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Attendance Data Belowistheattendanceandpersistentabsencedatafromacross the Trust for the period of Monday, 24 Nov 2025 to Friday, 12 Dec 2025.

Group Name

Attendance

Persistent Absence

Tollgate Primary

94.4%

13.6%

Shaftesbury Primary

92.9%

17.0%

The Clara Grant Primary

92.5%

13.8%

Monega Primary

92.4%

10.1%

Cleves Primary

91.8%

15.5%

New City Primary

91.8%

18.0%

Ravenscroft Primary

91.7%

19.2%

Rosetta Primary

91.0%

23.4%

Cross Trust Moderation New City were delighted this term to welcome friends and colleagues from Clara Grant and Tollgate for a moderation session. The focus of the session was to look in depth at Writing and Handwriting in Years 3 and 4. It was an extremely productive session which generated some good professional dialogue. We look forward to the next session later on in the year to once again share good practise.

Congratulations Congratulations to Cleves, Tollgate and Rosetta for featuring in The Sunday Times Parent Power league table of the best primary schools. This is becoming a Christmas Tradition for The Boleyn Trust!

Autumn term highlights It has been a truly wonderful term at Cleves! We are so proud of everything our pupils have achieved and the vibrant experiences they’ve enjoyed. To celebrate, we’ve gathered some of the best moments from this term in these photos – a snapshot of the learning, creativity, and joy that make Cleves special. Happy holidays to everyone across the Boleyn family!

Reception This week in Reception, our parents attended our ‘Stay and Read Day’. We were proud to show them how well we use our phonic sounds to help us read and write. We also read some of our favourite Christmas stories, such as, ‘Mog’s Christmas’ and ‘We’re going on an Elf Chase.’

Year 4 Year 4 had an engaging and interactive Mandarin lesson this week. They have successfully started learning to read and write the days of the week, months, and years in Mandarin.

Year 5 We are delighted to share the wonderful success of our recent Year 5 storytelling and performing arts project. The children showed tremendous creativity and enthusiasm throughout the project—designing and crafting their own puppets, learning to play traditional Indonesian musical instruments, and practising their storytelling skills with confidence and flair. It was fantastic to see parents in attendance, enjoying the performances and supporting the children’s hard work. Your presence made the event even more special for the children.

Caterlink Baking Year 2 enjoyed a special baking session with Chef Paris from Caterlink. The children learned how to follow a simple recipe, measure ingredients, and work together to make delicious shortbread. A huge thank you to Chef Paris for giving our young bakers such a memorable experience.

Spreading Christmas Cheer Monega students delivered boxes of goodies to the NewWay Project for people facing homelessness. The team were overwhelmed by their kindness and the Christmas cheer they helped spread. A special thank you to Just Smile for their extra donation and support.

Christmas Concerts Last Friday, we held our Christmas Concerts for our parents showcasing the incredible talent of our children. The highlight was the Year 1 and 2’s stunning performance of the Nativity play. The parents in attendance were delighted, and they left with full hearts, proud of the hard work and dedication our pupils had put into their performances.

Christmas Lunch and Jumper Day This week, we all put on our most colourful and creative Christmas jumpers for a fun-filled day of celebrations. The school was filled with joy and happiness and we all embraced the Christmas cheer together. The highlight of the day was the delicious Christmas lunch, a festive traditional feast with all the trimmings and then of course, pulling the Christmas crackers with friends! The Christmas jumper day and lunch provided the perfect opportunity for everyone to come together and celebrate the magic of the season.

Chaplin’s Pantomime Our pupils were treated to a magical experience this week as Chaplin’s Pantomime of Dick Whittington came to Monega, bringing an extra dose of Christmas cheer to the season. The children were captivated by the lively performance, filled with comedy, vibrant costumes, and all the classic pantomime fun. The children laughed, clapped, and cheered along with the actors, fully immersing themselves in the show. For many of our children, this was their first experience of a traditional pantomime, and they thoroughly enjoyed the show. 17

Monega’s Winter Fair This week we held our annual Winter Fair, an evening packed with festive fun for the whole community. One of the main attractions was Father Christmas in his Grotto. Children lined up eagerly to meet Santa and receive a special treat. The fair also featured a bouncy castle and a variety of stalls offering everything from homemade crafts to delicious festive snacks. The highlight of the day was the amazing raffle, with incredible prizes up for grabs. It was a perfect way to celebrate the season and spread a little extra joy within the Monega community.

