ℯNEWS May, 1 2026

Just a reminder to everybody that all children should be in their summer uniform (dress or shorts) and be wearing their blazer to school from next week, after the bank holiday on Monday. Could we ask that you check that everything is named clearly. 

Form Six Visitor

On  Monday morning, Form Five and Six were honoured to have a visit from one of the 2026 London Marathon heroes. Pippa Best is the niece of Mr Garvey and completed her first race in the capital in a time of 3 hours and 40 minutes. It was her third Marathon, having finished in Cork and Paris last year. She fielded questions from the pupils, ranging from: What goes through your mind during the race? What fancy dress did you see? Did you ever feel like stopping?  The hope is that her appearance, just hours after completing the 26 miles course, will inspire the children to run the iconic race in future years and to recognise that such achievements are the result of hard work and perseverance. 

Form Three and Four Trip to Paddington children’s library

Our recent trip to Paddington Children’s Library was a wonderful experience for the children. They thoroughly enjoyed exploring the wide range of books available and were excited to choose two books each to take home a storybook and another linked to their current humanities topics.

The visit also gave the children a chance to learn how to scan and check out their own books, which they found fun and engaging. A highlight of the trip was listening to a story read aloud in the library, which captured everyone’s attention and imagination.

This trip was also a great opportunity to promote reading ahead of our upcoming Readathon Week. The children were introduced to the benefits of joining the library, as well as the Summer Reading Challenge, where they can take part and win prizes.

We kindly ask that all library books are returned to school by Friday, 15th May, so that they can be taken back to the library.

Virtual Coffee Morning with Mrs Hampton on 11+ 

Mrs Hampton held the first of three 11+ information meetings for parents in Forms Four & Five on Thursday this was timed to coincide with upcoming open events arranged at senior schools during the summer term.

Upcoming

Junior One and Form One - Postal Museum Trip 

As part of the Junior One Traditional Tales topic and Form One’s focus on letter writing, the children will be visiting the Postal Museum on Tuesday, 5th May 2026 to take part in a Jolly Postman workshop. The children will take part in a lively literary mission to help the Jolly Postman collect, sort and deliver the letters. The workshop will include song, rhymes and Makaton signs to bring the story to life. They will also have the opportunity to take part in a mail ride around the museum.

Virtual Parent meeting with Mrs Hampton and Ms Galligan - Thursday 7 May

As head of PSHE and RSE, Ms Galligan will lead the RSE Virtual coffee morning with Mrs Hampton on Thursday 7th May at 10:45am.  The aim of the meeting is to explain why effective Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) is a vital part of your child’s development, providing the essential knowledge and skills that children need to stay safe and thrive. By learning about physical and emotional growth, children are better equipped to build healthy relationships with family and friends, make informed choices about their wellbeing, and prepare for the responsibilities of adult life. Ultimately, this curriculum supports their ability to navigate challenges and achieve their personal goals, both now and in the future. We will go through all of the curriculum lessons objectives and some of the resources including the videos, Ms Galligan will also go through the new updates and guidelines for RSE from September 2026. We look forward to seeing all of you and welcome any questions that you may have.

House Points

 Clifton = 220 Sussex = 231

Artwork of the week 

Rafeeq in Form Six, for brilliant textiles work. Excellent use of dye, weave and stitch, inspired by traditional Japanese techniques. Well done, Rafeeq!

Upcoming Dates for Your Diary

May

Monday 4th - BANK HOLIDAY School closed 

Tuesday 5th - J1 and F1 Trip to The Postal Museum

Tuesday 12th -  F6 Bank of England & Museum in Docklands trip 

Monday 25th - Friday 29th HALF TERM

June

Friday 19th - Sports Day

Tuesday 23rd - Parents Meetings 

Wednesday 24th - Parents Meetings 

Friday 26th - School Play

July

Wednesday 1st - Junior One Open Dance

Friday 3rd - Whole School Trip 

Thursday 9th - End of term (HALF DAY)