HEAD’S MESSAGE
FROM THE HEAD
Highlights this term included the recognition of a ‘Significant Strength’ in our inspection and the outstanding evaluation of our early years provision by the local authority. The school’s unwavering commitment to pupils’ pastoral care helps children develop a strong understanding of their emotional wellbeing. Our emphasis on high expectations and academic standards ensures that every child makes rapid progress. Their enthusiasm for learning and their achievements make us proud every single day. My heartfelt thanks go to the entire school community for your continued support. Wishing you all a joyful festive season and a very Happy New Year.
Dr Edmonds
FRIENDS OF PARSONS GREEN PREP
We concluded the Autumn term with a festive movie night. Nestled in comfy beanbags, the younger children enjoyed a variety of shows while those in Prep laughed along to Nativity. Getting into the holiday spirit, the children wore Christmas jumpers and had a fantastic time participating in the hugely popular paper-chain challenge. Next term the Uniform sale is on 9 January, children’s disco on 30 January and Parent and Staff Quiz Night on 13 March.
Kate Forrester
SCHOOL COUNCIL
Elections take place every September, with class representatives from Reception through to Year 6 chosen by their peers to take on this important responsibility. The children attend regular meetings with Dr Edmonds to discuss matters raised by their classmates and explore ideas to benefit the school. One key topic of discussion has been how best to allocate the funds raised during the 2025 Enterprise Exhibition event, which has been carefully considered.
HEAD AND DEPUTY HEAD OF SCHOOL
Congratulations to M and L in Year 6, who have been appointed this year’s Head of School and Deputy Head of School. M had the honour of addressing prospective parents at the Autumn term Open Day, speaking with eloquence and maturity. L is an equally impressive speaker and together they make outstanding ambassadors for our school.
HOUSE CUP RESULTS
Shackleton won with an average of 68.9 house points per pupil this term. Williams came 2nd with 63.9, Attenborough 3rd with 60 and Earhart was right on their heels in 4th with 59.7. Well done Shackleton!
THE ARTS
ART
The art room has been bursting with creativity this term. Years 1, 2 and 6 have studied a variety of artists and their work including Henri Matisse, Claude Monet and Georgia O’Keefe. Year 3 have produced an amazing collection of art centred around the topic ‘chocolate’ - think a Pop Art vibe with observational drawings and polyboard prints. Year 4 have created fantastic mosaics and Year 5 have produced incredible repeating pattern lino prints. We also had two winners in local estate agent John D Wood’s Haunted House art competition for Halloween. Well done everybody.
BALLET
This term the children have focussed on building on their foundational skills in ballet, including learning the basic positions of the feet and simple arm placements. They have practised balance, posture and coordination through walking, skipping and stretching. The children have explored rhythm and musicality, while the classroom etiquette has reinforced their listening skills. They are developing their confidence and self-expression, laying the groundwork for future ballet development. It has been a very productive term.
MUSIC
Pupils have concentrated on singing in preparation for the Winter Concert, while Reception celebrated a successful Nativity performance. Alongside this, we have worked on developing core musical knowledge, including theory, music notation and confidently reading notes on the treble clef. In drama pupils have been creating their own scenes, using storytelling and performance skills to present characters who must overcome a problem, encouraging creativity, collaboration and expressive confidence.
OUT AND ABOUT
THE POSTAL MUSEUM
Reception travelled far underground on the Mail Rail Ride, uncovering the history of the postal network hidden below the city of London. We wandered through the exhibition, where the children enjoyed a round of ‘I Spy’. We then embarked on a sensory journey to send festive greetings with the cheerful Jolly Christmas Postman. We ended the afternoon exploring Sorted!, a hands-on mini-town featuring streets, structures, trolleys, pulleys, slides and chutes. It was a wonderful outing.
