As we come to the end of the Autumn Term, I would like to take a moment to reflect on all that we have shared together as a school community over the past few months.

This term has been shaped by powerful themes explored in worship and in classrooms: growing through mistakes, serving in tough times, growing together, shining God’s light and most recently, preparing for Advent and Christmas. Through these moments, our children have been encouraged to think deeply about kindness, resilience, generosity and hope - not just as ideas but as ways of living and treating one another each day.

I would like to begin by saying a heartfelt thank you to our wonderful staff. Their commitment, care and professionalism ensure that every child is known, valued and supported. They give far more than lessons - they give time, patience, encouragement and compassion, often quietly and without recognition.

We would also like to take this opportunity to share that two members of staff will not be returning from maternity leave. We wish Mrs Craythorne, who has moved on to a new chapter and Mrs Elstob, who has chosen to remain at home to focus on her family, every happiness for the future. They both leave with our thanks and very best wishes.

Thank you also to you, our parents and carers, for the trust you place in us, for your partnership and for the many ways you support school life - from conversations at the gate, to attending events, to reinforcing our values at home. We are all also thankful for all the wonderful cards and gifts that we have been showered with this week.

I am grateful to our governors for their guidance, challenge and steadfast support, and to St Michael’s Church and clergy team for walking alongside us, helping our children grow spiritually and reminding us of the deeper purpose at the heart of our school.

And of course, thank you to our children. They continue to inspire us with their curiosity, honesty, joy and resilience. Through their learning, worship, music, service and reflection, they remind us why we do what we do.

As we reach Christmas, we are reminded that this season does not begin with noise or rush but with stillness and humility.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5

This verse speaks powerfully to the true meaning of Christmas. It tells us that God’s light entered the world quietly - bringing hope, peace and love for all. It also reminds us that for some, this time of year can be difficult. Some families and members of our community may experience loneliness, loss, or hardship and we hold them gently in our thoughts and prayers. May the light of Christ bring comfort, connection and reassurance and may we all be mindful of those around us.

As the term ends, we do so with gratitude, hope, and joy - proud of all that has been achieved and thankful for the community we share.

I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year. We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready to begin the Spring Term together on Monday 5th January 2026!

With warmest wishes,

Mrs Harris

Headteacher

Mrs Dodman Christmas message

As we come to the end of our first term and prepare for the Christmas break, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been a truly memorable start to my journey as Deputy Headteacher, at St Michael's.

It has been a real privilege to join this school community and I have felt incredibly welcomed from my very first day. The warmth, kindness and professionalism shown by staff, pupils and families have made this term both enjoyable and inspiring. I am immensely proud to be part of a school where care, commitment and high expectations are so clearly evident in everything and lived out in our values of Loving, serving and growing together. 

This term has been full of hard work, collaboration and many successes and I am grateful to everyone for the support, encouragement and dedication that have helped make it such a positive start. It has been a pleasure getting to know the children and seeing their enthusiasm, resilience and achievements across school life.

As we approach Christmas, I am reminded of the words from Colossians 3:15:
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

These words reflect the strong sense of community and thankfulness that I have experienced so clearly this term.

As we look ahead to the new year, I am excited about continuing to work alongside such a dedicated and caring community. For now, I hope everyone enjoys a well-deserved rest and a joyful Christmas with family and friends, making magical memories at this special time of year.

Thank you once again for such a warm welcome. I look forward to the year ahead.

Wishing you all a peaceful and happy Christmas.

Hannah Dodman

Deputy Headteacher

Hello everyone,

As we reach the end of 2025, I wanted to take a moment to thank everybody from the PTA who has volunteered this half of term. Below is a summary of what we have done together as a PTA and look forward to seeing you all in 2026.

This half-term:

• Our Year 4 reps, Megan Taylor, Constanze Gunnarsson, Saffi and Mark Haine, supported by Stu Forknell put on an amazing Fireworks display that was enjoyed by us all. Special thanks to all the volunteers who supported the event as well. 

