Jessica's Newsletters

Newsletter Friday 16th May 2025

Fri 16 May 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

We hope you had a good week. We have been busy, and Year 6 completed their SATs this week. They were amazing; not only did they work hard, but they did so with positivity and a fantastic attitude. I was so impressed, and we are incredibly proud of them. I tell them that they are much more than a SATs result. They are individual, independent people who are kind, thoughtful, and so much more. They can act, sing, and dance. They might shine at playing an instrument or in sports. There are countless reasons why they are more than just a SATs result.

This week, even in the midst of SATs, the children came together for Mental Health Awareness Week with the theme of Community. A strong sense of community can be a powerful support for our mental health, helping us feel connected, valued, and safe. Our brilliant Wellbeing Ambassadors led thoughtful activities across classes, encouraging everyone to reflect on who is part of their “circle” and what community really means to us. One of the highlights was the creation of our Kindness Chains, with each link representing an act of kindness. They're already growing long and colourful, serving as an excellent visual reminder of how caring and supportive our children truly are.

Our VE Day lunch was delicious this week. We have attached some photos. This week, Reception also began exploring an exciting new book, Faruq and the Wiri Wiri Pepper. The story sparked lots of curiosity, especially about different flavours and ingredients from around the world. They talked about our own families’ traditional dishes and the special memories they hold. It was lovely seeing the children take pride in sharing their food stories. From this book, the children in Reception made bread with Damian, and the results were great. Please see the photos. It looked delicious.

This weekend, the Hackney Half Marathon is taking place, and I am truly grateful to all the children, parents, and carers who are running to raise money for the school. I hope you have a great time and that the sun shines for you. An email with all the details was sent out yesterday. Please encourage friends and family to donate using this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/betty-layward-is-running-the-2025-hackney-half-marathon There are also other activities going on alongside https://www.hackneymoves.com/saturday-festival-lineup.

Thank you to all the organisers; you have done a marvellous job. Good luck, runners.

On Thursday, 22nd May, Year 6 will sell baked goods and bracelets after school to raise money for their upcoming trip to France. Thank you for your support. We look forward to seeing you there.

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday for Blastonbury. It starts at 2pm. Please stand where we ask you to so children can enter and exit. We hope you enjoy it.

Please remember we close at the normal school time on Thursday for half term. We hope you have a great week.

Have a lovely weekend,

Jessica

Headteacher

Newsletter Friday 9th May 2025

Fri 09 May 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

We’ve had a wonderful week filled with great activities. Tuesday was particularly fantastic as we celebrated Maths Rock Star Day. The children looked remarkable as Timetable Rock Stars, and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing them. They had a fun day packed with various maths activities, discussing how mathematics is present in our lives and how we can apply our number skills across different areas.

Year 2 Apricot presented a delightful assembly about transport through time. They spoke confidently and shared many fascinating facts. Well done, Apricot class.

Year 3 children enjoyed two exciting and memorable class trips this week. Firstly, they visited a circus school, where they had the unique opportunity to practice circus tricks under the guidance of professionals and watch their training. The children also loved learning a few juggling tricks and even tried their hand at spinning plates. They also explored the fascinating Sir John Soane Museum, where they toured the historic house and participated in engaging workshops on Ancient Greece. During both trips, the children had a fantastic time and splendidly represented the school with enthusiasm, curiosity, and excellent behaviour.

This week, a group of children competed in a Year 3 and 4 tennis competition. They fought hard until the end, reaching the finals and competing against five schools from Hackney. We are so proud of you; it was a joy to watch. Well done.

Year 2 embarked on an exciting trip to The Garden Classroom to learn more about plants and their growth. The children had the chance to explore the gardens, where they could look for, smell, and sketch various plants. They also dug up some weeds and examined their roots with magnifying glasses. Year 2 enjoyed sharing their knowledge about the parts of plants and their functions, learning a fun poem on the topic, and creating their own plant diagrams using different vegetables. Finally, they had the opportunity to plant peas in pots to take home and care for.

The children learnt about VE Day yesterday, and we are having a special VE Day lunch on Wednesday. We have emailed the menu.

