HPS Headlines
Friday 26th June 2026
Dear Parents
Feeling hot, hot, hot!
What a week! A huge “well done” to the boys for persevering in this heat and to the staff for ensuring the boys managed the heat safely and with a sense of fun. Even though conditions were challenging, time was spent meaningfully and behaviour remained exemplary – I’m very proud!
You can see how we managed to cool off yesterday and have some fun at the same time on Instagram!
Kind regards
Gemma Anderson (Mrs)
Headteacher
Nursery
Nursery have had a busy and enjoyable few weeks. The boys were very lucky to have Mr Gill as their teacher while I was away on the Year 4 residential for two days. During this time, they enjoyed learning about minibeast habitats and matching minibeasts to where they live.
We finished our minibeast topic by exploring worms and sharing the story ‘Yucky Worms’. This week, we have moved on to ‘Under the Sea’ and have enjoyed reading ‘Commotion in the Ocean’. The boys loved learning the names of different sea creatures and talking about what they looked like.
In phonics, our focus sound was z, and we made some fantastic zebras to support our learning. We have also enjoyed bubble painting and exploring ice and sea creatures in our classroom.
It has been wonderful to see the boys so engaged and enthusiastic in their learning and coping so well in the heat!
Reception
Moving Up Day was a huge success and full of so much excitement for the boys. They were thrilled to visit the main building and find out where their new classrooms will be. We learned about the new subjects they will be studying, including Geography, History, Science, and STEAM, and they are very excited about learning lots of new things!
We had a great time in our new classes with our new teacher, and we think the boys are more than ready for this transition. Speaking of transition, we have been encouraging them to become more independent in their work and daily activities, such as writing independently and attempting tasks before asking for help.
The progress we have seen over the last few weeks has been amazing, and we are incredibly proud of how far they have come!
We are incredibly proud to announce that Aiden, Rahul, Surya, and Zaviaan, from Year 5, brought home the winner's cup at the prestigious annual KCS, Wimbledon, Cayley Maths Challenge!
Competing against 24 other top local prep and primary schools, our brilliant young mathematicians tackled multiple rounds of tough problems crafted by the King’s maths department. Through fantastic teamwork, they secured the top spot on the leaderboard. The boys were also thrilled to meet Sid, a former Homefield Head Boy who is currently a Year 10 student at KCS.
Huge congratulations to the boys for this outstanding achievement, showcasing exactly what Homefield boys can achieve!
Following our recent announcement, we are delighted to reveal that Homefield's new school dog has now been chosen! After carefully assessing the puppies, the breeder selected Miss Purple to join the Homefield community due to her wonderfully calm and laid-back temperament, which will make her ideally suited to her future role as a therapy school dog.
We are also excited to share that her name will be Clover!
Clover will spend the summer enjoying focused training in manners, obedience, and socialisation to help prepare her for school life before she joins us in September. Once she arrives, Clover will support many aspects of school life, helping to promote pupils' wellbeing, confidence, and emotional development, as well as encouraging reluctant readers and providing a calm and reassuring presence within the school environment.
We cannot wait to welcome Clover to Homefield and are looking forward to sharing updates as she embarks on this exciting new adventure with the boys and staff alike.
Our Year 1 boys had a magical day stepping back in time at the historic Hever Castle.
This annual trip is always a highlight of the year, and this year’s cohort brought so much energy and curiosity to their adventure.
Year 3 Visit to High Ashurst
Our Year 3 boys had a fantastic time at High Ashurst last week for their very first school residential trip.
Away from home for the first time, the boys handled the experience incredibly well, showing great independence and teamwork throughout.
They thoroughly enjoyed a brilliant mix of activities during the trip, including the High Ropes, Archery, animal making, and crafting their own wooden medals. They also had a wonderful campfire evening together.
Year 4 Visit to Hindleap Waren
We know that all the boys had a fantastic time with their friends at Hindleap Warren! They experienced an action-packed few days of rock climbing, pizza and fajita nights, and plenty of free time playing football, basketball, and table tennis on the big field.
The highlight was definitely the Forest Adventure! The boys got wonderfully muddy and wet, with everyone choosing their own comfort level. Some even bravely jumped right in and went head-under!
Year 6 Visit to Buddens
Last week, Year 6 enjoyed a fantastic residential trip to Buddens, packed with adventure, teamwork and fun. Throughout the week, the boys challenged themselves with a range of exciting activities, including climbing, team-building challenges and water sports.
One of the highlights was the mud run, where everyone showed determination and resilience while navigating the muddy course. The inflatable water park was also a huge success, providing plenty of laughter and excitement.
In the evenings, the boys enjoyed spending time together, cooking marshmallows over the campfire and sharing stories from the day's adventures. The opportunity to relax and socialise with friends helped make the trip even more memorable.
The residential was a tremendous success, allowing the boys to build confidence, develop teamwork skills and create lasting memories. It was truly the perfect week.
Last Thursday Year 8 went to the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton. They engaged in an ‘Inspire Engineering’ workshop where they worked collaboratively to design and make a sustainable city, taking into account the needs of different groups of people.
They also had a tour of the depot, highlighting engineering inventions. A highlight of the trip was to interview working engineers and discuss some possible career options available.
Year 8 Science:
Since returning from their residential Year 8 have been enjoying a more STEAM based approach to their science lessons.
