Autumn Term Newsletter #7

24th October 2025

Dear Parents and Carers,

Half term provides a welcome break where we can stop, take a breath and reflect on our learning so far. I have been really pleased with the quality of teaching across the school, the richness of the learning environments and the way the children have applied themselves to so many learning opportunities. This was evident on Wednesday when Dr Josie Valentine, CEO of the trust, came to visit. She talked to children and staff to see how the new academic year had begun. Looking ahead, the remainder of the autumn term is action-packed. Some exciting highlights: Anti-Bullying Week including Odd Socks Day and the theme 'Power for Good' shaping our learning in November; Matt Turmaine MP will be in school during Parliament Week answering questions and meeting classes; Year 2/3 will be sharing their nativity performances with parents; the whole school will be off to the Palace Theatre to watch the pantomime; and 'Decembar' will provide a wealth of maths enrichment opportunities. Lots to look forward to.

Values: This week our focus value has been curiosity and how this can be a powerful approach to learning. In Celebration Assembly, we celebrated children who have enhanced their learning through a curious approach to new topics. After half term, our value is responsibility as we build back our routines after the week away from school.

Votes for Schools: The children considered 'Should we learn about what is in our food?' with older children focusing on ultra-processed foods. This sparked some really interesting conversations in classrooms with many children unaware of what was in many of the foods they eat. There was an interesting task comparing the labelling on foods in the UK and abroad.

Parents' Evening: Thank you for your attendance this week. Education is most effective when families and school work together so your engagement and support is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your feedback on a range of issues. It has been great to hear lots of positive feedback from so many families.

Gardening: It was great to have Rachel from The Serge Hill Project in school on Monday surveying our grounds in the pouring rain! We are really fortunate to have her expertise helping in school. Rachel has asked for parent volunteers to support the children and she will be back on Friday 7th November to work with the Eco Council. If you are green-fingered and keen to help, please email the school office and join us to make a positive difference to the school grounds.

Staffing Update: Mrs Javed has agreed to work full-time with New York class to cover Ms Murphy's absence. I am really pleased to have a consistent and experienced teacher leading the class all week.

Watford is an excellent town for entertainment and there are a lot of options over half term. The Harlequin are running free Halloween inspired craft workshops in Charter Place. Whatever you choose to do, I hope you all enjoy a relaxing half term break.

Best wishes,

Mr. Matt Morey - Headteacher

Upcoming Dates...

Sat 25th Oct - Sun 2nd Nov - Half Term

Children are back to school on Monday 3rd November at 8.45am

Tue 4th Nov - Y6 Show Racism the Red Card

Y6 will be attending workshops hosted at Vicarage Road

Thu 6th Nov - Y1 History of Toys Workshop

Y1 will spend the day in the small hall exploring toys from different periods of time

Mon 10th Nov - School Photos

Individual and sibling photos

Thu 20th Nov - Y5 Science Museum Trip

Y5 are off to London to enrich their science learning

Mon 24th Nov - Matt Turmaine MP Visit

Matt Turmaine will be answering questions from pupils and visiting classrooms

School calendar

Attendance

Attendance is a stable 95.1% and the slight dip at the end of a long half term is to be expected. Congratulations to Rome who have taken the top spot with 98.3%. Learning is cumulative and each lesson builds on the last. Excellent attendance is vital for successful learning.

Class Attendance Summary:

1. Rome 98.3%

2. Kampala 97.7%

3. Colombo 97.3%

4. Cusco 96.6%

5. Cairo 96.2%

6. Rio 96.1%

7. London 95.3%

8. Jakarta 94.4%

9. Tokyo 93.8%

10. Kingston 91.0%

11. New York 89.6%

Values Champions

This week has been full of children making excellent choices and working on our school values. The children listed below were recognised in assembly for their outstanding efforts! They were ready to learn, respectful of the environment and their peers and they were resilient and worked hard throughout. Well done, everyone!

Reception:

London - Isaiah

Year 1:

Rome - Snithika

Year 2/3:

Colombo - Albert

Jakarta - Arsalan

Tokyo - George

Year 4:

Cairo - Ahana

Kampala - Amelia

Year 5:

Rio - Muhammad

Cusco - Harvey

Year 6:

New York - Iris

Kingston - Cooper

House Points

Children’s attitude to learning has been recognised through the collection of dojo points, which are then totalled as house points across the school. Every child continues to show their commitment to being Ready, Respectful and Resilient, earning points for their house. Each half term the points are reset and a new competition begins. This week Curie have recaptured the lead to take the title for this half term. Congratulations to everyone involved. Every point represents a moment of success this term and as a school we have collected 13,526!

Here’s how the points stand:

1st: Curie with 3417 points (+541 points this week)

2nd: Carver with 3385 points (+501 points this week)

3rd: Sharman with 3373 points (+532 points this week)

4th: Alhazen with 3351 points (+528 points this week)

Let’s keep up the great work and continue to support each other as we aim for the top!

Class News

This week in Reception

This week in Reception the children have learned about the festival of Diwali. We have looked at how and why it is celebrated and the children have made their own diya lamps. We have looked at mehndi designs, rangoli patterns and talked about the fireworks that many of us have seen this week. We have been lucky enough to have some of the adults in school who celebrate Diwali, share how their families celebrate. In Maths, we have been consolidating our learning from this half term and the children have done a great job of showcasing their learning through practical activities.

This week in Year 1

This week, the children in Year 1 have started an exciting year-long investigation called Adopt a Tree. Each child has chosen a tree in the playground to observe throughout the year. They began by carefully sketching what their tree looks like in autumn, noticing the colours, shapes and any fallen leaves. As the seasons change, the children will revisit their trees to record how they look in winter, spring and summer — helping them to explore how living things change over time.

This week in Year 2 / 3

This week in Science, Year 2/3 became little geologists! They explored different types of rocks and used various materials to test which was the hardest. The children were excited to discover that granite was the toughest rock, while chalk was the softest.

This week in Year 4

In Maths, the children have been developing their understanding of addition and subtraction. They used place value counters and the column method to help deepen their understanding of place value and calculation strategies. In English, they wrote impressive independent character descriptions, using the underlying pattern from our model text to create detailed and imaginative writing. The children also wrote a detailed recount of their exciting River workshop. They enjoyed reflecting on their hands-on experiences and produced some fantastic pieces of writing.

This week in Year 5

This has been a truly memorable week for Year 5. We were absolutely captivated by a special visitor: a Viking workshop leader who claims to be a direct descendant of the Norse explorers! The excitement was palpable as the pupils got a rare, hands-on opportunity to touch and examine genuine-looking artefacts, discovering a treasure trove of new information—did you know Vikings didn't eat potatoes but likely used precious salt to preserve their food and even consumed blood in sausages or bread as a valuable source of protein? It was a fantastic session learning all about Viking life, history, and culture.

This week in Year 6

This term, Year 6 took part in an inspiring workshop led by Watford Football Club. The team delivered engaging PSHE lessons focused on inclusion, helping pupils explore the importance of respect, teamwork, and celebrating diversity—both on and off the pitch. The children thoroughly enjoyed the interactive activities and thoughtful discussions, leaving with a deeper understanding of what it means to ensure everyone feels valued and included

Friends of Lanchester

This half term seems to have flown by. We’ve got lots planned for the next half term and we’re excited for all the fun events.

Bake sale and non-uniform day

A massive thank you to everyone who supported us today in the bake sale and non-uniform day.

There were some amazing tasty treats on display. Thank you to everyone who baked and donated spooky goods!

We’ll let you know next term how much we’ve raised.

Winter disco

We’re excited for the return of our popular disco.

Taking place on Friday 21st November, there are three different times. If your child is in a club or wants to attend with a sibling, please get in touch and we’ll try to accommodate them in another session.

Tickets include music, fun and games with a professional DJ as well as unlimited squash and a small snack. Please let us know if there are any dietary requirements.

Reception: 2:15- 3:10pm Tickets £3

Years 1-3: 3:20 - 4:20pm Tickets £5

Years 4-6: 4:30 - 6pm Tickets £7

You can buy your ticket online via the clickable link in the attached flyer or click here: https://www.pta-events.co.uk/friendsoflanchester

Christmas cards

We’ve seen the beautiful designs for Christmas cards and other items from the children. We’ll be getting the proofs back early in the next half term so keep an eye out!

Christmas Fair

We’re busy planning an afternoon of festive fun! We can only run these events with your help so please do look out for our volunteer list and support us to make this a successful event!

Dates for your diary

Friday 21st November - Disco

Saturday 6th December - Christmas Fair

W/C Monday 8th December - Elfridges

Monday 15th and Thursday 18th December - Christmas Craftanoon

Don’t forget to follow us on

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friendsoflanchester or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendsoflanchester/ or contact us by email: friendsoflanchester@gmail.com

Thanks for your support!

Friends of Lanchester committee - Tracey Bravo, Lawrence Brown, Louise Brown, Helen Gibson, Chloé Harper and Laura Robson

On Behalf of 'Friends of Lanchester CFS'

Registered Charity 1161580