TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE AUTUMN TERM | SEPTEMBER 2026 | ISSUE 1
THE
TSM GAZETTE
Welcome to our monthly newsletter! Your go to place for news, upcoming events, success stories, ways to get involved and more!
TEACHERS SPOTLIGHT
YOUNG VOICES
WHAT’S COMING UP
A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD TEACHER HELLO EVERYONE
We have an amazing staff team at TSM and consider ourselves very lucky to be able to share in your child’s and families lives and to educate and shape their young lives. It is always a real treat to see our children returning throughout their lives, once they have left at the end of Year 6, no matter how old they are. As some of you may be aware, some of our staff, me included, have been at TSM so long, that some of the children we taught are now our parents. TSM definitely gives all our young learners the very best start in life and that is down to a number of things; the dedication of our staff and the support, the collaboration of our parents and the hard work of our children.
and welcome back to the new academic year for 2026-2027. We hope that you had a wonderful sun filled summer and that you had fun and relaxed. It has been so wonderful to see all the children with smiles on their faces, running in through the school gate, each morning. The end of week 3 this Autumn term and already we have done so much! So far the children have learnt about the new rules around allergies and what to do if someone has an anaphylactic reaction. The children have voted in their new school, faith and Eco Councillors, please head to page 5. The new House Captains and Vice Captains have also been voted in. Father Jonathan has led us in two church collective worships linking our Christian Vision, to new beginnings and spirituality and we have raised money for Jeans for Genes charity along with meeting our new school nurse, Louise.
Please continue to check out our school website:www.tsm.wandsworth.sch.uk for more information regarding school life. There will be updates on class pages and around the curriculum coming shortly, so please keep your eyes peeled.
Our PTA has been rejuvenated and I would like to give a ‘big shout out’ to Nadine for all her help getting this off the ground and huge thanks to all those parents who have so willingly come forward to help, by attending coffee mornings, filling in surveys or agreeing to be class reps. For further information on the PTA and how you can get involved, please see pages 6-9.
Thank you to our whole school community, for the love and support you have given our small but high achieving school.
For those new families, welcome to TSM. It is wonderful to have you as a member of our TSM family and we hope your children will enjoy their time here and that they will flourish, learn and have fun. Please do not hesitate to ask myself or my staff for help with anything you may need, we are always here to help you and your child. l
Miss Anderson Head Teacher
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MEET SOME OF OUR GOVERNORS SARAH
I was born and raised in South London, I grew up in a small family who are the most important part of my life. I started my career in retail and then achieved an entry level role in HR, I have worked in HR for the last 12 years working in the education sector, non for profit and most recently globally for a life science company. I was extremely honoured to be asked to be a school governor in 2025 and it has now become one of the most important roles in my life and to be part of the TSM family makes me extremely lucky to be around such inspirational parents, teachers and governors.
JENNY
I became a parent Governor at TSM. I work in the advertising & communications industry. I believe all children deserve an education that meets their holistic needs.
Jenny DIANE I live and was brought up in Balham and attended Trinity St Mary’s School when it was St. Mary's School. I then went to Garratt Green which is now Burntwood School.
Sarah
Diane LIZZIE
I have been working in education for 15 years, mostly in the private sector and in the creative arts. I’m one of the PCC nominated governors, Chair of the Curriculum committee and I also sit on the Personnel Committee.
HAYLEY I was born and raised in South Africa, a country that shaped who I am and gave me a strong sense of family, community, and caring for others. I came to the UK in 1998 with my husband to travel and experience life in a different country. I have always enjoyed being involved in my community and supporting others, which led me to become a governor at TSM - the school where both my children have attended. I became a governor in 2014 and now proudly serve as the Chair of Governors as well as Safeguarding Governor.
Lizzie
FR. JONATHAN
I have been the vicar of St Mary's Balham since 2023 and serves as an ex-officio governor. He has special responsibility for the RE syllabus and pastoral care at the school.
