting missions of epic proportions! The children could barely walk for their jumpers bulging and pockets bursting with shiny brown conkers. Even skirt hems and coat hoods had been transformed into overflowing baskets of Autumn treasure.
In 1W, the children put their creative skills to work by turning their conkers into the cutest miniature toadstools for the woodland fairies, whilst others were decorated with noughts and crosses, with sticks being used to play the game amongst the trees. It was utterly joyful to hear the children’s laughter as friendships blossomed and imaginations ran wild — a truly magical way to welcome the start of autumn!
‘Oi, Frog’ – With a Difference…
If you are familiar with the much-loved Kes Gray story ‘Oi, Frog!’, then you’ll know just how much children love the playful rhymes that describe the frog’s quest to find a comfy place to sit. Inspired by the book, our Year 2 classes have enjoyed a wonderful time bringing their own imaginations to life in Oi, 2S! and Oi, 2L! Plenty of giggles could be heard as the children dreamt up clever and funny rhymes to go with their own names – ‘Nina sits on Ribena’, ‘Willa sits on a chinchilla’ and ‘Freddie sits on teddies,’ are just a few. ‘Miss Siddons sits on ribbons’, made us smile too!
Pupil Achievements
Congratulations to Willa Jack who, despite being one of the youngest in her class, achieved 2nd place in the London International Cradle Stakes Qualifier.
Further congratulations go to Poppy Wiseman who gained a Certificate of Appreciation for her support of the Lewy Body Society, a charity very close to her heart, and a 1st place rosette for an equestrian event at Onley Grounds.
Very well done to Ella Clark who gained a certificate for her effort, skill and teamwork in Netball and to Harley Horton-Walker who achieved the next level tag for her belt in Brazilian Jujitsu.
Final congratulations go to Isaac Cochrane for gaining his Numbots All Star Award, a magnificent achievement.
Fiona Sanchez
Head of Pre-Prep
ART
Artist of the Week – Goes to Anna Sanders for completing her wonderful Christmas card in a Pop Art style and also to Bea Greany, Pop Art with a Christmas twist!
Plant Request – If anyone has any real of fake plants (small or large) they can donate to the Art Department for drawing purposes, please bring to school for the attention of Mrs Moreton.
Thank you
MUSIC
Rugby School Strings Day – Thursday 2nd October
We are looking forward to taking some of our advanced string players from Years 7 & 8 over to Rugby on Thursday for their Music Day. A reminder that we will be leaving school at 8.10am. We look forward to seeing parents at the concert at 2.30pm in the TSR. Please be aware that there is no transport provided back to school as all of the parents are attending the concert.
SCHOOL EVENING MINIBUS SERVICE
We would be grateful if parents whose children are booked to use the evening minibus service could please inform the school office, by 12 noon at the latest, if their child will NOT be using the minibus service that evening.
Thank you.
HARVEST
Our Harvest at Spratton is fast approaching and as usual we are asking each year group to focus on a specific area and bring produce to school. In school we will be writing messages of encouragement to attach to our produce. This is a suggestion for our children to work together to make a difference. All the proceeds go to Hope in Northampton, a day centre that feeds and provides food bags, support and workshops to the most vulnerable in our wider community, and they have provided a poster of additional items you may feel you can donate. Hope is always incredibly appreciative of the generosity of Spratton parents and pupils and it really does support the centre and enables it to reach out to those needing that extra help in very difficult times. We do hope you will be able to support our collection again. Please leave any items in the box which will be labelled by the entrance to the Hunter Hall.
Y3 – Variety of cereals and breakfast products
Y4 – Tinned food (savoury and sweet but please check the best before date)
Y5 – Toiletries such as toothbrushes and paste, soap, shower gels, deodorant etc
Y6 – Dried carbs such as rice, pasta, noodles, beans, lentils, mash and cuppa soups
Y7 and 8 – Please bring in a stand-alone meal. 4-5 items that could make up a meal as well as a hot drink OR if possible ask for a £5-10 donation and go shopping, keeping within a budget and selecting items that would make a meal (long life produce)
Thank you all for your continued support and help in making a difference.
MEDICAL – NITS
As this is a problem throughout the school at the moment, please could you take the time to check your child’s hair and treat accordingly.
Head lice are wingless insects that live on the scalp and neck. They are grey or brown, have six legs and when fully grown are about the size of a sesame seed. Females attach their eggs to your hair close to your scalp. The eggs hatch about 7–10 days later and it takes 10 days for them to be adults and laying new eggs.
When the lice hatch they leave empty shells called nits attached to the hair. Nits are white and you may mistake them for flakes of dry skin. Nits stick to the hair and you will not be able to remove them with normal shampooing. You can only get head lice through head to head contact. They cannot hop, fly or swim. Although head lice may be embarrassing and sometimes uncomfortable, they do not usually cause illness. However, they WILL NOT clear up on their own and you need to treat them promptly.
Treatment of Head Lice
There are many treatments available including: Insecticides – e.g. Full Marks liquid or Derbac M, Wet Combing with special fine toothed comb, Non–insecticide based products – e.g. Hedrin.
Insecticides and Non-Insecticides
When using these products for treating lice they are available as lotions, liquids and shampoos. Always follow the instructions carefully. Usually the insecticide lotion should be rubbed onto scalp and hair, left for approximately 12 hours before you wash it out. Then comb using a fine toothed comb. This process should be repeated after 7 days to kill any new lice that may have hatched.
Wet Combing
This is a method of removing lice with a fine toothed comb. You need to spend 20–30mins combing through the entire head of hair. It is easier to remove the lice and nits if the hair is wet and conditioner still on hair. The process needs repeating every 3 days until there have been 3 consecutive sessions without seeing any lice.
Debs Hadfield – Matron
PUPIL ACHIEVEMENTS
Well done to Rahul Malde who completed a 25 mile charity bike ride to raise funds for Cynthia Spencer.
Congratulations also to Sophia Hodgkins who achieved her grade 10 gymnastics award last weekend.
Congratulations to the following pupils who have been selected for Northants U13 County Hockey:-
Amelie Wilson, Olive Scott, Aoife Morris, Isla Wallace, Poppy Johnson and Poppy Turney
NON-SCHOOL EVENTS
Castle Ashby Pumpkin Hunt – October half term 2025
Gospel Choir at Cottesbrooke Village Hall 17.10.25
The very talented EAGA Gospel Choir (BBC Songs of Praise Choir of the Year 2023 and Britain’s Got Talent Finalists) are performing in Cottesbrooke Church on Friday 17th October (details in the link above). For tickets, please speak to Mrs Fordy slf@sprattonhall.com
