HPS Headlines

Dear Parents

This is my place!

Fitting in with this year’s theme for Children’s Mental Health Week, I think I can safely say that 10 months in, I do well and truly feel that Homefield is my place. Thank you to you all for making that the case.

It is a pleasure to call this school my place and feel at home here with the boys, staff and wider community. We were so lucky to have an action-packed week of events and workshops helping the boys become attuned with their mental health and wellbeing and celebrate their sense of belonging.

Wishing you all a safe, restful and rejuvenating break.

Kind regards

Gemma Anderson (Mrs)

Headteacher

Our foyer has been transformed into a vibrant celebration of Chinese New Year thanks to the creativity and care of our boys. Their striking red and gold artwork now greets visitors with colour and energy as they enter the school.

Inspired by traditional symbols of luck, prosperity and happiness, the boys explored Chinese New Year themes through intricate lantern designs, bold dragons and beautifully detailed decorative pieces. The standard of work has been exceptional, with great attention paid to colour, pattern and presentation.

The finished pieces are bold and eye-catching, and it has been lovely to see their work displayed so prominently at the front of the school.

The Nursery and Reception boys have enjoyed a wonderfully busy and productive first half of the Spring term.

Nursery boys have been busy learning new phonics sounds, counting backwards, and recognising numbers to 5 and 10. They have also been strengthening their fine motor skills and practising writing their names with confidence.

Reception have made excellent progress in learning new sounds and developing their writing skills, including how to write a simple sentence. In maths, they have been exploring addition and applying their learning with growing independence.

We are incredibly proud of all they have achieved and the enthusiasm they bring to their learning each day. We wish all our lovely Early Years families a restful and happy half term and look forward to welcoming you back for an exciting and action-packed run up to the Easter holidays.

Year 1 have been busy in the Art Studio celebrating Chinese New Year with a wonderfully imaginative design project. The boys created their own moving horses, carefully constructing them so that the legs could swing and gallop into action!

They began by exploring the significance of the horse within the Chinese zodiac, discussing how each year is represented by an animal and what qualities those animals symbolise. Inspired by traditional colours and patterns, the boys then set about designing and decorating their horses using vibrant reds and golds, alongside their own creative flourishes.

The highlight of the activity was bringing their creations to life. With carefully attached moving parts, the horses were soon trotting, racing and prancing across the classroom: a fantastic combination of art, design and a little bit of engineering.

The finished pieces are full of character and energy, and the boys were incredibly proud of their work. A wonderful way to celebrate culture, creativity and craftsmanship all in one project!

Year 1 enjoyed a wonderful visit to Kew Gardens last week, exploring the four seasons and different types of weather as part of their science and geography learning.

The boys became mini meteorologists for the day, using anemometers to measure wind speed, observing cloud cover and recording the temperature. Despite the cold and rain, they demonstrated great resilience and enthusiasm, embracing the experience with energy and curiosity throughout.

It was a real pleasure to welcome Homefield Old Boy Jonathan Isaby back to school last Friday to deliver a truly inspiring assembly. Jonathan shared fond memories of his time at Homefield, including serving as Head Librarian and Deputy Head Boy before leaving in 1991, and delighted the boys with photographs from his cricket and drama days.

He went on to speak about his career as a political journalist and his role as Press Secretary to a former Prime Minister, offering fascinating insights into life beyond school. The boys asked thoughtful and enthusiastic questions and were completely engaged throughout.

Across the school, lessons took on a cross-curricular maths twist, from exploring famous mathematicians in history, to understanding complex shapes in STEAM, and breaking codes using ciphers in IT.

The boys loved spotting mathematical ideas in unexpected places, and we’re already looking forward to doing it all again next year!

Alex came up with the brilliant idea of turning his plush sloth into a Homefield pupil for teacher-and-student role play. With some wonderful teamwork at home, the sloth now has its very own handmade Homefield uniform!

We absolutely love the creativity and care that’s gone into it. Thank you to Alex and his mum for sharing this with us, and we hope it brings a smile to everyone who comes across it.

Back in the first week of this current term boys in Years 6 and 8 took on the challenge of the Townsend-Warner History Prize. This national competition, now in its 141st year, takes students beyond the confines of the national curriculum, testing more general historical knowledge and serving as a conduit to provoke interest, enthusiasm and delight in historical knowledge, reading and investigation.

