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 30th January 2026

  Fri 30 Jan 2026 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We had a lovely, busy week filled with many trips. On Wednesday, Year 6 participated in the Hackney Junior Citizenship scheme at Forest Road Youth Hub to learn about staying safe and being responsible members of the community. The children gained insights from several organisations, including the Hackney Health and Wellbeing team, who focused on dental hygiene and mental health; Transport for London, which taught safe travel using a Zip Oyster card; the Metropolitan Police, who discussed robbery and knife crime; Hackney Road Safety, which provided lessons on crossing awareness and stopping distances; and the London Fire Brigade, which shared advice on fire safety and escape routes.

   

  Year One enjoyed a fantastic trip to The Ragged School Museum. The children loved dressing up and taking part in a Victorian lesson led by a suitably strict teacher in an authentic Victorian classroom. They were fascinated by the artefacts on display and enjoyed comparing life in the past with the present. It was a brilliant and immersive day of learning.

   

  In Year 2 Apricots assembly this week, they took an exciting trip to Australia, where the children explored famous sights and learned all about amazing Australian animals. As part of their learning, they have enjoyed discovering the Aboriginal Dreamtime story of Tiddalik the Frog, which helped them understand Australian culture and storytelling. Well done, Apricot class.

   

  The Eco Committee began 2026 with a remarkable achievement, successfully launching their first Eco Refill Shop of the year. This initiative supports their aim to reduce waste across the school and the children showed genuine initiative, organisation, and teamwork throughout. A big thank you to everyone who supported them and helped make this event a success. We will have more Eco Refill Shops throughout the remainder of the academic year, so please keep an eye out for dates.

   

  Hackney's Mayor Woodley and Speaker Cllr Patrick invited all children and young people aged 3-18 in Hackney to participate in two art competitions. They were to design the council's festive card or create a T-shirt design for Hackney to wear during the New Year's Day parade, with the theme of celebrating diversity. We were thrilled that Didem in Year 5 won the T-shirt competition and her design was made into a T-shirt worn at the New Year’s Day Parade. We also had some children who were runners-up in both competitions and received Amazon vouchers. We were really impressed with how many children took part. Well done, everyone.

   

  We have received some lovely donations for OPAL. Thank you for them. The children truly enjoy using them.

   

  We really need some spare clothes for children across all year groups. Accidents happen and children can also get wet in the rain. If you have any spare clothes, especially trousers and tracksuit bottoms suitable for all ages, we would appreciate any donations.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

   

   

   

  

• Newsetter Friday 23rd January 2026

  Fri 23 Jan 2026 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  I hope you have had a lovely week. We have had a good week despite all the rain. Year 3 enjoyed a wonderful trip to the Petrie Museum. The children thoroughly enjoyed exploring thousands of fascinating artefacts related to their topic, Ancient Egyptians, and were excited to see real historical objects up close. They participated in a treasure hunt around the museum and carefully examined a range of items, even noting down reference numbers so they could research them further at school. It was a fantastic morning of learning, curiosity, and discovery.  

   

  We’re delighted to share that Betty’s Refillery, our eco-refill pop-up shop, will return next Thursday after school in the playground. To join in, simply bring along empty 500ml plastic bottles and refill your essentials without additional packaging. It’s a small yet meaningful way for everyone to contribute to reusing and reducing waste together.

   

  Please can I remind you to pay for the trips if you are able to, and ensure your Arbor account is up to date. We are still heavily subsidising trips, and if this continues, we will eventually need to reduce the number of trips. We really do not want to do this, so please help us by supporting this.

   

  We are currently introducing children to a new spelling scheme called Active Spelling. Active Spelling is a progressive, research-based approach to spelling that gives pupils a thorough understanding of spelling and vocabulary, which they can then apply in their independent writing. It is a whole-school approach, beginning after the phonics phase and centred around core key skills that help children become lifelong spellers. We support children in understanding spelling by learning about sounds, letter patterns, and how words are formed. They will utilise a variety of spelling strategies to help them apply this knowledge in their writing.

   

  Our aims are:

  • To ensure whole-school progression by teaching spelling rules in a structured manner, revisiting, building upon, and retaining them, and fully embedding them into all our lessons. This provides pupils with opportunities to develop the skills needed for secondary school.
  • To establish a consistent, rigorous approach that facilitates the transition from phonics to spelling.
  • For children to understand and be familiar with the language related to spelling, including morphology, phonology, orthography, and graphology, and to be equipped with a range of spelling strategies to help them apply this knowledge.
  •  

  We are only just beginning to implement this, so it is very new to our children. We will organise a parent workshop soon, so you can become familiar with how this will work with your child and what the teaching of spelling will look like at Betty Layward.  

   

  Unfortunately, there have been some incidents in the park and on local buses involving phone theft. This is one of the reasons we do not allow smartphones at school, and we ask you to discuss with your child the importance of staying safe and being vigilant. We also want to inform you that similar incidents are occurring on buses in the area, so please stay aware. I am sorry to deliver bad news, but I want everyone to be aware of what is happening. These incidents are also occurring during the daytime, so please remind your child to stay safe when walking home alone. Thank you.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

  

• Newsletter Friday 16th January 2026

  Fri 16 Jan 2026 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We hope you've had a good week. Ours has been lovely despite the rain; we've found our own sunshine every day.

