Heads Up - Friday 18th September 2026 by TheBoleynTrust

Heads Up Friday 18th September 2026

CEO’s Welcome Dear Colleagues, I hope you’ve had an enjoyable and restful summer break and have been able to spend time with family and friends. I’m delighted to welcome you back and to write to you for the first time as Chief Executive Officer of The Boleyn Trust. It’s a genuine privilege to take on this role, and I’m looking forward to working with colleagues across all our schools and services. Our Trust is built on the commitment, expertise, and care of its people. Whatever your role, you make an important contribution to the education, opportunities and support we provide to our children, families, and communities. I want to thank you for everything you do and for the energy and dedication I know you’ll bring to the year ahead. The start of a new academic year always brings a renewed sense of purpose. There will undoubtedly be challenges, but there will also be many opportunities to build on our strengths, learn from one another, and continue improving what we do. I’m committed to ensuring that we remain ambitious for every child, supportive of our staff and united as one Trust. Over the coming weeks and months, I look forward to spending time in each of our schools, meeting more of you and listening to your experiences and ideas. I want us to maintain an open and collaborative culture in which colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to contribute.

Sarah Lack

For now, I wish you a positive and successful start to the new academic year. Thank you in advance for the warmth and support you’ll give to our children, families, new colleagues, and one another as everyone settles back in. Welcome back, and I look forward to the year ahead.

Sarah 2

Below is the attendance and persistent absence data from across the Trust between Wednesday, 2nd September and Friday, 11th September 2026

Attendance

School

Attendance

Persistent Absence

The Clara Grant

96.2%

13%

Cleves

95.6%

17.7%

Tollgate

94.8%

17.6%

Shaftesbury

93.9%

17.7%

Ravenscroft

93.6%

19.5%

Monega

92.2%

22.1%

Rosetta

90.7%

25.1%

New City

90.2%

27.6%

Full Board Meeting The Trustees had their first full board meeting of the academic year. Trustees received important updates from Trust leaders around finance, attainment, and attendance, and many other areas. The Trustees meet several times a year to challenge the Trust leaders, both online and in person.

Welcome to our new Nursery pupils In the Nursery this week we welcomed our new children and their parents. We explored the different activities around the Nursery such as building, writing, counting fishes and using different tools to exercise our muscles. We also read a variety of stories about starting school such as Spot Goes to School and When a Dragon goes to school. We had lots of fun.

Year 3 Art Along with Reading, Writing and Maths, the children have been collectively creating 3D artistic displays that are relevant to their learning this year for the perfect learning environment in 3H and 3HN. We have made 3D models, then mixed paints to create the perfect shade of colour which were used to paint the new creations.

Year 2 Explore Place Value This week, Year 2 pupils have been exploring place value using Dienes equipment. They used hundreds, tens and ones to build numbers, compare quantities and deepen their understanding of how numbers are made. The hands-on activities helped children develop confidence and explain their mathematical thinking with their peers.

A New Start The halls of Monega have been filled with smiles, excitement and energy as our pupils return for a brand-new school year. Looking smart in their new uniforms and eager to begin new adventures, children have settled back into school life brilliantly. There has been lots of excitement about meeting new teachers, making new friends and discovering all the wonderful opportunities that lie ahead. We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm and positive attitudes our pupils have shown, and we look forward to a year full of learning, growth and success for everyone in our Monega community.

Back in Books At Monega, our books are like gold, filled with our neatest writing, ideas and hard work. Our pupils are excited to be back in the classroom, ready to pick up their pencils and produce their very best writing every day. Our pupils understand the importance of presenting their work neatly and are working hard to ensure their best handwriting is seen in every lesson. We look forward to seeing this commitment, effort and pride continue to grow as the year progresses, with every child determined to do their very best each and every day.

Our New EYFS Starting school is a very special milestone, and we are incredibly proud of our new Early Years children as they begin their journey at Monega. For many, this is the first time they have said goodbye to their parents and carers for the school day, and they have shown such bravery, resilience and enthusiasm as they settle into their new environment. Our youngest pupils have been busy exploring their classrooms, making new friends and engaging in exciting learning experiences. With the support of our caring staff, they are already growing in confidence and independence each day. We know that starting school can be an emotional time for families, but it has been wonderful to see so many smiling faces and eager learners ready to embrace this new adventure. We look forward to watching our Early Years children flourish and thrive throughout the year ahead.