Some of our children attended a girls’ football festival. Here’s what Bonnie has to say about it: Last weekend, Martha, Emilia, Olivia, and I travelled to Swansea with the Hackney Schools District Football team to take part in the Swansea Girls Festival 2025. There were 30 teams from all over England and Wales that came to compete in the tournament. It was a lot of fun, and we made it through the group stages; however, we were unfortunately knocked out in the knockout rounds. Overall, it was an amazing experience. We also visited an extreme water park and enjoyed numerous water slides. – By Bonnie Wong

Thank you to those of you who came and purchased items from our eco-shop, Betty's Refillery, yesterday after school. We greatly appreciate your support in our journey to reduce plastic usage. Keep an eye out for our next date when Betty's Refillery will be open.

Our Year 6 children have their SATs next week. I am immensely proud of them and the hard work they have put in. A child is more than just a SATs result; they are kind, thoughtful, curious, fun, and so much more. Our children are exceptional and have worked so hard. I have told them that these tests are only a small part of who they are, and there is so much more to them. They should be proud of themselves, as we are proud of them. I know you will join me in wishing them luck, and we will ensure that the week includes many lovely activities too.

We are excited to announce that our water station will soon be open in the playground for OPAL. If you have any spare metal pots, pans, or colanders, we would greatly appreciate them. We can distribute them between our mud kitchen and water station. Thank you in advance for your support.

This is a gentle reminder to please get your child sponsored for the Hackney Half next Saturday. Here's the link you can share with everyone: https://gofund.me/7da4ca9d. Please also share it if you are an adult running on Sunday. Even if your child is not running on the day, they will have run 12 miles at school and can complete the half marathon by running the final mile at their own pace. Every penny raised will help the school purchase new interactive whiteboards for the children’s classrooms. Thank you in advance for all your efforts to support this fundraising event during these challenging times. T-shirt and bib collection will be at school pick-up next Friday, 16th May, from 3pm to 4:30pm, so please mark this date in your diaries or ask a friend to collect for you if you can’t make it. Timings for the day (Saturday, 17th May) are approximately 8:30am to 12pm at Hackney Marshes, but we will provide more details soon. We appreciate your support and we know it will be an enjoyable day.

Please remember that Blastonbury will be in the playground on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 20th. We look forward to seeing you there.

Have a lovely weekend, and I hope you enjoy the sunshine.

Jessica

Headteacher

Newsletter Friday 2nd May 2025

Thu 01 May 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you have had a lovely week and enjoyed the beautiful weather. I have observed the children playing outside during lunch and playtimes, and they have been truly enjoying it, especially with the OPAL resources. We have reminded them to wear hats, drink plenty of water, and stay in the shade when possible. The sail shades really benefit us during weather like this.

Year 1 Lavender class performed a fantastic assembly about continents this week. They were exceptional. The microphone stopped working, but they continued like the true professionals they are. They spoke confidently and did an excellent job. We all learned a great deal about the different continents. Well done, Lavender class.

On Wednesday, 30th April, a group of Year 1 and 2 children participated in a tennis competition at Clissold Park. We played against Grazebrook, Woodberry Downs, Shacklewell, and Betty Layward, with Betty Layward emerging as the overall winner. Well done to all the children who took part. We are incredibly proud of you. Thank you to the parent volunteers who came and helped. It is heartwarming to see the children so proud of their achievements.

Year 5 Saffron went on an exciting trip to the Natural History Museum this week. They used their creativity to design, build, evaluate and share a solution to a real-world sustainability challenge using LEGO® bricks in a hands-on workshop.

We have our Times Table Rock Star day on Tuesday. Your child is welcome to dress up as a rock star if they wish, and there will be plenty of fun maths activities for them throughout the day. We are genuinely looking forward to this. Please use clothing they already have at home. There is no need to buy anything new, and they do not need to wear school uniform.

We have discovered a local author, and we thought sharing some information about her and her book would be lovely. *Made of Magic* is written by local author and mother Annie Campbell. It is a joyful and empowering children’s book that affirms the value, beauty, and brilliance of Black and Brown boys while reminding every child that they are worthy, loved, and full of potential. This book celebrates self-esteem, confidence, and identity with vibrant illustrations and a heartfelt message. It is recommended for ages 6 – 11.

More info: www.madeofmagicbooks.com

Instagram: @madeofmagicbooks

Enjoy your bank holiday weekend, and we look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.

