Jessica's Newsletters

Newsletter Friday 27th February 2026

Thu 26 Feb 2026 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back. I hope you had a lovely half-term break. It is lovely to see you all back and the children have settled back in really well. Fingers crossed the sunshine is beginning to come out.

We are really excited about World Book Day on Thursday, and the children are welcome to dress up as a book character if they wish. Please, no footballers. Please can the children wear costumes so they can go to the toilet independently. Please have your child bring in a book they are happy to swap with another child. We will also ask them why they enjoyed it and why they would recommend it to someone else. There are many great activities happening next week for World Book Day, including visits from authors Polly Faber and Ryan Crawford. You can purchase their books on TRIPS on Arbor. We would also like to invite you to school on Friday, 6th March, for a short story-sharing session. Please bring a favourite children's book from home, or choose one from the class book corner to share with small groups of children in the classroom. The session will run from 9:10 am to 9:35 am. We really look forward to seeing you there.

Well done to all the children who took part in the Hackney Cross Country League on Tuesday. The team showed fantastic determination, resilience and commitment, representing the school with pride at every race. Special congratulations to Mia, Aurora, and Illy for their outstanding performances in the girls’ race, each finishing in the top 10. This is an incredible achievement. In the boys’ race, Otto ran brilliantly to secure a place in the top 20. We are extremely proud of all our runners for their commitment and effort throughout the league. Well done, runners.

The Junior Road Safety Officers led an engaging assembly to teach everyone about staying safe near roads and proudly promoted the “Be Bright, Be Seen” campaign to encourage wearing bright clothing for visibility. The children also launched a poster competition to inspire creativity and promote the “Be Bright, Be Seen” or “Be Bright Stay in Sight ” road safety campaign. We would like the children to design a poster to advertise road safety or the campaigns mentioned above. The poster will be printed and displayed in school for everyone to learn from. The children are aware of this competition and can bring posters to school next week if they wish.

Please check the school calendar on the website, as we are updating it regularly with new dates. The Year 6 dates are listed there. Please put them in your diary.

Please, can I remind you to pick your children up on time after school and after clubs. The children may become worried if their parent or carer is late, so please arrive on time.

Please remember that we can only give medicine if it is prescribed and needed four times a day. Please do not give your child any medication to bring to school, as this is not a safe approach. Instead, leave it at the office and complete the necessary form if it is prescribed and needed four times a day. Thank you.

Unfortunately, there has been another phone mugging in the local area. Please remind your children to stay vigilant. I am glad that the children do not bring mobile phones into school, as this helps protect them from potential risks.

I hope you have a lovely weekend,

Jessica

Headteacher

Jessica Bailey

Headteacher
The Betty Layward Primary School

Newsletter Friday 13th February 2026

Fri 13 Feb 2026 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

I cannot believe we are at the February half-term break and already halfway through the year. Time is flying. I want to personally thank you for all your recent kindness and support. I have received some lovely emails during what's been a difficult time for the school and that support means a lot. Thank you. I do feel lucky to be the Headteacher of Betty Layward and I ensure your children receive the best in everything. They deserve it. They are a pleasure to be with and they put a smile on my face every day. Thank you for helping to create the wonderful community we are part of. I feel very fortunate.

On Tuesday, Emerald class delivered their assembly on Ancient Egypt. It was a lively and engaging performance, with fantastic music and interesting facts, presented brilliantly by everyone involved. The children’s performance was seamless and they spoke with confidence. It was the best episode of a Place in the Sun we had ever seen. Well done, Emerald Class.

Reception hosted their Family Friday today and thank you to those of you who attended. It was lovely to see parents and carers engaging with the children and we look forward to tasting the dumplings they made for the Lunar New Year.

We are offering a one-hour workshop for parents and carers about helping your child manage big emotions. Do you notice your child having intense emotional reactions, meltdowns, or worries? Are you unsure how to respond in the moment or what really helps over time? We have designed this workshop to support you. Some of our Key Stage 2 children have also participated in the school workshop 'Exploring & Managing Our Emotions,' and this session aims to help parents build shared understanding by offering practical, evidence-based strategies to support emotional regulation at home. It is caring, realistic, and focuses on connection, co-regulation, and “good enough” support rather than perfection. The workshop will take place online on Thursday, 26th February at 11am.

