Heads Up - Friday 13th February 2026

Heads Up Friday 13th February 2026 1

CEO’s Welcome Dear Colleagues, Thank you for hosting my visits to all our schools this half term. It was a real privilege to walk the schools with our headteachers and see such exciting learning across the trust.

Achievement, curriculum and teaching and personal development are strong across our schools.

However, raising attendance, continues to be the greatest challenge that we all face. To address this matter further, we are delivering training for headteachers and attendance leads on Thursday 26th February. Further details will follow after half term.

I wish to send warmest wishes of Ramadan Mubarak to those colleagues observing this holy month ahead. May your fasts and prayers be accepted and may you find inner strength and spiritual growth through Ramadan.

I wish everyone an enjoyable and restful half term.

Tom Canning CBE

Best wishes, Tom

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Attendance Data Below is the attendance and persistent absence data from across the Trust for the period of 26 Jan 2026 and 06 Feb 2026

Attendance

Group Name

Attendance

Persistent Absence

Tollgate Primary School

96.9%

14.4%

New City Primary School

95.7%

21.6%

Cleves Primary School

94.9%

23.9%

Shaftesbury Primary

94.3%

23.6%

Ravenscroft Primary

94.1%

26.0%

Rosetta Primary School

94.0%

26.8%

The Clara Grant Primary

93.6%

27.2%

Monega Primary School

91.4%

40.0%

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Year 4 Computing This week, the children brought their music project to completion by working with a composer of their choice. They explored how musical elements can change the mood and atmosphere of a piece, thoughtfully selecting a range of sound effects and instruments to enhance their final soundtrack. The children showed great creativity and confidence as they refined their compositions, making decisions that reflected their growing understanding of digital music production

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Pre-formal Learning: Resource Provision This week, RP1 enjoyed a sensory story session based on Aliens Love Underpants! Our preformal learners listened to the story and explored a range of props, including textured “underpants,” flying underpants on a washing line and a spaceship sound activated by a switch. We also added a smell experience using fabric softener.

The session ended with Five Little Men in a Flying Saucer, where the pre-formal learners loved clapping along and watching the colourful lights.

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Arc Theatre Workshop This week, the pupils in Years 5 and 6 took part in a workshop delivered by Arc Theatre Company. The session aimed to increase empathy, help pupils make informed choices, and develop the confidence and skills needed to positively influence their friends.

The performance was useful because it reminded us that words can be very harmful —Laibah.

It taught us to never judge a book by its cover —Janvi.

The show was amazing because it warned us about fake news and discrimination, and how it can affect people—Mila.

The show was great—it taught us so much —Ibrahim.

I found the performance useful because it showed us that we should always get evidence before accusing someone—Ana. 7

Number Day was a wonderful celebration of all things mathematical!

Pupils took part in a range of fun and engaging activities that helped build confidence with numbers and showed how maths is used in everyday life. From problem‑solving challenges to number games and practical tasks, everyone enjoyed exploring maths in a creative and hands‑on way. Thank you to Ms Treacy for coordinating the events. Activities on the day included: Who wants to be a Millionaire?

Snakes and Ladders Yoga Numbers Lost Treasure of Number Bay TT Rockstars Business Plans and Profits 8

DT Day Pupils took part in a range of practical design and technology activities, exploring the full process from an initial design brief to planning and finally creating a finished product. Salad‑making, instrument‑making and pizza‑making were just some of the fantastic outcomes produced on the day. It was a wonderful opportunity for pupils to develop practical skills, work creatively and see their ideas come to life.

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ECT Mentor Conference Jan 2025 Cohort Every year at LDE we also provide a full programme of events for Early Career Teachers who start induction at non-standards times - in January or April.

These are smaller cohorts with their own programme of events - usually held at Tollgate for all Jan/April ECTs across the TSH area.

These programmes are led by the same Visiting Fellow - Kiran Gill or Gurmit Uppal - for the entire two year programme, to support and nurture these ECTs through their Induction.

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NPQH at Trinity Special School For most of our NPQH sessions we visit host schools. This time we were at Trinity Special School in Dagenham, where the Head Teacher Jo Long spoke to us about exceptional partnership working.

It is the second to last session for this cohort, as they will progress to their Assessment period in April 2027.

Two of the participants have gained Headships during the programme and others are gaining the confidence to apply.

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LDE Out and About...

Out and about this fortnight is a combination of: Visiting Induction Tutors at our largest schools, eg: Robert Clack in Dagenham with 15 forms of entry across 3 sites and 35 ECTs. Many visits to our trainee teachers in Hackney, Newham, B&D and Havering.

Appropriate Body Quality Assurance Visits checking ECT entitlements and supporting schools with issues.

Cause for Concern visits to schools where an ECT is struggling.

NPQs Quality Assurance and facilitation visits to various schools.

