Dear Parents and Carers,

A very warm welcome back to school and a Happy New Year!

We hope you all had a restful and enjoyable festive break and are feeling refreshed for the start of 2026. It has been wonderful to see the children return with such enthusiasm, diving straight into their new learning topics which they are already exploring and enjoying across the school.

On Tuesday, we held our first 'Parents in to Read' session of the year with our Reception families. We had a fantastic turnout, and it was a joy to see our youngest learners sharing stories with you in their classrooms. We are looking forward to welcoming our Year 1 parents for their session next Tuesday.

Next week is a particularly exciting one as we are re-launching Times Tables Rock Stars (TTRS) and Numbots! To celebrate, we will be starting new school-wide competitions to boost our maths skills. As part of this launch, we are holding a special dress-up day next Thursday, 15th January. We invite all children to come to school dressed as a rock star, a Numbot, or anything maths-related to help us kick off this initiative with a bang!

We hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Iman Atwal

Headteacher

This term, we have started to explore a new value: Collaboration. We explored what this meant and what it can look like. This includes how we work together with other people, have to show good listening skills and share. Over this term, we will look at collaboration more closely with specific skills involved.

Ask you child:

• How can we share this?

• How can we work together?

• What does good collaboration look like?

 Reception Places for September 2026

If your child’s date of birth is between 1st September 2021 - 31st August 2022, they will be due to start school in Reception in September 2026.

The deadline for applications is 15th January 2026.

Applications are made online through eAdmissions which can be accessed through Croydon Councils website; Apply for a primary school place: step by step | Croydon Council where you will also find information on local primary schools and step-by-step guidance to help you through the application process.

For any parents and carers who need help understanding the school admissions process or require support to make an application, please make an appointment to see Mrs Georgiades (Family Support Officer)

by emailing Familysupport at Woodside Primary School 

You will need your council tax reference number to make an application.

For those parents/carers whose children currently attend our Nursery, you must still complete and submit an application for entry to Reception in September 2026.

Late applications will be processed after Primary National Offer Day (Thursday 16 April 2026), which could severely reduce your child’s chances of being offered a place at your preferred school.

Nest

It has been an absolute joy to start the new year by meeting so many of our new families!

Thank you to everyone who welcomed us into your homes this week. These visits are so valuable for helping your children feel safe, secure, and ready to learn as they begin their journey with us. Our returning children have arrived back from the festive break with wonderful energy! We are so impressed by how quickly they have settled back into our Nest routine. They are doing a fantastic job of: following our daily routines and expectations with confidence. Our little learners have been very busy exploring two main areas this week. Children have been very busy exploring in the home corner, we have seen some incredible imaginative play as the children pretend to prepare delicious meals, sharing food and taking turns with the kitchen utensils. These early social skills are such a big milestone! Children also have been confidently accessing the construction materials, building small structures and talking about what they are building.

Saplings

Welcome back and Happy New Year everyone! We welcome back the children with some lovely sharing time, allowing the children to tell stories of what they got up to over the Christmas holidays, what they enjoyed doing, eating & playing with.

This week in Saplings, we have been exploring our new core text - 'You Choose' by Pippa Goddard. Mainly focusing on the fairytale aspect of the story, introducing characters and allowing the children to share the fairytales and stories they know already. We are also focusing on the letter ‘M’ in phonics this week, exploring it through repetition, song and games.

In Numeracy, we are exploring the number 1 through games such as, ‘can you get me one green pencil’, and the chosen child retrieves it. We are also using our fingers to count to 10, combining it with songs like ‘how many fingers on one hand’.

Reception

A big welcome back to our families and children have come back excited to share their holiday memories with their friends!!

We started our week by being introduced to our new core texts of traditional stories. As we are going to learn through three of them, we started with the story, 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears,' when we found three bowls of porridge on the floor. We read the story, acted it out and then introduced a story map. The story map helped us to retell the story in our own words. We had porridge in our tray to sort out which bowl belonged to which bear. We have been learning new words to start and end a traditional story. We retold our story using words such as ,'Once upon a time', so, next, meanwhile and finally.

In Maths, we continue to learn about numbers and linking these to shapes. We looked at 3, as in 3 bears, three bowls, three chairs and three beds. The shape we focused on were triangles. We also looked at the dots using the dice. Children were able to say what they see and how they see it.  We showed children the face of a die with 5 dots and this is what they said, "We can see a 2 and a 2 and a 1 or a 3 and a 2."

Children continue to use their phonics knowledge to read books independently. Reception children enjoy reading and have their favourite stories. All children are enjoying the traditional stories.

Reminders: Please remember to dress up with a number or rock star on Thursday.

Year 1

Happy 2026! It has been lovely to welcome back all the children.

