Richard III’s in a brave and dramatic battle. ‘My horse, my horse,
my kingdom for a horse!’
Victorians
Year 5 started their topic ‘A Victorian education’ discovering
just how unfair life could be in the 19th Century. Whilst the rich
children were given a morning of playing games and fine dining,
the poor were placed in the workhouse, worked tirelessly and
punished for any slackness. Dan reports that all the children
achieved the learning objective!
Headteacher’s Newsletter
September 2015
A Gathering of Grim Stories
Dear parents,
Welcome Back
A very warm welcome back to the new school year. It has been
a happy start to the term with the children excited to be back
and enthusiastic about the year ahead.
Changes to school over the summer
Over the summer the team have been working very hard to
refresh the school, ready for the children’s return. The nursery
and reception classrooms have been completely refurbished and
will be ready for the new children when they begin next week.
New Topics
The children are already immersed in their new topics and
getting used to their new routines. Year 1 are exploring the
world through their senses, Year 2 are researching their family
histories whilst Year 3 are exploring how communities come
together through the topic ‘Living Together’. In the upstairs
classrooms, Year 4 are finding out whether the Tudors really
were terrible, Year 5 are investigating childhood in the
Victorian era, whilst Year 6 are taking Heroes and Superheroes
as their inspiration. I look forward to sharing news of events,
trips and special visitors over the course of the year.
Battle of Bosworth
Huge congratulations to Iris in Year 6, who published her book
‘A Gathering of Grim Stories’ this summer. The book has a very
complimentary forward by author and illustrator Tom Percival,
who wrote that the inventiveness, atmosphere and drama in
Iris’ work is staggering. Many thanks go to Dan for his editing
and brilliant support. We are very proud to have a published
author in our school. What an inspiration.
Lunches
The school continues to provide a healthy and varied lunch
menu, catering for the requirements and tastes of all children.
If your child is in Year 3, 4, 5 or 6 and is taking a school meal,
lunch money must be paid in advance, at the start of each week.
As we now run a cashless office, payment must be made online.
Please see the office if you do not already have a code for the
payment system. This term’s lunch prices are as follows:
Weekly @ £2.40 per day
First half of term
Second half of term
Full Term
£12.00
£84.00
£81.60
£165.60
Allotment
Year 4 have enjoyed a vibrant start to their new topic, ‘Terrible
Tudors’. Last Tuesday they spent the morning making swords
and shields - and in the afternoon they re-enacted the Battle of
Bosworth on the fields of Highgate Woods. And what a battle it
proved to be with Henry VII’s magnificent army defeating
The lovely English weather has kept the allotment well watered
and blooming this summer and the children are looking forward
school, with a child under 5, please do come and visit us. We
are situated in the top playground next to the Dining Centre.
If you are interested in Paediatric Baby and Toddler First Aid,
the next course will take place in the Family Centre on Tuesday
29th September from 1pm to 3pm. The course costs £30 which
includes a certificate. Please call 020 3213 0004 or drop-in to
the centre to book a place. For the full list of Family Centre
activities, the current timetable can be found on the Highgate
Primary School website, on the Family Centre page. We look
forward to seeing you soon.
Lost property
to harvesting the fresh and tasty fruit and veg. Please look out
for our farmers markets which will be taking place in the
playground after school - and put the Harvest Assembly
celebrations on the 21st October in the diary.
Cycle Training
Last Thursday, 20 children from Year 3 and 4 were chosen to
take part in the first cycle training session of the year. The
Haringey Cycle Team spent the day working on bike safety and
repair. Everyone who took part thoroughly enjoyed themselves
and there was a buzz of excitement throughout the playground.
Authorisation of holiday
The school made a significant improvement in overall levels of
attendance last year which is of course something we would like
to maintain and improve on. National guidelines make it clear
that Headteachers are unable to grant leave of absence during
term time, unless there are ‘exceptional circumstances’. If a
planned absence is unavoidable, parents must complete an
Absence Request Form, available from the school office, which
requires authorisation from the Headteacher.
Pupil Medication
Reminder - If your child requires medication to be administered
at school, such as an asthma pump or an Epipen, please ensure
that the school has been informed and that you bring updated,
labelled medication to our Welfare Assistant, Mrs Cook, who is
available in the medical room at the start of the school day.
Family Centre
‘Lost Property’ is still kept outside in the upper playground,
opposite the dining centre. Please feel free to look for any
missing items at the start or end of the day. Please do try to
label your children’s clothes and bags clearly.
Term Dates
Important dates for your diary for the Autumn Term:
Nursery & Reception
children start school
4BJD Assembly
Monday 21st September
Year 5 trip to the
Ragged Museum
Year 3 Cake Sale
Friday 25th September
PSA coffee morning for
new parents
4JS Assembly
Thursday 1st October 9.00 am
Family Centre
Friday 2nd Ocober
9.30 am
Wednesday 7th October
Year 4 trip to Hampton
Court Palace
Year 3 trip to Kenwood
House
5DN Assembly
Friday 25th September 9.30 am
Friday 25th September
Thursday 8th October
Friday 9th October
5AC Assembly
Friday 16th October 9.30 am
Fireworks Night
Saturday 17th October 5.30 pm
Year 2 Cake Sale
Friday 23rd October
Harvest Assembly
Wednesday 21st October 10.00
am
w/c Monday 25th October
Half Term
It certainly promises to be a productive and eventful term.
With best wishes
William
William Dean
Headteacher
It is lovely to see so many parents from the school attending
the Family Centre sessions. If you are a parent new to the