Today, 20th March 2026, the EYFS children performed at the Achievement Assembly in St Stephen’s Church.
The assembly was about:
Beep Beep Day!
The song performed was:
“When I walk Across the Road”.
The certificates were awarded to:
On Wednesday 18th March, the EYFS Children took part in Beep Beep Day. They learnt how to be safe crossing the road and who there is to help them. On Thursday, they put their learning into practice and went for a walk crossing the road on several occasions, with Sudha, the Crossing Patrol Lady and lots of members of staff helping them. On Friday they told the whole school what they had learnt in a wonderful assembly!
Some of our Year 5 children have become Travel Trailblazers! They had a meeting with Danni Sewel from Newham Council on Wednesday 18th March and are now planning a special assembly for after the Easter Break. Danni was very impressed by all of their ideas and has asked to be invited to the assembly once a date has been set.
On Tuesday 17th March we celebrated St Patrick's Day and the school was a field of green. There were even more than the 40 shades of Green in the famous song and the children and staff looked wonderful!
This week (and next) is the Big Walk and Wheel where we ask as many children as possible to walk, ride or scooter to school. So many did so this morning we have already run out of snap bands and stickers! Please carry on walking, riding and scooting until the Easter holiday and beyond.
Next week the Big Walk and Wheel continues! where we ask as many children as possible to walk, ride or scooter to school. We are currently 45th out of over a thousand schools so keep up the good work! We have won five badges so far with just two more to collect next week.
On Friday 13th March, the EYFS children were asked to invite their mums, or someone who is like a mum to them, into school for a celebration. The children created cards, which were put on display, and sang two songs and recited a poem for the special women in their lives. Afterwards there was a wonderful spread of treats and drinks for everyone to enjoy. A huge thank you to Mrs Krish, the Early Years team and the parent/carer helpers for arranging, organising and celebrating with the children and their mums.
On Friday 13th March, we were honoured to be invited to the Launch of the 'Mace Tour', held at St Bonaventure's School, heralding the beginning of the Children's Parliament. Phoebe made a very impressive speech, highlighting what she would do if she were Prime Minister and both her and Daniella were sworn in as MPs in the first Children's Parliament. They also signed the register which will be kept safely. Osman, Olivia and Grace were also in attendance to witness the event.
The Children's Parliament was initially proposed by Sir David Amess MP, a former pupil of both St Bonaventure's and St Antony's, sadly he died before his dream came to fruition. There were many important dignitaries and celebrities at the event, Amar Virdee, the Deputy Mayor of Newham, Nigel Folkard, the Mayor of Southend, where Sir David was an MP, Sharon Evans, a newsreader and campaigner for children's rights, Action Annie, Uma Kumaran MP, Anna Firth, who stood in as Speaker of the House, Alison Wheeler, of The Beautiful South, who composed the Democracy Song for the Children's Parliament (see below) and Baroness Uddin who is a passionate supporter of the cause and also went to school in Newham.
Both Phoebe and Daniella will be attending a session in the Houses of Parliament next October as they take on their roles as MPs in the Children's Parliament, we wish them well!
On Thursday 12th March, Fr Tony came in to lead a special Prayer Service for the EYFS children. They all listened very intently, watched a short video explaining prayer and then followed along with the prayers. Fr Tony was very impressed and is looking forward to coming in again soon!
The Duckling Hatching Experience arrived on Monday 9th March and by Tuesday our first egg had hatched! The children really enjoyed watching the ducklings come into the world and were amazed at how quickly they mature and are able to feed and water themselves. The children were given a chance to hold the ducks and were all very careful with them. We hope the ducks have a wonderful life on the farm they are due to go to at the end of the week!
The Ducklings became very adventurous in their second week at school, going for walks, a swim in the playground and visiting the children and also members of staff and some parents/carers too!
On Monday 9th March, Mrs Brosnan and Mr Savin took nine children from the Commonwealth Children's Choir to represent the school at the Commonwealth Memorial Day Service, held at the Memorial Gates on Constitution Hill. There were many dignitaries from around the Commonwealth and also Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons. We were lucky enough to meet Major General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter, the Vice-Chairman at the Memorial Gates and he admitted he'd rather have his photo taken with the children than some of the 'Big-wigs'! Please take the time to read more about Sir Evelyn on the Memorial Gates website, he is truly an inspirational man.
