Autumn 1 , Week 8: Friday 25th October 2025
Remember- All newsletters can be found on our school website, which includes links to archived newsletters.
Headteacher's Comment
Black History Month 2025
Children's learning
Choose a Lambeth Secondary School
Sporting Highlights
The Children's Book Project
In Our Community
#WakeUpWednesday - EA Sports FC 26
+ our regularly updated Diary Dates, Term Dates, our weekly Headteacher Awards, Weekly Attendance & Punctuality figures and TT Rockstars.
As we come to the end of our first term this year, I am very proud to say that both staff and pupils have worked incredibly hard and kept their spirits high throughout.
Thank you for your continued and unwavering support — it is what makes Vauxhall Primary School such an inspiring place to be. This is reflected in the continued growth of our community, with new members joining us all the time.
This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming an Inclusion Quality Mark assessor to see the fantastic work we are doing to ensure that every child receives the very best education possible. We are delighted to share that, as a result, we have retained our Flagship Status once again!
A special thank you to Mrs Coombs, our Inclusion Lead and SENCo, for her outstanding coordination of the project and assessment day. You can read the full report on our school website.
Finally, thank you to all the parents who contributed so positively to the day — and for your continued support every term.
"Standing Firm in Power and Pride"
At Vauxhall Primary School, we are proud to have an inclusive curriculum that reflects and celebrates the diversity of our community. This term, we were delighted to showcase this commitment through a range of Black History Month activities and celebrations.
Children and staff explored the meaning of this year’s theme, “Standing Firm in Power and Pride,” and took a deep dive into the rich contributions that Black people, past and present, have made to our society.
A huge thank you to Mr Narotra for coordinating our special guests, cross-curricular activities, community events and celebratory assemblies.
See below for a snapshot of the wonderful learning and events that took place.
This week, nursery and reception classes went to The Mud Club (The Spinney) in Clapham Common.
The children had the opportunity to dive into different types of nature exploratory activities, such as digging and playing with mud, observing water flow, gathering leaves, pebbles, and other natural materials.
This term, the Year 1 Cheetahs have been working hard on their fantastic class performance, Back in Time! Inspired by their history topic Then and Now, the children explored life in the 1950s compared to today, discovering how shops, toys, transport, and clothes have changed over time. Their performance for the whole school and parents was full of confidence, energy, and smiles. Well done, Cheetahs — you were amazing!
Year 1 enjoyed watching Muffin Don’t Get Squashed!, a fun and educational theatre performance all about road safety. The children learnt that pedestrians use the pavement while vehicles use the road, and they could identify different road users by sight and sound. They also discovered how to be safe pedestrians and how to find and use the safest places to cross the road. It was an engaging and important reminder about staying safe when out and about!
Year 2 Literacy Highlights – A Term of Conservation and Creativity
This term, our Year 2 writers have explored conservation and environmental responsibility through two inspiring books: The Journey Home by Frann Preston-Gannon and We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom.
Inspired by The Journey Home, students learned about endangered animals and created persuasive pieces and fact files to raise awareness about their protection. They also strengthened their grammar skills, mastering different sentence types and improving their editing by focusing on tense, word choice, and description.
With We Are Water Protectors, students discovered the importance of caring for our planet’s water. They explored the water cycle, researched Native American tribes, and developed non-fiction writing and campaign projects to protect local water sources.
It’s been a term filled with creativity, reflection, and purpose, showing that even our youngest learners can make a big difference.
Year 2 Getting Active in PE!
Year 2 have been working hard in PE this term, exploring a variety of dynamic movements to build coordination, balance, and control. These fundamental skills are forming a strong foundation for the exciting physical activities and sports they’ll be developing throughout the year. Well done, Year 2 – fantastic effort and energy all round!
This term in PSHE, Eagle Class have been exploring the theme ‘Think Positive’. The children have been learning to understand the difference between physical health and emotional health, and how both are important. They have identified different types of emotions and explored the many factors that can influence how we feel. As part of the topic, the class practised recognising and expressing emotions through facial expressions and body language. They also discussed and tried out a range of calming strategies, before coming up with their own ideas for managing big emotions in a healthy way.
This week, Year 4 explored the beautiful picture book Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold. The children used freeze frames to bring the story to life, thinking carefully about how each character might be feeling during key moments. Through this drama activity, they deepened their understanding of the characters’ emotions and developed empathy while enjoying creative storytelling.
Year 5 have been tapping into their creative sides this week in preparation for our Black History Month art exhibition. We have been studying the American artist Romare Bearden, and are working towards telling stories through collage, like Romare does so well. The children have focussed on showing they are proud of their local area and also their school!
The Year 6 Tigers have been getting creative!
Drawing on all their learning about the history of war memorials this term, they collaborated to showcase their expert knowledge on the many ways World War Two affected society.
As VIP visitors to Pimlico Academy, the Tigers enjoyed a special tour of the school, observing secondary lessons in action. They also attended an engaging talk delivered by the Principal, where they asked thoughtful and insightful questions. To round off their visit, they were treated to a fantastic musical performance by Pimlico Academy’s talented Year 7 and 8 steel pan band!
With the deadline of deadline of 31 October 2025 for Year 7 school place applications fast approaching, now’s the perfect time to choose a Lambeth secondary school.
All Lambeth secondary schools have been rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills), so you can be confident your child will receive a high-quality education close to home.
You can find your local school and more information on the Lambeth Website.
To learn more, check out this Love Lambeth article featuring our amazing secondary schools which includes a lovely short video featuring some of our schools.
Some of our regular Girls United students were able to visit the Tottenham Hotspur training ground today where they watched the first team training and asked questions of Argentine legend Ossie Ardiles!
