School News

St Mary's Feast Day: Waterslide Splash!

Take a look at some of our fabulous photos from today's Feast Day activities!

Orientation Dates for Term 4 

First Transition Day for 2026 Pupils: 

We were delighted to welcome our newest school members for their first Transition Day this week. Mason and Dusty settled in beautifully and quickly became part of the classroom, enjoying their time exploring activities, meeting new friends, and getting to know our routines. It was wonderful to see their confidence grow throughout the session.

We look forward to welcoming them back for the next Transition Day on 26th November, as they continue their exciting journey toward starting school in 2026.

Staff Professional Development: Science of Learning – Retrieval Practice  

Leaders from across the Sandhurst Diocese gathered last week for a Science of Learning – Teach Well professional development day. Teach Well is an evidence-based organisation that supports teachers and school leaders to translate the latest cognitive science into practical classroom strategies. Their focus is on helping educators understand how students learn best and how to design lessons that maximise attention, retention, and understanding. 

Throughout the day, we explored how the brain creates and stores memories, and what this means for classroom practice. A key insight was that learning requires full attention—students must be actively focused on the content for it to be encoded into long-term memory. We examined the difference between passive engagement and deliberate attention, reflecting on how routines, structure, and teacher clarity play vital roles in capturing and sustaining student focus. 

The session also emphasised the importance of retrieval practice—regularly bringing information back to mind to strengthen memory and understanding. Leaders engaged in discussions and examples of how retrieval can be built into everyday lessons through quick quizzes, questioning, and low-stakes review activities. 

Finally, we explored how clear routines and consistent expectations help free up students’ cognitive load, allowing them to focus on learning rather than logistics. By embedding predictable structures, teachers can ensure more time and energy are devoted to thinking and learning. 

The day was an excellent opportunity to reflect on our own teaching practices and consider how we can continue to refine them in line with the Science of Learning. 

Uniforms

Physical Education will be moving back to Tuesdays. Tuesday's will now be the only day that students are required to wear their PE uniform. 

Energy Breakthrough 

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the generous sponsors who have supported our students in the Energy Breakthrough program. Your contributions make a real difference, helping cover essential costs such as accommodation, travel, meals, and the overall enjoyment of this unique learning experience.

Thanks to your support, our students can fully engage in this hands-on, team-based challenge that fosters innovation, resilience, and collaboration. Your investment in their journey empowers them to grow as learners and leaders, and we are deeply grateful for your commitment to their success.

2026 School Fees

PAM Access

Important Update: Parent Access Module (PAM) Reopening with Enhanced Security

SIMON are pleased to provide an important update regarding reinstatement of access to the Parent Access Module (PAM), which is now available online via your web browser but not via the app. 

What’s New: Enhanced Security Measures

There has been a full password reset for all PAM users. When you next log on to PAM, you will need to reset your password by selecting the “Forgot Password” option on the PAM login page to request a new password link be sent to your registered email account.

A password guidance is set out below;

Password Requirements

• Password resets are mandatory for all users – as outlined above, users will need to use the “Forgot Password” option on the PAM login screen to request a new password link which will be sent the registered email account.
• Create a password with a minimum of 12 characters.
• Include uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
• Reuse of the last two passwords is blocked.
• Common passwords (including username or email) are not permitted.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

• MFA is still required for all users accessing PAM via the web.
• A 6-digit authentication code will be sent to the registered email address associated with your account.