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Dear Parents
The summer is almost upon us, and the end of another academic year. The summer takes its time to get here, but when it does, the final half term seems to rush by in the blink of an eye. It’s been a term, and a year, bursting with activity, and staff and pupils alike are leaving for the holidays full of pride at what has been achieved.
I read recently in a novel that ‘Firsts are best because they are beginnings’. It may be self evident, but for me, firsts are special for this reason. To begin to explore uncharted territory requires a special kind of courage and imagination. I’m sure we can all think of many firsts in our lives, the memories of which are imbued with a special radiance.
It’s been a year of many significant firsts here at the Children’s House. Not only has it been my first year at the helm, with the support of an excellent Senior Leadership Team consisting of Taiba and Mihaela, but the first year of our expansion into a full prep school; a realisation of an, at least, decade long dream.
Our first Year 3 class are about to graduate into our first Year 4 class, having established themselves as sensible and hardworking role models for the younger children. They have set an excellent tone for the Year 2 children, who will follow them into those beautiful new classrooms over in the church building in September.
As we expanded in numbers this year, so too expanded our creative offerings, as we strive to create varied cocurricular opportunities for pupils to explore their potential and find interests in areas new to them.
Some firsts include individual instrumental lessons and a weekly Speech and Drama club. In fact, Gil our LAMDA teacher has this month organised for the School’s first group of pupils to take the prestigious LAMDA exams at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. We wish them all luck!
Our first Heads of Department have passionately promoted their subjects. In Games, Pablo planned and facilitated several first competitive sports fixtures, a visit to an ISA sports activity day and our first whole school sports day for parents and children. The parents race was my highlight!
At Christmas, many of you enjoyed mulled wine and bought books at our first winter fair and we submitted our first entries of art and creative writing, into competitions, with some first wins.
Our newly updated bursary policy now offers some ‘first’ pioneer bursaries to Upper School pupils, so please spread the word.
I thank all of the teachers, an exceptional team, for their hard work and support this year and wish them a restful and restorative summer.
And to all of our families, have a wonderful holiday and see you in the autumn.
Ellie
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A Special Thank You....
To Joanna Thornton (Reuben Year 2) who has given so much of her time supporting the school through her work on the Parent Committee during the many years her children have been at The Children's House. Reuben will be moving on to another school from September, but we are thrilled to announce that Joanna has now decided to join our Council of Management.
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Eco Committee and School Council news
As we come to the end of a very busy and exciting year, I am delighted to announce that we have successfully achieved our Eco Schools Green Flag award once again! It’s also looking good for our TfL Stars progression from Bronze to Silver, though I await final confirmation of this. It has been a pleasure to work with the children to find ways to try and make our school more eco-friendly, and to help them learn about how to take care of our world.
It is with a heavy heart that I leave The Children’s House – such a wonderful school with a close knit community of amazing families and staff. I’ve had an incredible 3 years in various roles, and I feel privileged to have been able to work with every single child at the Upper School during that time. I wish all of you the very best for the future.
Have a wonderful summer break!
Rick
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SEN/More Able
Since joining in January, I feel like I have been truly welcomed into the Children’s House community. It has been a pleasure getting to know students and staff, and I leave for the summer full of excitement for September. The past few terms have been busy, with multiple interventions being put in place to support children to reach their full potential.
I have been so inspired by the work ethic of students and by their resilience. I feel grateful for the opportunity to ensure high quality SEN provision and to support children with their emotional wellbeing. There have been many success stories over the past few months, with students overcoming barriers for learning and growing from strength to strength. Students have been stretched and challenged, with staff creating specific targets for More Able students which have been reviewed termly.
I am happy to say that from September onwards I will be at the school full time and will be taking on additional teaching responsibilities. This will give me the opportunity to work with students across the school as well as in a 1:1 intervention setting. I will continue within in my role as the Mental Health Lead to ensure that emotional wellbeing is at the heart of our school, and that students feel confident, happy and develop strategies to support their own emotional resilience.
I am grateful to work with such creative, hardworking, and ambitious students, one of whom has written to you below, with a little note from his mum as well.. Our first newsletter entry from a pupil!
I look forward to continuing working with everyone from September onwards and hope you all have a wonderful summer!
Laura
SENCo/Mental Health/More Able Lead
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'My name is Oscar and I am in Y3. I like the new playground and the teachers are nice. Dyslexia is my superpower! It makes me adventurous, different, creative and special. Reading is tricky for me, but my teachers Kate and Rick and Laura have been helping me with my reading and confidence. Don't give up because you will get to your goal soon! My favourite moment this year was when I won the poster competition in first place! I hope you have a good summer! From Oscar.'