Jessica

Headteacher

Newsletter Friday 25th April 2025

Fri 25 Apr 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back. I hope you had a lovely break. It’s wonderful to see everyone back with such bright smiles. The weather is improving, which is lovely to see.

This week in Opal, we have been learning about how to use equipment safely during wet weather and how to access equipment safely in our loose parts shed. We have two fantastic sheds that store all of our Opal equipment. One shed holds our loose parts, which can be accessed daily, while the other shed contains our smaller parts for various activities, including construction, arts and crafts, sports, role-play, and more. This week, we introduced a large construction kit with wheels, cogs, panels, and poles. The children have thoroughly enjoyed building vehicles and castles; we even managed to move the vehicles. We are seeking further donations of wellies and waterproofs. If you have any spare wellies or waterproofs to add to our Opal collection, please bring them in. While we are hoping for more sunshine, we are also preparing our wet weather play resources and equipment for Opal to be ready when needed. Thank you.

It’s 20p time again. If you haven’t done this before, we ask the children to collect as many 20p coins as they can. This can be achieved by children helping out at home with chores or participating in fundraising activities. This initiative allows the children to take the lead in fundraising for the school, and the class that raises the most will win £20 to spend as they wish. It’s a great fundraiser, and we appreciate your support with this.

We are pleased to share that Betty Layward is working towards achieving the Bronze Rights-Respecting Schools Award stage—a nationally recognised initiative led by the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK). This award supports schools in creating and maintaining safe, respectful, and inspiring learning environments. Through this programme, children are not only valued and respected, but their individual talents are nurtured, empowering them to flourish both personally and academically. By beginning our journey towards the Bronze Award, we are formally committing to placing the values of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of everything we do. At this early stage, we are working to raise awareness throughout the entire school community about what it means to be a Rights-Respecting School. Our goal is to ensure that children feel valued, listened to, and empowered to play an active role in their learning and in the life of the school. Thank you for your continued support as we work towards this important achievement.

We have 80 children registered for the Hackney Half, and only a handful of places remain. This is the highest number we have ever had. Please check that you have received an email from letsdothis (it may be in your junk or spam folder). If you do not have an email, please message Kirsty as soon as possible. If you are not fully registered, your children WILL NOT be able to run. PLEASE also start getting the children sponsored by friends, family, workmates, and neighbours so we can raise money for our school. The fundraising link is https://gofund.me/7da4ca9d. We appreciate your support with this.

Please remember to check the school calendar for dates this term, as there will be new events added, such as Blastonbury on the afternoon of Tuesday, 20^th May.

Have a lovely weekend,

Jessica

Headteacher

Newsletter Friday 4th April 2025

Fri 04 Apr 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

I cannot believe we are at the end of another term. Where is the time going? What a great term we have had. The children have been amazing. Thank you for all your support.

Thank you for attending your parent/carer meeting yesterday. I hope you found them useful. Some of the children who received reports told me how much they enjoyed reading them and were very proud of themselves. It was lovely to hear, and every report was lovely to read. Well done to all our children for an excellent term and for working so hard. We look forward to seeing it continue in the summer term.

Last Tuesday, Key Stage 2 girls were visited by OCL Facades, who came to talk to them about careers in construction and engineering as part of their Girls' Can Build programme. In the United Kingdom construction industry, girls are significantly underrepresented, comprising only about 15% of the workforce, with only around 2% of on-site workers being female. The Girls' Can Build initiative not only highlights the possibilities within the construction industry but also aims to plant the seeds of curiosity and ambition in young girls, paving the way for a more diverse future in construction. All Key Stage 2 girls took part in an assembly, where they were introduced to construction and then discussed the different careers that are on offer. The Year 4 girls took part in a construction workshop, where they were challenged to construct a bridge. The girls took on various construction roles, such as project manager, designer, and builder. The girls thoroughly enjoyed the workshops and created some fantastic bridges.

Fuchsia class performed a wonderful assembly this week on the Tudors. They spoke clearly and acted brilliantly. Well done fuchsia class.