Christmas Jumper Day and The Great Reindeer Run! On Friday we enjoyed another successful Christmas jumper day, in aid of ‘Save the Children,’ alongside our ‘Reindeer Run’ for St Joseph’s Hospice. Having worked up an appetite our children (and staff) all got together to enjoy a Christmas Dinner. It is certainly beginning to look a lot like Christmas at New City!

Fair Play House Some of our PP and Disadvantaged children were invited to Fair Play House last week to take part in a number of exciting activities including, abseiling, climbing, crawling through caves and cooking over an open fire. The children thoroughly enjoyed the day and returned to school with plenty of stories and new experiences to share with their class friends. Great fun was had by all!

Key Stage 1 Nativity Show On Monday our parents and carers joined us for the ever popular (tearjerker) Key Stage one Nativity Show. This is of course the highlight of many proud parents and carers year and the children and staff did not disappoint. After hours of practising the songs and narrated lines the children put together a show stopping day to remember as they retold this very special story during this very special time of year.

Winter Fair Last week New City hosted our annual Winter Fair in collaboration with our PTA. It was a truly wonderful event with the whole school community coming together for an evening of joy and fun. Parents and carers had the opportunity to play games, eat delicious food and even meet Father Christmas (who had made a special trip over from Tower Hamlets!). We look forward to many other special events in the New Year.

Christmas Bonanza We held our Christmas Bonanza on Monday which was a fun event and very profitable! We had many stalls selling various Christmas items including fluffy socks, pen sets, jewellery, cups and straws, LED toys and many more! There was also a Snow Pong game which proved to be a hit and was very noisy too. There was many a sweet treat to be bought, including popcorn, sweet cones, lollipops, hot chocolate and mince pies. Another popular stall was the biscuit decorating station, the children loved to create their own masterpiece and then quickly eating it! The bonanza was so popular that we managed to sell out of everything within 45 minutes!

Christmas Jumper and Christmas Dinner On Wednesday we had our Christmas Jumper Day, raising money for ‘Save the Children’. This was also our Christmas Dinner day, we had music playing in the hall and the staff all sat and ate with the children. It was a lovely atmosphere and everyone enjoyed it.

Christmas Movie Night This December, the Ravenscroft Wellbeing team hosted our first ever Movie Night to raise money for future events Each child paid £2 to watch the film, eat popcorn and have a drink. KS1 loved watching ‘The Polar Express’ and KS2 watched ‘Elf’. The event was a great success and we will be repeating this again next term.

Decorating the Tree at East London Cemetery Our Year 5 pupils were given the opportunity to decorate wooden stars to hang on the Christmas tree in the East London Cemetery. Each child could paint, or colour or glue on decorations to the star to make it their own. Ten pupils were then chosen to visit the cemetery and hang the decorations onto the tree and were then treated to hot chocolate and biscuits. It was a lovely experience for the children to take part in.

Horizon 22 Visit Our Year 2 pupils visited the Horizon 22 building for the first time. They took the bus all the way to Aldgate which they enjoyed as it was quite a long journey! On arrival, they got into the high-speed lift which was an exciting experience for them. At the top of the building is one of the tallest viewing platforms in London with views across the capital. The children were able to point out all of the different landmarks.

Nursery Stay and Play at Christmas Our Nursery and Reception parents were invited to a ‘Stay and Play’ this week. The parents watched their children doing a short performance with Christmas dance and songs. Everyone had so much fun with the different activities that we had made including ‘paint the ice sculpture’, ‘decorate a biscuit’, and ‘build the chimney for Santa’ and many more! The children later had a nice hot chocolate drink with the biscuit they’ve decorated and watched the Christmas movie ‘The Snowman’.

Year 1 Christmas Journey Story Year 1 visited the FourSquare Gospel Church to take part in the Christmas Journey Story. There were several stations that told different parts of the story which the children could interact with, including Mary & Joseph, the Three Wise Men, an Angel and the King. At the last station, they sang songs using sign language and they finished off their session with a drink and biscuits.

