Friday, 19th July 2019

Headteacher: Mr Darren Jones

No. 5

Headteacher Message

The summer holidays are nearly upon us and sadly I pen my final newsletter to you all as

Headteacher. It has been a special four years and I have enjoyed every minute of getting to

know you and making Grove Park a vibrant and stimulating place to be. We are at the top of

the league tables for standards, have an enviable cutting edge curriculum, talented and

creative staff and great families. Grove Park is definitely a dynamic place to be and has firmly

established itself as the leading primary school in Chiswick.

This term has been as action packed as ever! Our exciting Discovery Week has taken place

where we learnt about maths and science using our problem solving skills. We have visited

Legoland, the London Aquarium, Perivale Woods and many more. Celebrating Empathy Day

was a highlight with the award winning author visit from Onjali Rauf inspiring us with her

latest novel. We will shortly be receiving two prestigious curricular awards for our work in

Science and Geography. The first the Silver Award for Geography from the Geographical

Association and the Science Quality Mark. Both exemplify our keen commitment to providing

the most enriched, top quality and stimulating primary curriculum for all our children.

Many of the enrichment activities which complement our stimulating and exciting

curriculum are supported by the PTA. I would like to say a big thank you to the PTA ably led by

Fiona and Rani over the last two years. This is a demanding role and they have been superb! It

was another scorcher of a Summer Fair and was a special time for the school community to

come together in the lovely way Grove Park does. It was once again a roaring success.

The Year 6 production of Mary Poppins was breathtaking and could indeed rival any west-end

production. The singing, dancing and acting was of the highest quality and I know everybody

thoroughly enjoyed watching it! We are saying a fond farewell to our superb Year 6 children as

they embark on their next adventure of secondary school. We are immensely proud of them,

they achieved stunning results in their SATs this year.

Both Year 6 & Year 2 achieved great results in their SATs this year (the results are currently

awaiting validation). These results reflect the high standard of teaching and care children

receive from the moment they enter our Nursery or Reception classes and highlights the

success of our wonderful curriculum and outstanding school. To have such high levels of

children working at greater depth is a fantastic accolade.

Grove Park is a hub of creativity, a stimulating place to grow and learn with a strong

community identity holding it firmly together. I will always keep the school dear to my heart as

I embark on the next stage of my career, grateful for the many friendships forged and the

privilege of having led such a remarkable school. I wish you all happiness, success and much

love always.

Wed, 4th September Children’s first day back

Mon, 9th September Y5 Meet the Teacher & Camping Presentation @ 3:15pm

Tue, 10th September Y6 Meet the Teacher @ 3:15pm

Wed, 11th September Y4 Meet the Teacher @ 3:15pm

Thurs, 12th September Y3 Meet the Teacher @ 3:15pm

Fri, 13th September Y2 Meet the Teacher @ 3:15pm

Mon, 16th September Y1 Meet the Teacher @ 3:15pm

Bank Holiday Change

Monday, 4th May has now changed to Friday, 8th May 2020

Year 2

On Thursday, 4th of July Year 2 had the best day ever because they got to go to LegoLand! It was a super

special treat for ending Key Stage 1. When they got to the park, they split into groups and tried to go on

as many rides as possible! Their favourites were the Viking Rapids, Scarab Bouncers and of course the

Drivers. Then, they went to a super fun computing workshop, where they made their own monsters out

of Lego and used coding to make them change colour and make noises- how cool!

Miss Barton & Miss Taylor - Year 2 Class Teachers

Year 1

On Monday 24th June, Year One went to visit London Aquarium! We had a workshop all about how

animals can adapt to where they live. Did you know that seahorses have tiny fins on their head to help

them steer when they swim? We also found out that penguins have two different types of feathers. They

have some fluffy feathers to keep them warm and they also have a layer of waterproof feathers so they

can go in the water. After our workshop, we had a chance to look around the Aquarium and see all the

different creatures. We saw sharks, penguins, turtles, jellyfish and all sorts of beautiful fish!

Miss Alderson - Year 1 Class Teachers

Year 4

On Friday 14th June, Year 4 visited Go Ape in Chessington for a Tree Top Adventure. Whilst climbing the

trees, the children were pushed to their limits - conquering fears and overcoming challenges. The

children were so supportive of their friends and cheered each other along. Some of us decided to really

push ourselves and repeating the course and/or facing the zip wire! Mr Hardman, Teddy and Miss

Leatherland joined in and completed the course, though it wasn’t as easy as they thought!

Year 4 also thoroughly enjoyed India Day on Thursday 20th June. The children cooked a traditional

Indian chickpea curry which was accompanied by chapattis (a thin flatbread) and raita (a pomegranate

dip). Afterwards, we learnt how to Bhangra Dance and learnt a fun routine.

Miss Leatherland & Miss Hiscock - Year 4 Class Teachers

Year 3

The summer term year 3 have had an amazing time! We have got stuck into our topic of Stone Age to

the Iron Age and have completed lots of wonderful pieces of art! Our highlight of the term was visiting

Perivale Woods at the end of Science and Maths week to take part in their forest school. We were able

to collect and look at bugs as well as making our own dens and throwing water on them to see if they

were weather proof!

Miss Gallagher & Mr Hibbert - Year 3 Class Teachers

Year 6

Year 6 have had an extremely busy year and their summer term has been no different. Jam-packed with

auditions, rehearsals, SATS results, production nights…the list is endless. For the last 6 weeks, both Elder

and Oak have been in and out of rehearsals, working together to put on the production of Mary Poppins.

We have had so much fun putting on East London accents, dancing on ‘rooftops’ and coming up with fun

choreography. Last week, the time had come to finally show off our hard work and perform to the school

and Year 6 parents. The children were absolutely superb. They wowed everyone with their vocals and

dancing, showing that dedication and team work are the key to success.

Miss Irwin & Miss Arnaouti - Year 6 Class Teachers

Year 5

What an exciting summer it has been for Year 5. At the start of this term we ventured to Thames Young

Mariners for an overnight camping trip, during which we learnt how to kayak and build a raft. Splashing

the teachers was a particular highlight for many of us. During the evening we were treated to a 5 star meal

from Mr Hardman where we indulged on pasta and garlic bread. We fell asleep next to our friends in

tepees that could sleep 8 of us after a bit of hot chocolate. After a really long sleep, we woke up had a bit

of brekkie and packed up our things to head home. Thankfully, we had the day off on Friday to help us

recuperate and catch up on some much needed sleep!

Mr. Holmes Reed & Mr. Charlesworth - Year 5 Class Teachers

The Allotment/Edible Garden

At Grove Park, we are extremely fortunate to have a beautiful allotment/Edible Garden. This year, we have

grown courgettes, broad beans, strawberries, cavolo nero, cabbages, spring onions, garlic, potatoes, onions

and radishes. Most of the produce goes to the school kitchen where it is used to conjure up delicious school

lunches.

We have also acquired some fantastic containers which are outside the classrooms. The children in each

year have looked after their vegetables and have taken their responsibilities extremely seriously particularly

Year 5 (Hawthorn). Come and look at all the herbs and vegetables!

If any parents or carers would like to help by taking small groups of children to the allotment, please see

me. Absolutely any help would be fantastic!

Mrs Walter TA Year 3 (Hazel)

The Summer Reading Challenge and Schools

Libraries are great places for children to discover reading for pleasure and there is no better time to do this than during the long summer holidays.

The Summer Reading Challenge is designed for children between the ages of 4 and 11. It is completely free and last year 699,076 children took part in libraries across the UK. Every year the Challenge has a new theme. The Summer Reading Challenge 2019 theme is Space Chase, an out-of-this-world adventure inspired by the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.

Children taking part in the Challenge will join our super space family, The Rockets, for a thrilling mission to track down books nabbed mischievous aliens!

Space Chase will feature bespoke artwork from top children’s illustrator, Adam Stower, and will celebrate adventure, exploration, reading and fun!

https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/

Mr Charlesworth - Literacy Co-ordinator

Year 6 Leavers’ Party

Thank you to all the Y6 parents for the amazing fundraising which has taken place over recent months. The money raised contributed to making the Year 6 Leavers’ Party a huge success! There was the annual water fight with water balloons and water guns, a disco bouncy castle with lots of pop music, a doughnut eating contest, tug of war, karaoke, pizza and much much more!

When asked for their favourite foods, the children’s wish list consisted of lemonade, pizzas and sausage rolls. A special thank you to Sainsbury’s for helping fulfil the children's wishes by providing us with free pizzas which were enjoyed by all. Sainsbury's generosity also ensured that there were enough doughnuts for all the children to play the ’no hands’ doughnut eating game. Thank you!

The water fight was legendary. Every single child (and the teachers) were absolutely soaked. We wish all of Year 6, the best of luck in secondary school, we will miss you dearly.

Vicky Rodrigues - School Business Leader

Yum Yum in my tum!!

School lunches for the Autumn Term will be available to be paid on Parentmail (PMX) in September.

Unless you’re Free School Meals everyone in Years 3-6 is required to pay for school meals. If you have changed

your child’s lunch provision to a packed lunch then let the office know promptly.

Please ensure that school lunches are paid up-to date and remember that payment is due in advance of meals being

taken.

Sports Day

This year, Sports Day was held in a different location which proved successful! Lucas (a member of Year 6 Elder) commented, “It was great to have Sports Day in a different place.”

Next year, other Houses hope to overtake the two leaders who will be hoping to retain the trophy for many reasons including; ‘bragging rights’.

A handful of Year 6 members were forlorn at the thought of not partaking in another Sports Day at Grove Park Primary School. Damian, a Year 6 pupil quoted “I hope the next Sports Day is as fun and well-organised as this one. We think that everyone will agree that it was a very successful event.”

