Whitehall Junior School News Feed - Latest News

Family Maths Workshop

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:27:39 GMT

On Friday 27th March, we welcomed parents and children to a fantastic maths workshop at school, focused on cryptography riddles and a Pig Pen coding mystery. Our families worked brilliantly together to solve a range of exciting puzzles, using logic, teamwork and plenty of perseverance. There was a wonderful buzz in the room as everyone got stuck into cracking secret codes and uncovering hidden messages.

The Pig Pen mystery was a particular highlight, with participants showing great enthusiasm as they decoded symbols and pieced together clues. Parents and children alike had a fabulous time, sharing ideas and celebrating each success along the way. It was fantastic to see so many families enjoying maths together and the event was a great success with lots of fun had by all.

We look forward to the next workshop in the Summer Term!

Borough Tag Rugby Competition

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:27:56 GMT

On Monday 23rd March, we took a team to represent Whitehall Junior School in the Borough Tag Rugby Competition, at Uxbridge Rugby Club. Our pupils performed amazingly in all of their matches and scored some phenomenal tries. Our team played so well that they will now go on to represent Hillingdon in the London Youth Games in June.

Boys' Netball Rally

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:58:03 GMT

On Monday 16th March, we took sixteen boys, two teams, to participate in this year's district boys' netball rally, which was held at Ryefield School. Despite the cold conditions, our teams were full of enthusiasm and energy, and they applied themselves fully in all of their group phase matches of this competition. Their amazing teamwork and skill in each of their games was wonderful to watch. Unfortunately, only Team A progressed to the semi-final stage of the competition. They were drawn against St Bernadette's and this was a tough match that went to extra time. We won this match 2-1 and progressed to the final, where we played Heathrow A. This was a very challenging match, but the team played exceptionally well. We lost this final but the team came away with silver medals. Thank you to all the family members who came along to support our team!

Dress as a Word Day

Mon, 9 Mar 2026 10:57:55 GMT

On Thursday 5th March, our school celebrated World Book Day in a slightly different way by inviting pupils to take part in Dress as a Word Day. Instead of dressing as book characters, children arrived at school proudly wearing costumes inspired by a wide range of interesting and imaginative words. It was wonderful to see the creativity on display and the variety of vocabulary chosen by the pupils. Throughout the day, children explored their chosen words in greater depth through a range of engaging activities. These included writing poetry, taking part in word hunts and completing other fun tasks designed to celebrate the power of words. The day was a fantastic opportunity to highlight the importance of vocabulary and to encourage a love of reading, reminding us all that words are the building blocks of the stories we enjoy.

Girls' Netball Rally

Sat, 7 Mar 2026 13:55:31 GMT

On Saturday 7th March, we took one team to take part in the District Girls' Netball Rally, which was held at Ryefield School. The team played extremely well throughout the group-stage matches of the competition (winning two games). Unfortunately, our team did not progress to the quarter-finals because they finished third in the group phase of the competition. All the girls who played did very well and we are very proud of all of their performances and great sportsmanship in their matches! Thank you to all the parents and family members who came and supported us during this competition.

Barclay Girls' Football Schools Partnership: England Football (International Women's Day)

Fri, 6 Mar 2026 17:13:34 GMT

On Friday 6th March, seventy girls, and six girl sports ambassadors, celebrated International Women's Day by taking part in an afternoon of football drills and football matches. It was an afternoon that was thoroughly enjoyed by all, despite the rainy conditions. Whitehall Junior School is proud to have so many girls engaging in football at our school.

Mixed Netball Rally

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 13:42:09 GMT

On Saturday 28th February, we took two teams to take part in the District Mixed Netball Rally which was held at Ryefield School. Both teams played very well throughout the group matches of the competition but unfortunately, only our A team progressed to the quarter-finals. Their quarter-final match was against St. Bernadette's A, who were a very good team. Unfortunately, our team lost their quarter-final match, 2-0, and did not progress to the semi-final stage of the competition. All sixteen players performed very well and we are very proud of all of their achievements during the competition and great sportsmanship!

