Dear Parents and Carers,

We have welcomed a return to much cooler weather this week following the recent heatwave, which has safely allowed us to get back to our normal school routines. I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of our families for your incredible understanding, flexibility, and support during last week's extreme weather conditions.

It has been a week filled with exciting trips and celebrations across the school. Our Year 6 pupils went on one of their special end-of-year celebration trips this week, having a fantastic time at the cinema and bowling alley. Meanwhile, today, our Year 2 children are out enjoying a wonderful, immersive day at the Paddington Experience.

Looking ahead, next week is set to be another incredibly busy one. Please remember that on Monday, Year 6 will be heading off for their rescheduled trip to Frylands. Additionally, our rescheduled EYFS Sports Day will take place next Thursday, so please ensure our youngest learners are ready for a fun morning of activities.

Next Wednesday will also be an important milestone for the children as they take part in our transition day. Classes will spend time getting to know their new teachers and settling into their next classrooms in preparation for September. To help you prepare for this, letters have been uploaded to our letter directory today detailing the new class arrangements and teacher allocations for the upcoming academic year.

We hope you all have a lovely and restful weekend.

Iman Atwal

Headteacher

As we approach the end of the term, our focus within Aspiration has been decision making. Children reflected on the decisions they make and the impact they have. If they wish to achieve something, we all need to make decisions and sometimes these are not easy.

Ask your child:

• How may your decision affect others?

• Have you thought about all options?

• What decision have you made and why?

For information and updates of the clubs running this Summer, please click on the following link; Croydon’s HAF Summer Programme 2026

Every child/family in receipt of benefits-related Free School Meals will have the chance to book onto programmes running during the upcoming Summer holidays.  You will have received an email or text message from HolidayActivities (hello@holidayactivities.com) stating ‘You have been issued a voucher’. The email will contain details of how to register/sign-in to the booking platform and claim your child(ren)’s voucher. Once you have claimed your voucher you will be able to link your HolidayActivities Voucher to your Holiday Activities Account, which will show the available credits you have to use. If you are unable to locate this email please do look in your junk mail.

If you have more than one child, you will have received multiple vouchers via email/text. Please ensure you access the individual link for each of your children for their credits to show in your Holiday Activities Account. 

When you first log in, HolidayActivities will ask for you to share your location. By doing so, clubs will be displayed based on those closest to you. If you have any trouble with accessing the platform, please email support@holidayactivities.com. 

Spaces on the HAF programme are limited and pre-booking is essential. All bookings must be confirmed using the HolidayActivities online platform.  Please look out for your email or text message from HolidayActivities.com (hello@holidayactivities.com) which contains your voucher code, and book now to ensure that your child does not miss out.

All holiday clubs cater for children with low-medium levels of SEN and/or disability and children will be considered by each club

on a case-by-case basis.

Nest

This week in the Nest, the children have been fully immersed in a wonderful blend of storytelling, sensory exploration, and early mathematics. We focused on the classic book 'We’re Going on a Bear Hunt', and it was fantastic to see the children listening so intently and enthusiastically joining in with the familiar, repeated phrases. To deeply embed the story, we created an interactive, themed sensory tuff tray where the children could physically experience the journey; they absolutely loved feeling the textures of the real grass and squishy mud, with several children confidently bringing the story to life by chanting, "We're going on a bear hunt, we're going to catch a big one!" as they played. Alongside this literacy focus, we hosted a vibrant fruit-tasting session featuring plums, peaches, and mangoes. This hands-on experience encouraged the children to use all of their senses as they eagerly discussed the different textures, sweet smells, and juicy tastes. We then naturally extended this activity to support their growing mathematical and fine motor skills, working together to count the pieces of fruit before encouraging the children to express their creativity by making marks on paper to represent the delicious fruits they had just explored.

