This is the place where you will be able to read my weekly newsletters. Thanks for taking the time to read them, Jessica

• Newsletter Friday 26th September 2025

  Fri 26 Sep 2025 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers

   

  Thank you for attending our Meet the Teachers meetings so far. It has been wonderful seeing you there. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Remember to use the knowledge organisers we email to you, which are also available on the website. They really show what your child is learning and the vocabulary we are teaching them. 

   

  On Tuesday, Year 2 went on a fantastic trip to the Woodberry Wetlands and explored the various habitats there. They had the chance to go pond dipping and bug hunting, discovering animals such as newts, toads, leeches, and freshwater shrimp. 

   

  We held a harvest festival assembly this week and are requesting food donations for Hackney Food Bank. A table will be set up outside the front of the office from Monday. Thank you for your support with this. 

   

  A big thank you to all the families who joined us for our Reception Family Morning and for sharing an object that is special and meaningful to you. It was wonderful to see the children so proud and excited to talk about the items you brought in. Your participation helped make the morning engaging, personal, and full of lovely conversations. These moments help children develop important communication skills, a strong sense of identity, and a sense of belonging. We truly value your involvement and look forward to welcoming you again soon.

   

  We celebrated Rosh Hashanah this week with an assembly and a special lunch today. We wish everyone a good and sweet year.

   

  We are really looking forward to our party this afternoon, and we sincerely thank you for supporting our event. Betty Layward has turned 25 and I know there are many more wonderful years ahead. Betty Layward is a very special community and one I feel very fortunate to be part of. It is kind, supportive, and wonderful. We can’t wait to celebrate with families old and new, as well as Betty Layward’s family. We look forward to seeing you there.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

   

  
  
   

   

  

• Newsletter Friday 19th September 2025

  Fri 19 Sep 2025 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We hope you have had a lovely week. We have enjoyed ours. I am so impressed with how the children have settled back into their learning and how they approach it with positivity and enthusiasm. It is so wonderful to see.

   

  We celebrated World Afro Day on Monday this week. We took a moment to emphasise and honour the beauty, diversity, and power of Afro hair. World Afro Day is far more than a celebratory occasion; it’s a global movement recognising the cultural significance and natural splendour of Afro-textured hair, worldwide.

  “World Afro Day is a global day of celebration and liberation for Afro hair and identity, endorsed by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. We work with organisations, companies, authorities and people from all backgrounds to tackle hair discrimination. We produce events, tools and training to empower people with Afro hair and to equip everyone for change”

  –  Michelle De Leon, Founder of World Afro Day.

   

  Please remember, our 25th Birthday party is next Friday in the playground from 4:30pm to 7:30pm. Thank you to those of you who have already bought tickets. There are still some available. We will not be selling tickets at the door, so please make sure you purchase yours this week. The ticket includes food. There will be a bar and dancing, including an outdoor dance floor. Tickets are for our current families and for families who attended Betty Layward in the past. We would love to see everyone there. Thank you to those who have offered to help. We still need a few more helpers. Please join us to celebrate 25 years of our school.

   

  Nursery had a lovely Family Friday today, and it was wonderful to see so many families there. Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Family Friday event. It was a pleasure to welcome you into the nursery and share a glimpse of your child’s learning and daily routines. We loved seeing families participate in activities such as story time, painting, sensory play, construction, and mark making. Thank you for coming.

   

  Please can I remind everyone not to wait by the school entrance in the morning, but to wait across the road instead. The children find it difficult to get in when parents and carers are waiting there. We also ask adults not to bring their bikes into the school and to leave them at the front, as this causes a bottleneck for families trying to enter. Additionally, please walk around and do not come back to the front entrance when you are leaving. Thank you for being so supportive with this.

   

  Have a lovely weekend and don’t forget to buy your tickets,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

• Newsletter Friday 12th September 2025

  Fri 12 Sep 2025 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We have had a wonderful week. It was lovely seeing so many Reception parents and carers at Family Friday today. The children really enjoyed showing you their classrooms. It was heartening to see everyone sharing stories together. We are extremely impressed with how well the children have settled in. They are fantastic. It is also a pleasure to welcome our new Nursery children.

   

  Year 1 had a fantastic tea party today and the children did a brilliant job making sandwiches. We hope you enjoyed it and it was lovely to see so many of you there.

  Thank you to those of you who have already purchased tickets for the Betty Layward 25th Birthday party. Some tickets are still available. The price includes food, while drinks will be sold separately. There will be music and it promises to be a lot of fun. We hope it will be held outside—fingers crossed. If you can help with setting up, tidying, running the bar, or offering other assistance at the event, I would be very grateful. Please email me and let me know.

   

  Congratulations to us; we are now a RRSA Bronze: Rights Committed School. This year, we will be working towards obtaining silver.

   

  Grandparent Week is this term, when we invite grandparents to visit and talk to their grandchild’s class about what school was like for them or share an interest. They could also read a story to the class if they wish. Slots are available during the week beginning 20th October and you can sign grandparents up. More information will follow. We truly enjoy having them there, as they are a vital part of the children’s lives. We look forward to seeing them then.

   

  Please can I remind you to wait across the road in the morning, rather than by the entrance. Children need the space to enter. Please also remind your child not to scoot or cycle on the school premises.

   

  Please remember to use the app Studybugs to let us know if your child is unwell. It works very efficiently for us, so thank you for using it.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

   

  

• Newsletter Friday 5th September 2025

  Fri 05 Sep 2025 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  Welcome back. It is wonderful to see everyone after the summer holidays. The children have settled into their new year groups very well. It has been a fantastic start to the school year. The Reception children have settled in so quickly that we think they have been here for years. Well done, Reception, and we look forward to our new Nursery starters joining us soon.

   

  Thank you for your support regarding the ban on smartphones (hopefully no mobile phones) in school. The children also understood why we are doing this and how important it is to keep them safe.

   

  We are having a very special event on Friday, 26th September, from 4:30 to 6:30pm. Betty Layward turns 25 this year and we will be celebrating on this day. Families who attended here in the past are also welcome, so please help spread the word. If you would like tickets, please use this link to purchase them:

  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/betty-laywards-25th-birthday-party-tickets-1659121008599?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm_source=email&utm_medium=sparkpost&utm_campaign=postpublish

  It promises to be a wonderful event, and we look forward to seeing you there.

   

  We counted our 20p coins last term, and the children raised £2013.92. This is an incredible amount and it is the most it has ever raised. Emerald class won with £261.81, so well done, Emerald class. Other classes were very close. Thank you so much for all your support with this.

   

  One of our children, Gill, had an idea to collect shells, paint them, and sell them as bath bomb holders to raise funds while on holiday. With help from his sister, Elsie, who was his main sales representative, he managed to sell all his stock and raised £50. His dad’s company also donated, bringing the total amount raised to £200. Well done, Gill and Elsie — what an incredible effort and demonstration of kindness.

   

  I know that each class or year group has a WhatsApp group, and it is lovely to hear how they are used to support school events. The purpose of a class WhatsApp group is to enable collective conversations with other parents for sharing information related to the PTFA and school events. Newsletters and the school website can be checked before contacting the class rep. It also helps gather support from parent volunteers for school events. A WhatsApp group should not be used to send personal messages or content, to be derogatory about the school, or to offer biased views of individual parents. Thank you for following these guidelines. We are very grateful for the support you give the school and for all the fundraising you do, as it makes a significant difference.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher