2023 / 2024

Newsletter 24th May 2024

Dear Parents and Carers,


I can’t quite believe how fast this academic year is going. It seemed like only yesterday the new Year 3’s came into the school and now we are starting to prepare them for Year 4. At least the sun is out!


Half Term

The half term holidays start today for a well deserved rest for the children (and staff). Children should return to school as normal on Monday, 3rd June.


Relationship & Sex Education (RSE)


After the half-term holiday, we will be starting our RSE lessons. We have created presentations explaining what your child will learn about during these lessons. They normally consist of about 3 or 4 individual lessons spread over a few weeks.


The Presentations are available now on our website. Please follow these links to view them:



Sex Education has been in the news recently but as yet no changes have been made to the law. We are very conscious that we have a number of faiths, religious, cultural, moral and social viewpoints across the parent population and, as such, we only cover what the children need to know and what is morally sensible.


Simply put our Sex Education follows these guidelines:


If you would like to see the materials that are used in these lessons we are more than happy to go through them with you. Please call the office to arrange a suitable time. The children may ask questions during the class work. If it is a question that we do not cover we normally tell the children that it will be covered in secondary school or to go home and discuss it with you, their parents. We will warn you again when each Year groups lessons start so that you can expect questions from your child.


Car Parking


We have received complaints from local residents about parents parking at drop off / pick up time. Please can I ask that if you do drive to school and need to park, please be respectful of our neighbours. I know that some of them have health conditions and that they might need to go quickly to see a doctor or to the hospital. If a car is parked across their driveway then this could potentially be life threatening.


Harrow have also noticed this and as a result are sending their CCTV car here more often. If you are illegally parked you may well receive parking fines. It is actually much better for the children's health if they walk to school. I know that some parents park a bit away from the school and then walk the rest of the way.


Picking your child up early from school


If you need to pick your child up early from school for a medical appointment, please let the office know in advance - especially if you are collecting during playtime or lunchtime, as it can be difficult and time-consuming locating children during these times.. Providing advance notice makes it much easier to have your child ready for you to pick up. If you arrive unannounced your child could be anywhere within the school and it may take quite a time to find them to tell them that you are here.


If your child has a medical / dental appointment during the day, they should be in school before the appointment or after it has finished. We will ask to see appointment cards. It is normally best if you can arrange appointments after school or during the holidays, but we do understand that this is not always possible.

Lateness


There has been an increase in the number of children arriving late for school. This can cause disruption to lessons when your child arrives in the classroom. Please ensure that your child is in school on time.

Year 6


Year 6 are looking a bit more relaxed after SATs week. They are still working on their writing portfolios during class time. They need about 6 pieces of different styles of writing to make an assessment. These are marked within the school but may be moderated externally. Please note the school does not get the SATs results until 9th July. The children's SATs certificates will be with their final reports.


Legoland seemed to be a great success and the children came back really happy. One of them asked me if they could move schools to go to Legoland school!


In July, Secondary Schools normally run “transfer day”. If children are going to a Harrow Secondary School, they go to spend the day at their new school. More information about this after the half term holiday.


Year 5


We are not running a school journey next year when the children move into Year 6. Unfortunately not enough parents said that they wanted their children to go, making the trip prohibitively expensive. We will organise exciting alternatives for them when they are in Year 6.


St Alban’s trip - Thursday 18th July

Thank you to the parents that have already paid £15.75 for the St Albans trip on Thursday July 18th. If you haven’t paid yet, please could you make the payment on Arbor. It is an excellent educational trip that the children will really enjoy, as well taking part in interactive role play activities about the Romans.

If there are any questions, please contact Miss Razzaque.

  


Year 3


Please remember that Year 3 classes will be going to Forest school after half term. 3DOM will be going on Monday, 3rd June. Please use old clothes / clothes that you don’t mind the kids getting dirty on that day please.


Please can I ask all parents to pay for the trip on the Arbor app.


To book the trip in Arbor: Activities > trips > Forest School Year 3.


If there are any issues please come and see us.


Harrow Council Survey on Women and Girls feeling safe


Harrow council are running a survey with residents about if Women and girls feel safe on the borough streets. If you would like to take part please use the link below. They are particularly interested in the views of young women / teenagers. It is an anonymous survey.


https://talk.harrow.gov.uk/harrowsaferspaces


Measles


Thankfully, we haven’t had any new cases of measles during the half term but I believe there has been one more confirmed case in the Infants. If your child has not been vaccinated perhaps you may consider doing so over the half term. Please speak to your GP.


Dates For your Diary



Half Term Activities


Please organise a few things for your child to do over the half term. They do not need to be expensive. Play dates with friends are great ways to help the children socialise. Running around the park burns off excess energy. Art activities with you at home or simply cooking with your child. All of the major London museums are free and many offer half term activities for free. All it will cost is an adult tube fare - kids go free. Go to Kenton library. They often run half term activities.


If possible - try to get them away from sitting in front of a computer/ TV / PlayStation / Xbox etc all week. It is much better for them - and you!


Thank you, and wishing you a lovely half-term holiday,


M Baumring

Headteacher

Newsletter 17th May 2024

Dear Parents and Carers,


This is a short newsletter. Year 6 children have been working very hard on their SATs exams this week and our focus has been supporting them on these formal Government led tests. We were inspected on Wednesday by a Local Authority representative to check whether we were administering the texts properly and I can tell you that they were impressed at our organisation of the tests and how well the children reacted to them. The children have an easier day today but they still have to get their writing portfolios ready for assessment in the next few weeks. All of the tests apart from writing are marked externally. The writing tests may be moderated.


New Deputy Head

As you know Mr Murji will be retiring from his Deputy Head post from September. He will then work just two days a week until Christmas when he will finally retire. Governors worked very hard at securing his replacement as Deputy and I am very pleased to say that Miss Abbi was appointed. Miss Abbi has worked in the school before and some of our parents may remember her as Miss Chohan. She left the school 8 years ago to take promotion in an Ealing school where she still is. I know that many parents and children will be sad to see Mr Murji go but I am also sure that you will be very welcoming to our new Deputy.


Year 5 Swimming

I am sorry to say that swimming for current Year 5 has been cancelled for the rest of the year. This is a great shame as some of the children were really making huge improvements in their ability to swim. I did go to visit their lesson before the pool closed and their progress was really noticeable. At the beginning of Year 5 a lot of the children were frightened by the water but when I saw them a few weeks ago they all seemed confident and happy in the water. This is such a key life skill that could potentially save their life in the future.

The pool is closed for structural repairs. We did try to go to another pool, Hatch End, but couldn’t find a coach company able to take them to the lessons.


We have provisionally booked swimming for next year, (current Year 4’s), in the hope that any building works will be finished by then.


Book Fair - 21st to 24th May


Our book fair will be visiting next week giving parents and children the opportunity to buy new books at a discounted rate. Reading is by far the most important skill that your child needs to succeed at school and in their adult lives. This is why we spend so much time teaching and encouraging children to read. It would help if you also encouraged your child to read widely at home - try to praise them away from their electronic toys. It is also a great way to help them get to sleep; at this age it is really nice for parents to still read them a bedtime story. I remember reading Harry Potter to my children when they were in Year 5.


The Book Fair is open from Tuesday 21st May to Friday 24th May in the canteen after school. Scholastic have offered us a 3-for-2 deal on all books, where the cheapest book of the three will be free.


Cash only please!


Summer Fair - 5th July


We are hoping to hold a Summer Fair on Friday 5th July (3pm - 6pm).


Parents can have their own stall / table for £25. This could be for crafts or selling other items. You are allowed to keep profits for your stall but the £25 would be non refundable. Please leave your contact details with the office if interested.

Due to health and safety rules, the sale of food or drinks would not be permitted at these stalls.


Friday Juice Sale


Mrs Akhtar has organised a juice sale every Friday, during the morning break.

Items are priced at either 50p or £1. Cash only please, and preferably the correct money. E.g. no notes.


Year 6 Trip to Legoland - 22nd May


A reminder that Year 6 will visit Legoland on Wednesday 22nd May. Please ensure the children bring a packed lunch and change of clothes. The children will be ready for collection at 3.30pm.


Food Parcels


We were giving out regular food parcels to some families but unfortunately these stopped at Easter due to lack of funding. I have just been told that they are going to start deliveries again. We will order for those families that were receiving them previously but if any other parents would like to add their names to the list, please come and see me in confidence.


Become a Parent Governor


We still have vacancies on our Governing Body for Parent Governors. If you are interested please come and speak to me and I can tell you more about it. It is a voluntary position but you do really get to see how the school operates and will have a hand in guiding the school forward.


Class Photographs


Your child will have recently brought home a proof of their class photographs - please check their bags. You can place an order through the school or online. Please be advised if you are ordering through the school, to please return the order by Wednesday 22nd May 2024.

Please ensure that the relevant details are completed on the order envelope and the correct money is enclosed, as these will not be checked by the school office.


Year Group Webpages

Please can you take time to take a look at your child’s Year Group Webpage (see links below). There you will discover their curriculum for the Summer Term, Trips or Events information and general information relating to your child’s year group.


Weduc


Reminder that the Junior School no longer uses Weduc. This has been replaced by Arbor.


Messages sent to Weduc will not be seen.


Please use the Arbor App for all written communication with the school. If you have any questions on how to use Arbor, please contact the school office, who will be happy to help.


Thank you,


M Baumring

Headteacher

Newsletter 29th April 2024

Dear Parents / Carers,


Hopefully the weather is turning a little warmer and Spring is finally here! The summer term has started well, and the children seem happy and settled.


Important Dates for Your Diary:


Bank Holiday - Monday 6th May


Just a quick reminder that Monday 6th May is the “May Day'' bank holiday. The school will be closed for staff and pupils.


New Term and holiday dates


The new term and holiday dates for next year are now available on the School website: https://www.kpjs.harrow.sch.uk/termdates.html


For parents with children in both the Junior and Infant Schools: Please note there are two dates which are different for the Junior and Infant schools. Inset days, (also known as Teacher training days), are a requirement of the Government that every state school puts aside 5 training days per year for its staff.


Wherever possible, we do try to align these with the Infant school and local secondary schools to make it as easy as possible for parents. However, this is not always possible.


Measles Update


We have another confirmed case of measles in the Junior School this morning, and a confirmed case in the infant school with a sibling in the Junior school.


Important - If you receive a text from the Harrow Immunisation Team about your child’s immunisation against measles, please respond urgently.


Measles is a very contagious virus and although most children recover very well, there are a few examples where children and adults can be significantly impacted by the virus. Doctors are particularly concerned about measles coming into contact with pregnant women and people who have suppressed immunological systems.


The school has been in contact with Public Health England who have advised the following:

Recommended Actions:


If you (parent / carer) have not had your vaccination please speak to your GP for advice. My understanding is that it is never too late to be vaccinated at any age.


Class Photographs - Wednesday 1st May


Class Photographs are happening this Wednesday 1st May. Please ensure that your children look neat and tidy in their school uniforms. If your child has PE on Wednesday, please send them in their school uniform together with their PE kit to change into.


Year 5 Swimming


As you are aware there have been major issues with swimming this term. This is caused by the Leisure centre closing unexpectedly due to structural issues with the roof. We have tried very hard to secure alternative provision at Hatch End Pool at very short notice. However, they could not offer the same time slots as the Leisure centre. We are also having great difficulty securing a coach company to get the children to the pool as all of the coach companies are busy.


If we cannot find suitable arrangements, we may have to cancel swimming for the rest of the year.


Writing - Penpals in Australia!


This term, the children in year 4 and a class in year 5 have received letters from some penpals all the way from Australia! Our Australian pals want to find out all about what it's like to be at school in the UK, life in London and the hobbies and interests that our children at KPJS enjoy. From the excitement and cheering that the children displayed when they received their personal letters, I can tell that this is going to be a great writing project for all of the children involved!


We have also been told that we are going to have an author visiting the school in September. Neal Zetter, a published poet, will come along to speak to the children about his inspirations for writing and answer the children's questions. We do try to get at least one author a year to speak to the children. We feel that it is a really good way to inspire the children in their own writing which is a skill they need throughout their lives.


Year 5 Big Plastic Count

Year 5 took part in the Big Plastic Count, the week of 17th March, they counted their plastic waste for a whole week in March. The results were astounding. The children shared the results, problems with plastics and solutions with ITV Good morning Britain and on Channel 5 news!

YouTube links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eei40ZBAN_s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjC-bviCPsc

Last week they lobbied MPs in Parliament to ask them to create a strong Global treaty against plastic production!


For more information:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kVTcCOVCnY

https://thebigplasticcount.com/


Year 6 SATs


SAT's begin on Monday 13th May, with exams every day until Thursday 16th May.

Important - Please do not make any doctors / dentists appointments during school time on these days.


We expect all children to sit their SATS exams but if your child is unwell during SATs week please leave a message on the school answering machine as early as possible. A member of school staff will then call you back as soon as possible. Your child will NOT be able to sit the SATs tests after the appointed day - we have to keep to the Government's timeline. If they miss a test they will not get a mark for that particular test.


Please ensure that Year 6 children go to bed on time during SATs week and eat a nutritious evening meal the night before the test and a good breakfast on the day of the test so that they can perform at their best.


David Cira signs for Watford Football Club!

The school is excited and proud to share that David Cira is signing for Watford Football Club today. Mr Kelley tells us David is an excellent goalkeeper.

We wish David every success on his exciting new adventure. Congratulations David!

Street Tag - new season starting 29th April

The new Street Tag season is launching on April 29th, 2024! It's time to lace up your sneakers, charge up your phones, and get ready to tag and get active like never before! Walk, Cycle, Run or Roll in a Wheelchair.


The new Season dates are:


 Tagging is even more fun when you've got your crew by your side! There are fantastic prizes to be won!

We need your help to spread the word and make this Street Tag season the biggest and best one yet! Please tell your friends, family, neighbours, and social networks to join the fun. Let's make KPJS the ultimate Street Tag hotspot! 

We have covered all the FAQs to help you understand the average scoring and more. Click here to learn more.

So, are you ready to tag, conquer, and have a blast? I know I am! Let's make this Street Tag season one to remember! Please help our school get some funding and get ready to hit the streets on April 29th.


See you there! - Mrs Maran, PE Coordinator


Thank you,


M Baumring

Headteacher

Newsletter 18th April 2024

Dear Parents / Carers,


Welcome back to the summer term at Kenmore Park. Let's hope that the weather settles down and becomes a little warmer, (not too hot), over the next few weeks. Please continue to send your child in with a raincoat as the weather changes from one minute to the next and we do try to send them out at playtime if we possibly can. The children really do need a run around especially as they concentrate so hard in lessons.


Important dates


The school is closed for children on Friday 26th April for teacher training. This is one of our scheduled training days that we have to do over the course of the academic year.


The school is also closed on Monday 6th May (national Bank Holiday).


Year 6 - SATs Week - 13th to 16th May


Year 6 will be doing their SATs starting on Monday 13th May. There are exams every day apart from Friday during that week. The exam timetable is set by the Government and we cannot change it. The only thing that we do is decide what time of the school day the children sit the tests - normally the morning when they are at their freshest.


Please do NOT organise any doctors / dentist visits during school time for these days. If your child is ill during test week please notify the school as soon as possible.


The Year 6 children and staff have been working very hard to get ready for these tests. I wish them all the best.


Year 5 - Big Plastic Count


Some of the Year 5 children have appeared on national TV News! The children have been working on a topic called The Big Plastic Count.


This is aimed at getting the children to help to reduce plastic waste, not only in their own lives and family but also impacting the wider world and their communities. Reporters from Channel 5 and GMTV came in to interview the children about The Big Plastic Count, and yesterday 3 children went to Parliament to lobby the MP’s. They met Michael Gove, former Prime Minister Teresa May among other MP’s.


You can watch their TV appearances here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eei40ZBAN_s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjC-bviCPsc


I think it is really important for the children to become aware of environmental issues and if possible to try to change it. It is going to be their world long after it is mine. Who knows perhaps one of them will be a future Prime Minister and really have an impact on the world!


Measles


You would have received a note from the school in December about measles vaccinations. There has been a significant rise in measles across NW London. Most children recover very well from Measles but for a few children the disease can cause life changing illnesses. It is recommended that your child is fully up to date with vaccinations. Your child should have had two separate vaccinations when they were very young. You can check this in your child’s ‘Red’ book. If your child is not fully vaccinated I suggest that you make an appointment with your GP to discuss.


English as a Second Language Class for Adults, (ESOL)


The school regularly runs ESOL classes for adults every Thursday morning at 9:00am. These are completely free and a great way to improve your English speaking and writing. There are lots of fun activities and a great chase to socialise with other parents.


For further information please contact Mrs Virlics through the school office or alternatively turn up on Thursday morning at 9:00am in the Junior school office.


Year 5 Swimming


Swimming has been cancelled as there are structural problems at Harrow Leisure Centre and they have closed the swimming pool. We are currently investigating if we can go to another pool but we will need to tie this up with coach company availability as well. We will let you know the outcome but for the moment swimming is cancelled - sorry.


Kenmore’s Got Talent!


Just before we broke up for the Easter Holidays, the Year group winners of ‘Kenmore’s Got Talent’ performed their routines for the whole school. There were two acts for each year group and we were entertained by everything from piano playing, gymnastics, poetry, magic and singing. Well done to all of the winners. It was a great afternoon's entertainment and amazing to see how many of our pupils have unknown talents.


Harrow Parent / Carer coffee morning on Zoom - Friday 19 April


Thank you


M Baumring

Headteacher

Kenmore Park Junior School

Moorhouse Road

Kenton

Harrow

HA3 9JA


t: 020 8204 6294

e: office@kpjs.harrow.sch.uk

w: https://kpjs.harrow.sch.uk/


The information contained within this e-mail / attachments are confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the message and attachments immediately and notify the sender. Any unauthorised dissemination or copying of this e-mail, or any misuse or wrongful disclosure of the information contained in it is strictly prohibited and may be illegal. The opinions, statements and thoughts expressed in this e-mail and its attachments if any are those of the individual sender and not necessarily of Kenmore Park Junior School or any associated party.


Newsletter 25th March 2024

Dear Parents / Carers,


This is the last newsletter before the Easter / Spring holidays. It is nice that the weather is becoming warmer and I am certainly looking forward to more sunshine in the near future. Here are some recent highlights from the school and bits of information about what is coming up soon.


Easter Holidays

The school breaks up for the Easter Holidays this Thursday, 28th March. The children return to school on Monday, 15th April.


Please note that school finishes an hour early on Thursday:



Please also note that the new term and holiday dates for 2024 - 2025 are now on our website. https://kpjs.harrow.sch.uk/


Food Bags Finishing

We have been supplying free food bags for some of our parents. These come from the Charity ‘Help for Harrow’. Unfortunately their funding source has stopped and from the beginning of April the food bags will stop. We do have a list of places where you can pick up free food for those in need - please pop into the office and we can give you a copy of these.


Free School Meal Vouchers

Every child that has been formally assessed as being eligible for free school meals will receive food vouchers for the sum of £38.50. These will be sent to your email for you to download. This is actually being paid for by Harrow Council in their efforts to make sure that children have enough to eat over the Easter holidays. We only give vouchers for current pupils in the Junior School.


If you would like to check to see if your child is eligible for free school meals, please complete the Free School Meal form on our website. We can then check for you. There is no need at the moment to claim actual meals as all the children are entitled to a free meal thanks to the Mayor of London. However, this may change in the future. Being eligible for Free School Meals often opens up a range of other benefits such as the food vouchers listed above. There are also opportunities to get free child care during the holidays.


It is definitely worthwhile checking your eligibility.


Year 5 Swimming


We have been informed by Harrow Leisure Centre that the swimming pools are currently closed until further notice. We believe it has something to do with roof repairs. Therefore swimming has been cancelled this Wednesday, 27th March. We will let you know after Easter what is happening and when swimming lessons are due to restart.


Medicines in School

Please note that we are only allowed to give the children medicines that have been prescribed by a doctor, and only when they need to have that medicine 4 times a day or more. This is a legal requirement.


We cannot administer “over the counter” chemist medicines such as paracetamol, calpol etc. If you wish your child to have these in school then you must come in personally to give it to your child yourself.


The children are not allowed to bring their own medicines with them. If you wish your child to be given prescription medicines then you must come in and speak to Miss Elaine to discuss it further and sign a consent form.


Kenmore's Got Talent - Winners Performance Show


Tomorrow (Tuesday, 26th March) our year group winners from ‘Kenmore’s Got Talent’ will perform their routines for the rest of the school.


They are:



It has been fascinating for me to learn some of your children's hidden talents. It will be a great event.


Congratulations to all of our winners!


Children of Tabora


Last week we did the draw for the Easter Egg competition and I have to admit that I won one of the adult prizes, a bottle of wine and some posh chocolates. I promise you that there wasn’t any cheating at all. Also last week there was a cake sale in aid of the charity. I would to personally thank Mrs Lakhani for all of her effort in supporting this charity and organising the event.


These two events raised £1,008 which will be sent to the charity, ‘The Children of Tabora’ in Tanzania. The Charity is administered by an order of Nuns and was originally set up by Mother Teresa. I think that this money will go a very long way in supporting these Children. I am hopeful that the children in Tabora will actually write or video message us back so that the children can see that their money has really made a difference to someone else's life. Who knows, perhaps we could get some penpals going between our children and theirs.


Link to the video: https://youtu.be/nbc3cO731AY


Become a Parent Governor


We still have two parent Governor vacancies in the school. If you are interested in helping shape the future of the school, please come and see me and I can explain the process further.


Year 5 Parents - Secondary Schools September 2025


One of the parent Governors saw me recently. She told me that some of the Year 5 parents are starting to worry about secondary school applications for their children next year. Firstly, you do NOT need to do anything now. The Secondary school applications do not start until 1st September 2024 and last until 31st October 2024. I usually meet with Parents early on as their children enter Year 6 to explain the process further.


The only exceptions to this are if you intend applying for either Private Schools or Grammar Schools. Both of these types of school have entrance exams, some of which happen at the end of Year 5 or very early on in Year 6. I am very happy to meet any parent to discuss these further if they are interested. We rarely send children to grammar schools, although a few children each year sit the tests, (QE Boys, Henrietta Barnet, Mill Hill County High, etc). And as far as I know, even more rarely send anyone to private schools, (these cost about £20,000 per year!).



Year 5 - Park High Science Fair


Year 5 enjoyed a stimulating afternoon at the Park High Science fair. They took part in a range of interactive activities led by sixth form students. They experimented with exploding balloons, making hair static using a Van de Graff Generator and turned water into wine.

https://youtube.com/shorts/G-eX6m8j1g4?feature=shared


Year 5 Cassiobury Park Trip


The Year 5 children enjoyed an educational (and fun!) trip to Cassiobury Park.


Year 5 Bread tasting


As part of their DT topic, year 5 have been tasting bread! They evaluated each type in order to get some ideas for their own bread making next week. Rye bread was the least popular, however they gobbled down the brioche!


Ramadan / Eid


Some of our Muslim Parents and Children have been celebrating the Holy month of Ramadan. Some of the older children have been fasting over this period and I hope that you feel we have done as much as we can to support them and make it as easy as possible.


Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid which I believe is around the 10th April, during our Easter holidays. If you are celebrating, may I take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very happy Eid.


Easter


Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar. For those families celebrating Easter, on behalf of the school I would like to wish you all a very happy Easter.


Just remember - any spare Easter Eggs or Ramadan sweets can always be found a very good home in the staff room!


Thank you,


M Baumring

Headteacher

Kenmore Park Junior School

Moorhouse Road

Kenton

Harrow

HA3 9JA


t: 020 8204 6294

e: office@kpjs.harrow.sch.uk

w: https://kpjs.harrow.sch.uk/


The information contained within this e-mail / attachments are confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the message and attachments immediately and notify the sender. Any unauthorised dissemination or copying of this e-mail, or any misuse or wrongful disclosure of the information contained in it is strictly prohibited and may be illegal. The opinions, statements and thoughts expressed in this e-mail and its attachments if any are those of the individual sender and not necessarily of Kenmore Park Junior School or any associated party.


Newsletter 11th March 2024

Dear Parents / Carers,


It has been a busy few weeks at school with lots happening! We are slowly building up towards the Easter Holidays.


Ramadan


The Holy Muslim month has just started and lasts until mid April. Some of the children have requested permission to fast during the day. If this is the case then we do need a letter from you to give them permission to fast.


We DO NOT expect any of the younger children (Years 3 and 4) to fast.


My understanding is that the children would only be expected to fast when they are 13/14 years old. No child has to fast.


These are the rules that I mentioned to Year 5 and 6 children:



Many children mark Ramadan in other ways. Some children give up sweet treats during the daylight hours or fast at home on the weekends where their parents can keep a careful watch on them and they can rest if they need to. Please discuss these options with your child. School is a busy place for the children. We want children to focus on their learning and research has clearly shown that children learn best when their basic needs are met - i.e. not being hungry.


If the children wish to pray at lunchtime we will make a room / area available for them to use.


World Book Day


Last Thursday was a great success. It was funny seeing the children run around in their pyjamas all day. There was a sprinkling of football PJ’s as well the occasional Barbie or Unicorn ones. Some of the children have very ‘posh’ pyjamas. All of the children should have received a book voucher which they can exchange for a book at various stores such as W H Smith. The whole idea was / is to encourage reading as this is the key to success throughout their school life.


Maths Challenge


Four of our Year 6 children took part in a Maths competition at Orley Farm private school last week. The four children, Yashvi, Sujinth, Abirran and Akseyan, had to compete with lots of other schools in a variety of mathematical challenges. Most of these were children from Private schools. They didn’t win the competition, but they did really well beating off lots of the others.


Well done to all who took part!


Easter Egg Raffle


Many thanks to the children and parents who have bought tickets for our Easter Egg raffle. All of the profit will be sent to the ‘Children of Tabora’ charity. This charity was originally set up by the Nobel peace prize winner, Mother Teresa.

The children in Tabora do not have enough food to eat, no school uniform or equipment and often sleep on cardboard. I am hoping that our small donation will have a massive impact on the lives of the children and the local community in Tabora.


One of the members of staff does have a connection with this charity, they have been supporting it for years. We are hoping that when they receive our money the Nuns who are running the charity will send us a report, pictures and perhaps even a video of how the money can be sent. Perhaps the children there will write to the children in our school.


The children were shown a video on Friday about the children who live there.


Link to the video: https://youtu.be/nbc3cO731AY


Easter Holiday Clubs


Kenmore will not be running an Easter Holiday club this year. However there are many providers nearby who do. If your child is entitled to Free School Meals then you can book a place for free on these camps. Please book up sooner rather than later as they tend to become full very quickly.


I do know that there are sessions happening at Glebe Primary school and Priestmead.


Please go to https://youngharrowfoundation.org/haf-programme to find out more - and see their flyer below:


Celebrating Mortisor / Mother’s Day


Some of our Romanian children made cards to celebrate Mortisor and Mother’s day.


Thank you,


M Baumring

Headteacher

Newsletter 29th February 2024

Dear Parents / Carers,


Just a quick newsletter to keep you updated with events at school.


Staff News


Mr Murji has decided to retire. He has been talking about it for the past 28 years since I first knew him. He will retire officially in July as Deputy, but will continue working a couple of days per week until December, supporting the new Deputy and our lovely children.


We have put an advert out to recruit a new Deputy from September and we hope to start interviewing before Easter. Lots of teachers have expressed an interest in applying for the post.


Mr Murji will be missed and his shoes will be very hard to fill.


Ramadan


The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan is fast approaching. Some of the older children ask to be allowed to fast or partially fast during the month. My understanding is that children under 13 are allowed to be exempt from fasting.


If you wish your child to fast please write a short note to the school saying that you are allowing them to fast. We will then support the children in doing so. However, if your child becomes hungry or thirsty during the day we WILL NOT stop them from eating or drinking. It will be he child’s decision.


We do allow the children to pray at lunch time if they wish to and we set aside a room for them to do this. However, we are short on prayer mats and ask that if you have any spare mats or old mats that these can be donated to the school to be used by the children.


Please note that the Younger children are NOT allowed to fast.


Internet Safety


A few weeks ago, we asked our parents and children to complete an internet safety survey. Some of the results are concerning. As a result, we will be speaking to some of the children further about staying safe online.


Some of the parents also asked for a meeting to help them keep their children safe online. We are currently organising a coffee morning for parents on this subject. Watch this space for further details on when this will happen.


In the meantime, please check what your child is doing online. What games are they playing, videos that they are accessing etc. It is always best at this age to have the computer in a family room so as you walk past them you can actually see what they are up to.


It is not recommended for children to have a computer in their bedrooms.


Design / Technology money


When you first entered the school we told you about a £5 donation every year that we ask parents to pay. This covers the cost of some of the materials that your child uses for this subject.


For example:


The £5 donation saves a lot of time and energy asking for small amounts of money when your children are doing these topics


Many parents have not paid for this academic year. Please could I ask you to make this payment online in Arbor.


To make payment in Arbor:

Activities > Clubs > Creative Curriculum School Donation


Thank you.


English Classes for Adults (ESOL)


We run ‘Improve your English’ classes for adults every Thursday morning from 9:00am to 11:00am. These are completely free and are taken by an experienced adult teacher from Stanmore College.


You are very welcome to join the group. Please come to the Office on Thursday 7th March at 9am.


If you have any questions, please contact Mrs Virlics, our Parent Ambassador. avirlics.310@kpjs.harrow.sch.uk


Webinar for Parents

Harrow have organised a Webinar for parents to give suggestions and tips on how to keep your children happy. The Webinar is on Tuesday 5th March at 2:00pm.


Please see the attached flyer for more details.


Year 5 Sustainability Curriculum

Year 5 have been learning about sustainability and how to be more efficient. They designed their own “future mode of transport” and an “environmentally friendly playground”. Having been inspired by Greta Thunberg, they are now creating ways of promoting climate change to the public. Watch out for their ideas next time: raps, videos, posters, no plastic events and petitions and many more!


Thank you,


M Baumring

Headteacher

Newsletter 19th February 2024

Dear Parents / Carers


I hope that you all had a great half term. It was nice to see the children looking refreshed and happy as they came back into school today.


Friday 23rd February - Inset (teacher training) day


Please note that the school will be closed to the children on Friday 23rd February, as detailed in our school term calendar. The Infants School will be running their parent teacher meetings at the same time. (we had ours just after Christmas), so we will be training the staff in our new writing system.


School Photographs

If you wish to order a photograph for your child, please return the order form by Thursday 22nd February. You can place an order online (using the link on the order form), or through the school office. If you are ordering through the school office, please ensure all relevant details are completed on the order envelope and the correct money is enclosed.


Become a School Governor

We are actively looking for parent governors. If you would like to become a school governor, please contact me (Mr. Baumring) for a chat. Thank you.


Job vacancy: Lunchtime Leader

We have an opening to join the team as a Lunchtime Leader.

To apply, please complete the application form on the school website: https://kpjs.harrow.sch.uk/vacancies.html


Harrow Services Listening Event - Tuesday 20th February

We are holding a listening event for Parents tomorrow in the school hall starting at 8:50am until about 10:00 am.


The event is designed by Harrow NHS to get feedback on its services and how to make them better for the future. There will be GP’s, NHS services, CAMHS, Early support representatives who will want to listen to your shared experiences of using these services.


The event is a chance for parents / carers to come into school to hear updates from council representatives. They will be able to ask questions about their personal circumstances in small groups,

Representatives attending:

And for general feedback from parents:

Just turn up after you have dropped your kids off and head to the Junior school hall.


Parent / Carer Coffee Morning - Old Lyonians Sports & Social Club - Friday 23rd February

The Harrow Parent and Carer Forum are holding a free coffee morning to discuss Harrow’s Local Offer for children with additional needs.


Harrow Early Youth Support Offer

Harrow’s Early Support Team are offering a number of free sessions across the term, please see below for dates and more details.


Year 5 trip to Cassiobury Park - 19th & 21st March

Year 5 are planning a trip to Cassiobury Park on Tuesday 19th March (5SA + 5RP) and Thursday 21st March (5RR) as part of our RIVER topic.


The price of the trip is £10.05.


Please register your child and complete payment for the trip using the Arbor app to ensure the children experience this amazing trip. To register your child for trips in Arbor: Activities > Trips or Quick Actions > Trips


Thank you,


M Baumring

Headteacher



Newsletter 6th February 2024

Dear Parents and Carers,


I can’t believe we are nearly at half term - half way through the school year. The year has literally flown by!


Staff News


Mr Kelley is back after his Paternity leave. I think that he is getting used to late nights / early mornings with his new baby. A big thank you to Mr Evangelou for taking over clubs at very short notice.


Half Term Holiday


It is half term next week, starting Monday 12th February. The children return to school on Monday 19th February. Please note school starts and finishes at the normal times on Friday 9th February and Monday 19th February.


Please do try to spend some quality time with your child during half term holiday. This is a really great age where the children really enjoy spending time and doing things with their parents. It doesn’t have to be expensive - taking them for a run around at the park is great for you, (it tires them out so that they go to bed on time), and it is also great for their physical and mental well being. When they get to their teenage years they won’t want to spend as much time with you - I speak as both an experienced Headteacher and parent of two children, who have thankfully finished their teenage years!


Free School Lunches


We have been officially told by the Mayor of London’s office that free school lunches for Junior children will continue next academic year - great news. It is estimated that this will save parents approximately £500 per year per child. Hopefully it will become permanent.


Just after Christmas, the Kitchen was inspected by environmental Health as a routine unannounced inspection. I am pleased to confirm that our current providers, Nourish, regained the top score of 5 stars. The inspector looked at all aspects of food production, storage and record keeping and found exemplary practice from the Kitchen Team. Well done to the entire Nourish team.


Special Menu celebrating Chinese New Year - Thursday 8th Feb


There is a special Chinese meal this Thursday to celebrate Chinese New Year. The Chinese animal for next year is the ‘Year of the Dragon’


Menu


(accompanied by either special rice or chow mein)



Free School Meal Vouchers


If your child receives Free School Meals, you will receive a voucher through Wonde for the sum of £3.50 per day per child for the 5 days of half term. This amounts to £17.50 per child. This is being donated by Harrow Council.


If you would like to check to see if you are eligible to register your child for Free School Meals, please go to our website and go to school information / FSM or alternatively click this link and we can check for you:


https://kpjs.harrow.sch.uk/fsm.html


KPJS Website - Updated Spring Year Group Pages


Please take some time to take a look at your child’s year group webpage for Spring. It will give you an insight into what your child is learning this term. You can access these pages by clicking on your child’s year group below.




Dress to express Day - Wednesday 7th February


On Wednesday 7th February, we will be taking part in 'Dress to Express' Day, where children may come to school as something they are passionate about, something they wish to be when they are older, or they may dress as a colour to show their mood - for example, yellow to show happiness. This is to tie in with Children’s Mental Health Week. I am sure that we will be seeing lots of football kits, a few doctors perhaps even a firefighter or two.


There is no cost for this activity.


Internet Safety Day


Kenmore Park Junior School had an excellent time learning about Internet Safety with a fun interactive Google Legends assembly to start the day today. The children learned about how to stay safe online, and were provided with resources and games to help them learn.

The children were reminded not to share personal information online, not to post pictures of themselves, not to meet strangers, to report anything they feel uncomfortable about to a trusted adult and only say nice things online, things that they would say to a person's face.


Your child is too young to have free access to the Internet. Please monitor what they see and do online at home. The best advice is that the children should not have a laptop / computer in their bedroom and that any computer they use should be in a family room.


The internet / computers can be beneficial, and they will play a central role in your child's future, for work or play. However, the internet can also be a dangerous place for children. Please do spend time discussing what they do safely online. Also, try and make sure that they are not spending all of their free time online. Children benefit greatly from physical activity and in person interactions - for example, playing with friends in person and playing games with family.


If you have not yet completed the Internet Safety survey, please click here to do so: https://forms.gle/RoEd92xhShGeLsyUA

If you would like more information about Internet Safety, please look at the link on our website: https://kpjs.harrow.sch.uk/esafety.html

or contact Miss Razzaque or a member of the safeguarding team.

 



MICROBITS

Year 5 have been programming Microbits this week, using algorithms to display various LED displays from the Chromebooks. Amazing coding techniques!


5SA River Models

5SA have created fabulous 3D river models, showing the journey of a river from the Upper course, through the meandering middle course, to the mouth of the lower course!


5RP Fish Lanterns

There’s something amazingly fishy 🐠 going on in 5RP 🤩


Team Points

Blue team won the team point challenge for this half term. They have earned one extra playtime this week as a reward!


Thank you,


M Baumring

Headteacher



Newsletter 24th January 2024

Dear Parents / Carers,


I can’t believe it is nearly the end of January - this year seems to be flying past already. Yesterday we had over 20 Headteachers visiting the school attending a course I was leading. The Headteachers were all very complimentary about the pupils here in the school - they found them charming and great fun.


Parents Evening


It was really nice to see so many parents last Friday, during the Parents meeting. This was a really great opportunity to find out how your child is doing at school. A few children were caught out at the event - ‘No mum, I don’t have any outstanding homework’. - LOL


I thought the atmosphere was really good throughout the school, and many classes had a full turnout, with teachers meeting all parents of the children in their class. A few Year 5 parents came to see me to discuss grammar schools. I am still happy to see any other parents particularly in Years 4 and 5 about this. Please book an appointment through the school office.


Children's Mental Health Week - 5th to 11th February


On Wednesday 7th Feb we are having a free "dress to express" day at school for children's mental health week. The children can come into school dressed as one of the following:

Please see the attached "Dress to Express" poster for more dress up ideas!


Measles - MMR vaccination


I am sure you have read on the news that Measles is spreading in communities across the UK and we have seen an increase in our local boroughs.


We recently sent you a letter by email from the Immunisation Team with regards to MMR vaccinations. If your child is NOT up-to-date with all their routine vaccinations

please access the online consent form by clicking on the following link:


https://clchschoolimmunisations.co.uk/Forms/MMR


You will then be asked to put in a school code. Our School code is CL102193.


Please note immunisations do NOT take place at school. Once you have filled out the form, the immunisation team will contact you directly. If you need to speak to them the number is on the top of the letter.


School Attendance


The Government, Department for Education and Harrow Council have introduced new guidelines for schools to improve student attendance. Regular and punctual attendance at school is both a legal requirement and essential for pupils to maximise their educational opportunities.

If your child has an attendance of 90%, this means that they are missing half a day of school per week. Over the course of a full year, this is a significant amount of class time lost.

Changes to penalty fines for parents

Harrow Council will now issue a Penalty Fine if:

Medical Appointments

If your child has a medical / dental appointment, parents are required to provide confirmation of the appointment in order for the absence to be authorised. School absence will be limited to cover the time necessary to attend and return from the appointment. A full day's absence to attend appointments will not be authorised unless there are exceptional circumstances,

Frequent illnesses

Where absence is the result of frequent illness, parents are required to provide medical evidence for future absences. Failure to provide the evidence will result in your child’s absence being unauthorised.

The new Government / Harrow Council guidance can be complicated. Full details are available on our website https://www.kpjs.harrow.sch.uk/docs/policies/school_information/Attendance_policy.pdf

Please contact the school you have any questions.


Recent Events

Year 5 children were treated to a performance of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ performed by Park High Students at Park High.


Club Românesc / Romanian club

Club Românesc started well with the children arriving at 8:00am every Tuesday and Wednesday. The club is already proving to be very popular and we are over subscribed. We are monitoring attendance carefully and if spaces become available, these will be offered to children on the waiting list.


Thank you,


M Baumring

Headteacher


Newsletter 17th January 2024

Dear Parents / Carers,


Thankfully London seems to have escaped the snow. Weather forecasts predict it being warmer next week, so I think that we are safe for the time being. Some children may be disappointed - they were hoping for snowball fights!


Parents Day - Friday 19th January


Please remember that the school is closed this Friday for children. You should have received an invitation to speak to your child’s class teacher either in person or by video call (using Google Meet). If you have questions or require help, please contact the office.


I am available to see parents in the afternoon / early evening. If any Year 4 or 5 parents are considering Grammar schools, I would be very happy to meet them to provide advice.


Change of Menu tomorrow (Thursday 18th January)


There is a special menu tomorrow:



Desserts include Millionaire Biscuit or Ice cream, Fruit pots or yoghurt.



Measles


We have had notification from Public Health England who are very concerned about the rising number of Measles infections across London. All of the London Boroughs have had outbreaks as well as large outbreaks in the Midlands.


Although most children recover quickly from measles, it can have some very severe effects in a few people and is especially dangerous for pregnant women.


If your child develops a rash and fever please do NOT send them into school. Instead, please seek medical advice from your doctor or telephone the NHS on 111. If your child has a confirmed case of Measles, please let the school know so that we can inform other parents of the risk.


As far as I am aware, we have NOT had any reported cases of Measles at Kenmore Junior School. We are sharing this information with you as a precaution. The best way to prevent the spread of measles is through the vaccination programme (MMR). If you and / or your child is not vaccinated against measles, please contact your GP who can arrange vaccination.

Kenmore’s Got Talent!


The School Council Pupils are organising a “Kenmore’s Got Talent” competition. This is open to all pupils to show off their many, many talents. It could be playing an instrument, dancing, singing, football skills, joke telling, magic or just about anything that is safe to do.


There will be various heats (qualifying rounds) during the next few weeks, leading to a Grand Final for the winners of the heats - to be held in front of the whole school! In addition to being fun, the competition gives children an opportunity to show off their talents, passions and hobbies. The best bit is I get to play Simon Cowell!!


If your child would like to take part, please ask them to see the school councillors in their class to register. The competition is being supported by Mr Thomas - 4GT



Encouraging Reading - Pictures Needed!


We are continuing to encourage the children to read as much as possible, and instil a love for reading.


To help with our displays and encouragement, we would like you to take a picture of your child reading in an unusual place. This could be in your car’s boot, in a shopping trolley, next to a garden gnome. The winners will be made into A3 poster size which we can then display around the school - a bit of fun to encourage the children to read.


We encourage you to be inventive about where your child could read a book!


Please email pictures to the office by Friday 9th February (half term) - office@kpjs.harrow.sch.uk

Romanian Club - Tuesday 23rd January


We are starting a Romanian Club next week. The club will run on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 8am, and will be run by a cultural expert provided by the Romanian Embassy. The children will be invited to come to school at 8:00am on Tuesday 23rd January.

Please do not bring your child to school before 8am. After the sessions finish, the children will go straight to class.


We have had a very positive response from parents wishing to sign up - over 45 children so far. However, currently, we only have 25 spaces available.


The first 25 parents who signed up will be invited in the first instance. We will then keep a waiting list of the next 20 parents that signed up.

We will ask the Romanian embassy if they can increase our allocation. Please watch this space.



"Stay and Play" at the Children's centre


This Thursday, (18th January), the children's centre is opening their doors for a pre-school “stay and play” session starting at 8:30. If you drop your child at school you can now come into the children’s centre with your child and play a game, read a book, chat etc. The children will then be sent to the playground at the appropriate time so that they can join their class lines to go into school. It’s just a nice way to start the day with your child. Please note that this is a play session where you stay with your child until school starts.


Adult Opportunities


Employability

Next week, we are hoping to start an employability course for parents, that will run for six weeks. The course is designed to help you develop useful skills and find a job. These include searching for jobs, CV writing, interview skills to practical advice, such as what to wear for an interview.


If you are interested, please complete this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc1Bc4mn-eGmVQXU0lHyaqCxKXTGHcC3AvM37lVFJPzNDeK9w/viewform?usp=pp_url


ESOL (English as A Second Language Class) for adults


These continue to run every Thursday morning from 9:00am to help upskill parents’ English speaking and Writing skills. If you would like to join, please come to the Office on Thursday mornings at 9am, or contact the school to find out more.

Thank you,


Mr. Baumring

Headteacher

Newsletter 8th January 2024

Dear Parents and Carers,


Happy New Year! A warm welcome back to our families and I hope that you all had a restful, relaxing and enjoyable holiday.


Mr Kelley had a very eventful Christmas. On Christmas day his first born child was born, a boy called Hayden. I am sure that you will join me in wishing congratulations to the Kelley family. Mum and baby are doing well. Mr Kelley will be away from school for the next two weeks for his paternity leave.


Parents Day - Friday 19th January


Please note that the school will be closed (for children only) on Friday 19th January. The Infant school will also be closed for children on that day. It is a teachers' training day, so the children are not missing any of their schooling. In the next two days, you will be invited to sign up for a time to meet your child's class teacher to discuss their progress over the last few months. Some classes will be holding their meetings online whilst others will be in person:



The Parent’s Day slots will be available to book from Wednesday 10th January, in the Guardian Consultations section of the Arbor app. Please book your slot as soon as possible as these will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Each parental slot should last approximately 10 minutes. The meetings are designed to find out how your child is progressing, where they are having any issues and how best to support your child for the rest of the year. If you are having difficulties in booking your slot, please contact the school office where the office staff can help you.


Snow / School Closure


Our aim is to keep the school open even if it snows. However, although most of the children live relatively near the school, most of the staff live much further away, e.g Dunstable, Watford, Ruislip etc, which may prevent them from getting into work. If it snows heavily, I will speak to Mrs Mahil-Pooni in the Infant School to assess whether it is safe for the school to open. We need a certain number of staff to ensure that the children are looked after in school.



In the event of a closure, we ask that you please do not contact the school by phone, as there may not be anyone in the office to pick up your call.


Hopefully, we will not be affected by snow this academic year.


Absences


You may well have seen in the news that the Government are tightening up children’s absences from school. We have always been very vigorous in chasing up any pupils absences, but we will have to be even more so in the future.



The Government has noticed that children who regularly miss school fall behind in their school work. A child with a 90% absence rate is missing the equivalent of half a day per week during school time. Parents of a child with an absence rate below 90% will be invited into school to discuss how we can improve their attendance rate. A child not in school will miss many vital lessons which will affect their attainment at school.

A family may be fined for non-attendance - the current rate is £60 per child per parent - e.g. £120 for each child living with mum and dad.



Romanian Speaking Children's Group


We have been contacted by the Romanian embassy who are paying for a teacher to come and take Romanian language classes for the children. We are just working out the final details with the teacher but the idea will be for the teacher to take a class in Romanian for the Romanian speaking children after school for one day a week. Please watch this space for further details.


