On Thursday 20th November, we took some students to perform their dances from this week’s Dance Show at Hillview Care Home in Ware. The residents thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon, and the students did amazing to dance in the care home living room! We are so proud of you all for giving our local community such a wonderful time, not only dancing with them but also chatting to them and having some cake! Thank you to Mrs Hicks for organising the visit.
As always, we are very fortunate to have such enthusiastic and talented dancers who work extremely hard to get their performances ready on time! The Dance Club Leaders have worked so hard to choreograph such fantastic dances around their GCSE and A Level studies. They have been committed to run numerous practices and we are very appreciative of the hard work involved and we know the students are as well, so well done and huge thank you to Sienna Akore, Amelia Dimitrova, Olivia Kinnear, Lexie Rowley, Alice Tanner, Kiri Lobb, Reyyan Demetriou and Florence Webb. Also, a massive thank you to Mrs Hicks for putting yet another show-stopping Gymnastics piece together as well as organising the whole show this year! It is not an easy job (with 43 gymnasts!!) but the students have been dedicating their time on a weekly basis to get their performance ready. The show doesn’t happen without the people behind the scenes! Thank you to Annabella Johnson and Laila Mirza who did the sound and lighting for both performances, you did an amazing job and we will miss you next year!
This year we had a record 113 students in the show! They all chose brilliant songs to represent this year’s theme; ‘Our School Values’. It was a pleasure to hear a huge variety of music representing the values; Ambition, Equality, Creativity, Integrity, Resilience and Kindness. Students from all years performed in routines from tap, ballet, hip-hop and an amazing gymnastic display, creating an evening which was entertaining and captivating.
Sisters Sienna and Mya Akore opened the show with their colourful blue 2-pieces as they danced to ‘Turn to Stone’. We had an uplifting tap performance from Amelie Martin and Sophia Wright performed on an incredibly emotive piece to ‘Never Enough’. We then saw contrasting upbeat numbers from Jasmine Lee and trio; Melisa Demetriou, Reyyan Demetriou & Mya Akore to ‘Life is just a bowl of cherries’. We had more sister acts, from Ella and Katie Jauncey and Caitie Lund and Jasmine Lund. Senior dance club, Year 7 and Year 8 dance clubs demonstrated creativity and resilience to their polished numbers, in particular year 8 where 27 dancers squeezed on stage! Teah Gregory put on a well-choreographed solo gymnastics number to ‘Friend Like Me’ to finish the first half in style and for the final time as she leaves Presdales this year. We would like to thank Teah for everything she has done for the show behind the scenes and her leadership at Gymnastics Club since Year 7.
The second half of the evening led off with a fantastic showcase of skill, timing, and ambition; Gymnastics club, choreographed by Mrs Hicks to ‘Proud’. Following this, a variety of dance genres kept the audience captivated; including a classy ballroom piece from Cleo Lambourne. The second half was also full of beautiful duets from Lois Vinall and Mia Mundell, Lexie Rowley and Florence Webb, Sienna Akore and Olivia Coghlan. The Year 9 dance club put on a glitzy number to ‘One Night Only’ and the Year 7’s did a brilliant performance to ‘Man I feel like a woman’. The show finished with perfected solo’s from Olivia Kinnear, Amelia Dimitrova, Reyyan Demetriou. We finished the show with everyone on stage dancing to ‘Dancing Through Life’ and the audience clapping and enthusiastically cheering!
Finally, the Dale Dance Trophy Award this year was awarded to Sienna Akore for her incredible commitment to Dance during her 7 years at Presdales. Sienna has been a dance leader for many years and performed in Dance Evening every year, demonstrating how talented she is every single year with amazing choreography and performance. We will really miss you and thank you for being such a wonderful role model as a dancer and a dance leader.
Thank you to those who came to watch, we hope you had an enjoyable evening!
Mrs Dann and Mrs Hicks
Year 8 Fabulous work from some of the Year 8 squad last week in their County League game against Berkhamsted.
By the end of the third quarter the score was 14-16, but unfortunately Berkhamsted had an additional extra gear, and took the edge for a win.
An impressive performance by all. Excellent determination and work ethic.
OPOM was Scarlet and CPOM was Mia.
Year 9 Well done to the Year 9 netball team who played another county league game against Sandringham last week. It was great to try some different combinations and the girls worked hard throughout to win 45-17.
OPOM was Maisy and CPOM was Tami.
On Tuesday, Year 9s delivered a convincing performance to secure victory in their county league fixture against STAHS. Their composure on court, versatility and strong teamwork were evident throughout – well done team!