Happy Lunar New Year for next week. I wish you good health and may all your wishes come true.

Have a fantastic half-term break, and we look forward to seeing everyone back on Tuesday, 24th February.

Jessica
Headteacher

Newsletter Friday 6th February 2026

Fri 06 Feb 2026 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

I want to thank you all for your kind words and support during such a sad week. It truly reflects the wonderful community we are, full of kindness and compassion. The children have been incredible and it is important that we give them the time and space they need. I cannot thank the staff enough for their support and kindness during this difficult time. Please look after yourselves and give your children a big hug. Thank you for all your kind words, emails ands support. It means a lot.

Next week is Children’s Mental Health Week. The theme for this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week is "This is my Place." This means feeling like you are part of something, such as your family, school, group of friends, or a team. These joyful moments help us feel connected, valued and accepted. When we feel like we belong, we feel happy, safe and ready to learn and play. It helps us grow strong in our minds and bodies and makes it easier to make friends, do well at school and feel good about ourselves. During Children’s Mental Health Week, we will discuss how we can help everyone feel like they belong. We will share "This is my Place" with the children so we can learn from each other about what makes us happy. We will learn about the importance of kindness, including others and ensuring no one feels left out. We want children to know that everyone deserves a place where they are accepted, cared for, and loved.

In Year 4 Cerise's assembly this week, we travelled back in time to the royal courts of the Tudor dynasty. The children delivered a fantastic assembly in the style of a Horrible Histories episode. Through their brilliantly engaging presentation, we learned all about Henry VIII and his famous six wives, the unique style and structure of Tudor houses, pastimes in Tudor England, including the works of William Shakespeare, and how Queen Elizabeth I successfully defeated the Spanish Armada. The children spoke with confidence and clarity. Well done, Cerise class.

This week, we were delighted to welcome the North London Waste Authority for a whole-school assembly focused on the impact of food waste on our climate. Pupils learned just how much energy goes into producing the food we eat, and why it’s so important to take only what we can finish, do our best to eat what’s on our plate, and make sure any leftovers go in the correct bin. The NLWA has also been working closely with our Eco Committee to help us understand how much waste we produce as a school and how we can reduce it. This assembly supports our ongoing whole-school goal to reduce waste and make more sustainable choices as a community.

On Tuesday, Year 2 welcomed the Jewish Museum into school for a workshop about the Torah. They learned about the importance of the Torah in Judaism, how it is written and read and also had the opportunity to explore artefacts from the museum. Year 2 tried on a kippah and a tallit and examined a yad and a mezuzah. Finally, they attempted to write in Hebrew using calligraphy pens and did their best to write from right to left. Year 2 also went on a trip to St Mary's Church to learn more about Christianity and the Bible. The children got to explore the different areas of the church and noticed the story of Jesus in the stained-glass windows. After that, the children enjoyed acting out the Gospel story of Jesus calming the storm and listened to a piece of music about this story. Year 2 were brilliant during both the trip and the workshop. Well done, Year 2.

This week, Reception enjoyed an extremely successful visit to the London Canal Museum. The children explored the fascinating history of the canals, learning how canal boats were originally pulled by horses before tractors were introduced. They had the opportunity to step inside a section of a canal boat, which gave them a real sense of what life on board would have been like. The role-play ice cream shop was a particular highlight and the children were fascinated by the chance to peer into a large ice cave, once used to store ice transported by canal all the way from Norway. Throughout the visit, the children showed great curiosity and engagement, asking many thoughtful questions. Well done, Reception. I am so pleased you had such a lovely time and were so well behaved.

Have a wonderful weekend, and thank you once again for all your kindness, compassion, and thoughtfulness this week. It truly means a lot.

Jessica

Headteacher