Jessica's Newsletters

Newsletter Friday 27th July 2025

Thu 26 Jun 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you have had a good week. We certainly have and Year 6 definitely enjoyed their time away in France. They visited many wonderful places, including a goat farm, the beach, and Thiepval Memorial, among others and also took part in activities such as a campfire and volleyball. We look forward to hearing all about it. A huge thank you to the staff who accompanied them on the trip and made it all possible.

To celebrate the start of Hispanic Week, we enjoyed music from the Mariachi band. It was a delight to arrive at school and listen to music from Mexican and Spanish cultures. The band visited all classes to share their wonderful music, and the children thoroughly enjoyed it, as did the adults. It was a perfect way to start a Monday morning.

Janie, the owner of Refugee Community Kitchen, gave a presentation about her work supporting refugees and the homeless outreach programmes across London during assembly on Monday. We learned about volunteering, support for refugees, and how we can help. Our Year 4 children had been working on a canvas that displayed their favourite dishes. Year 4 presented the canvas to Janie, who plans to display it in the kitchen to spread joy through the love of food. As a school, we reflected on the contributions we can make to help create a better world.

We will be holding our annual Sports Day in Clissold Park on Friday, 4th July.
Sports Day 1 – Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will be from 10:00 to 11:30 am

Sports Day 2 – Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be from 1:30 to 3:00 pm

Please ensure your child has a PE kit, including a Team Betty t-shirt, trainers, a labelled water bottle, and a hat or long-sleeved top if necessary. Please also ensure they have sunscreen applied, as it could be hot. You are welcome to attend and meet us in the park to support Betty Layward Primary School's Sports Day. We would love to see you there.

Please remember the Summer Fair on 5th July. We have a non-school uniform day on Thursday in exchange for a donation of alcohol, toiletries, or new/nearly new toys. We genuinely appreciate any donations. The Summer Fair promises to be lots of fun, but to make it happen, we need plenty of help on Friday to set up and on Saturday to run stalls and clear away. Any assistance makes a significant difference. Also, please remember to send the QR code for the raffle to friends and family. We appreciate all your help, time, and support, and a big thank you to the organisers.

Charan and Brenda were celebrated this week as they have worked for Hackney and the school for 25 years. We are lucky to have them and I am pleased their hard work has been recognised. Well done, Brenda and Charan.

We will be holding Parents and Carers Week from Monday, 14th July. This is a great opportunity for you to join your child and their class. The children will also be demonstrating OPAL during this time. We look forward to seeing you then.

Parents and Carers Week Timetable:

Monday 14th July -
9:45-10:30 - Saffron

10. 10:45-11:30 - Buttercup

2:15-3:00 - Violet

Tuesday 15th July -
9:45-10:30 - Apricot

10. 10:45-11:30 - Peach

2. 2:15-3:00 - Emerald

Wednesday 16th July -
9:45-10:30 - Ocean

10. 10:45-11:30 - Aqua

2. 2:15-3:00 - Cerise

Thursday 17th July -
9:45-10:30 - Nursery

10. 10:45-11:30 - Fuchsia

2:15-3:00 - Jade

Friday 18th July -
9:45-10:30 - Ruby

10. 10:45-11:30 - Chilli

2:15-3:00 - Lavender

Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the sunshine.
Jessica
Headteacher

Jessica Bailey

Headteacher
The Betty Layward Primary School

Newsletter Friday 20th June 2025

Fri 20 Jun 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

What a hot week it has been. The children have been brilliant at staying in the shade, wearing hats, and drinking plenty of water. It looks like the warm weather will continue, so please ensure your child has sunscreen on.

On Monday, during our music assembly, we were very fortunate to enjoy a musical performance by Daniel and Tommi, who played traditional Chinese instruments. The instruments are called Erhu and Yangqin. They performed three pieces: Butterfly Lovers, Golden Snake Dance, and General's Mandate. The children are very talented musicians, and it was a delight to hear them. Well done, Daniel and Tommi and a big thank you to their parents for their support.

Buttercup delivered an exciting assembly about Anansi the spider and his adventures. Buttercup class were confident and spoke with enthusiasm. Well done, Buttercup class.

Ocean class performed a wonderful assembly about food and its origins. This was their first assembly and they were brilliant. They spoke with confidence and sang beautifully. Well done, Ocean class.

