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 23rd October 2026

  Fri 23 Oct 2026 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  I cannot believe we are already at the end of our first half term. I have been so impressed with how the children have settled in - our new children and all the children in their new classes. Walking around the school is a pleasure. I really enjoy seeing them engaged in their learning with big smiles. 

   

  We have our Black History Month event on Friday 6th November in the school hall at 3:30pm. The children’s work will be on display, the choir will be singing, and there will be delicious food. Please come along. Tickets will be on sale soon.

   

  We were delighted to welcome Marcia Holzer, an amazing artist and Grandma, to Betty Layward, where she shared her incredible artwork with the children in assembly on Monday. It was a real treat to hear about her artistic journey and learn more about her creativity and achievements. Thank you, Marcia, for inspiring our young artists and sharing your passion with us.

   

  Cerise class really enjoyed their trip to Fulham Palace, where they stepped back in time to experience life in Roman Britain. They dressed up as Romans and took part in a range of exciting hands-on activities to bring our history learning to life. They tried grinding spices with a mortarium, as the Romans would have, and learned more about their daily lives, traditions, and customs. It was a wonderful opportunity to immerse themselves in the past and deepen their understanding of Roman life.

  On Tuesday, the Cerise class, and on Wednesday, the Fuchsia class, visited Dr Johnson’s House to explore life in the past and deepen their understanding of Black history. The children learned more about how houses were built and what daily life was like in 18th-century London, while reflecting on Francis Barber's experiences and his contributions to education during that period. It was a wonderful opportunity to bring this learning to life beyond the classroom.

   

  On Wednesday, we were treated to a fabulous assembly by Chilli class. The children shared incredible facts about the Mayan Civilisation. We were impressed by how well they had learnt their lines and delivered them clearly and with enthusiasm. They also sang a great song about the Mayans. It was clear they enjoyed their history learning and presented it well. Well done, Chilli class. 

   

  Year 2 had an amazing trip to the Young V&A. They took part in a sound design workshop, learning what Foley is and how different sounds in films and TV are created. They were then given a range of items to make sounds with and created a chorus. After that, they used their newfound knowledge to build a soundtrack for footage from Wallace & Gromit. They also enjoyed exploring the entire gallery space, from the theatre to the games room.

   

  Reception enjoyed going on a local art walk around Stoke Newington. They behaved very well throughout the trip, showing excellent listening skills and interest in their surroundings. The children enjoyed looking at different pieces of local art and sharing their thoughts, with the ice cream painting being a particular favourite. They also loved sharing what felt familiar, talking about places they pass on their walks to school, as well as their favourite local bakeries and restaurants. It was lovely to see them connect the art they saw with their own experiences in the local community.

  A huge congratulations to our brand-new Reading Ambassadors. We’re so proud of them, and they have exciting duties ahead. They’ll be cheering on their classmates to pick up a good book, sharing their favourite reads and recommendations, and finding out what stories everyone is itching to read next. You’ll also spot them helping out at our reading events and competitions, and creating colourful displays to get the whole school excited about books. This is also a fantastic opportunity for them to grow as leaders while sharing their love of reading with others. We can’t wait to see all the brilliant things they get up to.  

   

  Thank you for all your support and kindness this term and have a lovely half term break. We look forward to seeing you on Monday 2nd November. 

   

  Jessica 

  Headteacher 

   

   

  

• Newsletter- Friday16th October 2026

  Fri 16 Oct 2026 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We have had a great week and hope you have had a lovely one too. As part of our Black History Month celebrations this October, we were delighted to welcome two police officers, Emmanuel and Gemma, to speak with the children. They discussed their roles in our local community, how they help keep people safe and support those in need, and what it takes to become a police officer, from the required qualities and training to the dedication the job demands. The children were captivated by their stories and asked some brilliant questions. Hearing about Emmanuel and Gemma’s journeys was truly inspiring and showed our pupils that they too can aspire to careers where they make a real difference. A huge thank you to Emmanuel and Gemma for taking the time to visit us and for sharing their experiences so generously.  