Thank you,


M Baumring

Headteacher

Newsletter 20th December 2023

Dear Parents and Carers,


Welcome to the final newsletter of 2023. I am sure some of you may be saying thank goodness for that!


There are lots of Christmas activities happening in school this week, including parties and quizzes. The children were also treated to an assembly featuring a staff choir who sang a “Junior School” version of "12 days of Christmas".


I think we need more practice, but the children had a great time.


Last day of term - Thursday 21st December


A reminder that school finishes one hour early tomorrow:


Children return to school on Monday 8th January at the normal time.


Christmas lunch - Thursday 21st December

In addition to the special Christmas menu (Roast Turkey, Roast Vegetable Loaf, Cheese, Spinach and Tomato Pinwheel), every child will also receive a Christmas cracker, including those that have a packed lunch.


Free School Meal holiday vouchers

Parents of Free School Meal children should have already received an email with instructions on how to claim their money vouchers for the children’s meals over the holidays. Please check your emails - if you haven't received the email, please let the office know tomorrow morning (Thursday 21st December).


Activities during the holidays

We have sent several emails with ideas and activities for you and your children to enjoy together during the Holidays.

Please make sure that your child does some reading over the festive season. Reading helps maintain their reading attainment levels, and is a useful and powerful lifetime habit to encourage.

Please also encourage at least one daily activity that is not computer or TV related. If you want them tired at the end of the day, encourage them to run around lots - I speak from direct experience as a Headteacher and parent!


Please note that the school is completely closed during the holidays - there will be no one on site. Please remind your children to take anything home tomorrow as they will not be able to get it during the break.


Parents Day Friday 19th January


Please note that the school is closed on Friday 19th January for our parents day. No children in school. You will be invited in January to book an appointment with your child’s class teacher to discuss their progress over the first term. Some Year groups are doing this virtually and some in person. Further details will be sent in January.

Please note that this is a slightly different day to the Infant school’s parents day which is in February. However, both schools will be closed for the children on this day.


Donations Required - Children's Clothing Bank


If you have any children’s clothing you no longer need, we would be grateful if you could donate it to the school. Once a month, at home time, we would like to sell children's clothing in the playground to the parents, at a low price. We would like to help the parent community in these difficult times, and at the same time, honour one of our core values - to be green and help save the planet.


If you have good quality clothing that your child no longer needs (It could be school clothing or anything else), please donate them to the school.

Thank you.


Unauthorised Absences


A reminder that any child who is absent this week will require medical evidence of their absence. Failure to provide medical evidence will be classed as an unauthorised absence.


Recent activities:



Happy Holidays


If you celebrate Christmas the school would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. If you do not celebrate Christmas, we wish you a very Merry Holiday. See you in 2024!


M Baumring

Headteacher

Newsletter 11th December 2023

Dear Parents / Carers,


We are very close to the Christmas Holiday. This is a very busy time for the school.


Important Term Dates


School finishes an hour early next Thursday 21st December:

Please be on time to pick up your child/ren as they tend to get upset if they are left until last. School returns on Monday 8th January 2024.


What to do with the children during the holidays / How can I help my child


It is quite a funny experience for parents on the last day of a term before a long holiday. Some parents look at me with the expression of how they are going to survive the next two weeks whilst some parents look at me with joy at having their children home with them for the holiday period, especially as they don’t have to wake up early to do the school run.


Whichever type of parent you are here are a few tips to help during the holidays:


Bed time

Keep to a routine. Children can go to bed slightly later than normal as it is not a school night but if you let them stay up then they tend to get over tired. Stick to your timings.


Do stuff with your kids

Schedule time each day to do things with your child, even though you might be very busy with preparations for the holiday period. This doesn’t have to be expensive (or cost anything). Get active with a walk in the park, play a board game, get creative and do some art work, cuddle up and watch a movie together. If you are cooking, encourage your child/ren to help. For example, they can help you weigh ingredients - great for their maths skills!


Make going out for everyday tasks fun

If you are shopping in the supermarket, ask your child/ren to help find items, then ask them to use their maths skills to calculate the price. For example, if one tin costs 50p how much do two tins cost, three tins, etc. If you are driving in the car - who can see a yellow car first, use the number plate of the car in front - who can use the first two letters to make a word etc


Ask your children to read over the holiday

Talk to them about what they have read or, better still, read with them.


Organise a “special” day

It does not need to be expensive:

It’s possible to enjoy the whole day for less than £10, including tube fare for you, and a very well deserved coffee!


As a parent of two grown up children, I encourage you to really enjoy these moments with your child. It is great fun and builds warm and loving relationships, which last a lifetime.


Your kids are amazing.


Kenmore Magazine - The Kenmore Express


Some of the children throughout the school have been working with Mrs Thakrar on a magazine for the children. The first issue will be coming out at the end of this week / early next week. It is full of jokes and stories written by the children. We will send this out electronically to you and put access to it on your child’s Google Classroom.


Taking Holidays during Term Time


Extended holidays either side of the Christmas break are not permitted. Please be advised that if your child is absent before or after the Christmas break, you will be required to provide the school office with medical evidence to support their illness, otherwise the absence will be classed as unauthorised and may result in Harrow Council issuing a fine.


Schools are required by law to stay open for 190 teaching days per academic year and the children are expected to be in school during those days. We plan term dates over a year in advance to help parents plan and book holidays in advance.

If you are planning on taking your child/ren on holiday before 21 December, please inform the school office. The Emergency Leave form is available on the school website.


Form Link HERE (scroll to the bottom).


Free School Meal Pupils

The London Borough of Harrow are again supplying extra money for the free school pupils over the Christmas period. The money represents the cost of providing lunch for the children during the weeks of the holidays. This seems to be more of a regular occurrence at the moment to support the families in the borough.


If you are eligible for Free School Meals then you will be able to access and download your Supermarket voucher through a text message link. The voucher value for this holiday is £48.50 per eligible child in the Junior School.


If you are not sure if you are eligible in the future please go to our website and fill in the Free School Meal form and we can check for you.

Form link HERE (scroll to the bottom)


Special Events


Year 4 Performance of Yee-Ha!

Tickets have gone on sale at £2.50 per person for both the matinee (2pm) and the evening (7pm) performance on Thursday 14th December.

All of the children in the Junior school will see the show this week.


Please note that children in Year 6 and below are not allowed to the evening performance - It is for adults and secondary school pupils only. If there are any extra tickets available, we will send an email to parents this Tuesday afternoon (12th December).


Romanian Children singing Christmas songs

Some of the Romanian speaking children in the school have formed their own choir to sing a few Christmas songs in Romanian. You are very welcome to come and watch their performance on this Friday 15th December at 2:30pm


Christmas Lunch

Is on the last day of school. Every child will get a cracker and they will be served by Mr Murji and I. Will be fun!


Year 5 Science Trip

At the time of writing this Year 5 pupils are off to the Science museum to look at the Earth in Space and the special children's science lab experiments section.


Year 5 - James and the Giant Peach Day

Will be on Tuesday 19th December.


Christmas Parties

Year groups / classes will write to you separately about their Christmas party events. Please look out for these messages.


Parent / Adult Opportunities


Free Maths Classes for Adults - every Wednesday at 9am

The school has partnered with Stanmore College to provide free Maths classes for adults every Wednesday morning. All are welcome - please come up to the school office at 9:00am to join.


Support Your Child at home

We are holding free parent and child sessions to help adults support their child for Year 3 and 4. All children benefit from an adult working with them and their learning improves enormously.


Please come with your child to the Children's Centre on Warneford Road (next to the school entrance gate) on Thursday 18th January 2024 at 8.30am and Thursday 1st February 2024 8.30am for a chat to see how we can help you.

Please see the attached flyer for more information.


Employability Course - helping parents find work

On Monday 15th January we will be running a free employability course. This will include:

This course will run from 15th January to March 2024.


Job Vacancies at the School

We have several job vacancies at the school:


All of our vacancies are advertised with full details on the vacancy section of our website: https://kpjs.harrow.sch.uk/vacancies.html


Thank you.


M Baumring

Headteacher

Newsletter 30th November 2023

Dear Parents / Carers


Christmas / Winter Holidays are approaching and the school is getting ready for this celebration. Yesterday I managed to piece together the Christmas tree outside my office.


Snow - School Closure process (For your information)


Our aim is to keep the school open even if it snows. However, although most of the children live relatively near the school, most of the staff live much further away, e.g Dunstable, Watford, Ruislip etc, which may prevent them from getting into work. If it snows heavily, I will speak to Mrs Mahil-Pooni in the Infant School to assess whether it is safe for the school to open. We need a certain number of staff to ensure that the children are looked after in school.

In the event of a closure, we ask that you please do not contact the school by phone, as there may not be anyone in the office to pick up your call.

Hopefully, we will not be affected by snow this academic year.


Year 4 Performance of "Yee-Ha!" - Thursday 14th December


Year 4 are currently working very hard on their year group production of “Yee-Ha!” The students are enjoying rehearsals - there is lots of singing and laughter from the hall. We expect all children in Year 4 to attend both performances.


There are two public performances for parents on Thursday 14th December:

We will allow siblings currently in Secondary school to come and watch their younger brother or sisters. Only children aged 12 and above for the evening performance please. If you do have younger children in the family please arrange a babysitter for that evening. All of the children in the Junior school will have had an opportunity to see the production and we normally invite Year 2 children as well.


Tickets will go on sale through the Arbor App from tomorrow (1st December) on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are priced at £2.50 per person.


Money raised goes back to benefit the children.


Christmas Menu


Our Christmas meal for the children will be held on the last day of term, Thursday 21st December. There will be a special menu, including full turkey roast dinner and two vegetarian alternatives. The turkey will be Halal, as is all of our meat. All of the children, whether packed lunch or school meals, will receive a Christmas cracker to have with their meal. I am sure that there will be some very ‘cheesy’ jokes inside.


The full menu is attached at the end of this newsletter.


We may ask you to complete an order form in advance of the meal so that the kitchen has a rough idea of numbers so that they can prepare in advance. The meal is completely free this year as it is paid for through the London Mayor's meal grant.


If your child is having a school dinner then all they have to do is tell the teacher at registration which option they would prefer.


Many of the year groups will be holding special Christmas events / parties. They will tell each year group individually about these events.


Year 5 Swimming


Swimming is part of the National Curriculum and we are required by law to teach swimming to the children. The Government's aim is that all children should be able to swim at least 25m by the time they leave primary school. 25m is about the width of the swimming pool at Harrow Leisure centre.


We expect all children to go swimming every week whilst they are in Year 5 to help us achieve the Government goals.


Regarding not attending swimming due to illness, the school policy is clear: If your child is not well enough to go swimming, they are not well enough to be in school. A reminder that parents are required to report illness by 9.30am.


If your child is not able to go swimming for a medical reason, the school requires a doctor's note in advance to confirm this.


Like mathematics, swimming is not an optional part of the Curriculum. Swimming costs the school over £5,000 per year, and we work hard to ensure your children learn how to swim, and enjoy the process.


If you are worried that the weather is getting colder and therefore the children will get cold after swimming please supply extra clothing to keep them warm.


Year 5 Tie-Dye Tee Shirts


These are now ready to add accessories to them.


Holidays


As we approach the holiday season, a reminder that if you go on holiday during term time, you may be fined, as this is an unauthorised absence. The current fine per child is £60 per parent per child, i.e a child living with mum and dad will be fined £120. Two children in the same family £240, etc.


The Government and Harrow Local Authority expect all children to be in school unless they are unwell. If your child is absent from school due to illness in the weeks prior to the Christmas break, or the weeks after, you will be asked to provide medical evidence in order for the absence to be authorised.


A reminder that we break up on Thursday 21st December at 2:20/2.30pm and return to school on Monday 8th January 2024.


