On Tuesday 28th April, Townsend kicked off their County League season with a trip to Westminster Lodge in St Albans.

As we were the host school of this event, we could give more students the opportunity to represent the school across Year 7 to 10. Townsend had 48 very keen representatives at the event across all year groups.

All students have been focusing on Athletics in their core PE lessons this half-term, giving them time to practice for these county league fixtures, with some attending after-school and lunch time clubs.

Stand out performances:

U14 Boys:

John P – 1st in Javelin (25.19m)

Xavion C – 2nd in Hurdles (15.02s)

Kyron H – 2nd in Shot Put (7.94m)

U14 Girls:

Sienna E – 2nd in 100m (13.75s)

Ava R-H – 2nd in High Jump (1.28m)

Ava R-H – 2nd in 200m (31.87s)

Ruby W – 2nd in Shot Put (7.59m)

Relay team – 2nd (1m1s)

U16 Boys:

Ellis M-B – 1st in 800m (2m19s)

Relay Team – 2nd ( 50.3s)

Callum W – 2nd in Long Jump (4.64m)

U16 Girls:

Cerys W-K – 1st in 100m (13.41s)

Praise U – 2nd 300m

All students represented the school fantastically and we look forward to seeing how they do at the remaining 5 county league fixtures.

A big thank you for all of the staff who came and supported the event; Miss Gibbons, Mr Dawson, Mr Hill, Mrs Hill, Mrs Johnson, Teacher Mac, Mrs Sibley, Mr Armstrong and Miss Stanely as well as the PE Department.

A reminder that Athletics club is on a Monday after-school – speak to a member of the PE Department if you are interested.

Next County League fixture: Tuesday 5th May 2026 at Westminster Lodge, St Albans. Keep an eye out for team sheets.

Miss M Jones
Head of PE

Please see the below information about the upcoming Year 10 trial exams.

From the 5th May- 8th May.

Townsend School was delighted to host and lead this year’s ALPS Conference 2026, the culmination of months of planning and collaboration.

The event brought together over 250 Year 12 students from across the Alban Learning Partnership schools, including Marlborough, STAGs, Loreto, Nicholas Breaskspear and Samuel Ryder Academy.

Our outgoing Student Leadership Team acted as hosts for the day, with sessions delivered by student leaders from across the consortium. The conference theme, “Escaping Reality”, focused on mobile phone use and its impact on young people. This was supported by an engaging keynote speech from Dr Cheryl Greyson, who explored the role of mobile phones in industries such as marketing.

Students took part in thoughtful and thought‑provoking discussions around issues such as fake news, catfishing, and recognising when it is important to put the mobile phone down. It was an impactful day that encouraged reflection and awareness.

Well done to all Year 12 students, who were excellent ambassadors for the school, and a special thank you to our outgoing leadership team Daniella, Ingrit, Shammy and Jocelyn for their leadership and dedication throughout the day.

Mr M Tominey
Head of Sixth Form 

Please see the below information about the James Marshall Foundation and the type of grants that they are able to offer for financial support.

‘We are delighted to share our brand new animated video which explains what we do, the types of grants we offer and how young people in our community can apply for our financial support. Please take a look to find out more about how we may be able to help.

Please note that we are only able to help students who live within our charity catchment area (Harpenden, Wheathamptead, Kimpton, Redbourn, Markyate and Flamstead).’

https://jamesmarshallfoundation.co.uk/

Our annual talent show will be taking place in July.

Auditions for acts that wish to be involved will be on Tuesday 5^th and Thursday 7^th of May in the Drama Studio from 1:20pm-1:50pm. Students wishing to sign up for an audition will need to see Mrs Coates next week in the Drama Studio during the following morning break times: Monday 27th, Tuesday 28th, Wednesday 29th April. All acts welcome, come and share your talents and skills!