Stay in the loop by regularly checking in here to see what’s new and what’s news at Hydesville.
There is also our end of term magazine, Review, which provides a round-up of highlights from across the school. The magazine is posted to all parents after the end of the autumn, spring and summer terms. If you would like to receive a copy of the latest edition please contact Sarah Archer, Marketing Manager, on 01922 624374 or email your name and postal address to info@hydesville.com
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You can also read our weekly family e-newsletters here.
Hydesville News
Early Years monkey around for charity
June 22, 2017
A huge thank you to everyone involved for their support during our EYFS Cheeky Monkey Marathon Challenge this week – completing one lap of the lake in Walsall Arboretum to raise money for the UK’s leading national children’s charity, ‘Children with Cancer UK’.
France comes to Hydesville!
June 16, 2017
Nursery children took part in a French Day, to celebrate and coincide with our extra-curricular French club which children are able to take part in Nursery.
Key Stage 1 pair up for writing
June 16, 2017
Pupils in Key Stage 1 enjoyed a morning of ‘Sports Day’ themed English and maths lessons.
Year 2 become A stars!
June 16, 2017
As part of the A* Stars programme, Year 2 to part in a quiz about road safety.
Hydesville Tower Senior School presents Alice in Wonderland
June 12, 2017
A cast of 17 Senior School pupils are adding the finishing touches to its production of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
Senior visit Loughborough University
June 9, 2017
Senior School pupils in Years 7 to 10 enjoyed a sports nutrition workshop at Loughborough University.
Pupils and parents put on their dancing shoes!
May 23, 2017
Last Friday we welcomed James & Francesca Moorcroft from Studio1 dance studio in Walsall. The duo are also former number 1 ranked Latin and 10 dance (combined ballroom and Latin) in the under 21 age group in England and the UK.
Exam stress advice for GCSE pupils
May 11, 2017
GCSE exams will start on Monday 15th May, so Miss Nijjar would like to pass on the following message to pupils.
Times Tables success
May 8, 2017
Well done to pupils in Prep School who received awards for their success in the Hydesville Times Tables Challenge!
Shaan’s royal delivery
May 4, 2017
Shaan in Reception was excited when he received an extra special delivery this week….a letter from the Queen!
Safe scooting by Year 2
April 27, 2017
On the final day of last term, Year 2 took part in the Scooterbility training, led by the Year 2 teachers.
Happy retirement Mrs Davies!
April 7, 2017
Today we say a fond farewell to Jane Davies who is retiring after 16 years at Hydesville.
Prep School extravaganza raises the roof!
April 7, 2017
Our Prep School performing arts extravaganza raised the school roof .
Nursery children go on Egg-cellent hunt
April 5, 2017
Nursery Children had great fun on their Easter Egg hunt.
Delivering road safety lessons to reception pupils
March 31, 2017
As part of the A* Stars programme (delivered in conjunction with Walsall Council) Reception pupils have taken part in a road safety walk
Year 2 visit West Midlands Safari Park
March 30, 2017
Year 2 had a wonderful day visiting West Midlands Safari Park.
Spring Concert raises the roof!
March 28, 2017
Our annual concert raised the roof at St Matthew’s Church in Walsall.
Tiaras and tea for Nursery pupils
March 27, 2017
Nursery children came to school dressed as princes and princesses when we hosted a British Values tea party and invited parents to join the fun.
No added sugar day
March 21, 2017
We’ve been raising awareness of low sugar diets in school today, thanks to a visit from Chartwells nutritionist, Clare Hedderman.
Flyday fun in Prep School
March 21, 2017
We renamed last Friday as ‘Flyday’ when Pupil Voice reps ran a paper plane competition for the Prep school.
Where there’s a Will there’s a play….
March 21, 2017
Last Friday we kicked off the Shakespeare Week celebrations in school with pupils in Years 1 and 2 taking us back to a time when men wore tights and children were to be seen and not heard.
Talented young writers
March 21, 2017
A big well done to a group of promising young writers in Year 3 who are celebrating after their work has been published in a book of poetry after entering a national competition.