There is a staff training day on Friday 19th January 2024 and the school will be closed that day.


Attendance


May I remind parents that if your child is going to be absent from school, for any reason, you must inform the school office by 9:30am. This should be done for any illness or appointments your child needs to attend. Over the last couple of weeks, we have had several children not in school in the morning, as they are attending appointments that the school is not aware of. If your child has an appointment first thing in the morning, please advise the school the day before and we can mark their attendance register accordingly.


You can contact the school office by phone (please leave a voice message if out of hours), or by using the “In-App” message system in Arbor.


Please do not use Weduc - this has been replaced by Arbor.


When leaving a message, please leave your child’s name, class and the reason for absence.


Adult Classes


Improve Your English


We are running adult classes every Thursday morning for adults who speak English as a Second Language. These are completely free and are designed to help your speaking, reading and writing in English. They are led by a college teacher from Stanmore college.


Are you struggling to help your child with their Maths homework and learning?


If so, we have the right course for you. Starting next Wednesday 6th Dec at 9.00am, we are holding a series of lessons for parents to explain modern mathematics teaching techniques. Maths teaching has probably moved quite a lot since you learnt mathematics at school. Times tables are still very important but there are now lots of new techniques to help your child succeed in Maths. The course is completely free and again is led by an experienced adult trainer.


If you are interested please come to the Junior School office at 9:00 next Wednesday 6th December. Sessions last for about 2 hours. Please note that we do not have creche facilities so if you have younger children, please arrange for a babysitter.


Thank you


M Baumring

Headteacher

Newsletter 21st November 2023

Dear Parents / Carers,


Welcome to this week's newsletter, keeping you updated about events happening in school.


Weather

As the weather is getting colder, please ensure that your child is appropriately dressed, with a warm coat and clothing. Please also ensure clothing and items are named so that we can easily return them if lost.


Last day of term

A reminder that the last day of this term is Thursday 21st December and that we will finish early at 2:20 or 2:30, depending on which age group your child is in.


Children In Need

Last Friday we held a cake sale and “wear your own clothes” day for Children In Need. I'm pleased to say that we have managed to raise over £600, all of which goes directly to the charity.

Thank you to all the parents that contributed!


Breaker B-Boy Barnzie visits KPJS

We had a guest visitor in our assembly yesterday, B-Boy Barnzie came to teach the children about “Breaking” (break dancing). Barnzie explained that Breaking will be an event at the 2024 Olympics in Paris next year, and that two UK breakers have qualified to represent the UK. Barnzie taught the children about “Top Rocks”, “Freezes” and “making a Set”. He then went on stage to give us a demonstration of one of his Breaking sets.


Barnzie then explained that with determination, commitment and a lot of training, he made his dream a reality, and you can too!


Trip to Kew Gardens

We recently got the opportunity to take a small group of children on a trip to Kew Gardens. They really enjoyed the day! The children were brave and ventured up the tree top walk, explored the exotic greenhouses and enjoyed the children's play garden. We hope to visit Kew Gardens again in the future.


Celebrating anti-bullying Week

Last week was Anti-bullying week. The Children took part in a range of activities in the classroom and through assemblies to support this very important cause. We feel that it is very important that the children know what to do if they feel they are being bullied, and to speak out.

I am pleased and proud of the anti-bullying culture we continue to nurture at Kenmore, and that the children know who they can speak to if they feel any type of bullying is affecting them.

During the week the children in Years 3, 4 and 6 participated in an anti-bullying workshop hosted by Theatre Company Preme, which allowed them to explore some of their ideas. We did ask for a £2 contribution towards this, payment area can be found in the Arbor payment section of the app. Please can I ask that if you have not contributed that you do so as soon as you get this newsletter. Thank you.

In Monday's assembly, Mr Thomas played ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ game with the children. Katlin from 5SA won The Million Pound question.

Well done Katlin!


Year 4 Production - Thursday 14th December

We have moved the year 4 production of ‘ Yee Haw’, to Thursday 14th December because we did not want it to clash with the infants’ Christmas production. There will be a matinee performance and an evening performance for parents. Please note that the evening performance is for children over 12 years of age only to come and watch. All of the children in the junior school will have the opportunity to see the production. The year 4 children seem to be really enjoying learning their lines and songs for the production and I'm looking forward to a spectacular performance!


Romanian Christmas Carols - Thursday 21st December

Some of our Romanian heritage children wanted to sing classic Romanian carols for Christmas. Our parent ambassador, Mrs Virlics, and Mrs Maran have organised a choir of year 3, year 4, year 5 and year 6 children who wanted to sing Christmas carols. The choir will perform for their parents at 1:30 on Thursday 21st December (the last day of the school term).

All parents are welcome to come and watch this wonderful performance.


Courses / Learning opportunities for Adults

Maths

Several parents have spoken with me to share concerns that they sometimes find the new way of doing mathematics difficult to follow. They feel that it is very different from their own experience of how they learnt maths when they were a child, especially if it was outside the UK.

Therefore, we have organised, alongside Stanmore College, to run a “Maths Brush Up” course for parents. This course is specifically aimed at helping parents understand how to teach and support their children in their learning of mathematics. The course will start on Wednesday 6th December at 9:15 and last for approximately two hours. If you would like to attend, please come up to the Junior School Office on Wednesday 6th December. The course is completely free, and we will provide a free cup of coffee / tea whilst you are here.


Please see attached flyer.


Preparing for Work

In January, Stanmore College will also run a further course on practical help with applying for Jobs. Further details will follow later in the term.


English as a Second Language

We are currently running courses for adults to improve spoken and written English. These happen every Thursday at 9am.

If you want to attend, please come to the school office on Thursdays at 9:00am.

Thank you,


Mr. Baumring

Headteacher

Newsletter 9th November 2023

Dear Parents / Carers,


A quick update to keep you informed about what is happening in school, and plans for the future. We are starting to prepare for numerous Christmas activities in the run-up to the Christmas holidays.


Diwali


Many of our families will be celebrating Diwali over this weekend. If parents are celebrating the new year, they are allowed to officially ask for one days leave, either on Monday or Tuesday, to allow them to keep their child at home for this important religious celebration. You do not have to do this if you do not wish to, and in some cases it might be easier to have the children at school whilst you prepare for your family celebrations.


If you would like your child to attend religious celebrations for New Year, then you must do one of the following to organise it in advance:


On behalf of the school I wish all of our Hindu families a very Happy Diwali and New Year.


Activities at school


Year 5 Imax Trip


On Tuesday, the year 5 children went into town to see a movie about geology at the IMAX cinema. The children were fascinated by the huge screen (one of the largest in the UK) that almost surrounded them. They also learnt about major preparations being put into place to deflect any potential Asteroids heading towards Earth, whose impact could be catastrophic!

 

Year 3 and 4 Animal Visit


Last week, year three and four pupils had the opportunity to meet some of our animal neighbours in real life. A company called “Teaching Talons” came in and showed the children various animals, most of which they could touch and feel. The favourite animal was Chip the dog, who performed amazing tricks for the children. It was fascinating to watch the children overcome their fears and touch animals such as lizards and tortoises, millipedes etc. Below or some of the feelings from year three children


Banji Alexander Visit


On Tuesday, we were visited by the Author Banji Alexander. He told us about his latest book and explained some of his ideas that help influence his writing. Some of the children bought signed copies of his book. It was very exciting. Hopefully he will be back in the future with his new book. We want to inspire the children to develop their writing skills and to have access to a real author shows the children what can be achieved. Perhaps one day they will write their own book and we will be inviting them back to read to the children in the school.


Upcoming Events


Year 4 Production of “Yee ha!”


Year 4 children have started working on their production of Yee ha! Parents of year 4 children please keep Thursday the 14th December free so that you can come and watch your children's performance on stage.


Romanian Carol concert


Some of the year three and four children are practising Romanian carols which they hope to perform for parents towards the end of December. Be aware parents, this will include some audience participation!


Parents Stay and Read


Mrs Virlics, our parent ambassador, is in talks with the Children's Centre, next door to the school, to organise a parents "stay and read" session first thing in the morning. Parents will have access to the children's centre first thing in the morning to share a book with your children. You would then drop them off for school as normal. Further details will come out nearer to the Christmas holidays so watch this space.


Children in Need


Next Friday, 17th November, we are celebrating Children in Need day along with the registered charity. The children may wear their own clothes, preferably clothes with “spots”, for a donation of £1. We are also asking parents to send in pre-packaged cakes or biscuits that we can then sell to the children at break time. All money will go to the charity. Each year, this is a fun day.


Christmas lunch


Christmas lunch will be served this year on the last day of term, Thursday 21st December. There will be a full meat option including Turkey and all the trimmings as well as a vegetarian option for non-meat eaters. It will be very yummy! Each child will also receive a Christmas cracker. Further details will be sent near at the time.

Newsletter 2nd November 2023

Dear parents and carers,


I hope you all had a lovely half term and were able to enjoy quality time doing fun things with your children.


The weather is quickly changing, so please ensure your children are dressed accordingly. A reminder to please ensure that your child's clothing, especially coats and sweatshirts are named. Without a name, it is often not possible to return lost items to their owner.


Banji Alexander


In assembly on Monday I told the children that next Tuesday, 7th November, we are going to be visited by the children's author, Banji Alexander. Banji is a new and upcoming author, and recently appeared on Britain's Got Talent. Your child will have the opportunity to purchase one of Banji's books, which he will sign personally for your child. You should have already received the letter about this. If you would like to order one of the books, the price is £10. They are an entertaining read about a child's birthday during lockdown.


If you have lost your form for buying a book, you can bring £10 in an envelope with your child's name and class clearly on the outside.


Banji's Class - Britain's Got Talent (FULL PERFORMANCE) as seen on ITV on May 6th 2023


https://banjialexander.com/


Donations


The school understands that these are financially challenging times. As part of supporting our parents, we intend to sell used children's clothing at a low price. If you have clothing from your child that they have outgrown, that is still in good condition, and would be willing to donate this to the school, please give them to Miss Elaine in the Welfare room. Approximately once a month, we will be selling these to the parents in the playground at the end of the day.


Your donations are valued and greatly received, thank you.


Wet Play Games


As winter approaches, wet play times will become more frequent. I have therefore given each class £150 to spend on “wet play” games for their classroom. I have asked the school council pupils to organise a list with their class which we can then purchase for them. If you have any children's games (in good condition) that you would like to donate, these would be gratefully received. The children are particularly fond of games like LEGO, which are very expensive to buy. If you have buckets of Lego lying around that you know longer use please donate them and we can distribute them to the children. Thank you.


Children eligible for free school meals.


There are many exciting opportunities for children eligible for free school meals. For example, free school meal children will be offered the opportunity to go to Harrow's Winter Wonderland at the end of December. This trip will be completely free.

To check your eligibility for free school meals, please complete the form using this link https://kpjs.harrow.sch.uk/fsm.html


Year 4 production


The children in year 4 have just started practising for their Christmas production on Tuesday, 12th of December. Please keep the date free, as we would love you to see your child performing on stage. There will be a matinee performance at approximately 1:30 for parents with younger children, and an adult only performance in the evening, starting around 7pm. If you have younger children please could you organise babysitters if you intend to come to the evening performance. More information will be sent nearer the time - please be sure to read all emails sent from Arbor.


Special menu On Monday 13th November


The school kitchen, alongside Nourish, our catering company,, have organised a special menu for Monday 13 November to celebrate World Kindness Day. The special kindness menu includes:

From experience of previous lunches, I predict the pizza will be very, very, very popular!


Year 5 Trip to IMAX


This is just a quick reminder that year 5 children will be going to the IMAX cinema next Tuesday, 7th November.


