This week, forty-six children from St. Andrew's, spanning Year 3 to Year 6, participated in a cross country event at Witham Rugby Club. Our Year 3 and 4 children completed a distance of 1,000 metres, while the Year 5 and 6 pupils ran a challenging distance of 1,500 metres.

Despite some initial nerves, I am proud to report that each child exhibited remarkable determination and sportsmanship throughout the competition. Their enthusiasm and support for one another, as well as for children from other schools, were commendable.

I am delighted to announce that our Year 3 girls’ team and Year 4, 5 and 6 boys' and girls' teams successfully progressed to level 2 of the competition, which will take place at Braintree Recreation Ground on Tuesday, 11th March. This is a fantastic achievement for our school, and we are looking forward to seeing how our teams perform at the next level. (Watch out for a parent mail regarding plans!)

Furthermore, I would like to extend my congratulations to the following pupils who finished in the top four (out of all schools taking part) of their respective categories: Everly L (Yr3) Hazel S (Yr4), Remi W (Yr 6), Henry F (Yr6) Sienna (Yr 6) and Eleanor E (Yr6). Their hard work and dedication are truly commendable, and we are incredibly proud of their achievements.

It was also heartening to see an ex-pupil, Jake C, (brother of Luke) who now attends Maltings Academy, lending a helping hand to our children as they navigated the course. This exemplifies the community spirit we foster at St. Andrew's. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the parents who supported us by transporting the children to the event and showing such enthusiastic encouragement on the day.