Reception perform The Rainbow Fish
March 14, 2017
Last Friday’s Prep School assembly was led by children in Reception who performed their own version of the story ‘The Rainbow Fish’, written by Marcus Pfister, which highlights the importance of sharing and the value of friendship. All children made excellent contributions to the performance, either by being a […]
A top day watching top athletes!
March 10, 2017
Senior School pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 enjoyed a day of watching top class performances from top class players at the Yonex ALL England Badminton Championships at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena. Regarded as the oldest and the most prestigious badminton tournament the visit gave our pupils the opportunity to […]
STEM savvy Senior pupils
March 8, 2017
Year 11 enjoyed a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Workshop during ‘What Career Live’ at Birmingham’s NEC last week. The event gave pupils the chance to find out more about careers and higher education opportunities, to help them decide what to do after leaving school. During the morning the […]
Science Museum visit
March 8, 2017
Pupils in Year 3 and 4 had the chance to think like real scientists during a visit to the Science Museum in London last Friday. All of the children had the opportunity to gain hands-on with real scientific phenomena, such as seeing lightning strike, using thermal cameras to visualise themselves […]
Road safety lessons
March 7, 2017
Pupils in Upper Prep have taken part in special lessons in road safety this week. The lessons were part of PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) and were designed to improve pupils’ understanding of road safety including how to use pelican crossings safely, as well as how to cross a […]
Celebrating World Book Day
March 2, 2017
School has been full of colour and invention today as children have come to school dressed as their favourite book characters to celebrate World Book Day. From Disney characters to aliens and pirates, everyone (event the teachers) have got into the spirit to support the day. Aside from dressing up, […]
Year 1 have a snow day
February 17, 2017
As part of this half term’s topic work Year 1 have been studying Winter weather and the Arctic. They went to the Snowdome to experience what it would feel like to be an Inuit living in the Arctic and to see what the snow felt like. The children had […]
Former pupil returns to Hydesville
February 16, 2017
We were delighted to welcome back a former Hydesville pupil who left our school more than 50 years ago! Elizabeth Thompson (nee Kavanah) was a pupil in our senior school from 1957 until 1963 so joined Hydesville just five years after we first opened. Now aged 71 she lives in […]
Supporting Acorn’s Children’s Hospice
February 14, 2017
The Senior School Community Fundraising Group made a special visit to Acorn’s Children’s Hospice in Walsall last Friday to present a cheque for £106 that they raised during a cake and samosa sale. The kind hearted group also took a selection of art and craft supplies for the children […]
A Bumbajig assembly
February 13, 2017
Year 4 did us proud as they performed the actions to go with the Bumbajig story, a book written by the late Miss Brach and shared with the Prep School during last Friday’s assembly. Thanks go to Mrs Rees who decorated the stage with butterflies and prepared the costumes. […]
Teatime concert raises the school roof
February 10, 2017
Parents and invited guests were wowed by our 18 of our talented musicians at the second of our tea time concerts this term, held in the school hall yesterday. The event celebrated what the children have been doing in their instrumental lessons this term and involved pupils from Year 1 […]
Outside learning and fun for Year 4
February 9, 2017
Pupils in Year 4 enjoyed a trip to Woodlands Adventure activity centre where they took part in a range of activities including an assault course, zip wire, abseiling and archery. The day gave them the opportunity to bond as a group and experience some of the activities that they will […]
Safer Internet Day 2017
February 7, 2017
Pupils from across the Prep and Senior Schools have been showing their support for Safer Internet Day 2017 with a range of activities including quizzes, debates and poster competitions. This year’s theme is ‘Be the change: Unite for a better internet’ with a focus on ‘The Power of Image’ and […]
Year 2 visit Warwick Castle
February 7, 2017
On Friday Year 2 visited Warwick Castle as part of our ‘Happily Ever After’ topic. We started by having a Kingmaker tour where we learnt about the different weapons and forms of protection. We then moved on to climb the turrets and walk along the high walls to look at […]
Shaan’s tennis tips from Judy Murray
February 6, 2017
Lucky Shaan in Reception met his idol’s mum, Judy Murray, last Saturday at his tennis club (David Lloyd All Stars Tennis Club in Great Barr). At the age of 2½ Shaan was one of the youngest in his tennis class to join the Club and took to the sport […]
Drums with Year 1
February 3, 2017
Year 1 have been studying drums in their music lessons. Ryan and Jayden brought in their dhol drums and gave us a fantastic and loud demonstration. Ryan even taught Mrs Brown how to play! Jayden also brought in some tabla drums which the class got to experience playing.