Year 5 Brunel Book Club Launch Event

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:41:41 GMT

On Thursday 26th February, twelve selected Year 5 pupils were fortunate to attend Brunel University’s launch event for Book Club. This was the start of a two-year programme that these pupils will be part of and the launch event was thoroughly enjoyed by those who attended. These pupils had a talk led by a member of staff from Uxbridge Library about all that is on offer at their local library and they then experienced a book café, where they explored numerous texts. Each pupil was also gifted with a goodie-bag that also contained a book voucher. This was a wonderful event and these pupils are now excited about their weekly book club sessions that commence in two-weeks' time.

Year 4 Pedestrian Training

Mon, 9 Feb 2026 09:50:07 GMT

Whitehall Junior School has taken part in Practical Pedestrian Training during February for Year 4 pupils during the school day. This training was led by The Road Safety and School Travel Team, London Borough of Hillingdon and took place outside the school grounds on residential streets surrounding the school. The children gained vital safety tips during their session and now all know what to remember – Stop, Look, Listen...THINK!

Yoga sessions - Children's Mental Health Week

Mon, 9 Feb 2026 09:37:41 GMT

Children's Mental Health Week this year took place between Monday 9th February to Sunday 15th February. To recognise this week, Whitehall completed a wealth of activities in school to support children's mental well-being. To further support children's mental health, each class took part in a 40-minute yoga session led by a qualified instructor to further support them in their well-being. The week was thoroughly enjoyed by all!

Brunel Book Club - Graduation Event

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:32:54 GMT

On Wednesday 28th January, the twelve Year 6 pupils, who were a part of the Brunel Book Club, had their graduation event at Brunel University. The pupils had an amazing time; they had a presentation delivered by Christian Foley, an author and rapper, followed by the graduation presentation, where all pupils wore their graduation gowns and received their certificate. The event concluded with them receiving a goodie bag and a signed copy of the book, 'Moving Up, How to Ace Secondary School'. It was lovely to see so many family members present to see these pupils graduate. It was a day enjoyed by all.

Junior Citizenship Trip

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 12:53:27 GMT

On Friday 23rd January, all Year 6 pupils were very fortunate to attend the Junior Citizen Activity Programme, which took place at Brunel University. This programme was an active safety programme in which the children took part in mock-ups of dangers they may face in everyday life. This trip was very beneficial as it followed the basic principles of raising the pupils' awareness of their own personal safety and the safety of others around them. The trip was thoroughly enjoyed by all and our pupils found it very informative and beneficial.

Children's Mental Health Week

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:21:02 GMT

Children's Mental Health Week starts on 9th February. This year's theme is 'Everyone Belongs'. The week will launch with a special assembly to discuss the theme of belonging. PSHE lessons will focus on Place2Be's 'This is my place' materials, created especially for the week.

Year 5 Space Dome

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:12:01 GMT

The Year 5 children had the opportunity to go into space when the ‘Space Dome’ visited the school. They learned about the galaxy, the planets and our solar system. All of the children were amazed to be transported across space while sitting in the school hall.

Christmas dinner delights!

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 09:59:39 GMT

A delicious Christmas dinner was enjoyed by all as our cooks created a festive feast which was very tasty. Crackers were pulled, crowns were worn and plates were all finished as we all ate together in our beautifully decorated hall.

Year 6 visit to St. Margaret's Church

Tue, 9 Dec 2025 14:40:00 GMT

On the morning of Tuesday 9th December, our Year 6 pupils visited St. Margaret’s Church in Uxbridge. This visit enabled the children to see inside a Christian place of worship, learn about the history of the church and hear the Nativity story. This trip was organised to support the pupils' learning of Religious Education.

Year 6 First Aid Training

Wed, 3 Dec 2025 09:53:07 GMT

This week, all Year 6 pupils took part in first aid workshops, led by our school's health and safety company. The purpose of this training was to teach our pupils basic first aid, such as: dealing with common injuries (such as head injuries), how to put someone into the recovery position and how to carry out CPR. This teaching is part of our health education within our PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) curriculum. This training was organised to enable our pupils to understand how to assist in an emergency situation. Pupils stayed focused throughout the sessions, mindful of what important life skills they were taking on board.