• Thanks to Alex Lee Pan for his coordination of the Christmas tree offloading team, this year 195 trees in total were shifted with military precision. It is great that we raised over £1,500 which can go towards further funding of the school playground developments. 

• Well done to all our Christmas Raffle winners and big thanks to Ed Bushell, our sponsorship lead for making this happen. A massive thank you to all those who helped get prizes donated too. 

• A personal highlight was the hard work of Year 1 and 5 reps last Friday at the Christmas Fair. The children certainly loved the day and the only way to improve it would be to have double maths at the end. A big shout out to those who took on roles in the grotto and everyone who helped set up and tidy away. Especially those using holiday allowances from work to make the day happen.

Next half term: 

• There is our netx PTA meeting planned for the 14th January, links will be shared at the start of term. 

• We will be having another Preloved uniform sale on the 16th January, should anyone have had a growth spurt over Christmas.

• Year 6 will be ‘reaching for the lasers’ at the School Disco on Saturday 31th January. Keep an eye out for links to ticket tailor early next term.

The committee will be looking for a New Chair and Sponsorship lead to take over after the summer fair next year. If you are interested please email me at pta@stmichaels.wandsworth.sch.uk or grab me at drop off.

Have a wonderful festive break and see you in 2026.

Olly Thornton-Flowers

PTA Chair

on behalf of the PTA Committee

PTA Website 

Christmas Storytime with Mrs Dodman - every class visited her in the Oasis throughout the week to enjoy her reading of a festive tale ..

Christmas Art:

These beautiful designs have been created by our talented        Year 6!

Chistmas Fair and Christmas Jumper Day Photo Gallery:

Christmas Lunch In Pictures:

Well done to Granville for winning the Hockey prize and to Seymour for winning the House Christmas Quiz today!

Christmas Service:

We are incredibly proud of the children for their outstanding Christmas Service, which retold the Nativity story with warmth, confidence and joy. Through scripture, prayer and song, the children thoughtfully led us from the angel’s message to Mary, through to the shepherds and the wise men, and on to the joyful celebration of Christ’s birth.

The service was rich in music, combining traditional carols and modern songs. The children reminded us that Christmas is not only a time of celebration, but also a call to kindness, generosity and hope.

Thank you to all the children for their dedication and enthusiasm, and to staff and families for the support given behind the scenes. It was a truly meaningful and uplifting way to celebrate the Christmas season together.

Adele Stewart

Year 2

As we approach the end of a wonderfully busy term, we’d like to take a moment to celebrate all the incredible learning that has taken place in our Early Years. It has been a term full of exciting new discoveries, new friendships, fun activities and engaging learning experiences. Our youngest learners have been exploring, discovering and growing in so many ways, and we are incredibly proud of the progress they have made.

Starting school is always an exciting adventure, and this term has been all about getting to know our school in EYFS. The children have enjoyed exploring their classrooms, playgrounds and all the special spaces that make our school unique. They have been learning important school routines, how to work together, and how to be kind and caring friends. It has been a joy to see the children settle so confidently and develop such a strong sense of belonging within our school community.

In Reception, learning has been driven by our inquiry questions, beginning with “How do we use our bodies and senses to explore the world around us?” The children have explored this question through hands-on scientific investigations, using their senses to observe, touch, smell, hear and taste. They have enjoyed experimenting with different materials, discussing how their bodies move, and learning how their senses help them to understand the world. This curiosity-led learning has supported their early scientific thinking and encouraged thoughtful questioning and discussion.

Our second enquiry question, “What changes can we see in the sky and the world when it gets dark?”, sparked lots of excitement and creativity. The children explored light and darkness, shadows, night-time animals and changes in the sky. They expressed their learning through art, creating beautiful pieces inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, experimenting with colour, texture and pattern. These activities supported both their understanding of the world and their creative development, resulting in some truly wonderful artwork.

Reception children have also made fantastic progress in phonics and early reading. They have worked hard to learn letter sounds, practise blending and segmenting, and apply these skills in their reading and writing. Many children are now confidently reading simple words and sentences, showing growing independence and enthusiasm for books. Their love of stories and reading together has been a real highlight of the term.

