Grafton Primary School

Bulletin

1st May 2026

Message from Mrs Bana

Encouraging children to participate in sports and exercise builds lifelong resilience, physical strength and character. Sports teach children valuable life lessons- getting up after you fall down, teamwork, enjoying the process and helping the mind etc. I noticed a big increase in the number of children using bicycles and scooters to and from school- this is amazing!

Well done to our mini-tennis team who took first place in the competition held at Riverside School this week. At Grafton children engage with different sport activities during unstructured times , including football, table-tennis, skipping or using the playground equipment such as the climbing spider etc- they absolutely enjoy the activity and we encourage them to participate.

Another gentle reminder for "green finger parents or carers" if you can spare some time to help in to develop our Hive Garden so that we can make this space even better for gardening, this would be really appreciated. Do contact the school office to express your interest. Thank you!

🔊 School Closed Thursday 7th May ⚠️

Please be informed that on Thursday 7th May, the school will be closed to all pupils as it will be used as a polling station for the local elections.

Normal school day will resume on Friday 8th May.

📸 Class Photographs
Wednesday 6th May📸

Exciting news! Carmel Jane Photography will be visiting our school on 6th May 2026 to take class group photos and Year 6 individual photos.

Parents are kindly asked to pre-register for instant access to your child’s photographs once they are ready. Please note that pre-registration is required for every photo shoot.

Register in 3 easy steps (takes less than a minute!):
1️⃣ Visit: www.carmeljaneshop.co.uk
2️⃣ Enter your unique code: JRYNPV48DW
3️⃣ Include your child’s full school register name

We look forward to seeing lots of smiles on the day! 😊

🌈 Stay, Play and Learn Sessions – You’re Invited!

We are delighted to invite parents to our upcoming Stay, Play and Learn sessions in the Nest, Rainbow and River Rooms next week. These sessions are a wonderful opportunity to spend time in your child’s learning environment, explore activities together, and see how we support their development.

Please see the session times below ⏰:

Nest Room 🐣

AM: Tuesday 5 May, 9:00–10:00am
PM: Friday 8 May, 2:00–3:00pm

River Room 🌊 (PM / Year 1)

Tuesday 5 May, 1:45–2:45pm

River and Rainbow Rooms 🌊🌈 (AM / Year 2)

Friday 8 May, 9:00–10:00am

We look forward to welcoming you and sharing these special learning experiences together 😊✨.

🏆Weekly Class Attendance🏆

Overall Winner - FT Nursery 99.5%👏

EYFS

1st place - FT Nursery - 99.5%

2nd place - Reception Thistle - 96.55%

Year 1 and 2

1st place - 2 Avon - 98.62%

2nd place - 2 Thames - 98.23%

Year 3 and 4

1st place - 4 Ali - 98.57%

2nd place - 4 Simmonds - 98%

Year 5 and 6

Joint 1st place - 5 Craig and 6 Turner - 98.28%

Birthday Celebrations at School

We would like to take a moment to thank you for your continued support in helping us maintain a healthy and inclusive environment for all children.

As part of our commitment to promoting wellbeing, we kindly ask that families do not send in sweet treats or goody bags to celebrate birthdays. While we understand that birthdays are very special occasions, we aim to ensure that all celebrations are safe, manageable, and considerate of dietary needs and allergies within the classroom.

If you would still like your child to mark their birthday with their classmates, you are very welcome to provide a one small, non-food item for each child instead. Suitable examples include a small pack of bubbles, a pencil, or a similar inexpensive item.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us create a positive and inclusive experience for everyone.

Mini Tennis Champions! 🎾

On Monday, 27th April, Mr Stefan and Mrs Armbruster accompanied a group of Year 5 and 6 pupils to a Mini Tennis Competition at Barking Riverside School.

It was a fun and exciting event from the very start, with the children arriving full of energy and enthusiasm, ready to compete. Throughout the day, they put their tennis skills to the test against a range of other schools, demonstrating excellent determination, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

Their hard work and positive attitude truly paid off, as they performed brilliantly and secured an impressive first place overall—a fantastic achievement!

A special mention goes to Sami (Year 5 Packham) and T'aire (Year 6 Hadid), who both won all of their matches. This is an outstanding accomplishment and reflects their focus and skill on the court.

Well done to all the pupils who took part. You represented Grafton Primary School with pride, and you should all be extremely proud of your efforts. 👏

We look forward to more sporting success in the future!

