Headteacher News
Dear Parents and Carers
As we wrap up the Spring Term of the year, I'm thrilled to share the incredible achievements and moments that have made us all proud. Here's a glimpse into the standout activities from our curriculum and beyond this month.
World Book Day was an absolute joy, with the school buzzing with children dressed as their favourite book characters. The highlight was the "travelling teacher" and the vibrant parades that captivated everyone's imagination.
Our Climate Change Programme concluded with the Green Classroom initiative for this year. A group of children created a newsroom, engaging in drama and literacy to produce news desk segments. We also immersed the children in a week of dynamic outdoor learning at Cherry Tree Woods. Sessions like 'Green Guardians', 'Now is the Time!', and 'Trees are Heroes!' were not only educational but also a creative outlet for the children to express their understanding of climate change.
A visit to the Houses of Parliament was organized by Ms Gillingham (DHT), offering a group of children a first hand experience of democracy and politics. Following this enriching day, we're excited to host Catherine West MP on April 19th. Given our current focus on budget constraints stemming from the cost of living, educational austerity measures, and declining birth rates, the children from the school council plan to discuss our funding challenges with her, especially concerning school maintenance such as our toilets and outdoor spaces.
Financially Fiscal: With the cost of living rising and budgetary constraints tightening, attracting more young families to our school has never been more critical. We encourage you to help promote our school to young families. The decline in birth rates has led to smaller class sizes in our reception classes, affecting our budget significantly. Despite common misconceptions about the difficulty of securing reception places due to high demand, we hope to attract more families. Our families come from diverse locations within Haringey, not just Muswell Hill, highlighting the community's reach. Your word-of-mouth recommendations are invaluable to our school's financial stability and future.
Parent Feedback Fuels School Development: Thank you to the parents who shared their thoughts on behaviour and wrap-around care. Your feedback is key to improving our school. We look forward to a series of parent coffee meetings next term to discuss our 3-year plan as well as sharing further surveys on home learning and playground ideas.
Head Teacher Parent Coffee Meetings
These meetings are to meet myself and some of the Senior Leadership Team to help us develop our 3-year school development plan. If you cannot attend the scheduled meeting time, you're welcome to join any of the alternative sessions.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our Senior Leadership Team, all the staff, and children for their dedication and hard work. Your efforts truly make a difference.
Seasonal Wishes: As the holiday season approaches, I wish all our families a joyful Easter, Eid, and Holi. Enjoy this well-deserved break, and I look forward to welcoming back your bright, sunny faces on Monday, 15th April.
Annie Ashraf
Headteacher