On Wednesday, Year 1 enjoyed a magical day at the Discover Children’s Centre, where they participated in an engaging storytelling workshop based on the story of Billy and the Beast. The interactive session brought the story to life, inspiring the children to use their imaginations as they explored Billy’s world and her furry companion. The children were captivated by the storytelling and the creative activities that enhanced their understanding of the characters and plot. They also explored a specially themed Billy and the Beast circus area, filled with fun and engaging experiences. It was wonderful to see how inspired the children were by the story, and they behaved beautifully throughout the visit. Well done, Year 1.

On Thursday, Year 5 participated in an illustration workshop organised and led by author and illustrator Laura Carlin, who has been commissioned to create sculptures for the Quentin Blake Centre at its new location in New River Head, Islington. The centre is expected to be completed in 2026 and will showcase everything related to illustration, including galleries, workshops, and a café. Part of its design features a beautiful garden with an outdoor seating area, which includes a large horse sculpture. The horse reflects the site's history as a Water Company where horsepower was once utilised. The sculpture aims to represent the local area, the schools, and the children who are part of it. The children were asked to write about the borough where they live—favourite places, trees, cafés... how they get to school, what makes their community special, and what could be improved. They then sketched, wrote, and drew their ideas. Laura Carlin collected all of these, which will be incorporated into the horse sculpture that will be a highlight of the Quentin Blake Centre’s gardens. The children enjoyed the workshop and look forward to seeing their illustrations when the centre opens in 2026.

Nursery had a lovely family event today and please see the attached photos as they show what a great time they had.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch today to celebrate Windrush Day. The menu featured chicken or vegetarian Jamaican patties, rice and peas, grilled plantain, and coleslaw. For dessert, they had Jamaican banana bread or tropical fruit salad.

Next week, we will celebrate Hispanic Week. On Thursday, the children will enjoy grilled chicken or black bean and cheese tacos, served with rice, sweetcorn, salsa, guacamole, and chipotle cream. They will have pineapple upside-down cake or vegan coconut ice cream for pudding.

Our Summer Fair takes place on Saturday, 5th July, and we will need volunteers for stalls, tidying up, and clearing away. We are really looking forward to seeing you there. Please sign up; any help is greatly appreciated. We also have an exciting raffle with tickets available online. Please purchase tickets and encourage family and friends to do the same. The raffle proceeds significantly support our funds, so sharing the link below would be very helpful.

Here’s just a taste of what you could win:

- 1-month Platinum Membership at InstaGym

- £55 cake voucher at Luminary Bakery

- Polarised sunglasses worth £145 from Ollie Quinn

- Screenings at Rio Cinema

- Date night babysitting from Bubble

- Wine tasting at Yield

- Lunch or dinner at some of our favourite local pubs

- Hampers worth over £200

- Personal training sessions worth £255

- 3 days at Simon’s Sports Camp

- 2 tickets plus a book signing for *In Conversation with Asako Yuzuki*

- Haircuts at Mancave, Crops & Bobbers, and free coffee for a week

Link to raffle: https://galabid.com/bettylaywardraffle

More prizes are being added regularly, so please keep buying tickets. Good luck! The draw closes at 3pm on 5th July.

On Thursday, 3rd July, we will have a non-uniform day. Children may wear their own clothes in exchange for donating a bottle of alcohol, toiletries, or new or nearly new toys. All donations are warmly welcomed. Thank you for being so supportive.

Year 6 will be going on a residential trip to France next week, and we hope they have an amazing time.

Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the sunshine,

Jessica

Headteacher

Newsletter Friday 13th June 2025

Fri 13 Jun 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

It is wonderful to see the sun shining and to enjoy some lovely weather. We have had a fantastic week, highlighted by two brilliant assemblies. Aqua Class performed their very first assembly this week, and it was evident that they had worked incredibly hard to master their lines and build their confidence in speaking before an audience. The children were outstanding, and their assembly showcased all the effort they have invested in planting and growing this term, as well as directing and filming their own video. Well done, Aqua Class. Year 5 Saffron Class also delivered an excellent assembly on how we should look after our rivers. Their message was confident, clear, and well-informed regarding how to care for our Earth and improve our world. They spoke with enthusiasm and assurance. Well done, Saffron Class.

We had a lovely Eid celebration this week. Thank you to all the parents and carers who made or donated food; it was incredibly delicious, and we appreciate everyone who came along. It was truly a delightful event.

On Monday, Year 3 and 4 were visited by ACEN (African, Caribbean Education Network). The children participated in a workshop where they explored the contributions of people of colour to the United Kingdom. They discovered that people of colour have long been part of our history and have made substantial contributions. In these workshops, the children learned about some amazing individuals, like Lucius Septimius Severus, who was Roman emperor from 193 to 211 CE, and John Blanke, who was a royal trumpeter in the courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII. The children thoroughly enjoyed the workshops and the opportunity to learn more about these remarkable figures.The staff also received training from ACEN. The facilitators commented on how wonderful our children and staff are, which is always lovely to hear.

