https://www.alexandraprimaryschool.co.uk Friday 22nd May Issue No. 32

Message from the Headteacher

This week, a pupil asked me what my favourite thing about Alexandra Primary School is. I didn’t need to think twice - it’s the children, of course.

Every day they amaze and impress me with their curiosity, kindness, resilience and enthusiasm. They make me smile, challenge me with thoughtful questions and remind me why our school is such a special place.

I feel incredibly proud to be part of the Alexandra community and grateful to work with such wonderful children, families, staff and Governors. It is the people who make our school what it is and I feel very lucky to be part of it.

As we end the half term, we are saying goodbye and good luck to Ms Ayesha, who is beginning her maternity leave. We would like to thank her for all of her hard work and wish her and her family all the very best during this exciting time.

After half term, we are delighted to welcome back Ms Ohemeng as she returns from maternity leave. We are looking forward to having her back as part of the Alexandra team.

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Eid Mubarak to all of our families who will be celebrating during the half-term break. I hope you have a joyful and happy time with family and friends.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Monday 1st June. Have a lovely half term break.

What's been happening this week?

Walk to School Week!

Who helped us get moving this week?

Thank you to every family who took part in Walk to School Week this week. It was brilliant to see so many children choosing to walk, scoot or cycle to school. Getting active on the way in makes a real difference to children’s health, wellbeing and readiness to learn.

Many classes used the whole‑class posters and challenge leaflets — thank you to teachers for making these part of morning routines and transition activities.

Our class introductions helped children learn about the health and social benefits of walking.

A special thanks to Travel for Life at Haringey Council for providing the pedometers we used to reward children’s efforts.

We ran a staff steps competition and a class challenge for children — thank you to everyone who logged their steps and cheered the children on. Winners will be announced in our next whole school assembly and in the newsletter.

Thank you again for supporting this healthy, active week — your involvement helped make it a positive, community event for our children.

Growing Together in EYFS

Reception and Nursery have been busy little gardeners this half term. The children have been learning all about planting and growing as part of our outdoor learning curriculum, and they have shown fantastic curiosity and care.

This week, the children carefully moved their seedlings into bigger pots, giving them more space to grow strong roots. They have also been taking responsibility for watering the plants each day, noticing how the soil changes and what plants need to stay healthy.

We are growing a variety of vegetables, and the children are excited to watch them change over time. This hands‑on experience is helping them develop early science skills, teamwork, and a sense of pride in looking after something living.

We look forward to sharing updates — and hopefully some home‑grown vegetables — later in the term.

Year 2 Art

In Art, Year 2 explored the exciting topic of sculptures by designing and creating their very own animal heads. This was a long and intricate project that took several weeks of careful planning, shaping and decorating.

The children showed fantastic creativity, patience and determination throughout the process and the finished sculptures were truly impressive.

Well done to everyone for their hard work and wonderful artistic achievements!

Year 2 Trip to the local Church

Year 2 enjoyed a wonderful local trip to the church as part of their learning about candles. The children explored the special meaning and use of candles within the church, taking time to observe the peaceful and beautiful surroundings.

It was a memorable experience that helped bring their learning to life and inspired thoughtful discussions back in the classroom.

Y3 Visit to the Petrie Museum

Year 3 had a fantastic time on their visit to the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology this week. The children were excited to see real Ancient Egyptian objects up close and learn more about how people lived thousands of years ago.

During the visit, pupils explored a wide range of everyday items from the past — from tools and pottery to jewellery and household objects. They were fascinated to discover that many of these items are very similar to things we still use today, helping them make strong links between ancient life and the modern world.

Some of the children were trying to decipher hieroglyphics. It was definitely hard work, but Year 3 persevered and enjoyed the challenge of cracking the ancient code. The children returned to school buzzing with new knowledge and enthusiasm for their history learning. We are incredibly proud of how engaged and respectful they were during the trip.

Year 5 Science

Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed their Science lesson this week as they explored the life cycles of birds and reptiles. During the lesson, the children recalled key facts about the structure of an egg, compared the differences between mammal, bird and reptile life cycles, and developed their understanding of how birds and reptiles grow and reproduce. As part of their learning, the children carried out a hands-on investigation by dissecting a chicken egg and identifying the different parts of an unfertilised egg.

It was a fantastic opportunity for the class to apply their scientific knowledge through practical exploration and the children all enjoyed the experience.

Year 5 Ancient Greece Showcase

Year 5 were proud to showcase all of their hard work this half term at their Ancient Greece parent showcase.

The children shared their exciting “Defeat the Monster” stories, displayed their beautifully designed Greek pottery and presented the impressive Greek temples they created through vector drawings in their computing lessons. It was wonderful to celebrate their creativity, effort and enthusiasm for learning with our families.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this wonderful celebration of learning.

Year 2 Design Technology

In Design and Technology, Year 2 used their creativity and practical skills to design and make their own personal flags. The children carefully used sewing techniques and a hot glue gun to assemble their creations, choosing colours, patterns and symbols that represented who they are and what is important to them.

It was wonderful to see their individuality shine through in such thoughtful and imaginative designs.

Year 6 trip to Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Year 6 had a fantastic trip to see Hercules at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London’s West End. The show was full of exciting songs, colourful costumes, amazing dancing and lots of humour. Everyone especially enjoyed the songs “Zero to Hero” and “Go the Distance”.

The children were brilliantly behaved and represented the school wonderfully throughout the day. It was a memorable experience that we will not forget!

Year 6 Production — Hercules

After their inspiring trip to the West End to see Hercules, our Year 6s are now preparing their very own production of Hercules at Alexandra. Rehearsals are underway and the children are already working hard on acting, music and staging.

We will share more updates soon — including performance dates and how to book tickets — once everything is confirmed. Keep an eye on the newsletter for details.

Aspiration Day

We are excited to invite our children to our Aspiration Day: “See Them to Be Them” on Friday 12th June.

This is a whole-school event to help pupils imagine their future and explore a wide range of careers and life paths.

What will happen

Children will have the opportunity to meet with adults who are happy to talk about their jobs, training and life choices.
Pupils are invited to come to school dressed as their future self (e.g. a doctor, engineer, artist, entrepreneur etc.). This helps make the day fun and sparks conversation.
The day will emphasise aspirations, responsibility and curiosity — connecting with our school values.

Parent Volunteers Needed!!!

We’d love parents and carers to share their experience by joining our list of professionals who are willing to speak to small groups of children on the day. Sessions are informal and tailored to the age group; you do not need specialist resources, just a short explanation of your job and time to answer questions.

We will provide a short briefing for volunteers before the event and ensure sessions are comfortable and well organised.

If you are interested in volunteering, please speak to one of the team; Jamie Smyth, Maria Lopez and Kate Birch.

Thank you in advance for supporting our children to see the possibilities for their futures. Seeing adults from our community helps children believe they can achieve the same. As we say you have to “See Them to Be Them”.

Borough Athletics Competition — Well done, everyone!

This week our children represented Alexandra Primary at the borough athletics competition alongside many local schools. They showed fantastic effort, resilience and enthusiasm across the events, including sprints, long jump and howlers.

Highlights

Outstanding determination from every child — for many this was their first competitive event and they gave it their all.
Great teamwork and sportsmanship: pupils cheered each other on and demonstrated our school values of Courage and Responsibility.
Thank you to Ms Shannon, Ms Farhana and Ms Julie; your help made the day possible.

We’re proud of every child who took part — well done to all!

Summer Fair Update

Save the date: Saturday 20th June

Thank you to everyone who joined Welcome in Wednesday this week to help plan our Summer Fair on Saturday 20 June. It was fantastic to hear so many great ideas and to meet parents offering their time and support.

Key points from the meeting:

A big thank you to Ms Sharni for sharing details of the prizes so far, including restaurant vouchers, Kaleidoscope tickets, hampers and more.
We will have a stall by the main gate at the end of the school day to sell raffle tickets. Several parents have kindly volunteered to sell tickets outside school too.
Thank you to the parents who have offered to help with the BBQ and other food stalls (for example, chicken wraps).
Parents suggested lots of fun ideas; speedy chess, “guess the baby” from staff photos, and a nearly‑new toy stall.
We will hold a non‑uniform day on Friday 12 June. Children are invited to bring one item for the tombola (popular items include biscuits, bottled drinks and toiletry gift sets). Please check use‑by dates before donating.
After half term we will send a short survey for parents to sign up for jobs on the day — please look out for the link.

Thank you again to parents and governors for your time, ideas and generosity. We’re excited to get preparations under way and look forward to seeing you all at the Summer Fair.

Year 2 Chile Class Assembly

What a brilliant start to the day! Year 2 Chile gave a wonderful assembly celebrating their learning. The children shared clear, thoughtful recounts of the lives and contributions of Mary Seacole and Florence Nightingale and read their creative writing aloud with confidence and pride.

The assembly finished with an energetic performance of “Eye of the Tiger,” complete with actions and the children playing the glockenspiels and drums — a lively, team effort that brought the whole assembly to life.

Thank you to the parents who joined us for this celebration and to the Year 2 team for preparing the children so well.

We’re very proud of everyone involved.

Who can help you at school?

This week’s assembly focused on Mental Health Awareness Week and helping children understand that mental health is as important as physical health. We talked about noticing how we feel, simple ways to look after our mental health and what to do if you’re feeling down.

We reminded children where they can get support at school:

Talk to your class teacher or another trusted adult in school.
Speak to one of our designated safeguarding leads if you need confidential help.
Use the worry box in your classroom to let staff know if something is worrying you.
Attend the school counsellor’s drop‑in sessions.

During the assembly we introduce our Inclusion Ambassadors, who are now also trained as class buddies. Their role is to welcome new arrivals and help them find their way around school, settle into routines and feel part of the Alexandra community in their first few weeks.

We’re proud of how children and staff are working together to make sure everyone feels safe, supported and included at school.

Talk time with our school Counsellor

Our School Counsellor runs a lunch time drop in service on THURSDAYS.

Children can make an appointment to have 10 – 15 minutes where they can talk about, draw or play out how they feel.

Your child will not be missing any lessons if they wish to go to TALK TIME.

Children sometimes struggle with:

Friendship groups
Worries about going to secondary school
Self esteem and confidence
Bereavement
Parental separation and divorce
General anxiety

Any of the above can affect a child’s ability to concentrate in class and succeed with their learning. As a school we take children’s emotional and social needs very seriously and know that our TALK TIME supports children to feel better about themselves.

This space is in addition, not instead of, talking to all Alexandra staff as they currently know they can always do. If you have any questions please speak to your child's class teacher.

Geography Monitoring Cycle

Over a two‑week monitoring cycle in Geography I focused on pupil voice, planning, book looks and lesson observations in Year 4. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the topics they have been learning and used key vocabulary accurately to explain their learning. The observed lessons were well planned and engaging and the book looks showed a wide range of Geography work with clear adaptations to meet different children’s needs.

Overall, we are pleased with the sequencing of lessons and how the curriculum is being delivered at Alexandra Primary.

Samera Ibrahim, Geography lead

Attendance at Alexandra Primary School

Let us know when your child is unwell

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

Best Attendance for this week:

EYFS – Panama 92%

KS1 – Chile 97%

LKS1 - Well done Mexico Class 96%

UKS2 – Well done Espana Class 99%

RISE House – Well done Rise House 100%

🎉 100% Attendance in a Week competition 🎉

Thank you to everyone who took part in our attendance initiative this term. It has created a real buzz around school and we’ve already seen improvements in attendance and enthusiasm.

The School Council drew the winners of this term’s competition and we’re pleased to announce the winners are:

£30 Morrisons voucher: Ali (Year 2, Colombia)
Whole-class popcorn party: Adyaan (Year 6, España) — congratulations to his class!

What happens next
The initiative has now ended, but we will continue our weekly attendance drive at Alexandra Primary to reinforce that every school day matters. The School Council discuss this term's attendance competition and agreed that every child who achieves 100% attendance in a week will be entered into the weekly prize draw to win 15 minutes extra playtime for their class at the end of the week. Weekly winners will then be entered into the larger end-of-term draw for a pizza party and a shopping voucher.

How you can help
Please continue to encourage your child to attend school regularly — consistent attendance supports learning, friendships and wellbeing. Thank you for helping make school a place children want to be.

We’ll share the next round of attendance winners in the newsletter soon — keep up the great work!

Holidays during Term times

Taking children on holiday during term time in the UK is not technically a criminal offense, but it is illegal to remove them from school without permission, often leading to fines and potential prosecution.

Parents have no legal right to time off for holidays and taking them is likely to result in fines of £80–£160 per parent, per child or potential court prosecution.

Taking children on holiday during term time in England 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 days, 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.

If you have any questions regarding this information. please speak to Sharni Webster or Kate Birch.

Important Dates

Monday 1st June: First day of Summer 2 half term

Week beginning Monday 1st June: Y4 Multiplication Check Week 1

Week beginning Monday 1st June: Y6 Bikeability Week 1

Wednesday 3rd June, at 8:50 am: Summer Fair Prep for parents

Week beginning Monday 8th June: Y4 Multiplication Check Week 2

Week beginning 8th June: Year 1 Phonics Check

Week beginning Monday 8th June: Y6 Bikeability Week 2

Friday 12th June: Non-uniform for Tombola Prizes

Thursday 18th June: Sports Day for Years 1,2,3

Friday 19th June: Sports Day for Years 4,5,6

Saturday 20th June: Summer Fair

Tuesday 23rd June: Early Years Sports Fun Day

Wednesday 1st July, at 8:50: Supporting your child with transitions Parent workshop - all welcome

Thursday 9th July, 3:20 pm: Open Evening

Friday 17th July: Last day of Term (Early collect - 1:30 pm)

Thursday 3rd September: First Day of the New School Year 2026-2027

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