In Maths this week, we have been learning how to add numbers within 20. First we used a number line to add numbers. We recognised that it doesn’t matter what order we add the numbers and that it is easier if we start with the biggest number. Then we looked for patterns in addition recognising that 3 + 12 is 10 more than 3 + 2. Next we found the number bonds to 20 working practically first with resources such as counters and tens frames, rekenreks and bead strings.

In English, we started our new core text 'The King Who Banned The Dark' by Emily Haworth-Booth. We thought about how we feel when we are in the dark and how the king in the story felt. We verbalised our thoughts telling a partner words we can use to describe the dark recapping nouns and adjectives. In our books, we focused on how to present work. We wrote simple sentences starting at the margin, using a capital letter, ending with a full stop and leaving the correct finger spaces.

Year 2

Welcome back to a brand new term!

It has been an absolute joy to see the children return to the classroom this week. They have jumped straight back into their learning with incredible drive and focus, setting a wonderful tone for the weeks ahead.

In Maths, our young mathematicians have been exploring the world of money. It has been a very popular topic! The children have been identifying the value of different coins and notes, practicing how to make specific amounts, and comparing different values. The children have shown great enthusiasm for these practical life skills, and it’s been wonderful to see their confidence grow when "shopping" and calculating totals.

In English, we have introduced our new core text, the hilarious and thought-provoking 'The Day the Crayons Quit' by Drew Daywalt. Through the disgruntled letters of Duncan’s crayons, the children have been exploring how people (and crayons!) express their thoughts and feelings through letter writing. We have been looking at how to structure a letter, the use of persuasive language, and identifying different perspectives and emotions. This links perfectly with this term’s global theme of human rights. They are learning that everyone has a voice and, more importantly, the right to use it. 

It has been a fantastic start to the term, and we are so proud of how the children have settled back in. We have a lot of exciting activities planned and can’t wait to see how their understanding of their rights and their mathematical skills continue to flourish. Thank you for your continued support!

Year 4

We are incredibly proud of our Year 4 children, who have returned after the Christmas break full of enthusiasm and eagerness to learn!

In English, we have been researching the Greek gods as we prepare for our final writing outcome — an informative fact file. The children explored the key features of non-fiction writing and learned how to write effectively to inform their readers.

During our History lessons, we examined the geographical landscape of Ancient Greece and discussed the main forms of trade that supported Greek civilisation. The children also created a timeline showing the most significant events between 3000 and 146 BC, helping them to understand the chronology of this fascinating period.

In Maths, our focus has been on multiplying and dividing by 10, 100, and 1000, using place value charts to deepen understanding.

Finally, in Science, we have been learning key vocabulary and core ideas about electricity in preparation for building our own electrical circuits next week.

It’s been a wonderful start to the new term, and we can’t wait to see the fantastic learning that continues to unfold!

Year 5

With the start of the new Spring term, the children have settled back into their learning beautifully.

In English, we have introduced an evocative new book, 'Windrush Child' by Benjamin Zephaniah. This week, we immersed ourselves in Caribbean culture to better understand the story's context. The children explored the history of the Maroons in Jamaica, listened to traditional music, and even sampled some delicious local food. Building this cultural foundation will be invaluable as we begin to analyse the text more deeply.

In Maths, the children have continued their work on fractions, focusing specifically on addition and subtraction. They are learning that they must find a common denominator before calculating. This unit has highlighted the vital importance of a strong grasp of times tables, factors, and multiples, which serve as the building blocks for these more complex operations.

In Science, we have launched our new topic: Earth and Space. The children have been busy researching different planets in our solar system and have used their findings to design informative digital posters. These posters showcase key facts and data, demonstrating both their scientific knowledge and their digital literacy skills.

Year 6

This week, we introduced our new core text, 'When the Sky Falls' by Phil Earle. Set during the height of the Second World War, the story has already captivated the class. To kick off the unit, the children have been immersing themselves in the lives of evacuees.

We spent time discussing:

• What life was like for children sent away from home.

• Sharing existing knowledge about the 1940s.

• The emotional impact of leaving family behind during the war.

In our History sessions, we researched the origins of World War II. The children explored the complex question: “What was the most significant event that led to the outbreak of war?”

Using a variety of primary and secondary resources, the students worked diligently to:

Research key political and social milestones.

Select the most impactful events.

Construct detailed timelines to visualize the chronological path to 1939.

In our PSHE lessons, we focused on the risks associated with alcohol. The children approached this mature topic with impressive maturity.

Key areas of discussion included:

• Decision Making: Why some adults choose to drink alcohol while others choose not to.

• Physical Effects: How alcohol impacts the brain, liver, and overall physical health.

• Emotional Effects: How consumption can alter moods and impact relationships.

The active participation during our class debates was excellent, with many students offering thoughtful insights into how people can stay safe and healthy.

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.