Beachborough Newsletter: Friday 28th November 2025
Head’s Blog
“The Web does not just connect machines, it connects people.” — Tim Berners-Lee
In an age where the internet plays such a central role in our children’s education, friendships, and entertainment, Tim Berners-Lee’s reminder feels more relevant than ever. The online world offers extraordinary opportunities, but it also requires young people to learn how to navigate it wisely and safely.
This week, we were delighted to welcome Georgia Bell from the charity Childnet, who delivered sessions to Forms III to VIII and later to parents, on the many aspects of staying safe online. Her talks were rich, engaging, and firmly grounded in the realities of how young people use technology today.
Across the sessions, Georgia explored digital wellbeing and the value of developing healthy online habits, as well as the importance of using social media responsibly in order to protect personal information and maintain respectful interactions. She also discussed how children use platforms such as YouTube, highlighting the need to recognise age-appropriate content and to be alert to potential risks. The sessions further examined the dangers associated with chat rooms, where anonymity can lead to unsafe interactions, and the growing trend of online challenges that may appear harmless but often encourage risky behaviour. Georgia also tackled the issue of cyberbullying, explaining how to identify it, how to respond, and importantly how to report concerns effectively. Finally, she addressed safe gaming practices, including managing screen time, choosing appropriate platforms, and protecting personal identity.
I had the pleasure of sitting in on the Form V and VI session and was incredibly proud of our Beachborough children. They demonstrated excellent knowledge of online safety, answered questions thoughtfully, and approached the scenarios with maturity and confidence. Their engagement reflected the strong digital education already embedded here at school.
Each session concluded with a set of practical, memorable tips to help children stay safe online, guidance that they can put into practice straight away.
We were also delighted that Georgia offered a parents’ talk in the evening. Thank you to those who were able to join us. The session provided a frank insight into the challenges children face online, alongside reassurance and helpful strategies for supporting them at home.
For anyone who could not attend, Childnet have shared a pre-recorded version of the talk, which you are welcome to watch here: https://vimeo.com/1114257225/fbdffbb802. This link will remain active for two weeks.
I encourage you to continue these conversations at home, helping children to remain aware, confident, and empowered as they navigate the digital world. Together, we can ensure that they enjoy all the opportunities the internet offers while staying safe, secure, and well-informed.
To end the week on a festive note, Christmas arrives at Beachborough tomorrow with the Christmas Bazaar and with only 26 sleeps until Christmas, excitement is definitely building! My wholehearted thanks go to Michelle Hall and Sam Coultate for their many hours of work behind the scenes, and to all the staff and parental volunteers who help make this event so special. I will be in the Café if you’d like to come and say hello over a cup of tea.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Simone
We’re excited to welcome back Ultimate Activity Camps in 2026, giving children the chance to try something new, grow in confidence, and make lasting friendships! Each week is bursting with over 40 exciting sports, games, and creative activities, all run in a safe and fun environment.
A huge congratulations to the following children, who have been awarded scholarships to Stowe!
There was Beachborough representation at the Oxfordshire and North Buckinghamshire County Swimming pathway camp on 15th November. Archie T (Banbury Swimming Club) and Eva P (Maxwell Swimming Club), both county swimmers, have been selected to attend the county development pathway. They had four hours of swim coaching as well as land training and team building. It was a great opportunity to develop their swimming with different coaches and swimmers from fourteen other clubs. Well done, you did Beachborough proud.
We’re thrilled to share that the following children have been selected to represent their district and England at the Gothia Cup in Sweden, in July 2026.
