Dear Parents/Carers, 

It has been lovely to enjoy a little spring sunshine this week. The brighter mornings and lighter afternoons have lifted spirits across the school, and the children have relished spending more time outdoors.

On Monday evening, we hosted our very first Community Iftar, and it was a truly wonderful occasion. We were delighted by the fantastic turnout and the incredible range of dishes generously shared by families from across our community. The evening was filled with warmth, conversation and a genuine sense of togetherness as we gathered to break the fast.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the evening so special. Events like this provide valuable opportunities for our children to learn about different faiths and traditions, while strengthening the sense of belonging and respect that lies at the heart of our school community. Following its success, we are pleased to share that the Community Iftar will now become an annual event at Forest Academy — a tradition that will continue to bring us together in the spirit of unity, respect, kindness and shared celebration.

It was also lovely to see children across the school marking World Book Day in a variety of ways. All children received their World Book Day tokens, which are valid until 31st March and can be redeemed at Waterstones, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, The Works and TD Jones (WHSmith). Please ensure your child has the opportunity to choose their book. Today, the whole school enjoyed a cosy pyjama day, relaxing with hot chocolate and a cookie while listening to stories read by different adults across the school.

Year 6 parents and carers should have received their secondary school offers on Monday 2nd March. For anyone who did not receive the offer they were hoping for, Mrs Pizzy is available to provide advice and guidance on next steps. Please contact her via the school office.

We are also delighted to welcome Ms Sillince to Forest Academy, who is providing additional leadership capacity as Mrs Cross takes on teaching responsibilities. Ms Sillince joins us from one of our sister schools in Greenwich and worked closely with me, Mrs Lloyd, last year, so she is already familiar with the values and expectations we hold at Forest. We are thrilled to have her supporting our team and know that her experience and expertise will be of great benefit to both staff and pupils.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. 

Mrs Lloyd & the Forest Academy Team

Year 1 had a fantastic and busy week of learning! One of the highlights was our exciting trip to the Horniman Museum. 

During the visit, the children explored different exhibits and learned about how weather changes affect plants and animals. They discovered how animals and plants adapt to different seasons and environments, helping them understand the important relationship between weather, habitats and living things. The pupils asked thoughtful questions and represented the school wonderfully during the trip.

In geography, we continued learning about England and the countries of the United Kingdom. The children explored the four countries that make up the UK and began to recognise where England is on a map, helping them understand more about the place where we live.

In maths, we focused on measuring mass and length. The children practised comparing and measuring different objects, learning to identify which items were heavier or lighter and which were longer or shorter. They used practical activities to measure objects and develop their understanding of measurement.

In English, the children enjoyed the story of Beegu and enjoyed discovering about the spaceship that crashed on land. They worked on comparative adjectives and superlatives while describing the character. They practised using words such as bigger, smaller, tallest, and fastest to compare and describe characters and objects, helping them develop their speaking and descriptive language skills.

It has been a wonderful week full of exploration, curiosity and hands-on learning. Well done, Year 1!

The Lorax is the focus text this half term that the children are reading and analysing. Deforestation and how it happens is the message of the book. In their writing, the children have been learning about the techniques used in persuasive writing. They have been using emotive language, fronted adverbials and imperative verbs.

In maths, the children have been learning about fractions. They have been learning what the numerator and denominator mean. They have been learning about unit and non-unit fractions. Comparing and ordering fractions has also been a focus to help them sort them onto a number line.

In art, the children created a mood board to reflect upon the West African mudcloth (Bogolan). They examined the patterns and colours printed on the fabric. They learnt about the natural materials used to make the bogolan cloth.

The qualities of a leader were examined when they studied the events of Moses leading the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt. Fossil formation was the focus of one of the science lessons. A toy animal was encased in clay and compressed to show how fossils are formed. Soil formation was the focus of the other science lesson. The children were able to identify the different layers and explain how the layers are formed.

Year 5 took us on a journey across the cosmos this week with their spectacular 'Out of This World' art gallery. Visitors, including parents, teachers, and fellow students, were blown away by the talent, with many commenting on the extraordinary attention to detail and the imaginative techniques used to bring the galaxy to life. It was a proud moment for our young artists, whose hard work truly shone as bright as a supernova!

In English, the children started to read their new core text 'A Kind of Spark' by Elle McNicoll. They explored the relationship between the main characters and generated figurative language to describe Addie's thoughts and feelings. In maths, the children have been learning how to read, write and order decimal numbers. They explored equivalent tenths, hundredths and thousandths as fractions and decimals.

In science, the children revised what a force is and learnt about gravity, the force that pulls objects towards the Earth. They then learnt about Isaac Newton, the first scientist to publish a book about gravity. In RE, the children learnt about 'bridge-builders' who connect and facilitate relationships between different faiths. In history, the children sequenced key events for the Windrush generation on a timeline. In French, the children learnt how to say the names of the planets in our solar system.

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