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 22nd November 2024

  Fri 22 Nov 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We have had a lovely week and we hope you have too. The weather has been interesting this week and we hope you have been keeping warm. It was lovely to see the children so excited by the snow. 

   

  Year 6 Ruby class attended the Hackney Junior Citizenship Scheme event on Thursday. Year 6 met with firefighters, Doctors, nurses, police officers and TFL workers who spoke to them about staying safe, being healthy and looking after their mental and physical health. This was a great day to support year 6's transition to secondary school next year.

   

  Thank you for all your support with the children’s project homework. They are great and the children really enjoyed sharing them with their classes and in a special assembly. Well done to our children for working so hard at home as well as school.

   

  A huge thank you from the PTFA, Quiz team, myself and the staff for your support with the annual quiz last Friday. It was an enjoyable night. The event is entirely dependent on your volunteering and support so a massive thank you to everyone. After expenses, we raised a whopping £4215. Thank you to those of you who came, helped, presented and created the quiz. This total is amazing and shows what a great community Betty Layward is.

   

  Well done to Year 6 who held a bake sale to help them raise funds towards their French trip in the summer. They held it during parent’s meetings and raised an amazing £346.43. I appreciate your support with this. They have been challenged to raise £2000 towards the trip and are thinking of different ways to do it. We know they can and it is a lovely skill for them to learn. The London Fire Brigade also told the children that if you need a fire alarm they will fit one in your home for free or will come and check yours if you already have one. Please use this link to find out more-https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/protect

   

  With this link you can book the fire brigade to come and check alarms and also they will install fire alarms for free if any properties do not have them

   

  I had the lovely experience of going into every class to watch writing being taught this week. Seeing the children focussed, engaged, and enthused by their learning was a pleasure. I was incredibly proud of them all.

   

  Well done to Charley in Year 2 who chose to bake cookies herself and raise money for the school by selling them. She raised an amazing £15.73. Well done Charley.

  As you know we try very hard to keep parents regularly informed about first aid incidents at school. Sending paper notifications home can be rather ‘hit and miss’ with notifications often going astray along the way. We are also increasingly aware of the substantial cost, time and environmental impact associated with the amount of paper and photocopying involved with this.

  
  we are changing our system of reporting first aid. We are now going to use a service called Medical Tracker. Medical Tracker not only allows us to inform parents/ carers of first aid incidents by email but it also allows us to analyse the data we record.

  
  Medical Tracker will be beneficial to you because:
   We can record and track first aid incidents that involve your child
   We can record and track medication administration that involves your child
   You can be notified immediately after a first aid incident by email
   You can be notified immediately after medication has been administered by email
   

  You will still always receive a phone call for head injuries and any concerns where we think a child needs extra attention. To use Medical Tracker effectively we need to collect the best email address to use to notify you of incidents. Please let us know if this is different to the one on Arbor. Please be assured that Medical Tracker is registered with the Data Protection Registrar and guarantees that all
  information you provide will be kept private and will not be passed on to any other organisation.
  Important – When we start using Medical Tracker, email messages will be sent from
  donotreply@medicaltracker.co.uk.  Please add this address to your email address books (or approved sender list) to prevent messages from being blocked by your SPAM/JUNK filters. We will need to rely on you to check your emails to ensure this system works effectively.

   

  Please remember not to use your mobile phone as you enter the school, on the school grounds and in the school itself. Please do not bring any hot drinks into school either. Thank you for your support with this.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

   

• Newsletter Friday 15th November 2024

  Fri 15 Nov 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  I hope you have had a good week. We have had a busy and great week. This week we celebrated Anti-bullying week by wearing our odd socks and choosing respect. We enjoyed an assembly where we learned the meaning of respect, and how to spot bullying if it happens. We also celebrated World Kindness Day on Wednesday. Each class wrote acts of kindness on leaves, and created a whole school kindness tree to show kindness grows kindness. The children enjoyed sharing positivity and happiness. I reminded the children that their kindness is evident all the time, not just on this special day. I am so impressed with how kind and thoughtful the children are at Betty Layward. 

   

  Thank you for attending your parent’s meeting yesterday. We are so proud of how well the children are doing and how focused they are on learning. It is also lovely to see them when they are proud of themselves. 

  
  This week, as part of their Mapping unit, year 5 visited Hampstead Heath for an orienteering session. They looked at maps and compasses in more detail, created their own islands and tested their map-reading and teamwork skills by exploring the Heath's orienteering course. 

   

  On Tuesday 12th November a group of year 5 and 6 children participated in the Hackney Football League at The Eastway Hub against Halley House. The boys kicked off first and despite displaying great teamwork skills with goals from Joe and Lorcan the boys were defeated. The Girls were up next and blew away their opponents with an 11-0 victory with goals from Livvie, Bonnie, Clara and Martha. Well done to all the children who took part and a special thank you to all the parent volunteers.

   

  It was lovely to have our parents and carers visit us in Reception for Family Friday today.  The children and families were thinking about Understanding the World and our local area.  They drew maps of the local area that surrounds Betty Layward and thought about their journeys to school.

   

  Our Winter Fair is on 7th December from 12:30-3:00pm. On Friday 6th December please can the children wear their own clothes and bring in a donation for the fair. This can be toiletries, chocolates or bottles of alcohol. If you also have a suitable raffle prize please let us or your PTFA rep know. We will also need help setting up the fair on the Friday and setting up, running a stall or clearing up on the Saturday. Any help is greatly appreciated and we can only run these events if we do have enough help. Thank you for your support with this.

   

  We have a new venue for our Year 2 to 6 Christmas concert. It will be held at St Matthias Church, Wordworth Rd, N16 8DD on the afternoon of Tuesday 17th December. We are just confirming the times and will let you know soon. You will not be able to take your child home from the church. The children will go back to school first. 

   

  I look forward to seeing you at the quiz night tonight. Thank you to everyone for your excellent organisation skills, your help and for buying tickets. I look forward to seeing you there.

   

  Have a lovely weekend 

  Jessica 

  Headteacher 
   

   

  

• Newsletter Friday 8th November 2024

  Fri 08 Nov 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

  We have had a lovely week back after the half-term break. We really hope you had a good week. It is lovely seeing everyone back. Year 5 started the week with a great trip to the Buddhist Centre in Bethnal Green.

   

  Thank you to those of you who attended the PTFA AGM on Monday. It was lovely to see you there. We really appreciate all the help, time, and support you provide to the school. Every little bit everyone does really makes a difference for the children, so a massive thank you from myself and everyone at Betty Layward. We look forward to seeing you at the quiz next Friday.

   

  Thank you for signing up for your parent’s meeting. Please ensure you have done this. Your child can join the meeting if you would like them to, or they can attend the creche. The creche is only for the duration of your meeting and not for the whole afternoon. Premier is open from 1p.m. but has limited spaces as they need to ensure they have the right adult-to-child ratio. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday. Please remember we close at 1pm on Thursday and need all children to be picked up so we can start the meetings. 

   

  Our Christmas Concert for Years 2 – 6 is normally held in St Mary’s Church. Unfortunately, they have just let us know that their heating has broken down so we cannot perform there. We are currently finding a new location and will update you with the location and timings as soon as we know.

   

  As you know, we are implementing OPAL in our playground. This encourages children to play in different ways. Next week, on Wednesday 13 November, OPAL are holding a short webinar for parents to talk about the power of play and to help them make play part of every day for their child.  At the event, OPAL Director Michael Follett will explore some of the key benefits of play, look at how playwork theory can support parents, and share his top tips for play at home. This event is part of OPAL's commitment to making play part of every child's life and is fundraising to support Project Play, a wonderful organisation that provides safe spaces to play for displaced children in Northern France. This webinar is free to attend, but we encourage participants to make a suggested donation of £10 to Project Play's fundraiser, which is being match funded by OPAL CIC. Book your free place on https://bit.ly/4fgpQKK 

   

  As we ask the children not to be on their phones in school we are going to ask parents and carers to do the same. We are asking that you are not on your phone on the school premises, inside the building, coming into school and in the playground. We think this will be a better example for all the children. Please can you let anyone else collecting know this and signs will be going up soon. Thank you for your support with this.

   

  If you are requesting a leave of absence for your child during term time please complete an absence request form. These can be obtained from the office. We cannot authorise any holidays or trips that could be taken out of term time.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

   

   

• Newsletter Friday 25th October 2024

  Fri 25 Oct 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  I cannot believe we are at the end of the first term. It has been a busy and brilliant week with lots going on.

   

  As part of Black History Month Maggy visited us in assembly this week to share her experiences in education and career as part of Black History Month. Maggy has worked in different locations and in many other positions including various responsibilities such as offering medical care to patients, being involved in humanitarian relief work and diverse projects in a Public Health capacity. She is currently part of a team delivering products and services for NHS Digital which for example played a vital role in improving our NHS online services during the Covid pandemic. It was inspiring to hear about how much Maggy has done in her career, to think about how career paths change direction and most importantly to think about being whoever you want to be. On Thursday we had more inspirational talks from Alicia, a parent, and her brother Jonathan to celebrate Black History Month and continue the theme, Reclaiming the Narrative. Alicia shared her passion for learning from a young age, her interest in the arts, and her incredible achievements in life so far. Her message was to continue to believe and learn. Jonathan shared how his interest in fashion and design brought him to have a creative job he is passionate about in the graphic arts. He shared some of his designs and artwork he has created that inspired us all. Thank you, Maggy, Alicia and Jonathan. 

   

  Hackney Black History 365 is still taking place over the half term. There are some fantastic events for families and children especially the following: 

   

  26th October - Dr Ronx - Welcome to an event like no other! Join us at Homerton Library for an informative session with Dr Ronx on How to Save a Life.

  Learn essential first aid skills, CPR techniques, and how to handle emergencies like a pro. This in-person event is your chance to empower yourself and make a real difference in critical situations. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain life-saving knowledge!
  https://www.lovehackney.uk/black-history-season-events-2024/dr-ronx-presents-how-to-save-a-life

   

  28th, 29th, 30th and 31st October - Art and Craft events: Join us for a family craft session celebrating Black History Season! We'll be learning all about adinkra symbols and making our own bookmarks! No booking required. It is taking place at Woodberry Down, Clapton, Dalston CLR James, Hackney Central and Homerton libraries. 

  Free. Suitable for families and children ages 4+.

  https://www.lovehackney.uk/black-history-season-events-2024/family-craft-session

   

  This week in preparation for the Hindu celebration of Diwali, the children were given the opportunity to take part in a dance workshop. The children learnt the story of the Ramayana. This is a great Hindu epic story about Prince Rama and his wife Sita, which has been shared orally and through dance for centuries. The children used their imaginations to physically retell the epic tale, from making the sounds and shapes of the forest to lighting the lamps that guide Rama and Sita home. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves. 

   

  Last week the children were all excited to participate in Science Week. This year's theme was Change and Transformation. To celebrate all the year groups took part in a science workshop that explored chemical and physical changes. The children were able to witness how different chemicals change and react when mixed together. They were especially excited to witness how adding Mentos candies to a carbonated beverage provides enormous numbers of pre-existing bubbles into which dissolved carbon dioxide can escape i.e. a Sprite Explosion. We would like to give a huge thank you to our teachers Laura and Helen for arranging the workshop as well as planning additional in class activities about Change and Transformation. 

   

  Betty Layward took part in a football competition on Wednesday 16th October at Mabley Green. There were victories over the Olive School, Parkwood and Queensbridge in the league format which meant we qualified for the quarter-finals against Grazebrook. It was a hard-fought game with Betty Layward coming out on top, to claim the victory with a 2-0 win which then took us to the semi-finals against Gayhurst.  Gayhurst beat us in the first league game. It went to penalties after a 1-1 draw and our goalkeeper Ollie pulled off a great save to take us to the finals against Millfields. The final was a very close contest with Millfields winning 2-0. The children put in a huge amount of effort and we are so proud of them. Well done.

   

  On Wednesday 16th October, three children from Year 6 visited Hackney Town Hall to attend the launch of the Hackney Reading Champions. This event marks the kick-off of our Reading Ambassadors challenge. Over this coming year, the Reading Ambassadors will help to raise the profile of reading in our school by completing a series of challenges. These ideas will come from the children with the intent of making our school a place where as many people as possible love to read. We look forward to sharing with you all the amazing achievements the Reading Ambassadors will be taking part in over the year. 

   

  Well done to Didem and Deniz for raising over £1000 for doing something incredibly special and selfless—they’re donating their beautiful hair to the Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides free wigs to children and young people who have lost their hair due to cancer or other illnesses. They are doing this as they know hair loss can be devastating for children, and having a wig that looks and feels like real hair can make an enormous difference in their confidence and well-being. Wigs provided by the Little Princess Trust are made from real hair and are completely free of charge to the families who need them. They wanted to do something to help. They’ve been growing their hair for months in preparation, and now they’re ready to make the big chop. This will take place in half term and we look forward to seeing them with their new hairstyles. Well done to them for being so kind and thoughtful.

   

  Well done to the Betty Layward Dad’s football team who raised £750 for the school. They drew 0-0 with the Grazebrook Dads and were impressed with how many people turned up to support them. Thank you to all the Dads for doing this and I think there are more football matches to come.

   

  I hope you have signed up for your parents' meeting. We are looking forward to seeing you there.

   

  We also look forward to seeing you at the PTFA AGM on Monday 4th November at 5pm. Any help and support is really welcome and very much appreciated. It really does make a difference for the school.

   

  I really hope you have a lovely half term break and we look forward to seeing you on Monday 4th November. Thank you for all your help, support and kindness this term. 

   

  Jessica

  Headteacher

   

  

• Newsletter Friday 18th October 2024

  Wed 16 Oct 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We have had a busy and great week. Year went to Woodberry Wetlands which tied into their science topic of habitats. The children looked at a variety of habitats and microhabitats, including grass, under logs, trees and ponds, and did some pond dipping. They found woodlice, worms, beetles, newt lava, newts, water hog louse, leopard slugs, centipedes and spiders. They had a great time and were really well behaved. Well done Year 2.

   

  As part of our Black History Month celebrations, we have had some visitors in this week to talk to the children. Diane Abbott visited on Monday and told the children about her journey to becoming the first black female Member of Parliament in 1987. She was clear about her message of being whoever you want to be and not giving up. The children also asked some great questions. We had two Police Community Support Officers visit on Tuesday and they shared their stories in the assembly and discussed the theme for Black History Month, Reclaiming the Narrative with the children and what it means to them. Moses and Beverly (the PCSOs) shared their stories from growing up in Nigeria and Jamaica and how they continued to learn in Britain to land their dream jobs of working for the MET police. They both passed on the important message of how we can all work together to continue to learn about Black History.

   

  Thank you for attending our Black History Month event today. It was great. Well done to Eva and her Grandad for singing before school as everyone walked in and for singing at the event too. Well done to the parents who organised it and thank you for your support. It was really good fun and the food was delicious.

   

  Thank you to the Grandparents who came in this week. It was great to see you and the children love having you visit. I know we have some more coming in next week, which is great.

   

   To raise funds for both primary schools, a group of Betty Layward dads will be playing against a Grazebrook veterans’ team on Saturday, 19th October (Stoke Newington School pitch), at 4.30 pm. You can support them by donating on this page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/school-football-charity-match. Please come along to applaud their incredible slow-motion skills and efforts to run. Thank you for your support and thank you to the Betty Layward Dads for doing this.

   

  Please remember to sign up for your parents and carers meeting. We look forward to seeing you there.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

  

• Friday 11th October 2024

  Fri 11 Oct 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  It has been a great week at Betty Layward. Year 6, Ruby class presented a wonderful assembly on the Grimm’s Fairy Tales. They were amazing with their acting and singing. Well done Ruby class.

   

  Thank you for those of you who attended Family Friday in Reception today. It was lovely to see you there.

   

  Please remember it is Grandparent’s week next week and we are looking forward to seeing the Grandparents here at school.

   

  On Wednesday 16^th October we havei our Black History event in school from 3:30pm. Please purchase a ticket. We look forward to seeing you there and thank you to the parents who are organising this.

   

  Thank you for your donations for the Harvest Festival. We will be donating these to our food bank. We would still really appreciate more donations. 

   

  Last Thursday, 3rd October, the children celebrated National Poetry Day. This was a chance for all children to share in the pleasures of poetry. From schools to libraries, over 1.5 million people participated in this national celebration. This year the theme was COUNTING.  The children explored different poetic forms and structures. The children enjoyed creating their own prose using rhyme, free verse, paean, and alliteration. I have attached some of the amazing poems that the children have created. Well done to Ajanhi (Year 4), Sylvie (Year 4), Zahra (Year 4), Salome (Year 3), Skylar (Year 3) and Stanley (Year 3)

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

  

• Newsletter Friday 4th October 2024

  Fri 04 Oct 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We have had a busy week. Today we had a visitor, Paul, who talked about becoming a judge. This is part of our Black History Month theme of reclaiming narratives. This theme encourages us to shine a spotlight on the untold stories, the unsung heroes, and the everyday individuals who have made an indelible impact on our communities. Paul talked about his journey of becoming a judge with the children and answered their very insightful questions. Paul was a parent and a governor at the school and we thank him for coming in and sharing his journey. Please remember we have our Black History Month event on Wednesday 16th October at 3:30pm. We look forward to seeing you there.

   

  Today we enjoyed a delicious lunch to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The children and staff really enjoyed it.

   

  The children in Year 1 went on a great bus ride this week which linked with their Literacy text. They loved it and were incredibly well behaved, well done Year 1.

   

  The children really enjoyed a drumming workshop this week with One-Drum. One-Drum is a troupe of professional Ghanaian performers, made up of African drummers, musicians, dancers and acrobats with over 30 years of experience providing an authentic African performance. Two drummers from the troupe came to visit the children class by class and each child had a drum and they all drummed together. It was fantastic and they loved it. It sounded amazing. Here is the link to the company so you can take a look.

   

  https://www.one-drum.org/performances

   

  Bobbie in Year 6 wrote about the workshop –

  ‘Over this week, each class has had a workshop on djembe drums. Djembe drums are from Africa, and the ones we used were handmade there. The instructor who was from Ghana, Africa, told lots of jokes and made us all laugh. We learnt many rhythms and by the end, he was inviting people to dance in the circle. All in all, everyone loved it.’

   

  It is Mental Health Day on Thursday 10th October and we would like the children to wear yellow to school. people are encouraged to wear yellow to show support for young people's mental health. This is part of the #HelloYellow campaign by the mental health charity YoungMinds.  The campaign encourages people to wear yellow clothing, such as t-shirts, socks, or headbands. The goal is to show young people that they are not alone if things feel hard and that things can get better. Thank you for your support for this. We encourage the children to talk about how they feel and that mental health is as important as physical health.

   

  We have Grandparent week coming up. If your child has a Grandparent who would like to come into school and read a story or talk to the children about something of interest please book in with your child’s teacher. This starts on Tuesday 22nd October to Thursday 24th October. Availability for each class is in the table below. Please see your child’s teacher or email them to book a time. Thank you. We love seeing Grandparents in school and we look forward to their visits.

   

  Date and time Classes Available

  Tuesday, 22nd October – Morning Nursery, Reception, 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6

  Tuesday, 22nd October – Afternoon Nursery, 2, 3, 4 and 5

  Wednesday, 23rd October – Morning Nursery, Reception Aqua, 1, 2 and 3

  Wednesday, 23rd October – Afternoon Nursery, Reception Ocean, 1 Violet, 2 Peach, 5 and 6

  Thursday, 24th October – Morning Nursery, Reception Aqua, 1, 2, 3 Emerald, 4 Cerise

  Thursday, 24th October – Afternoon 1, 4, 5 and 6

   

  We have Science Week coming up soon on October 14th and there are workshops for the children. More information will follow.

   

  We have a table outside for Harvest donations. Any donations would be very welcome and would be much appreciated for our Food Bank.

   

  Have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

   

   

   

  

• Newsletter Friday 27th September 2024

  Fri 27 Sep 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We have not let this wet weather get the better of us this week. We have had a great week. Thank you for attending your Meet the Teacher meetings. It was great to see you there. We look forward to seeing you at next week's Reception and Nursery meetings. Please remember we have the Reception and Year 1 phonics and reading workshop on Wednesday at 3:30pm. We hope you can make it. The slides for the parent’s meetings are on the website.

   

  Please remember to look at our knowledge organisers on the website to help support your child’s learning with the curriculum from Years 1 – 6. The link for this is

  https://www.bettylayward.hackney.sch.uk/knowledge-organisers/

  October is Black History Month. In today’s world, stories are powerful tools that shape how we understand our past, present, and future. For too long, the history of Black communities has been told through lenses that often misrepresent, oversimplify, or entirely overlook the rich and diverse experiences of those who lived it. But 2024 is set to be a transformative year. Black History Month UK has unveiled its compelling theme: Reclaiming Narratives. This theme encourages us to shine a spotlight on the untold stories, the unsung heroes, and the everyday individuals who have made an indelible impact on our communities. One of the most exciting aspects of Reclaiming Narratives is its potential to inspire and educate the next generation. This theme offers a fresh perspective on Black history that goes beyond the traditional focus on slavery and civil rights. It’s about celebrating Black excellence in all its forms—whether in the arts, sciences, politics, or everyday life. As well as activities for the children and visitors invited to come and talk to the children at school there will also be a Black History event for families on Wednesday 16th October from 3:30-5pm in the school hall. More information will follow. We hope to see you there.

   

  I want to say a massive well done and thank you to Cem, Didem and Deniz who raised £65 for school by selling books and toys.  They were incredible at being very proactive in setting up the stall, making posters, pricing their stock and getting people to stop and take a look. Well done Cem, Didem and Deniz, this is amazing and very much appreciated.

   

  It was lovely to see some of you at Reception’s first Family Friday today. There will be more opportunities to visit this term. It was lovely to see parents are carers reading with the children.

   

  Thank you for not blocking the front entrance in the mornings and afternoons. It really makes a difference for the children coming in. Please can you continue to keep the school entrance clear. Thank you.

   

  I hope you have a lovely weekend,

  Jessica

  Headteacher

  

• Newsletter Friday 20th September 2024

  Fri 20 Sep 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We have had a great week. The sun was shining for us and to make the most of the lovely weather all the children ate lunch outside on Thursday. The children really enjoyed it and it was lovely to see.

   

  The African Caribbean Education Network visited us this week and Years 4, 5 and 6 had an anti-racism presentation and Years 5 and 6 had a workshop on Understanding Black British History and Racial Inequality today. The staff then had training with ACEN. What we all learnt was the importance of-

  • discussing and asking questions about racism in an open and safe environment
  • using techniques like active listening to help develop understanding 
  • exploring what a stereotype is and start to challenge assumptions we hear and see in the media  
  • celebrating others’ differences and similarities  
  • being empowered to create an anti-racist environment.  

  We always let the children know they have a voice and why it is also important to be an upstander and let people know if they see or hear any unacceptable behaviours they can speak out. If they feel safe they can say something there and then or they can get an adult to come and help. Our children know this and are good at telling adults about unacceptable behaviour. We want to ensure all our children feel safe to say when something is not okay.  The facilitators from ACEN were very impressed by our children and staff and the contributions they made during the presentation, workshops and training. That is always lovely to hear. A massive thank you to ACEN who worked with us and we look forward to continuing to work with them.

   

  Thank you for coming to our International Food Welcome Event today.  It was lovely to see so many of you there. Thank you for your help and donations too. This is such a lovely way to start the school year.

   

  This week some children in Y3 and 4 competed against other Hackney schools in tennis.  They were supportive of each other and had a lovely positive attitude.  

  Both teams were successful and came back as winners.  Well done to everyone who took part.

   

  A team of Year 4 girls took part in a football competition on Wednesday 18th September at Mabley Green. The girls started with three league games: winning one against Olive School, drawing one against Gayhurst School, and losing one to Shacklewell, which meant we qualified for the quarter-finals. During the quarter-finals, Betty Layward and Millfields had a close encounter, which went to penalties, which we unluckily lost despite some really good penalty kicks. Well done to all the children who took part. We are very proud of you.

   

  Mara showed us the costume she will be wearing in the Hackney Carnival on Sunday during Star of the Week assembly today. Hackney Carnival returns on Sunday, 22nd September 2024. The street parade will be the highlight of the day and feature eye-catching costumes, soul-stirring music and a spectacle of talents from over 30 parade groups. The parade begins at 12:00pm and finishes at 5:00pm. There will also be a wide range of other sites and sounds across Hackney. Here are just a few of the highlights: 

  Hackney Town Hall Square

  It’s a carnival take-over down at the Hackney Town Hall square. Come see a mix of thrilling street arts, bass sound systems and live performances from special guests. 

  St John’s Walled Garden
  For everyone - everyone can get into the spirit at this family friendly disco and activities from Hackney favourites DISCO LOCO! 

  St John’s Church
  Nestled in the front gardens of St John’s church is a family area with food, fun activities and a relaxed atmosphere. 

  Food Market
  No need to dance on an empty stomach. Fuel up and get refreshed with cuisines of the world. Head to the Tesco car park in Morning Lane.

   

  https://www.lovehackney.uk/hackney-carnival

   

  Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the Carnival if you are able to go.

  Jessica

  Headteacher

   

  

• Newsletter Friday 13th September 2024

  Fri 13 Sep 2024 Jessica

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  Our first whole week back has been great. The new Reception and Nursery children have settled in brilliantly and we are so proud of them. It is like they have been here for ages. When I pop into the classrooms they are happy, focused and having a great time. Well done Reception and Nursery.  Welcome to all our new families as well. 

   

  We have our International Food Welcome Event next Friday (20th September). This starts after school and there will be delicious food and drinks. You pay £8 for an adult plate and £4 for a child's plate. We also ask for donations of food. It would be much appreciated if you could make something or donate a dish. It is a really nice event and gives new families to meet others and it is also lovely to see all our familiar families. Please donate and please come. 

   

  Betty Layward has been awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag. Well done to Emma (year 6 teacher), the children in the eco committee and all the other children and adults who made this happen. We are very proud of this. The Eco-Schools Green Flag is the perfect way to acknowledge, reward and celebrate the ecological achievements of young people. It clearly demonstrates that their hard work is appreciated, and it provides them with the confidence and motivation needed to continue actively engaging with environmental issues throughout their lifetimes. Finally, it also tells local communities that we are forward-thinking and promote child-led environmental education and action.

   

  Thank you for returning the letters of interest about your child learning a new instrument. The instrument lessons we have remaining for children in years 2 - 6 are trumpet, violin, flute, clarinet and saxophone. Please email admin@bettylayward.org if you would like to book your child into lessons for the year or would like more information. 

   

  On Wednesday, we had the first online safety assembly of the year. We discussed the SMART online safety guidelines, and that children should always speak to an adult if they see anything that worries them online. All children will be signing a 'safe internet use in school' agreement next week. 

   

  Please check you have downloaded the Arbor app. Please set up an account. Any problems let us know and Rebecca (rebeccaday@bettylayward.org) deals with payments so please get in touch with her if there are any issues with those.

   

  Children can bring in individual cupcakes for their birthday. We cannot allow large cakes, sweets or any other items. Please make or buy items that do not contain nuts as we are a nut-free school. Thank you.

   

  Please can I remind you that the gate opens for Years 3, 4,5 and 6 is at 8:50. The children can walk in on their own. We then let Years 2, 1, Reception and Nursery in at 8:55 and they need to be accompanied by an adult. We ask that you walk all the way round and out of that car park gate. The only reason to come back to the front gate is if your child needs to collect their bike or scooter. This avoids congestion. Please could you pass this information on to other people who drop off or collect your child. That would be really appreciated. Thank you. 

   

  We have Grandparent's Week coming up during the week beginning 21st October. This is a lovely opportunity when Grandparents can come into their grandchild’s class and read a story or talk to them about an interest. More details will follow. 

  Please can you ensure you have completed the form about who can pick your child up. Thanks.

   

  Please remember to check the calendar on the website for dates. You can link your own calendar to it and it will automatically transfer dates over. We have meet the teacher sessions coming up and we would really like to see you there.

   

  Have a lovely weekend. Hopefully, the sun will continue to shine,

  Jessica

  Headteacher