POM was Amelie.
Year 7 Well done to the Year 7 Netball teams who travelled to Broxbourne to compete in a friendly netball tournament! All girls played some excellent Netball winning all of their games and winning both the A and B tournaments!
Congratulations to all of you!!
Year 7 A very excited and energetic group of Year 7s travelled to Watford Girls School last week for the second round of the Football County Cup. The girls took that energy onto the pitch, dominating the match from the first whistle and securing a deserved 5-0 win.
Presdales played some good football and worked well as a team on a tight and slippery pitch. Overall a strong team performance. Well done girls!
Coaches PotM was Francesca.
Please see more student achievements in non-school sporting activities on our PE Facebook page. We have recently had student successes in swimming and hockey!
U13s
Congratulations to our U13s Football Team who won 8-0 last week in a dominant display against Edwinstree in the County Cup.
This was an impressive all-round performance of skill, speed, power and energy from start to finish. The girls led 4-0 at half time and added a further 4 goals in the second half without reply.
Lots of fantastic performances across the pitch with Amy C voted PoM by Edwinstree. Coaches Player is shared between Lily F and Scarlett F. Well done to all the girls!
U15s
Our U15s prevailed in a tight contest against a strong East Barnet team in the National Cup on Tuesday, winning 3-1.
This was a tough and evenly contested match which brought out the best in our girls who raised their level against quality opposition.
We led 1-0 at half time after a slick move and well taken goal by Karina P. Our lead was preserved with Ruby U making an outstanding save from a free kick just before half time.
East Barnet always carried a threat and equalised within minutes of the second half starting. However, this seemed to galvanize the girls and they enjoyed a good spell creating a number of chances. Keira G intercepted a pass across the area and executed a beautiful finish into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.
The game ebbed and flowed from end to end but then an exquisite pass from Aleks I broke the lines and Flo W remained calm to run through on goal and finish clinically to make it 3-1. This gave us a cushion with less than 5 minutes remaining. The girls managed to see the game out for a deserved win overall.
Aleks I was voted PoM from East Barnet for an outstanding performance. Coaches PotM is difficult with many fantastic performances but Ava M just edges it for a commanding all action midfield performance in both defence and attack. Really proud of all the girls. Well done to all of you!
The girls now face their third consecutive away tie travelling to Richmond in the 4th round. Looking forward to it girls!
U14s
Well done to the U14 netball team who played an incredibly tense county league game against an excellent St Ed’s team on Monday.
The game was tight throughout, goal for goal and despite being down by 2 goals at the end of the third quarter, Presdales dug deep and came back strong to secure the win 27-25.
OPOM was Liv McCarthy and CPOM was Tami Ojo and Amelie Martin.
U15s
Congratulations to some of our fabulous U15 netballers who beat Berkhamsted in a County Cup and League double header this week.
Proud and impressed with the focus, effort, versatility, and determination shown by the whole squad.
A game that could have gone either way, but Presdales held strong to the final whistle 31-29.
OPOM was Lottie and CPOM was Sadie.
Please see more student achievements in non-school sporting activities on our PE Facebook page. We have recently had student successes in swimming and netball!
On Tuesday, our GCSE and A Level classes were treated to an inspirational talk from Syd and Lotte who are currently a part of the staff body at Heath Mount School.
They started by giving an overview of their playing journeys and how that has led them to play for their current club Saracens, as well as competing on an International stage.
They shared their experience of the values, attitude and mindset that their club encourages, and how they seek to uphold those values both on and off the pitch.
It was humbling to hear how both players juggle their sporting commitments around their full time jobs. This dedication and resilience revolves around their love of the sport, and the motivation to be the best version of themselves.
Lotte and Syd also made many links to our examination topics by applying practical examples of their training programmes, diet and nutrition, goal setting and ensuring peak performance for matches.
A really incredible insight into the lives of two top class athletes; the highs, the lows and the constant drive to challenge themselves.
Before half term, our Year 7s experienced their first football matches in friendlies against Broxbourne. Both matches were extremely competitive and closely contested. Team 1 lost 3-1 however, the game could have gone either way. Team 2 battled out a 1-1 draw in an even contest. Well done to all the girls involved!
The U12s football team played their first competitive match in the County Cup before half term, winning 5-2 against Dame Alice Owens.
The girls played some lovely football in a strong team performance. Their energy levels, especially out of possession to recover the ball, was particularly impressive. Lots of good performances with Isabelle voted PotM by Dame Alice. Coaches PotM was Amelia M. Well done to all girls!
