Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing break and are feeling refreshed for the new term. It has been a joy to see the children return with such enthusiasm, and we certainly haven't wasted any time getting back into the swing of things.

The week kicked off on Monday with a fantastic energy as our Year 3 and Year 4 students participated in a multi skills event, showcasing some impressive teamwork and coordination. 

On Tuesday, the sound of leather on willow returned to the playground as our "Chance to Shine" cricket sessions officially began. It was also a pleasure to welcome so many of you into the school for our Year 6 and Year 1 open morning and afternoon sessions; seeing the children share their learning environment with you is always a highlight of our week.

Midweek brought even more excitement as Year 3 headed to the pool for the start of their swimming lessons, a vital milestone in their physical education. Simultaneously, Year 5 embarked on a truly unforgettable trip to the O2 Arena to take part in Young Voices. Performing in such an iconic venue is a massive achievement, and they represented the school brilliantly. 

Finally, we are rounding off this busy first week back on Friday with Year 2 cake sale. Thank you to everyone who baked, bought, or helped out—it’s the perfect way to head into the weekend.

FREE COOKERY CLASS

WITH FREE AIR FRYER OR SLOWCOOKER TO TAKE HOME

THURSDAY 26TH MARCH 2026

HURSTPARK PRIMARY 9 AM - 11AM

Coming soon! 

Train to teach with LEO Academy Trust!

Applications for Primary Initial Teacher Training (ITT) for September 2026 are OPEN.

LEO Academy Trust works in partnership with the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) to deliver our school-centred ITT programme.

Be in the classroom from day one: Our programme offers fully immersive training.

Highly Supportive: You will be fully supported with weekly central training and dedicated mentoring.

High-Quality Programme: Benefit from the NIoT's educational excellence right here, locally.

Express your interest here and we will send you further details on this exciting opportunity.

HALF TERM (16th February to 20th February)

Return to school - Monday 23rd February 

Chance to Shine Cricket sessions start - 24th February 

Year 6 Open Morning - 24th February 9 am

Year 1 Open Afternoon - 24th February 2.35 pm 

Year 3 Swimming stats - 25th February 

Year 5 Young Voices at O2 - 25th February 

PTA Year 2  Cake Sale -  27th February 

London Carers Festival - 2nd March 

International Women's Day at Fulham FC - 2nd March 

Year 3 Open Morning - 3rd March 9 am 

Year 5 Open Morning - 4th March 9 am 

Year 4 Open Afternoon - 4th March 2.35 pm 

Year 2 Open Afternoon - 4th March 2.35 pm 

World  Book Day - 5th March 

Boys Chelsea Finals - 9th March 

Year 6 Ski trip - 10th March 

Reception Open afternoon -10th March 2.35 pm

3S Family Assembly - 12th March 9am

Parent Consultations - week commencing 16th March 

Year 3 Synagogue Trip - 20th March

Year 5 residential - week commencing 23rd March 

Last  Day of term - 27th March (Finish at 1.30 pm)

Parking 

We kindly ask all parents and carers to be mindful and considerate of our neighbours when parking in the local area. Unfortunately, due to recent instances of obstructive parking, the school recently missed a scheduled rubbish collection as the disposal vehicle was unable to gain access to the school gates. Beyond this logistical disruption, poorly positioned vehicles—particularly those blocking sightlines or driveways—pose a significant safety risk to our pupils and pedestrians. We would like to remind everyone of the importance of parking responsibly for the safety of our children and to maintain positive relationships with our local community. 

Lockdown Assembly and practice 

Following our recent Lockdown Assembly, we successfully conducted a partial lockdown practice to ensure our children and staff are fully prepared for various safety scenarios. During the drill, the children were asked to transition quickly and calmly from the playground back into the school building, demonstrating fantastic maturity and following instructions with impressive speed. These exercises are an essential part of our school safety procedures, designed to ensure everyone knows exactly what to do in the unlikely event that we need to secure the site. We are incredibly proud of how sensibly the children handled the practice, showing a clear understanding of how to remain safe and focused while moving back into their classrooms. 

Allotment 

Our allotment continues to be a flourishing space for outdoor learning, and we would like to extend a huge thank you to the PTA for their ongoing generosity and financial support. While we were fortunate to receive a grant for the project, it unfortunately did not cover the full extent of the additional work needed to bring the area up to standard. The PTA's contribution has been vital in bridging this gap, allowing us to repair raised bed and install a much needed external tap to keep our crops hydrated. These essential improvements ensure that the allotment remains a safe, productive environment where children can gain hands-on experience with nature. We are incredibly grateful to the PTA and our parent community for providing the remainder of the costs, ensuring this project can be completed for the benefit of all our pupils.

Virtual Parent Consultations 

Virtual Parent Consultations are being held week beginning 16th March - for more information click on this link. 

Wrap Around Care Staff Member Vacancy

We are currently seeking an enthusiastic and reliable member of staff to join the Hurst Park Wrap Around Care team! This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to top up their hours and make a real difference in the lives of our children.