Panathlon Ten-Pin Bowling Competition

Mon, 1 Dec 2025 17:04:27 GMT

Providing inclusive opportunities is one of Whitehall's 'competition intent' aims in sport. On Monday 1st December, we took six pupils to participate in the Hillingdon Panathlon ten-pin bowling competition. Our pupils performed brilliantly and worked hard to gain points for our school team. Our pupils performed so well that they won the competition and qualified for the final in May 2026. The children were extremely proud of their achievement, and they all came away with a gold medal, certificate and the winner's trophy.

Sportshall Athletics Competition

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 08:14:37 GMT

Nineteen children (ten boys and nine girls) took part in the Sportshall Athletics competition during the afternoon of Thursday 20th November (the venue was Swakeleys School). The event was action packed with a variety of races, throwing and jumping events. The hall was full of excited athletes determined to do the best they could in their events to win valuable points for their school. All of our pupils performed brilliantly in their events and showed amazing sportsmanship throughout the afternoon. We came in eighth place overall from the eighteen teams that competed. A great achievement amongst very strong competition!

Year 6 Battle of Britain Bunker Trip

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 14:00:39 GMT

This week, Year 6 pupils visited the Uxbridge Battle of Britain Bunker. All pupils had the opportunity to visit the exhibition and visitor centre as well as descend into the underground bunker itself, which was used throughout the Battle of Britain during World War Two. All the pupils learnt about the key moments of history that shaped Britain’s air defence and led to the construction of the Bunker. They saw real artefacts including aircraft wreckage, uniforms, and telecommunications equipment used by the RAF to defend the nation. They also experienced for themselves the pressures, complexity and fun of working in the bunker with the hands-on, audiovisual interactive activities within the exhibition. Within the bunker itself, the children were able to see the Operations Room for No. 11 Group (Fighter Command) during the Second World War and learnt about Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, and ‘Women in the Bunker’. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed their visit and gained valuable information to support their learning of this unit of work that they are currently studying in class.

Year 5 trip to The British Museum

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 16:21:05 GMT

Our Year 5 trip to the British Museum was a valuable learning experience. The children explored the Ancient Egyptian galleries and saw important artefacts, including mummies, jewellery and statues. They learnt key facts, asked questions and showed interest in the displays. Outside the museum, the whole class stood silently for two minutes to mark Remembrance Day. The trip helped them build on their history work in school and gave them a clearer understanding of Ancient Egypt and its culture.

Anti-Bullying Week 2025

Fri, 7 Nov 2025 17:02:05 GMT

This week, all pupils will learn about how they can use their ‘power for good’ as part of national Anti-Bullying Week. Lessons and a special assembly will focus on learning about what bullying is, how to speak up and to raise the awareness of bullying.

Young Shakespeare Company

Thu, 6 Nov 2025 11:02:05 GMT

The Young Shakespeare Company performed 'Macbeth' to all of Year 6 in preparation for their study of this Shakespeare text in their upcoming English lessons. The performance was thoroughly enjoyed by all the children and they now have a greater understanding of the play and main characters ready for their study of this text. The Year 6 pupils are very much looking forward to their upcoming English lessons where they can explore this play in greater depth.

Year 6 Brunel Book Club Launch Event

Thu, 2 Oct 2025 17:50:37 GMT

Twelve Year 6 pupils visited Brunel University today to launch their book club for this academic year. These twelve pupils had the amazing opportunity to meet the author, Jennifer Killick, as they will be studying her book 'Crater Lake' in the coming weeks during their book club sessions. It was an action-packed day that was thoroughly enjoyed by all and each pupil was gifted with a personally signed copy of 'Crater Lake' by Jennifer Killick. We know that all twelve pupils are really looking forward to reading and exploring this novel in the coming weeks.