Netball
Well done to the Year 8 Netball team that recently played at Simon Balle in the next round of the County Cup game. Unfortunately, they were unable to get into their flow and lost the game to a strong SB team – full of club team mates! Star Player was Scarlet for getting every ball and getting lots of interception’s! Well done to everybody!
Our Year 10 netballers had a fantastic game against Simon Balle this week. After a slow start, the girls found their rhythm and finished strong, securing an impressive 18–6 win. OPOM was Scarlett and CPOM was Mia. Well done, girls!
Our senior netballers (with some last min assistance from Year 10s) also had a great game against Simon Balle on Monday. The girls worked tirelessly throughout for a convincing win 38-17. OPOM was Lilianna and CPOM was Chloe. Well done!
U14s & U16s
Massive well done to our U14 and U16 netball teams who took part in the Anne Miles County netball tournament on Saturday 4th October.
The U14 team started strong with a 19-1 win against Sandringham. This was followed by intense games against St Eds winning 9-4 and Berkhamstead winning 8-7. They continued to dominate their pool winning 8-0 against Queenswood and 18-4 against St Mary’s. This meant they topped the group and qualified for the semi-finals. Here they met STAHS where they continued to work hard and won 12-6. This meant that they were through to the final, where they went on to meet St Eds again and maintained their undefeated winning streak with a score of 12-7. This means the U14 netball team are COUNTY CHAMPIONS and have qualified for the regional finals on 7th February!
The U16s had a very good tournament. The team was made up of a mixture of Year 10s and 11s. We started our group games with a strong 14-8 win over Parmiters and a 10-6 win over Dame Alice Owen’s. The girls then really showed their ability with a convincing 20-4 win over STAGS. Our 4th game was a much closer encounter against Chauncey, but the girls showed their determination coming out winners 12-10. We then played Leventhorpe and were back to our best with a good 16-7 win. Our last two games were always going to be the hardest. First up was STAHS. Despite some excellent work all over the court the girls just couldn’t stay close enough and ended up losing 11-6. Our final group game was against Queenswood. The game just didn’t go our way, with the strong wind having a much bigger impact in this game. We finished with an 11-3 loss. This meant that we made it into the Shield Final, but couldn’t progress to the Regional Finals. The girls picked themselves up and dusted themselves off for their semi final against St Edmunds College. It was incredibly close, going to extra time and then golden goal, but we squeezed out a 15-14 win to progress to the final, where we met Leventhorpe again. This was a much closer fame, but the girls battled to the end and won 10-9 to finish as Shield winners and 5th overall.
Well done to all of the girls and thank you for your hard work and commitment over the last few weeks. You did yourselves and Presdales proud!
U15s
This week, the U15s played Broxbourne. A real nail-biter in the first half with the score sitting at 8-7 with Broxbourne matching all of our efforts. In the second half we stepped it up and found our rhythm! With some fantastic passing, solid defence, and sharp shooting, we pulled away to finish the game with an impressive 22–9 victory. Brilliant teamwork!
Year 9
Presdales entered our first ever Aquathalon Race with four talented and enthusiastic Year 8 pupils taking part. The race was held at the Royal Masonic School where the girls completed 350m in the Pool and then straight into a 2.2km cross country race. This was a gruelling challenge and the girls showed amazing grit and determination to finish well in their heat. We await the final results.
Presdales was the only state school competing and it shows once again what a range of talents our pupils have. Not just talent, but also the drive and determination to push through when things get tough.
The girls were exhausted at the finish but rightly proud of their efforts. Well done Scarlett, Lily, Lois and Millie for being such fantastic competitors and also a lovely group of girls!
Accomplished performance from our U15s in the National Football Cup, winning 8-0 against Brampton Manor in a one sided match.
The girls played some lovely football which was pleasing on the eye, however we squandered a lot of chances to only lead 2-0 at half time. In the second half, the girls were more composed in front of goal. When the score got to 8-0, the referee asked us to finish the game 15 minutes early, which we agreed to.
The result made the long journey to Newham in East London (and facing the hazards of London traffic!) worthwhile. Lots of good performances, however Coaches POTM goes to Florence W who scored 5 times and just missed out on a ‘double hat trick’. Well done to all the girls!
Please see more student achievements in non-school sporting activities on our PE Facebook page. We have recently had student successes in horse riding and swimming!
Well done to the U14 netball team who recently competed in the StoneX Cup which was a new exciting opportunity for us!