The role involves supervising activities, assisting with the service of breakfast and tea, and ensuring the safety and well-being of the children.

The available fixed hours are:

-Breakfast Club (Tuesday to Thursday): 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM

-After School Club (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday): 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

How to Apply

If you, or anyone you know, who would be perfect for this role, please share/apply via the official application link: [Link Here]

Celebrating achievements 

If your child has celebrated a sporting achievement and you would like them to be included in the newsletter, please let us know by completing this form. There is an option to attach photos/certificates if you would like but this is optional. 

Hurst Park Primary Academy is looking for volunteers to enhance children's learning. Volunteers are highly valued and appreciated by children and staff. In the past, volunteers have helped children with reading and maintaining the Library. Volunteers must complete a comprehensive induction programme, including a DBS check, and adhere to our Safeguarding procedures. Volunteering hours are flexible.  If you are interested in making a difference, please complete the Volunteer Registration form  to apply. Please note that volunteers will not be placed in their child's class.

Rosie E (2T),  Shiloh (4SM) and Aiden (5B)

Toucans achieved the highest attendance for last week.  Well done!

Young Voices 

Our Year 5 truly shone at the O2 Arena for this year’s Young Voices concert, delivering a spectacular performance as part of the world’s largest children’s choir. From mastering the complex harmonies of the "Wicked Worldwide Singalong" to dancing alongside Urban Strides, the children embraced the electric atmosphere with incredible confidence and enthusiasm. This unforgettable experience was made possible by Mrs Cackett, who spent months teaching the songs and perfecting the harmonies, as well as the wonderful team of staff who accompanied the children throughout the long day. It was a proud moment for our school community to see our pupils perform under the arena lights, creating musical memories that will undoubtedly last a lifetime.

Turing Trip - Singapore 

The children had the incredible opportunity to immerse themselves in three distinct local schools, where they didn't just observe but actively participated in a diverse range of Singaporean lessons. This educational exchange was perfectly paired with exploration of the country’s iconic landmarks and hidden gems. 

Forest School 

Year 4  had a fantastic day at Forest School! They explored winter tree ID, searched for minibeasts, tree climbing and did our bit for the planet with a litter pick 

Young Carers Space to Grow Sessions

Our Space to Grow session for our Young Carers was pure magic today. There is something truly special about ditching the classroom for the fresh air and getting stuck into nature.

Here is a glimpse of what our green-fingered group got up to:

*Upcycled 'Jamdelliers': We filled the garden with music (and a bit of sparkle!) by hanging our handmade wind chimes.

*Rhubarb Watch: The children checked in on our growing rhubarb patches—it’s getting bigger by the day!

*The Bug Snug: We spent time building a five-star "bug snug" to provide a cozy home for our local minibeasts.

It was a wonderful reminder that some of the best learning happens with dirt on our hands and a bit of sun on our faces. A huge well done to all our Young Carers for their hard work and creativity!

Sporting Fixtures

Fantastic effort from our Y6 team at the annual Elmbridge Dodgeball Tournament! Brilliant teamwork, some superb dodges and outstanding catches saw them finish an amazing 2nd place overall So proud of you all! 

Amazing news from the Y3/4 Gymnastics B Team at the LEO Gymnastics Competition! 

The team performed their floor routines and vault superbly to take 1st place overall.  Well Done to Jessie-Mae and Ruby for 3rd individually , Perla for 2nd and Arabella for 1st 

Mental Health Support 

Young Carers 

At Hurst Park, we are aware that some of our pupils are young carers. A young carer is someone under 18 who is caring unpaid for someone at home who has an illness, a disability, or is affected by mental ill-health or alcohol/substance misuse.  They could also be a child who has a sibling with a disability. They often take on practical and/or emotional caring responsibilities that would normally be expected of an adult or miss out on things due to their siblings' needs. There are at least 800,000 young carers in the UK but many young people do not realise they are a young carer.

We know that young carers may need a little extra support to enjoy and do well at school. At Hurst Park, we are committed to ensuring that all pupils who are young carers are identified, and supported effectively. The school has a Family Support Worker and Emotional Literacy Support Assistants who can offer reassurance and emotional support and help engage with external services.

Surrey Young Carers are a fantastic organisation and support young carers through activities such as holiday clubs, youth clubs, 1:1 mentoring etc. For more information visit their website and register a young carer using this form. 

If you think your child might be a young carer, please let us know by filling in this google form.

If you do not feel comfortable doing this, or have any further questions, please contact Melissa Bailey (Family Support Worker) directly. Any information that is given will be treated sensitively and no information will be shared without your knowledge.

Keeping children and young people safe online

Tips for Raising Digitally Resilient Children

Every parent knows how difficult it is to monitor their children whilst they're online. It can be difficult asking children what they're seeing, their motives, healthy screen habits and more.

Written by a clinical psychologies, BBC Bitesize have released some new advice and support for parents. Although aimed at parents of teenagers, We think this would be useful for any parent. Additionally there are resources called Solve the Story which would work well in the classroom.

Article and resources: Screen time and resilience: a psychologist's guide.