Fr. Jonathan
Hayley 3
THE OFFICE EDIT A message from the School Office
We would like to introduce ourselves! We are Debra Bennett, School Business Manager, and Vikki Didd, Administrative and Attendance Officer. We are here to support our students, families and staff and to help keep the school running smoothly each day. The school office is open to parents and carers from 7.45am to 4.00pm. Our office is a very busy part of school life, and there is always plenty going on behind the scenes! To give us some uninterrupted time to complete essential tasks, the office will be closed to visitors and telephone calls between 10.00am and 11.30am. During this time, you are welcome to leave a message on our answerphone or email the office at sao@tsm.wandsworth.sch.uk and we will get back to you as soon as we can. We know that sometimes you may have a question, concern or problem that needs to be resolved. We kindly ask that everyone treats our office team with the same courtesy, patience and respect that we encourage in our children. By communicating calmly and working together, we can find the best solution for everyone. We are always happy to help! Attendance and Punctuality The school gates open at 8.40am, and children should be in their lines ready to Free School Meals and Pupil Premium classrooms at 8.48am, with Please ensure the school office has the enter National Insurance numbers and dates of registration at 8.50am. birth for both parents/carers, where Good attendance and punctuality are applicable. This information enables us to essential for children’s learning, wellbeing check your child’s eligibility for Free School and development. Every day at school provides valuable opportunities to learn, Meals each year. Identifying eligible pupils ensures the build friendships and grow in confidence. school receives the appropriate Pupil Please inform the school office as soon as Premium funding, which helps us provide possible if your child will be absent or late. valuable support, opportunities and For medical appointments, please email of the appointment to resources to improve educational evidence sao@tsm.wandsworth.sch.uk. outcomes.
Debbie & Vilki
Clubs Club charges are now available on Arbor. Please check your account and ensure that all club fees are paid on time. Outstanding fees may mean that your child is unable to attend clubs next term. If you are experiencing any difficulties with payments, please come and speak to us so we can discuss how we may be able to support you. Thank you for helping us keep payments up to date.
Leave of Absence during Term Time Please remember that holidays and leisure activities during term time are not automatically authorised. If your child needs to be absent due to exceptional circumstances, a leave of absence request form must be completed before the planned absence. Each request will be considered individually by the Headteacher, who will decide whether the absence can be authorised.
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YOUNG VOICES Our school, our voices, our future. The Young Voices page is all about celebrating the children at Trinity St Mary’s and giving them a platform to share their ideas, achievements and experiences.
HOUSE CAPTAINS & VICE CAPTAINS
SCHOOL COUNCIL Nevaeh, Marly, Ilinca, Kaeson, Emma, Oliver & Narai
We’re delighted to introduce our House Captains and Vice Captains, who will play an important role in bringing their houses together, encouraging participation and helping to build a strong sense of school spirit throughout the year.
ECO COUNCIL Lucy, Davyd, Khalila, Paris & Ruby-Rose
FAITH COUNCIL Anna, Jacob, Elijah, Seraiya & Caspian
ST GEORGE’S Charlie (Captain) Davyd (Vice-Captain)
We’re incredibly proud of all our pupil representatives for stepping forward and taking on these responsibilities.
ST ANDREW’S Anna S (Captain) Simon (Vice-Captain)
Their voices, ideas and enthusiasm are an important part of what makes our school community so special.
ST PATRICK’S
Throughout the year, Young Voices will keep you up to date with what our pupils are getting involved in, from pupil-led initiatives and environmental projects to house competitions, fundraising, celebrations and the ideas they’d like to see brought to life.
Parker (Captain) IIinca (Vice-Captain)
ST DAVID’S Lucy (Captain) Jaiden (Vice-Captain)
We can’t wait to see what our young leaders achieve this year!
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We’ll also be shining a spotlight on our School Council, Faith Council and Eco Council representatives. These pupil leaders have an important role to play in listening to their classmates, sharing their ideas and helping to make a positive difference within our school and wider community.
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YOUR NEWLY FORMED PTA Together We Can Do Great Things! We’re delighted to introduce our newly reignited PTA and are so excited about everything we have planned for the year ahead! Firstly, a huge thank you to all the parents and carers who took the time to complete our recent PTA survey. Your feedback, ideas and suggestions have been invaluable. We’ve listened carefully to everything you shared, and each piece of feedback is being taken on board as we begin putting plans into action. For a detailed look at what you told us, please turn to page 4, where you’ll find an in-depth infographic taking you through the survey results.
PTA OVERVIEW
LOOKING AHEAD…
We’re delighted to now have 10 members forming our core PTA team. Together, we’ll be working closely with the school and our wider parent community to help create opportunities, raise funds and support initiatives that benefit our children and our school. To help us stay connected and make it easier for everyone to get involved, we’ve also created three WhatsApp groups: Volunteers Group: For anyone who would like to lend a hand at PTA events and initiatives. Events & Updates Group: For keeping up to date with upcoming PTA news, events and opportunities. Year Group Representatives Group: Connecting our year group reps and helping share information across each year. If you’d like to join any of these groups, please reach out to me or your Year Group Representative and we’ll be very happy to add you. To find out more about your Year Group Representatives, head to page 6.
I’m personally so excited about the next few months. We already have a number of initiatives in the works, ranging from practical changes such as improving how we manage lost property and second-hand school clothing ; both areas highlighted in our survey through to some really exciting events and activities for our children and families. We had dish a high interest in volunteer reading, and pleased to share that Miss Brewster is working on a rota for this! There’s lots to come, so stay tuned!
CELEBRATING…. Finally, we wanted to dedicate our first newsletter of the term to Miss Anderson, who is celebrating an incredible 25 years at Wandsworth, and 17 years at Trinity St Mary’s this month! What an amazing milestone and achievement. From all of us at the PTA and the wider school community, congratulations, Miss Anderson!
🥂
Nadine PTA Chair
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YOU SAID, WE HEARD, LET’S DO
🗣️YOU TOLD US… Your responses gave us a clearer picture of the things you would like to see, the skills you can offer and the ways you would like to be involved
🙌 A FEW THINGS STOOD OUT • 38% said they would like to volunteer. • 49% people chose a Christmas Market and 32% chose a Family Picnic. • 35% people were interested in reading with children. • Event planning and social media were the most selected skills, which we would love to help shape some new ideas. • Friday was the most popular day for workshops or gatherings.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” — Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
• You would like more opportunities for parents to get involved. • You would like more events that bring children, families and parents together. • You would like stronger communication and more chances to share ideas. • You would like the school to build stronger links with the wider Balham community. • You value a school community rooted in Christian values.
🔍WHAT WE’LL EXPLORE NEXT
• Creating a simple parent volunteer and skills network. • Planning a balanced programme of family, social and fundraising events. • Developing more opportunities for parentled reading, careers and enrichment activities. • Improving communication and giving parents advance notice of opportunities. • Exploring ways to reconnect with the wider local community.
👂WE HEARD…
There is a real appetite for connection, participation, enrichment and community. We also heard that people have different amounts of time available, so involvement needs to be flexible and accessible; from helping at one event to sharing a skill or simply keeping up to date. These are the areas we would like to explore in response to your feedback. We will keep you updated as ideas develop and opportunities become available.
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OUR NEW PTA GROUP REPS As of this month we have a newly revitalised PTA! We have the core working group, year group representatives and volunteers for events and reading! Thank you again to everyone who took the time to complete our PTA and school community survey. Your responses gave us a clearer picture of the things you would like to see, the skills you can offer and the ways you would like to be involved. Please see page 7 for results
Nikki (Year 5)
Janos (Year 1 & 2) Selina (Year 3 & 4)
Louise (Year 6)
Meet Our Parent Year Group Representatives Our Parent Year Group Representatives are a friendly link between parents, the PTA, and the school helping to keep families connected, informed and involved in school life. Each year group has parent representatives who are there to: Keep parents connected by sharing PTA and school news, updates and information about upcoming events and activities. Encourage involvement by helping parents find out how they can support or get involved with the PTA and school events. Listen to parents and gather ideas, suggestions and feedback from families within their year group. Help build our school community by encouraging parents to get to know one another and creating opportunities for families to come together. Support PTA and school events and activities by helping to spread the word and, where possible, encouraging volunteers and participation. We are very grateful to all our parent representatives for giving their time and helping to make our school community such a welcoming and connected one. We would love to add a Nursery/Reception Rep to this awesome group! If interested please reach out.
