St Jerome Church of England Bilingual School News

Farewell Service for Revd Daniel Norris

On Monday 15th December our school community came together for a very special service to say a heartfelt thank you and goodbye to Reverend Daniel Norris, the founding headteacher of Saint Jérôme School.

The service was a joyful and reflective celebration of Reverend Norris’ many years of dedication, leadership and faith. Pupils led the service with great confidence and respect, opening with words of thanks and prayers as Reverend Norris prepares for his next chapter in ministry. We sang Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, reflecting the call to love and serve others, which Reverend Norris has always modelled throughout his time with us.

During the service, pupils shared readings from Scripture, including Jesus’ words from John 15 reminding us that “I am the vine; you are the branches”, and that by remaining rooted in love and faith, we can continue to grow and bear fruit. A reading from Ecclesiastes also reminded us that “there is a time for everything”, helping us reflect on endings, new beginnings and God’s guiding presence through every season of life.

Mrs Cox and Mrs Walton shared thoughtful reflections on their journey working alongside Reverend Norris, and we were treated to a beautiful musical moment as Mrs Cox’s daughter performed For Good from Wicked. Year 6 also shared a particularly moving song, expressing gratitude for Reverend Norris’ vision in founding our school and for creating a community where every child is valued, encouraged and inspired.

As Reverend Norris prepares to follow his new calling, we are encouraged by the words of Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart… and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6).

We say goodbye with grateful hearts and fond memories. Reverend Norris, thank you for everything you have given to our school. You will always be part of the Saint Jérôme family and will be greatly missed. We wish you every blessing for the future.

Merci pour avoir fondé notre école. Vous ferez toujours partie de notre histoire. Bonne continuation. Read More

La Plume Française

On Wednesday 17th December, we welcomed two visitors from l’Institut Français. In perfect timing prior to Revd. Norris’ last day as our headteacher, they presented our school with the LabelFrancÉducation, giving us the good news that the school has been awarded this for the next five years.

As this was a rather last-minute visit, we held a low-key ceremony with all of Year 6 present, alongside Sequoia and Willow classes, who both wowed our visitors with their beautiful performances of ‘L’Oiseau et l’Enfant’ and ‘Étoile de Noël’.

When our visitors had a tour of the school, they were overjoyed to see the bilingual ethos that is clearly established within our school. They asked that we extend their congratulations to the whole staff team and our whole school community.

On this note, we would also like to take this opportunity to thank the francophone parent helpers, who have been making recordings of our Sami et Julie reading scheme (which will be launched in January), and volunteering to hear readers on a regular basis. Merci beaucoup!

And finally… Nous vous souhaitons de très belles fêtes de fin d’année!

Design a Christmas Card for Harrow Display

On Friday 12th December 2025, the winners of the Design a Christmas Card for Harrow competition were treated to an exclusive guided tour of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster by Mr. Gareth Thomas MP and his assistant, Miss Beny.

They discovered this magnificent building and some hidden treasures, such as the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft and the Broom Closet. The children and adults present on this tour were able to attend a session of the House of Lords, where a debate was taking place and afterwards, they visited the House of Commons.

Everyone was amazed by the beauty of the Palace and by all the interesting information provided by Mr. Thomas.

A big thank you to Mr. Thomas and his assistant Miss Beny and to the parents who accompanied the children.

What an unforgettable day!

Pupil Christmas Lunch

Christmas lunch will be served to the children on Wednesday 17th December.  Please ensure you make a selection for your child prior to this date to ensure the kitchen can serve the meal of your child’s choice.

All children and staff are invited to wear their Christmas jumpers (if they wish to do so) for the children’s Christmas Lunch on Wednesday 17th December.  Children should wear their usual uniform and Christmas jumpers can be worn in place of the usual school jumper / cardigan.

La Plume Francaise

We are very fortunate to welcome seven A-level French students from Harrow School, who visit us every Wednesday for French conversation practice. As we approach the DELF examination early next year, we will use these sessions for focused Production Orale preparation.

Recently, pupils have been reading the Sami et Julie books together. Adelina (Year 5) commented, “The students are very kind to us. Today, we were reading the books and they were also helping us to memorise vocabulary.” 

It is a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to meet older role models from our community and to share our language learning together.

News from Reception

The children in Reception have been exploring the traditional tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears. They have been retelling the story using the Tales Toolkit symbols, focusing on the character, setting, problem, and solution. Alongside this, they have been busy making porridge in class. The children loved mixing the ingredients and listening carefully to instructions. They enjoyed choosing their own toppings and having their porridge with their peers.

In Maths, we have been exploring shapes, with a strong focus on triangles and circles. We learned that a triangle has three sides, three corners, and three angles. The children also enjoyed creating their own circles using string attached to pencils, helping them understand that a circle has no sides because it is round.

Design a Christmas Card for Harrow competition

We were delighted to welcome Cllr. Shah Levy from Harrow Council and Gareth Thomas MP to Saint Jérôme recently as they joined us to announce the winners of the Design a Christmas Card for Harrow competition. Nine fantastic designs from our pupils were selected, and we could not be more proud of their creativity and hard work.

The winning children will be invited to enjoy a private tour of the Houses of Parliament, and they have each received a book token. Their designs will also be professionally printed and shared with the Harrow community and beyond, which is a wonderful honour.

Every child who entered the competition will receive a certificate of participation shortly, recognising their enthusiasm and effort.

Well done to all our young artists!

Celebrating Black History Month at Saint Jérôme!

We’re excited to be celebrating Black History Month at Saint Jérôme! Throughout October, pupils have been learning about the rich heritage, culture, and achievements of Black people past and present. Through stories, art, and discussion, they have been exploring the themes of diversity, respect, and community.

Each class is working on a creative project inspired by a Black artist. These projects will be completed by 20th October and displayed in a special school exhibition.

• Reception & Year 1 – Alma Thomas (artist): colourful collages inspired by her vibrant abstract style

• Year 2 – Christina Shingler (author): writing and illustrating a book celebrating something special about themselves

• Year 3 – Elsie Owusu (architect): designing or building a model of an imaginative building

• Year 4 – Dennis Morris (photographer): capturing a photograph that represents their community or culture

• Year 5 – Pablo Fanque (circus performer): creating and sharing a short performance inspired by his life and work

• Year 6 – Yesha Townshend (poet): composing a poem that reflects identity, community, or hope

We look forward to showcasing the children’s creativity and celebrating the incredible contributions of Black artists, writers, and performers—past and present.

Come and meet the teachers

There will be an opportunity for parents/guardians to meet their child(ren)’s class teacher(s) on Tuesday 23rd September. We will be hosting two half hour sessions and invite you to attend one of these, there is no need to book.

Please see details below:

Tuesday 23rd September, 4pm – 4.30pm
or
Tuesday 23rd September, 5pm – 5.30pm

Staff will direct you to classrooms via the main school entrance.

Saint Jérôme achieves LabelFrancEducation accolade

Saint Jérôme School is one of only four schools in the United Kingdom to have received the LabelFrancEducation accolade, a quality mark for French-speaking bilingual education abroad. This ensures the support of the French Government and the continuation of Saint Jérôme as an examination centre for the French Government official DELF qualifications. Every aspect of the school’s French provision continues to grow and flourish, from classroom lessons, to teaching other subjects through French, to visits and visitors and competitions. Art and PE, which are taught in French remain an outstanding aspect of the school’s provision.