Out and About Just a snapshot of some of the various schools we have visited over the last few weeks. Some of these schools are new partner schools to LDE, so we are delighted to welcome them into our partnership. Craig was at All Saints for an NPQH session and the conference room is next to the school chapel where pupils were singing carols, so all very festive!

NPQSL at Cleves

We ran more NPQs Welcome Conferences this week. THANK YOU to Cleves Primary School for hosting this new cohort of budding school Senior Leaders. You can see our very own Rubel Aloum Principal at The Clara Grant Primary School facilitating the session in his role as a Visiting Fellow for Ambition Institute! We hope you enjoyed it, Rubel! THANK YOU to Liza and everyone at Cleves for hosting.

Trainee teachers at the English Hub Every year our trainee Teachers visit Elmhurst Primary in Newham to visit the English Hub where they are immersed in a Phoincs showcase and receive training on how to teach early reading. Rosetta our Director of Teacher Training oversees or 50 trainees across Primary and Secondary settings across the LDE TSH area.

Research Project Our trainee teachers, and one of our amazing ECTs at Tollgate, are involved in a research project being led by UCL and the University of Surrey into how new teachers perceive neurodiversity in their pupils. The research project will visit Jess at Tollgate to work on a case study investigating how new teachers cope with the neurodiversity of students in their classes. Once finished the university will develop CPD for all teachers, providing strategies for teaching Neurodiverse pupils. This will hopefully feed into better initial teacher training for new teachers around all pupils with SEND.

Christmas Crafts in the Rainbow Room We had so much fun at our Christmas Craft afternoon. The children loved exploring the Christmas sensory activities after enjoying a very festive Christmas lunch. Thank you to the parents that came along to celebrate with us.

KS1 The Twinkly Nativity Year 1 and 2 performed a special nativity show called The Twinkly Nativity. We followed the mega star which told the story of how baby Jesus was born. We plodded along to Bethlehem where all the Inns were full. Mary and Joseph finally found a place to stay where the most amazing miracle took place to two ordinary people. It was a great performance and everyone worked so hard.

Reception People in Our Community We have been learning about people in our community, with a special focus on our school kitchen staff. As part of our learning, we did some baking together. The kitchen staff prepared the dough for us and we had the fun job of cutting out different cookie shapes before putting them in the oven to bake. We also talked about the kitchen staff’s jobs and everything they do for our school. We learned that they work hard to make our yummy school dinners every day. Afterwards, we enjoyed eating our cookies together and shared what we enjoyed most about our baking experience.

Reception Christmas Performance A warm and festive atmosphere filled the school hall on Monday as the Reception classes presented their annual Christmas concert. Families gathered to watch the children sing songs, perform simple dances, and share the Christmas story with confidence and charm. The pupils’ enthusiasm brought smiles to every face. Staff praised the children for their hard work in rehearsals, calling the performance a joyful start to the school’s Christmas celebrations.

Cooking Year 6 had a fantastic time today making bread with a professional chef! They learned all about the science of bread and how it is formed, and all about different flavours from around the world. They could choose what shapes/designs they wanted to create and add a mixture of different ingredients to their dough. Everyone loved the session, and said they are super keen to help out more in the kitchen at home now!

Gamelan Project Year 3 has been taking part in the Gamelan Project for the last few weeks. This week, the children performed to Year 2. The theatre was prepped, lights were dimmed, and the stage was set up, ready to perform. The puppeteers, musicians and the narrators were extremely confident when performing to the children in Year two. The musicians were in sync, and all the puppeteers used their voices with confidence and expression to say their lines. This cross-curricular project included elements of music, D & T through puppet making, as well as understanding light and shadows in science.

Year 3 have been enjoying learning how to play the Gambang Kayu (Indonesian Xylophone) with their Mallets. All pupils learnt the pinching technique and were very engaged during practice.

Pizza Express – Attendance Trip Children from Years 1 to Y6 thoroughly enjoyed their lovely treat, for their 100% attendance last academic year at Pizza Express. They all enjoyed the food and each other’s company too. The children were all well-behaved, followed the school’s 5Cs and did Shaftesbury proud!

Our Reading Rainforest The Reading Rainforest is fully functioning for upper KS2 from this week. The Reading Rainforest has become a real favourite with our pupils! Children love spending time in this calm, book-filled space and choosing new stories to take home each week. Our book selection is updated regularly to keep reading exciting and engaging — it’s wonderful to see pupils so enthusiastic about discovering new authors and sharing their favourite books with friends.