Focusing on sustainability, they have been using climate action kits to build a model smart bin and code it to open, close and signal when it is full using the microbits.
If your son is over 5 years old and you would like him to receive milk at school, please register with Cool Milk via https://coolmilk.com/parents/. Fund your son’s account before 5.00pm on Tuesday to start receiving milk the following week.
Cool Milk is the UK's leading school milk supplier, partnering with schools, nurseries and local authorities to delivery fresh, chilled semi-skimmed milk directly to schools. They manage the entire administrative process, providing free milk for children under five and subsidised milk for children aged five or older.
Well done to the following boys:
Tigers: Gabriel for consistently making good choices across all aspects of school life this week, Jai for demonstrating great kindness and being a good friend and Jaziel for showing maturity, manners and appreciation of a friends kindness.
Lions: Leo for progress in his writing and attitude towards independent writing and Qasim: for his kind behaviour and showing consideration towards others.
1H: Alex and Riyaan for phenomenal listening and engagement on our trip to Hever Castle. You asked some insightful questions and showed enthusiasm, throughout the day and Aari and Aarun for being so kind and caring towards others and for being so helpful without having to be asked! Well done.
2H: David for his fantastic effort and endeavour in both English and maths. He has been giving excellent summary and prediction answers during our VIPERS guided reading sessions and Ali for endeavour and resilience achieving his highest ever score in the end of unit mathematics test on capacity, volume and mass.
2S: Nishil For asking very interesting and pertinent questions in history this week and Mohammed for great resilience in learning and performing his lines in ‘The Little Pirate’s Adventure’ rehearsals.
3H: Joshua for his hard work in English lessons and for demonstrating the Homefield values consistently and Theo for working hard in lessons and showing excellent endeavour and determination in French.
3S: Ali for his hard work in history lessons and following the Homefield values of kindness and respect and Arsh for his outstanding behaviour, maturity and effort in all aspects of school life.
4H: Freddie for his excellent focus, perseverance and hard work across all lessons.
4S: Philip P for his excellent focus and determination to complete English tasks to a high standard.
A huge well done to all of the Year 4 boys who took part in the 2-night residential trip!
5H: Mirsub for resilience on the Year 5 residential and Oliver for engagement in all lessons.
5S: Jaiden for engagement in English and John for ambition in English.
6H: Charlie for endeavour in geography.
6S: Yahya for helping with the leavers mural and Ayaan for focus and endeavour in English.
8MMC: Rudy for excellent contribution to the Legacy Day activities, plus his great participation and initiative shown on the residential visit in Wales.
Small Routines: Big Impact
Research consistently shows that boys often find it harder to talk about feelings than girls. One simple way you can help is by replacing 'how was your day?' with more specific questions such as:
-What made you laugh today?
-Was there a moment you felt proud of yourself?
-Did anything frustrate you?
-Who did you enjoy spending time with?
These questions can open the door to richer conversations and help boys develop the language to understand and communicate their emotions.
For further advice on this topic, and parenting topics in general, please see the below link:
Parents Helpline | Mental Health Help for Your Child | Young Minds
The YoungMinds Parents Helpline, Webchat and Email provide support and help for parents and carers worried about their child’s mental health and wellbeing.
A limited number of places remain available for peripatetic music tuition at Homefield.
Individual instrumental lessons provide boys with the opportunity to develop their musical skills under the guidance of experienced specialist teachers, whether they are beginners or already progressing with an instrument.
Beyond the enjoyment of learning music, there is a growing body of evidence highlighting the wider academic benefits of instrumental tuition. Regular one-to-one lessons support the development of concentration, memory, and discipline—skills that transfer directly into the classroom. Music study also strengthens mathematical understanding through rhythm and pattern, enhances language processing, and encourages perseverance and self-confidence.
At Homefield, we value the important role music plays in a well-rounded education. Peripatetic lessons not only nurture creativity and self-expression but also contribute meaningfully to academic progress and personal development.
If you would like to find out more or secure a place, please visit: https://www.homefield.sutton.sch.uk/music-and-drama
U9 Chess Match: SHS4 - 2 Homefield
Our chess team of Abhinav, Lavann, Adam, Alan, Ariz M and Connor played against Sutton High School on Friday 19 June.
The boys demonstrated some excellent attacking play and, when faced with difficult positions, found a number of resourceful defensive moves. Sutton High played very well and secured an overall 4–2 victory following additional games.
Our team were a credit to themselves and to the School. It was also lovely to see the players enjoying the opportunity to meet and make friends with one another.
Well done, boys!
Summer Schools 2026
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.
The children have been settling beautifully into nursery life and are growing in confidence as they become familiar with their new environment. There has been great excitement in our outdoor area too, which has recently been enhanced with brand-new mud kitchens, a delightful playhouse and a range of engaging water play activities, providing even more opportunities for exploration, creativity and fun.
Lots of exciting times ahead! Should you wish to learn more about 'Little Orchard', please contact:
Phone: 020 8212 7312 Option 8
Email: info@littleorchardnursery.co.uk
Website: www.orchardchildcare.co.uk
Keeping Our Boys Safe at Drop-Off and Collection
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.
To view details of our weekly menus and the weekly music timetable, please visit:
Western Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 2TE
+44 020 8642 0965