In Nursery, the children have been exploring the question “What can my body do and how do my senses help me explore the world?” Through play-based learning, they have been discovering how their bodies move and what they can do, from climbing and balancing to dancing and fine motor activities. Sensory play has played a key role, with children exploring different textures, sounds, smells and materials, helping them to make sense of the world around them while developing language and confidence.

The second inquiry question, “How do we use light, sound, and materials to celebrate special times?”, allowed the children to explore celebrations in a meaningful and engaging way. They experimented with light and sound through music, instruments and role play, and explored a variety of materials to create decorations and artwork linked to celebrations. This learning supported their creativity, communication skills and understanding of special times shared with family and friends.

Across both Nursery and Reception, we have made the most of outdoor learning. The children have loved taking their learning outside, whether exploring the outdoor areas, engaging in physical play, or using our workshop spaces to build, create and investigate. Outdoor learning has supported teamwork, problem-solving and curiosity, while allowing children to learn in an active and engaging environment.

Nursery children have also made a fantastic start to their phonics journey. They are developing strong listening skills, learning to hear sounds in the environment, and beginning to recognise and enjoy rhythm, rhyme and songs. This strong foundation will support them as they move forward in their reading and writing development.

As the term came to a close, the children learned about the Christmas story in RE. Reception children worked incredibly hard to perform their wonderful Nativity, confidently sharing the story through acting, singing and speaking. Nursery children delighted us all with their Christmas songs, showing growing confidence and enthusiasm. These celebrations were a lovely way to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas and to share the children’s achievements with our school community.

We are so proud of everything our EYFS children have achieved this term and look forward to all the exciting learning still to come.

Chloe Fryer & The EYFS Team

What an uplifting and busy term it has been across Phase 1. Classrooms have been full of curiosity, purposeful talk and real pride in learning. Most importantly, pupils have settled well into routines and are increasingly showing our school vision Love, Serve, Grow in action through kindness, teamwork and a willingness to persevere even when learning is tricky.

Year 1

Year 1 has embraced school life brilliantly and has made a strong start to the year. In English, the children enjoyed rich texts, including Leopard’s Drum and A House for Mouse in Autumn 1, followed by The Odd Egg in Autumn 2, which inspired a wonderful writing outcome: an Egg Spotter Guide. Children were genuinely engrossed and began to understand what makes a super sentence. In maths, the children focused on place value and addition and subtraction within 10, building early number confidence through practical resources and clear representations.

Grandparents Day was a wonderful moment as children explored old and new toys in history, and the local walk helped children learn more about our school and the surrounding area through geography. In science, the everyday materials work has been a highlight, with pupils increasingly using scientific vocabulary to describe and sort objects.

Year 2

Year 2 has worked with impressive enthusiasm and growing independence. In English, pupils studied Ocean Meets Sky and produced some fantastic fantasy narratives, showing creativity and an improving grasp of structure. In maths, pupils consolidated place value, addition and subtraction, and developed confidence with money, recognising coins and notes and solving simple real-life problems.

Across the wider curriculum, the Titanic was a huge hit (pun intended!), and geography learning helped pupils explore different parts of the UK. In art, the children created prints inspired by Yayoi Kusama, and in DT, they designed and made windmills, demonstrating careful construction and pride in their finished outcomes. A special church visit supported learning about Noah and our Christmas learning, and pupils have worked incredibly hard preparing for the Christmas service. A heartfelt thank you to families for supporting children to practise songs at home. 

Year 3

Year 3 pupils have shown real maturity and ambition this term. In English, Diary of a Killer Cat supported strong diary writing and Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters inspired beautifully described settings. In maths, the children strengthened place value and addition and subtraction, while also building confidence in multiplication and division.

The wider curriculum has been an exciting learning adventure as the children discovered more about Prehistoric Britain in history captured pupils’ interest, while science learning included rocks and fossils and light, seeing and shadows. In geography, pupils tackled earthquakes and volcanoes with great curiosity. DT has been delicious as the children made seasonal vegetable tarts.