   

  We were delighted to welcome Janet to our Year 1 and Reception classes this week as part of our Black History Month theme, Honouring Our Communities. Janet told the children she has been a childminder in the community for 40 years. She is passionate about ensuring children feel safe and happy, and about teaching the importance of sharing so all children have the same experiences. The children were interested in Janet's upbringing and family. Janet was born in England but moved to Nigeria when she was young. She moved to Highbury at 16. Some of the children shared that they love Janet's cooking, playing at her home, and the way she always makes sure they stay safe. Janet is a big part of the Betty Layward community, always smiling and sharing her positivity. Thank you for visiting, Janet. 

   

  Following their successful first visit, our Year 6 pupils were delighted to be invited back to the Hackney Caribbean Elders' Organisation for their Black History Month celebration. Fifteen children represented the school and, once again, did us proud, showing great respect and maturity throughout. The members were very happy to see them again, and the children were keen to pick up where they left off, asking thoughtful questions about the members’ lives and how Hackney has changed over the years. We finished the afternoon with a song, a lovely way to end such a special visit. A huge thank you to the HCEO for welcoming us back. We look forward to seeing some of their members at our Black History Month celebration in November. 

   

  To celebrate World Space Week, the children took part in a whole-school collaborative activity exploring our question: what does a spacesuit need to do to keep an astronaut safe? Working in mixed-year groups, the children listened to the picture book The Spacesuit by Alison Donald and then designed their own spacesuits. They explored the essential features needed to keep astronauts safe in space, sharing ideas and learning from one another. It was a fantastic opportunity to bring the school together through science, creativity and teamwork.

   

  We are excited to share that we have launched a new Amazon account and Wishlist to

  support the development of our OPAL playground provision. As part of our commitment to providing children with rich, creative and active play opportunities, we continually seek to add new resources and equipment to enhance our outdoor play environment. The OPAL programme encourages imaginative play, teamwork, problem-solving and physical activity, and the children are already benefiting greatly from the experiences it provides. Many of the items we use are simple, everyday resources that inspire creativity and adventure. To make it easier for families who would like to support us, we have created an Amazon Wishlist containing equipment and resources for the playground. These items range from smaller resources that need regular replenishing to larger pieces of specialist playground equipment. If you would like to contribute, you can purchase items directly from the Wishlist and have them sent straight to school. Any support, no matter how small, would be hugely appreciated and will make a real difference to the children’s play experiences. There is no obligation to contribute; your continued support and encouragement of our OPAL journey is greatly appreciated. If you would like to contribute, please use the link https://amzn.eu/0186btFM

  We will keep updating the Wishlist to share the items we need to support our playground. Thank you for your continued support of our school and our OPAL journey.

   

  There is a second-hand children’s winter clothing and fancy-dress sale next Friday (23rd October) after school. Please have a look for donations at home this weekend. We will set up rails outside the school next week for you to place your donations. Any donations are appreciated and we hope you can come along too.

   

  New T-shirts are available, as shown in the attached photos. They cost £8 each and can be worn instead of polo shirts. Please ask the children to wear their Team Betty T-shirts for PE and these for school uniform. We hope you like them.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

  

• Newsletter - Friday 9th October 2026

  Fri 09 Oct 2026 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We have had a lovely week and hope you have too. We have been busy with Black History Month, and as part of their Black History Month project, our Year 6 pupils recently visited the Hackney Caribbean Elderly Organisation (HCEO). In the weeks leading up to the visit, the children worked hard to prepare thoughtful interview questions and were excited to put them to use. On the day, they met HCEO members and interviewed them about their lives and experiences. The children were confident and polite, approaching the members respectfully and listening with kindness and genuine interest. The members told us how much they enjoyed meeting the pupils and described our Year 6s as a real credit to the school, which made us incredibly proud. We thank everyone at the Hackney Caribbean Elderly Organisation for their warm welcome, and we look forward to seeing some members again at our Black History Month celebration on 6th November.

