https://www.alexandraprimaryschool.co.uk Friday 10th July 2026 Issue No. 34

Message from the Headteacher

As we come to the end of another busy and successful term, we are certainly not slowing down! There are still so many fantastic things happening across the school and learning continues right up until the very end of term.

This time of year is all about transition and preparing for the exciting academic year ahead. It is always a time of mixed emotions as we say goodbye to some of our pupils, particularly our wonderful Year 6 children and as pupils say farewell to their current teachers. At the same time, there is great excitement as children look forward to meeting their new teachers and our Year 6 pupils visit their new secondary schools.

This week, we were delighted to welcome many new families to Alexandra for our Nursery and Reception welcome meetings. On Thursday, the children enjoyed their Transition Morning, spending time with their new teacher in their new classroom. It was also wonderful to see so many families at our Open Afternoon; thank you to everyone who came along.

At the end of this term, we will also be saying goodbye to some valued members of staff. Mr McKenna is taking a year's sabbatical to travel around Australia and is planning to return to Alexandra the following year. We also wish Ms Claire every success as she moves on to new teaching roles. Both have all made a valuable contribution to our school community, and we thank them for everything they have done for our children.

I am looking forward to our celebration assemblies next week, where we will recognise and celebrate the many achievements of our pupils over the course of the year. It is always a highlight of the school calendar and a wonderful way to end the term together.

Finally, a reminder that the last day of term is Friday 17th July. Thank you for your continued support throughout another fantastic year. I hope you all enjoy a happy and restful summer.

What's been happening this week?

Year 2 Trip to the Seaside

Our Year 2 children enjoyed a fantastic seaside trip to Southend, travelling there together by coach. It turned out to be a spectacular day! The sun was shining, the sky was bright blue, the fresh sea air was wonderful, and we even watched the tide come in.

The children had great fun paddling in the sea, collecting shells, discovering crabs, building sandcastles, and relaxing on the beach. At lunchtime, we were visited by some very hungry seagulls, which reminded us of our class book, The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch! It was a lovely opportunity to bring our learning to life.

After a fun-filled day, we travelled back by coach with lots of happy memories to share. It was truly an amazing experience that everyone will remember!

EYFS Sports Day at Alexandra Primary

Our Early Years Sports Day was a wonderful celebration of movement, teamwork and curiosity. Children took part in egg-and-spoon races, sprints, dress-up relays, javelin and penalty shoot-outs, plus fun parachute games, all carefully designed to develop fundamental movement skills, turn-taking and confidence. It was heart-warming to see our values of kindness, responsibility, courage and curiosity in action as children cheered one another on and showed great sportsmanship.

A huge thank you to our Year 6 helpers, whose calm encouragement made a real difference, and to families for joining us and supporting the event. Events like this give brilliant beginnings: they provide purposeful physical activity, build communication and social skills and help children become ready for Key Stage 1.

Well done to every child for taking part and having fun — we’re proud of you all!

Year 5 Sleepover

Year 5 Sleep over

Our Year 5 pupils had a fantastic time at their recent school sleepover! For some children, this was their very first night away from home, and they showed incredible resilience, courage and independence throughout the experience.

The evening was packed with fun, including a mystery riddle challenge that tested their teamwork and problem-solving skills, an outdoor pizza dinner, and a movie night complete with popcorn.

It was wonderful to see the children supporting one another, building confidence and creating lasting memories. We are so proud of the way they embraced this exciting new adventure and made the most of every moment!

Year 1 Trip to London Zoo

Year 1 had a wonderful day at London Zoo! During our visit, the children enjoyed exploring Zoo Town, where they stepped into a variety of exciting roles. They dressed up as posties, zookeepers, scientists, vets, gardeners, builders and baristas. In the Zoo Café, our baristas enjoyed serving coffees, teas and ice creams, while our vets investigated which animal different types of poo belonged to.

The builders worked together to create dens for the animals’ habitats, and the children loved using their imagination and learning through hands-on play. We also enjoyed seeing some of the amazing animals around the zoo before finishing our very hot day with a refreshing ice lolly to cool us down. It was a fantastic trip filled with fun, learning and lots of smiles!

Year 5 Trip to Greenwich Royal Observatory & National Maritime Museum

Year 5 recently enjoyed an exciting and enriching trip to Greenwich as part of their Geography curriculum theme, Journeys. The children visited the Royal Observatory, where they stood on the famous Prime Meridian line and learned how this imaginary line helps us understand global time zones and navigation across the world.

They also explored the National Maritime Museum, where they discovered how trade, exploration and sea travel have shaped history. Through interactive exhibits, pupils deepened their understanding of how journeys by sea have connected people and places across the globe.

It was a fantastic day that brought our learning to life and helped the children make meaningful links between geography, history and real-world exploration.

Hair Workshop

We were delighted to welcome Harriet and Natasha from Afrotherapy Salon, who led a fantastic workshop on caring for Afro, curly and mixed-textured hair. Children and parents enjoyed using mannequin styling heads to practise how to care for and prepare hair correctly, while also learning about hair health and the important role a balanced diet plays in keeping hair healthy.

Everyone put their new skills to the test in a fun competition to see who could prepare their mannequin for bedtime, with winners receiving prizes. Everyone also took home a goody bag. It was an informative and engaging workshop and we would like to say a huge thank you to Harriet and Natasha for sharing their expertise, as well as to all the parents who attended and supported their children.

Hands on Learning in Year 5

Recently our Year 5 children brought geography to life through a creative, hands-on project linked to their topic, Journeys. Pupils used watercolours to imagine and paint journeys, local routes, river courses, migration paths and overseas voyages, while teachers modelled sketching, colour blending and wash techniques so children could show distance, mood and change over time.

The task built geographical skills as the pupils practised map-thinking, spatial language and sequencing, then explained their choices in paired talk to develop their understanding.

Keeping Cool

During the recent hot spell, we made changes to keep everyone comfortable and safe. Outside, children used shaded zones, had extra water breaks and were offered bottles of water if needed. Learning continued as usual and we thank families for prioritising attendance despite the heat.

We found fun ways to cool down. Here are some children enjoying a cool foot spa.

Please also see below for some helpful advice about beating the heat this summer.

Transition Workshop for Parents

Thank you for attending!

Thank you to the many parents and carers who joined today’s transition workshop. It was very well attended and the atmosphere was warm and purposeful. We explored practical strategies to help children through transitions such as moving to new classes and meeting new teachers.

We shared simple routines, visual timetables and short role‑play activities families can use to reduce anxiety and build confidence. Our mental health practitioner, Zoe Buxton, offered practical advice on supporting children with anxiety: remaining curious about their worries rather than immediately offering “it will be ok,” normalise their feelings, validate what your child is experiencing and ask open questions to understand the worry.

We also discussed how some children find it hard to talk directly about their feelings. We talked about reading books about themes such as change and separation to remove pressure on children to disclose their own experiences while helping them build understanding. Please see some examples of helpful book titles below.

Thank you for partnering with us to make transitions calm, confident and successful for every child.

Camilla and the Big Change (by Julie Dillemuth) is all about how change can feel uncomfortable but that we can adjust to new circumstances and change can turn out to be really positive.

Brave Little Bear (by Steve Small) is a wonderful book about how change can feel scary but how we can find the bravery inside us even when things are difficult. Great for children who are facing any type of change or doing something they find difficult.

The Invisible String (by Patricia Karst) is a great book for any change that involves separation from a parent or loved one. It describes the invisible string that binds people together even when they aren’t there. It’s very warm and reassuring and the strong visual image of a string gives young children a concrete way to help them understand love and attachment.

The Koala Who Could (by Rachel Bright) is a new book from the creators of The Lion Inside. It’s about a Koala who likes everything to stay exactly the same and doesn’t like any change. In the course of the story, Koala discovers that change is not so bad and can lead to new and wonderful experiences.

Award-winning author Chris Smith

Last week, our KS2 children were delighted to welcome award-winning author Chris Smith, best known for Kid Normal and his new The Famous Five adventures.

The children enjoyed an exciting and interactive assembly, where Chris shared fascinating insights into the secrets of writing great stories. They discovered how authors develop their ideas and even had the opportunity to create their own imaginative stories.

Following the assembly, our Reading Ambassadors were invited to a special signing session in the library, where they had the chance to chat with Chris and have their books signed.

We were especially proud to hear Chris say that he loved visiting our school and that our library is one of the most impressive he has ever seen. It was a truly inspiring visit that has encouraged many of our pupils to read, write and let their imaginations soar!

Year 4 visit to the Science Museum

Year 4 had a fantastic day at the Science Museum, taking part in a hands-on workshop exploring sound and electricity as well as matter and forces. The children showed great curiosity as they watched a liquid transform into a foamy, solid-like substance during the elephant toothpaste demonstration, helping them understand how materials can change. They also bravely tried the nails chair, discovering that when the surface area increases, the pressure on each point decreases — making the experience surprisingly comfortable.

Alongside the workshop, pupils explored the wider museum, with the Space and Bodies galleries being a particular highlight. Throughout the day, they demonstrated responsibility by working safely with equipment, moving sensibly around busy spaces and representing Alexandra Primary beautifully. It was an inspiring trip that brought their science learning to life and strengthened key school values.

Year 5 Enjoys an Exciting Visit from Penguin Publishers!

Year 5 had a fantastic workshop with Penguin Publishers this term! We were joined by 10 wonderful volunteers who spent the afternoon sharing their love of reading with us.

The children discussed their favourite types of books and what makes a story exciting, before taking part in a fun matching game all about books and reading. The highlight of the session was unboxing a fantastic selection of brand-new chapter books, generously donated for our school library!

We can't wait to add these exciting new titles to our shelves. Keep reading over the summer holidays, and from September you'll be able to borrow these wonderful new books from the library.

Happy reading!

Design and Technology in Year 2

As part of our Design and Technology learning, Year 2 have been exploring healthy eating by preparing to design and make their own healthy sandwiches. To help us decide which ingredients we might like to use, we took part in a sandwich tasting session where we sampled a variety of different healthy sandwiches.

The children carefully considered the taste, texture and appearance of each sandwich before sharing their opinions. They discussed which sandwiches they liked or disliked and explained their reasons using thoughtful vocabulary. This exciting activity has helped us gather ideas and prepare for making our own delicious and healthy sandwiches in the coming lessons!

RISE House Playground

Year 1 & 4 had a fantastic time using the RISE House playground last week. The children explored new play equipment, practised turn‑taking and developed their communication and cooperation skills through group games.

Thank you to the RISE House team for welcoming us. We look forward to more shared play sessions that build belonging and joyful memories.

Monitoring Cycle - Curriculum Themes

At Alexandra Primary our ambitious, statutory‑aligned curriculum is organised around five themes: London, Journeys, Innovation & Change, Earth & Sustainability and Identity & Power. These themes give children powerful cultural knowledge and a clear “hook” so learning builds coherently year on year rather than in individual lessons.

As part of our latest monitoring cycle we are checking how familiar children are with the themes, whether they use them to make connections with new learning and whether teachers routinely make these links explicit in lessons. Information gathered during the monitoring cycle will be used to improve how we deliver the curriculum and to maximise the benefits of our thematic approach.

You can support your child by asking which theme their learning links to and encouraging them to describe one new thing they have learned. We will share more information about our curriculum approach next term — please look out for updates.

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:

KS1 – Well Done Costa Rica Class 96.30%

KS2 – Well done Espana Class 100%

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

Friday 10th July, Y6 End of Year Production, at 2 pm and 6 pm

Celebration Assemblies

Monday 13th July, at 11:15 am: (for morning children)

Monday 13th July, at 2:30 pm: (for afternoon children)

Tuesday 14th July, at 9 am: Year 1 Celebration Assembly

Tuesday 14th July, at 2pm: Reception Celebration Assembly

Wednesday 15th July, at 9 am: Year 2 Celebration Assembly

Wednesday 15th July, at 2 pm :Year 3 Celebration Assembly

Thursday 16th July, at 9 am: Year 4 Celebration Assembly

Thursday 16th July, at 2 pm :Year 5 Celebration Assembly

Friday 17th July at 9am: Year 6 Leavers Assembly

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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