As we move into the holiday, pupils deserve a well-earned rest. We encourage families to use this time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas and to continue spreading good cheer within our community. When children return, we want them ready to learn and to continue showing humility, compassion and kindness to themselves, their peers and the adults who support them. Next term, our key focus will be continuing to strengthen reading and phonics, so every child grows in confidence and makes strong progress.

Thank you for your continued support, it is appreciated more than you know.

Adele Stewart & The Phase 1 Team

As we come to the end of another fantastic term of music at St Michael's, I would like to say a huge WELL DONE to every child in the school who has played and sung in any of the performances this week. 

It has been such a joyful time of year featuring some great music. 

The Christmas season for our musicians started with the chamber choir singing a jolly version of Jingle Bells at the Southfields switching on of the Christmas lights. 

This week we heard our instrumental music groups perform to parents and friends in the hall - the guitar club, string ensemble and wind orchestra all performed the pieces they had learned this term, including some festive numbers such as Mission Impossible/Jingle Bells (guitar club), We Wish You a Merry Christmas (string ensemble) and All I Want For Christmas Is You (wind orchestra). 

Also this week we held a concert at St Michael's church for the Sing For Joy club and the chamber choir. Both groups sang beautifully, and thank you to all the parents and friends who came along to support us.

The Christmas service is always a lovely opportunity to come together in song and celebrate this wonderful time of year. 

Congratulations to Year 2 for doing such a great job of leading the service, and to Year 1 and all the other year groups for also singing along, and to all the staff who supported the children in their hard work. 

Do try to join in with singing whenever and wherever you can during the holidays, and may you all have a merry Christmas and happy new year. I look forward to more music-making with the St Michael's children in the Spring term.

Mrs Minster

Our Playground Champions have completed their training sessions and started helping during lunch play. 

We are so proud of how they have embraced this job and stepped up to become leaders and role models to younger children. 

Their positive impact and presence in the playground has been wonderful to see. 

Well done and thank you!

The Inclusion Team

This year, we have enjoyed being Lead Ambassadors and representing our school. We have helped with parent tours, parents’ evenings and school services, and this has helped us to become more confident when speaking to adults. We have talked about what it means to be good role models, to have a growth mindset and to live out our school values. Next term, we are excited to take on more responsibilities, support important school events and share our ideas for how we can keep making our school an even better place.

This term has been a very busy and exciting one for the School Council. They have worked hard and are proud of all they have achieved together.

Collectively, they  have investigated playground equipment and shared ideas about what we would like to see to improve our playground offer and suggested ways to make playtimes fun and inclusive for all.  School Council have attended meetings regularly and made sure pupil voice was heard across all year groups, including speaking to a local authority visitor about behaviour and attitudes in our school, sharing what makes them proud to be part of St Michael's.

They have taken a lead and informed policies, such as contributing to the updated pupil behaviour policy, sharing their thoughts, ideas and experiences to help make our school the best it can be. The School Council have shown amazing patience while waiting for their badges and some thoroughly enjoyed helping to create questions for our first ever annual inter-house Christmas quiz.

It has been a great term for the School Council, and we are proud of the responsibility, maturity and kindness they have demonstrated. They have taken on their roles with such grace and been wonderful spokes-people for their classes.

 We are excited to continue our work in the spring term, with lots more ideas to share and projects to complete.

Hannah Dodman

Deputy Headteacher

We are now 22 of us in total across the age groups.  

We have moved the session to lunchtimes on Wednesdays as more of a drop-in club now so that children don't miss too much of their working week!   

It seems to work well and we have been busy this term, including leading the whole school Remembrance Service and lately, doing lots of Christmas crafting.

Next term we will be highlighting the life of a military child to our peers, including celebrating Dandelion Day on 15th April when we will invite the whole school to wear something yellow.

Dandelions are the symbol of the military child, as they scatter and form roots wherever they land..

Meanwhile, we are very proud of our wall of regimental plaques that continues to grow as more and more new families join us.

Wishing you all a wonderful family Christmas.

Caroline Jopp 

We've had a wonderful term of regular Friday morning prayer meet ups.