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TEACHERS SPOTLIGHT Hi, I’m Miss Brewster! I live in Clapham with my husband, Tom, and I’ve been teaching for 11 years, eight of which have been here at TSM.
Miss Brewster
One of the things I love most about TSM is the wonderful small-school community feel. I really enjoy getting to know all of the children and families so well, and as the Year 6 teacher, it’s always particularly special when former pupils come back to visit us!
I’m a big reader, which is probably why English and Guided Reading are two of my favourite parts of the school week. Surprisingly, with my current class, I’ve also really been enjoying teaching Art this year - I think the children might actually be helping me improve my own artistic skills! Outside of school, I enjoy going on long hikes in the Lake District and meeting up with friends. When it comes to food, I love a (non spicy!) ramen from Wagamama and a Greggs vegan sausage roll as an occasional treat! Most of all, I feel very lucky to work at TSM alongside such a dedicated and hardworking staff team, who all care so much about giving every child the best possible outcomes.
COMPETITION TIME
📚 WIN A VERY SPECIAL SIGNED BOOK! 📚 QUESTION How many years has Miss Anderson been teaching at TSM?
2026 is the National Year of Reading, and to celebrate, the PTA has a very special prize up for grabs! We have a signed anniversary edition gifted by Hachette children’s publisher of I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child, celebrating the book’s 25th anniversary; and one lucky Trinity St Mary’s pupil will have the chance to win it! How to Enter Simply answer the question and email your answer to pta@tsm.wandsworth.sch.uk by Friday 1st October. Please include: Your answer / Your name / Your child’s name / Your child’s year group The winner will be announced at Tuesday’s Collective on Tuesday 6th October. Good luck.
🎉📖
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THE VICAR’S CORNER
Fr.. Jonathan MacNeaney
What set Jesus apart, however, was his approach to education, especially regarding children. In first-century society, children held very little social status and were rarely considered worthy of a teacher's time.
Vicar, St Mary’s Balham
JESUS THE TEACHER When we think of Jesus’s early life, the image of a carpenter’s workshop comes to mind. We imagine him amidst sawdust and wood shavings, learning a practical trade from Joseph, his father. It is a grounded image that reminds us of his humility and humanity. Yet whilst he may have spent more years as a carpenter, the years that the Bible records show us him working as a teacher. As we reflect on his ministry aged 30-33, a compelling question emerges for our school community: was working with wood his true life’s work, or was his more significant calling found in the classroom of the world?
Yet, Jesus deliberately turned this cultural norm upside down. When his disciples tried to shoo children away, Jesus rebuked them, saying, "Let the little children come to me." He did not just include them; he elevated them, telling his adult followers that they needed to become like children to understand the kingdom of God. For us at Trinity St Mary’s, this leaves a profound legacy. Jesus serves as the ultimate role model for our own dedicated teachers here in Balham. He models an education rooted in empathy, patience, and accessible storytelling. More importantly, he models a classroom where every child is seen, valued, and deemed capable of understanding deep truths.
When Jesus is addressed in the gospels by the crowds, his disciples, and even his critics the most common term they use is "Teacher". In first-century Palestine, teaching was a highly respected spiritual and social office. While Jesus did not follow the conventional, elite scribal path in Jerusalem, he operated within the Jewish tradition of oral instruction. He taught in local synagogues, open fields, and marketplaces, utilising the standard rabbinic methods of his day, such as parables, aphorisms, and debates on the Jewish Law.
As a church school, we inherit and seek to embody this ethos. Our teachers are following in a grand tradition of nurturing the whole child, mirroring the warmth and inclusivity that Jesus showed two thousand years ago. The next time you think of Jesus, think of him as the teacher who reshaped how we value our children.