Real life science for Year 5
February 2, 2017
Year 5 have been getting hands-on in a special Science lesson today. The class have been investigating the function and structure of the heart and were lucky enough to have the opportunity to dissect and analyse a lamb’s heart, learning about the important structures in the heart.
Felt fun for Senior pupils
February 2, 2017
Creative pupils in the Senior School have taken part in a special felt making workshop with local artist, Lisa Olsen. Year 7’s lesson was last week and this Wednesday Year 8 had their turn. The class learnt about the intricate process of felt making and were able to have a […]
Celebrating National Storytelling Week 2017
February 2, 2017
To celebrate National Storytelling Week Year 2 children have celebrated their love of reading by bringing in their favourite stories from home along with our cuddly reading buddies. We have shared our stories throughout the week, reading them as a class, with a friend and by ourselves. We really enjoyed […]
National Storytelling Week 2017
February 1, 2017
To celebrate National Storytelling Week 2017, Mrs Still, Prep School Literacy Coordinator, has put together some top tips for encouraging your child to engage in reading and share in the love of books: At home it is beneficial to create an atmosphere where books and stories can be shared and […]
Holocaust Memorial Day 2017
January 30, 2017
We commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day on Friday with a number of events in School. Form 2 delivered an assembly to the Senior School which looked at how and why we remember the Holocaust. We discussed what happened during the Holocaust and how similar genocides continue to happen. Pupils were reminded […]
Year 1’s special visitor
January 27, 2017
Pupils in Year 1 had a four legged, furry visitor this week, Tinkerbell the cat! Tinkerbell belongs to India Fidanza’s grandmother and she paid a visit to Hydesville to help the children with their English lessons where they have been studying cats through poetry. The children learnt a […]
Early Years visit Walsall Library
January 26, 2017
Nursery and Reception children enjoyed a tour of the children’s library at Walsall Library this week. The librarians spoke about their roles before reading a book to the children, which encouraged participation and lots of questions! The children all went off to find a book of interest before becoming a member […]
Year 2’s Bake Off!
January 25, 2017
Year 2 have been learning to write instructions. As part of this topic, we held a ‘Year 2 Bake Off’. The children made cakes at home and wrote the recipes for them. They brought in the cakes to be judged and all the children have tried a variety of cakes […]
Tapas and Flamenco for Senior pupils
January 25, 2017
Pupils in Year 7 and 8 Spanish pupils visited Amantia restaurant in Birmingham this week, to practise their language skills in an authentic setting and to learn more about the Spanish culture. They enjoyed trying a range of different tapas including tortilla (potato omelette), albondigas (meatballs), patatas bravas (spicy potatoes) […]
Pupils go litter picking
January 23, 2017
Environmentally conscious Senior School pupils swapped the classroom for the Arboretum last Friday when they went litter picking. The pupils are all from the Community Fundraising Group and took part in the initiative as part of The Big Tidy Up, a national campaign to encourage people to come together […]
Chartwell’s nutritionist visits Hydesville
January 20, 2017
Thank you to Chartwell’s nutritionist, Clare Hedderman, who paid a special visit to Hydesville this week. Clare held healthy eating workshops for pupils in years 7, 8 and 9 and also taught a special lesson for the Year 10 GCSE Food Technology class. Along with the support of Hydesville catering […]
Nursery fire service visit
January 18, 2017
What a fantastic morning our Nursery children had this week when Walsall Fire Station arrived at School – complete with a group of firefighters and a fire engine. The officers used their training, experience and expertise to deliver fire safety information in a reassuring way to ensure the pupils were able […]
It’s panto time!