Year 5 Trip to the Science Museum


Please check Arbor for payment for the Science museum trip on Monday 11th December


Anti-Bullying Theatre Group Visit and Workshops for Years 3, 4 and 6


We are pleased to announce that a visiting theatre group, Preme Productions, will be visiting the school on Wednesday 15th November, and Thursday 16th November. This is to help us to celebrate ‘Anti-bullying Week’, which runs from 13th to 17th November 2023.


The group will be performing an anti-bullying play to Years 3, 4 and 6 (Year 5 had the workshop in June) on the Wednesday afternoon and going into classes for follow-up workshops the next day.


The cost for the performance and workshop for each child will be £2. This voluntary contribution can be paid in the Trips section of the Arbor app.


Spooky Disco


Just like a quick note to say a very big thank you to Mrs Thakrar And the rest of the staff are organising the spooky disco last half term. I know that a lot of the children really enjoyed the event.


Year 6-high school applications


Well done year six parents, you all manage to get your high school applications in on time! This will help ensure you have the best opportunity of getting your children into the schools that you want to go to next year.


You will find out the results on 1st March 2024. A reminder - when you receive your child's allocation next year, if you are happy please accept, if you are unhappy please come speak to me first before you decline.


Thank you,


Mr. Baumring

Headteacher

Newsletter 19th October 2023

Dear parents / carers


I can’t quite believe that this half term has gone so quickly. Our new Year 3’s have settled really well - it’s like they have been here forever. Please remember next week is a half term holiday. Children return to school on Monday 30th October.


Halloween Disco - Friday 20th October


The staff are currently decorating the hall in readiness for the disco.


Please note that the payment for the day needs to be paid through the Arbor App, in the School Shop section of the App. The children can also bring money to buy juice, popcorn etc.


The children are allowed to wear a ‘spooky’ costume for the day. If they do not wish to wear a spooky costume then their normal clothes are fine. This is just a bit of fun for the end of half term as the children have worked really hard.


Hepatitis A


You will have seen that there was a single outbreak of Hepatitis A virus amongst the pupil population. The Health Protection agency decided that it would be a precaution to offer vaccinations to Year 3 pupils as they were the ones who may have been more exposed.


All parents should have been sent a Hep A leaflet. If your child is unwell over half term and it is lasting for longer than a couple of days please tell the doctor that there was a Hep A.


The Year 3 vaccinations happened this morning and went very smoothly. The children were amazing as were the medical staff and school support staff. Only 4 out of 30 children cried at all.


Vouchers for Free School Meal pupils


If your child is eligible for free school meals then you will receive a money voucher by email to cover the cost of their lunches over half term. You will receive money for each child you have in the Junior School.


If you think that your child is entitled for Free School Meals please contact the office and they will be able to check for you.


Food Bags


We do have a weekly delivery of food bags. If you feel that this free food would help you and your family please do come up and speak to us and we can put you on the list.


There is also a free collection point every Saturday from the Children’s Centre next door to the school. Parents can pick up pre cooked healthy food - all you have to do is turn up and collect. This is run by a charity called Soul Kitchen. Further details in school.


Year 6 Parents


Please remember that secondary school application forms need to be completed by 31st October. If you are stuck or need help please come and see us tomorrow.


Lunches


The new lunch menu after half term will be put onto the website and sent out to you tomorrow. We have tried to include a broader range of dishes, some of which were suggested by parents and children.


Last week we were lucky enough to have a visit by Mr Nourish - the company mascot. Poor Mr Nourish - he was mobbed in the playground by the children.


Half Term Camp


Mr Kelley, through Little Saints club, is running a half term club at the school next week. The cost is £20 per day or £80 for the week - 5 days. Further information can be found on www.littlesaintholidaycamp.com or please call 07562358051


Thank you,


Mr. Baumring

Newsletter 4th October 2023

Dear Parents / Carers,


A short, (I promise), newsletter to keep you updated.


Clothing

As the weather is beginning to turn a bit colder please make sure that your child has suitable clothing and coats for when it starts to rain. Please, Please Please ensure that all clothing is named. If we find a sweatshirt with a name on it, we return to that child. If it is not named, we are unable to return it.


We will be getting stricter on school uniforms, especially shoes. Please ensure that your child has school black shoes to wear. This will actually be cheaper for you.


Flu Vaccinations Tomorrow

Flu vaccinations will take place tomorrow, Thursday 5th October.

Please note the consent form has now expired - therefore you will not be able to complete it. Only children whose parents have consented will have the vaccination.

Can I ask parents whose child is having the vaccination tomorrow, to reassure your child that it is a quick and simple spray up the nose. No needles!


Art / DT Money

When your child joined the school, we told you that we would be asking for a yearly £5 donation to support buying high quality art and DT supplies for the children to use. We are now asking for that £5 donation. You can pay via the Arbor app in the club section.


Year 6

Please remember to complete your child’s secondary school application process. If you are getting stuck or need to ask any questions, please contact me through the school office.


Looking for a Parent Governor

We are still looking for one more parent governor to take a strategic overview of the school, its achievements, and areas that need to improve. If that is you, please contact me and I can explain more.

Raise money for the school (for free!)


The school uses the easyfundraising app to help raise money. If you buy things online and go through the easy fundraising app, the school receives a small percentage of your spend.

For example, I normally buy weekly groceries from Tesco. When ordering, I first go to the easyfundraising app / website. I select Tesco and go to my normal Tesco account and order my food. I still get all of the rewards as normal from my Tesco’s account. Tesco then gives Easyfundraising a small percentage of my spend without it costing me any extra money. The money is then given to the school.


The big supermarkets only give a very small amount but some of the other stores give much bigger amounts, especially large services that you buy, e.g. I renewed my car insurance through Admiral over the summer. £10 of my spend went to the school without me having to pay any extra. Companies that sell flight / holidays etc give bigger amounts. There are over 2,500 brands that will give money.


So far, we have raised over £1,000 through Easyfundraising. you can join the scheme through Easyfundraising by choosing Kenmore Park Junior School - Kenton.


Parking during drop off / pick up times


Several neighbours have complained about parents parking across their driveways during pick up / drop off times. Please be considerate to our neighbours when taking and collecting your child from school. Thank you.


End of half-term Spooky Disco


Mrs Thakrar, and other staff, are organising a disco for the last day of this half term - Friday 20th October. We are asking all of the children to donate £2 for this event. They will then be able to wear their own clothes, (preferably spooky!) to go with the theme.


Drinks and nibbles will be on sale during the disco.

For Yrs 3 + 4: The Disco will be during the school day, ending at 3.20 pm.

For Yrs 5 + 6: The Disco will be for an hour after school, ending at 4:30 pm.

To buy your ticket, please go to the school shop in Arbor.


Thank you.

Newsletter 27th September 2023

Dear Parents / Carers


This is just a short newsletter to keep you updated with what is happening in school. I can't really believe that we're already three weeks into the new school year and I'm generally very pleased with the way that the children have settled down and seem to be enjoying themselves around the school.


Staff news


Mrs Nagle is recovering at home. She hopes to return to school just after half term. She told me she is missing the hustle and bustle of school life.


Mr Patadia has also had an operation and hopefully will return to school next Tuesday. His class is being covered by a range of internal staff who know the children well. Mr Patadia has set work for the class and is in communication with the staff that are teaching his class.


Good News!


Over the summer holidays we were told that we have been awarded our Silver Games Mark award. This shows that your children receive a really good sporting curriculum throughout their time here.


Congratulations to Mrs Maran, our PE coordinator, and Mr Kelley, our sports coach.


Lunches


I met with the area manager for Nourish and Mrs Mahil-Pooni. We have put together a nice menu for after half term. This should be published sometime next week and we will then distribute this to parents.


Next Thursday there will be a special menu to help celebrate Mr Nourish's birthday. The children will be asked to design a birthday card for Mr Nourish and the winner will receive a small prize. Please watch out for this special menu.


Lost property


Please make sure that everything the children bring into school is named. One child has lost a scooter that was taken from the playground last week. It is a blue scooter and was if your child has inadvertently taken this home, please return it to the school. Please also ensure that if your child leaves their bicycle/ scooter at school that it is secured with a lock.


Please also make sure that all children's clothing is named. There are tags inside the sweat shirts and t-shirts where you can write your child's name. It is almost impossible to find a lost sweatshirt if it is not named.


Adult classes


We have already started our free English classes in school. If you are interested please just turn up on Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. by the junior school office.


I am also attaching a list of local courses for adults. Please make use of these whilst they are free.


Flu vaccinations – 5th October 2023


A letter has recently been sent to all parents regarding flu vaccinations. If you have not already done so, please fill in the form, even if your child does not want to have a flu vaccination. There is a YES or NO option on the form. The vaccination is recommended to help protect your child against flu. The vaccination is free and is a quick and simple spray up the nose. Please follow the link:

https://clchschoolimmunisations.co.uk/Forms/Flu - Code CL102193


If you have already booked then that is fine.


Height and Weight – 9th October 2023 - Year 6 Pupils

Height and Weight checks for Year 6 will take place on Monday 9th October 2023. If you do not want your child to take part, please let the School Welfare Office know as soon as possible.

Data collected is used for improving health, care and services through research and planning. All information is treated confidentially, and no individual measurements are given to school staff or other children.


Book fair


Book fair remains open until Friday. if you would like to purchase books with your child please just pop in at the end of the day and make your purchase. this will all be cash purchases.


Special offer from London Zoo if your child is eligible for free school meals.


There is a special offer for half term so that you and your family can visit London Zoo for £3 per person. please follow the link below.


https://www.londonzoo.org/plan-your-visit/london-zoo-tickets/universal-credit-tickets


If you would like to check if you are eligible for free school meals please contact the Office and they can send you a very simple form which we can then use to check your eligibility.


Food bags


If you are struggling with the cost of living crisis then we do have the ability to supply you with extra food bags from “Help Harrow”. These are completely free and arrive once a week. If you are interested in receiving these please register your interest at the office, no questions asked.


National Writing Competition


The BBC have organised a national writing competition. It is called 500 because the children must keep their entries to a maximum of 500 words. The entries will be partially judged by celebrities such as Lenny Henry and the finalists will be invited to Buckingham Palace to receive their prizes. Queen Camilla is also supporting the event. Wouldn’t it be great if one of our children got there.


More info at ➖https://shorturl.at/CLOQ1


Michael Baumring

Head Teacher

Newsletter 20th September 2023

Dear Parents / Carers


This is your weekly newsletter to keep you updated about what is happening in school. Later on in the newsletter there is some important medical information so please read to the end of the newsletter.


Staff News

Mrs Nagle, our music teacher, has had her minor operation and is recovering at home. She hopes to return to school before half term or just afterwards. Children who have paid for their violin lessons will receive their allocation of 10 lessons before Christmas. When Mrs Nagle returns she will give the children two lessons a week to make up for the ones that they have missed. Sorry for any disappointment.


Mr Conway has joined our Admin team. He will normally be the first person that you will see when you come up to the school office. He has settled very well and is already having a positive influence on the school. He is quite surprised at how hectic the job is.


Lunches

Generally these are going really well. I asked some children to say one thing that they liked about the Junior School, a boy put his hand up and said that he thought that the food was amazing. The children really appreciate the changes in food quality from last year and having eaten in the canteen myself, I agree with them.


I have spoken to some of the Yr 5 and 6 children about the vegetarian options after half term. They came up with some really good ideas which I will put forward to Nourish when I meet with the Area Manager. I will also speak to some of the Year 3’s and 4’s as well this week. Thank you to the parents who also suggested some dishes.


Please do make use of the FREE school lunches. I am not sure if they will remain free next year. At lunch today I sat next to a Year 6 boy who was eating a shop bought sandwich - it didn’t look very nice and he hardly ate any of it.


PLEASE NOTE: - Tomorrow's meat option is incorrect on the menu - It should be roast Chicken rather than Roast Beef. (Thursday 21st September).