Saplings

We have kicked off an incredibly exciting couple of weeks in Saplings! The children dived headfirst into the spirit of the World Cup, exploring different countries and even designing their very own vibrant football shirts. The sporting fun didn't stop there—we brought the stadium indoors with some highly competitive games of flick football, testing everyone's finger dexterity and aim. Out on the field, our little athletes have been busy training and preparing for the upcoming Sports Day. They’ve been practicing their running, jumping, and teamwork, showing fantastic sportsmanship and energy.

Alongside our high-energy sports activities, we have been exploring the importance of keeping our bodies fueled and healthy. The children have been learning all about nutritious foods and the colors of the rainbow we can find on our plates. Putting their creative hats on, the Saplings used their artistic skills to design and make beautiful pictures of fruit baskets. They loved talking about their favorite fruits, mixing bright colors, and practicing their fine motor skills to create some truly delicious-looking masterpieces. It has been a joy to see the children fully immerse themselves in both the physical challenges on the field and the creative projects in the classroom. Their enthusiasm for learning about healthy lifestyles—both through active movement and nutritious eating—has been wonderful to witness. We are so proud of how hard they are working to prepare for Sports Day, and we can’t wait to see them showcase all their hard skill and practice very soon!

Year 1

It has been another fantastic week in Year 1, with the children embracing new learning opportunities and continuing to develop their confidence across the curriculum.

In English, the children have been introduced to our new class text, 'Tidy' by Emily Gravett. They have enjoyed exploring the story, discussing the main character and using the illustrations to retell the beginning of the story. Building on this, the children have begun writing the introduction to their own narratives by describing the setting, introducing the character and explaining what happens next. It has been lovely to see them using their imagination and growing in confidence with their writing.

In Maths, the children have been learning how to tell the time. They explored the parts of a clock by making their own clocks using paper plates before practising reading and showing o'clock and half past times. Through practical activities, the children developed their understanding of time and enjoyed using their clocks to demonstrate different times throughout the day.

In Geography, the children compared urban and rural areas, identifying the different features of each environment. They discussed where they live and considered whether their local area is urban or rural, using their geographical knowledge to explain their ideas.

In Science, the children learned about sun safety and discussed why it is important to protect ourselves when spending time outdoors. They explored simple ways to stay safe in the sun, including wearing hats, applying sun cream, drinking plenty of water and seeking shade during the hottest parts of the day.

In Art, the children designed their own jellyfish sculptures using recycled materials. They carefully identified the key features of a jellyfish, created labelled designs and selected suitable materials for their final sculptures. This encouraged the children to think creatively while also considering how recycled materials can be reused in exciting ways.

We are incredibly proud of the children's positive attitudes, thoughtful contributions, and enthusiasm for learning. They have worked hard throughout the week and continue to make wonderful progress in all areas of the curriculum.

Year 2

This week in Maths, Year 2 have been learning about half turns and quarter turns. We used our knowledge of turns to create different shapes. Towards the end of the week, we were introduced to 2D shapes. The children really enjoyed drawing the shapes and learning their names.

In English, we have been practising how to write a recount about our trip to Battersea London Zoo. This helped us prepare for writing about our trip to Paddington. We also reviewed the key features that should be included in our writing, such as writing in the first person, using noun phrases, the power of three, and conjunctions.

In Geography, we wrote postcards to a friend from either Peru or England. The children described the human features of these countries and thought carefully about what makes each place special.

In Science, we created a double-page spread with lots of colourful pictures and information about habitats, microhabitats, and the animals that live there. It was wonderful to see the children becoming more confident and skilled at organising their thoughts and ideas on paper.

Year 4

This week in Year 4, the children have been busy working hard and have shown great enthusiasm across all areas of the curriculum. They have enjoyed exploring new topics, developing their skills, and working collaboratively with their classmates.

In Maths, the children have been learning how to read and plot coordinates accurately on a grid. They have also been developing their data-handling skills by interpreting and analysing information presented in bar graphs and pictograms. The children have been answering a range of questions using the data and explaining how they reached their answers, helping to build their confidence in reasoning and problem-solving.