January 18, 2017
Our lucky Prep School pupils are off to the pantomime this afternoon to show their support for Simran, Amrit and Arjun who are appearing in the show. The talented children are dancers in all of the songs, across six acts. They attend Mrs Townsend’s Dance School, Classic Dance Academy, and […]
Supporting Acorns Children’s Hospice
January 16, 2017
Thank you to Acorns Children’s Hospice fundraiser Abi Floyd who visited our Senior School Community Fundraising Group on Friday to talk about all the great work they do to provide care, support, fun and laughter for children with life limiting or life threatening conditions and their families. The group are […]
Making Early Years Music
January 12, 2017
The school hall came alive with the sounds of the piano, singing, flute, recorder, clarinet, violin, guitar and ukulele at this week’s Early Year’s music workshop. Children had the fantastic opportunity to meet Miss Bultitude and Mrs Bulkeley our Early Years instrumental specialists and find out more about the range […]
Remembering Miss Brach
January 12, 2017
Hydesville Tower School would like to thank you for your unwavering support which has helped to carry us through a difficult and testing time. Miss Brach will be forever in our hearts and we are now starting the process of healing by returning to a semblance of normality. We are […]
Linking up with Spanish pen pals
December 9, 2016
Year 8 Spanish pupils are taking part in a pen pal scheme with pupils at another Cognita school, the BSB (British School of Barcelona). Our pupils have written introductory pen pal letters including basic information about themselves and are eager to receive their replies from their pen pals after Christmas. […]
Sparkling smiles all round in poster competition
December 8, 2016
Congratulations to Mahima in Year 3 and Rhys in Year 2 who are the winners of a poster competition organised by local dental practice, WS4 Dental Care. Children were asked to design a Christmas poster. Practice Manager Jo Locke was blown away by the quality of designs submitted. She […]
Carol service raises roof
December 8, 2016
Pupils from both the Prep and Senior School helped raise the roof at St Matthew’s Church at the annual carol service. This important school and community event is always a fitting celebration of the festive season and this year’s was no exception. The Church pews were thronged with parents, staff […]
Festive fun in Nursery & Lower Prep
December 8, 2016
Children in Nursery and Lower Prep came to school in party clothes on Monday and had lots of fun at their Christmas party. They enjoyed a festive packed lunch, with Christmas crackers and party hats, and were treated to a performance of Jack and the Beanstalk by touring theatre company […]
Generous Senior School collect for homeless people
December 8, 2016
Homeless people in Walsall will have a warmer Christmas this year thanks to our kind hearted senior school. Pupils have collected hats, gloves, scarves and socks and donated them to the Walsall Foodbank and The Big Feed, which are charities that support homeless people in the community. The venture was […]
Hydesville announces membership of prestigious organisation
December 5, 2016
Hydesville Tower School is delighted to announce its membership of the Independent Schools’ Association (ISA) – a prestigious organisation that represents more than 400 independent schools across the country. Mrs Gill Whitehouse, Acting Headteacher at Hydesville Tower School, explains: “The benefits to ISA membership are endless and we are looking […]
Pupil Honours boards unveiled
December 5, 2016
We have officially unveiled our 2016/17 Honours boards, recognising the achievements of our pupils – house captains, Head Boy and Head Girl and Scholars. We are very proud of our pupils and are delighted to see their names on display. (We are sorry that the Head Boy and Girl and […]
Senior pupils support Road Safety Week
December 2, 2016
Pupils in our Senior School supported Road Safety Week 2016 by making a series of pledges around the areas of Slow, Sober, Secure, Silent, Sharp and Sustainable. In form groups pupils held discussions and created a series of banners and posters to show their support and commitment for one of […]
Cooking up a tasty lesson
December 2, 2016
Year 5 pupils swapped their classroom for the food technology food for a special lesson. The children spent time investigating, designing and planning their own pizzas which they then had the opportunity to make. The lesson formed part of the Design Technology topic they have been doing this […]
Quiz fun for Year 5
December 2, 2016
Well done to Marcylena, Arjun, Rayen and Toby in Year 5 who took part in a quiz against other schools this week. Unfortunately our team didn’t make it to the next round, but the children enjoyed the experience and throughout the quiz, the Quizmaster embellished the subjects being covered in […]
Christmas counts for Nursery & Reception
December 2, 2016
What do you get if you mix three wise men, a group of angels, shepherds and kings, a flock of sheep and a baby? A school nativity play of course! And we’re sure Nursery and Reception families will agree this week’s ‘Christmas Counts’ concert was certainly one to remember. Ours […]
Lower Prep Choir’s first Christmas concert
December 2, 2016
