Friday 22 May 2026

It is hard to believe that we are at the end of another half term. So much has happened!

The week started with a very important assembly where we discussed things we do to keep ourselves safe, including in emergencies. We then had a lock-down drill where all children return to classes in case of an emergency outside - the children did so well, excellent work everyone!

Thank you to all of the parents of children in Y6 who came to hear about all of the fun we had on the Cuffley residential trip. It was great to relive all of the fun that was had while we were there, sharing our favourite memories and enjoying the wonderful photographs. Thank you to all of the staff who worked so hard to make this event work and to the children for being such great company while we were there.

Staffing news:

At the end of July, we will say a fond farewell to two valued members of our team. Mr Brown is leaving us to take on a well-deserved promotion as an Assistant Headteacher at another local school. While we are sad to lose him, we know he will be fantastic in his new role. Mr Murray has also decided that this summer is the perfect time to retire. We are incredibly grateful for his service and wish him a very long, happy, and relaxing retirement. Both colleagues will be greatly missed, and we wish them the very best.

Save the date:

Our wonderful PTA are arranging a Summer Party on 03 July between 3.30pm and 5.30pm. Join us for an afternoon full of fun-filled entertainment shared with family and friends! Bring along your deck chairs and picnic blankets—we'll take care of the rest. There will be lively performances by Moji entertainers, Inflatable fun from Party Rascals, Garden games, Food and more.

The entry fee is £4.00 per child (age 4-14). Adults and children under 3 go free. Entry tickets include full unlimited use of the equipment. Food and drinks will be available to buy at the event. Please see attached flyer

I hope you all have a great half term break and I look forward to seeing you all when we return on the 1st June.

Mr. Robinson

Headteacher

Upcoming dates

Monday 1 June
Children return to school

Tuesday 2 June

Year 2 Puffins Scooterbility

Wednesday 3 June

Year 2 Owls Scooterbility

Ducks road safety talk

Thursday 4 June

Year 3 Trip to St Albans Cathedral

Friday 5 June

2pm Parent forum

Attendance

At Danes Educational Trust, we believe that regular attendance is vital to support high-quality teaching and learning. Learners cannot reach their full potential unless they attend school consistently.

Reception | Hedgehogs

Weekly attendance: 84.3%

Attendance YTD: 87.1%

Reception | Rabbits

Weekly attendance: 97.1%

Attendance YTD: 93.5%

Year 1 | Deers

Weekly attendance: 91.3%

Attendance YTD: 93.3%

Year 1 | Foxes

Weekly attendance: 85.3%

Attendance YTD: 94.5%

Year 2 | Owls

Weekly attendance: 82.1%

Attendance YTD: 92%

Year 2 | Puffins

Weekly attendance: 94.6%

Attendance YTD: 95.9%

Year 3 | Ducks

Weekly attendance: 96.7%

Attendance YTD: 95%

Year 3 | Swans

Weekly attendance: 90.5%

Attendance YTD: 91.2%

Year 4 | Kingfishers

Weekly attendance: 95%

Attendance YTD: 94.4%

Year 4 | Woodpeckers

Weekly attendance: 93.3%

Attendance YTD: 93.9%

Year 5 | Otters

Weekly attendance: 83%

Attendance YTD: 93%

Year 5 | Pine Marten

Weekly attendance: 88.4%

Attendance YTD: 92.2%

Year 6 | Eagles

Weekly attendance: 95.8%

Attendance YTD: 96.3%

Year 6 | Wildcats

Weekly attendance: 92.1%

Attendance YTD: 95.4%

Awards and celebrations

We are so proud of these students for earning the Values Award, being recognized as Star Learner, and becoming the Timetable Champion! Your hard work, positive mindset, and commitment to learning shine through in all that you do. Keep it up ! You’re setting a fantastic example for others, and we’re excited to see all the amazing things you’ll achieve next!

Reception | Hedgehogs

Values awards: Kathleen Delilah

Star Learner: Gniewosz

Reception | Rabbits

Values awards: Ashkan

Star Learner: Harper

Year 1 | Deers

Values awards: Fatema

Star Learner: Santiago

Year 1 | Foxes

Values awards: Daniel

Star Learner: Alexa

Year 2 | Puffins

Values awards: Otilia

Star Learner: Sevie

Year 2 | Owls

Values awards: Josie-Mae

Star Learner: Elisa

Year 3 | Ducks

Values awards: Whole Class

Star Learner: Isaac H

Timetables champions:

Year 3 | Swans

Values awards: Whole class

Star Learner: Lyra

Timetables champions: Geard

House points

Mercury is the winner this week after earning an incredible amount of tokens! Fantastic work! For the overall term standings, Venus is currently in the lead, but Mercury is not far behind. Keep up the great work!