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Out and About continued...

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Train to teach If you know anyone with a degree who would be amazing as one our teachers of the future, then please ask them to come and talk to us about teacher training...

We also welcome school visits for potential trainees to any of our schools, so please get in touch.

Or contact our Director of Teacher Training directly: rosetta.robinson@londondistricteast.org

Click below:

Initial Teacher Training Programme: Train to Teach course 15

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CAMPING AT MONEGA Last week, pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 enjoyed a special overnight camp at school. The bottom hall was transformed into a campsite, with colourful tents set up for the evening.

To make the night even more magical, the children crafted their own lanterns to take to bed. Eachlantern glowed softly, creating a cosy atmosphere inside the hall.

Outdoors, the excitement continued around the fire pit. Pupils gathered together to share stories, laugh, and enjoy the warmth of the flames under the starry sky. The highlight for many was the night-time treasure hunt. Armed with clues, the children explored the school grounds in search of hidden surprises, turning familiar corridors and playground corners into thrilling adventures.

The camp-out was a huge success, giving pupils the chance to experience teamwork, creativity, and a sense of adventure right on their own school grounds. It’s safe to say that Year 5 and 6 will remember this night for a long time to come!

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YEAR 3 AT THE BRITISH HISTORY MUSEUM Year 3 had a fantastic time visiting the British Museum last week! The children were fascinated by the ancient artefacts, especially the Egyptian mummies, and loved discovering stories from the past. It was an inspiring day full of curiosity, questions, and excitement.

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SCIENTISTS OF THE TERM VISIT LITTLE ILFORD SECONDARY SCHOOL Our enthusiastic Scientists of the Term had the opportunity to visit Little Ilford Secondary School during their Science fair, which was a spark of pure inspiration!

It was a pleasure to see such great ideas in action and celebrate the curiosity and hard work of these young scientists. The photos below capture some of the fantastic moments from the day.

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BIG NEWS FROM OUR LITTLE ARTISTS We have super exciting news from our Reception children! Last term, our talented young artists created colourful artwork inspired by families and celebrations. Their creativity didn’t stop there… we entered their work into a national competition and we are thrilled to share that some of our Reception children were chosen to have their artwork published by Young Artists UK! Their masterpieces will appear in a book due to be published at the end of March, and we couldn’t be prouder. We can’t wait to see their artwork brought to life on the page!

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Debate Mate This week, New City’s debating team took part in their first debating competition of the year.

After weeks of dedication and hard work, they had the opportunity to showcase their incredible debating skills. Showing great style, teamwork and structure, our teams were incredibly successful and won multiple debates against other strong schools! We are very proud of their achievements and the children are already excited for the second round of the competition in March!

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School Council Our School council met with Miss Bull this week to share thoughts from pupils within the school.

They had lots of suggestions and are working with Miss Bull to formulate an action plan. The children also attended ‘Speak Up’ a student leadership initiative focusing on empowering young voices in Newham

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Numbers Day On Friday pupils and staff at New City Primary school celebrated everything Number. We all dressed up in clothing that showed number, pattern even our TTRockstars. During the day children played number games, explored famous Mathematicians and even made their own games. There were prizes up for grabs and lots of fun had by everyone. Money raised will go to NSPCC who work to support the wellbeing of children in the UK.

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Faith In School Last week, our Year 4 students had a meaningful visit from Faith in School. They learned about faith, trust, and the motivations behind people's actions, gaining deeper insights into what drives belief and behaviour

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Sponsored Lateral Jumps – Years 3 & 4 Our Years 3 & 4 pupils have been doing their sponsored lateral jumps. Each child was given a minute to see how many they could complete – needless to say that it got very competitive!

It has been lovely to see the children practising their jumps in the playground and carrying it on after the event has finished. It’s been a good way to get our children to be more active.

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Science Museum Year 4 took part in a visit to the Science Museum this week. As part of the studies this term, they have been learning about ‘Food’, therefore a visit to the ‘Future of Food’ exhibition was a must!The children were able to learn about food production from way back in ancient history to our industrialised systems of today with thoughtprovoking objects, hands-on interactive exhibits and compelling digital experiences that showed how we got here—and where we’re going.

They saw many different, fascinating food items, from a 3,500-year-old loaf of bread to the first beef steak grown outside a cow. They learned about scientific and community efforts to conserve the genetic diversity of foods including Norway’s ice-cold seed vaults and seedswapping ceremonies in the Amazon.

The session was an interactive, multi-sensory experience which engaged their curious minds.

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Year 4 Writing Year 4 are researching information on Kiddle (a visual search engine for children) about Sri Lankan elephants for their non-chronological report writing.

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Counter Hate and Extremism Workshop Years 5 & 6 took part in an informative and thought-provoking workshop provided by Arc Theatre which used live theatre based on a WWII themed production to explore and challenge hate crime and extremism. The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience and had the chance to ask questions after.