The halls of Walsall’s Central Methodist Church came alive with the beautiful singing of our Year 1 and Year 2 pupils at a special choir concert this week. Performing to a packed hall of parents and other invited guests, our choir helped spread festive cheer as they joined pupils from other […]
Pupils swap classrooms for climbing walls
November 30, 2016
This week sees the start of a number of trips to the West Midlands’ biggest and best indoor bouldering wall, Boulder Central. Pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 kicked off the fun and all had a great time experiencing a new activity. Organised by our PE department, the wall climbing […]
Batik Gelli art
November 28, 2016
Thank you to local artist Deborah Turner who held a Batik Gelli workshop for pupils in Year 10 and Year 11. The pupils spent the morning learning about Batik Gelli – an Indonesian inspired technique of decorating cloth using hot wax and dye. They were then able to try out […]
Mr Humbug comes to Hydesville
November 28, 2016
A big well done to pupils in Year 4 and Year 5 who put on a show stopping performance of ‘Mr Humbug sees the light’ this week. This super-spooky musical sees the Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol, brought bang up to date and set in school. Headteacher, Mr Humbug (Harrison), […]
Dancing to success
November 28, 2016
A massive well done to Ruby in Year 6 and Jessica in Year 4 who entered the Walsall Schools Dance Festival last week. The girls were asked to open the show and they put on two fantastic solo performances in front of a packed auditorium. Both girls stole the show! […]
Operation Christmas Child
November 21, 2016
Kind hearted Senior School pupils have been involved in the 2016 Operation Christmas Child shoe box appeal. Each Form group filled a shoe box with presents for children who otherwise would not receive a gift on Christmas Day. The boxes will be delivered to a wide variety of countries […]
Hydesville says no to bullying!
November 18, 2016
Pupils from across the school have been showing their support for Anti-bullying Week. We’ve held a number of activities, all designed to raise awareness of bullying and to encourage children, teachers and parents to take action against bullies and bullying in school and community settings. In drama classes pupils took […]
Supporting Children in Need
November 18, 2016
Pupils from across the school swapped their uniform for spotty clothes as we showed our support for Children in Need. As well as donating money to wear spots (or non-uniform), pupils held a bake, sweets and samosa sale and also took part in a sponsored football match. The money raised […]
Hydesville pupils ‘steam ahead’ in History lesson
November 17, 2016
Pupils in Year 5 and 6 enjoyed a special lesson led by a history teacher from King Edwards School, Jonathan Davies. The legendary historian visited Hydesville as part of his Living History programme, and delivered an engaging lesson about the development of steam power by three famous Birmingham Victorians – […]
Eyes down at Hydesvillle’s bingo night
November 17, 2016
Thank you to those families who came along to this week’s School and parent social event, our annual Bingo & Banquet night – it was our biggest and best yet! After a sharing supper we were eyes down and looking, and four fun games resulted in winners from both our […]
Mad Hatters tea party fun
November 16, 2016
Nursery children have been celebrating Nursery Rhyme week, where we have been recognising the important role of Nursery rhymes in our children’s early lives, particularly when it comes to the development of crucial language and communication skills. It’s been an action packed week of activities, including a ‘Rhyme A Day […]
Hydesville pupils shine in singing contest
November 16, 2016
A group of talented Prep School pupils took to the stage last weekend for a singing concert. Sukhmani Khera, Roman Poselay, Eve Sheldon, Magdalene Addo and Ruby Uppal all sang beautifully, and expertly showcased the skills they have learnt in their individual singing lessons in school. Hydesville took part in […]
Pupils get passport to learning
November 14, 2016
A venture inspiring pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 has been officially launched in school. The Black Country Children’s University (BCCU) has given each pupil a ‘passport’ which will enable them to collect stamps for the hours of learning activities and experiences they are involved in outside school. Once […]
Harvest celebrations at Hydesville
October 20, 2016
Our kind-hearted parents and pupils have had a busy week collecting food to donate to Walsall Foodbank as part of the School’s harvest festival celebrations. Pupils in both Prep and Senior Schools contributed, and we are delighted with how generous everyone has been. The Senior School’s Community Fundraising Group […]
Fire service visit Reception
October 20, 2016
Thank you to West Midlands Fire Service who came to school to talk to our Reception pupils about fire safety, which is especially important seeing as Bonfire Night is just around the corner. We will also be starting a topic on ‘People Who Help Us’ after the half term […]
Eggtastic eggsperiments
October 19, 2016
We were eggstatic with our ‘cracking’ Year 6 scientists who have been studying Forces this half term and put their knowledge into designing and building a parachute to safely carry an egg from the top of the Prep School building steps….we can safely say it was no yolking matter!