On Wednesday, Year 2 went to St Mary's Church to support their learning about Christian beliefs, baptism and Easter. The children were able to explore the church, try on robes, hold the communion plate and chalice, and go up on the pulpit. They then took part in an imaginative baptism and saw what it is like when a baby is christened. Finally, they listened to a story about Easter and had the chance to ask questions about Christian beliefs and the church.

On Thursday, April 3rd, the Junior Road Safety Officers were outside of school at the beginning of the school day to observe the school street and check that the school entrance was not blocked. Their role is to provide important road safety messages to the school community and be aware of the roads and road safety in the local area. Thank you for all your kind words and supportive interactions with our officers.

Some of the findings were:

Some parents are standing too close to the school gates, so we advise you to stand on the other side of the road. We would also advise that parents, carers and children look both ways whilst crossing over the road. We noticed this was not always happening, and there were vehicles and many cyclists travelling down the street. Please be careful not to walk into the school's No Parking signs. These should not be moved. We also noticed that whilst we were on a school street, there were cars and vans coming into the street and travelling down the street. Please be careful around the school entrance. The Junior Road Safety Officers will be out again soon to check that everyone is keeping safe and the school entrance is clear.

April is World Autism Month, and this year, we will be celebrating World Autism Appreciation Week at Betty Layward during the week beginning the 21st of April. We will start a project called LEANS after the holidays (Learning About Neurodiversity at School). Classes in Key Stage 2 will learn about neurodiversity and how it impacts children's school experiences. Neurodiversity means the differences in how people’s brains process information. Neurodivergent people’s processing differs from the majority (and often each other), sometimes in ways that substantially affect daily life. Autistic, dyslexic, and people with dyspraxia, or those with ADHD or Tourette’s syndrome, could all be described as neurodivergent - though individuals may not identify that way. LEANS is a multi-session curriculum with a mix of hands-on activities, storytelling, and factual resource items. It was developed by a neurodivergent team of researchers and educators at the University of Edinburgh. LEANS’ stories expose pupils to perspectives and school experiences that might be quite different from their own - whether they are neurotypical or neurodivergent.

The curriculum consists of 7 topic units:

- introducing neurodiversity
- classroom experiences
- communication
- needs and wants
- fairness
- friendship

- reflecting on our actions.

There is information available here if you would like to find out more:

https://salvesen-research.ed.ac.uk/leans/about

The children are bringing home bulbs today to nurture and grow. They will then need to identify what plant they have. We look forward to hearing all about them. Thank you for your support with this.

Thank you for all your support this term. We hope you have a lovely holiday and the sun shines. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday 22nd April.

Jessica

Headteacher

Newsletter Friday 28th March 2025

Fri 28 Mar 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you have had a good week. I know many of you will be celebrating Eid this weekend and on Monday. May this Eid bring you endless joy, peace, and prosperity. Wishing you and your family a blessed Eid filled with love, laughter, and happiness from all of us at Betty Layward.

I would like to thank you for your responses to the letter I sent this week about the cost of trips and how we cannot continue to cover the cost of these in the future. It was lovely to receive so many emails of support. I also appreciate those of you who have gone back and paid for past trips and have set up direct debits. Every contribution makes a difference. Thank you for all your support with this.

Cerise class performed a great assembly about rivers this week. It was informative and well performed and the children did an amazing job. Well done Cerise class. You remembered all your words and sang beautifully.

On Tuesday, Year 2 visited the Estorick Collection of Italian Art and were fortunate enough to have the entire gallery to themselves. They had time to explore the gallery and looked for curved and straight lines, warm and cool colours, and geometric and organic shapes in the artworks. Year 2 then had a chance to act as curators by grouping works of art and deciding how they would display them in an exhibition.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support our first Betty Refillery shop. It was wonderful to see so many families championing our mission to reduce plastic usage. A big thanks to the Eco-Committee for their hard work. Betty's Refillery will open again on Thursday, May 8th, at 3:15 p.m. We look forward to seeing you there.

In OPAL this week we have enjoyed seeing our planting spring into life. Our bulbs are beginning to grow. The children have enjoyed watering the plants and seeing them grow. We have also been enjoying the balance equipment, dress-up, obstacle course, stilts and balance boards.

Please can you ensure that the children are at school on time. We are having too many children being late to school. We are currently monitoring this and would like to see it improve. Thank you for your support with this.