District Sports

Fri, 4 Jul 2025 07:42:21 GMT

On Thursday 4^th July, Whitehall Junior School took 27 pupils from Years 3-6 to represent our school in this year's District Sports competition, competing against seven other schools at Hillingdon Athletics Track. Our pupils took part in either a track event, a field event or a relay race; all pupils performed amazingly throughout this competition and they modelled fantastic sportsmanship throughout. Whitehall Junior School were awarded twelve medals in total in the following disciplines:

Year 3 boy speed bounce - Bronze

Year 4 girl 60m sprint -Gold

Year 4 boy standing long jump - Silver

Year 4 4x50m relay - Bronze

Year 5 boy triple jump - Silver

Year 5 girl triple jump - Bronze

Year 6 boy running long jump - Silver

Year 5 boy Vortex Howler - Bronze

Year 6 girl 80m spring - Gold

Year 6 girl 600m race - Silver

Year 6 4x50m relay - Silver

Year 6 girl Vortex Howler - Bronze

Well done to all those who participated in this year's District Sports and thank you to all the families who came and supported us!

Farm visits school

Thu, 3 Jul 2025 14:36:00 GMT

All of our pupils enjoyed a lovely visit to the farm on the playground today as we welcomed ducks, hens, rabbits, goats, guinea pigs, a donkey, a pony and a tortoise! They learnt about how to interact with the animals, how to feed them and the importance of good hygiene practices. Much fun was had by all.

Climbing Wall

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 09:08:29 GMT

Whitehall Junior School's Health and Fitness month is proving to be a great success and as a part of this active month we have had the return of our climbing wall, provided by Beeline Adventures. All pupils across the school have been timetabled for a session on the climbing wall on one of the following dates: Wednesday 25th June to Friday 27th June. This is a great activity that our pupils always thoroughly enjoy and it is great to see them rising to the challenge set to reach the top of the wall.

Water Safety Awareness Assembly

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 10:33:17 GMT

On Tuesday 24th June, we had some swimming coach instructors from Hillingdon Better Aquatics Team come into school to lead a water safety awareness assembly with all of our pupils. This engaging assembly was designed to equip our pupils with vital knowledge to stay safe around water, something which is of great importance as the summer holiday approaches. It was a very informative assembly and our pupils certainly gained a lot from it.

Sports Day

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:50:01 GMT

Whitehall Junior School had our Sports Day on Monday 23rd June and it was amazing to have so many families involved in this event again this year! Our Sports Day combined a number of athletics events, with some healthy competition, to decide which house team would win the Sports Day trophy this year. Despite the windy conditions throughout the day, all of our children persevered and worked hard to earn valuable points for their house team. Not only did the children work hard to achieve their best, so did the wealth of parents / carers who volunteered to run in several parent races - thank you for your great sportsmanship and for helping to make the day extra special for all the children. The final result was tight, but Frays were the overall winners of Sports Day 2025 - congratulations, Frays House! We are having an amazing Health and Fitness Month and we are certainly living up to our motto of, 'Games For All'.

Past pupil inspires!

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 11:41:13 GMT

All year groups enjoyed a very special assembly today when our former pupil, Aliza (now 21), came back to give an inspirational talk on how she has lived with sight loss. Current pupils were fascinated to hear about how she navigated her way around our site and participated in lessons alongside her peers when she was learning at our school. Aliza demonstrated the new technologies which have helped her to continue her studies. Pupils enjoyed hearing her phone talk to her! Aliza is currently studying creative writing at Brunel University. Pupils asked a wide range of interesting questions which Aliza was able to answer in her positive and inspiring way. She kindly left each class with part of a poem she has written, so that pupils could feel the braille text.

District Tag Rugby Competition

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 07:21:40 GMT

On Thursday 12th June, Whitehall Junior School hosted this year's District Tag Rugby competition and we had three teams entered: Whitehall Aspire, Whitehall Braves and Whitehall Penguins. All three teams played amazingly in the group phase of this competition, with Whitehall Aspire winning all of their matches and Whitehall Braves winning two of their matches, meaning both teams progressed to the semi-finals. Whitehall Aspire won their semi-final match against Heathrow 'A' but unfortunately, Whitehall Braves lost their semi-final match against Colham Manor, but they did come away with bronze medals. Whitehall Aspire won their final against Colham Manor, 2-0, and came away with gold medals and the District Tag Rugby trophy!