We are always delighted, and honoured to attend this event every year as part of the Commonwealth Children’s Choir. It is always an emotional and inspiring event, where the children hear different stories about the bravery of members of the commonwealth and how they helped and served during wars and conflict. This year they heard about Noor Inayat Khan (1914–1944) who was a pioneering British Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent and the first female wireless operator sent into Nazi-occupied France during WWII. Codename "Madeleine," she operated in Paris, maintaining critical links with London, before being captured, tortured, and executed at Dachau concentration camp. She was born in Moscow to an Indian Sufi father and an American mother, and she was a direct descendant of Tipu Sultan. She was raised in London and Paris, later joining the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) in 1940. Shrabani Basu read an emotional account of Noor’s life and laid a wreath in her honour.
Today, 6th March 2026, Class 6 performed at the Achievement Assembly in St Stephen’s Church.
The assembly was about:
World Book Day!
The song performed was:
“Read a Book (Shotgun)”.
The certificates were awarded to:
As always World Book Day (we celebrated on Friday 6th March) was one of the highlights of the year, with the school becoming a living library with the children and staff dressed as their favourite book characters.
Unfortunately Mrs Brosnan and Mr Savin forgot it was World Book Day and wore school uniform!
To help celebrate World Book Day Kuljinder and the Kitchen Team created a literary masterpiece for the children to enjoy!
There was ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’s’ Chicken Quesadilla’s or ‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs’ Veggie Pasta Bake, followed by ‘James and the Giant Peach’ sponge and custard!
The children loved the food and the decorations and we feel so lucky to have Kuljinder and her crew providing the lunches for the children!
On Thursday, 5th March, Class 6 visited St Antony's School for a special visit from Paterson Joseph, a famous actor and author. He gave a talk about his life and his new book and then spent time talking to the children, signing books and answering questions. It was a great visit, with the children learning so much about the lives of children from Black History in Victorian times, and also about a wonderful actor and author! Thank you to Mr Joseph and also to St Antony's and Mrs Moore, the Head Teacher, for inviting us.
Mr Derbyshire also took the opportunity to include Class 6's Big Lent Walk in the visit by getting the class to walk to St Antony's (and back), meaning they walked well over 8000 steps!
Mrs Whitehorn, Mrs Thanaraj and one of our wonderful volunteers, Maria, took Class 4 to a celebration of Easter at the Manor Park Christian Centre on Thursday 5th March. The children were able to take part in lots of exciting activities, including making an Easter garden, painting stained glass windows, creating a cross with sins to be absolved, dancing and drama all based on the Easter story.
On Monday we celebrated St David's Day. The school was like a field of daffodils with so much yellow in evidence! St David is one of the patron saints of the United Kingdom and we have named one of our House Teams after him. When we celebrate the patron saints of the United Kingdom the whole school is given the opportunity to join in, not just those in the House Team. As always we were delighted by the wonderful response from the children and staff (and Dusty the dog).
As part of their studies of Ancient Greece and modern adaptations of classic tales, Class 6 went to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane to see the Disney Production of 'Hercules'.
It was a fantastic show and the children really enjoyed themselves as they learnt the tale of Hercules, with a Disney twist!
As always the children behaved impeccably and we would like to thank Mr Derbyshire for arranging the visit, Mrs Brosnan for organising the grant, and Mrs Krish and Mrs Whitehorn for accompanying the Class and staying until everyone was collected!
On Tuesday 24th February, Kuljinder and the team treated us all to a special lunch to celebrate the recent Chinese New Year. There was Chicken Chow Mein, Vegetable Noodles and broccoli, Pineapple Fried Rice and caramel banana cake for dessert, along with the ever popular jelly! The serving area was decorated with streamers and Chinese fans and the children (and adults) loved it. Thank you Kuljinder!
Today, 13th February 2026, Class 5 performed at the Achievement Assembly in St Stephen’s Church.
The assembly was about:
Friendship and Love.
The songs performed were: “I love living in love with Jesus” and “Alone pt2”, Maklet also created the slides to go along with the songs.