We are looking at what children can bring in for their birthday treat which I know they like sharing with children in their class. We are now asking that it is not cakes or homemade items as more and more products are saying they contain nuts or might contain nuts. We therefore cannot have these in school. We ask that you bring in individually wrapped items such as McVities Club biscuits, Tunnocks caramel wafers or McVities Gold. You must ensure that there are no nuts or a trace of nuts in the product as we will not be able to give those out. Please do not bring in sweets or chocolate bars. Thank you for your support with this.

One of our children, Silas got involved in an initiative last weekend - tidying up and replanting the massive low traffic neighbourhood planters on Nevill Road. It was organised by Abi, who runs the Everyday Sunshine cafe on the corner of Nevill and Barbauld Road and the Rude graphic communications agency. Neighbours tidied up the planters and plants for the summer. It is going to become a regular activity. Well done Silas, it is so important to look after your local area and this is an example to us all.

Please remember to book your parent and carer's meeting on Thursday. We look forward to seeing you there. School closes at 1pm.

Have a lovely weekend,

Jessica

Headteacher

Jessica Bailey

Headteacher
The Betty Layward Primary School

Newsletter Friday 21st March 2025

Thu 20 Mar 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

It is so lovely to see the sun out and feel some warmer weather. It is great to see the children enjoying the sunshine in the playground.

Thank you to our Nursery parents and carers for attending our family morning on Monday, it was lovely to see you there. We hope you enjoyed it too.

Chilli's class performed an amazing assembly on Tuesday about World War 2. Their knowledge, acting, singing and dancing were incredible and they kept the audience engaged all the way through. I thought about this class when they joined in Nursery or Reception and am so proud of how they have grown into such wonderful, independent, creative and wonderful children. Well done Chilli class, it was a great performance and one you should be very proud of.

You will have received a letter about parents and carers meetings and we look forward to seeing you there. This is an important meeting about your child's report which you will receive in the same week. Years 1 - 6 will receive reports then and Nursery and Reception will receive theirs in the summer. Meetings are available for all classes. These meetings allow us to share your child's progress, learning and behaviour at school so please ensure you sign up. We want to share all their achievements with you.

Our refillable shop opens on Thursday 27th March after school. Please come along and buy some household essentials such as shampoo and conditioner. It would be lovely to see you there and thank you for your donations of bottles. More are welcome.

Have a lovely weekend,

Jessica

Newsletter Friday 14th March 2025

Fri 14 Mar 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

We hope you have had a good week. We have had a productive week with lots going on and there are lots of exciting things coming up.

We are pleased to announce the opening of Betty's Refillery, a new eco-refill shop at Betty Layward. The shop will offer a selection of eco-friendly, plant-based products to help families live more sustainably. To support our first shop on Thursday, 27th March, we are asking parents and carers to bring in 500ml bottles for refills. We appreciate your help in reducing waste and promoting sustainable choices. You will be able to come and buy shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and other items in our refillable bottles or you can bring your own. This will be an ongoing project and one we hope you will find useful. We look forward to seeing you on 27th March to fill your bottles.

On Friday, 7th March, a squad of Girls from years 5 and 6 took part in an International Woman's Day football competition at Berger Primary School. We played against Millfields, Gayhurst, Mossbourne and Berger. The girls had lots of fun and played very well. Well done to all the children who took part. It was great to share in such an important celebration.

This week, we introduced an obstacle course into Opal playground. The children have enjoyed crossing over planks, crawling through tunnels, and balancing on beams and stepping stones. The children have been generating different pathways and combining different levels of movement. The children have been particularly successful in teamwork, sharing and turn-taking. It is great watching them plan and make different obstacle courses. They are really enjoying it.

World Down Syndrome Day is on Friday, 21st March. We are asking everyone to 'rock their socks' and wear bright, bold and funky socks to celebrate the uniqueness of every chromosome - each one is one of a kind. The theme this year is 'Improve Our Support Systems': governments are being urged to make sure that people with Down Syndrome get the support they need all around the world.

Please remember Chilli's class assembly on Tuesday at 9:15am. We look forward to seeing Chilli parents and carers there.

If it is your child’s birthday, they can bring in individual cakes to share with their class. Please can you check that there are no traces of nuts on any of the labelling. We cannot give these out and if they are homemade please ensure that all ingredients are nut-free too. Thank you for your support with this.

