Firstly a huge well done to all of the hardworking staff and pupils in year 6. I have been impressed by the effort everyone has put in to their SATs this week and I look forward to reading some fantastic results. It was wonderful to see so many of you at Breakfast Club each day taking advantage of a fabulous cooked breakfast in preparation for your exams. I was impressed by the level of concentration and thought being shown by everyone. I’m sure after such hard work this week you are all looking forward to some special treats after half term. More news about this next week.

We’ve had lots of classes learning throughout London this week and having a wonderful time. Reception became pizza chefs at 3 different pizza express restaurants and got to bring their own handmade pizzas home to eat. Year 3 took a step back in time and visited Hampton Court Palace learning about life during Henry VIII’s time and trying on costume to fit right in. Year 2 spent a day learning about the seaside at the Museum of Childhood. They’ll be taking this learning further when they visit a seaside destination after half term. (Hopefully the weather will have improved by then!)

On that note the PSA have organised a summer themed Non Uniform Day for Friday 24th May. With everyone dressed in their favourite summer clothes I’m sure the weather will comply and give us a great day, all the details are inside this mag.

The Scholastic Book Fair is back in school this week. Every book you buy gives the school a book as well so we will be able to update our class libraries with a fresh selection of reading material. It arrived yesterday and will be available after school every day this week. The last day for purchases is 22nd May.

Next week is Science and DT Week. A reminder here to bring in any junk modelling materials you may have and hand in to the class teachers early next week.

Year 5 are going to be going on holiday next Wednesday when they spend the whole day at Whitstable. Please make sure you read the letter carefully and return the slip as soon as possible.

Finally, a few reminders. Please make sure that if you change your mobile phone number that you let the main office know asap as we need to be able to contact you in an emergency. Also, there is a lot of lost property again. We will be putting all the clothes out on tables in the playground over the next few weeks –please check and reclaim your child’s clothes!

Have a good weekend.
Best Wishes, Jane

Congratulations and a huge well done to all the boys in the 7 a-side football team who beat Jubilee Primary School 1-0 in extra time, to win the Eleanor Shield. This is a contest across all Hackney primary schools and we are very proud to have it in our possession again! The boys, their Manager, Sharon and coach Dwayne and I, will all be going out for a pizza and ice-cream to celebrate in the very near future!

Last Friday, the Year 1 classes visited Whipsnade Zoo and had a fantastic time learning about different animals and walking around to see the animals in their natural habitats. The had great weather as well. I have heard all about their experiences this week as they get to work on their topic in class.And this week, Year 4 had a workshop on Roman Britain. A visitor came to the school to talk to the children and let children see and experience real artefacts and hear fascinating Roman facts! They have followed this up by starting work on their own mosaics in class.

We have also welcomed lots of final placement students to the school this week from various local universities. They have settled in well, and I know they will all make good contributions to the learning in the classes that they are working in. Please take time to say hello to them if your child has a student in their class.

We have also been getting ready for Science and DT Week. You should have received a letter outlining the sessions and competitions that are happening that week, and if the teachers’ competitiveness is anything to go by, it should be a fantastic week! A reminder here to bring in any junk modelling materials you may have anad hand in to the class teachers over the next week.

Year 6 children  who have been working incredibly hard all year will be sitting their SATS tests next week. I know that they have all worked hard and will all try their very best. Good luck Year 6!

Finally, a few reminders. Please make sure that if you change your mobile phone number that you let the main office know asap as we need to be able to contact you in an emergency. Also, there is a lot of lost property again. We will be putting all the clothes out on tables in the playground over the next few weeks –please check and reclaim your child’s clothes!

Have a good weekend.
Best Wishes, Jane

We have had very sad news this week. One of our parents, Solly Vesamia, known by many in the local community passed away after a long time in hospital. I know that you will all pass on your deepest sympathy to the family at this very sad and difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

This week, Reception and Year 1 have been on their WOW trips, and absolutely chosen the right days as the weather has been lovely. Reception classes visited Hayes Hill Farm as part of their topic on animals, and Year 1 visited Whipsnade Zoo  to help them with their work on animals from around the world. The children will be using their experiences to help with their work in class.

As part of Creative Week, the children have been learning about lots of different artists and some have had the opportunity to work on different pieces of art in the style of their class’s chosen artist. There has been lots of work on stencilling and the use of different art materials. The artwork produced over the next few weeks will be used to create murals for the playground walls and will spell out the words Rights and Respect as part of our commitment to being a Unicef Rights Respecting School.

