Sandroyd School - Friends of Sandroyd

The Friends of Sandroyd aim to host social events, which involve parents of children at the school as well as the children themselves.

Over the years the Friends have been able to raise several thousands of pounds for projects in particular departments that we feel might enhance the lives of the boys and girls and we have been able to support the designated charity of the term.

The committee consists of a representative from each year group at Sandroyd and The Walled Garden and a few members of staff. Do not hesitate to contact any of the members should you have any ideas for future events - see below for the names and contact details of the Committee

There is a list of the current committee members posted below and on the Friends’ notice board in the school.

Events hosted by the Friends of Sandroyd, such as the Christmas Fair, the Summer Fete and the Quiz have enabled us to support projects and activities within the school, as well as making charitable donations. Here are some of the exciting things we have helped to support recently!

- Bee keeping - suits and kit for the children to learn the fine art of beekeeping

We hope that you will keep supporting our activities - as you can see - it really does make a difference!

The sun shone and children 'zorbed' and bounced on the inflatable strawberry filled with balloons as the barbecues were fired up to replensih them with hot dogs. Candy floss and local ice cream were also on offer, as well as jars of sweets from our jam jar tombola -- this year boasting over 700 jars!! More sedate refreshment was available from the bunting bedecked tea tent -- kindly loaned to us by the Ferguson family.

The Year 8 games were hugely successful with a sporting arena of penalty shoot out, crazy golf, bowl out cricket and the customary stocks. Parents could browse for second hand books or buy kitchen kit, bunting and cushions and beads from the array of stalls in the Walled Garden and face-painted children could try their hand at a range of traditional funfair games. Rosettes were handed to dogs who looked most like their owners or had the waggiest tails and a small, new venture -- a collection of classic cars owned by parents and staff -- adorned the edges of the ha-ha: this looks set to become a tradition!

The atmosphere was relaxed and the money came rolling in -- our bumper fete raised more than ever before -- over £2,000 profit! Not bad for 2 hours of fun! Thank you to everyone who supported us and especially to those who responded to the call to bake and make jams and cakes for the produce stall -- we hope that you will all come again next year!

The Royal Wedding was celebrated at Sandroyd in real style! Flag waving children, bedecked in red, white and blue filled the theatre to watch the ceremony, falling into respectful silence without any prompting from the staff -- who were looking equally patriotic - particularly Mr Harris, in his outlandish costume! Everyone tucked into a delicious barbecue, or a family picnic before filing back in to watch 'The Balcony Kiss on the big screen.' Now the party could really begin!

As Britain celebrated with street parties, so Sandroyd had its very own party in the park -- bunting festooned stalls with traditional games such as 'Push the Penny', 'Hoopla' and 'Guess the (red, white and blue) Lego in the jar' were surrounded by children eager to win sweets. We also tried a few new twists on old favourites -- notably 'Pin the Veil on the Bride' and 'Chairs in the Abbey.' The sun shone and everyone had a smiling face as they trooped back to class, lollies in hand, faces painted and arms tattooed with 'peel off' Union Jacks.

This generation of Sandroyd children will always remember how it celebrated this Royal Wedding on a day infused with patriotic pride and lots of relaxed fun. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would DEFINITELY approve!

The Sandroyd Theatre resounded with the drumming of feet, clapping of hands and swirling of Scottish accordion on Friday night as the Year 8 social with Hanford got into full swing. This year we had a ‘special guest’ caller in Mr Andrew Younger, who, resplendent in tartan trousers, struck just the right tone to make everyone feel relaxed. ‘Strip the Willow’ was so popular they danced it twice! ‘The Dashing White Sergeant’, ‘The 51st’ and ‘The Duke of Perth’ were all polished off with panache, helped with timely prompts from the caller. The most important aspect of the senior socials is having fun and the theatre was buzzing with chat and laughter when we wheeled out ‘Bucks Fizz (orange juice and lemonade) and crisps at ‘half time.’ The end of the evening came all too quickly and after more chat over cooling ice lollies the hosts waved off their guests into the frosty night. Another successful social - thanks to the joie de vivre and enthusiasm of the Year 8’s. – evident in Miss Peat’s photos. Huge thanks too, to Mr and Mrs Younger for giving up their time to put everyone through their paces.

Quiz Night followed hot on the heels of a very successful Race Night this year, but the faithful supporters of Friends' activities were not deterred by the prospect of spending another Friday evening in the school dining hall! They turned out in the wind and rain in record numbers - 15 tables of quiz teams, with highly creative names: 'Simple Minds,' 'Let's Get Quizzical' and 'Gin'll Fix It' to name a few -- names which perhaps reveal a nostalgia for the Eighties - but all ready and willing with pencils sharpened and wine flowing!

Last year's winners (Paxman's Pests) and the 'hard to beat' 'Bursar's Brains' were knocked back by the highly effective 'Legs 11' who walked home with bottles of fizz and a sense of quiet intellectual pride at the end of a very lively evening!

Our thanks, as always, to Quizmaster Supreme, Peter Coulson and to Katie Tucker for making the tables look springlike with potted primroses. A bumper night which raised well over £1300 for the British Heart Foundation and Friends of Sandroyd - a huge 'thank you' to everyone who came and taxed their brains over a February picnic.

‘Bigger, better and shorter’ were the headlines for the third Christmas Fair held just before the November exeat. We had even more stalls; ranging from cashmere and orchids through innovative stocking fillers to ‘make your own bath bomb’ kits! Once again, the theatre was filled with seasonal scents – this time tangerine and cinnamon candles and driftwood ‘Shaker-style’ decorations stole the show. Sandroyd parents did us proud, baking cupcakes, sponges and festive biscuits to fill bountiful tables of produce – perfect for exeat teas and feasts! In barely two hours we made £750 – pretty impressive as the cold wind of austerity blows across Britain. In this corner of Wiltshire, prices were competitive and people were generous with their time and their cash. Huge thanks, as always, to everyone who supported us and a very Happy Christmas to you all from the Friends!

A record number of girls and boys filled the theatre on Friday night for this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll social with St. Mary’s Shaftesbury. Eighty twisting and jiving dancers took to the floor to learn their moves and put together routines to songs from ‘Grease’ and ‘Hairspray.’ Many sported combed and quiffed hairstyles as they bopped to ‘Greased Lightning’ and ‘Born to Hand Jive.’ We broke another record too – never before have we achieved THREE changes of partner.! All the mixing and matching and rockin’ ‘n’ rollin’ required serious refreshment; glasses of Fanta Fruit Twist and Rocket lollies seemed to hit the spot. Our thanks to Clare Camble-Hutchings for leading the evening with such spirit!

This was the first of the Friends’ socials for the Year 8s this year and we are already looking forward to the next one!