Pedal Power at Vauxhall!
At Vauxhall, we’re proud that every child leaves our school with a valuable life skill, cycling confidently and safely. Riding a bike is not only great fun but also fantastic for health, focus, and independence.
This term, our Year 5 and 6 pupils took part in the Bikeability scheme, mastering balance, control, and road safety. Their determination and enthusiasm were outstanding, and many achieved their Level 2 certificates — a brilliant milestone!
Well done to all our confident young cyclists — you’ve truly earned your wheels!
Cross Country Champions in Effort and Spirit!
On Thursday, six of our determined students represented Vauxhall in the Lambeth Cross Country Run, competing alongside hundreds of young athletes from schools across the borough. It was a tough course that tested stamina, strength, and perseverance, but our pupils rose to the challenge with incredible grit and enthusiasm.
While we didn’t bring home any medals this time, every single runner did themselves and our school proud by completing the race and giving it their all. Their positive attitude, resilience, and team spirit were truly inspiring, and they should be celebrated for their fantastic effort.
A huge well done to our Vauxhall runners, you showed exactly what it means to try your best and never give up!
Girls United Tournament – Team Spirit in Action!
Last Friday, our students proudly represented the school at the Girls United competition. For some of our players, it was their very first tournament – but you wouldn’t have guessed it! The team showed fantastic teamwork, supported each other every step of the way, and grew stronger with every game.
It was a brilliant experience and excellent preparation for the next tournament where we’ve got our sights set on bringing that trophy back home!
A big thank you to Ms Chouna for her incredible dedication, and to all the girls for their hard work, energy, and team spirit. We’re so proud of you!
Eight of our talented girls from Years 5 & 6, went to the Kia Oval to compete in a new indoor cricket competition. We’re really proud of how they all performed and represented the school, as they batted, bowled and fielded their way to the semi finals. The girls had a great time and are looking forward to more cricket next summer.
We are delighted to share that our first Book Gifting Event of the year has taken place as part of the Discovery Programme, run in partnership with the Children’s Book Project — a charity dedicated to tackling book poverty.
As part of this event, every child chose two books to take home and keep, marking the start of an exciting reading journey. Over the course of the year, each child will have the chance to choose a total of six free books — to treasure or share with friends.
This term’s gifting took place through our BookSparks cards, helping children explore their interests, share their choices, and build confidence as readers. We encourage families to celebrate by talking with your child about their new books and enjoying reading them together.
The 'WakeUpWednesday' guides empower and equip parents, carers and educators with the confidence and practical skills to be able to have informed and age-appropriate conversations with children about online safety, mental health and well-being, and climate change.
Each week we will post a relevant guide to support our school community's knowledge and understanding of how to keep safe online and new things to be aware of.
This week is a online safety focus 'EA Sports FC 26'. Please click on the PDF to enlarge it.
A big congratulations to this week’s Rights Respecting Award winners!
Your kindness, sense of fairness, and respect for others shine through in everything you do. Thanks to your actions, our school continues to be a safe and welcoming place for all. Keep leading by example — we’re incredibly proud of you!
Right Respecting Award Recipients - 10.10.25
Right Respecting Award Recipients - 17.10.25
Right Respecting Award Recipients - 24.10.25
Let’s give a huge cheer for this week’s ‘Going for Gold’ superstars!
Our Wall of Fame is glowing brighter each week, thanks to the incredible efforts of our pupils! We’re thrilled to celebrate those who’ve reached Gold, your children are doing a fantastic job, and we couldn’t be prouder. Let’s keep cheering them on as they continue to shine!
Going for Gold Champions - 10.10.25
Going for Gold Champions - 17.10.25
Going for Gold Champions - 24.10.25
Most Valuable Players - 24.10.25
Times Table Triumphs!
Our Times Table Rock Stars have wowed us this week with their fantastic progress! A huge round of applause to our Most Valuable Players (MVPs), your children’s dedication and determination are truly shining through. Let’s keep supporting them as they practise, grow in confidence, and continue to rock those times tables!
Remember to encourage your child to practice every day for at least 5 minutes.
Most Valuable Players - 10.10.25
Holidays During Term Time
Under education law, parents do not have the right to take children out of school for holidays during term time. Permission must be sought from the Headteacher, who can only authorise leave in exceptional circumstances, not for reasons such as cheaper travel or special occasions abroad.
This year, Lambeth EWS has advised schools not to issue a second fine for term-time holidays. Instead, cases will be referred to the Local Authority for potential legal action, as fines alone have not proven to be a sufficient deterrent.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us or email The Lambeth Education Welfare Service at: educationcourtsteam@lambeth.gov.uk
Thank you for your continued support.
Whole School Target 95% 🎯MET 🥳
🏫Back to School- Monday 3rd November 2025
📸Individual Photographs- Wednesday 12th November 2025
🧳Year 4 Residential- Monday 17th November 2025 - Wednesday 19th November 2025
🚌Year 6 out- Tuesday 18th November 2025
🚌Year 4 out- Wednesday 19th November 2025
🔐 SCHOOL CLOSED- Polling day - Thursday 11th December 2025
Oval Learning supports as many people as they can within their school communities including children, young people, parents and carers. Click here to find out more and for low cost no cost family activities this weekend
Article 31 (leisure, play and culture) Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities.
Vauxhall Primary School, Vauxhall Street , London, SE11 5LG
Call us: 020 7735 4535
Email us: office@vauxhallprimary.org.uk
Website: https://www.vauxhallprimary.org.uk/
Any queries should be directed to the School Administrator
Any queries related to SEND please contact Mrs Coombs, school SENCO.