BATTERSEA PARK ZOO
Year 1 loved identifying the different types of diets animals have by their teeth in their Food for Thought workshop. They also acted out food chains and thought about how farmers look after their crops. The children really enjoyed seeing all the different animals, with otters and meerkats being a favourite. They asked a lot of interesting questions and consolidated their impressive knowledge of the different animal categories. We all had fun in the playground using water and sand to create fantastic inventions. It was a brilliant day out with exemplary behaviour.
KEW GARDENS
Year 2 had a delightful trip to Kew Gardens, exploring the Hive and the Palm House. The children were fascinated by the diverse plant life and ecosystems. In the afternoon they participated in an art workshop, drawing the beautiful, colourful plants and flowers using chalk. This art-related trip allowed them to express their creativity while appreciating nature's beauty. The experience was both educational and inspiring.
THE ROALD DAHL MUSEUM
Year 3’s visit to the Roald Dahl Museum was truly magical. We stepped into the world of one of the most beloved authors and took part in the Crafting Characters workshop, where we created our own imaginative heroes and villains. We got to read and learn about his incredible (and sometimes cheeky) adventures. Exploring Dahl’s writing hut gave us a peek into his creative process and a highlight was paying our respects at his grave - a moment that made the day unforgettable. A trip full of creativity, inspiration and wonder.
SAATCHI GALLERY
Year 4 had a wonderful class trip to the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea. Currently celebrating its 40th birthday, we had a tour of the exhibition The Long Now, which looked at four decades of groundbreaking contemporary art and creativity. We loved learning all about the different mediums on display, with a highlight being Allan Kaprow’s YARD, an arrangement of tyres which the children were allowed to climb on, underneath a suspended car. We then took part in a collage workshop recreating well-known pieces of art. It truly was a wonderful and inspiring day.
STEAM AND BEYOND
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING
At PGP the children’s wellbeing is woven into every aspect of our educational provision, reflecting the school’s deep understanding of the profound impact wellbeing has on learning and achievement. In May 2025 inspectors affirmed a ‘Significant Strength’, recognising our wellbeing programme, which enables pupils to regulate their emotions effectively. To achieve a Significant Strength a school must demonstrate a clear and highly beneficial impact on pupils. This accolade highlights the success of our approach in fostering resilience, empathy and emotional intelligence in every child.
CODING CLUB
In Coding Club the children planned and created their own digital stories using text, drawing tools, backgrounds and sound effects. They enjoyed completing online coding puzzles and even made several of their own for friends to try. We explored algorithms and learned why clear, specific instructions are essential when coding, especially when directing our BeeBots. To finish the term, the children designed online Christmas cards, practising deleting letters and using capital letters and exclamation marks. Well done coders!
STEAM OVERVIEW
The children have explored the interconnectedness of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. Reception have studied different materials through tactile learning while Year 1 designed spaceships. Year 2 built balloonpowered cars and bird feeders and Year 3 created chinampas linked to their Aztec project. Year 4 became Roman architects, applying maths and designs to scale. Year 5 investigated DNA and forensic evidence and Year 6 researched Stonehenge and created prototype Neolithic tools for moving stones. This interdisciplinary approach ensures that each year group has fun while they engage with the curriculum content through imaginative, hands-on projects.
MATHS
Reception pupils have enthusiastically explored 2D shapes within lessons and are now developing patterns using these shapes. Year 1 have been diligently consolidating their addition and subtraction skills, while Year 2 have looked at partitioning numbers during lessons. Year 3 have progressed to multiplying two-digit numbers by a one-digit number and Year 4 have taken great interest in their study of coordinates and translations. Year 5 have developed an understanding of square and cube numbers. Year 6 have been refining both mental and written calculation strategies in preparation for their 11+ examinations
READING
Reading is an integral part of life at PGP. Teaching the core reading skills (decoding and comprehension, with a strong emphasis on phonics throughout Pre-Prep), we are delighted that our pupils leave as confident, passionate readers. We have introduced Accelerated Reader by Renaissance Learning, motivating independent reading through quizzes, goal setting and personalised recommendations. The children are loving using the platform as they continue to develop crucial, lifelong literary skills.