Santa Visits Shaftesbury! We had Santa visit all the children in each class – he came with presents for all! Do you recognise Santa?

The Journey of Rhythm and Dance to the Caribbean On Monday some of our Year 6 children were taken on a trip to the theatre in Stratford! We enjoyed an interactive performance of ‘The Journey of Rhythm and Dance to the Caribbean’ and even learned some traditional Caribbean dance moves. The lady who hosted the performance taught us about the importance of Rhythm and Dance in Caribbean culture and how it inspired people to remain joyful even in the hardest of times. A particular highlight of the performance was the Caribbean drumming, which we were surprised could be both relaxing and energetic at the same time!

Winter fair The Winter Fair was a huge success! Children enjoyed taking part in all the festive activities.

Year 1 Children in 1T have been learning about Christmas and the reason that gifts are given. Today they created friendship bracelets to give as presents to their loved ones.

Christmas Performance Children from reception and Year 1 sang beautiful songs for their families. The turn out was fantastic!

Clara Grant Christmas Concert Our recent Christmas Concert was nothing short of magical. It was wonderful to see every child take part and showcase their hard work and creativity. From the festive songs to the heartfelt performances, the concert truly captured the spirit of the season and brought our school community together. The dedication shown by our pupils was inspiring. They rehearsed tirelessly to ensure every moment was special, and their efforts paid off with a performance that filled the hall with joy and pride. A special mention must go to our Key Stage 1 children, who performed the Nativity with such confidence and enthusiasm. Their storytelling and singing were a highlight of the event, reminding us all of the meaning of Christmas.

talent within our school. Seeing the children shine on stage was a proud moment for staff, families and friends alike. It was also a wonderful opportunity for pupils to build confidence and share their achievements with the wider community. We are so grateful to everyone who supported the event, from staff who worked behind the scenes to families who encouraged and cheered on our performers. The smiles on the children’s faces said it all—this was an experience they will remember for years to come. Thank you to all who joined us and helped make the Clara Grant Christmas Concert such a success. It was a perfect way to end the term and celebrate the joy of learning, creativity and togetherness.

The concert was more than just a performance—it was a celebration of teamwork, perseverance and the incredible

Year 6 Explore Sustainability and Aspirations with Into University Our Year 6 pupils recently took part in the IntoUniversity Programme, an inspiring experience that combined learning about sustainability with exploring future aspirations. The children began by investigating what sustainability means and why it matters. They discussed the issue of food waste and researched practical solutions to reduce it. They also explored the work of famous campaigners who have championed environmental causes, deepening their understanding of global challenges. As part of the programme, pupils learned about how animals adapt to their environments. This came to life in an unforgettable hands-on session where they were able to touch and hold a tarantula, snake, cockroach, frog and even a giant snail. These encounters sparked curiosity and helped the children

appreciate the incredible diversity of life on Earth. To consolidate their learning, they created vibrant posters showcasing the environmental figures they had researched. The day also introduced pupils to the concept of university and the choices available for further education. They discovered what university life is like and reflected on the opportunities it can offer. Each child wrote about their personal aspirations and presented their ideas to the group, sharing dreams for the future and the steps they might take to achieve them. This programme was a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to think critically about sustainability, engage with science in a hands-on way and begin imagining their own educational journeys. We are proud of the enthusiasm and creativity they showed throughout the experience. 54

Parents Take Part in Mental Well-Being Workshops Parents from across the school community attended a workshop designed to deepen their understanding of mental well-being and explore practical ways to support both their children and themselves. The sessions introduced the concept of emotional wellness, highlighting its importance in helping families navigate everyday challenges. During the workshops, parents learned a range of soothing strategies, including deep breathing and box-breathing exercises, which they were encouraged to practise and use at home. They also received expert guidance from a senior leader from the Tower Hamlets Educational Wellbeing Service, who shared valuable insights into recognising signs of stress, promoting resilience, and creating supportive routines for children.

The event concluded with an open questionand-answer session, giving parents the opportunity to seek personalised advice and further clarify how they can continue fostering positive mental health within their families. The workshop was well received and marked an important step in strengthening the partnership between school and home in supporting children’s well-being.