🌟 Nursery Spaces Available for September 2026

We are delighted to share that nursery spaces are available for the 2026 intake and we are now welcoming enquiries from parents and carers.

👶Who Is Eligible?

To be eligible for a nursery place starting in September 2026, your child must be 3 years old on or before 31st August 2026 🎂📅. This follows standard early years admission guidance and ensures children are ready to thrive in a nursery setting.

🏡Why Choose Our Nursery?

Our nursery offers a safe, caring, and stimulating environment where children can learn, grow, and flourish 🌱✨. Through play-based learning, we support children in building confidence, independence, and curiosity.

🎨What Your Child Will Experience

A warm and welcoming environment 🏠
Fun, age-appropriate activities🧩
Opportunities to make friends and develop social skills👫
A healthy balance of structured learning and free play 📚
Preparation for the next step in their learning journey 🌈

🖥️How to Apply

Applications for nursery places should be made online via the school’s admissions page:

👉https://www.graftonprimary.co.uk/admissions

Please visit the website for full details on the application process and important dates.

📞Get in Touch

Please contact us on office@graftonprimary.co.uk to arrange a visit, request more information, or discuss your child’s needs—we look forward to welcoming your family!

📅 Dates for the Diary
Keep up with key events and activities this term

Tuesday 5th May

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Nest am 'Play & Stay' for parents/carers 9.00-10 am

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 River Room (pm/Y1) 'Play & Stay' for parents/carers 1.45-2.45 pm

Wednesday 6th May

📸Class photographs

📷Year 6 Individual Photos

Thursday 7th May

📢 Polling Day - School Closed for Children

Friday 8th May

👶 Nursery Stay and Play session for parents/carers

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 River & Rainbow (am/Y2) 'Play & Stay' session 9-10 am

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Nest pm 'Play & Stay' for parents/carers 2-3 pm

👮‍♂️ Community Police Assemblies

🏞️Park visit 1:30-2:30pm (The Ark)

Monday 11th - Thursday 14th May

📝 SATS Week

Tuesday 12th - Friday 15th May

🔤 Reception Maths and Play sessions

Friday 15th May

🌳 Y1 trip to Thorndon Country Park (Hedgehog & Squirrel classes)

🎨 Y6 Banksy Class Ben Kinsella visit

☕ SEND parent/carer coffee morning 9:00 – 10:00am

Monday 18th May

🔍 Reception trip to the Discovery Centre (Rose & Daffodil classes)

Tuesday 19th May

🗣️ Head Teacher Forum 9:00 – 9:45am

🦁 Y3 Colchester Zoo Trip (Donaldson & Zephaniah classes)

Wednesday 20th May

🦁 Y3 Colchester Zoo Trip (Farook & Morpurgo classes)

Thursday 21st May

🔍 Reception trip to the Discovery Centre (Shamrock & Thistle classes)

🏥 School Nurse Drop in session 9:00 – 10:00am

Friday 22nd May

🌳 Y1 trip to Thorndon Country Park (Fox & Badger classes)

Monday 25th - Friday 30th May

🚫 Half Term - School closed to Children

Monday 8th June

🧑‍🚒 Y6 junior citizen visit

Tuesday 9th June

🎨 Y6 Hadid Ben Kinsella visit

Thursday 11th June

🎨 Y6 Turner Class Ben Kinsella visit

Friday 12th June

🎨 Y6 Kapoor Class Ben Kinsella visit

Monday 15th June

📚 Y5/6 British Library visit (Refugee Week) (small group)

Tuesday 16th June

🏛️ Y4 visit to Valence House Museum (Ali & Simmonds classes)

Wednesday 17th June

🏛️ Y4 visit to Valence House Museum (Farah & Worthington classes)

🎪 Summer Fayre 3.30-5.30 pm

Friday 19th June

🍽️ Special Lunch Menu -Summer Solstice

Monday 22nd June
🎵Y5 Music Concert for parents/carers (Bonnin & Packham)
🏛️Y6 British Museum visit (Banksy class)

Tuesday 23rd June
🌿Y5 Thriftwood Trip (Packham & Craig classes)

Wednesday 24th June
🎶Y5 Music Concert for parents/carers (Attenborough & Craig)

Thursday 25th June
🦁Nursery visit to Jolly Jungle
🏛️Y6 visit to British Museum (Kapoor class)

Friday 26th June
🏛️Y6 visit to British Museum (Turner Class)

Monday 29th June
🌳Y5 Thriftwood Trip (Bonnin & Attenborough classes)

Page updated

Report abuse