In class this week, the children have continued to work on Black History Month learning and the children are responding to and learning through reading specific texts in each year group. Early Years - Coming to England, Year 1 - Look Up, & Mae Among the Stars, Year 2 - The Bus Ride, Year 3 - Long Walk to Freedom, Year 4 - Walter Tull’s Scrapbook, Year 5 - March On and Year 6 - Hidden Figures. The discussion and debate around their learning has been fantastic. Children at Millfields love to learn and ask lots of probing and curious questions, so their learning and making connections across subjects in school and the wider community and beyond, has been brilliant.

Another reminder that to celebrate the end of Black History season, the children's work will  create a showcase and display in school that will be shared with the school community on Wednesday 22nd October. There will be music & choir, food, displays of learning outcomes, photos pupil voice, writing samples and homework projects displayed and hopefully some poetry performances. Save the date! Look out for more information about the homework project in the next few weeks. Then on Friday 24th October, the children are invited to wear red to school that day to support 'Show Racism the Red Card'. £1 donations will be collected at each gate -cash or card on the Friday morning.  Look out for more information -see the poster inside the Mag, and hope to see lots of you there!

A big 'thank you' to the parents in Ganges Class and Yukon Class who came into school to watch their child's Sharing Assembly this morning. They have done lots of work already this term -some great costumes, great acting, singing and dancing. I hope you enjoyed the children sharing with you!

Please remember to complete your Christmas Card templates and return to the main office ASAP. Also , if your child needs something to do this weekend, please let them design a new Bike Bus Log/Sticker. see the email sent earlier today.

Thank you to the parents who have already made a donation to the FoodBank Appeal as part of Foodbank Fortnight. Either bring some food donations to the main office. or the school gates, or make a one-off or regular donation via the bank details on the poster that was sent out earlier this week.

Finally a few reminders, please complete the WOW trips letter and make a contribution via Scopay as soon as you can. https://forms.gle/cvLozA93Lpt6SpXT7

Next week - Monday 13th and Tuessday 14th October are this term's Parents' Evenings. Please make sure you sign up via SCOpay to make an appointment before 10.30pm on Sunday 12th October. We look forward to seeing you all then. The Book Fair will also be open during Parents' Evenings and in the playground before and after school. Remember that the school gets a large commission on the books sold. so please support us!

And a final reminder: INSET Day -school closed for children on Monday 3rd November.

Have a good weekend. Take care, stay well and keep safe. Jane

We are at the end of week 5 already this academic year, and the children and staff have been as busy as ever!

We have had a very busy and productive week at Millfields - the children have been really engaged in their learning as always. The best part of my day is walking around school and visiting each class to see and speak to the children about what they are doing in class. The children always talk about their learning enthusiastically and want to show me their fantastic work.  It is such a pleasure to witness and be part of every day.  Time seems to be flying by! Only 4 weeks until half-term!

Just a reminder that half-term is Monday 27th - Friday 31st October, and Monday 3rd November is an INSET Day, so children are back at school on Tuesday 4th November.

Thank you to everyone for their individual and collective support during and after yesterday's incident outside school. It seems miraculous that nobody was hurt, but we are aware that some children and adults may still feel anxious or worried. Please just remember that these occurrences are rare, but just a reminder that we need to be vigilant when on the roads around school as, although it is a School Streets zone that prioritises pedestrians and cyclists at the beginning and end of the school day, cars can still access the roads. Thank you again for your cooperation and support.

Thank you to the Millfields' community who were involved in the Clapton Jumble Trail last weekend -it sounds like it was a huge success as always, with some money from advertising boards going to the PSA. A special mention to Frida and Cecily from Ganges Class who made their own cookies to sell and made £17.40 that they donated to the  school -thank you!  Thank you also to everyone for the great effort at the first Bake Sale of the year -please make sure you know when it is your class turn and get baking!

Also a big 'Thank You' to one of our parents, Tom (Mars' dad) who, over the summer, put up the Memorial Wall for our dear colleague, Steve who passed away last year. The children worked with artists Linda and polly from ArtBash to design and create the amazing art piece earlier this year. The staff and Steve's family will be having an event to officially unveil the wall in the coming months.

A reminder that the Parents Evenings before half-term on Monday 13th and Tuessday 14th October. Feedback from some parents was that you felt that an earlier opportunity to meet the teacher would be more beneficial, so that any issues or support could be identified and dealt with earlier! You will receive information on Monday about how to sign up -you will need a SCOpay account, so if you do not have one, please get that sorted ASAP.

Before that, on Tuesday 7th October at 9am there will be a 'Welcome Meeting' for all Reception parents/carers. This will be for the whole year group and will be an opportunity to hear about the learning that will be taking place in class, about routines, and also how you can support your child. The EY team will be there, as well as the SENCo and other members of SLT. Members of the PSA (Parent Staff Association) will also attend.

