Roselands Primary School
Autumn Term 1 Newsletter
Friday 24th October 2025
Roselands Primary School
Autumn Term 1 Newsletter
Friday 24th October 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we come to the end of the first half of the Autumn term, it is good to reflect on all the things we have achieved this term. Our children have settled in well to their new classes and made good progress. They have produced some amazing pieces of work and are growing in confidence. It has also been a busy term with many exciting events taking place. I have enjoyed getting to know our families and if you have not already done so, I encourage you to come and say hello when I am out on the school grounds at the start and end of the day.
Staffing update
As some of you are aware, we have been fortunate to employ three new Learning Support Assistants to join the Roselands team this term. Naomi Courtney-Luck and Catherine Hamilton have joined us recently and are supporting in Key Stage 1 and Nadia Poliychuk is working every morning, in upper key stage 2. We welcome them and are confident that they will have a positive contribution to the children at Roselands.
Updated Behaviour Policy
The updated behaviour policy is now on our website and I would ask that you take the time to read it, paying particular attention to Appendix 1 at the end. The children love receiving Dojos, which any adult can give out and they lead to rewards. Furthermore, the Y6 House Captains count up the weekly Dojos for their houses and announce them in Friday celebration assemblies. So Dojos not only equal rewards for the individual but also for their House. You may have heard about Reflection Club. This is run at lunch time and children who have not made the right choices, have time to sit and reflect for some of thier lunchtime on the choices they have made. We do not have many repeat visitors and hope that soon Reflection Club will be empty!
School uniform
Please can I remind you of our high expectations around the school uniform as set out in the 'meet the teacher' sessions at the start of term. I have noticed trainers start to creep back into school. These should only be worn for sport activities. Sensible black school shoes should be worn at all other times.
Communication
Having good communication is key to the operation of a happy school. We welcome any communication between staff and parents in order to support your children as best we can. To ensure that concerns are addressed in a timely and effective manner, I would like to remind you of the communication process for raising any issues or questions regarding your child’s learning or well-being. If you have any concerns, please follow the steps below:
1. Class Teacher
Your child’s class teacher should be your first point of contact. They work closely with your child and are best placed to address most concerns related to their progress, behaviour, or daily school experiences. Emails received in the office will be forwarded to the class teacher.
2. Phase Leader
If, after speaking with the class teacher, you feel that the issue has not been fully resolved, you may then reach out to the Phase Leader responsible for overseeing your child’s year group. The Phase Leader can offer further guidance and support. The phase leaders are: Mrs Buzzing (EYFS), Mrs Femi (KS1), Mrs Norton (LKS2), Mrs Jones (UKS2).
3. Assistant Headteacher
Should the matter still require further attention, the next step is to contact our Assistant Headteacher, Mrs Jones. She has a broader overview of school policies and can intervene in more complex situations.
4. Deputy Headteacher
If there has still not been a satisfactory resolution then the Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Hill, who works very closely with the Headteacher can intervene.
5. Headteacher
Finally, if after following the above steps, the issue remains unresolved, you may wish to speak directly with the Headteacher. This is the final step in our communication process and should be used only when other channels have been explored.
We appreciate your cooperation in following this process, as it helps ensure that all concerns are handled efficiently and by the appropriate member of staff. Our goal is always to work together to support your child’s success and well-being and because of this we are introducing:
Head teacher & SEND Coffee Mornings
On Monday 24th Nov we will be hosting our first Headteacher & SEND Coffee morning in the school hall. This is an opportunity for you to come and speak to me or Mrs Roberts (our SENCO) if there is anything you wish to discuss. It is also an opportunity to hear about any available parenting courses/new ideas around how to support children with any special needs and to share ideas and experiences with fellow parents. Refreshments will be available from 8.45am for a 9am start. The session will end at 9.45am. If this session is well attended and you feel they are useful we will look towards making them more regular and tailor them to suit your needs. I look forward to seeing some of you there.
I wish you all a happy and restful half term.
Best wishes,
Mrs Emma Benzal Fowler - Headteacher
It is really important that your child is in school EVERY DAY. This week our whole school attendace has dropped to 95%. Learning is cumulative and each lesson builds on the last. Excellent attendance is vital for successful learning.
Class Attendance Summary:
Reception: 95%
Year 1: 94.7%
Year 2: 93%
Year 3: 95.2%
Year 4: 94.6%
Year 5: 96.3%
Year 6: 95.4%
Lab Tots Assembly - 4th Nov
Author Sue Murley visit - 5th Nov
FORS School Disco - 7th Nov
Wreath Laying at Hoddesdon Town - 9th Nov
Friendship week - w/c 10th Nov - Power for Good theme
Odd socks day - 10th Nov
FORS AGM will be held at school on 17th November at 6pm. All are welcome.
NSPCC workshops - 20th Nov
Occasional Day - 28th Nov School closed
INSET day - 1st Dec
Festival of carols - 3rd Dec
Rudolph Fun Run - 4th Dec
Musicians Christmas concert - 8th Dec 2.30pm
EYFS Christmas play - 9th Dec 9.30am
KS1 Christmas concert for Year 1 parents - 9th Dec 2pm
KS1 Christmas concert for Year 2 parents - 10th Dec 2pm
Ancient Greek workshop Years 5 & 6 - 15th Dec
Christmas Dinner day - 16th Dec
Haileybury Christmas Service - 18th Dec
End of term - Fri 19th Dec 1.15pm
Return to school for children - Tues 6th January
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 Responsible, Respectful and Ready to Learn, earning points for themselves and their house. The top two children in each class, who receive the most Dojos, get to have hot chocolate with the Headteaacher at the end of each month.
Congratulations to DAHL house who have claimed the title for this half term! Everyone has worked hard on our values accruing over 5,000 points in just just over 6 weeks!
Here’s how the points stand:
1st: DAHL with 1352 points
2nd: ELGAR with 1273 points
3rd: TUDOR with 954 points
4th: DARWIN with 841 points
5th WENLOCK with 799 points
Let’s keep up the great work and continue to support each other as we aim for the top!
Class News
This half term in EYFS, our theme has been “All About Me.” The children have enjoyed getting to know one another and celebrating what makes each of us unique. They shared photographs of their families in small groups, talking proudly about the people who are special to them. We explored how we are all different but all equally important, and the children expressed this beautifully by creating colourful self-portraits on paper plates. It has been a wonderful start to the school year with children making new friendships.
We have also been loving exploring the theme of Autumn. The children have engaged in a variety of exciting activities! One of our favourites was the Autumn scavenger hunt, where the children excitedly searched for colourful leaves, pine cones, acorns, and spotted squirrels, developing their natural curiosity and observational skills. Using their natural finds, they then created some beautiful seasonal artwork- exploring making marks and prints using crayons.
In the mud kitchen, children had the opportunity to further use and explore autumn objects. They especially enjoyed making pumpkin soup, expanding their creativity through role play. They even loved washing up the mud kitchen dishes!
All the children have had a wonderful start to Year 1 in Cedar Class. They’ve all settled in well, everyone has been working hard and enjoying our new outdoor area. In English this term we have been learning how to gather ideas and use these to say, order and write sentences. All the children have been particularly excited by our most recent topic ‘How to be friends with a ghost!’ I hope everyone's had just as much fun at home as we did in the classroom going on our welly walks exploring, making friends and playing with our friendly ghosts.
In maths, we’ve been focusing on numbers and consolidating numbers bonds of 5. We’ve introduced part, part whole models and linked these to simple addition and subtraction calculations. In art the children have been learning about different lines, taking inspiration from Paul Klee’s Art work. We’ve linked this to natural lines we can find in nature, by making leaf rubbings, pictures with leaves and making collages from natural resources during our outdoor learning sessions.
In Elm, all children have settled in well and have worked very hard, taking everything in their stride since returning to school.
This term, the children have thoroughly enjoyed exploring list poems, using autumn as their inspiration. They have been writing creatively about autumn objects and activities, while also beginning to recognise nouns, and experiment with verbs and adjectives in their poetry. In maths, we’ve been focusing on number and consolidating numbers bonds of 5 and 10. Year 1 children have been introduced to a part, part whole model and looking at the relationships numbers have with one another when creating simple addition and subtraction calculations. Year 2 children have been exploring numbers within 100 and problem solving equations, learning how to regroup using base ten equipment. The children have been diving into the world of materials and what everyday objects are made of, including their properties. Through active investigation, they’ve explored the meaning of waterproof, absorbent, opaque and transparent.
This half term, the children in Hazel Class have settled in well and have risen to the challenge of Year 2 with enthusiasm. They have enjoyed exploring the story Frog and the Stranger, using it as inspiration to plan and construct their own imaginative stories. They are looking forward to sharing these with their families. A particularly memorable PSHE teaching moment involved using squirty cream to show how words, once spoken, cannot be taken back — a powerful reminder that encouraged the children to think carefully about kindness. The class have also taken inspiration from the changing season to create beautiful leaf art. We have been impressed with the effort they have put into developing their maths fluency, and visitors to our classroom have remarked on their strong number knowledge. As part of our new history curriculum, the children have been captivated by the Gunpowder Plot and some children chose to continue their research at home -eager to share their discoveries. Hazel Class have shown themselves to be a kind, creative and hard-working group, approaching Year 2 with confidence.
