Dear parents

What a vibrant half term it's been! Our musical talents have been shining brightly. The Year 1 concert was absolutely fabulous! It was wonderful to see how they sang with such confidence and enthusiasm! Earlier this half term, our children were captivated by Toscana Strings' enchanting performance of Wind in the Willows, with live music and storytelling sparking imagination across all year groups.

Meanwhile, our athletes have been excelling! A massive well done to our incredible Year 3/4 children who triumphed at the QuadKids Athletics event at Lee Valley Athletics Centre, showing fantastic teamwork and determination. Also, a big shoutout to our boys’ football team for their brilliant win in the semi-finals.  

Looking ahead, mark your calendars for the GPPSA Summer Fayre on Sunday 6 July from 12pm to 4pm (note the new times!). We'll have a fun range of inflatables, rides, and a dance showcase for children in Years 1-6 – you'll receive information on the showcase times soon, it's not to be missed! Please note the Sports Day dates below in June!

Finally, a special message to our amazing Year 6 children: your hard work and resilience in the build-up to and during your tests have been truly commendable.  I cannot believe this will now be your final half term at primary school – make every moment count! 

I wanted to draw your attention to a great opportunity.  Are you or do you know anyone interested in training to become a Primary School Teacher? Grange Park Primary is excited to host placements for Forest Independent Primary Collegiate (FIPC) as part of their 2025/2026 Primary Initial Teacher Training courses right here at our school! If you're looking to train and join the teaching profession, please see the details below on how to apply and find out more.

Enjoy the half term holiday everyone–I'm sure many of you will be enjoying the Bank Holiday festivities, and as a very happy Spurs supporter myself, I hope those of you catching the parade later have a fantastic time!  We'll see you all back on Tuesday 3 June 2025.

With my very best wishes

Tijen Hassan

Headteacher 

Please click here to view term dates for 2025 - 2026

Please click here to view term dates for 2024 - 2025

Being around teachers and friends in school is the best way for children to learn and reach their potential. Time in school also keeps children safe and provides access to extra-curricular opportunities and pastoral care.  That’s why school attendance is so important and why the Government is committed to tackling the issues that might cause some children to miss school unnecessarily.  As a parent, it can be difficult to know when to send your child into school if they are feeling unwell or mildly anxious, but finding solutions is a team effort between schools, parents and children, and there is support and information available to help you make the best decision for your child.

It’s also important to acknowledge that children with long-term medical or more serious mental health conditions, and those with special educational needs and disabilities may face additional barriers. For children who face complex barriers to attendance, we are committed to have conversations with children and families and work with them to put support in place for their individual needs. The NHS has published guidance to help parents and carers decide whether their child is well enough to attend school. Children can sometimes feel a little bit worried about going to school. Mostly, this is a very normal emotion. It’s important to recognise that going into school can help children to feel less worried than letting them stay at home. If your child is anxious over several weeks, talk to us about how we can support you.

We have put together some useful links  on the Education Hub on mental health support which you may find helpful. In most cases, if your child’s attendance level is falling, Grange Park will contact you (by phone or by email) to explore the reasons and discuss what help can be put in place to help you overcome the barriers they are facing. If your child is struggling to attend school, you can expect Grange Park to meet with you, and your child if they are old enough. Grange Park wants to understand the reasons for your child’s absence and what support you or they need to overcome the barriers to attendance they are experiencing.

Grange Park celebrated Walk to school week.  The week started with the Junior travel ambassadors presenting an assembly to the whole school on the benefits of walking to school. They discussed different ways to use active travel to Walk to School, staying healthy and also presented a short video demonstrating how to walk along the road safely.

On Tuesday 20 May the Junior travel ambassadors completed a Walk to School survey with the whole school! We were very impressed with our results. 237 children used the park and stride method, 96 walked to school and 14 children came to school on the bus and 10 cycled or rode their scooter to school. Only 2 pupils came by car. Congratulations everyone! Remember to always stay as active as possible!

Our children were captivated by the enchanting performance of Wind in the Willows by Toscana Strings. The live music and storytelling brought the characters to life, sparking imagination and delight across all year groups.

Experiencing live music like this is such a valuable opportunity for children — it helps develop their listening skills, creativity, and appreciation of the arts in a way that recordings simply can’t match.

This competition is open to pupils who attend Enfield schools. The final will take place on Tuesday 8th July, 7.00pm at the United Reformed Church, Fox Lane, Palmers Green, N13 4AL. Auditions will take place after school on Monday 23rd June and Tuesday 24th June, also at the United Reformed Church.

The competition will have four categories:

• Primary School Grades 2-3

• Primary School Grades 4 and above

• Secondary School Grades 3-5

• Secondary School Grade 6 and above

There will be cash prizes for the winners and runners-up in each category. The minimum entry requirement is Grade 2 for primary school pupils and Grade 3 for secondary school pupils. It is not necessary to have passed any exams, but the piece performed must be the required grade or higher. The level of the piece presented will determine the category entered. Pupils need to perform one piece at the audition. Should they be selected to take part in the final they must play the same piece. Please return your completed form to paula.warren@enfield.gov.uk by Friday 6th June.

Mark your calendar: GPPSA Summer Fayre - 6th July 2025 from 12pm to 4pm. Note the new start and end time! Information on pre-purchasing tickets for the fun range of  inflatables and rides will be shared next month.  We’re gearing up for the Fayre and we are calling out to the school community for donations. 