It's been a joy to welcome new parents to the meetings and we remain open and delighted to see anyone who is able to pop by, whether that's just one Friday a term, or every week; we understand the busyness of daily life as a parent and are keen to offer a little moment of peace and prayer at the close of each week.

We have prayed and continue to pray for our wonderful St Michael's community, the incredible staff and for the precious children in their care.  We are so grateful for a school that speaks the truth of the gospel into their lives every day. 

We pray for you reader! That you would know the truth, hope and goodness of God this Christmas.

These couple of verses from a wonderful carol written by Joy Willson speak of the gentle gift of God to us:

Come to the stable door

And meet with Jesus there

Come, and seek the God of Love

Who came our sins to bear

Come to the lowly - cattle shed

Where Mary meek and mild

Rocks in her arms the Prince of Peace

The Holy infant child 

Wishing you all a joyful and hopeful Christmas.

with love,

Amy & Nicci

Our library has been bustling as usual this term as the children continue their regular class visits. It has been a treat to see our Reception classes enjoy their first term of borrowing and sharing library books with their loved ones, they’ve done a great job remembering to return their books on time too! 

We have received some more wonderful donations and have been gifted with several signed copies of Banji Alexander’s latest graphic novel - Lockdown Looms. Do keep an eye out for them on the shelves.

Finally, a very special and sincere thank you to our lovely parent volunteers who have given their time to help us out in the library this term - shelving books, tidying and organising our shelves. Their service is hugely appreciated and makes such a difference, we look forward to seeing them again in the coming terms! 

Wishing all the children of St Michael’s and their families a wonderfully blessed Christmas season. 

Natalie Mitchell

Learn to Love to Read wishes all the children and their families a very happy Christmas and thank you for all your support this year. 

It has been brilliant for our volunteers to read with so many children in school, and we have really enjoyed running our Early Years classes and parent workshops at St Michael's. 

We look forward to more reading together in 2026!

We are recruiting for reading volunteers in school or online, one afternoon a week - no experience is necessary and full training is provided. 

If you are interested please email helen@l2l2r.org or visit our website Volunteer | Learn to Love to Read (learn2love2read.org.uk)

Helen Liley

Christmas Services at St Michael's Church

Carols on the Field

Sunday 21 December 6pm (gates from 5:40pm)

Gather around with a drink on the church field for a fun and relaxed carol singalong.

Nativity Services

Christmas Eve 4pm & 5pm

Dress up as your favourite character from the real Christmas story, and help us tell it. You’re the stars of the service!

Midnight Communion

Christmas Eve 11:30pm

Welcome in Christmas Day together by candlelight led by the choir.

Christmas Day 10:30am

A celebration of the birth of Jesus suitable for young and old.

This term's figures:

Attendance for this half term:   

96.8%

(Our target for the year is 97%)

Number of late arrivals this term:  

 694 late marks involving 174 children!

Number of unauthorised absences this term:  

 225 sessions involving  50  families and 70 children!

PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY PUPIL ARRIVING AFTER 8:50am RECEIVES A  'U' MARK ON THE REGISTER WHICH DENOTES UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE

Please follow the link to our Attendance Policy including notification on our fines system (see pages 4 and 7)

LINK

Spaces are still available in the following clubs in particular:

Number Playground:  Monday: Year 3 -5

French: Tuesday: Years 3 -4

Sing for Joy: Thursday: Years 3-6

Eco Craft: Thursday: Years 2 -5

All Star Tennis:  Friday: Years 1 - 2

Rugby: Friday: Years 4-6

Dear Loving God,

At Christmas we remember the birth of Jesus,

born in humility, welcomed with joy and sent as a gift of hope for the whole world.

Help us to love as Jesus loved with kindness, patience and compassion for everyone.

Help us to serve as Jesus served us by caring for those in need. 

Help us to grow in wisdom, in faith, and in gratitude, so that our words and actions reflect Your light.

Bless our school, our families, and our community.

May peace fill our hearts this Christmas and guide us today and always.

Amen

Hannah Dodman

Deputy Headteacher

Joy

Spiritual Question:

"How does sharing joy help everyone’s voice be valued?"