Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• A Truly Special Honour at Buckingham Palace

  Mon 11 May 2026

  We are delighted to share that Angela O’Rourke, Headteacher, was nominated by the Department for Education to attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in recognition of her outstanding contribution to education.

  The event took place on Friday 8 May 2026 and brought together guests from across the country who have made a significant impact within their communities and professions.

  The occasion was made even more memorable by the attendance of members of the Royal Family, including Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, along with Zara Tindall.

  Angela was accompanied by her perfect companion, Sarah Lettis, Director of Operations, making the day an especially memorable and joyful occasion to share together.

  This prestigious invitation was a wonderful recognition of dedication, commitment and service to education, and we were incredibly proud to celebrate this remarkable achievement.

   

  

• The Importance of Singing and Choir at Southfield

  Mon 11 May 2026

  The Importance of Singing and Choir at Southfield School

  Singing and choir participation can play a transformative role in Special Educational Needs schools, offering far more than musical development alone. For many pupils with additional needs, singing provides an inclusive, accessible, and joyful way to communicate, connect, and grow.

  One of the greatest strengths of singing is its accessibility. Every child has a voice, and singing allows pupils of all abilities to take part at their own level, whether through vocalising, signing, using communication aids, or simply listening and responding. At Southfield, this shared experience removes barriers to participation and helps pupils feel valued and included, regardless of their academic or physical challenges.

  Choir and group singing supports communication and language development. Repetition of lyrics, rhythm, and rhyme can help reinforce vocabulary, speech patterns, and memory. For pupils with speech and language difficulties, singing can reduce anxiety around verbal communication, as melody often makes words easier to access and express. For some non-verbal pupils, singing may encourage vocal sounds or responses that might not otherwise occur.

  Emotionally, singing has a powerful impact on wellbeing. Music can regulate mood, reduce stress, and provide a safe outlet for emotions. It is quite common for our pupils to experience heightened anxiety or sensory overload, so structured singing sessions can create a sense of calm, routine, and predictability.

  Our choir builds connection and teamwork. Pupils learn to listen to one another, take turns, and work towards a shared goal. These skills are particularly valuable as some can find social interaction challenging. Being part of a choir encourages a sense of belonging and collective identity, helping pupils feel part of something bigger. It also fosters joy and a sense of achievement, boosting confidence and self-esteem when pupils succeed together.

  Finally, singing offers opportunities for celebration and visibility. Performances, whether informal assemblies or community events such as the Hatfield House Picnic, allow our pupils to showcase their abilities and strengths. This not only empowers the pupils themselves but also helps challenge misconceptions about our children, showing their creativity, talent and individuality.

  For us, singing and choir are not just musical activities; they are powerful tools for communication, inclusion, emotional wellbeing, and community. Through song, pupils can find their voices in every sense of the word.

  

• School Council and Behaviour leaders meeting

  Fri 01 May 2026

  Within our School Council and Behaviour Leader meetings, we have placed a strong focus on pupil voice. Pupils have been actively involved in discussions around our new Forest School provision, including collaboratively creating the rules that everyone should follow when using the Forest School area. In addition, pupils have continued to contribute their views to curriculum subjects such as computing and art. Our Behaviour Leaders consistently act as positive role models for the school’s behaviour charter and regularly engage in discussions about how we can ensure all pupils understand and follow these shared expectations.

  

• Sound Sensations at Southfield

  Wed 22 Apr 2026

  Sound Sensations at Southfield

   

  Sensational people, making sensational sounds!

   

  Sounds of Intent is an inclusive framework of musical engagement. It is a model of musical development that sets out how we all engage with music, from children in the early years to older people with dementia, from those with profound learning difficulties who are still learning to process sound, to others who are regarded as advanced musicians in their culture. Sounds of Intent is not specific to a particular style or genre of music; it is meant for music teachers, therapists, community musicians, carers, relatives and friends wherever they are, to help them:

  • understand how children, young people and adults engage with music in different ways
  • differentiate what they do according to people’s varying musical abilities, interests, preferences and needs
  • gauge the impact of their work.

  Sound Sensations follows the Sounds of Intent framework – using the levels to adapt the pupils’ participation in music making. At Southfield we have two classes that are participating in the programme, Swans and Woodpeckers. Each class uses a different approach to the music, but with an emphasis on making sure the music making is fun and engaging throughout the session.

  During the sessions the children are encouraged to move, sing, play and interact with a variety of different music style – from reggae to rap. Herts Music Service have provided us with three iPads with accessible music software for the duration of the programme, as well as a drum pad, speakers and a theramini (a mini theremin!). Each of these provides a tactile and easy method for the children to join in with the music making session and feel a part of the sound experience.

  Tim Emler, from Hertfordshire Music Service, visits Southfield twice every half term and leads engaging and fun sessions with the classes, building confidence and creative exploration through the set pieces of music from ‘Count Me In’ – a Sounds of Intent music resource. We have had such success with these sessions, with some amazing communication breakthroughs happening through the music and new experiences stirring a newfound creativity and musical enthusiasm.