The girls were one of 9 teams who competed in a round robin tournament against all other teams.
We were thrown straight in with a high intensity first game against Godolphin & Latymer which we won 8-5. We then had a few convincing wins against Mill Hill 1&2, St Margaret’s and Bedford Girls. We were then up against Berkhamsted where the girls worked hard throughout for a 10-5 win. Next were St Eds which was a team full of friends turned into rivals for the 10 minute match. The girls continued to work hard and won 8-3.
Our final game against Queenswood was another convincing win which meant that the girls topped the table and remained undefeated all day and were the only state school in the tournament!!
This now means the U14 netball team will play in the Final for this competition as a curtain raiser to a London Mavericks Super League netball match this season!!
A great tournament which we were grateful to be invited to and exciting things ahead for this team!
Well done to the Year 8 Netball teams who had a friendly against Broxbourne last week. They played some great Netball and we have seen such improvement since seeing them play in Year 7. Both teams won against the Broxbourne teams; the team playing the A Team won 14-12 and B Team won 22-4. Well done all of you!
Congratulations to some of our fabulous senior squad who put in a confident display in the first round of the County Cup on Tuesday. Super shooting, dominant defence and perfect precision from our centre court. We go on to face the winners of Berkhamsted and Dame Alice Owens. Well done team!
Massive well done to the Year 7 Cross country team who completed in the Mob race at Presdales. They ran so well, all putting in 100% effort! The teams are formed by the top 4 runners home, and then positions added together. The lowest score is the winner … so with a 2nd for Amelia, 3rd for Eileen, 4th for Isabelle (who sprinted the final 20m to move up a position!) and 8th place for Isla, we scored 17 points which meant we could not be beaten!
Well done to all of you that ran…. A fantastic first fixture for Presdales!
Well done to the Cross Country runners who ran at Broxbourne this week in the gorgeous sunny weather on a long and difficult course! They all did amazingly well! In the Year 7 team, Amelia came 4th and Eileen came in 5th, in Year 8 and 9 Lily, Amelie, Scarlett and Millie came in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th respectively. In the senior category, Lily came in 3rd with Anna in 7th, Immy 9th and Beth in 13th. Well done again to all runners!!
Great performance from our U14s football team who won 7-1 against Longdean School in the County Cup last Wednesday.
The girls got off to a fast start scoring within the first two minutes. It was constant pressure on the Longdean goal and they added a couple more to lead 3-0 at half time.
The girls continued to dominate in the second half but then got a little warning when Longdean scored against the run of play to make it 3-1. This seemed to focus the girls who upped their intensity levels, adding a further 4 goals to take the tie out of reach.
We scored some beautiful goals against a good Longdean GK. This is encouraging as the U14s move deeper into the competition.
Lots of excellent performances across the pitch in a dominant display. Coaches Player of the Match is a joint award to Savanna and Karina who were excellent throughout. Also, special mention to Francesca with a confident Goalkeeping performance.
Well done to all the girls!
The Year 8s played their first county round match in very windy conditions against STAHS this week. After a 50 minute warm-up (as STAHS were stuck in traffic), the match began and Presdales were a force to be reckoned with… going up by 3 goals in the middle of the first quarter STAHS pulled it back before the quarter was over. Presdales continued to play some great Netball, moving it down the court well. Unfortunately, each quarter STAHS gained an extra goal and they were up 19-16 after the third quarter. The final quarter saw some tired legs and unfortunately STAHS managed to turn over a couple of centres leaving the end result as 27-19. Some amazing Netball from all the girls. Well done, you should be very proud!
The girls played St Margaret’s and it was a comfortable win. St Margaret’s are quite new to football and should take enormous credit for their resilience and good spirits despite facing a heavy defeat.
Tougher tests will follow but for now, onward to the next round! Well done to all the girls who played.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended our Sports Awards evening — one of our favourite events of the year! It’s always a privilege to come together and celebrate the incredible sporting achievements of our students across a wide range of disciplines.
Congratulations to all of our nominees and award winners — your hard work, dedication, and talent have truly shone this year. A special mention also goes to our fantastic Sports Leaders, who received their well-deserved certificates in recognition of their contribution and commitment.
We are already looking forward to another exciting year of sporting success at Presdales starting in September!
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Friday 27th
Term Ends, 12.45pm
Contact Us
Presdales School
Hoe Lane
Ware
Hertfordshire
SG12 9NX
Tel: 01920 462210
admin@presdales.herts.sch.uk
Headteacher:
Mr Warren