Year 5 charity cookie sale
October 19, 2016
A big well done to a group of kind hearted pupils in Year 5 who baked and sold cookies in school to raise over £150 for Cancer Research UK.
Fire safety in Safeside with Year 7 & 8
October 19, 2016
Pupils in Year 7 and Year 8 learnt about fire safety during a visit to Safeside in Birmingham this week. The group dressed in authentic fire fighter kit and took part in simulated ‘real life’ incidents, including carrying out a search of a ‘smoked out’ darkened building to locate a […]
Tea and music at teatime concert
October 17, 2016
Hydesville families enjoyed an afternoon of tea and music at this week’s Teatime Concert. The concert showcased the talent from our pupils from Year 2 to Year 10 who take part in individual instrumental music lessons in school. Guests were wowed by the standard of performances, which included a number […]
Our Great Nursery Bake Off
October 17, 2016
Our Nursery children had fun on Friday baking lots of yummy treats in the annual Nursery Bake Off competition. A big thank you to parents and grandparents who showed their support by rolling up their sleeves, showing off their culinary skills and helping our children compete for the final show […]
Seniors learn study tips
October 13, 2016
Senior School pupils at Hydesville Tower School are being taught a range of new study techniques thanks to a series of workshops taking place throughout the Autumn Term. Leading study skills company Elevate Education are running four sessions for pupils in years 7 to 11. Subjects being covered include dynamic […]
Puppet making with Major Mustard and Year 2
October 12, 2016
As part of an ‘Eco-Warriors’ topic Year 2 children have been learning about recycled materials. They were able to put into practice what they have learnt in a puppet making workshop run by Major Mustard. To begin with the children were shown how to make puppets from different recycled […]
Harvest comes to Hydesville
October 10, 2016
Harvest celebrations kicked off in school on Friday with a lovely Prep School assembly led by Rev Mark Kinder. The children sang hymns and Rev Kinder asked the children to think about those people who don’t have as much food as others. Pupils from Year 5 and 6 took part, […]
Raise a cuppa, raise a smile
October 7, 2016
We’re celebrating World Smile Day by Hosting ‘Raise a Cuppa. Raise a Smile’ fundraising events in School to support international children’s charity, Smile Train. Led by our Charity Fundraising Group, pupils have been buying cups of tea and hot chocolate and biscuits during break and lunchtime and we also […]
Match report v Queen Mary’s 6th October 2016
October 7, 2016
Mr Lawrence has written a match report from yesterday’s futsal match against Queen Mary’s School in Walsall: “On Thursday the Year 7 and 8 football team played a futsal match against Queen Mary’s Boys School. It was the first time they had played futsal and had to adjust to the […]
Joel on the silver screen
October 7, 2016
Parents (and older pupils) who’ve seen the latest Glenn Close film, ‘The Girl with all the Gifts’ might recognise one of the characters….our very own Joel in Year 7! Aspiring actor and Hydesville Performing Arts Scholar Joel is a member of the Pauline Quirke Academy and was selected to play […]
Poster competition success
October 5, 2016
Congratulations to Gavin in Year 7, Rory in Year 8 and Michael in Year 9 for winning a poster competition held in school to celebrate the European Day of Languages. All pupils in KS3 took part in the competition, which is part of a wider initiative being led by Aston […]