The certificates were awarded to:
To celebrate St Valentine’s Day, our children and staff spent time reflecting on what it means to be loved and how we can share that kindness with others. It was a beautiful day of connection, rooted in the love Jesus shows us every day. The highlight was seeing the children come together to spell out a giant "LOVE" on the playground! We hope your day is filled with joy - Happy Valentine’s Day to all our families.
On Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th February 2026 our wonderful catering team again provided taster menus for the parents/carers as they attended their children’s Teacher consultations.
On Day One Kuljinder served a Lentil Rice Curry and Beef Chilli Con Carne, with Vanilla Sponge Cake and Shortbread to follow.
On Day Two there was a tasty chicken curry and rice or Quorn vegetable curry, with lemon drizzle cake and shortbread biscuits for dessert.
Thank you once again to Kuljinder and the kitchen team for all their hard work. The parents/carers - and ex pupils - all confirmed they were very impressed with the food!
We were fortunate that the Education lead for the London Air Ambulance, Rhiannon Evans, came to visit us on Wednesday 11th February to tell the children in Class 2 and Class 5 about the great work that the Air Ambulance does, saving lives around the city. She even let some of the children try on the special flying gear! It was a great visit and we will see them again next year.
Safer Internet Day is the UK’s biggest celebration of online safety, covering online issues or themes relevant to young people.
The theme for Safer Internet Day 2026 is ‘Smart tech, safe choices – Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI’.
Our KS2 classes joined an AI technology themed Live Lesson on Safer Internet Day 2026 as we explored how to stay safe online.
Hosted by Georgie Barrat and Joe Tasker, children explored the careful decisions behind responsible AI design, from selecting reliable, accurate and unbiased training data to writing system prompts that prevent ‘bad’ AI behaviour.
During the Live Lesson, children worked together to program an actual AI chatbot which simulated a conversation with a critically endangered Hooded Vulture.
The theme for Children's Mental Health Week 2026 is 'This is My Place'. Our aim is to support the systems around children to help them feel they belong.
Children's Mental Health Week takes place every February. It was started in 2015 to give a voice to all children and to raise awareness of children's mental health.
In this online, interactive workshop, we will be exploring the magic of storytelling through music with author, storyteller and musician, Annemarie Anang. Together, we will create a story through sound and rhythm.
In this online, interactive workshop, we will be exploring the magic of storytelling through music with storyteller and rapper, Alim Kamara. Together, we will create a rap and discover how to tell stories through lyrics.
Today, 6th February, we celebrated Number Day 2026!
The children and staff enjoyed wearing their number themed clothes, with the children particularly liking Mrs Brosnan and Mr Seven's (Savin's) outfits for some reason!
Mrs Brosnan also taped 1p and 2p coins to her clothes and the children could take a coin if they answered a maths question correctly.
There seemed to be a lot of questions involving the numbers 6 and 7...
Thank you to everyone for taking part and making the day a celebration of numbers and maths!
Today, 6th February 2026, the children and staff of Class 2 & Class 5 attended Mass in St Stephen’s Church.
The readings, read by the children, were:
First Reading: Galatians 2:19-20
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 126(125):1-2b. 2c-3. 4-5. 6. ℟3
Gospel Acclamation: Matthew 28:19-20: Go, make disciples of all the nations. I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.
The Gospel, read by Father Tony, was:
Matthew 28:16-20
The hymns were:
Christ Be Beside Me
As I Kneel Before You
I am the Bread of Life
We are One in the Spirit
Year 6 recently embarked on a musical journey through the ages, exploring the lives and legacies of iconic musicians. To showcase their learning, they designed vibrant, informative posters that now take center stage on our music room display boards. They chose iconic music artists, learnt about their lives and then produced wonderful artistic interpretations of their new heroes!
We were delighted to host a Newham Intergenerational Project, on Wednesday 4th February, where members of the local community visited the school and took part in activities with the children. This week the visitors and children joined each other in a knitting/crochet session. Everyone had lots of fun learning from each other and just taking the time to meet new people.