This week, the Y3 classes have been learning to swim with a daily intensive lesson. They have been so enthusiastic and we can see big progress already! Thanks parents for getting your children prepared!

Another date for your diary is the Black History Season celebration that will take place on Wednesday 22nd October after school.  This is a lovely family event where we share the children's great work and share lovely food too. Save the date and look out for more details soon!

Lastly,  today we celebrate the TAs at school as part of National TA Appreciation Day. Our TAs care for and work with the children and support the teachers every day! They do an amazing job, and we want to say a BIG THANK YOU!

And finally a plea to please write your child's name in their clothing -we have so much lost property already! Thanks for your help with this! And also a reminder that there is the weekly Bike Ride every Wednesday at 8.20am from the main school gate -children and adults welcome!

Take care, stay well and have a good weekend. Best Wishes, Jane

We are at the end of another busy week - it seems like we have been back for ages, and it's only the end of week 3!  Last Sunday was the Thames Festival, and  24 of our KS2 choir members took part in the London School Choirs event. It was a lovely day out and we avoided the rain, the sound of the 200 plus children singing and the whole atmosphere and experience was amazing for the children and their families. Well done to all the children involved and thank you to Bruno and Emma for organising, and also lovely to see Roz who came along too!

Individual school photos were taken on Wednesday, and a big 'thank you' as all of the children looked so smart in their uniforms, as every day this term so far. We really appreciate the effort from all of you to ensure that your children are wearing the correct uniform at all times. The photos are available to purchase via a QR code on the slip that your child should be bringing home soon.  Please see your child's teacher in the first instance, and then staff at the main office if you have not received yours! Sibling photos will be taken later this term - watch out for the date!

Well done to all the Reception and Nursery children who are coming in through the gates on their own now and mostly, skipping down to their classrooms. There are still a few children finding the morning separation difficult but they will soon join their classmates - parents don't worry! The children will get there in their own time!

Thank you to all the Y3, Y4 and Y5 parents who attended the 'Welcome Meetings' this week - I hope you found them useful. The PowerPoints should have been emailed to you for information and for those who could not attend. If your child is in Y1-Y6, you will also  receive a Class Information Page that will give you an overview of the curriculum expectations and topics for this term, as well as other useful and important information for your child's class. Reception classes will have a 'Welcome Meeting -meet the teacher' on Tuesday 7th October at 9am. Information about the curriculum and school day will be shared, you will meet members of the PSA (Parent Staff Association) and there will be coffee and croissants to share, and an opportunity for you to meet other parents from your child's class.

IMPORTANT: Please make sure we have the correct email contact details, and at least 2 in-service phone numbers - this is essential for safeguarding and emergency purposes, as well as an active email address. Please email info@millfields.hackney.sch.uk if you need to update your details.

Thank you to all those parents who have already signed the 'All London Trips' Permission Slip. If you have not, please complete the Google Form on the link below to give permission for trips this academic year. We also  ask for a donation of £20-£50 per child to support the trips and workshops throughout the year -thank you! https://forms.gle/pAAq79SvFPxCDbxf9

The Friday Bake sale starts again today, so please support the school and PSA by buying a cake or two, and when it is your class turn, please help with donating cakes and/or helping on the day.

Thank you also to the parents and carers who came to the Y1 and Y2 parent reading sessions in classes today. This happens every Friday from 8:35am until 8:55am. Everyone is welcome!

Finally, thank you to all of you for making the start of term such a smooth one. Working together -being ready, respectful, safe! We will be sharing the Millfields behaviour expectations and revised policy with you very soon.

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

A belated 'Welcome Back' to all our wonderful Millfields families and welcome to our new families who have joined the Millfields' community this term. A special welcome to all our new Reception class children and parents/carers and other new starters throughout the school. From next week, we will start encouraging the Reception children to come in and go straight to their classes. I know it may seem a bit daunting for the children (and you!) but they will soon settle and get the hang of all the school routines. So, from Monday, please leave your child at the main gate and allow them to walk down to the reception playground themselves. Please talk to your child about this over the weekend to ensure they know the expectations.

In class, the children and staff have already been very busy getting back to the daily routines, setting new expectations and working hard. Thank you for ensuring that your children are wearing the correct uniform and shoes. If your child has not got black/navy blue shoes or trainers, please can you make sure they have them ASAP.  Most importantly, you will hopefully have heard your children talking about our revised Behaviour Policy. We have introduced new rewards for individuals and the whole class, as well as consequences, which are working really well so far, but mainly we have reinforced the behaviour expectations, to be READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE at all times. Part of the policy is to continually remind the children about zones of regulation to help keep them calm and in control of their emotions in order to learn. Please talk to your child about their new class routines and expectations in class and around school. We will be sharing the revised Behaviour Policy with you in the next few weeks as we are trialling and testing lots of things and want it to be meaningful, manageable and right before we send it out and out on the school website.

