Dear Parents and Carers,

This week, we celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week with the theme “Action,” and the children truly embraced it. To show our support and raise awareness, children and staff wore green on Monday. Pupils also took part in outdoor movement activities, promoting real-life connections and the positive impact of movement on mental well-being. They created supportive postcards for one another, spreading kindness and encouragement across the school. This has been particularly helpful for our Year 6 pupils during SATs week, as they supported each other with encouragement. The feedback has been wonderful, with many children feeling more supported by their peers. We have noticed a very cheerful and positive atmosphere around school this week.

Year 6 sat their SATs this week, and they did an amazing job. We are so proud of them. They approached the tests with confidence and positivity and they worked incredibly hard. Well done, Year 6. We made sure they also know that they are so much more than an SAT’s result. I am really excited to see Year 6 enjoying their last weeks at Betty Layward. We will ensure they have the best time.

This week in Opal, the children thoroughly enjoyed den-building and construction on the playground, working together to create imaginative structures from a variety of materials. They demonstrated excellent teamwork and problem-solving skills as they planned, built, and adapted their dens. The children also enjoyed recreating Curling, a winter Olympic sport.

On Wednesday, Year 2 went on a wonderful trip to the Garden Classroom. They discussed how plants grow and what they need to stay healthy, then explored the gardens by observing, smelling and tasting different plants, and by drawing pictures of them. After this, they dug up some weeds to examine the roots under a magnifying glass and they created an oversized plant using different vegetables as the roots, stem, leaves and flowers. Lastly, they planted their own peas to take home. Despite the weather, the children took part in the activities with enthusiasm and were commended by the Garden Classroom staff for their scientific knowledge and great behaviour. 

Year 4 had a fantastic time taking part in a science workshop all about sound and how it travels. Throughout the session, the children explored a variety of hands-on activities to help them understand how sounds are made, how vibrations work and how sound waves travel through different materials. The children showed great enthusiasm, curiosity and teamwork throughout the workshop. We are very proud of their participation and scientific thinking.

Thanks to those of you who are running the Hackney Half this weekend, and to those taking their children along to run too. We are very grateful for your support and for helping raise money for the school. Good luck. We know you will be amazing.

We look forward to seeing you at Blastonbury on Tuesday at 2pm. We hope the weather is kind to us. I know it is not always easy to see, but I know the children’s singing will make up for it.

We were lucky to have 3 new additions to Betty Layward this week, as the Nursery children watched 3 ducklings hatch from their eggs. They are very lovely.

There is no school next Friday, as it is an Inset Day. This will be the last newsletter of this term. We are really looking forward to next term, and hopefully the sun will shine.

Have a lovely weekend,

Jessica

Headteacher