Prize Donations

Raffle Prizes: 

Received a gift or voucher you cannot use? Then consider donating them as a raffle prize.  Perhaps your business could sponsor a prize (product or service) for the raffle.  We will happily promote your company and your contribution on our social media pages. 

Stall Donations: 

We are collecting the following items soon after the half-term holiday.  Your donations create the magic for all the visitors at our  stalls. 

• Pre-loved Teddies/Squishmallows

• Bottles (incl. alcoholic) for the ever popular Bottle Tombola

• Empty Jars and filled Jars for Sweets Tombola

• Coconuts (enough to operate the Coconut Shy) 

Pre-loved Uniforms: We love our planet and our wallets, so please donate your clean, good condition, pre-loved GP Uniforms (we accept all ages, especially for Upper years Y5 & Y6).

Another opportunity to help our fundraising initiatives is to become a Summer Fayre sponsor.  

Main Sponsors

Perhaps you want your small business logo on our banners, signages and leaflets leading up to the Summer Fayre.  Then consider being a Main Sponsor for £500.

Stall Sponsors

For only £100 you could advertise your small business or company at one of our many stalls.  In addition, we would use our social media page to promote your sponsorship.

Prize Sponsors

If you run a small business or work for a company that can donate prizes or services, we will use our social media platform to thank you and promote your brand/business. 

Match Funding

Your employer may have a Match Funding Scheme, i.e. employers match money raised by you for your chosen charity.  

Fun fact: Grange Park Primary School Association (GPPSA) is a registered charity focused on fundraising educational initiatives for Grange Park school students.

Ask your HR or payroll team if they offer Matched funding and we could double the funds raised for the school if you volunteer on a stall, even if it’s just for an hour

 The GPPSA can provide you with a letter detailing the event, the date and the funds raised on your stall.

Nursery have been really enjoying immersing themselves in their new topic for the Summer Term: Exploring Nature. We have been observing our caterpillars, asking questions, and sharing knowledge. “When they get into a chrysalis, they’re going to become butterflies!” – Marco.  We have also been planting a variety of plants in our garden in the hope of encouraging new wildlife, as well as enjoying the scents and blossoms of the new plants.

Reception have been completely engrossed in their new topic, Living and Growing, and especially in the story The Very Hungry Caterpillar. To bring the learning to life, we had a special delivery—our very own class caterpillars!

Over the past two weeks, the children have been carefully observing their transformation. They’ve noticed the caterpillars getting bigger and bigger each day. Now, to everyone’s excitement, the caterpillars have formed their chrysalis! We’re eagerly waiting to see what happens next in this magical life cycle.

Year 3 children have been exploring the fascinating formation of shadows. Using a torch as their light source, the children embarked on practical investigations. They manipulated the distance between the light source and various objects. Through these experiments, they could investigate how altering this distance directly impacted the resulting shadow. The key observation was that a closer light source produced a larger shadow, while increasing the distance caused the shadow to shrink.

Year 4's Illuminating Synagogue Trip!

Year 4 students recently visited our local synagogue. They gained a valuable insight into its features and the celebration of Shabbat. This hands-on experience truly brought their classroom learning to life. The children had a wonderful time. They enjoyed the walk and were warmly welcomed by the synagogue host. We all left happy and enriched by the experience!

In PE, Year five have been making the most of the weather while learning rounders. Fielding and batting skills are improving, as well as working together as a team. While learning the rules, the children are having great fun and are getting quicker at getting from base to base.

In writing, the children created some exciting portal tales featuring problem after problem. They then had the opportunity to read their tales to the children in year 4. This was a proud moment for the children after a lot of hard work. 

In design and technology, the children have started to design the prototypes of a ferris wheel that they will be creating later in the term. They have also investigated electrical circuits, which they will be using to motorise their ferris wheels. 

To our year 6 students,

We hope this message finds you all beaming with pride and excitement, for we have the pleasure of congratulating each and every one of you on your incredible efforts in the build-up to and during the tests. The dedication, perseverance and hard work you have displayed is truly commendable!

In the weeks and months leading up to the tests, you showed immense resilience and determination. You have tackled challenging concepts, studied diligently and pushed yourselves to new heights of understanding. Your commitment to your education and the progress you have made is truly remarkable, and you should be immensely proud of yourselves.

Now, as we await the results, we want to emphasise something very important: regardless of the outcome, you are all extraordinary individuals. These tests are just one way of assessing your academic progress, but they do not define your intelligence, character or worth. Your efforts and growth throughout this journey are what truly matter.

Remember, you are so much more than numbers on a test paper. Your talents, skills, creativity, and unique qualities extend far beyond any assessment. The experiences you've had, the friendships you've forged, and the lessons you've learned are what shape you into the remarkable individuals you are becoming.

Each one of you has demonstrated a willingness to learn, a thirst for knowledge, and the courage to face challenges head-on. These qualities will continue to serve you well in all aspects of life, not just in education. Your ability to think critically, solve problems, and persevere in the face of adversity is what will truly make a difference as you move forward.

So, when the results arrive, I urge you not to worry or let them define your worth. Celebrate your efforts, your growth, and the progress you have made. Reflect on the journey you have embarked upon, the friendships you have fostered, and the knowledge you have gained. Those are the true measures of success.

We are immensely proud of each and every one of you. Your efforts and commitment have not gone unnoticed, and they will continue to shape your future successes. So, celebrate your achievements, embrace your uniqueness, and never stop believing in your abilities.

With heartfelt admiration,

Year 6 teachers