Dear Parents and Carers,

We have enjoyed a wonderful week filled with exciting trips and workshops. This week, the children in Year 3 had an incredible time visiting the Pompeii immersive experience at the ExCeL Centre. Using VR headsets, they could walk through a Roman villa and see what it looked like before and after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. In the immersive hall, the children also listened to the story of Pompeii from different viewpoints, which helped bring the history to life. It was a fantastic experience and a valuable learning opportunity for all. The children were excellent ambassadors for our school, representing the school superbly throughout the visit.

On Wednesday, Year 2 enjoyed an engaging Florence Nightingale workshop. They travelled back to the Crimean War of 1854 and imagined they were soldiers preparing for battle. The children then became nurses, assisting Florence Nightingale in cleaning Scutari Hospital to prevent disease from spreading and save British soldiers. Finally, they created a freeze-frame timeline of Florence's life from 1820 to 1910 and learnt a poem about her role in the war.

Year 4 Fuchsia delivered a splendid class assembly on Tuesday, during which children, parents, and carers learned a great deal about rivers. The class spoke clearly and confidently, sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with the audience. A highlight was their passionate debate on the importance of protecting our rivers, which gave everyone plenty to consider. Their original song was a joy to listen to, performed with great confidence and energy. Well done, Fuchsia Class, for such a lively and thoughtful assembly.

As part of our ongoing celebration of World Book Day, we were delighted to welcome Eric Huang, author of the Guardians of the New Moon. Eric delivered an inspiring assembly, sharing his journey to becoming an author and discussing the ideas behind his books. He explained how his stories were influenced by Chinese mythology and his love of fantasy and science fiction growing up. The children were truly inspired by his talk, and some have already begun thinking about their own stories after hearing about Eric’s creative process. Eric kindly signed books for children who purchased copies, making the visit even more special.

On Tuesday, 10th March, a group of Year 5 and Year 6 pupils participated with great enthusiasm and determination in the Hackney primary schools' cross-country competition. The children represented the school brilliantly, demonstrating resilience and teamwork throughout. Special congratulations to Aurora and Illaria, who both achieved impressive top-10 finishes in the girls’ race, an outstanding achievement. We are very proud of all the children who participated and thank them for their effort and positive attitude.

You should have received information about the Parents and Carers’ meetings. Please make sure to book one, as it is a valuable opportunity to learn about your child's progress. If your child is in Years 1 to 6, you will receive their report by email the day before.

Please remember that, if your child is in Years 4 or 5, Tim Fox, the Headteacher of Highbury Girls’ School in Islington, will be coming in to speak to you about the school on Thursday, 19th March at 9am in the school library. This is an opportunity to come and hear all about secondary school, as you will soon need to start thinking about secondary schools for your child.

World Down Syndrome Day is on 21st March and we will be celebrating on Friday,y 20th March at school. Please could all children wear their favourite socks, making them colourful, mismatched, and as interesting as possible. The idea is to celebrate something we all have in common, but that is different. The theme for 2026 is "Together Against Loneliness." Everyone feels lonely sometimes. But for many people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities, loneliness is a more common and painful experience. Thank you for your support with this.

We have our Jumble Sale on Saturday, 21st March, so this weekend might be a good time to have a clear out. Please volunteer if you can, as the event cannot go ahead unless we have enough volunteers. We look forward to seeing you there. Have a lovely weekend.

Jessica

Headteacher