Clara Grant Primary School Selected for Specialist Tutoring Programme by England Rugby Captain Maro Itoje

We are delighted to share that Clara Grant Primary School has been chosen by England Rugby Captain Maro Itoje to receive funding for a specialist tutoring programme supporting children in English and Maths. This incredible opportunity means selected pupils will receive highquality, personalised tutoring every Friday, helping them strengthen key skills and keep pace with their peers.

We feel extremely fortunate to have been chosen for this programme. Opportunities like this are rare, and we are determined to make the most of it. Maro Itoje’s commitment to championing education and providing resources for young learners is truly inspiring. His support reminds us that when communities come together, we can create lasting change.

This initiative is a significant boost for our school community. The additional support will not only improve academic confidence but also create a strong foundation for future success. By focusing on core subjects, the programme ensures that children who need extra help receive it in a structured and nurturing environment. The benefits will extend far beyond the classroom, inspiring pupils to approach learning with renewed enthusiasm and resilience. 56

Year 4 Visit All Hallows Church, Bow Year 4 children enjoyed an inspiring visit to All Hallows Church, Bow on 26th November as part of their RE learning on Christianity and the Bible. Reverend Cris welcomed the pupils and explained that although the Bible has been translated into many languages over thousands of years, its message has remained the same because all translations come from the original ancient texts. The children learned that the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek. Reverend Cris showed the class a range of Bibles, highlighting that they come in many shapes and sizes. He described the Bible as a library of 66 books—39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. The Old Testament contains events from before Jesus, while the New Testament tells of events after His birth. Pupils were also intrigued to hear about the prophecies found throughout the Bible. The visit helped bring their RE learning to life, leaving the children with plenty to think about and discuss back at school. 57

Reception Emotions Workshop This week, Reception took part in an emotions workshop aimed at supporting their social and emotional development. Throughout the session, the children explored a wide range of emotions and feelings, learning to identify and name different emotions. They had discussions about their own experiences, thinking about how they feel in different situations and the strategies they use to manage those emotions. They were introduced to a variety of simple breathing techniques to help them calm their bodies and regulate their emotions. These strategies will continue to be used in the classroom to promote emotional wellbeing and self-regulation. The workshop was a lovely experience for the children and has helped them with their emotional awareness both inside and outside of school.

Reception Panto Visit This week, Reception enjoyed an exciting trip to the Stratford Theatre to watch Mama Goose. From the moment they arrived, the children were filled with excitement. The show was full of dancing, singing and colourful characters that captured their imaginations. The children loved the performance and joined in with smiles, laughter and plenty of clapping. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to experience live theatre, and many talked about their favourite scenes all the way back to school. They loved the trip and can’t wait to write about the fantastic day they had.

Resource Provision Choir This week, our wonderful Resource Provision became a choir and visited a nearby care home to share the joy of the season with its residents. The children sang a selection of festive songs, filling the room with warmth and smiles. It was a heartwarming experience for everyone involved, as music brought generations together and created special moments of connection. We are so proud of our pupils for their enthusiasm and kindness—what a beautiful way to celebrate the spirit of giving!

Year 1 Christmas Visit This week, Year 1 enjoyed a wonderful trip to our local church, where the children watched an interactive retelling of the Nativity story. They were captivated by the actors and loved seeing the Christmas story brought to life. It was a joyful and memorable experience for everyone!

Year 2 Visit Buddhist Temple Our Year 2 pupils enjoyed a fascinating visit to the local Buddhist temple as part of their learning about different religions and cultures. The children were warmly welcomed by the temple community and had the opportunity to explore the peaceful surroundings. During the visit, they learned about key Buddhist beliefs and practices, including meditation, mindfulness, and the importance of kindness. The children saw statues of the Buddha, listened to explanations about the symbolism of the temple’s features, and asked thoughtful questions about the way Buddhists live their faith. The children returned to school inspired and eager to share what they had learned about Buddhism and its values of compassion and peace.

Year 4 PE trip This week Year 4 had an inspiring day at the Para and Inclusive Sports event exploring a variety of activities designed to promote understanding and empathy. Pupils learned how to adapt and play sports with different limitations, experiencing first-hand the importance of resilience, teamwork, and inclusion which is at the heart of our school. The children finished off the session with an Arts & Crafts session which they all thoroughly enjoyed!

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