It is fabulous to report that following the first paper which the boys undertook, three of our students, Kenon, Jaka and Justinus, have been invited to participate in the second round of papers taking place immediately after half-term.

Well done to all boys who took part and for whom this serves as a great experience ahead of participation in similar competitions in the future.

Year 6 pupils enjoyed a visit to the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon to watch a captivating performance of Hamlet. From the moment the play began, the boys were fully immersed in the powerful storytelling, engaging performances and clever staging.

A highlight of the visit was when Yusuf bravely volunteered to play Hamlet’s father on stage, giving a hilarious performance as he was dramatically murdered by his own brother. Well done, Yusuf, for your confidence and fantastic acting!

We are delighted and excited to announce that Homefield School is registered to take part in the Royal Academy, Young Artists’ Summer Show. This is a wonderful opportunity for our boys to showcase their artistic talents.

Homefield boys are invited to either upload a photo of their artwork on Teams or email it to Miss K Leong at kleong@homefieldprep.school and we will do all the rest!

But please remember, when sending images of artwork we will need each boy’s FULL NAME.

We look forward to seeing your materpieces. Registration and submission is open until 5.00pm on the 4th March 2026.

Full details can be accessed via the following link: https://youngartists.royalacademy.org.uk/

On the 5th March, the school will be celebrating ‘World Book Day’ by inviting boys to come to school dressed as their favourite book character - NO football shirts, please.

Additionally, we will be holding a Book Fair from the 2nd - 5th March in the Lower Library from 3.45 - 5.15pm.

This is a cashless event and books can only be paid for by debit card on the day, or by using the following link: https://bookfairs.scholastic.co.uk/pay/84587394

Should you prefer, a list of available titles and facilities to pre-pay can also be found at: https://shorturl.at/7hg1i

Developing resilience and helping your son bounce back

Phrases like 'That sounds tricky' or 'I can see why that upset you' help boys feel supported and listened to.

Thursday 12th March 2026 @ 7.00pm

Homefield is delighted to welcome PAPAYA (Parents Against Phone Addiction in Young Adults) for an important and engaging parent talk, during the Spring term.

This workshop, “Let’s Talk About Our Kids & Their Tech,” is particularly relevant for parents of children in Year 5 upwards.

PAPAYA Talks offers a safe, non-judgmental space for parents to explore the challenges of screen time, smartphones, and social media. The session provides:

• Clear, research-backed insights on children’s mental health and digital habits
• Practical strategies for managing tech use at home
• Guidance on setting healthy digital boundaries
• Open and honest discussion (adults only)

PAPAYA works closely with the national Smartphone Free Childhood campaign, a growing movement uniting families, schools and communities who want to give children more space to grow, learn and thrive free from addictive algorithms.

Booking: Please click https://shorturl.at/UrSbb to book your place online.

Tigers: Jai for demonstrating excellent knowledge and engagement in our topic and Dev for consistently making good choices in class.

Reception: Ralph for endeavour and a positive attitude to learning and Thomas for making the right choices and being a great role model to his friends.

Year 1: Stephen for fantastic participation and enthusiasm on our trip to Kew Gardens and Laurence for brilliant effort and understanding of money in maths.

Year 2: Aarin for excellent contributions based on your topic, Arib for his resilience with learning about non-unit fractions and showing great participation, Mohammed for adapting so well to life at Homefield and for always being so polite and Ashwin for excellent engagement with our non-chronological report writing about dragons.

3H: Theo for his dedication, perseverance and determination to complete intricate and detailed work in art and Ishaan for great endeavour and contributions in his humanities lessons.

3S: Shahmeer for resilience in science, always being enthusiastic and making excellent contributions in lessons and Reuben for producing a wonderful poem in English about the jungle; using great imagery and rhyme.

4H: Kylesh for his excellent contributions in PSHE lessons about belonging to a community and Patrick for his excellent contributions in PSHE lessons about allergy awareness and belonging to a community.

4S: Shivvy for consistent effort and a positive attitude in art and classics and Rohan for his mature attitude to all areas of work in art.

5H: Damin for representing the school at the Epsom College maths competition and Elijah for demonstrating integrity and respect and striving to achieve more in health and fitness.

5S: Surya for focus and dedication is PHSE and Ethan, Arish and James for representing the school at the Epsom College maths competition.

6H: Christopher for great teamwork in form time games and Benji for demonstrating endeavour in a recent maths assessment.

