HEADLINES 15th May 2026
By James Saunders
LEARNING AND PROGRESS
Learning and progress. Two words that are often at the heart of any conversation about school and education. They are often topics of discussion during our parent tours of the school. I have been asked many times about learning and progress. What’s learning like at Honywood? Are children making progress?
It can be very hard to see learning and progress in a short space of time which makes it tricky to point people to lucid examples that illustrate my answers. Learning is not always visible in neat little chunks; it is not always tangible. What is visible is the calm and purposeful learning environment and the behaviour for learning that our learners demonstrate and model so well. It is in a climate such as this that learning and progress are able to thrive.
But is it possible to see learning and progress? Is it possible to measure it?
I would like to focus on sport. As a sports fan I love following the progress of my teams and players. As a Tottenham fan that is not much fun currently. Recently we have highlighted many sporting accomplishments of our learners in the community. Here’s what we have heard about in the last week:
C7
Max, Jax, James, Seb, Finley and Ozzy from C7 recently won the Colchester & District youth football league A division, representing Coggeshall Town U12’s
Jenson in C7 and his team secured a double
this season - winning the Division 4 Cup in April, followed by the Division 4 League title in May.
C8
Zac, Eddie and Heath in C8 won the U13’s Colchester League Open Cup last Saturday, representing Tiptree Jobserve U13 reds. They are hoping for a double with another cup final tomorrow.
C9
Annie in C9 has been recognised in the Essex Player Development Programme Awards, receiving the Coach’s Player Award for her outstanding Netball ability as one of only 10 girls in the county playing in this programme.
C10
Henry in C10 completed the Colchester 10km run on Sunday in a time of 48 mins 23 secs!
We love hearing about the sporting accomplishments of our learners.
Sport is an area where progress and learning can be quite visible. I have watched quite a few school team games where the process of coaching has really supported them. We all make mistakes. It is a vital part of the learning process. Sport is no different. It’s fair to say that even when we win, a few mistakes are often made. However, it is through the coaching of our teachers that improvements and gains are made.
What I witness when watching our school teams is tangible visible learning. They learn about each other; about the opposition; about where
to position themselves; about improving their technique, and about how to work as a team. And, through that learning they make excellent progress towards a successful outcome. I am very proud of the accomplishments of our learners both outside of school and within. It is through sport that our learners demonstrate a capacity to learn though evaluating their own performance. In doing so they make excellent progress.
I love this image that I once came across in the LA Times. It accompanied an article documenting the career of LA Lakers basketball star, Kobe Bryant. The image illustrated every shot of his career; over 30,000 of them.
What’s great about it is the message it gives about being great at something. He missed more shots than he scored; this was a key characteristic of his success. Just as we have areas of strength that increase our chances of doing well, so too does Kobe Bryant, as can be seen in the clusters of successful shots and along the centre line. I imagine that through years of practice and trial and error he has learnt where to position himself - just like our learners do on the court or pitch.
As we approach the end of the day, week or term, some things will go well and some will not; each one will help build and shape our development as a learner. How we deal with both will define our long-term success. Playing to our strengths is great. But sticking our neck out and shooting from somewhere new is how we get better.
Learning at Honywood is about so much more than just studying subject content: knowing yourself as a learner; responding to critical feedback; reflecting on your individual performance; working with and learning from others and having a great coach are all things that we aim to provide our learners.
I wish you all a great weekend.
James Saunders
Last weekend Coggeshall Town U12’s won the Colchester & District youth football league, A division. It all went down to the last game of the season, they had to win. They won 8-1 and won the league by 1 point! Honywood players include:
Max Lesiak (captaining the side to the win)
Jax Sears (scored 3)
James Casey (scored 1)
Seb Robinson (scored 1)
Finley Weavers
Ozzy Bishop
Total Games Played 20
Won 16
Lost 2
Drew 2
Scored 78
Conceded 21
Total points 50. Well done to all of the boys who played as part of the Coggeshall team!
Congratulations to Jenson in C7. Jenson and his football team secured a double this season - winning the Division 4 Cup in April, followed by the Division 4 League title in May. Fantastic achievement. Well done Jenson!
Last weekeend, Annie Tosley's efforts in netball were recognised in the Essex Player Development Programme Awards. Last summer, Annie made it through the very competitive trials for the squad of only 10 Year 9 players across the county, which is a brilliant achievement in itself. Throughout the season Annie has worked incredibly hard with her training, made amazing progress in her game play, and has been a valued member of the team. It is lovely to see her hard work and exemplary attitude recognised with her receiving the Coach's Player Award. We are all very proud of you, Annie!
Well done to Henry in C10 who completed the Colchester 10km run last Sunday in a time of 48 mins 23 secs! Well done Henry!
Coggeshall Library are currently promoting a volunteering opportunity open to those age 14+ to help us run the Summer Reading Challenge during the summer holidays.
The volunteers help the children join the scheme, give out stickers, talk to the children about their reading and give out certificates when children have completed the challenge. This is always a fun and enjoyable way to volunteer and is great way to boost your CV. The Library ask volunteers to commit 18 hours over the school holidays which is approximately 3 hours per week, and are always flexible about when people are available.
Learners can apply online at libraries.essex.gov.uk and visit the news site to find out more.
DESIGN A POSTER FOR OUR ‘NO MOW ZONES’
This term, the Climate Action group has organised for some small lawned areas around the school grounds to be left unmown, allowing the grasses and other plants such as clover and daisies to grow and provide a source of nectar for pollinators, as well as seeds for birds such as sparrows and goldfinches.
We’d love our learners to provide some signs that can be laminated and displayed around these areas, highlighting that these are ‘No Mow Zones’ - there’s lots of slogans and inspiration out there and we can’t wait to see your creations!
Please hand or email your A4 or A5 sign to Mrs Zanatta in the School Office or email lzanatta@honywoodschool.com
Dates for the Diary
7th May to 19th June
Thurs 21st May
Fri 22nd May
25th May - 29th May
Mon 1st June
Thurs 4th June
Sun 7th June
Wed 17th June
Wed 17th June
C11 GCSE Exams continue
Belgium pre-trip parent meeting - 6pm
C11 last day celebrations - study leave commences
Half term holidays
All learners return to school
C10 Geography field studies to Walton and Colchester
C8 Belgium trip departs
C10 parents’ evening
District Sports