Year 2 and 5 children have taken part in Fire Safety workshops. This is an annual event, the children learn about how to prevent fires and also how to tackle fires if there is ever an emergency.

The PSA (Parent Staff Association) met today to start the final arrangements for the Summer Fair that will be taking place on Saturday 29th June. Please read the newsletter to see if you can help in any way before or during the event. We are particularly looking for raffle prizes and volunteers for running stalls on the day, as well as people to set up and clear up on the day. Contact clare.wooldridge91@googlemail.com

Finally, a reminder that as the weather gets warmer, please encourage your child to drink lots of water, remember to bring a hat or cap to school and to apply sun cream in the morning.  There are school hats available for £5 from the main office.

Have a peaceful, enjoyable, hopefully sunny, long weekend.
Best Wishes, Jane

We have had a very busy week this week! Last night lots of staff, parents and carers enjoyed taking part in the PSA Quiz Night. Thank you to everyone who helped organise this event and everyone who came along to support raising funds.

Yesterday, the boys 7-aside football team played a hard fought game against Betty Laywood School, winning 3-2 in extra time to progress to the Hackney Cup Final! Congratulations and well done to all the boys involved.Thank you, as ever, to Sharon and Dwayne who train and organise the team and to all the other members of staff and children who came along to support. A special thank you also to Clyde who ‘volunteered’ to be the referee!

This week, all staff have been observed teaching Maths. This is part of the school’s self-evaluation process that allows the Leadership Team to ensure that all pupils have the correct provision and that we have appropriate and focussed professional development opportunities for both teachers and support staff in the future.

As you may know , we also have lots of volunteers and trainee teachers in school at the moment. If your child has a student in class, then they will be teaching some of the class lessons, so I would like to reassure you that the teachers always plan with and support any trainees in their class and ensure that there is continuity for the children at all times. Sometimes the student will be the first port of call in the playground as this is all part of their training experience, so please make them feel welcome and part of the school community.

There are also lots of exciting trips happening over the next few weeks as part of the class topic work. This week, Year 4 visited St Albans  as part of their Romans topic, and next week Year 1 will be visiting Whipsnade Animal Park while Year 1 visit Hayes Hill Farm. Year 2 and Year 5 will be visiting a seaside destination in the next few weeks also. Please ensure that you return permission slips to the main office and remember that all of these trips are paid for by the school as these experiences are part of the curriculum.

Finally, I hope you will join the staff to send our deepest sympathy to Comfort and her family.

I hope you have a peaceful weekend.
Best Wishes, Jane

Welcome back to what is shaping up to be a very exciting and busy term. I hope that everyone had a restful break and enjoyed their time with family and friends.

This week has been a busy week in preparation for lots of events happening this half term. Nursery were the first class to go out on their WOW trip this term with a visit to Clissold Park to meet the animals and see where their food comes from. Despite the weather they thoroughly enjoyed themselves as you can see from the photos . Lots more WOW trips are planned over the coming few weeks. These are a fantastic way of starting a topic and I know the children (and teachers) look forward to them every term. Please ensure you return your signed permission slip for these trips to the office as soon as possible after you receive them.

We also had a visit from a team of researchers from Great Ormond Street Hospital who have once again invited children to be a part of an important study into the size and lung function of children. All children from years 2-6 were invited to fill in a questionnaire with the study being carried out in school next week. Thank you to those who have already returned the forms, but if you have not yet returned your completed questionnaire and permission slip please make sure you have done so by Monday morning when the researchers will be here. This is important research which will hopefully help to improve the diagnosis and treatment of children with respiratory illness.

Just a reminder that school will be closing earlier than originally publicised this year with the last day of term being Friday 19th July at 2pm. This is due to essential building works. We always attempt to avoid closing school as we are aware of the difficulties this can present regarding child-care, however it is unavoidable due to the extensive nature of the work.

Parents of children who are due to start Reception in September should have by now received their allocated school place. Hopefully you were happy with the school you have been offered. Just a reminder that if you have a child who will be turning 4 in the coming year they are eligible for a free part time nursery place starting in September. Applications for the nursery class close on the 30th April so if you haven’t already done so, submit your form (available from the school office) as soon as possible.

Lastly, a few reminders –please ensure that your children are wearing the appropriate school uniform and that they are wearing sensible shoes and coats—the weather is still incredibly changeable. Also, please make sure that children are not wearing jewellery for health and safety reasons and ensure that your children know when their PE days are and that they bring the correct PE kit on those days.

