Dear Parents and Carers,

We have had an excellent start to Black History Month, with the school alive with colour, music, and excitement as pupils participated in a lively carnival celebration and steel pan workshop. The children wore handmade masks and costumes, dancing to the infectious rhythms of carnival and engaging in an interactive steel pan session. Some children were eager to try playing the steel pans themselves, experimenting with rhythm and melody. The experience brought the spirit of the Caribbean to life and offered pupils a hands-on opportunity to explore music, movement, and multicultural celebration in a joyful and memorable way. We also had a visit from Chris Alvis, a parent from the school, who spoke to the children about his career in music and film. He inspired the children by talking about doing something you love, rather than just doing it for the money. He emphasised the importance of being determined and not giving up on what you truly want to do.

We are hosting a Black History event at 3:30pm on Wednesday, 22nd October. There will be a local author, Annie Campbell, who has written a story called Made in Magic. Annie Campbell is a writer, actress, and founder of Made of Magic Books - an independent publishing company dedicated to creating joyful, affirming stories that centre on Black and Brown children. Her debut book, Made of Magic, was born from a tender moment with her son Bo, who, at just three years old, expressed a wish to be lighter. That moment sparked a mission: to tell stories that reflect the brilliance, beauty, and boundless potential of children of colour. Today, Bo is a proud and passionate Black boy who embraces his features, his culture, and his roots. He celebrates his uniqueness on most days of the week and inspires Annie every day. Through her books and creative work, Annie hopes to empower children to love themselves deeply, dream without limits, and recognise the magic within. When she’s not writing, she’s acting, developing children’s and self-help media, and sharing giggles with her greatest muse — Bo. Annie will be reading the story during the event and can answer any questions about her career. We are really excited that she is joining us. She will also be selling copies of her book. At the event, there will also be singing, delicious food and more. We really hope you will join us.

This week, the reception children enjoyed an exciting trip around the local area, taking part in a charming art walk designed to spark creativity and curiosity. As they wandered through nearby streets, the children eagerly explored a variety of outdoor art installations, murals, and sculptures created by local artists. The walk encouraged the children to observe their environment more closely and discuss what they saw to support their learning back at school.  

To mark World Space Week, children across the school explored the question 'Which rocket flies the furthest?' Through hands-on experiments, they worked scientifically to make predictions, test ideas and record results. Pupils were also inspired by real scientists in the classroom to spark curiosity and wonder about our universe.

On Wednesday, 8th October, a group of children represented Betty Layward in a boys' football tournament at Mabley Green. The first set of matches was the group stage, with victories over Mandeville, Lauriston, and Olive School, which allowed us to progress to the quarter-finals. The draw for the quarter-finals paired us against Gayhurst School. After going 1-0 down within two minutes, we scored an equaliser with thirty seconds remaining, following a defence-splitting pass to the attackers, which found the net, leading to a penalty shoot-out. We won the penalty shoot-out 3-2 and advanced to the semi-finals against Hackney New School, who won 2-0.

Well done to all the children who participated. We are proud of you all.

Year 6 Chilli impressed the school community with their engaging and informative assembly about the history of the Mayans. The highlight was a lively quiz show, where pupils acted as quizmasters and contestants, testing the audience’s knowledge with fun and challenging questions about Mayan culture, inventions, and beliefs. Their clear explanations and well-researched facts showed a deep understanding of the topic. It was also great fun to include a teacher and a parent in the quiz. Thank you for taking part. Well done, Chilli class. You were confident and brilliant.

Today, we held Family Friday in Reception. This half term, Reception has been exploring a new topic called 'Stoke Newington and my community'. After discovering our local area on their first trip, they have been reflecting on their journeys to school each morning. Today, they made some maps illustrating their journeys to Betty Layward. Thank you to everyone who attended. It’s wonderful to have you here.

Your teacher will have a sign-up sheet for Grandparent Week next week. It would be lovely to see some Grandparents here. They can tell the children something that interests them or read them a story. Please sign them up if you can. Grandparent Week is the week beginning 20th October.

Have a lovely weekend,

Jessica

Headteacher