  Staff have observed pupils using visuals to join in with the song, using the Clarion music application on the iPad to work out the notes and rhythm of the music, children moving and using signs to enjoy and participate with the music and an improved, active curiosity towards music genres and instruments. Sound Sensations has increased social and emotional skills in both classes from turn taking, to fostering a sense of whole class community.

  At Southfield, music is an intrinsic part of teaching and learning – supporting the children emotionally, physically and across the entire curriculum. Sound Sensations has added another level of engagement and development for the pupils and staff and boosts our aim of using music to not only explore sound but communication as well.

   

  

• Gosling Athletics Event

  Thu 16 Apr 2026

  Robins visited Gosling Stadium to take part in an exciting athletics event. The children competed in a range of activities, including tug of war, sprinting, hurdles, throwing and catching, and football rounders. Everyone had a fantastic time demonstrating teamwork and perseverance, and although they were very tired on the journey back to school, they returned full of smiles and great memories.

  

• World Art Day 2026

  Wed 15 Apr 2026

  To celebrate World Art Day 2026, Southfield School were very lucky to participate in chalk workshop session with Zoe. She adapted to each class so we all participated and explored how to use chalk, from blending, adding and mixing with the theme of the seaside. By the end of the day, each class had added their own chalk art piece and made our playground look incredibly creative, colourful and full of character.  This was an amazing day where Southfield really showed that we are all artists. 

  

• Music for SEN conference 2026

  Thu 26 Mar 2026

  On the 26th March, Southfield and Herts Music Service welcomed over 30 teaching professionals from across the county to our inaugural Music for SEN conference.

  Teachers, subject leads and SENCOs came together to learn about, discuss and embrace the incredible power that music has in education.

  Our primary focus for the day was how to use music to support SEN pupils but also included using music as a tool for embedding information and the use of music technology to help support learning and focus.

  Our own music lead, Rebecca Starling led the conference and the morning session, which focused on how music can be used in classrooms and outside to support behaviours. Her session touched on emotional regulation, music for activation, musical timers, transitional music and quick ideas to help you get started – especially if you deem yourself unmusical.

  Our guest speaker, Victoria Webb, gave an interactive and musically minded presentation on how to use music to support maths and literacy. As Head of School at London School of Design and Engineering UTC, she leads with a clear strategic vision, ensuring the college delivers high-quality, inclusive education that empowers learners to thrive in a fast-paced, technology-driven world. She studied Mathematics at King’s College London, with a music scholarship and music has influenced her teaching practice ever since. Attendees were invited to engage in her learning strategies and by the end of the session we could all sing the quadratic equation.

  Throughout the day, Jonty Hines from pBone had a phenomenal set up of accessible instruments for attendees to experience and experiment with. The technology was inspiring and showed the scope of what can be done to create an inclusive musical education for those who may struggle with conventional instruments and notation.

  Matthew Dear from Herts Music Service gave a brief introduction to Trinity Board of Music: Sounds of Intent and the Sound Sensations programme, detailing how more young people could now access musical qualifications that could be tailored to the individual instead of requiring them to conform to a set programme of study.

  The day was full of understanding, great discussions and shared ideas. There was so much that could be said and done to include music to create a diverse and cross curricular education for young people. The only negative we could find? That we hadn’t done something like this sooner!

• RE learning at Southfield in Spring term.

  Tue 24 Mar 2026

  This half term, we were delighted to welcome Reverend Indira back to Southfield.
  She spent time in every class, greeting the children and sharing the Easter story. Some classes also explored the significance of Palm Sunday in greater depth. Reverend Indira always enjoys her visits, and she left with her trademark beaming smile after spending time with our pupils.

  Across the school, children took part in a range of creative Easter activities. Many classes decorated hot cross buns with icing crosses, while others used Easter eggs to represent the stone that sealed the tomb. Pupils also loved drawing around their hands to create palm leaves, which they proudly waved in the playground.

   

  A number of classes also celebrated Holi, the Hindu festival of colours, love and spring. The children had great fun using vibrant paints and powders to create wonderfully colourful artwork and to learn about this joyful festival.

   

  The smiles on the children’s faces throughout these RE activities have been wonderful to see. It has been a truly enriching time of learning at Southfield.

  

• Brocket Hall Class Trip - Woodpeckers

  Fri 20 Mar 2026

  Woodpeckers have had the most incredible Friday afternoon at Brocket Hall, where we were invited to put all our golf practice from this half term to the test at a real golf course and driving range.

   

  We participated in different activities such as driving the ball, aiming and putting.

   

  We all followed the behaviour charter throughout and had so much fun as well as learning about new sporting skills.

   

  

• Duxford School Trip

  Mon 16 Mar 2026

  On Monday 16th March, Robins Class visited Duxford Imperial War Museum. Our esteemed Chair of Governors, Peter, joined us to explore the incredible history - sharing his own knowledge with the class. We were so lucky with the weather and were able to not just appreciate the displayed vehicles but those in flight too. A beautiful Spitfire gave us quite a show and we were delighted when the pilot waved back! It was a long day, but Robins kept going, driven by curiosity. Never underestimate our amazing students, they continue to prove that they can and they will.