Jessica's Newsletters

Newsletter Friday 19th December 2025

Fri 19 Dec 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

We have reached the end of another term, and it has been a wonderful one. The Year 2 and Key Stage 2 children were fantastic during our Christmas performance on Tuesday. The children sang confidently and with smiles. The songs were not easy and they did exceptionally well. The children playing instruments, reciting poems, and hosting were also outstanding. Well done to all the children, and thank you for attending and for your support, especially those of you who stayed until the end. Your presence truly means a lot to the children.

The children enjoyed parties this week and had a special guest who gave each child a gift. They had a great time, and it was lovely to see their smiles.

We sadly say farewell to two teaching assistants, Oli and Maddison. Oli is pursuing a course in child mental health practice, which is fantastic, and Maddison is moving back to Canada. We thank them for their hard work and we will greatly miss them. We are pleased to welcome a new Year 5 teaching assistant, Admira. We are still looking for a new teaching assistant for Year 3. I am sure you will join me in thanking all our staff who work incredibly hard to give the children the best possible opportunities.

I want to thank you for being such wonderful families. We are very fortunate to have such kind and supportive parents and carers at Betty Layward. Thank you for your ongoing support and kindness.

I hope you have a very lovely holiday.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Happy Hanukkah.

See you in 2026 (on Tuesday, 6^th January)

Jessica

Headteacher

Newsletter - Friday December 12th 2025

Fri 12 Dec 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

We hope you have had a good week. We thoroughly enjoyed the Year 1 and Reception nativity performances this week. The children were outstanding, singing and speaking with great confidence. I was very impressed. We are extremely proud of the children and they should be proud of themselves. They were truly amazing. The Nursery delivered a fantastic performance today, and it was lovely to see them singing with big smiles. They delighted everyone with their joyful Christmas singing this morning, filling the room with festive cheer. Their bright smiles, confident voices, and heartfelt enthusiasm made the performance a truly special moment for everyone. Thank you to our parents and carers for coming.

All the children enjoyed their Christmas lunch today, and their hats looked amazing. It’s wonderful to see the children having such a fantastic time.

Our Year 2 to Year 6 performance will take place at St Matthias Church on Tuesday at 10:15am. We look forward to seeing you there.

The Betty Layward Chess team performed exceptionally well at a chess tournament last week, finishing 2nd out of 12 schools. It was a brilliant performance and the whole school is very proud of them. Huge congratulations to the team. Well done to Sacha, Gene, Jacob, George, Al, Henry, Lorcan, Kevin, Cyrus and Lucas.

The Winter Fair was a great success on Saturday, and it was fantastic to see so many of you there. A big thank you to the organisers, volunteers, and everyone who donated. These events truly make a difference for the school, and it was a very memorable occasion.

The classes have been entertaining the children with Elf on the Shelf, and I have attached some photos for you to enjoy. The children love coming into school in the morning to see what the elf has been up to.

We have added a new area to our Opal Play. The children are full of excitement as they zoom around the playground on scooters. They have built imaginary tracks, take turns, cheer each other on, and find new ways to play together. We are currently asking for donations to restock our Opal resources. Donation crates are at the front of the school. We would especially appreciate wellies and waterproofs.

Our road safety officers are on site in the mornings to keep the entrance clear and ensure no one is using their mobile phones. They do an excellent job and are really helping. Please listen to them if they ask you to move. We need to keep the entrance free of obstruction. I appreciate your support with this.

We will finish on Friday at 1pm, and there will be no after-school club. Please collect your children at 1pm and please do not be late.

Have a lovely weekend,

Jessica

Headteacher

Newsletter Friday 5th December 2025

Fri 05 Dec 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

We hope you had a good week. Thanks to those of you who attended or helped at the Quiz night. The organisation and time invested in it are incredible and it was a fantastic evening. Thank you to the organisers and the hosts of the quiz rounds. It is always a great night and the bonus is that it also raises money for the school.

We look forward to seeing you at the Winter Fair tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who has offered to help. We couldn’t do this without volunteers, and it raises a significant amount of money for the school, which is much needed as budgets become tighter. There are some fantastic raffle prizes, so please buy some tickets through this link https://app.galabid.com/bettylaywardraffle/items and share it with your family and friends. Thank you also for all the donations. We look forward to seeing you at the fair tomorrow.

Year 5 enjoyed an exciting orienteering trip to Hampstead Heath this week, where they applied their geography map skills to navigate the area. Despite the weather not being in their favour, they demonstrated remarkable resilience and teamwork, making the most of the adventure and turning it into a memorable learning experience.

On Tuesday, a group of Year 5 and 6 children participated in the Hackney Schools Cross Country League at Hackney Downs Park. It was a cold, crisp day, ideal for a cross-country race. The boys went first and performed really well, with Otto finishing in the top 20 and Devon in the top 30. The girls went next, and despite a slow start, Mia W and Aurora finished in the top 10. What a tremendous effort from everyone. We look forward to more success in the new year.

Year 2 had a wonderful visit to the Museum of the Home, exploring various rooms from the past, present, and future. Afterwards, they made collages of their own homes, choosing pictures and creating drawings that represented them. The children received praise from the museum staff for their excellent behaviour and were told they were the best-behaved school ever to visit.

Poppy, in Year 3, held her own table-top sale for charity last Sunday. It was a bright, sunny day, and she set up a table outside her house with home and children’s items for sale, along with some cakes. She decided to raise money for North London Action for the Homeless. Poppy made posters, gathered customers, and ran the stall with her Mum. It was a lovely experience, and the neighbours were very generous. A delivery driver even pulled up and gave cash. Poppy is amazing and raised £215, which they plan to take to NLAH. Well done, Poppy.

Our Christmas events are coming up very soon. I hope you have marked them in your diary. Please refrain from bringing food or hot drinks into the hall or church during these performances. For the Reception and Year 1 Nativity, only three adults per family are permitted. You have received tickets for your year group's performance today.

Next Friday is Christmas Jumper Day, so your child can wear a Christmas jumper if they wish, and non-school uniform. It is also our Christmas lunch that day. Here is the menu.

Christmas Menu 2025

Roast Turkey & Gravy (halal)

Chipolatas (pork free)

or

Cheese & Veggie Puff Pastry Slice (gl, milk)

Roast Potatoes & Mixed Vegetables

Cranberry Sauce, Sage Stuffing (gl, egg)

Wholemeal Dark Chocolate Brownies & Ice Cream (gl, milk, egg)

or

Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream

Please remember to book your child into Premier next week, as there are only clubs on Thursday. We cannot book them into Premier ourselves. We have also noticed some parents and carers arriving very late for pick-up. We do not always have staff available to look after children at this time and parents and carers being late can cause the child to become upset and worried. Please ensure you arrive on time for pickup. Thank you.

Have a lovely weekend,

Jessica

Headteacher