The Parent Information Booklets will be sent home for classes in Y1 -Y6 today, but a reminder that PE lessons will start next week, so please ask your child which day they have PE and send your child into school wearing their PE kits on those days that their class has PE. Please note that football shirts should not be worn, so please wear a blue or white t-shirt and dark shorts, and black or dark coloured trainers.

All of the classes have also been electing their Champions and Councillors. Every year, classes choose an Eco, Language, Reading and Equality Champion and  2 x Class Councillors. These groups ensure that all classes have a say through their reps on the things that happen at school. We also appointed all our Cabinet Members this week, and they will be introducing themselves to all the children, with the Prime Minister: Inayah, in assemblies next week.

Thank you to the parents who attended the 'Welcome Meetings' this week; and there will be more taking place next week. We hope to see lots of you there at 4pm on your given day. If you cannot attend, we will email out the powerpoint with all the information after the event. The main form of communication will be via Google classroom, email via SCOpay and texts, so please make sure we have the correct email and phone contact details. Parents in Reception and Nursery classes, please look out for joining details that will also be emailed out.But if there is anything else that you need to ask or want to know more about, please email the class teacher, Age-phase Leader or one of the Senior Leaders, and we will be happy to try our best to help! There is also lots of information emailed to parents and also text reminders, as well as lots of the information that you may need on the school website, which is regularly updated.

As part of their learning each term, all classes will have a visit linked to their Humanities learning, and as many of you know, we have lots of other trips planned for throughout the year, so please complete the permission form within the Google Form on the link below to give permission for all London trips this academic year. We will also send this out via email to remind you to sign up, and to ask for a donation of £20-£50 per child to support the trips and workshops throughout the year.
https://forms.gle/pAAq79SvFPxCDbxf9

Today it was Outdoor Day at Millfields! All classes Y1 -Y6 enjoyed a lovely morning out at Hackney Marshes. They were playing cooperation games, trust games, time trials, den-building, creating nature art and lots more, as well as a taking part in a PE lesson outside in the sunshine.

A few reminders to look out for: the PSA Bake Sales every Friday that will be starting next week; and a reminder that we collect regular donations of non-perishable food for our weekly Food Bank - all donations gratefully received at the main office. Or you can also make a monetary donation -see Jane at the main gates.

Thanks also, for your cooperation and understanding while we ensure that the very popular clublists are established and tried and tested routines are put back in place. We will continue to review and keep you informed of any changes, and strive to find the best solutions. I am aware that there was some disappointment about not getting the clubs that you wanted but we unfortunately have limited space on each day, and we have also introduced additional new and exciting clubs this year that we hope your child might enjoy.

Have a lovely weekend. Take care and stay well. Best Wishes, Jane

At the beginning of the academic year, for parents and carers who have children in Years 1-6, we organise a whole Year Group meeting, followed by a brief class teacher meeting and quick look at the classroom. This is an opportunity to meet the teachers, locate the classrooms and to find out about what your children will be learning this year, as well as familiarising yourself with some of the class and school routines and expectations.

The teachers will also let you know how and when it is best to contact them -usually via email, at the gates at the end of the day, or sometimes on the phone.

After the event, you will receive a copy of the presentation with all of the key information on and receive other relevant curriculum information for this term. There will be time for questions too!

Class/Year Group ‘Welcome Meetings’ 2025 (Middle hall)

Year 6: Tuesday 9th September at 4pm

(MISSISSIPPI –Leigh,  YUKON–Theo,  ORINOCO -Hizza)

Year 1: Wednesday 10th September at 4pm

(OLYMPUS -Joy, KARISIMBI -Kimberlie, KILIMANJIRO -Dean)

Year 2: Thursday 11th September at 4pm

(NILE -Asharaf, DOURO -Polly, ZAMBEZI -Rosa)

Year 3: Tuesday 16th September at 4pm

( ARARAT Angela, FUJI -Bruno, ANNAPURNA -Hurvinder)

Year 4: Wednesday 17th September at 4pm

( YANGTZE -Ella, MEKONG -Jess, GANGES -Laurence )

Year 5: Thursday 18th September at 4pm

( SHENANDOAH - Tom, ACATENANGO -Claire, FITZROY -Naomi)

*Nursery and Reception Classes will have a meeting later in the term once the children have settled as the parents and pupils have had home visits.