CHESS
This autumn Years 1 and 2 chess clubs have homed in on building knowledge of rules and tactics. The children have enjoyed friendly matches and healthy competition, preparing for future tournaments. The Wallace Chess coach has been teaching checkmate tactics, which the children have found exciting and challenging. Chess Club continues to encourage strategic thinking and resilience and we look forward to seeing these skills develop further as the children progress through the school.
IN THE CLASSROOM
RECEPTION
The children have settled fantastically into their first term. They have begun their reading and writing journey and explored new mathematical concepts. Our topics have been All About Me, where they shared exciting snippets of their lives, and People Who Help Us, with visits to Pizza Express and the Postal Museum. The children have developed their social and roleplay skills. They finished off the year with the most wonderful Nativity performance. What an excellent start to their educational journeys.
YEAR 2
In the Autumn term the class worked hard and grew in confidence. They built strong friendships and developed independence through a range of activities. Highlights included engaging lessons, football matches and a trip to Kew Gardens, where they explored nature and enjoyed an art workshop. Group tasks encouraged teamwork and shared play and music added to the positive atmosphere. The term ended with a festive Christmas concert, bringing the school community together and spreading seasonal cheer.
YEAR 1
The children have shown fantastic enthusiasm in all areas of their learning. In maths they deepened their understanding of place value and shape and began working with addition and subtraction, using these skills to tackle reasoning tasks. In English they produced impressive pieces of writing inspired by Cave Baby, Astrogirl and I Want My Hat Back. In topic lessons Year 1 investigated animal habitats and diets, explored different materials and developed their understanding of history. A brilliant start to the year.
YEAR 3
There are many reasons why our Year 3 pupils should be extremely proud. Our STEAM project took us back in time as we engineered chinampa -style floating gardens, bringing ancient Aztec innovation to life. In English we journeyed through magical worlds with Leon and the Place Between and The Tear Thief, crafting vivid figurative language and beginning to master complex grammar. Maths has been equally exciting as we tackled the four operations using formal strategies that sharpened our problem-solving skills. From creativity to critical thinking, Year 3 have truly soared this term.
YEAR 4
We have had a super Autumn term. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe provided great inspiration for our creative writing in English and we finished the unit planning and writing our own version of this classic story. In maths we have focussed on place value with topics such as rounding, formal arithmetic and multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1,000. Year 4 have loved our humanities topic this term, with highlights including studying the Bronze Age, making a board game based on the different Roman gods and goddesses and learning all about Boudicca.
YEAR 6
The class have worked incredibly hard this term in preparing for their 11+ exams. They’ve continued to develop their comprehension skills, learn grammar rules and apply figurative language to their creative writing. In maths Year 6 have practised their mental and written strategies, as well as problem-solving questions. Alongside all of this they have explored the geography of Britain, engineered tools to aid the creation of Stonehenge and discussed how to form healthy relationships in PSHCE.
YEAR 5
This term Year 5 have embraced a love of learning about the Victorians, inspired by our novel Street Child. Through exploring Victorian life we uncovered the challenges faced by children and connected these to themes in the story. In STEAM our focus turned to DNA, where we investigated its structure and role in forensic science. Our studies culminated in designing and creating our own forensic device, combining creativity and scientific understanding. It’s been a term full of curiosity and innovation.
ADVANCED FRENCH PROGRAMME
Our group of francophone children have embraced this new academic year in the Advanced French Programme with excitement. The children have had a very busy term. They have worked efficiently in their exercise books but also learned several poems and songs. Every week a new subject is introduced to enrich their vocabulary. Please do keep reading the books borrowed from our French library at home. ‘Joyeuses fêtes de fin d'année’ and practise French while having fun.