‘Getting Oscar’s dyslexia diagnosis earlier this year was a real lightbulb moment for us all, and the entire teaching team has been fantastic in supporting Oscar, particularly Laura, Kate and Rick. The interventions have are proving to be successful and he’s blossomed in the past six months. It’s wonderful to watch his self belief and confidence grow daily, and he says ‘he’s determined to crack the reading and writing thing’’ - Claire Ward
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IT
What a remarkable year it has been in the world of IT! We're thrilled to share the progress and accomplishments our children have made in their digital learning journey.
Let's start with our Year 1 children, who have enthusiastically embraced the world of algorithms and digital devices. They've been busy creating and fixing simple programs, developing their logical thinking and prediction skills along the way. They've had a great time exploring digital tools and apps, boosting their confidence in using technology. They've even discovered how technology helps them in everyday life.
Moving on to our Year 2 children, they've taken their IT skills to the next level. They've improved their logical thinking and problem-solving abilities, understanding how algorithms and programs work. With a good grasp of programming concepts, they've created programs with clear goals and become skilled at finding and using various software and Internet services.
Now, our Year 3 children! Their creativity and problem-solving skills have made our lessons lots of fun. They've become experts at collecting, analysing, and presenting data and information. We've explored computer networks and services, teaching them how to search online while being cautious about the information they find. They've also learnt the importance of questioning and verifying what they see online.
As we wrap up the year, we encourage you to continue supporting your children's digital learning journey at home. Remind them about responsible online behaviour, keeping their personal information safe, and asking for help when needed. By nurturing their digital citizenship, we give them the confidence to navigate the digital world.
Wishing you an amazing summer!
David
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PE
What a great year we’ve had in PE at the Children’s House!
It is hard for me to summarize all the events, skills, games and values children have been part of. I had such a special time with every year group.
Starting with the little ones from the Downstairs Nursery, I have seen how they have grown and become more confident, being able to perform basic movements, such as running, or jumping, as well as playing simple games like ‘The rabbits and the dog’ which always draws a smile in their faces.
My highlights with the Upstairs Nursery are teaching and playing games such as ‘Tidy up the room’ or ‘The pirates’ as well as Sports Day at the Upper School.
With Year 1, I really enjoyed their gymnastics performances in pairs and their outstanding sportsmanship playing dodgeball and football.
Year 2 children had the opportunity to participate in ISA Multi Skills Festival and that was a day to remember. Starting with our unique and creative T-shirt design and continuing with an incredible performance collectively and individually, as well as earning a great number of points for good sportsmanship. Another event that shined this year, together with Year 3, was our very first school fixtures organised by The Children House, putting into practice all they had learnt about dodgeball and having great fun.
Last, but not least, my highlights with Y3 have been our Olympics at the end of the Autumn half-term in which they competed for the first time, and it formed the basis to build up the resilience and good attitude towards sports no matter the results. Moreover, we had our last football fixtures with Norfolk House, that together with Year 2, were an incredible success in terms of both results, experience and good sportsmanship once more. It has been the icing on the cake for a great year in which every single one of them has made me proud with their progress, learning and attitude.
Finally, I couldn’t finish without mentioning what a great success Sports Day was. I saw all the children enjoying themselves, playing sports and putting into practice all they have learnt this year. I couldn’t have been prouder of them all.
Please continue encouraging children at home to say well done at the end of a game, to help and encourage each other, to recognise mistakes and learn from them, and always make sure that the first and most important rule, whether we win or lose, is that we play games and sports TO HAVE FUN!
I wish you all a great summer!
Pablo
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Year 3
Aaaaand, that's a wrap! What a year! Or for me, what a two-terms, but I have no doubt Sinead would be saying the same thing had she been here. It feels like the children and I have managed to cram a lot into the last couple of months; I find it hard to believe that it was only last December that I was saying hello to them all from Brazil!
Since then, the Spring term had us straight in and busy, focusing on all things Roman. We had Roman diaries, Roman coins and mosaics coming out of ears. The class and I had so much fun making and excavating our own Roman poo that I very nearly brought the activity back for the Vikings! Science was fun filled, looking at the Eat Well plate and why we need to eat a range of different foods to keep our bodies and minds healthy. The class were also excellent at classifying vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as explaining how muscles contract and relax. In Maths we began a great push to practise the timestables, developing a slight addiction to Times Table Rockstars along the way, but wow has it paid off!
Summer term brought the start of lots of new topics and after our trip to The Twist museum, Year 3 were raring the learn more about the wonder that is light. The class showed some fantastic investigation skills over the term, making predictions, discussing fair tests and above all demonstrating fantastic teamwork. On top of this, we enjoyed two superb trips to London Central Mosque and an LSO performance at The Barbican; hopefully encouraging the children to keep working hard at/ start a new instrument. Vikings were a key influence in many of lessons, alongside some brilliant demonstrations of geography skills. My personal favourites were the two wonderful descriptive pieces the children wrote on Bjorn the Viking and Razvani's cave, the vocabulary was sensational!