   

  This week, the Year 4 classes visited the Young V&A museum in Bethnal Green. The children participated in a workshop where they acted as architects and clients, helping to introduce the concept of user-centred design. They were tasked with creating a design brief for an animal’s home and experimenting with different materials to build a model of their client's shelter. The children also had the opportunity to explore the V&A galleries and learn about how children throughout history have played and how technology is changing young people's leisure activities. Year 4 were exceptionally well-behaved and served as excellent ambassadors for our school. Well done, Year 4.

   

  On Monday, the reading ambassadors attended our first live Hackney Reading Ambassadors meeting at Hackney Town Hall. The children represented the school with confidence and maturity. They shared what they have been doing at Betty Layward Primary to promote reading across the school. They were also given additional ideas on how to excite and encourage their peers to read. They were also visited by the poet Christian Foley, who challenged the children to create their own tongue twisters. 

   

  I have shared our guidance on using school WhatsApp groups. Please ensure these messages are only about PTFA events and how you can support them. If you have any questions regarding the school, please come to me directly. Thank you for your cooperation. Parents and carers have mentioned that sometimes there are too many messages, too many complaints about minor issues, or content unrelated to the PTFA.

   

  We are looking for new volunteers to take on roles within the PTFA. We will need a new secretary and someone to organise online raffles for the fairs. If you are interested in these roles, please let me know. There are some great school benefits associated with these roles and the money raised by the PTFA makes a significant difference to the school. We have a fantastic school community, and I am confident there are many excellent candidates out there. Please email me if you are interested.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

   

   

   

   

   

  

• Newsletter Friday 9th January 2026

  Fri 09 Jan 2026 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  Happy New Year. I hope you had a lovely break. It is wonderful to see everyone back. The children have arrived back with big smiles and very positive attitudes. The children had a great time playing in the snow. 

   

  Please remember to check the school calendar for any dates this term. You can link this to your own calendar, which can be helpful. There are many events to look forward to, including assemblies, parents’ meetings and many other dates which are all listed there.

   

  Please remember not to bring mobile phones into the school when dropping off or collecting your child. Also, remember that Year 5 and 6 students are not allowed to bring smartphones to school. You can sign the pact at https://www.smartphonefreechildhood.org/parent-pact-results?school=england%2F131706, which supports delaying the introduction of smartphones to our children.

   

  Please remind your child to bring a coat to school, as the weather can be cold. Please ensure all items are named, as we often find gloves, scarves, and hats left around the school.

   

  We can only administer prescribed medication that needs to be taken four times a day. We cannot keep unprescribed medicines, creams, or lip balms at school. Please give any prescribed medicines directly to the office, not to your child and avoid leaving them in their bags, due to allergy and safety concerns.

   

  We are now providing birthday treats for the children. To accommodate allergies and keep things straightforward, we no longer accept cakes. We think it’s lovely for children to receive something from us. Thank you for your support with this.

   

  Below is some information about a cricket club in Stoke Newington and a tennis opportunity:

  Come and play cricket at Stoke Newington Cricket Club. We are proud to have revitalised cricket in East London, creating a lively hub on Hackney Marshes. Since 1999, we’ve become one of the most successful junior clubs in the capital. Our mission is to give as many young people as possible the chance to enjoy and play cricket at the highest level they can. Our successful junior teams from Under 8s to Under 17s often win local leagues and compete for County honours. Last summer, two boys and three girls from the club were selected for Middlesex County Squads, and one of our former juniors made her first-class debut for the Middlesex Women’s team. Our team of professional coaches runs weekly training sessions year-round for children aged 5 to 17. Indoor training begins on the weekend of 9/10/11 January at four venues in Hackney: Bridge Academy, Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy, Britannia Leisure Centre, and COLA Shoreditch Park. All dates and times are listed at:

  https://www.stokenewingtoncricketclub.com/training

  No booking is required, and the first two sessions are free. After children settle in, there is an annual membership fee of £25 (which includes a free club shirt and cap) plus £75 for this term’s nine sessions, or a proportional fee if joining halfway through. For more information, contact Duncan Holden at sncc@btinternet.com or visit our website: stokenewingtoncricketclub.com

  Calling All Future Tennis Stars (Under 8s)

  Is your child the next Wimbledon champion, or do they love to run, jump, throw, and play? A special Tennis Talent ID & Fun Session is being held at Mossbourne Academy, and your child is welcome to join. This two-hour session will be energetic and inclusive. Whether your child is trying a racket for the first time or already has a solid forehand, our coaching team looks forward to seeing them.

  Event Details

  When: Saturday, 10th January 2026

  Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

  Age Group: Under 8s (Red Ball Level)

  Where: Mossbourne Academy

  Cost: Free

  Led by Coach Javier Lee, the session will include:

  - Skill Activities: Developing coordination and ball skills.

  - Action-Packed Games: Ensuring fun throughout.

  - Mini Matches: Showcasing skills in a friendly setting.

  This isn’t just a taster; it’s an insight into the Hackney Tennis Performance Programme. We aim to give everyone opportunities, and some players may be invited to join our specialised HT sessions for further development. Need more info? Contact Coach Javier at javier@hackneytennis.co.uk

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher