Dear Parents and Carers,

As we reach the end of the Spring 1 term, I would like to thank you for your continued support during what has been a busy and productive half term at Forest Academy.

We marked the end of term by celebrating Number Day, and what a fantastic way to finish! Children arrived dressed as numbers, and staff fully embraced the occasion too — with many coming dressed as dominoes. Throughout the day, pupils took part in a range of engaging number-based activities, reinforcing their mathematical thinking in fun and creative ways. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm for maths across the school.

Despite the very wet weather in recent weeks, our pupils have continued to demonstrate resilience, positivity and a strong commitment to their learning. We now look forward to a well-earned one-week half-term break.

During the half term, the holy month of Ramadan will begin for many members of our community. Ramadan is a sacred and reflective time, centred on prayer, fasting, charity and togetherness. We are proud to be a school that celebrates and respects the diversity of our families.

We are delighted to invite families to our very first Community Iftar on Monday 2nd March 2026. This special event will be an evening of togetherness, reflection and celebration during Ramadan. All faiths and none are warmly welcome. Please see the Messages from the Office section below for full details.

School reopens on Monday 23rd February for the start of Spring 2.

Thank you, as always, for your continued partnership. We wish all families a restful half-term break and, to those observing, a peaceful and blessed Ramadan.

Mrs Lloyd & the Forest Academy Team

In Year 1, children make exciting progress in both writing and number skills. Their writing becomes more confident and purposeful. They begin to write simple sentences independently, using capital letters, full stops and increasingly accurate phonics to spell unfamiliar words. Many children start to use conjunctions such as “and” to extend their ideas and may include simple descriptive vocabulary. Handwriting becomes more consistent, with correct letter formation and spacing developing over the year.

In mathematics, children build a secure understanding of numbers to 20 and beyond. They learn to count forwards and backwards, recognise number patterns, and understand place value (tens and ones). They develop fluency in addition and subtraction within 20, using practical equipment, drawings and mental strategies. Problem-solving skills grow as they begin to explain their reasoning and apply their number knowledge in different contexts.

Overall, Year 1 is a key year of growing independence, confidence and accuracy in both writing and maths.

In English, the children have been busy publishing their persuasive leaflets on deforestation. They made sure to organise their writing into paragraphs, used correct punctuation and edited their work to ensure that it made sense. 

Similarly, in computing, pupils created final outcomes for their published e-leaflet pages. Pupils ensured they had adapted text fonts by size, colour and style. They inserted images and recorded paragraphs of typed information.

Describing and explaining how different rocks can be useful to us was the focus of our science lesson this week. The children first classified rocks into three different categories before researching the different rocks and writing the use of each type of rock. 

Measuring length in centimetres, millimetres, and metres was the focus of our maths lessons this week. The children used different measuring equipment, including rulers and metre sticks to measure objects around the classroom.  

In RE, this week, pupils reflected on the religious leaders we have learnt about this term. Next term we will continue to learn through this topic. 

This week, Year 5 have been writing rhyming poems based on the structure of 'If' by Rudyard Kipling. They explored a range of sensory and emotive language and created a bank of rhyming words where they carefully chose words for rhyming couplets. In maths, the children have been learning how to multiply fractions and mixed numbers by an integer, calculate a fraction of an amount and how to find the whole. They have also continued to practise arithmetic calculations daily with a focus on the four operations.

In art, the children created a diorama using squares cut from their planet surfaces. They then added images to make their diorama 'pop'! They then created their final art piece for their golden frames using their deep space background and added planets and silhouettes to tell their story. In French, the children applied their knowledge of locations and directions through a series of assessments in reading, speaking, listening and writing. For Safer Internet Day, the children learnt about AI and how to use it safely. in geography, the children created a double page spread about migration and the impact of push and pull factors.

If you have concerns about a child (or their families) welfare, contact Croydon Council’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) 

Telephone: 020 8726 6400 

Out of hours: 020 8726 6400 (ask for out of hours team) 

Email: childreferrals@croydon.gov.uk 

Office Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00 – 16:00 

If you think a child is at risk of immediate harm telephone 999