Seeing Year 3 develop their confidence this year and lead the school into Key Stage 2 has been an absolute pleasure. I'm greatly looking forward to hearing about how their next few years goes too.
Kate
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Year 2
I can’t quite believe that a whole academic year has passed, and I have loved every minute being with Year 2. I am so proud of everything the children have achieved, the amazing development everyone has made in every subject and not forgetting the fun we have had on the way! Over the last 10 months the children have all blown me away with exceptionally good manners, hard work, dedication and collaboration skills. They have learnt to compromise and to discuss any issues that have arisen with each other. These wonderful things have made Year 2 such a tight knit group of children.
Some highlights for me include our first trip at the start of the year to Bradwell-on-Sea, the Year 2 and 3 Christmas show, being inspired to create our own art by the wonderful artist Keith Haring, seeing all the old aircraft at the RAF museum, the incredible letters the children wrote as Florence Nightingale (which included paragraphs!) and in the stands at Sports Multi-skills event at Willesden Sports Centre hearing Year 2 out sing the other schools to a George Ezra classic!
Our last two weeks have been super and included a workshop with the amazing Ayoub Sisters, where the children had a chance to 'play by ear' on their violins with international superstars! The children had a chance to be superstars themselves as they headlined their own violin concert, and they were superb! We also played at a football fixture against Norfolk House, and I was so proud to see us all play as a team and keep our formation. The children were gracious in victory and in defeat and went over first to shake hands at the end of the game.
It’s now time to recharge our batteries and I hope everyone has a wonderful Summer holiday. I look forward to hearing about all your adventures in September. If you are moving on to another school, I would like to wish you all the best and please stay connected and visit us.
James Gibson
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Year 1
Well what a journey this year has been for us all. I know I say this every year but it really feels like it has flown by. The children have made so much progress and I could not be more proud of their achievements. Year 1 have grown in resilience, maturity, kindness and not forgetting those few inches in height! It has been a lot of fun, and I am so sad that my time with these wonderful children has come to an end. Last week they had their step up session with James and they could not be more excited about their new classroom and all of the learning that awaits them in Year 2.
This week we have been talking about growth and change. The children spent the term nurturing their bean plants which are now being looked after at home. I would love to hear about any beans that start to grow! The children also played an interesting game of guess the baby, and discussed how they have changed since they were tiny. Even watching them grow in confidence whilst rehearsing and performing their final concert has made me a little emotional. I know that these children will be ready for their transition into Year 2 and will do so with big smiles on their faces.
There have been many highlights this year; it has been hard to narrow it down to just a few. Our many trips throughout Year 1 such as Kew Gardens, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London were particularly memorable. Our performances such as the Christmas show and their rendition of Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils’ have also stood out as key memories for the children, as has their palance dance as part of our Wonderful World Week; in fact, they can still be seen doing it sometimes! Recently the children performed their final violin concert to an audience and they were wonderful. They really are blossoming in so many different ways. Key events such as World Book Day and Sports Day were enjoyed by the entire school community and fun was had by all.
As we wind down and get ready for the much needed Summer break, I want to take this opportunity to wish Year 1 all the best. I hope you have the most wonderful Summer. Rest, recharge, have a lot of fun and I cannot wait to see you all back in September. For those of us who will be leaving us at the end of this year, I wish you all the best in your new schools and I hope we can hear about how you are getting on next term.
Aisha
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Reception
It is hard to believe that it has been a year since the children in Reception began their school journey. Over the year we have been astronauts, palaeontologists, explorers, artists, musicians, actors and chefs! Watching them flourish and blossom into the capable and confident children they are today has been a joy and a privilege.
These past weeks the class and I have been reflecting on our time together. The children used their phonics to write about special memories that we will keep in our hearts as they begin their new adventure in to Year 1 or their new school.
Through smiles and laughter we reminisced on our trip to the Little Angel theatre, our visit to Kew Gardens - who could forget our fiasco with the coaches, the work we have explored and the skills we have learnt. Reception should be so proud of the work they have created, whether it be moulding tissue and glue into flowers in the style of Georgia O’Keefe, creating their own stories, performing their nativity, or freeing Rapunzel from her tower. Each and every one of them has amazed and surprised me each and every day. I hope you all have a restful summer, the children in Reception have most definitely earned it!
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Taiba
As we approach the end of the year, we want to express our joy in witnessing all the achievements and growth of the children at the Nursery. It has been a year of exploration, discovery, and learning, and we are immensely proud of each child's progress.
Throughout the year, we embarked on exciting themes and activities that sparked the children's curiosity and nurtured their creativity. From celebrating festivals and focusing on our health and wellbeing to exploring the wonders of space and the importance of recycling, our young learners absorbed knowledge while developing a good sense of empathy and responsibility towards their environment. We also cherished moments of togetherness during events like Book Week and Sports Day. Read more about our class highlights below.
We are grateful for the support and involvement of all the families and nannies in creating a nurturing environment for our children. As we move onwards, we look forward to working alongside you all in an exciting series of workshops and open mornings to continue cultivating their love for learning.
We also want to extend our sincere thanks to our dedicated staff for their unwavering commitment and tireless efforts. Their passion for education and genuine care for the children have made a difference in inspiring the children to love learning and helping them grow into confident and caring individuals.
Wishing you a wonderful summer break and looking forward to an exciting new year of growth and possibilities! To those moving to new schools or settings, may your journey be filled with fun and success. Best wishes for a smooth transition!
Taiba
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Upstairs Nursery
What a busy, fun-packed learning journey we have had this year in Pre-Reception! The children boarded the ‘magic train’ in September with their hearts filled with excitement and anticipation, looking forward to the adventures ahead. They showed such a positive attitude towards learning and the plethora of cross-curricular activities helped them to develop holistically.
The Autumn Term’s focus on ‘What makes me Special’ provided us with the perfect opportunity to get to know the children, following their interests and building upon their knowledge. We celebrated their families and what makes them unique, exploring similarities and differences and, by encouraging the children to use language to express their ideas and feelings, we scaffolded the development of their confidence and self-esteem. This was reflected in their growing ability to build relationships and establish friendships.
This topic naturally led to celebrating and learning about a variety of festivals from around the world, such as Diwali, Thanksgiving, Harvest, Hanukkah, Christmas and Lunar New Year. The children showed curiosity and a growing awareness of the commonalities of human values that are shared by all cultures and religions.
The Spring Term found us busily researching the question ‘I wonder what’s beyond the clouds?’. The children learned about Space and prominent figures in Space exploration, such as N. Armstrong, Mae Jemison and Stephen Hawking. The artist Alma Thomas inspired us to create our own abstract paintings of Space, using thick dabs of paint to create vibrant areas of colour.
With the warm, sunny weather sparking the change of another season, we fully embraced investigating growth and change. The children showed fantastic green fingers as they took charge of planting seeds and caring for them. Our classroom resembled a mini garden, not only with a variety of plants growing but also with the buzz of caterpillars, butterflies, snails, stick insects and ducklings. The children could not have had a better opportunity to learn about the characteristics, habitats and life cycles of these animals.
As the ‘magic train’ approaches the end of its journey, we look back with joy and a great sense of pride at the significant progress the children have all made. They have worked really hard towards becoming motivated learners who embrace challenges with an inquiring mind, good friends and compassionate citizens who demonstrate consideration towards our environment. And what a pleasure to see them all excited whilst trying on school uniforms in the Home Corner! They are definitely ready for the next journey to ‘big school’ where we are confident that they will continue to flourish!
Have a wonderful summer break!
All the best,
Mihaela and Jess
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Downstairs Nursery
End of Year News from the Downstairs Nursery
We have had such a wonderfully busy time at the Downstairs Nursery this year. So many topics were covered and so much learning has taken place! Here are some of the highlights of 2023:
World Book Day
We celebrated World Book Day. The children loved listening to classic stories, such as Goldilocks and The Little Red Riding Hood, as well as to stories with a twist, for example, The 3 Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. They also created their own storybooks, role-played with stick puppets from story characters and created junk modelling houses for the 3 Little Wolves. We were so impressed with everyone’s costumes!
Science and Healthy Living Week
Science and Healthy Living Week provided lots of stimulating open-ended experiments for the children to carry out independently including jelly and oil, lemonade and raisins and erupting volcanos! The children washed and prepared a healthy salad with a wide range of fruit and vegetables. We kept the peelings and skins to observe decay over a few weeks.
Caterpillars and Butterflies
The children got the chance to observe real caterpillars grow, eat a lot and turn into big caterpillars. We also watched them make their chrysalises! We read 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' and created our own pom-pom caterpillars and painted egg carton caterpillars too.
After the holidays we came to find the caterpillars had changed into butterflies and we released them at the Rosemary Garden!
The King’s Coronation
We celebrated the King’s Coronation. The children helped make UK flag bunting and turned the home corner into the King’s carriage. They also made crowns using clay and baked crown-shaped biscuits. We had a royal tea party and decorated biscuits for our party!
Ducklings
The Duck eggs arrived, and the children were very excited, waiting eagerly for them to hatch.
We observed them in the incubator and after the weekend we came back to find they had hatched into extremely cute and fluffy ducklings!
Sports Day
We had a beautiful day for Sports Day. The children enjoyed a fun-filled day, doing egg and spoon races, hopping, and backward races! They worked together to move their bodies in a variety of ways. As a memento they made clay medals to celebrate their achievements.
We wish you a very happy summer holiday!
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