Welcome back!

Autumn Two is definitely my favourite. The build up to Christmas and the excitement of the children is always amazing to be part of and I enjoy it very much. Of course we are still in November, so it is business as usual. Many of our year groups have taken part in workshops to enhance the curriculum this term, I enjoyed seeing the photographs of Year Three dressed up as Egyptians, Year Six as Victorians, and Year Five as the Ancient Greeks! 

In the last week before half term Years Reception to Six enjoyed the monster disco as organised by the PTA and a huge thank you goes to them for always hosting such exciting events for our children. 

I do hope that you will be able to support the upcoming Quiz Night and Christmas Fair. 

On Friday the 15th we are looking forward to Children in Need Day and all the school are invited to dress up and being in a donation to raise money for this amazing charity. Next. week we also have the school photographer in, please see our letters section for more details. 

This half term we welcome our newest teacher, Mr. Wanless who has taken on Year Four and is also our Assistant Head for lower Key Stage Two. You can find out more about him in our Meet The Teacher section. 

Finally, I hope the children are completely settled into their classes with their teachers and I look forward to seeing many of you at parent consultations this week.

Miss Hurry, Head of School.

My name is Mr Wanless, and I am thrilled to introduce myself as the new Year 4 Morpurgo teacher and one of the Assistant Headteachers here at Bonneygrove. I officially started my position on 4th November 2024, and I am excited about the journey we will embark on together.

This role as an assistant headteacher is a new adventure for me, though I have held various senior leadership positions over the years. It has been a long-standing aspiration of mine to take on this responsibility, and I am genuinely looking forward to contributing positively to our school community. My passion for supporting children in their learning and wellbeing remains at the forefront of my teaching philosophy.

With 15 years of teaching experience under my belt, I have had the privilege of working in various locations, including Garston, Potters Bar, St Albans, and Borehamwood. Throughout this time, I have taught across both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Most recently, I served as a Key Stage 2 leader for three years, where I was honoured to be shortlisted for the Primary Teacher of the Year 2024. A significant highlight of my career was improving the physical education and mental health aspects of my previous school, successfully taking our bronze sports award to gold within two years, and maintaining the gold award last year was an incredibly rewarding experience.

On a more personal note, I am a dedicated Manchester United fan and thoroughly enjoy watching football and attending matches. However, my family keeps me on my toes, as my daughter has recently signed with Tottenham. I look forward to balancing my loyalties while supporting her in her new endeavour! Travel is another passion of mine; I have been fortunate enough to visit amazing places such as Australia, Fiji, Saint Lucia, Thailand, Las Vegas, and Singapore. Creating lasting memories with my family means the world to me, and I am eager to explore more destinations together.