In English, the children have been planning and writing their own newsletter report about a missing person. They have focused on organising their ideas into clear paragraphs, using formal language, and including key features such as headlines, eyewitness quotes, and factual information to make their reports engaging and informative for the reader.

In Geography, the children have been learning about how volcanoes are formed by exploring the structure of the Earth and the movement of tectonic plates. They have also discussed both the dangers and the benefits of living near volcanoes, considering how volcanic eruptions can be destructive while also creating fertile soil, new land, and valuable natural resources.

It has been another fantastic week of learning, and we are incredibly proud of the children's hard work, enthusiasm, and positive attitudes. We look forward to another exciting week ahead!

Year 5

In English this week, the children have been working hard on writing their prequel narrative based on Marcus Sedgwick’s novel, 'Floodland'. Continuing with their work, the children then moved forward in their narratives, explaining how the water had started to rise. They focused heavily on creating suspense, describing the steady, unstoppable creeping of the tide and its impact on the characters' surroundings. Finally, they took time to think critically about how they could weave these tense final moments together to finally link their prequel to the main story.

This week, our mathematicians have been building decimal fluency through four key steps. First, the children tackled subtracting decimals with different numbers of decimal places by lining up the decimal points and using zero as a placeholder. Next, they practiced choosing efficient strategies for adding and subtracting decimals, identifying when to use quick mental methods over column layouts. They then explored decimal sequences, identifying patterns to count accurately forwards and backwards. Finally, the children mastered multiplying and dividing decimals by 10, 100, and 1,000 by using place value charts to confidently slide digits to the left or right.

In History this week, the children explored the Viking invasion of Anglo-Saxon Britain. They learned how the tide turned when King Alfred the Great defeated the invaders. The class investigated Alfred’s strategic truce, discovering how he allowed the Vikings to settle peacefully in the north and east of the country under their own legal system, known as the Danelaw.

Year 6

This week, Year 6 enjoyed a well-deserved day of fun at the cinema where they watched Toy Story 5. The children spoke about the moral of the story, discussing how they should step away from digital games and play more board games or with toys that are not digital. We then moved on to bowling, where we had a striking day of fun, enjoyed lunch together, and just had a fun-filled day with each other. The weather was good, and it was a truly fantastic day all around.

Summer Term Clubs

Bookings will be open from Friday 20th March at 6pm and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

The dates exclude the half term week, 25th May 2026 - 29th May 2026 and Bank holiday, Monday 4th May 2026. Also, Inset day, Friday 19th June 2026.

Please book directly using the links provided or via Arbor where it is indicated to do so.

Kindly ensure your child commits to the duration of the club, as we cannot guarantee refunds.

Sign-up starts at the beginning of the club, not once the club has started.

Please follow this link for futher information and booking links: Summer Term Clubs 

We are using in-app messages to communicate with parents through the app - please could parents ensure they are able to log-in and Arbor is set up to accept these messages - they should be visible in the Communications section of the portal.

Parents who have the app should enable Push Notifications - this will alert you through the app that a message has arrived.

Over 90% of our parents have logged into Arbor - if you are having difficulty, please talk to the office who can help.

Check your Child's Data

Please log in to Arbor and check your child's/children's details are correct - and let us know if not. You can also request changes directly through the app which will take place once we have seen them - if we have questions, we will get in touch. Or you can let the office know directly. It is important we have the correct data for all our families.

Please remember to check Arbor - either the Parent Portal (at https://login.arbor.sc/) or the parent app (available from the App Store or Google Play).

Parents who log in can:

* see their child's attendance

* log consent for local trips and those further afield

* pay for trips and book and pay for clubs

* receive In-App messages - and message the school

* book parent consultations

* see their child's details and request changes to ensure they are completely up to date

If you have more than one child at the school, they should be visible via a drop-down so you only need to login once.

To set up your account, you need the email you use for school communications and the date of birth of one of your children. Follow the Forgotten Password link on either the app or the website.

If you need support with logging in, please talk to the office team who will be glad to help.