6S: Alex for brilliant focus and productivity in maths and Ralph for demonstrating great focus and dedication in maths.

8MMC: Enming for great effort and contribution in all areas of school life and Karol for effort and contribution in art lessons.

Find Your Academic Adventure this Summer

We are pleased to share that the The Debate Chamber has opened registration for their 2026 Summer Schools, offering an excellent range of academic enrichment courses for students aged 11+.

The Debate Chamber provides engaging, discussion-based programmes led by specialist tutors in subjects such as Law, Medicine, Maths, Philosophy, Diplomacy, Debating and Creative Writing. These small-group courses delivered online and in person are designed to stretch able and curious learners, helping them develop confidence, critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a supportive and inspiring environment.

Parents can find full details and book directly via the Debate Chamber website.

Summer Schools for 11-14s | Debate Chamber

SIGN UP for the open evening at 7.30pm on Sunday 1st March 2026, for further details on what courses are available.

On Friday 13th February, thirty boys from Years 4, 5 and 6 travelled to Sutton High for the much-anticipated Homefield House Swimming Gala. The atmosphere was one of excitement, determination and tremendous house spirit, as each competitor represented his House with pride.

All of the boys swam with outstanding energy and commitment. From the opening race to the final relay, the standard of effort was exemplary. It was particularly pleasing to see the encouragement offered poolside, with boys supporting not only their own House teams but applauding strong performances across the board — a true reflection of the sporting values we champion at Homefield.

Special recognition must go to our team captains — Christopher, Arjun, Charles and James — who led with maturity and responsibility. They ensured that younger team members knew when to race and where to be, demonstrating excellent leadership and teamwork throughout the afternoon.

Our thanks also go to our dedicated swimming instructors — Will, David, Rea and Nancy, for their continued hard work in preparing the boys so thoroughly. Events such as this are only possible because of their expertise and commitment.

Congratulations to every boy who took part. The gala was a superb celebration of effort, resilience and house spirit, and we are extremely proud of all involved.

It has been an excellent half term of rugby as we wrap up a very successful season. The boys have shown tremendous commitment, enthusiasm and resilience both in lessons and in fixtures.

While the results on the pitch have been very pleasing, what has stood out most has been the significant growth within the boys. Skills, game awareness and confidence have all developed markedly, and the team spirit shown throughout has been outstanding.

The progress made this half term reflects the boys’ hard work and positive attitude, and they should be very proud of everything they have achieved.

At Orchard Childcare, the boys have been getting into the festive spirit by creating their very own ‘lucky envelopes’ to accompany their fortune cookies.

Inspired by traditional red envelopes given during Chinese New Year as symbols of good luck and prosperity, the children carefully decorated their envelopes with bright colours, patterns and thoughtful messages.

They took great care folding, designing and personalising each one, adding an extra touch of excitement to their special treats. It has been a lovely way to explore cultural traditions while encouraging creativity and fine motor skills — and, of course, everyone was very keen to discover the fortunes inside!

At Homefield, the safety of our boys is, and always will be, our highest priority. The start and end of the school day are particularly busy times, especially during afternoon dismissal when boys are boarding minibuses for their journeys home while families are leaving the site on foot. This naturally creates a high level of activity on the drive and surrounding roads.

To ensure that dismissal remains calm, orderly and safe for all, we are unable to facilitate vehicle pick-up within the school drive at the end of the day. Keeping this area clear significantly reduces risk and allows boys to depart safely.

We are fortunate to have free, unrestricted parking available in the surrounding side roads, just a short walk from the school. We kindly ask all parents to make use of these spaces and to allow a few extra minutes at collection time. In addition, please be mindful of our neighbours by not blocking dropped kerbs or parking in private, resident-only spaces. Parking wardens regularly operate in the area at the beginning and end of the school day, so we encourage families to park legally and, where possible, to park a little further away and walk.

Thank you, as always, for your continued understanding and cooperation in helping us maintain positive relationships within our community and, most importantly, in keeping every Homefield boy safe.

Here are details of fun, themed 'Stay and Play' Events at Homefield. Please feel free to pass on the details to friends and family.

To view details of our weekly menus and the weekly music timetable, please visit:

https://www.homefield.sutton.sch.uk/information-for-parents

Western Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 2TE

+44 020 8642 0965

administration@homefieldprep.school