London Youth Games: Tag Rugby Competition

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 08:10:31 GMT

On Wednesday 11th June, we took ten pupils to represent Hillingdon in the London Youth Games for the tag rugby competition. This competition involved twenty of the top teams from London and our team was victorious and won their group stage of the competition, meaning that they were in the top pool for the finals. After a day of excellent tag rugby, our team came fifth overall. An amazing achievement to be the fifth-best tag rugby team in London!

A Victorian schoolroom

Sat, 31 May 2025 08:49:48 GMT

Quadkids Competition

Wed, 21 May 2025 17:35:16 GMT

Nine pupils represented the school this afternoon at the Uxbridge District Quadkids Athletics Competition, which was held at Hillingdon Athletics Track. The children competed against fourteen other schools in four disciplines: 75 metre sprint, 600 metre run, standing long jump and Vortex Howler throw. We are proud to announce that we achieved sixth place overall. They modelled great sporting behaviour throughout the competition and performed exceptionally well in all disciplines. Well done!

Diversity Week

Mon, 19 May 2025 10:43:26 GMT

Lots of events are happening throughout the week as we celebrate Diversity Week. This year's focus countries include: China, Japan and South Korea. Pupils will take part in a range of activities, including: Manga art, cookery, Taekwondo, music and Mandarin. Do ask your children what they have been up to!

Mental Health Awareness Week

Mon, 19 May 2025 10:44:54 GMT

This week we have been exploring the theme of 'community' through Mental Health Awareness Week. Teaching has focused on this theme through assemblies and PSHE lessons.

VE Day 80

Thu, 8 May 2025 14:50:47 GMT

As the nation commemorates 80 years since VE Day, pupils across all classes have learnt about the significance of this event through an assembly and class-based learning. It has been fascinating to explore some aerial photographs of our school site around this period in history and to imagine what life at our school was like during WW2.

Brunel Book Club: Celebration Event

Fri, 2 May 2025 15:48:31 GMT

On Friday 2nd May, twelve selected Year 5 pupils were fortunate to attend Brunel University’s celebration event for Book Club. This was an event organised to celebrate, and display, all the work that was produced during their eight-week book club sessions and the event was thoroughly enjoyed by those who attended. These pupils completed a poetry workshop in the morning, learning about, and creating, list and erasure poems and in the afternoon, they experienced a book café and scrapbook showcase of all of their work. Thank you to those family members who joined us on the afternoon of this trip to celebrate these pupils' successes and witness them receiving their certificate for completion of the book club course.

Swimming Gala

Fri, 2 May 2025 07:20:52 GMT

Congratulations to the ten pupils who competed in the District Swimming Gala last night (01/05/25). The children swam exceptionally well in the following events: Freestyle, Breaststroke and Backstroke Individual Events, Girls' Freestyle Relay, Boys' Freestyle Relay and Medley Relay. Miss Costa and Mrs Garnie were extremely proud of everyone who competed. We came away with six silver and two bronze medals and we were the winners of the 'Individual Events' trophy. As well as this, we achieved second place in the 'Overall' swimming trophy. Thank you to all the parents and family members for coming to support your children and the school.

Cross Country Competition

Fri, 4 Apr 2025 10:02:15 GMT

Congratulations to our Year 5 and 6 pupils who represented us brilliantly yesterday evening at the Borough cross country competition at Vyners' playing fields. All members of our team put in an excellent performance and did themselves and our school proud. Whilst we did not make the top three in the teams event, there were about 12 schools competing and we feel confident that our team's total scores were definitely better than in recent years. All cross country club children have shown commitment and dedication to their training sessions and have demonstrated our ready, respectful, safe behaviour code at all times. It has been wonderful to see our school values modelled through sport. Well done to all!