Start of the Year Self Portraits This week, pupils at Monega enjoyed creating self-portraits, using a range of artistic techniques to capture their individual features and personalities. It has been wonderful to see their creativity, concentration and pride in their finished artwork. The portraits are a fantastic celebration of the unique children who make up our school community.

New Year, New Staff! I am a Psychology BSc graduate with a particular interest in developmental psychology and completed my PGCE to pursue my goal of becoming a teacher. Having attended New City as a child, I experienced first-hand the impact teachers can have on both academic and personal growth. This inspired me to become a teacher so that I can help children overcome challenges, build confidence, and become the best versions of themselves. Teaching is more than just education for me; it's about making a lasting difference in a young person's life. Working at New City and within the Trust allows me to support children in the same way I was supported and to help them thrive both academically and socially. Miss Akhtar Year 3 (top left) ‘Hi, my name is Miss Hassan, and I wanted to become a teacher because I have always been passionate about helping children learn, grow, and believe in themselves. I love seeing those moments when a child discovers something new or gains the confidence to tackle a challenge. Teaching gives me the opportunity to make a positive difference every day, support young people in reaching their potential, and inspire a lifelong love of learning. Being part of each child's journey is incredibly rewarding, and I am proud to be a teacher at New City Primary School’. Miss Hassan Year 2 (bottom right)

Our new pupil leaders We are delighted to introduce our new Pupil Leaders for this academic year at New City Primary School. These children have successfully applied, campaigned, or interviewed for their roles and will play an important part in helping to make our school an even better place for everyone. Through leadership, teamwork, and responsibility, they will act as positive role models for their peers while contributing to the continued success of our school community.

Our School Council consists of elected representatives from every year group who meet regularly with school staff. They gather ideas and opinions from their classmates, ensuring that pupil voice is heard. By contributing to discussions and decision-making, they help shape school improvements while developing valuable leadership and communication skills.

Our Eco Warriors are New City’s green ambassadors, promoting our vision of Global Citizenship. They encourage environmentally friendly practices throughout the school, lead initiatives to reduce waste, and raise awareness of how we can all make positive choices to protect our planet and care for our local environment.

Our Digital Leaders (left) work alongside Mr Dutch to promote online safety, responsible technology use, and digital learning. They support pupils in developing the knowledge and skills needed to stay safe, confident, and successful in the digital world. This term, we also introduced our Diversity Ambassadors (below), whose role is to champion equality, respect, and inclusion. They celebrate the rich range of cultures, backgrounds, religions, identities, and beliefs within our school community and help ensure that everyone feels represented and respected.

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Police Visit

At the end of term Year 5 and 6 took part in a cyber police workshop in which they learnt valuable information about online safety. It was an informative and engaging presentation teaching them important lessons in how to keep themselves safe online and all our pupils benefitted from it greatly.

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Welcome to Reception We have welcomed our new Reception children to Ravenscroft. The children have settled in really well and are having fun learning already!

Messy Play This week our class explored the topic of ‘Ourselves’ through a wonderful messy play session. The children were encouraged to use their hands and develop their fine motor skills through a range of sensory activities. First they practised transferring materials using rice and small scoops and bowls, focusing on pouring, scooping and sharing. Next, they explored different textures and cause and effect with cornflakes and shaving foam using large rollers to crush and mix the materials. There was lots of excitement as they watched the texture change. Finally, the children enjoyed washing their baby dolls. They were encouraged to clean them using soap and water whilst adults modelled the language around the body parts. This supported communication, self-care and understanding of our bodies. It was a fantastic sensory-rich session which was enjoyed by all with lots of smiles, exploration and learning. A big thank-you to the Well-Being team who funded all of our messy play items.