NETBALL HOUSE MATCHES
In the Years 3 and 4 matches Attenborough won with two impressive victories and a hard-fought 1 –1 draw against Earhart. Earhart followed closely in second after recording one win and two draws. Williams finished third thanks to a confident 2–0 triumph over Shackleton. The Year 5 and Year 6 matches saw Attenborough complete the double, overcoming the Earhart–Williams side 2–1 and defeating Shackleton 3–1. Shackleton responded in style, clinching second place with a thrilling 5–4 victory in the final round.
SPORTS CAPTAINS
This year’s Sports Captains have been outstanding role models, leading with enthusiasm and sportsmanship both on and off the field. They have represented the school brilliantly during competitive fixtures, showing teamwork and dedication. Thank you for delivering sports reports during assembly, assisting with sportsmanship certificates and leading warmups in lessons and match practices. Their leadership has inspired younger pupils and strengthened our sporting community. Well done to both of you.
NETBALL
This term our Prep pupils have enjoyed netball lessons at the park, making excellent progress in their skills. Highlights included fantastic fixtures, with memorable wins against Wandsworth Prep, St James Prep and Brighton College Prep Kensington. Next term we are looking forward to the ISA qualifiers. Meanwhile, Year 2 will begin their own fixtures next term, building on the skills they have practised during onsite PE lessons. Well done to all our netball players for their commitment and teamwork.
FOOTBALL
The Prep pupils have enjoyed an excellent term of fixtures, achieving impressive wins against St James Prep, Wandsworth Prep, Kew College Prep and Garden House School. Year 2 pupils took part in their very first fixtures, with the highlight being our football festival, where we proudly hosted five other schools. These events provided wonderful opportunities for teamwork, skill development and sporting spirit. A big thank you goes to the Fulham Football Foundation for continuing to deliver outstanding afterschool sessions across all year groups. Well done everyone.
SWIMMING
This term Year 3 and Year 4 pupils have enjoyed swimming lessons at Virgin Active Fulham Pools, showing impressive progress in technique and confidence. Their skills were celebrated at the end -of-term gala, where they competed in front crawl, breaststroke and backstroke. Our talented Year 5 and Year 6 swimmers represented the school at the ISA London West qualifier competition. Well done to Yasmin (Y6) who qualified for the national finals and was part of the ISA London West freestyle 4x50m relay team, which won a bronze medal.
GYMNASTICS AND DANCE
Pre-Prep children have enjoyed learning balances, rolls and jumps to create movement sequences, while also developing strength and coordination on the indoor climbing wall. Prep pupils have taken their skills further by designing creative routines, incorporating partner and group balances. These activities have not only enhanced gymnastic ability but also encouraged teamwork, confidence and physical development.
EVENTS
CHRISTMAS CAROLS CONCERT
Our Christmas Carols Concert on 8 December was a joyful celebration of music and community. It gave pupils the chance to refine their pieces and grow in confidence. Miss Emma has been thrilled by everyone’s enthusiasm, with each class bringing wonderful festive joy to their performances. Their hard work and excitement shone through in every song and the concert was a heartwarming highlight of the season.
ECO COMMITTEE
A new year brings a new and enthusiastic Eco Committee. This term our focus has been on reviewing last year, discussing what went well and what we could improve on, as well as identifying our aims for this year. The Eco Committee’s goal is to reinvigorate the school’s flowerbeds with sensory herbs and flowers, explore having plants in the classroom and identify ways that we can recycle and utilise rainwater.
CHARITY ROUND-UP
A big thank you to parents for donating to our Harvest Festival collection. Each house has met to choose a local charity to support this year. Shackleton will raise funds for Battersea Cats and Dogs Home, Attenborough for Fiorentini Foundation Performing Arts Charity, Williams for the London Retired Police Dogs Trust and Earhart for MIND. The children shared ideas and showed great enthusiasm for helping their chosen causes. Planning for events is now underway, with the first charity event being hosted by Earhart on 22 January in aid of MIND.