Laurel Class have had a fantastic start to the Autumn term! They have enjoyed exploring the Stone Age topic through both their Theme and Art lessons, learning about different resources and tools used during that period and creating some brilliant prehistoric charcoal drawings. As part of National Poetry Day, they joined an online workshop with poet Simon Mole and had great fun designing their own dinosaurs using everyday objects. Other learning highlights include starting e-safety in Computing and investigating States of Matter in Science through hands-on activities. Recently they have created password tumblers to learn about how to generate secure passwords and how to stay safe online.
Maple Class have had a wonderful half term of learning! In English, the children have enjoyed creating their own graphic novel pages inspired by Arthur and the Golden Rope, before developing these into narrative introductions using conjunctions, adjectives, and correctly punctuated speech. They have also explored persuasive writing through The King Who Banned the Dark, identifying persuasive language features and engaging in thoughtful, respectful debates. In Maths, the class have strengthened their understanding of place value in numbers up to five digits, practised telling the time on analogue clocks, identified different types of angles and lines, and used number bonds to 10, 100 and 1,000 to support mental addition. In Science, they have explored the three states of matter—solid, liquid, and gas—through practical investigations into freezing and melting, and developed their understanding of the water cycle, including evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. In Music, Maple Class have enjoyed learning to perform Let Your Spirit Fly and accompany their singing on the glockenspiel, while deepening their understanding of pulse, rhythm and pitch. In Theme, Art and Computing, they have been busy learning about prehistoric life, creating stunning Stone Age artwork using charcoal and natural pigments, and discussing how to stay safe online.
Pine Class have had a brilliant start to the Autumn term. In English, they’ve enjoyed developing their debating skills; learning how to structure persuasive arguments, present confidently, and listen respectfully to opposing viewpoints. In Art, the children have explored prehistoric creativity, using charcoal and natural pigments to produce striking Stone Age–inspired pieces. Elsewhere, they’ve been investigating States of Matter in Science with fun, practical experiments, learning about online safety in Computing, and strengthening their understanding of place value and time in Maths.
This half term Sycamore have enjoyed creating their own mythological creatures in English, drawing them and writing non-chronological reports about them. They have practised working as a team in PE lessons, carrying out activities such as human boat races across the hall! They have experimented with different forces in science, including making and testing parachutes. They also produced some fantastic pieces of autumn themed artwork, some of which were shared during our harvest assembly.
Willow Class have had a fantastic first half term filled with exciting learning experiences! In maths, they have been developing their number skills and enjoying a range of fun maths games to enhance their understanding, especially while practising their times tables. In English, the children have been expanding their vocabulary and improving their dictionary skills through engaging word games. They also loved using their imaginations to design and describe their very own mythological creatures for a non-chronological report. During whole-class reading, Willow Class have been focusing on developing their comprehension through "Click Reading," helping them to connect ideas and deepen their understanding of the texts they read. In science, the class has been exploring the topic of forces. They also showed great creativity by producing beautiful harvest-themed artwork to celebrate the season. To top it all off, they have been building teamwork and cooperation through fun and active games in PE. What a busy term of learning and collaboration.
Yew class have had a fabulous start to half term, having persevered with lots of new challenges including sitting a set of old SAT papers! Children have embraced taking on board new roles and responsibilities, helping both in the classroom and around the school. We had a fantastic treat when many Yew Class pupils shared their House Captain speeches to all of Key Stage 2 children, who voted in their winners. Our new Learner Voice Council have been active also, working alongside teachers in their new role. Year 6 did Roselands proud with their exemplary behaviour at the recent Crucial Crew visit, where they learnt how to be safe, having talks from The British Transport Police and the NHS.
All children have enjoyed our English lessons; they have written non-chronological reports on monsters and are currently enjoying learning about description through a wonderful story called Cloud Tea Monkeys. Learning in maths is happening at a pace, with all children showing a great, positive attitude - they have been enthusiastic when working collaboratively and their support for each other is fantastic. Yew class continue to benefit from a full curriculum, including regular lessons in PE, French, RE and science. It has been a very busy, but successful half term and they will hopefully enjoy a well-earned rest.
Congratulations to Erika who passed her RDL Vocal exam with distinction!
Congratulations to all our summer diary competition winners!
FORS will be having their AGM in school at 6pm on 17th November 2025. This is the time when the committee is selected for the next year. We encourage as many of you as possible to come. We are always looking for more committee members or just an extra pair of hands to help out at events. If you can spare any time please come and speak to us, we are a friendly bunch. Alternatively you can email us at roselandsfors@gmail.com
Everything we do benefits the children of Roselands Schhol. Thanks for your support!
Friends of Roselands committee
Roselands Primary School, High Wood Rd, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 9AR
Tel: 01992 442407 Email: admin@roselands.herts.sch.uk
Website: www.roselands.herts.sch.uk
Headteacher: Mrs Emma Benzal Fowler