Summer Funday Our Summer Funday was on the last day of term so we were unable to share the pictures until now. The day was split into two different areas, one for the younger children and the other for the older ones – both were equally fun though! In the younger zone, the children were able to bounce around on the bouncy castles and play with the games stations which included the traditional fairground game of ‘hook a duck’ and messy play sections. The older zone also featured inflatables including giant slides and football goals. There was a giant game of snakes and ladders and ‘hook a duck’ too. We had music playing and the children were dancing and singing along. The Friends of Ravenscroft organised and paid for an Ice-Cream van which was in the playground for every child to have an ice-cream or lolly which went down well as it was such a hot day. We also had popcorn, candy floss and drinks available – this was a very popular place to be! The day was funded by the Well-Being team who have been raising money by hosting events such as ice-cream and cake sales, Christmas and Eid after-school events and sponsorship activity. sessions to name but a few. 24

Staff Accolade Barbara French Barbara is one of our fantastic midday supervisors. She has worked at Ravenscroft for the past 22 years. Over the last couple of years, Barbara has swapped her duties from patrolling the playground at lunchtimes to hearing children read during lesson time. She works with children from Reception up to Year 2. She played the role of Queen Elizabeth II during our Platinum Jubilee celebrations back in 2022. She played her part so accurately, the children really thought that she was the Queen! Thank you for all the work you do with the children!

Maths Genius One of our Year 6 Resource Provision children is extremely talented mathematician and has been helping Mr Barker teach factors and prime numbers. His level of knowledge and his ability to work with numbers is amazing – who knows… maybe he could be an Oxford Maths Professor in the future!

Reception settling in Our new Reception children have had a wonderful first week and have settled in so well! They have enjoyed exploring the different provision activities, making new friends and becoming familiar with their new classroom routines. They have been learning how to sit nicely on the carpet, show good listening, follow instructions and line up safely in a straight line. The children have also done brilliantly at lunchtime, sitting independently in their designated areas and enjoying their food. They have learned to wait patiently for their turn, carry their food safely using a tray and, most importantly, take responsibility for tidying away their trays, cups, plates and cutlery when they have finished. We are so proud of how confidently the children have approached their first week. Well done, Reception, on such a fantastic settling-in week

Year 3 Rock Detectives This week in Science, Year 3 have been busy exploring and classifying rocks! The children were given a variety of different rocks and challenged to identify whether they were igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic by carefully examining their properties. The children thoroughly enjoyed this hands-on learning experience and showed great enthusiasm as they investigated each rock. Using a flow chart to guide their thinking, they were able to look closely at the different properties and successfully identify the types of rocks they had in front of them. It was wonderful to see the children working scientifically, discussing their observations and using their knowledge to become brilliant rock detectives!

Year 5 No Pen Day Our first day back was full of fun, teamwork and communication in Year 5 as we had our first 'No Pen Day' of the year! The children had heaps of fun from creating their names out of LEGO to learning their names in sign language. They also got to show off their communication and teamwork skills as they were challenged with creating a stack of cups without using their hands. As you can guess, they all succeeded with flying colours and were eager to try again and again!

Year 6 - Fossils This week, Year 6 have been learning all about fossils and how they provide us with evidence about life that existed millions of years ago. To bring their learning to life, the children became palaeontologists for the day! They carefully created their own fossil imprints using clay and Plaster of Paris, thinking about how fossils can form when organisms leave impressions that are gradually preserved over time. The children had to work carefully and patiently as they created their moulds and poured in the Plaster of Paris. It was a fantastic hands-on opportunity for the children to apply their scientific knowledge, develop their practical skills and see how fossils can provide us with clues about the past.

100% Attendance What a fantastic day for our Shaftesbury attendance champions! Congratulations to all the children who achieved 100% attendance and earned a special reward trip. The children enjoyed a fun-filled visit to the cinema to watch ‘Minions vs Monsters’ followed by a delicious meal at Pizza Express, where they tucked into dough balls, cheese and tomato pizza, and finished with a refreshing ice lolly! They showed excellent behaviour throughout the day and had an amazing time celebrating their hard work, commitment, and dedication to coming to school every day. Well done — we are so proud of you! Kaasam Khan (Year 4 teacher)

A Staff Wedding! Congratulations to Miss Cara O'Connor (now Mrs Black) from Tollgate who got married over the summer break. She previously worked with us at Shaftesbury in Reception for 2 years and has now moved on to Tollgate. The children she had taught in RK at Shaftesbury and RMR at Tollgate produced some beautiful heart felt messages in the summer term with lovely illustrations that were all shared at her wedding on the day. Thank you to Miss Kicman (Shaftesbury), Mrs Moss and Miss Simona (Tollgate) for managing to collect all of these in secret before the summer holiday. Each piece of work from both classes were displayed on a special board at the wedding.