On Friday, 30th January 2026, our friend PCSO Denzil Riley and two police colleagues, Officer Bean and Officer Mohammed, came to visit our EYFS children who have been learning all about people who help us. They stayed for over an hour, speaking to the children about their job and what they do to help us, the different types of police officers, and let the children take turns wearing a police jacket, trying out the radios and bodycams and wearing their hats!
The children had a wonderful time and Denzil said he will try and bring a police car with him the next time he visits!
Dear Nicola,
Congratulations to you and your team on the excellent outcomes the pupils at St Winefride's RC Primary School achieved at the end of the 2024/25 academic year. Your school’s performance places it among the very best nationally, and this is a significant achievement.
This success reflects the dedication of your staff and the hard work of your pupils. It shows what can be achieved when ambition and commitment come together. Thank you for everything you do to give children the best possible opportunities to succeed.
Your school’s achievements demonstrate what is possible, and I hope you will continue to share your experience and best practice with others. Even the strongest schools can go further. We encourage you to lead the way as a system leader - sharing effective practice, championing networks, supporting collaboration, and helping raise standards across the sector.
There are real opportunities available for you to support improvement for a wider group of pupils including through:
engaging actively with your region’s RISE networks and partnering with nearby schools and trusts;
contributing to regional roundtables and professional communities to spread the approaches that are working in your context; and
sustaining excellence by continuing to focus on disadvantaged pupils
Please pass on my thanks and congratulations to your staff and pupils. I look forward to working with you as we strive together to raise standards for all.
Bridget Phillipson
Secretary of State for Education
Received 23rd January 2026
The school council held a very productive meeting today, 23rd January 2026, first with Olive Dining, our catering contractors, where they had some very forthright views on what they would like to eat at lunchtime! Andrew from Olive Dining said he would do his best to ensure at least some of their suggestions were met, although there are very strict guidelines to be met, so instead of ice cream every day, it may be a case of once a week instead!
Following the meeting with the caterers the children then chose the rides and bouncy castles they would like at the Summer Funday this year, we are sure everyone will have a great day, bouncing and jumping on their choices!
Today, 23rd January 2026, Class 2 & Class 5 attended Mass in St Stephen’s Church.
The readings, read by the children, were:
First Reading: 1 Samuel 24:2-20
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 27(26):1. 4. 13-14. ℟1a
Gospel Acclamation: 2 Corinthians 5:19: God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
The Gospel, read by Father Tony, was:
Mark 3:13-19
The hymns were:
Christ Be Beside Me
As I Kneel Before You
I am the Bread of Life
We are One in the Spirit
Today, 16th January 2026, Class 1 performed at the Achievement Assembly in St Stephen’s Church.
The assembly was about:
Peace, Love and Joy in the new year.
The song performed was: “Peace like a River”.
The certificates were awarded to:
On Thursday 15th January our Year 5 and Year 6 children took part in a powerful workshop, which helped them to understand the concepts of boundaries and consent. They played out several scenarios and Lois, the facilitator, was very impressed with their contributions.
On Thursday 15th January, our caterers celebrated Kid Inventors Day!
Kuljinder and her team served a special 'Kid Inventors Day' Menu with Hot Dogs and Jelly, everyone loved it!
Focus: Discovering that each child is unique, valued, and loved.
Scripture: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” – Psalm 139:14
Circle time and stories explored what makes each child special.
Discussed the idea that everyone is loved - by God, by family, and by their community.
Linked to RE through Creation and the beauty of the world.
Created “All About Me” pages celebrating each child’s uniqueness.
Focus: Understanding that we belong to families, school, faith groups, and communities.
Scripture: “We, though many, are one body in Christ.” – Romans 12:5
Explored different communities we belong to (home, class, faith, clubs).
Discussed how belonging makes us feel safe and loved.
Celebrated diversity by sharing family and faith traditions.
Focus: Showing care, kindness, and responsibility through small actions.
Scripture: “Let your light shine before others.” – Matthew 5:16
Discussed how we can help others at school and at home.
Used examples of kindness and service (e.g. Jesus, saints, and inspiring people of all beliefs).
Recorded their good deeds in a “Kindness Journal.”
Linked to moral stories and values shared across faiths and cultures.
Focus: Exploring how people express faith and values across our country and the world.
Scripture: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” – Mark 12:31
Discussed how people of faith care for the environment and for one another.
