Congratulations to Georgia for organising another spectacular Christmas Concert. There was an incredible array of music talent and choices to entertain us all and see out 2025, from Billie Eilish to Chopin to sing-a-long Christmas tunes. It’s always amazing to see how people have grown in confidence, skill and musicianship, but also to see our brand new students working so well together to pull off a performance after just 3 months of practice. Well done everyone!
Big thanks to George in Y2 for giving up some of his summer to help put together this video to celebrate last year. From incredible performances to mock trials, snowball fights to project presentations. It’s amazing just how much we fitted in. Hope you enjoy this flash back!
Huge congratulations to all of our students and those across the country this morning on their GCSE results. With an average pass rate of 88% and 26% at grades 7-9, this is one of our best years of results and a wonderful way to reward all the hard work of the last few years.
At Sands we hope to enable each student to find their own path through their education at school and provide them with what they need for their future. Behind each year’s results table lies personal stories, choices and triumphs; from those that loved everything and took an incredible 12 subjects in their time, to those that undertook independent study and sat exams in subjects not offered on our curriculum, to the 16 students who decided to sit an exam early to gain some experience or challenge themselves, to those who narrowed their focus and selected just the right number of subjects to balance work and wellbeing. We’re proud of each and every one of you, for your choices and your journey.
But we hope a Sands education is much more than a collection of grades in an envelope. At Sands we deliberately leave space in our week and our year for time outside of lessons for conversation, friends, fun, being and working together as a whole school, lying on the grass and not doing much at all. It is often these experiences that are the most formative. We hope our students are leaving us knowing themselves better and ready to take on the world. Be proud of the results of your hard work, but remember you are so much more than a score.
Sands 2025 went out with a bang. Fantastic day of music, food and performances last Wednesday. There’s so much creativity that happens over the course of the year, it needs a whole day to showcase it, and that’s what we give it every summer. This year we had heart breakingly beautiful Radiohead covers to Chopin to Rage Against the Machine and the Spice Girls with music on the lawn and an acoustic set in the Theatre. Thanks also to the Pigeon company for their hilarious play and all the artists who showcased their work in the Art and Photography exhibition, there was something do or look at all day.
Huge shout out to all the parents that helped make food and for being such an incredible audience. We raised over £500 for the music department and other school resources.
We hope you enjoy this little compilation of the day and it keeps you in the festival spirit all summer. See you in September!
We are very proud to present our first ever entirely student-led school production. Pigeon Play is a riotous ride of mystery and mayhem. It’s a classic who-dunnit about pigeon and seagull, a detective duo, who go on the hunt for the missing Margret Pigeon. From flying props to gags about tea you never know what to expect next. Congratulations to the capsule company of seven who wrote, directed, produced sound, lighting, costumes and props and performed the show. We had a blast!
Huge thanks to Pamela, Leah, Peach, Nathan and Jane for giving up some of their Easter break to become Inland Water Lifeguards so they can keep our students safe in the river. Now we can swim whenever the weather is right rather than when we can book a lifeguard.