Culture Day We celebrated Culture Day on Wednesday 15th July. On the day, the children learnt about a country and prepared and enjoyed a dish from their selected country. We would like to celebrate the different countries that our children are from. Please send your child to school wearing their cultural clothes or clothes to represent the country that they will be learning

Geography During the summer term, Year 4 have been learning about travel, tourism and sustainability by comparing London and St Lucia. They explored how tourism can bring benefits to places by creating jobs and attracting visitors but also how it can have negative effects on wildlife and the environment if it is not managed carefully. Using their knowledge of tourism in both London and the Caribbean island of St Lucia, the children applied what they had learnt to design their own sustainable islands. Working in groups, they divided their islands into three zones: a Green Zone (Save It) to protect wildlife and natural habitats, a Blue Zone (Explore It) for environmentally friendly visitor activities such as guided walks and swimming and a Red Zone (Build It) where hotels, shops, and docks could be located. They ensured that at least half of their island remained green for animals and created strict visitor rules to encourage responsible tourism. Through this project, the children developed their understanding of how tourism can be planned in a way that balances the needs of visitors, local communities, and the natural environment. Miss Mulla (Year 4 teacher) 36

Sports Day Our younger year groups participated in a selection of events on our playground running track. Support from parents was at an all-time high with record crowds coming to watch their children. Congratulations went to all our winners and participants who gained points not only for their class but also their house team. Years 4, 5 and 6 headed over to West Ham Park for their annual sports day. Houses Anthony, Cooper and Ashley battled it out on the track and field, competitively demonstrating their sporting ability. There was cheering, sportsmanship and a fantastic display of the 5cs. Pupils, teachers and parents thoroughly enjoyed their athletic day out, performing in both teacher and parent races. Shaftesbury rounded off their action-packed term with a very special sports assembly which celebrated both the effort and ability of our pupils. We all enjoyed a performance from Miss Edgar and her dance troop at the assembly. Congratulations to Anthony on being the overall winners this year!

Noah Lown Physical Education Coordinator & Sports Coach . 37

Sports Day Continued...

Summer Projects Here are two of the project boards that pupils created over the summer with their families. Shayan in 2T created a board on Llandudno Pier in Wales as he visited family there during the holiday. Asraa was proud of her 'sealife' themed board she produced with her sisters at home. Well done to both, who have only just gone into Year 2.

Music at Clara Grant Music is a valued part of life at Clara Grant and is enjoyed by children across the school. Through engaging lessons and enrichment opportunities, pupils have the chance to develop their musical skills, explore different styles of music and learn to play a range of instruments. Music lessons help to build confidence, creativity and teamwork, and it is always wonderful to see the enthusiasm and enjoyment that children bring to their learning. We are proud of the opportunities our pupils have to express themselves through music and develop a lifelong appreciation for the subject.

New Nursery Children We are delighted to welcome our new Nursery children and their families to Clara Grant this term. Starting school is a very special milestone, and it has been wonderful to see our newest learners settling into their new environment with smiles, curiosity and enthusiasm. We look forward to supporting them as they begin their learning journey, make new friends and develop the confidence and skills that will help them thrive throughout their time at school. Welcome to the Clara Grant family!

School Council Our School Councillors play an important role in representing the views and ideas of their classmates. Each councillor has been elected democratically by their peers, giving pupils the opportunity to have their voices heard and contribute to the school community. Working closely with Mr Aloum, the School Council meets regularly to discuss ways to improve school life, share suggestions from their classes and help bring about positive change across the school. We are proud of the leadership, responsibility and commitment shown by our councillors as they work to make Clara Grant an even better place for everyone.

New Reading Areas Open We are delighted to introduce our new reading areas, which have been created to provide pupils with welcoming spaces to relax, enjoy a book and develop a love of reading. These exciting additions would not have been possible without the support of the wonderful volunteers from Skanska, who generously gave their time and effort to help bring our vision to life. Their hard work has transformed these spaces into inviting environments where children can enjoy a quiet read, share books with friends and immerse themselves in stories. We are incredibly grateful to everyone involved and would like to extend our sincere thanks to Skanska for their continued support of our school community.