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SPOTLIGHT ON….MUSIC We teach a wide repertoire of songs, giving every child the opportunity to find their voice and develop a genuine love of music.
miss Adar - Bosompra Head of Music
Music has always held a very special place in my heart, and perhaps even more so because my own musical journey began right here at Trinity St Mary’s Church of England Primary School. I attended this school as a child, and it was here that my love and appreciation for music was nurtured. The opportunities, encouragement and experiences I had as a pupil stayed with me long after I left. So, when the opportunity came for me to return to Trinity St Mary’s, it felt like coming home. I returned not only as a class teacher, but also as Head of Music, because I wanted to give back to the school that had given me so much. It is incredibly special to now be able to provide the same sense of excitement, creativity and opportunity for a new generation of children. We want our pupils to experience the joy of music in the same way I did - and, where possible, to have even more opportunities to discover where music can take them. At Trinity St Mary’s, we are incredibly proud of the rich and diverse bank of musical opportunities we offer our children. Our musical journey takes us from the joy and energy of gospel singing to Coldplay and contemporary pop artists, ensuring that our children experience a wonderfully broad range of musical styles, cultures and traditions.
One of the highlights of our musical year is our involvement in the Wandsworth Music Vocal Project, where our children have the amazing opportunity to perform at Fairfield Halls every December and are children have also performed at The Festival Hall or Royal Albert Hall. These are truly special experiences. The children learn how to sing together as an ensemble, develop their understanding of harmony and experience the incredible feeling of performing on a professional stage. Watching our children stand proudly on stage, singing together in beautiful harmonies, is a moment of immense pride. Our musical opportunities don't stop with singing. We are fortunate to introduce our children to a variety of instruments, including the violin, allowing them to develop practical musicianship, discipline, listening skills and creativity. We are also incredibly excited about our plans to introduce African drumming, opening up yet another exciting musical world for our pupils and giving them the opportunity to explore rhythm, culture, and heritage and ensemble performance. We firmly believe that every child deserves the opportunity to experience the transformative power of music. Music gives children a voice. It teaches them to listen to one another, collaborate, persevere and celebrate each other's achievements. It builds confidence, encourages creativity and gives children the chance to shine in ways they may not always be able to in the classroom.
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For me personally, this is more than simply delivering a music curriculum. It is about creating the opportunities that I was fortunate enough to experience as a child and ensuring that the children sitting in our classrooms today can develop the same passion and confidence that music gave me. However, maintaining such a vibrant and ambitious music curriculum requires investment. Instruments need to be purchased and maintained, specialist opportunities need to be funded, and performances and projects come with costs. We are determined that financial circumstances should never prevent our children from accessing these incredible experiences. This is one reason why we regularly host our much-loved Music Extravaganzas. These events are a wonderful celebration of our children's musical achievements, giving pupils the chance to showcase everything they have been learning throughout the year. They are occasions filled with singing, instruments, enthusiasm and an enormous amount of pride - both from the children and from the adults watching them.
“MUSIC REALLY DOES HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE A CHILD'S WORLD - AND AT TRINITY ST MARY’S, WE WANT EVERY CHILD TO EXPERIENCE THAT MAGIC.”
But in order to continue providing these opportunities; and to expand what we can offer in the future. We need your support. We are currently seeking funding for new speakers and sound system for our school hall. Every contribution, however large or small, will help us to keep music thriving at Trinity St Mary’s and ensure that our children continue to have access to inspiring, high-quality musical experiences. I know first-hand what a difference a school can make when it gives a child the opportunity to discover a love of music. I am living proof of that. I was once a child sitting in these classrooms, discovering my own musical voice. Today, I have the privilege of standing on the other side, alongside my staff colleagues, helping the next generation discover their voice and passion. Together, we can ensure that the music continues to play, the children continue to sing, and every pupil has the opportunity to discover their own musical voice.
Our next Music Extravaganza takes place Tuesday 20th October at 2:30PM
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RECENT EVENTS & SUCCESSES
🌱 A Wonderful Community Event
What a wonderful community event we enjoyed this month at St Mary’s and St John’s Divine! The PTA created an Eco Passport for children and families, featuring three activities at our station where participants could collect a stamp at each stop. It was fantastic to see families getting creative by designing their own plant pots and planting seeds of their choice. It was also lovely to meet the other local stalls and vendors and connect with members of our wider community. Miss Anderson also had the pleasure of meeting two local Councillors, Cllr Shirin Georgiani (Labour) and Cllr Kristin Botting (Conservative).