Have a very lovely weekend,

Jessica

Headteacher

Newsletter Friday 7th March 2025

Fri 07 Mar 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

We have had a lovely, sunny week with many great things going on. World Book Day was amazing and thank you for all your support with the costumes and story jars. They were great. This year, the children from Reception to Year 6 were arranged into mixed classes. Each group enjoyed a morning of book related activities. The children created new stories, acted out puppet shows and devised new characters for well known books. The children had a fantastic day and it was great to see the deep love of stories. Thank you to all the staff who made this possible. The children really enjoyed the day and loved being in classes with all the year groups. The children were extremely excited and it was wonderful to see so many amazing costumes and Book in a Jar creations.

Thank you to those of you who organised, helped and attended our jumble sale on Saturday. The sun shone for us and it was lovely to see so many of you there. The extra clear up help also made a huge difference so thank you to those of you who also did that. The Jumble Sale raised a total of £3125.67, including the sponsor money from Winkworth for the estate agent boards in your gardens. This is an amazing result and will make a difference for us. A big thank you to Winkworth, too.

On Monday, Year 4 had an exciting visit to the National Gallery, where they learned about Tudor portraits. The children eagerly deciphered the clues hidden within the paintings, such as clothing, certain objects and facial expressions, to identify the subjects of each portrait. They demonstrated impressive knowledge, explaining who the figures were and their role in Tudor society. Throughout the trip, the children displayed excellent behaviour, engaging fully with the guides and showing respect for the gallery environment. It was a truly enriching experience for all involved.

On Tuesday, 4th March, a team of children from years 5 and 6 took part in the Hackney Primary School cross-country race at Hackney Downs Park. Huge congratulations to Olly, who finished in 11th place in the boys' race; Jane who finished 7th; Illy who finished 11th and Elsie who finished 12th in the girls' race. Well done to all the children who took part and thank you to all the parent volunteers for your help.

Tomorrow is International Women’s Day under the theme “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment. This year’s theme calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all and a feminist future where no one is left behind. Central to this vision is empowering the next generation—youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls—as catalysts for lasting change. At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum. We at Betty Layward, want to ensure no one is left behind. On Tuesday, 25th March 2025, we will be hosting Girl’s Can Build. Girl’s Can Build is a ground-breaking initiative aimed at inspiring primary school girls to explore careers in construction, which has achieved remarkable success. Local Basildon business OCL Facades Limited will be coming in to deliver an assembly for all Key Stage 2 girls and then will lead a series of workshops for girls in Year 4 led by a group of talented women from OCL Facades Limited. We look forward to the girls having the opportunity to engage in these hands-on sessions.

Opal is going well in the playground and we are now introducing large parts such as planks, crates, etc. Children can use their imagination to create obstacle courses or make cars, etc. We are excited to see how they will use them.

Have a lovely weekend and enjoy this sunny, warm weather,

Jessica

Headteacher

Newsletter Friday 28th February 2025

Fri 28 Feb 2025 Jessica

Dear Parents and Carers,

It is lovely seeing everyone back after half term. I hope you had a lovely week. It is also lovely having the sun out and I hope this will be the same for the Jumble Sale tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing you there. Thank you for all your donations and for volunteering your time if you are helping tomorrow. These events make a real financial difference for the school and we really appreciate them.

Please remember that this Wednesday is World Book Day. Children can dress up if they would like to, but we ask that they do not wear masks and that they wear outfits that they can go to the loo in. We are also looking forward to seeing their books in a jar. We have organised a lovely day. Each teacher is teaching about a picture book and the children will be grouped from Reception to Year 6 and work together and learn about this book. We are really looking forward to it.

This week, we took a group of children to Wembley to watch England Women's football team play against Spain. It was great to see them so happy and having so much fun. This was a great opportunity, and we all really enjoyed it.

This week, we opened a planting station in the playground as part of our Opal playground project. The children have enjoyed planting bulbs and learning how to care for them, take turns, share, and work together. They have also been turning over the soil, searching for worms, digging, and planting herbs. We look forward to the bulbs and herbs growing and to seeing the results of their hard work.

Have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you at the Jumble Sale tomorrow,

Jessica

Headteacher