Beach Trip What a fantastic day our Year 2 children had on their exciting trip to Canvey Island! The beach was full of smiles, laughter, and adventure as Tollgate truly took over the shoreline. The children enjoyed a variety of fun activities, before cooling off with a delicious ice cream. The children had great fun at the park and even paddled and splashed in the sea. With music playing on the beach, there was plenty of singing, dancing, and joyful memories made throughout the day. The trip was a wonderful opportunity for the children to learn, explore, and enjoy the outdoors with their friends. Their excellent behaviour and enthusiasm made us all incredibly proud. After such a fun-filled day, it was no surprise that most of the children were fast asleep on the coach journey home.

EYFS This term, our EYFS classes, Nursery and Reception, has been focusing on the vital topic of Settling In. The children have enthusiastically engaged in a variety of learning activities designed to help them adjust to their new environment and foster a sense of belonging within the classroom community. They have learned to build relationships with their peers and practice essential social skills, such as sharing, turn-taking, and communicating effectively. The students participated in numerous group activities that encouraged teamwork and collaboration, enhancing their confidence as they navigated their new surroundings. Furthermore, they explored the classroom rules and routines, which empowered them to take responsibility for their actions and understand the importance of being respectful to others. Overall, the Settling In topic has provided a strong foundation for the students, allowing them to feel secure and eager to learn as they embark on their educational journey this year.

Gamalan Year 1 has been exploring the vibrant culture of Indonesia over the past few weeks! They’ve been busy creating shadow puppets to tell the story of an evil king, inspired by traditional Indonesian storytelling. Along with this, they’ve enjoyed playing the Gamelan, a traditional Indonesian instrument. They also learnt about Indonesian animals and brought them to life through their own shadow puppets, making for an exciting and creative learning experience! All their work culminated in a performance for the parents which was a wonderful experience for all.

Coffee Mornings Recently we have hosted a series of coffee mornings on a range of subjects from Mental Health to meeting the Teachers for our EYFS and Key Stage 1 parents. Through hosting these coffee mornings we are aiming to strengthen relationships between staff, parents, and the wider school community. These informal gatherings provided a welcoming space for conversation, sharing updates, and discussing school initiatives. Each session focused on a different theme—ranging from curriculum developments to wellbeing support—encouraging open dialogue and feedback. Attendance has been positive, with parents appreciating the opportunity to connect and contribute to school life in a relaxed setting.

Year 2 Early Career Teacher Conferences at The Platinum Suite at Excel London

420 Y2 ECTs over 4 days

The theme is embedding numeracy, literacy and oracy into all lessons across Secondary and Primary for early career teachers just starting Year 2 of their statutory ECT Induction.

Rowena and Ruksara organise everything across the week and welcome all delegates. Everything from invitations, reminders, directions, attendance, food and refreshments.

Trainee Teachers Welcome Conference 2 We held our second welcome conference for our 50 trainee teachers last week. In the CEO’s office at Tollgate, making use of the revamped servery. Thank you to Elana and Rosetta for running the trainee induction. 57

NPQSL Conference 2 We are also holding our second NPQ Leadership conference at Tollgate. NPQ for Senior Leadership NPQ SENDCo NPQ Early Years.

NPQ Early Years Leadership Rohan and Mandy - Head and Deputy from Rebecca Cheetham Nursery School in Newham lead on the NPQ for Early Years.

Secondary Trainee Professional Studies at Clara Grant Rosetta has started holding Secondary trainee sessions at The Clara Grant to make use of the wonderful space on the top floor. Every two weeks the Secondary trainees will visit Clara with our Secondary specialist facilitator Ruth from Harris Academies. Thank you to Rubel and Nadia at Clara for making this possible. 60

January ECTs Meanwhile the January and April ECT Cohorts carry on with online clinics.

Along with a new ECT programme curriculum map for 26/27.

Kiran Gill - ex Deputy Head at Barking Abbey Secondary School leads on this cohort.

Along with a new ECT programme curriculum map We have also made our LDE mission statement more visible for 26/27. For our mission, vision and values please visit the website at www.londondistricteast.org

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