Mr Rick - PE Co-ordinator

KS2 Lunches are £2.30 per day, which is £11.50 per week

First half of term: £75.90

Second half of term: £87.40

Term Dates 2019/2020

Autumn Term 2019

TERM DATES Wednesday, 4th September – Thursday , 19th December 2019

HALF TERM Monday, 21th October – Friday, 25th October 2019

* Inset Day Friday, 8th November 2019

Winter Term 2020

TERM DATES Monday, 6th January - Friday, 3rd April 2020

HALF TERM Monday, 17th February – Friday, 21st February 2020

Summer Term 2020

TERM DATES Monday, 20th April - Friday 17th July 2020 * Bank Holidays Friday, 8th May 2020

HALF TERM Monday, 25th May – Friday, 29th May 2020

* Inset Day Monday, 20th July 2020

* Inset Day Tuesday, 21st July 2020

Important reminder!

Please be reminded that because of children's SEVERE ALLERGIES, this school is a NUT, KIWI & PINEAPPLE FREE ZONE. This includes in your child’s lunchbox, boxes of chocolates, tropical juice and birthday cake brought in. Please check ingredients.

Calendar of Events - Autumn Term 2019

Monday, 2nd September Inset Day (school closed for children)

Tuesday, 3rd September Inset Day (school closed for children)

Wednesday, 4th September Children back to school

Friday, 6th September No assembly Parent workshop: Secondary Schools

Monday, 9th September Y5 Sycamore and Y5 Hawthorn Meet the Teacher & Camping Talk 3:15pm

Tuesday, 10th September Y6 Elder Kew National Archives Y6 Elder & Y6 Oak Meet the Teacher 3:15pm

Wednesday, 11th September Y6 Oak Kew National Archives Reception Meet the Teacher 10:45am Y4 Birch and Y4 Pine Meet the Teacher 3:15pm

Thursday, 12th September Y3 Hazel and Y3 Aspen Meet the Teacher 3:15pm

Friday, 13th September Certificate Assembly Y2 Maple and Y2 Cedar Meet the Teacher 3:15pm

Monday, 16th September Holly and Y1 Beech Meet the Teacher 3:15pm

Tuesday, 17th September Y4 Swimming Lessons Start

Friday, 20th September Certificate Assembly Parent Workshop: TBC

Friday, 27th September PGL Parent Meeting 3:15pm Year 6 Oak Class Assembly

Thursday, 3rd October - Friday, 4th October Year 5 Camping

Friday, 4th October Harvest Festival Assembly Parent Workshop: Phonics in EYFS & KS1

Friday, 11th October Certificate Assembly

Monday, 14th October - Friday, 18th October Year 6 to PGL

Friday, 18th October Year 5 Hawthorn Assembly Parent Workshop: TBC

Half Term Monday, 21st October - Friday, 24th October

Friday, 1st November Certificate Assembly

Monday, 4th November - Friday, 8th November Book Fair Week

Wednesday, 6th November Parent Teacher Meetings 4:00 – 7:00

Thursday, 7th November Individual & Siblings Photos Parent Teacher Meetings 3:30 – 5:30

Friday, 8th November INSET day (School Closed)

Monday, 11th November Y6 to Churchill War Rooms

Friday, 15th November Flu Vaccinations Assembly Year 5 Sycamore Parent Workshop: TBC

Friday, 23rd November Assembly Year 6 Elder

Tuesday, 26th November Year 4 Swimming Lessons end

Friday, 29th November Certificate Assembly Parent Forum Time TBC

Tuesday, 3rd December Christmas Concert – Nursery & Reception (9:15 am)

Tuesday, 10th December Nativity – Y1 Parents (9:15 am)

Wednesday, 11th December Nativity – Y2 Parents (9:15 am)

Thursday, 12th December Y3 & Y4 Carol Singing & Mulled Wine 3:30pm

Friday, 13th December Y5 & Y6 Carol Singing & Mulled Wine 3:30pm

Thursday, 19th December Last day of term – Toy Day – Finish at 1:30pm

END OF TERM: Return to school Monday 6th January

Grove Park Primary PTA News July 2019

Thank you for all your support this year. We’ve had some fantastic events and raised a huge amount of money for our children. The highlight of the year was our summer festival……. The teachers band, the delicious food and who could forget… Splat the teacher! Such great fun and we managed to raise £7400 on the night too! Thanks to everyone for such a great result.

YOUR PTA NEEDS YOU!!! PTA chair Rani and I have now stepped down as Co-chairs. It has been great doing this role for the last 2 years but it’s time to hand over the reigns! The PTA is a vital part of the school’s community and tradition. Without it we would not be able to put on the various events that children and parents enjoy so much. The money raised from these events, over £20k last year! all goes back into the school. So, if you would love to be part of next year’s team, then get in touch. Ptagroveparkprimary@gmail.com

AGM in September – Date TBC As ever thank you to all those of you that have volunteered this year - cake sales /second hand uniforms/quiz nights and the festival and much more! Happy summer holidays!

Message from the Attendance Officer.

Please remember to call the school office by 8.50am each and every day when your child is absent from school. Please make sure to state the reason for the absence clearly (not just “unwell”) when leaving a message on the voicemail service.

Karen Rawlings - School Attendance Officer