Summer Term 2026

What an incredible 2025-26 academic year it has been for the Hertswood community! From outstanding classroom triumphs to memorable extracurricular milestones, this action-packed year has given us so much to celebrate.

With the Summer Term now drawing to a close, we are thrilled to take a moment to look back at the wonderful trips, activities, and achievements we have experienced together over these past few months.

None of these successes would be possible without the brilliant dedication of our students, staff, and families. Thank you all for your hard work and support in making this year so remarkable. We hope everyone has a safe, deeply relaxing, and wonderful summer holiday!

Click through the links below to read more of the stories you might have missed, and enjoy a selection of images. Remember, to stay up-to-date on events at the Academy, you can follow us on Facebook, X, BlueSky or Instagram.

-Wanda Gill, Headteacher

Highlights from the Summer Term have included...

• Welcoming new School Dog, Chilli, to the team, as well as sharing some of his first encounters with students, and his adorable first experience with a paddling pool.

• Hertswood hosted its annual Art Exhibition, and we shared outstanding work on display from A-Level Art students, as well as our talented GCSE Art students, and our Photography students. We were also incredibly proud of our students' live performances at our Summer Arts Event, and shared creative works from other faculties including a focus on Maths careers, and kinesthetic learning in Languages.

• Executive Headteacher, Peter Gillett, generously donated the RowERG machine from his previous charity world record to the Academy, before completing a new endurance world record on the SkiERG. Our community showed their generosity with our Year 11 equipment trade-in, and our prom donation drive, which led to a fantastic one-stop prom shop event.

• We announced our eager Sixth Form Senior Team for 2026-27, and shared their first Student Council session. Their Hertswood Champions League competition was also a massive success.

• Other sporting events included our Year 8's Race for Life, which raised over £1,000 for Cancer Research UK, and our incredible Sports Day in which students showed great teamwork and competitive spirit.

• Hertswood was proud to host an international delegation of teachers, as well as an assembly visit from Herts County Council and Hertfordshire Police, while a large group of Year 11 students visited Brighton for primary research along the coast.

• Before their formal exams began, we celebrated Year 11 successes in their mock exams, and Awards Assemblies recognised hard work through the Spring Term. Our Inclusion team hosted a Reward Party to mark the resilience our Year 7 students have shown this year. We said farewell to our Year 13 students with a Leavers' Assembly and a Year 12 guard of honour, and this week held Summer Term Awards Assemblies including the announcement of our House Cup winners, Darwin!