December 2025 Newsletter


Letter from the Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers
As we draw to the end of the Autumn term and indeed 2025, we are always reminded of the special nature of Queens’. It has been a term filled with warmth, reflection, and the spirit of giving, and we are proud to honour the diverse cultures represented within our school. The numerous festivities cross cultures and there is very much a shared sense of togetherness.
We are enormously proud of the gifts and talents of our students and so many flourish in their different pursuits across the school. With over 100 clubs and societies, there is something for everyone at Queens’. Of course, many of our students achieve greatly outside of school, and we kindly invite you to share any accomplishments in sports, music, art, clubs, competitions, awards, community involvement. Please send details, including a photo to office@queens.herts.sch.uk We will be delighted to share in our assemblies and on our social media platforms.
Queens’ students remain committed to raising money for charity and our annual Christmas Jumper Day in support of Save the Children and Watford Foodbank raised over £500. We will be holding a non-uniform event on the last day of term which funds are divided between the QPA and House charities.
As we finish the term, I would like to acknowledge the commitment, hard work and dedication of Queens’ staff who go the extra mile to give students a broad and enriching learning experience, both inside and outside of the classroom. They are truly Outstanding.
We celebrate some fantastic milestones this year in our staff long-service awards. Mr Smith, Mr Dunn, Mrs Phillips, Ms Besse, Mrs Buckingham all celebrate 25 years and Mrs Jenner, Mrs Jones, Mrs Taplin and Mrs Day, 20 years. Their collective services extend to over 200 years, and we would very much like to thank them for their brilliant support of Queens’ School. Please join in thanking our staff directly using the Thank a Teacher. We are currently the highest-ranking school nationally.
We sadly say goodbye to Ms Porter and Ms Emerick and a fond farewell to Mrs Bean who retires after 20 years of service. We wish them all the very best of luck in the future.
Through the Queens' School Development Fund we are currently raising funds for new outdoor equipment such as TeQ football and outdoor table tennis tables so please consider making regular contributions. More information on how you can donate is on the Queens' School Development Fund page of the school website.
Finally, please keep a watchful eye on the Queens’ X feed (formerly known as Twitter), @queensSch. We are continuously updating our social media with news about our school community. We also now have Instagram, Facebook, Threads and LinkedIn pages.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and look forward to working with you all again in 2026. We start back on Monday 5 January.
Jonathan Morrell
Headteacher
Library News
So much has been happening in our Library it's hard to fit it into one newsletter but click HERE to see all the wonderful things that have been happening.
English News
Click HERE to see what the English Department have been doing this last half-term. They have some brilliant book recommendations - perfect for Christmas presents!
Queens' Sports Academy News
Another fantastic half-term from our talented girls and boys at the Sports Academy - Click HERE to find out what they have been doing.
Humanities News
From trips to the University of Sussex to learning in our outdoor classroom to Remembrance Day assemblies the Humanities Department has been really busy this half-term
Click HERE to see more information and photos
Art News
Click HERE to see our GCSE & A-Level Art students' wonderful work and also our Art CLub pupils making props for our Annual Show "High Street Musical"
QPA News
Click HERE to see why our wonderful Queens' Parents Association has had a jam packed schedule selling Xmas puddings, running a Xmas raffle, selling refreshments at the school show and many other things
PE News
It's been an incredibly busy half-term for the PE department but they haven't let the bad weather get in the way of some amazing results! Click HERE to see how well our Queens' sporting teams have done.
MFL News
The MFL department took students on a fantastic trip to Lille recently - HERE is more information
Social Sciences News
Click HERE to see the amazing trip to New York that our Social Sciences department went on along with other day trips and Queens' Den News
Fundraising & Marketing News
Queens' Den 2025 is now in full swing and we are so proud of all our teams who have been working so hard to raise money for the school. Click HERE to find out more information and also how you can support the school.
Careers News
Once again Mrs Manning has provided a jam-packed schedule of events, visits and activities for our students so please click HERE to see all the amazing things they have done
Drama News
See all the photos and news from our amazing from our Drama production of "High School Musical" HERE

Maths News
The Maths department have held some great competitions this term and have some exciting news to tell you so click HERE to learn more.

