Dear All,

As we embark on our two-week half-term break, I would like to wish you all a restful and enjoyable time with your families. Last week’s Open Evening was a rewarding success, showcasing the vibrant spirit and dedication of our school community. Open Mornings have been equally successful in showing prospective parents the high standards and positive learning environment we have at our school. What a fantastic start to the academic year it has been.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my staff, for their commitment, dedication and going above and beyond for our students. Equally the students should be congratulated for making the most of what The Matthew Arnold School can offer.

We look forward to seeing Year 11 next week, for revision sessions, prior to their mock exams

Finally, I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Holly's family who, throughout their difficult ordeal, have been inspirational.

Best wishes to all

Assal Ruse

Monday 4th November: Year 11 Mock exams start

Monday 18th November: Artificial Intelligence talk for Year 7 parents and guardians

Thursday 21st November: Year 10 Parents' Evening

Year 8 have shown remarkable resilience and adaptability. They have embraced the challenges of a new school year with positivity and determination. We encourage students to make the most of the range of clubs and activities to discover their passions and strengths. Our dedicated staff are here to support them every step of the way, providing guidance and encouragement.

I believe that education extends beyond academics. We strive to nurture well-rounded individuals who are not only knowledgeable but also kind, respectful, and responsible.

Freddie Boyce

As some of you are aware, one of our Year 10 students Holly W passed away on Friday 4th October.

We have been in touch with Holly’s family and students have been informed, and we will make it our priority to ensure that all students are continually supported. Our thoughts and prayers are with Holly's family at this sad time.

The Matthew Arnold School have created a Just Giving page to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. Please find the link below.

The Matthew Arnold School is fundraising for Cancer Research UK (justgiving.com)

Year 11 Art and Textiles students completed their 10 hour mock exams this week and we are very excited at the standard of creativity and work produced. We saw clay sculpture, photography, fabric manipulation, acrylic painting and some stunning drawing skills. It is not easy spending all that time focusing on one subject, but the students did brilliantly and are now well prepared for their GCSE summer exam. A huge well done from the Art and Textiles department.

In Geography, Year 7 students are undertaking a research project where they are comparing the local areas of Staines, Egham, Englefield Green, Feltham and Chertsey. They have to research population, natural features, location and any history of the area.

Year 10s enjoyed testing out a new healthy recipe for wholewheat and Greek yoghurt pancakes. Which, unfortunately, meant breaking out the ice cream to taste test them...

Year 10 Animal studies had a visitor to their lesson this week...

These sessions are strongly recommended and will provide much needed support for your child as they prepare for their first set of Year 11 mocks. The table below shows when the sessions are running.

The Year 7 Boys football team maintained their 100% record away from home with their latest victory coming in the first round of the Surrey FA county cup, where they travelled to Leatherhead to face St John’s School. A tight first half saw Matthew Arnold take a 1-0 lead thanks to a Harry G-L header from a corner. The intensity increased during the second half as Freddie S provided a spark from the bench. Carter H doubled our lead with a deflected finish, before sealing the 3-0 win with a thumping finish on the turn from just outside the box!

The Year 10 boys football team are also through to the next round of the Surrey Cup with a thrilling 5-1 win against Christs' College.

Please see below a list of the sport clubs that we offer at Matthew Arnold:

During the summer holidays, Year 11 students Daniel W, Sienna D-W and Nhyira P, took part in a Rotary Young Leadership Award. This was a week long camp away in High Ashurst where they took part in team building activities, rock climbing, Jacob's ladder, trapeze, a ten mile walk as well as organising gala evenings and a presentation evening for visitors from Rotary clubs in the district.

On the 14th of October they each attended a presentation evening where they met the members of Staines Rotary Club and received a leadership certificate presented to them from the Mayor of Spelthorne.

We are super proud of Dexter R who participated in a course with Staines and Egham Air Cadets. Dexter completed two flights, took control of the Viking T1 aircraft and undertook training in emergency exits and first aid. Well done, Dexter!

Our congratulations go to Head Boy, Samuel B, who has recently been promoted to Corporal. He will be leading and teaching groups of cadets under his care. Well done, Sam!

The latest House competition was to design the house badge for each individual house- Swords, Swans, Oaks and Crowns. There were over 250 entries, with special mention to Year 7 who generated a large volume of House badges. The images below were the top entries where 4 will be revealed as the winners next half term and the new House badges for each house! As you can see the creativity and imagination of our students has been fantastic!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Parent Governor Election. As you will have seen, we had a fantastic seven applications! Your support and involvement in the school community are greatly appreciated. A big thank you to everyone who applied and voted – your contributions are key to the future of our school!

The ballot for the election has closed today, 18th October at Midday, votes are now being counted and the results will be announced soon.

Our Year 7 Animal Intervention focused on Gerbil care this week, their cage is beautifully clean and they had a bath with lots of cuddles to warm up afterwards. Mabel and Norah are very grateful for their clean up!

Our tortoise Mishell has laid three eggs this week. We are incubating them in the science prep room and will be able to tell if they are viable in approximately ten days. Wish us luck!