Dear Parents,
It has been a busy fortnight at school. A lot has been happening behind the scenes, whilst the children have continued to enjoy a full and active term.
The expansion project is moving ahead and building work has begun on the halls. We are keeping things ticking over as near to normal as possible, despite the temporary loss of space. We have reached the point in the project where we are ordering furniture and interactive screens for the new classrooms and are deciding on the logo for our school minibus. Once we reach this level of detailed decision-making, we know the school expansion is a reality.
Dance has been relocated to the nearby adventure playground hall, PE is taking place on the astro-turf pitch nearby, violin lessons are in the Church vestry and Spanish lessons are taking place outside in the sunshine. Lunchtimes are out of doors whenever the weather permits and in classrooms when it rains. Please remember to send your child into school with a raincoat or jacket if showers are forecast, as classes have to walk to King Henry’s Walk garden, the hall, the sports pitch and the adventure playground in all weathers. Access to the school halls has been blocked off, so although the loos near the Church entrance are still accessible to Year 1, children cannot enter the building site.
Ellie Grunewald, the new Head, visited the school on Monday and was excited by what she saw. I know she is looking forward to starting here in September, but I hope that all parents will have the opportunity to meet her before the end of term.
Excitement built through the day as we approached ‘Wheelies’ last week; the children could barely contain their enthusiasm. I was deeply moved by the renewed sense of community with so many children and parents together at the Fields. After two years of distancing, this was the perfect tonic for everyone. Thank you for coming and for your generous sponsorship, which has raised more than £1,500 so far. More money is coming in and the director of CPotential (previously the London Centre for children with Cerebral Palsy) is extremely grateful. Please have a look at their website Holistic integrated therapies to help children with movement disorders (cpotential.org.uk)
The ‘grass’ in the new playground is a great addition. It is softly padded and a comfortable place for children to sit and play, as well as a soft landing base for the balancing logs. The sports rota on the mini-pitch is working well so we see everything, from gymnastics to hockey, taking place throughout the week, including girls only sessions. Basketball posts will be installed soon. We are delighted to see the pre-reception children enjoying the Upper School playground every week. They should come into Reception with greater confidence as a result.
A major focus in the school’s improvement plan is diversity and inclusion. It is such a vast area, it will be an ongoing area of work over years, not months. The staff are already taking part in training, which covers all protected characteristics including gender and disability. Staff will also begin to develop an understanding of African history with a tutor from SOAS.
A reminder that the summer fair (18th June, 2.00 - 4.00pm) is making a comeback after a two year covid break. It is a non-profit-making event where we simply want to cover costs and give the children a memorable and enjoyable afternoon with friends and family. In the past it has been one of the highlights of the children’s time at the school. Please volunteer to help with contributions and stalls, as your efforts help to make it a joyous day. The Year 2 children will run their own outreach stall to raise money for their chosen charity, in aid of British butterflies.
Today the children are ending science week with a whole-school carousel of activities. They were thrilled to spend the morning doing hands-on experiments in every classroom, playing with viscous materials, learning about the comparative density of oil and water by making lava lamps, and mixing vinegar and sodium bicarbonate to inflate balloons with carbon dioxide. It’s been a hands-on, messy and rewarding day.
I hope everyone has an active and relaxing weekend.
Warm wishes,
Kate