Science News
Science Club have been having so much fun this half-term! Click HERE to see all the experiments and activities they have got up to!

Humanities News
Humanities have had a fantastic half term with competitions, trips and the Geography department have taken advantage of the lovely Autumn weather and made good use of our Outdoor Classroom - click HERE to find out more

Design & Technology News
There have been some amazing things designed and made in our DT departement so click HERE to see how talented our pupils are!

Houses News
Once again our 4 Houses have been incredibly busy raising money for their chosen charities and competing in sporting events. Thank you to all our amazing house leads - click HERE to see everything they have been up to.
A message from the Head Student

Hello everyone, and here is an update on all the new and exciting things we have been doing as a student leadership team.
Firstly, I wanted to say a huge well done to all the new year 7 and 12 students for settling into the school so well and embracing the school values we encourage at Queens’ - especially to those who have involved themselves with extra-curricular activities as well. I am also very proud of all the talented students who took part in the school show of High School Musical, as well as all the teachers who worked so hard to make it incredible!!
Our first job as the student leadership team was to paint the underpass which we did in the last couple weeks of the summer term. After a vote, we decided upon the theme of Disney, including both heroes and villains to make the paintings more engaging for the students. Loads of people got involved and it was a huge success!
This term in particular we have been working towards our legacy project, which is something that as year 13 students we will leave behind. Please watch this space to see what we decide on.
Next term, we are really looking forward to preparing our teams for house music, which is such an amazing evening where all the houses get the opportunity to compete on stage in the North hall. Will Attenborough get the chance to defend their title?
Finally, I would love to wish everyone a relaxing Christmas and a happy new year!!
Bethany Morris
Music Carol Concerts
The Music department organised two fantastic carol concerts - one in a care home and one with our staff choir. Thank you to the pupils and staff who participated and to Mr Penhaligon for organising and spreading the festive spirit.

Celebrating Student Achievement: STARS 
This half-term, we applaud the following students, who have gained the most STAR achievement points for
Scholarship, Tenacity, Altruism and Respect:
Highest STAR points
Teodor M - 7X Insiya A - 8AB Viyana D Z - 9TM
Anna C - 10AE Michael M - 11AE Ishan P - 12 AE
Other highest achievers
Isla C - 7AE Marcus C - 7SH Laurentiu M - 7TM Milan P - 8SW Nathan A - 8FD
Henry D - 8TM Issy C - 9SN Flynn D - 9AB Mica R - 9FD Dennie C - 10TA
Melenie W - 10FXMelissa C - 10SW Diya H - 11SH Domas K - 11FD
Harry M - 11TC Georgina P - 12FDTiago C - 12SN Shay O - 12TM
Well done to everyone - we are so proud of you!
Safeguarding and Mental Health
Should parents/carers need any advice regarding safeguarding when school is closed this link may prove helpful:
Our school website also has a Safeguarding page. Please visit this for additional information.
If you need to contact the school urgently regarding a safeguarding matter please email the safeguarding@queens.herts.sch.uk address which is monitored throughout holiday periods.
Supporting Mental Health over the Holidays
As the term comes to a close, the holidays are a good time to rest, recharge, and focus on the things that matter most to you. It’s also a chance to reflect on the year, celebrate achievements and think about goals for the year ahead.
Remember to take care of your mental health over the break - make time to relax, connect with others, and do things that make you feel good. Below are some links you might find helpful:
Christmas and Mental Health - Mind, the mental health charity - help for mental health problems
Looking after your mental health at Christmas - Mental Health Foundation
Top tips for staying mentally well during Christmas and New Year (charliewaller.org)
Mental Health at Christmas - Health Assured
Coping at Christmas - Looking After Your Mental Health - Priory group
Looking after your mental health at Christmas - YoungMinds
Cost of Living Support – Hertfordshire Council


Wishing you all a safe, enjoyable Christmas and a positive start to the new year.
Miss Westgarth
Mental Health Lead
Support The School

South West Herts Partnership - Family Support Service