Borough Tag Rugby Finals

Wed, 2 Apr 2025 17:40:51 GMT

Today we took a team to represent Whitehall Junior School in the Borough Tag Rugby Competition, at Hillingdon Abbotts Rugby Club. Our pupils performed amazingly in all of their matches and scored some phenomenal tries. Our team played so well that they won the competition, and they will now go on to represent Hillingdon in the London Youth Games in June.

Year 5 Controllable Vehicles

Tue, 1 Apr 2025 10:42:01 GMT

Congratulations go to Year 5 for the brilliant outcomes of their latest DT unit of study. Combining their DT skills with their computing ones, they have been able to produce controllable vehicles which they were able to successfully navigate around a series of obstacles in the corridor. Excellent skills development and very motivated learners!

Playground Proms

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 10:56:09 GMT

Thanks to 'Playground Proms' for bringing a wonderful classical music concert to our school this morning. Following a visit to Years 3 and 4 last week, the whole school enjoyed live music and lots of learning about string instruments in a lively and entertaining performance.

Boys' Netball Rally

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 20:09:51 GMT

On Monday 17th March, we took eight boys to participate in this year's district boys' netball rally, which was held at Ryefield School. Despite the cold conditions, our team was full of enthusiasm and energy, and they applied themselves fully in all of their group phase matches of this competition. Their amazing teamwork and skill in each of their games was wonderful to watch, but unfortunately, they did not progress beyond the group phase of the competition. Thank you to all the family members who came along to support our team!

Year 6 - Junior Citizen Trip at Brunel University

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:36:49 GMT

On Friday 14^th March, all Year 6 pupils were very fortunate to attend the Junior Citizen Activity Programme, which took place at Brunel University. This programme was an active safety programme in which the children took part in scenarios they may face in everyday life and as they move to their secondary schools. This trip was very beneficial as it followed the basic principles of raising the pupils' awareness of their own personal safety and the safety of others around them. The trip was enjoyed by all and our pupils found it very informative and beneficial.

Girls' Netball Rally

Sat, 8 Mar 2025 14:57:16 GMT

On Saturday 8th March, we took a team to take part in the District Girls' Netball Rally, which was held at Ryefield School. The team played exceptionally well during the group phase of the competition: beating Hillingdon 'A' 6-0, beating West Drayton 6-0 and beating Heathrow 'B' 6-1. The team performed so well that they qualified for the quarter-finals. The standard of play that our team showed in the quarter-final was very impressive, but unfortunately, they did not progress to the semi-final, losing 3-2 to John Locke (who went on to share the trophy with St Catherine's). The team showed wonderful sportsmanship throughout the tournament and there was some phenomenal shooting and interceptions, too. Thank you to all the family members who came along to support the team.

Barclays Girls' Football Schools Partnership: England Football (International Women's Day)

Fri, 7 Mar 2025 17:12:06 GMT

On Friday 7th March, seventy girls, and six girl sports ambassadors, celebrated International Women's Day by taking part in an afternoon of football drills and football matches. It was an afternoon that was thoroughly enjoyed by all who participated and Whitehall Junior School is proud to have so many girls engaging in football at our school.

Mixed Netball Rally

Sat, 1 Mar 2025 16:10:37 GMT

On Saturday 1^st March, we took two teams (16 pupils) to take part in the District Mixed Netball Rally Competition. Both teams played exceptionally well in each of their group phase matches, with each team playing five matches against good competition. Unfortunately, neither team qualified for the semi-finals. However, Team A finished third in their group after winning three of their matches and drawing another match. Both teams showed great teamwork and sportsmanship throughout the competition. It was wonderful to see so much family support for our teams today. Thank you to all those who came out on a chilly morning to cheer our teams on.

World Book Day Theatre Visit

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 17:17:09 GMT

As part of World Book Day, classes 6D and 5E visited the Winston Churchill Theatre in Ruislip, to meet and listen to the children's author and illustrator Loretta Schauer. The children were amazed when finding out how long it took to write a book. They enjoyed listening to Loretta about how she got her own ideas about the characters, the plot and illustrations to use.

Young Shakespeare Company

Fri, 7 Feb 2025 11:36:11 GMT