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Reception Learning Our topic this term is transport, which links closely with our book of the week, Wee Catch the Bus. Throughout the week, the children have been engaged in a range of transport-themed activities during our afternoon provision, allowing them to explore the topic through play and creativity. Later in the week, the children enjoyed making their very own paper helicopters and took great pride in drawing detailed pictures of their favourite mode of transport from the story.

These activities encouraged imagination, fine motor skills, and discussion about different types of transport.

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Year 1 D&T Over the past few weeks, Year 1 have designed and made their own locomotive trains. They used shoe boxes and wooden dowels to build their models, and with adult support, learned how to safely use a bench hook and gent saw. Year 1 worked collaboratively and enjoyed bringing their train designs to life!

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Year 3 Year 3 had an unforgettable day out at the Natural History Museum, where learning truly came to life. The children explored fascinating galleries, from towering dinosaur skeletons to dazzling gemstones, and asked thoughtful questions throughout the day. They showed excellent curiosity, behaviour, and enthusiasm, making staff and members of the public very proud. The visit linked perfectly to our learning in science and will continue to inspire our work back in the classroom.

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Year 4 Year have been learning about Islamic calligraphy and geometric patterns in Art this term. We have been looking at a range of artists (including Rachid Koraichi) and Islamic architecture which have been inspired by Art from the Islamic world.

This week, we created out own geometric patterns using the laws of geometry and symmetry to create some beautiful patterns. We then used colour to add extra depth to our designs.

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Year 5 This week, Year 5 have been continuing their work on fractions and have built up their understanding really well. They have confidently used their prior learning alongside a mastery approach to tackle a wide range of fraction questions. Children applied bar models and times table knowledge to solve problems, often using multiple methods to check their answers. They were able to clearly show and explain the reasoning behind their work, demonstrating a secure and growing understanding of the concepts. The children also produced excellent journals, presenting their thinking neatly and thoughtfully.

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Year 6 This week, our Year 6 pupils began they're Into University experience with an exciting visit to the Science Museum’s Wonder lab. They explored over 50 hands-on experiments, live shows and demonstrations, all led by expert “Explainers.”

Highlights included giant friction slides, a chemistry bar featuring live experiments such as liquid nitrogen, and interactive zones dedicated to sound, forces, light, electricity and space.

Inspired by their visit, pupils then explored the world of engineering through a hands-on challenge back at school. Working in teams, the children were tasked with designing, budgeting and building a structure to protect an egg in a dramatic egg-drop test, using only limited resources.

An impressive two out of four teams successfully kept their egg intact! Along the way, pupils developed valuable teamwork and problemsolving skills, learning how to refine and improve their designs to meet a specific goal. The week ended with groups proudly presenting their projects, showcasing both their creativity and collaboration.

Well done, Year 6, for your fantastic effort and engineering ingenuity!

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Year 4Design Technology: Year 4 explored key DT skills at Pizza Express today! They followed instructions, selected fresh ingredients, and carefully assembled their own pizzas step by step. Working with a professional chef, they learned about planning, making, and evaluating their creations

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Football On Friday, Monega boys football team came to visit Shaftesbury for a match. Both teams battled hard in the cold weather and excellent demonstrations of sporting ability and knowledge were shown from both sides. Amazing use of courage, leadership and teamwork were deployed throughout, and it was an extremely fun game of football. Shaftesbury cannot wait to host more boys and girls football matches.

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Mental Health Week For Children's Mental Health Week, the children celebrated 'Colour Day'. On the day, children and staff wore a colour to express how they were feeling. The children that were feeling sad or angry in the morning, spoke to an adult about why they were feeling that way and they discussed ways to help regulate themselves.

"I was feeling angry this morning because nothing was going right! First, I hurt my leg then I fell down so I was feeling angry. When I came to school and spoke to my friends, I felt better."

Naeerah, Year 5

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Police Visit The police came in to speak to the children about 'hate crimes' and why it is so important to show mutual respect to everyone within our community.

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Year 4Design Technology: Year 4 explored key DT skills at Pizza Express today! They followed instructions, selected fresh ingredients, and carefully assembled their own pizzas step by step. Working with a professional chef, they learned about planning, making, and evaluating their creations

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Reception RG used the opportunity of the freezing weather and froze some dinos overnight (This was Ms Shamji’s idea) in the tray. We then added some artificial snow. Children tried to 'rescue a dinosaur'. They were exploring the texture of snow and observed melting ice.

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Year 1 In D&T, children are learning about fruits and vegetables and where they come from. As a part of the learning, they will be cutting real fruit to make fruit salad. To prepare for this, the children first used some plasticine to create some models of different fruits and vegetables. They then practised cutting their models them safely using a plastic knife.

