https://www.alexandraprimaryschool.co.uk Friday 20th March 2026 Issue No. 29
https://www.alexandraprimaryschool.co.uk Friday 20th March 2026 Issue No. 29
As we near the end of a busy and rewarding Spring term, I always like to take a moment to reflect on some of the wonderful experiences our school community has shared.
At Alexandra, music is an important part of school life and it was a joy to see this in action last week through our Year 6 and Nursery musical sharing events. Both were fantastic celebrations of creativity and the confidence our pupils have in performing. We are very much looking forward to the upcoming musical showcases for the rest of the school next week, which promise to be equally special.
We have also celebrated Red Nose Day in style today, with a whole-school fun run, a staff tug of war and a crazy hair competition. It was lots of fun, a big thank you for all the generous donations.
Finally, I would like to wish a very happy Eid to all those in our community who are celebrating. Eid Mubarak!
A reminder that the last day of term is Friday 27th March and we look forward to welcoming all pupils back on Monday 13th April.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
What a wonderful week we've had celebrating Red Nose Day here at Alexandra Primary!
At the start of the week, we gathered together for an assembly to introduce the children to this fantastic cause. We talked about the importance of helping others and how Red Nose Day has made such a real difference over the years with their brilliant motto – do something funny for money.
During the assembly, we shared some exciting ideas about how we could get involved and celebrate together. Our school council representatives then returned to their classes to gather suggestions from their peers. Finally, we met to share and finalise our plans. The children had some brilliant ideas, and the majority opted for a Fun Run and a teacher tug of war. The children also wanted the freedom to express themselves on the day. We agreed they could come to school dressed in red and they could come with crazy hair too.
When Red Nose Day itself arrived, it was brilliant to see the children so excited to show off their creative hairstyles. The Fun Run was a great success and there was such a lovely atmosphere throughout the day as everyone got involved.
We would like to thank our staff, children and parents for making this such an enjoyable day.
Last week, our school hall was filled with the sound of music as Year 6 showcased their violin learning to their families.
Throughout this academic year, our Year 6 children have been developing their musical skills in lessons, learning to play the violin. It's been inspiring to watch their progress and confidence grow week by week. Last week, we decided to open our doors and invite parents to be part of that journey. Rather than simply observing, we wanted families to experience music-making firsthand. Parents were invited to have a go themselves – playing the drums and even trying the violin. It was lovely to see the children in the role of teachers, supporting their parents and sharing what they've learned.
The highlight of the session was listening to the Year 6 performance. The children demonstrated real skill and you could see the pride shining through as they played for their families.
We extend our gratitude to Mr Ken, who continues to bring such wonder and enthusiasm to music at our school.
What a wonderful week we've had at Forest School! The birds were louder, which made it feel like spring was coming,
Our Year 3 children have been brilliant this week, embracing new challenges and learning valuable skills in nature. They explored fire safety using strikers, tackled tree climbing with confidence and discovered how to build shelters from natural materials like sticks and branches. It was lovely to see the children collaborating as they worked together, creating little houses from natural items they found around them.
These experiences in Forest School are so much more than just outdoor time – they're building resilience, independence and a connection with the natural world.
If you have any questions about what your child has been learning at Forest School, do ask them about it – they'll have plenty of stories to share!
Last week, we celebrated International Women's Day with a special assembly. Some of our girls dressed up as visionary female figures from the book Little Leaders, bringing these incredible women to life.
It was great to see our children engage with stories of women who have made significant contributions to our world. We explored the diverse achievements of women across different fields and cultures, helping all our children understand the importance of recognising female role models and their impact on society.
We also took time to discuss equality and the journeys that women around the world continue to undertake. We talked about the ongoing struggles for equal rights and opportunities that many women still face today. These conversations are vital for our children to understand, as they help develop their awareness of global issues and develop empathy and respect for others.
Thank you to all the children who participated in this meaningful and enjoyable assembly.
It's been wonderful to see our school community come together recently to celebrate International Women's Day. We organised a creative session for parents and it was such a special occasion.
Olya, one of our parents, very kindly prepared materials for everyone to make greeting cards. There were some beautiful examples of Mother's Day and Easter cards being made.
Our Chair of Governors, Caroline Schloss, brought in embroidery kits for parents to try their hand at. Ms Daniela also shared some craft ideas including making Baba Marta bracelets from red and white embroidery threats. Our new govenor, Julia, joined the session to introduce herself and meet some of our parents. These activities created such a calm and relaxing atmosphere where parents could take their time, enjoy the process and perhaps discover a new creative hobby.
What we valued most was the opportunity this session gave us to get to know one another better. These sessions, help build the strong community connections that make Alexandra Primary such a special place.
We'd like to say a huge thank you to Olya, Caroline and Ms Daniela for making this event so special.
Last week, Cuba class shared their learning with us all, it was truly special to see the children showcase everything they've been working on over the last term.
The children took us on a journey through space, sharing their discoveries and curiosity about the world beyond our own. They reinforced their understanding through the songs they've been learning and you could see how much joy these had brought them throughout their topic work.
The highlight for many was undoubtedly the drumming display. The children have been working incredibly hard during their Music lessons with Mr Ken and it really showed. The energy, rhythm and coordination they demonstrated was impressive and it was clear how much they've developed their musical skills and confidence.
These events give children the opportunity to reflect on their progress, build their confidence and share their accomplishments with an audience that cares about them. It also allows us to recognise the hard work that goes into every lesson, every practice session and every moment of learning.
Thank you Cuba Class children and staff for this celebration of learning.
Our brand new library is now fully operational and has quickly become a popular space within our school.
We've implemented a timetable to ensure every class has dedicated time to visit this wonderful, calm environment where children can explore and select books that capture their imagination.
Recently, our Year 1 children have been making the most of their library visits. They're developing a genuine love of reading and learning to make independent choices about the books they want to take home.
The calm, welcoming atmosphere of the library provides the perfect space for children to slow down, think carefully and engage with stories and information in a way that feels special and different from their classroom learning.
We're grateful to everyone who has contributed to making this library such a success, and we look forward to seeing it continue to flourish.
For art this half term, Year 6 are studying Street Art. To support their learning, they headed down to the Tate Modern on Wednesday morning. It was a lovely, sunny day and a great day to be out in Central London - we took in many sights, including St Paul's Cathedral and the Millenium Bridge.
After taking in some modern art at the Tate Modern (including a fully carpeted wall that we could 'grafitt' on), we headed down to the see the huge painting of Willian Shakespeare on the wall by the Globe.
What a fabulous day we had!
We are excited to share an initiative we've launched at Alexandra Primary to support our children's financial literacy. This term, some of our children have begun participating in Money Ready workshops, an engaging programme designed to introduce them to essential money concepts in a practical, age-appropriate way.
Last week, we held our first sessions with Year 3 & 5 and it was wonderful to see the children so enthusiastically engaged. The Year 3 workshop featured hands-on activities including job-building scenarios, which really brought learning to life. Through these interactive tasks, the children explored how people earn money and began to understand budgeting in a way that connects to their everyday experiences. They discovered the real value of money and started thinking about the choices we make when we spend and save.
In Year 5, the Money Ready session started by enhancing the children's practical money management skills. The children developed their understanding of the value of money, budgeting for needs versus wants and exploring effective saving strategies.
These workshops form part of our Key Stage 2 curriculum and align with our PSHE and citizenship provision. We believe that developing strong financial awareness from an early age equips our children with crucial life skills they'll carry forward. The sessions are designed to be engaging and practical, ensuring that learning about money feels relevant and achievable.
We're excited to continue this programme throughout the term and look forward to sharing the children's progress with you.
Year 3 have been learning about plants in science. They started by exploring the different factors that affect plant growth, including sunlight, water and fertilisers. The children discussed why these are important and made predictions about what might happen to plants if they did not have enough of these things.
To investigate this, the class carried out an experiment by planting broad beans. The children observed how plants grow and began to understand how different conditions can affect their development. They will continue to observe the beans over time and record any changes they notice.
The children also learned about the different parts of a flowering plant. They carefully dissected plants and identified parts such as the roots, stem, leaves and flowers. We discussed the function of each part and how they help the plant survive and grow.
The children really enjoyed the hands-on learning and were excited to explore the plants closely. This topic has helped them develop their scientific observation skills and curiosity about the natural world.
Last week, we invited our nursery parents into school for a special musical sharing session, and it was great to see so many families join us.
During the session, the children showcased their learning in music. An area that is absolutely key to our approach at Alexandra Primary. Mr Ken, our music teacher, is incredibly passionate about ensuring every child participates in music-making and he has such a gift for making learning fun and engaging, even with our youngest learners.
These activities do so much more than just develop musical skills; they build vocabulary, confidence and a willingness to perform in front of others.
The highlight was seeing our parents so enthusiastically involved, singing and dancing alongside the children. Mr Ken always encourages families to join in and watching parents and children enjoying music together was lovely to see.
Thank you to all our families who came along and to Mr Ken for creating such an inclusive and joyful experience.
In addition to our Monday whole school assemblies our Year 1-6 children also enjoy their phase assemblies, where they receive certificates celebrating their achievements from the previous week.
One thing that stood out last week was the significant increase in whole class 100% attendance certificates given out to years 4, 5 & 6. It was fantastic to see so many classes reaching this milestone. We've introduced some exciting incentives this half term to encourage children to think about the importance of attending school and we are delighted to see them talking so positively about it all.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the support from our families. Thank you so much for backing this initiative and helping us create a culture where attendance really matters. What's been most encouraging is seeing children become excited about coming to school and while the rewards are lovely, what truly matters is that our children understand how valuable their presence in the classroom is for their learning and friendships.
I hope this enthusiasm continues throughout the term. We're looking forward to celebrating even more successes together.
Dates: Monday 23rd-Wednesday 25th March
Time: 3:15-3:35pm
Where: Bottom hall, at Alexandra Primary School
We are excited to share that we will be hosting the Scholastic Book Fair next week at Alexandra primary School.
The Book Fair will run from Monday 23rd March to Wednesday 25th March, starting each day after school.
Our World Book Day tokens can be used at the fair on all books. Please note that most books are priced above £1, so the token will act as a £1 discount rather than covering the full cost.
Please come along to one of these days.
Individual or Group Instrument / Singing Lessons at Alexandra
Haringey Music Service are now providing one-to-one and group lessons at Alexandra on a Monday morning.
If you are interested in finding out more (and signing your child up) please follow this link:
As we approach the Easter Holidays, we would like to remind families that taking children on holiday during term time may result in fines and the possibility of prosecution.
Parents have no legal right to time off for holidays, and taking them can result in fines of £80–£160 per parent, per child, or potential court prosecution.
Taking children on holiday during term time in England it is unauthorised and against Department for Education (DfE) regulations.
Alexandra Primary School is working with Haringey Local Authority Education Welfare Service (EWS) regarding all matters of attendance.
The amount of penalty notices to be paid is:
The first time a penalty notice is issued the amount will be £80 per parent, per child paid within 21 days. This increases to £160 per parent, per child if paid after 21, until day 28.
The second time a penalty notice is issued (within 3 years) the amount will be £160 per parent, per child within 28 days.
Any non-payment of the penalty notice will be referred to the Magistrates’ Court.
Any further period of absence (within 3 years) a penalty notice will not be issued and the case may be referred to the Magistrates’ Court under s. 444 of the Education Act (1996) or alternative legal interventions considered.
Best Attendance for this week:
EYFS – No class has met our school target of 96%
KS1 – Well done Chile Class 96.03%
LKS1 – Well done Mexico Class 97.58%
UKS2 – Well done Puerto Rico Class 98.08%
RISE House – Well done 100%
This half term we've launched an exciting attendance competition to support our drive for better attendance across the school. Working with our school council, we agreed that children with 100% attendance each week would be entered into a prize draw to win a miniature duck – something many of our children have shown an interest in collecting!
Those lucky children who win a duck are then entered into another draw for the chance to win either a popcorn party for their whole class or a £30 Morrisons voucher. It's been great to see how positively the children are talking about attendance and we're already noticing an improvement across the school.
We know that every single day counts and this initiative reminds us of this. Please do encourage your child to take part. It's a fun way to highlight just how important regular attendance is for their learning and development.
Please contact us daily if your child is off ill or for another reason.
Call us on 0208 888 9771 (option 1) or
Email us at: attendance@alexprimary.haringey.sch.uk
Thur 26th March: Musical Showcase (Reception & Y1, at 9 am) (Y4 & 5 at 2:15)
Fri 27th March: Musical Showcase (Y2 & 3, at 9 am)
Friday 27th March: Last day of the Spring term (children finish at 1:30)
Monday 13th April: Back to school - First day of the Summer Term