Jupiter

Points this week: 49

Total points this term: 226

Saturn

Points this week: 49

Total points this term: 207

Venus

Points this week: 58

Total points this term: 294

Mercury

Points this week: 141

Total points this term: 272

Learning this week

This week in Reception

This week in Reception we have been writing our own class version of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. The children have tried hard to write short sentences and have become more independent with this. In Maths we have been finding ways to make 5 and then 5 ‘and some more’. We have been looking at the parts of flowering plants and even managed to dissect some to find the roots. The children have enjoyed creating butterfly art and have also sequenced the life cycle of butterflies through their diagrams. We hope you all have a wonderful half term break and enjoy the beautiful weather!

This week in Year 1

This week in Year One we have been describing whales and writing sentences containing adjectives and verbs. In maths we practice our ordinal number skills, thinking about if things came first, second, third ect. We had a super exciting last forest school session roasting marshmallows and trying hard to start our own fires using flints. Next half term is likely to be a warm one so please make sure to send your child in with a waterbottle.

This week in Year 2

This week in Year Two, the children have really impressed us with their enormously improved handwriting and sentences in their Toy Superhero stories, well done Year Two! They have also shown great resilience and partner work in using our clocks to start to learn to tell the time at 5 minutes past and to the hour - please keep practising at home over the holidays and show off your time skills to us when you return! Finally, they loved having our fire in forest school and eating some yummy treats to round off the term together. Next term, we are back to PE on Tuesdays and Fridays and no forest school on Thursdays anymore.

This week in Year 3

This week in Year Three the children have worked their socks off completing their assessments. We are really proud of the resilience shown by all the children. In Science we continued to explore shadows and had a practical lesson doing a fair test. We hope the children have a lovely half term and we look forward to seeing them in Summer 2.

This week in Year 4

We are so proud of year four this week after completing their assessments. They showed great resilience and concentration all week.

Well done year four! Have an amazing half term!

This week in Year 5

This week in Year Five we have been undertaking some of our termly assessments. The children applied themselves well and demonstrated great resilience. In English we have been writing our invented stories, showing off all the skills we have been learning this half term, while in Guided Reading we have been continuing to read ‘Wonder’. In Science we enjoyed using sieves and tights to separate different mixtures recording our findings in a Venn diagram. Another busy week - and now for a well deserved half term break!

This week in Year 6

It has been a wonderfully busy and productive week in Year 6! In Literacy, the children have been analysing famous, historic speeches to uncover the secrets of persuasive writing in preparation for drafting their own. Our mathematicians have continued to master algebra, confidently building on their skills to create their own equations and work with formulae. Meanwhile, in our topic work, the children showed great maturity when learning about the life of Anne Frank, channelling their knowledge into beautifully presented, informative double-page spreads. We also had a wonderful show and tell where Tayah told us all about how she made her own dress! Well done Tayah, you are so talented! We hope you all have a relaxing and enjoyable half term, and we look forward to seeing the children refreshed in June!

Jupiter PTA

We are proud to have a dedicated and enthusiastic team of parent teacher association (PTA) at our school. The PTA plays a vital role in bringing together families , staff and the wider community to support and enhance the education experience of all our children. Through fundraising events, volunteer support, and community initiatives, the PTA helps provide valuable resources, enrich learning opportunities, and create a positive, inclusive environment for everyone. We welcome all parents and carers to get involved, whether by joining the committee, helping at events, or sharing ideas every contribution makes a difference!

PTA Events and website link

School News

Keeping Your Children Safe Online - What Parents Need to Know About Age-Appropriate Content

This week we are sharing another parent guide. This week it is What Parents Need to Know About Age-Appropriate Content. There is some great advice for parents and carers on this poster about how to keep our children safe online.

Support for Families: Tips from the DFS Anxiety & Attendance Workshop

Following last week's wonderful workshop hosted by Dacorum Family Services (DFS), we wanted to share some of the top strategies and helpful ideas discussed.

As a school, we use many of these techniques daily and we highly recommend trying them out at home!

1. De-escalation & The Power of Distraction

When a child becomes overwhelmed or dysregulated, the goal is to help them calm down safely. One of the best tips from the attached poster is using a distraction.

Top Tip: It is impossible for a brain to be angry and curious at the same time! Intriguing your child with something new can instantly shift the mood.

The biggest takeaway from the session? Be consistent and persevere. Changes don't happen overnight, but sticking with it makes all the difference.

2. Grounding Techniques

DFS also highlighted "grounding techniques" - exercises that help bring a child back into the present moment when they start to feel anxious or overwhelmed.

Practice makes perfect: We use these at school, but it is incredibly beneficial for children to practice them regularly at home. This helps them build a "bank" of tools they can automatically use when they feel stressed.

Take a breath: In our busy lives, learning how to stop and enjoy a peaceful moment is a vital skill for us all.

Please take a look at the attached techniques and chat about them with your child. Let’s work together to give our children the best tools for a happy, calm mind!