🌱
🧁 MacMillan Afternoon
A huge thank you to all our wonderful bakers and cake donations, family and community member who donated cakes and supported our MacMillan Afternoon! Your incredible generosity helped make the event a fantastic success. Following feedback from our PTA survey, we tried something different this year with a cake decorating sessions for everyone to get creative, have fun and enjoy time together. We raised an incredible amount and all for a good cause.
💙 Jeans for Genes Day
A huge thank you to everyone who took part in Jeans for Genes Day! It was wonderful to see so many children, families and staff getting involved by wearing denim, blue and showing their support. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who made a donation. Every contribution, big or small, will help make a difference to children and families affected by genetic conditions. Thank you for helping us come together, have some fun and raise money for such an important cause. Your generosity and support are truly appreciated!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS NURSE LOUISE We are delighted to welcome Louise to the TSM team as our new School Nurse. Louise brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience to her role, and we are very pleased to have her as part of our school community. With a strong focus on the health, wellbeing and individual needs of our pupils, Louise will work closely with children, parents and colleagues to provide professional advice, guidance and support across a wide range of medical and wellbeing matters. Louise will be holding 20 minute 1:1 sessions on Friday 2nd October with parents / carers. If you would like to book an appointment please either let the office know or send an email to the school via your Arbor appointment.
AUTHOR VISIT WITH PIERS TORDAY On Thursday 1st October 2026, Author Piers Torday is coming to chat with Years 4, 5 and 6. We are also, hosting two other schools, Rutherford House and Alderbrook. In addition to this, the Deputy Mayor Councillor Kirsten Botting is also coming to the event.
OUTGREW - PRE LOVED UNIFORM Outgrew was created to help families reduce the cost of school uniform, and from this term, schools in England are expected to make second-hand uniform available to their communities. Nadine, Nikki and Nicola spent time sorting out the pile of clothes that were left over the summer. Those that were still in good condition and had no name attached have been, categorised, photographed and now on our dedicated page where moving forward staff can list donated or lost property uniform directly; and sell it year-round. More information coming soon
EXPLORE LEARNING We’re delighted to announce that the school is now partnering with Explore Learning, who provide personalised Maths and English tuition for children aged 4–16, both online and in-centre. We’re excited to welcome Explore Learning into our school community and look forward to sharing more about what they offer our families. Keep an eye out for the Explore Learning at upcoming school events! Their team will be joining us at selected events, giving parents and carers the opportunity to meet the team, find out more about their programmes, ask questions and explore whether their tuition could be right for their child. We look forward to working together and helping our families discover the opportunities available through this new partnership!
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TSM’S CHRISTMAS MARKET We’re planning a magical Christmas Market packed with festive fun for the whole family; and we’d love your support to make it happen!
🎁 🎅 🎄
DONATE | LEND | BAKE VOLUNTEER | SPONSOR
❤️ How you can help
🧁 | ⭐
There are lots of ways to support the Christmas Market, whether you can donate an item, provide a raffle prize, lend equipment, bake something delicious or give an hour of your time to support a stall. Even the smallest contribution will help us create a magical evening. Please contact pta@tsm.wandsworth.sch.uk if you can assist with any of the above.
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OCTOBER HALF TERM Perform, a children’s drama, dance and signing provider have kindly provided us with a special offer £30.00 discount code for any of their curriculum based Explorer workshops. To use this discount please quote SFTL, at the time of booking. This discount can be used for future dates as long as it is booked before the 28th October.
USEFUL LINKS Follow us on Instagram @tsmbalham and Facebook. Every like and share can help with visibility and enhance our footprint across the Balham community.
AMAZON WISHLIST
Trinity St Mary’s C of E Primary School
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
TSM’S OCTOBER GAZETTE WILL BE PUBLISHED: FRIDAY 23 RD OCTOBER