Parent Governors

Parent Governor nominations are now closed. However we still have one vacancy so if any parents are interested please contact me.


Year 6 Parents

Please use the next few weeks to visit the Secondary School’s open evenings. Some children have informed me that their parents have completed their application forms but they have only put one school on the form. Please DO NOT do this. You need at least 4-5 schools on the form otherwise your child could be sent anywhere if they do not get into the first choice school. If you need to, please book an appointment to see me about it and I will explain it further.


If you are struggling with the form please let the school know. We can arrange someone to help you fill it out. We do have access to Romanian and Arabic translators.


Please take a look at our Secondary Information page on our school website as this contains lots of information.


High School Open Days


Year 6 Parents Evening

On Monday the 25th of September we will be hosting a parents evening in the hall from 3:45 onwards. This will be an opportunity for the Year 6 team to explain the SATs and any other aspects of Year 6 life at KPJS. We look forward to your attendance - if you are unable to join us then please take a look at the slideshow on the Year 6 page on the school website


Flu vaccinations – 5th October 2023

A letter has recently been sent to all parents with regards to the flu vaccinations. If you have not already done so, please fill in the form even if your child DOES NOT want to have a flu vaccination. There is an option on the form for YES or NO. The vaccination is recommended to help protect your child against flu. The vaccination is free and is a quick and simple spray up the nose. Please follow the link:

https://clchschoolimmunisations.co.uk/Forms/Flu - Code CL102193


Height and Weight – 9th October 2023 - Year 6 Pupils

Height and Weight checks for Year 6 will take place on the 9th October 2023. If you DO NOT want your child to take part, please let the School Welfare Office know as soon as possible. All the data collected is used for improving health, care and services through research and planning. All the information is treated confidentially. No individual measurements are given to school staff or other children.


ESOL Classes for Adults

Our Adult classes to help parents improve their English starts tomorrow. Please drop your child off in the playground and come up to the Junior School Office. Classes start at 9:10 and are completely free.They last for a further 16 weeks and are run by Harrow college.


Food Aid

Last year we teamed up with the charity Help Harrow. Help Harrow provides emergency food for families struggling with rising prices and families in need of help. If you received these free bags of food last year we have just received our first consignment of food bags this year. Please pop up and collect them. If you would like to join the scheme please come up to the office to register. No questions asked.


Arbor

Please note that all of the school's communications, permissions, clubs/trips, reports and school shop can be found in our new Parent system Arbor. If you are having difficulty getting onto this please pop up and we can help. We are aiming to be cashless this year. It is free to use and download.


Art / DT Money

We are asking every parent to contribute £5 to cover the cost of Art and DT materials the children use. This can be found and paid for in the Clubs section ‘Creative Contributions’.


Child Minders

If you are a child minder and have spaces for extra children before / after school please let the office know so that we can pass on your details to parents currently looking for a childminder. You can then speak directly to them about cost and availability.


Michael Baumring

Head Teacher

Newsletter 13th September 2023

Dear Parents / Carers


Sorry to bombard you with lots of newsletters at the beginning of the term but I would like your help with a couple of items:-


Lunches:-


I am meeting with the area manager for Nourish, our caterers, in two weeks time to discuss the menu after half term. The current menu was only designed to get us up and running. We always offer two vegetarian options as well as the meat option and we are trying to provide foods that we think the children will really like and enjoy.


Therefore, I am asking that if the parent community has any good ideas for vegetarian options and if you have recipes so much the better. We can then discuss this with the Nourish team and if possible put some of them on the menu. Please remember that there is a cost element and a healthy eating element. By law, all of the meals that we serve to the children have to meet nutritional standards and guidance, i.e. very little or no salt, very little sugar, etc. Also, remember that we will have to cater for the tastes of all of the children so not too spicy although a little spice would be fine. Please send any suggestions to office@kpjs.harrow.sch.uk.


I am meeting some of the vegetarian children over the next few days to get some of their ideas / favourite foods.


Childminders


A couple of parents have approached me asking if I know of any childminders in the area for before / after school provision. If you are a childminder who has space please could you let me know and give me your telephone number. I can then let the parents looking for provision know and they can then contact you. This would be a private arrangement between you and the other parent.


Parent Governors


Two parents have approached me saying that they would like to stand as a parent Governor. Governors play a vital role in the strategic direction of the school. If you would like an informal chat about the role please make an appointment to see me through the office.


The closing date to express an interest is next Monday, 18th September.


Improve Your English Classes for Adults


Please see the attached flyer. These classes are free and run every Thursday morning from 9:10am. If you have any questions please leave a message for our Parent Ambassador, Mrs Virlics


Internet Safety Assembly

You are invited to watch a National Internet Safety Assembly carried out by Parent Zone on 21st September at 9.30am. The children will also be watching in class.

Here is the link:

https://youtube.com/live/WvmxBvbF_os?feature=share

If you have any other questions, contact legends@parentzone.org.uk
or message Ms Razzaque via the school office please
 https://parentzone.org.uk/

Michael Baumring

Head Teacher


Newsletter 11th September 2023

Dear Parents / Carers


This is just a quick email to keep you updated on the beginning of the year. It was really nice to see the children again and some of them have really grown over the six week holiday.


The children have settled really nicely after their summer holidays and the new Year 3 are walking around the school like they own it.


Staff News


Unfortunately Mrs Nagle, our music teacher, has been called in for a small operation. She will be away from school for at least 3 weeks to recover. She has arranged cover for her music lessons whilst she is away. Any child studying for the violin will have their missing lessons made up on her return. All of the children are due 10 lessons per term and we will make sure that these are caught up with.


Lunches


These seem to be going really well and the children say that they are enjoying the new caterers. I can honestly say that the food quality is much better than last year. The number of children taking lunch has risen dramatically. Last year we served on average about 140 children’s meals per day. Today we have 240 children taking the meals. I am hoping that in the end most children will take them as they are completely free for this school year.


Sports Clubs


The clubs started this week for the half term. Please book your child’s sessions online through the Arbor App in the Clubs section. These are on a first come first served and places are limited. Each session costs £5, the total for this half term is £30.


Creative Curriculum


Your children will create amazing projects during the school year. As mentioned previously we ask all parents to pay £5 towards the school Creative Curriculum towards these projects. Your child will be able to bring these creations home when completed. The £5 contribution must be paid in the Clubs section in the Arbor app. If you have any problems please contact the school office.


Equipment for school


Please ensure that your child has a pencil case containing a handwriting pen, pencils, sharpener, rubber, coloured pencils and a purple and green biro. These can all be bought via the school's shop on Arbor.


Parents' Classes.


You should receive an email from the school outlining our English as a Second language class through Stanmore Adult education college, These are completely free and will happen on Thursday’s just after you have dropped your child off. Please look out for the letter.


Parents Meetings


Please look out for invitations to your child's year group parents meetings. Some of these are online and some are in person. These will give you a flavour of what your child will be studying this term as well as important updates. One to one parents meetings will happen in February.


As the weather turns colder please make sure that your child is appropriately dressed.


Michael Baumring

Head Teacher

Newsletter 4th September 2023

Dear Parents / Carers


I hope that you all had a good summer holiday and I do know that some of you are very glad that school is starting again tomorrow to give you a bit of peace and quiet at least for part of the day. The school gates in Warneford Road will be open tomorrow at 8:30 as normal for the children to come in as normal.


Please remember the school timings:

Year 3 and 4 - Start school at 8:50 am and pick up time is 3:20pm

Year 5 and 6 - Start school at 9:00am and finish at 3:30.


It is a bit annoying that we are expecting a really hot week when generally the summer has been wet and rainy. I spent 10 days in the Lake district and it rained everyday!


RAAC - Concrete issues.


You will have seen in the news that some schools cannot open due to a form of unsafe concrete used in their construction. I am very grateful that this does NOT affect any part of the school. The specific concrete was used in building schools during the late 1950’s through to the early 1970’s. The main part of our school was built in the 1930’s with our latest additions in the 2010’s. Our school is perfectly safe and I can confirm that Harrow did send surveyors around to check at the end of last academic year.


New Caterers - Hot school lunches


Our new caterers are spending the day getting themselves organised and preparing for the first service of food. I have met with the chef managers and kitchen staff and they are very eager to meet the children. I am hoping that the food offered will be a great improvement on last year.


The main difference is that all the childrens meals in the Junior School are now free and are being paid for by the London Mayor’s fund. I am hoping that you will allow your child to have these lunches rather than bring in packed lunches. The approximate saving per child amounts to about £500 per year, a very considerable saving. I would ask that all children at least try the new menu for the first four weeks to give them a taste of what the food will be like. Tomorrow's menu is BBQ pulled chicken in a bun - or Herby Penne tomato pasta - or Jacket potatoes. Puddings look especially yummy - chocolate pudding with choc sauce - or a nourish biscuit - or fruit.


New Year 3 Children


Firstly, a very warm welcome to your child's time at the school. Please could you now start using the Junior School entrance in Warneford road rather than the Infant entrance in Moorhouse. Normally we ask parents to drop their child off at the gate in the morning but we do understand both parental and children's worries about starting a new school. Therefore, if parents would like to wait with their child for the first week of school then that is absolutely fine. If you are dropping off Infant children then your child is allowed to come across the playground rather than walk around the school to the Junior entrance.There should be plenty of staff on hand tomorrow morning so please do come up and ask if you would like to know any information. The children can bring a healthy mid morning snack, e.g. banana etc as well as a named bottle of water.


At 3:20 please come into the playground to pick up your child. The teacher will release your child to you so if someone else is picking your child up please let the school know in advance.


I look forward to meeting you again in the playground.


New Year 5 Children


Please note that swimming will start next week, Wednesday 13th September.


New Year 6 Children


Please note that the High School application process has begun. It closes on the 31st October. All High School applications need to be in by that date otherwise your child’s application will go to the bottom of the pile. To register you will need to go to your councils website and look up Secondary School applications for 2024. Most of you will be Harrow residents but I do know that some of you live in Brent or Barnet. The Harrow council website is www.harrow.gov.uk. Once you are in, look for education or schools and then find the correct application for secondary schools 2024. The form will be the same whichever council you use but you must go to the council where you pay your council tax to.


On the website it will give a list of when the secondary schools are holding their open evenings. My suggestion is to go and look at these before completing your application. You will have the opportunity to put down 6 schools in order of preference and my advice is to use all of these 6 options. You can put down any state secondary school in London, i.e. if you are a Harrow resident you can put a Brent school as your first option or visa versa.


I will be speaking to Year 6 children tomorrow about this and I will also speak to you during the first parents meeting this year but if you have any questions please do feel free to make an appointment with me and I can talk you through it. Please note that I do not have any influence about which child gets which school but I do have a lot of experience in this to help you. My aim is to support you in what you want for your child. Please also note that some grammar schools, e.g. QE Boys or Henrietta Barnet etc will require an entrance test but the vast majority of secondary schools do not.


Medical Needs


If your child is taking any medication or you have specific health concerns please come and see Ms Davey in the Welfare Office at the top of the stairs.


Parent Governors Needed


We are looking for new parent Governors to support the school. This is a voluntary role within the school but it does have a major influence on how the school operates. It helps to decide policy, procedure and strategic direction of the school and is a vital element in having a parental voice helping to serve the school community. You would be committing yourself to about 9 evening meetings per year plus visiting the school to gain information and give your opinions.


If you are interested please let me know and I can talk you through the process and the expectations.


Arbor


Please note that all of our communication, payments, etc are through the Arbor App. You can easily download this to your phone or computer. If you wish to please order all uniform through the app. The school is trying very hard to go cashless and we will only process orders through the app. If you are having any difficulties with the app please pop in to the office who will be pleased to help you.


Mr M Baumring

Headteacher