   

  As part of our Black History Month celebrations, we were delighted to welcome one of our parents, Sydney McCarthy-Burrell, who came into school to speak to the children during assembly. Sydney began by sharing memories of her early life in Stoke Newington, describing how much the area has changed over the years, while reminding us that one thing has stayed the same: the strength of the community here. She then told us about her career as an NHS nurse, explaining that nursing comes in many different forms. Over the years, she has studied and worked in a wide range of areas, from caring for patients with sickle cell disease to her current midwifery training. The children were fascinated, asked brilliant questions, and left having learnt so much about both their local community and the important work nurses do. It was a truly wonderful assembly, and we would like to say a huge thank you to Sydney for giving up her time to share her story with us.

   

  On Thursday, Year 3 had a brilliant workshop on Prehistoric Britain. They met an aspiring archaeologist and travelled back to the Stone Age to help with her research. They explored the different jobs people had and created freeze frames of farming, cooking, hunting, toolmaking and fire-building. They imagined they were hunter-gatherers and considered the food people ate in Prehistoric Britain. The children then travelled into the Bronze Age and Iron Age to discover what life was like in their homes and settlements. Finally, they made adverts to promote the tools people made from Bronze and Iron to make jobs easier. 

   

  We are collecting donations for the Hackney Foodbank for Harvest. We welcome donations and any contribution can make a big difference.

   

  Thank you to everyone who attended the Phonics and Spelling workshop on Thursday. We hope you found it useful. Thank you also to the Reception parents and carers who attended Family Friday. It was lovely to see you there.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

   

   

   

  

• Newsletter - Friday 2nd October 2026

  Fri 02 Oct 2026 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We cannot believe it's been so lovely and warm this week, and it feels like summer is lasting longer. It does make our playtimes lovely and we want to make the most of it. We have had a lovely week and hope you have too.

   

  On Wednesday, we were delighted to welcome Cantor Rachel to our school for a special assembly. We enjoyed her wonderful piano playing, which helped create a warm and engaging atmosphere. Cantor Rachel taught us about the significance of Jewish events. We learned about the traditions and celebrations associated with each event and had the opportunity to see special items used in these celebrations, including a shofar (horn). As a whole school, we also enjoyed singing a Jewish song together. It was a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to learn more about Jewish faith, traditions and culture in an enjoyable and meaningful way. A big thank you to Cantor Rachel for sharing her knowledge, music and traditions with us.

   

  We have our PTFA AGM online on Monday from 5pm-6pm. I really hope you can join us. You should have been sent a link. We look forward to seeing you there.

  On Friday 9th October, we will be celebrating Mental Health Day. This World Mental Health Day, let’s talk, listen, and support better mental health together. World Mental Health Day takes place every year on 10 October. It reminds us why good mental health matters and how we can prioritise it in our lives and communities. It’s also a moment to talk openly and listen to what others are experiencing. The theme for 2026 is “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change” (World Federation for Mental Health). Conversations about mental health make a difference, and they matter most when we listen to people’s experiences. We are asking the children to wear yellow on Friday 9th October to recognise the importance of Mental Health Day. We want to encourage our children to talk and listen. This can be a yellow school uniform item or another yellow item of their choice. They do not need to wear school uniform. We just ask them to wear something yellow.

   

  This term, the whole school is taking part in a project we are calling Honouring Our Hackney, and we are very excited. Our children will meet and record the memories of Black African and Caribbean elders who have lived in this part of Hackney for years: their childhoods, their journeys here, the streets and shops they remember, and the food they grew up with. Alongside this, every class from Nursery to Year 6 will design and create work inspired by what they learn. It all comes together after school on Friday 6th November, when we will open the school for music from our choir, food, an exhibition of the children's work and the interviews, with our elder guests of honour at the centre. Please do put it in your diary. We hope you can join us.

   

  We would like to invite Reception and Year 1 Parents and Carers to a Phonics, Spelling and Early Reading workshop on Thursday, 8th October at 3.30pm. This workshop will give you the opportunity to deepen your understanding of how phonics and reading are taught and learned at Betty Layward. We look forward to seeing you there.

  Please remember the school photographer will be at school on Monday 5th October and Tuesday 6th October to take individual and sibling photos. If you would like a sibling photo, please confirm this on Arbor by the end of today, Friday 2nd October.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher