In The Loop

Dear families,

I am sure we are all watching the conflict in the Middle East with increasing concern and we are aware that there will be members of the community with loved ones who are directly affected. Mr Hodges, Deputy Headteacher/Designated Safeguarding Lead, spoke to all pupils in a virtual assembly this morning to remind pupils that we are here to support them and that staff are here to listen and help. Please do contact the school via the school office (info@ccfplus.com) or the safeguarding team (safe@ccfplus.com) if you have any concerns or require support. I also received a letter from Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, on supporting children to talk about the conflict (click here).

Monday was national secondary school offer day and the Year 6 pupils who have been offered a place to start with us in September, and their families, have all been called by a member of the senior team and invited to Tuesday’s Friendship Afternoon. It was lovely to speak to our incoming parents and hear how excited the pupils and families are to be joining the CCF family and I am grateful to Ms Ireland, Head of Year 7/Transition, for leading on our exciting transition programme. 

Yesterday was World Book Day and I am sure many parents/carers are grateful that we did not require pupils to dress as a book character for the day. Instead, pupils had a story shared across the day with excerpts of The Magic Shop by H.G. Wells being read at the start of each lesson. Our librarian, Ms Sengul, also made sure there were a number of activities to spark pupils’ interests including Guess the Reader which saw pupils guessing which book was being read by members of staff. 

The DfE continues to publish consultations and this week has published their promised consultation to protect children from the risks of social media. This follows the ban for under-16s using social media in Australia and the government is seeking views on: setting a minimum age; restricting functionalities and design features that encourage excessive use, such as infinite scrolling and autoplay; and whether the guidance on the use of mobile phones in schools should be statutory. More information is available here and the consultation closes on 26 May 2026. 

Our next Parent Voice meeting will take place on Tuesday 24th March 2026, 6-7pm remotely. Please email info@ccfplus.com if you would like to attend and we will share the link with you. Mr Hodges will be attending to discuss safeguarding and parents/carers can ask for items to be added to the agenda. 

Many of you will be aware that the Great North Leisure Park in North Finchley is potentially being demolished to make way for flats. Isabella, 7B, spoke to me about this and has asked me to share with you her views: 

My name is Isabella and I am in Year 7. I recently found out that The Great North Leisure Park in North Finchley is being demolished and replaced with blocks of new flats. This is devastating, especially for teenagers who live in the area, but you can make a change. Without The Great North Leisure Park where will your children go to hang out? How will you get them off their devices?

I recently wrote to our local MP Ms Sarah Sackman and our Councillor Mr Barry Rawlings, and they both informed me that they are opposed to the development.

According to Mr Rawlings, Barnet Council refused to give permission to the demolition, but unfortunately the developers have appealed to the London-wide planning authority.

Ournorthfinchley.org, a resident-led grassroots campaign, has organised a petition online to stop the developers from knocking down the Leisure Park.

As residents of this community we should all come together and save our beloved Great North Leisure Park.

I would encourage you to visit the website Isabella refers to (click here) to find out more and share your views and I am grateful to Isabella for sharing her thoughts and for her passion for community affairs.

Finally, I would like to wish you all a lovely weekend.

Kind regards,

Dr Ruth Hill

Headteacher