Finally, have a lovely weekend. Best wishes, Jane

We had a great finish to the term last night, as more than 150 children took part in the Spring Concert at Clapton Academy. The KS1 choir, KS2 choir, pianists, brass instrumentalists, guitar players, violinists, ukulele players and soloists entertained a packed hall. The children performing were truly fantastic. Thank you to all the musicians and teachers who supported the children , and made the whole event so memorable. A special mention for Nicole who has been learning the violin in her own time and played with the children last night. And a special thanks to Roz for bringing the whole concert together. Well done everyone –what a talented bunch you are!

And today we are all wearing Easter bonnets! Some of the creations were truly amazing –well done to all the winners who received an Easter Egg for their efforts. Thank you to the PSA for organising the competition and for donating the prizes. And thank you to all the children who took part in non-uniform day and brought £1 for the PSA playground development fund.

Year 6 and Year 3 were also treated to an end of term show on road safety today. This is a new production that we are trialling for Hackney and hopefully it will be rolled out to other year groups in our school and other local schools in the near future.

This week, we also had our termly visit from the Hackney Learning Trust. We have a new School Improvement Partner (SIP), Sian Davies, who came to look at elements of teaching and learning in all classes around the school. She looked at the marking in children’s books, the classroom environments, the planning and the professional development opportunities for staff. The full report will be out after Easter so I will let you know her evaluation then.

We have also been busy holding pupil progress meetings with all the teachers this week. The latest data for all children shows that the vast majority of children are making progress. At the meetings we discuss all the children in each class and for those making slower progress since the beginning of the year, we discuss strategies and interventions needed to move their learning forward. The children and staff have worked extremely hard this term, and this shows in the children’s books, their levels and their enjoyment of the curriculum opportunities that is reflected in pupil voice evidence that is collected on a weekly basis across all subjects.

Lastly, a few reminders –please ensure that your children are wearing the appropriate school uniform and that they are wearing sensible shoes and coats. Also, please make sure that children are not wearing jewellery for health and safety reasons. Also, please ensure that your children know when their PE days are and that they bring the correct PE kit.

Finally, I hope you all have a restful break and enjoy time with your friends and family. Happy Easter! See you on Tuesday 16th April.

Best wishes, Jane

We had a great time last Friday as part of Red Nose Day. Thank you to all the children and staff who dressed up in red, bought cakes , bought red noses, took part in the staff sweepstake and gave money to Comic relief. The school raised more than £1000, which is a fantastic effort, so thank you again.

It was really good to see so many parents and carers at Parents’ Evening last night. We had more than 95% turnout which is great. I hope you found the meetings helpful and that you can see that your child/ren are progressing well this term. The teachers will be meeting with members of the Leadership Team next week to moderate the levels assigned to your children and to look at progress and discuss how any gaps in learning can be addressed next term. Thank you also to all the parents who tried the school dinners that were on offer last night. The feedback was fantastic and I hope it will encourage more pupils to eat school meals in the future. Thank you to Leea and the kitchen team who worked hard to produce the lovely food last night.

Also, this week, some of the children who play musical instruments and those in the KS1 and KS2 choirs have been rehearsing for the end of term Music Concert to be held at Clapton Academy next Wednesday 27th March from 6.30pm. I look forward to seeing many of you then as I know it will again be a wonderful showcase event for the talented Millfields children.

Year 6 enjoyed a lego technic science and technology workshop this week. This was an opportunity for the children to work as teams and to learn a little bit about engineering as part of national Science and Engineering Week. It was also a well-deserved break from all the hard work in writing, Maths and reading that Year 6 children are doing in preparation for the SATS tests that take place in May. (Week beginning 13th May)

There will be extensive building works taking place over the summer term and summer break, as part of the school expansion to three-form entry. As with all building works this will have some impact on the day to day running of the school over the latter part of the Summer term. There are therefore a few points that I would like to draw to your attention. As the kitchen is being relocated to the ground floor, the school will be without a kitchen for a few weeks. Food will still be provided by the school during this time for all pupils who normally have a school meal, but contingency plans to have food cooked off-site and have some days when all pupils have packed lunches are being planned. Also, as there is a lot of work to be done, the school will close earlier on Friday 19th July, rather than the published date of Wednesday 23rd July. There will be a separate letter to follow this up after the break.

Finally, I hope you have a good weekend, whatever the weather brings! Best Wishes, Jane