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Numbers Day Clara Grant had a bright and exciting time celebrating Numbers Day, with children and staff dressing up in creative outfits inspired by numbers and patterns including stripes, spots, repeating designs and colourful numerals, which created a fun and positive atmosphere across the school. Throughout the day, maths lessons were carefully planned to focus on developing number skills through a range of practical and engaging activities. Pupils worked together to count, order and compare numbers, build different totals using number cards and objects and practise addition and simple subtraction using hands-on resources. Children also rotated around a variety of activity stations where they completed number patterns, solved missing number challenges and matched numerals to quantities, allowing everyone to work at their own pace while being supported and challenged. The children showed excellent teamwork, enthusiasm and resilience, confidently explaining their thinking and celebrating their successes with their peers. Numbers Day at Clara Grant was a wonderful opportunity to make maths fun, accessible and memorable and it helped to inspire a real love of numbers across the school.

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Year 2 Escape Room Our Year 2 pupils had an exciting and challenging day as they took part in a maths escape room that required real determination and teamwork to complete. Having recently been learning about teamwork in their PSHE lessons, the focus of the day was on demonstrating the skills they had been developing, including listening to others, sharing ideas and supporting one another.

Working in small groups, the children were presented with a series of locked challenges and had to complete a range of number-based tasks in order to find the correct codes to open each lock. The activities encouraged problem solving, clear communication and perseverance, especially when the answers were not immediately obvious. The children absolutely loved the experience and it was wonderful to see how well they worked together, showing resilience, cooperation and pride in their shared success.

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Attendance Award Pupils from Year 1 all the way through to Year 6 who achieved an incredible 100% attendance were rewarded today with a special trip to Vue Cinema at Westfield, where they enjoyed watching Zootropolis 2. The children had a fantastic time and represented The Clara Grant Primary School beautifully.

This exciting reward celebrates their commitment and dedication and, we hope, will inspire all our pupils to aim high and improve their attendance in the future.

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Year 4 Explore Christianity at All Hallows, Bow Year 4 pupils visited the local church, All Hallows Church, Bow, as part of their Religious Education enquiry: “Which religions and worldviews are represented in our neighbourhood?”

During the visit, the children focused on learning about Christianity within their local community. They explored the key features of the church building, including the pews where the congregation sits, the font used for baptisms, the lectern where readings are shared, and the beautiful stained glass windows that tell Bible stories through pictures and light.

Pupils also learned about important Christian rituals. They discussed Holy Communion and saw how the chalice is used during the service. The class discovered how baptism welcomes both children and adults into the Christian faith, symbolising a fresh start.

The visit ended with a thoughtful question-and-answer session, where pupils asked insightful questions to clarify and deepen their understanding. The trip provided a meaningful opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-life faith in their local area.

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Inclusive basketball Festival Rokeby Secondary School hosted an inclusive basketball festival designed especially for SEND children, creating a fun, supportive space to learn and play. The children developed key skills such as dribbling, passing, shooting, and teamwork through guided activities and coaching. The festival finished with exciting mini games, giving everyone the chance to show off their new skills, build confidence, and celebrate their achievements together. The children had an excellent day and got medals at the end.

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Safer Internet Day Ahead of Safer Internet Day on Tuesday 10th February, the whole school took part in computing workshops and assemblies focused on online safety.

Each Year 6 class had individual Digital Skills for Life workshops, which focused on online bullying, group chats, and the safe use of AI. Years 3–5 attended the One Good Choice assembly, while Reception to Year 2 enjoyed the Internet Safety Wizards assembly.

These sessions supported pupils in learning how to stay safe, make positive choices, and use the internet wisely.

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RI Fire Station Visit This term, Reception have been learning all about people who help us, as part of this topic we visited Plaistow Fire Station. The visit gave the children a wonderful opportunity to learn about the important role firefighters play in keeping our community safe.

During the visit, the children were able to explore the fire station and learn about the different types of equipment firefighters use in their everyday work. They took turns using the hose to put out pretend fires, got on a real fire engine and asked lots of questions about what firefighters do in different emergency situations.

The firefighters were incredibly welcoming and took the time to explain their jobs in a child friendly way, helping the children understand how to stay safe and who to call in an emergency. It was a lovely day out for Reception they enjoyed every part of the visit.

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Year 2 Library Visit Year 2 enjoyed a purposeful and engaging visit to the school library this week. The children were introduced to the organisation of the library, learning how fiction and non‑fiction books are arranged and how to use labels and sections to find what they need. They took part in a guided exploration of different genres, discussing favourite authors and discovering new books to try.

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Visitors from Peterborough The Head of School Improvement for Peterborough City Council and 20 Head Teachers from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough including RISE Advisor Lesley Birch Deputy CEO of Meridian Trust visited Tollgate.

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CONTACT US

https://theboleyntrust.org/

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