This week, we enjoyed construction in the Opal playground, building vehicles and structures while also having quieter moments. The children have been reading in the woodlands and lounging in the tyres. We are also very pleased to have recently received some new dress-up donations, and the children have thoroughly enjoyed wearing these new items. We are always grateful for donations for our playground and would greatly appreciate any pots, pans, colanders, etc., for our water station and mud kitchen, if you are able to assist us. Thank you very much for any contributions you can make.

We have a Parents and Carers afternoon on Thursday, 3rd July. The school will be open from 2pm, and you can come into your child’s classroom where they can share their successes from this year with you. If you cannot visit between 2pm and 3pm, you can come along with your child between 3:30pm and 5:00pm. You do not need to make an appointment; just come along. This is a lovely opportunity for your child to showcase their work as we approach the end of this academic year. Please put this date in your diaries. Sports Day is on 4th July, and the Summer Fair is on 5th July, making it a busy and certainly fun week.

We have our Parents and Carers Week commencing 14th July. This is when you can spend some time with your child in the playground. We usually play rounders or have a different fun activity, but this year we thought it would be nice to do OPAL together so you can see what the playground now has to offer, especially since OPAL has been such a great success. Exact class times will be sent out very soon. We look forward to seeing you there.

Have a lovely weekend, and I hope the sun keeps shining.

Jessica

Headteacher teacher

Newsletter Friday 6th June 2025

Fri 06 Jun 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you had a lovely week. It is wonderful to see everyone back. We have had a fantastic week, and there are a few things from last term I would like to mention, as there wasn’t a newsletter in the last week of term.

Blastonbury was brilliant. We all loved it, and we hope you did too. The children performed exceptionally well, and as the songs were not easy to sing, we were especially impressed. A big thank you to Zoe for her support and to all the staff for their hard work. We hope you enjoyed it. I hope the children are still singing some of the songs at home. We can’t wait for next year.

On the Tuesday before half term, Year 5 Buttercup visited the Natural History Museum, explored worldwide environmental issues, and attempted to solve them using Lego. We also explored coral reefs and created fantastic displays of LEGO solutions. It was great fun, and the whole of Buttercup class learned a lot, by Ryan and Hugo.

During the last week of term, Year 3 Emerald class performed a fantastic assembly on Ancient Greece. Emerald class raced across the world, demonstrating knowledge, supportive partnerships, and confidence. Their performance was a joy to watch, and it was clear they had worked incredibly hard. Well done, Emerald Class.

On Monday, Year 3 were lucky enough to explore the Barbican conservatory as part of our science topic, Plants. We had the venue exclusively for our school and could listen to those who care for the plants and ask lots of questions. We also enjoyed time in the space to be creative and draw what inspired us. We had a great day.

This week, Year 4 visited Gillespie Nature Park. Enjoying the sunny day, the children explored the meadows and learned about sustainability, particularly how to make more environmentally friendly choices in our everyday lives. Along the way, they spotted various animals in their natural habitats. They concluded the trip with a fun and educational scavenger hunt, answering questions about caring for our planet.

Wishing our families a joyful and meaningful Eid. May this Eid mark the beginning of new hopes and beautiful memories. Eid Mubarak to all our families at Betty Layward. We have our Eid event after school on Wednesday in the playground. This is a lovely occasion featuring delicious food. We look forward to seeing you there.

This week, the children in OPAL have been enjoying the water station and bubbles in the playground. Much is planned for OPAL this term, and many new pieces of equipment will be available to the children.

This term, we will not be having a Parents/Carers evening. Instead, we will have an afternoon when you can come with your child and they can share all the work they have done this year. More information will be coming soon. We really want your children to celebrate all their hard work from this year with you.

I cannot believe that this is the last term of the academic year. Where is the time going? This is a busy term, so please keep an eye on the school calendar to ensure you have all the important dates. We are not having a parents' evening this term. Instead, we will invite you in with your child so they can share their work from the whole year with you, as they have done so well. More details about this will follow.

We have Sports Day on Friday, 4^th July. Nursery, Reception, and Key Stage 1 are in the morning, and Key Stage 2 is in the afternoon. This will take place in Clissold Park.

Eid Mubarak and have a lovely weekend,

Jessica

Headteacher