Created a class tree highlighting ways we love our neighbour at school, at home or in the community.
Created storyboards showing people of faith protecting the environment and the community.
Focus: Speaking up for what is right and expressing beliefs respectfully.
Scripture: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.” – Proverbs 31:8
Discussed how faith and values guide our sense of justice and fairness.
Explored examples of people who stood up for others (e.g. St Oscar Romero, Malala Yousafzai, Martin Luther King Jr.).
Linked to British Values: democracy, mutual respect, and individual liberty.
Focus: Taking responsibility, showing stewardship, and acting with integrity.
Scripture: “To whom much is given, much will be required.” – Luke 12:48
Discussed what it means to be responsible in school, at home, and in the world.
Linked to environmental care (Laudato Si’) and explored shared values across faiths.
Reflected on how moral choices affect others and creation.
Created a responsibility shield to live out positive values and protect our planet.
Focus: Exploring vocation, leadership, and how our faith and values guide us.
Scripture: “Here I am, Lord. Send me!” – Isaiah 6:8
Reflected on personal gifts and how they can be used to serve others.
Discussed vocation – careers, service, family and community roles.
Linked to Catholic Social Teaching and the idea of being “people of hope.”
Wrote personal reflections or “Mission Statements” about how to make a positive impact in secondary school and beyond.
Today, 6th January 2026, the whole school joined together to celebrate the Epiphany Mass in St Stephen’s Church.
The readings, read by the children, were:
First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 72(71):1-2. 7-8. 10-11. 12-13. ℟cf. 11
Second Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Gospel Acclamation: Matthew 2:2: We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship the Lord.
The Gospel, read by Father Tony, was:
Matthew 2:1-12
The hymns were:
Christ Be Beside Me
As I Kneel Before You
I am the Bread of Life
We are One in the Spirit
There are a number of dedicated and extremely helpful children who help out in the dinner hall at lunchtime. There is a long waiting list to become a Mini Dinnie and the children thrive on the responsibility. Mrs Whitehorn rewarded them with a special movie and dance afternoon on the last day of term (19th December 2025)!
Today, 19th December 2025 we held our Christmas Governors Prize Assembly. Prizes were awarded to:
We also held the annual Christmas Raffle, a huge thank you to Mrs Morris and Miss Rougier for putting the hampers together, the PTA for organising the raffle, everyone who donated prizes or bought a ticket, Asda Beckton and Ashanti for gifts for the hampers and the Adidas prize and finally Mrs Krish for being the the driving force behind everything to do with the raffle!
On Tuesday 16th and Thursday 18th December the EYFS children performed our annual Christmas Nativity. As usual the production was of ‘West End’ standard to all those watching and nerve wracking to all those behind the scenes!
All of the children took part and all of them were perfect. It is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the whole year and we are all very proud of everyone who took part, made costumes, scenery, camels, stars, helped the children in and out of costumes and especially the children!
Each year Fr Tony asks the school to organise a Christmas Card Competition and he then chooses a winning entry that is printed and used as the Christmas Card for the Parish. This year the winning entry was created by Kymani in Class 6. Here is Kymani holding his winning entry and the box of cards, which arrived just in time on 12th December, ready to be signed and posted around the parish.
Great job Kymani!
The children in EYFS were delighted to receive a visit from Santa on Friday 12th December. They all got to meet Santa and his elves, had a chat and received a special present too! We are very grateful that Santa made time in his very busy schedule to drop in and see the children!
To coincide with our school Christmas Dinner on the 11th December we also held our annual Christmas Jumper Day. As usual it was the most colourful day of the year, with red, green, silver, gold, blue, pink and every other colour on display! The children always look forward to Christmas Jumper Day and so do the staff. Check out some of the colourful jumpers on display this year!
Christmas Dinner on Thursday 11th December was another triumph for Kuljinder and her team in the kitchen.
As well as the traditional turkey and sausages, there was also a delicious roast vegetable Wellington too. They both came with rustic roast potatoes and honey glazed carrots, sprouts and beans. For desert there was the choice of Chocolate Yule Log or Gingerbread Biscuits!
The children, staff and governors were all in agreement it was the tastiest of Christmas Dinners!