Year 7 Friendship Afternoon – A Lovely Start to the Hatch End Journey

On Wednesday 11 March, Hatch End High School was delighted to welcome over 110 of our future Year 7 students and their families to our Friendship Afternoon. This was the first chance for students to visit the school since receiving their offer of a place on 2 March, and it was wonderful to see so many excited faces around the site.

Families were warmly greeted by our fantastic student leaders, who helped everyone feel at home straight away. Guests then enjoyed exploring our Enrichment Fair, where they could find out more about the wide range of clubs, activities and opportunities available at Hatch End, before coming together to hear a welcome from our Headteacher, Mrs Jeanes.

Students had a brilliant time taking part in one of six fun and engaging taster lessons in Science, Food, Drama, Design Technology, Maths and Geography. These sessions were hands‑on and creative, with activities such as baking cookies, carrying out science experiments, designing and making keyrings, and tackling practical challenges — giving students a real taste of secondary school life.

While the students were busy in lessons, parents were able to choose from a range of helpful sessions, including student‑led tours of the school and workshops focusing on behaviour and pastoral support, the curriculum, SEND and inclusion, and raising aspirations.

The afternoon was a great success and was thoroughly enjoyed by both students and their families. We loved meeting our new Year 7 cohort and look forward to welcoming them back to Hatch End High School very soon.