We have had a lovely few days during this short week with lots of hard work, learning and fun, and all much easier because of the lovely sunny and warm weather!

As we are now approaching the time of year when the weather is warmer and the sun is shining, please make sure that your child is wearing appropriate clothing and shoes, and that they wear a hat/cap if needed and have sunscreen on in the morning. If you would like your child to put sunscreen on at school, please send a labeled bottle with them each day. I will be emailed out the school Sun Safety Policy for you to read as well, so look out for it in your emails.

The Y6 children have worked very hard all year but especially in the last few weeks, doing practice SATS papers, as they have the real tests next week.  We always invite all of Year 6 to come to the Breakfast Club free of charge every morning during the SATS week. We have found in the past that starting the day together with a good breakfast really helps to settle the children ready for their exams.  So even if they normally have a great breakfast at home we would encourage you to send your children into the school Breakfast Club during that week so they can start their day with their friends -please send your Y6 child in from 7.45am onwards

I am extremely proud of the hard work and effort made by all the Y6 children this year - working so hard at school and home!  I always reassure the children, by saying that we expect them to do their best, and as long as they have tried hard and know they have done their very best, then we will be proud of them no matter what the result.  Please reinforce this with your child at home.

A massive 'well done' to all the Y4 and Y5 cyclists who took part in the latest Hackney Cycling league event yesterday on Hackney Downs. The children did so well completing 3 events each. Thanks to Nishie and to Chantelle (Kamari's mum)) and Dan (Bay's Dad) for helping out! Well done to Asher, Tom, Theo, Tova, Joely, Anayah, Kamari, Cedric, Bay, Rose, Beatriz and Mia! We are waiting to find out the final results but I think we have a few gold medals!

'Well done' also to the Y4 and Y5 tennis players who took part in aTennis festival at hackney Eastway on Wednesday. The children - Alfred, Matilda, Kenya, Millie, Marion, Suleiman, Ferdie and Grace, all played well and learnt and practiced new skills. Thanks to Sharon and Nishie for supporting the event.

Today we were treated to 3 brilliant Class Sharing Assemblies! Thank you to Fuji class who shared all their learning about Ancient Rome, including a short film; Ganges Class for sharing their amazing work on different animal habitats and to Acatenango Class for sharing their work on Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. The staff and children worked really hard, so thank you to them and for all the many parents who came to watch and support their child.

One of our favourite weeks at Millfields is coming up - it is Families Week!  After half term, the week 3rd - 7th June, we will be having our usual week of fun, inviting parents and carers to take part in lots of activities, coffee mornings, visits etc, including the ever-popular 'bring your pet' to school.  Please see the poster in the Mag and look out for the overview that will be emailed out.  You will need to sign up via Eventbrite.  We are looking forward to welcoming you (and your pets) into school!

Thank you to Y1 parents who came in today to read with their child/child's class -this happens every Friday, so please come along next time!

Also a reminder that we are looking for any sporty parents who could offer a session/s of any sport or activity as part of Sports Fortnight. Please email Ashraf amohi@millfields.hackney.sch.uk or if you think you can help!

Finally, have a lovely weekend in the sun.

Take care, Jane

Firstly, it has been a great week in Y5 as the majority of the year group have been on a 2 night residential trip to Kench Hill in Kent.  The weather was not too good at the beginning of the week, but that didn't stop the excitement, enthusiasm and enjoyment.  Both groups enjoyed lots of outdoor activities including a 3 mile hike through ancient woodlands, fields and streams, shelter building, archery, animal adaptations session, orienteering, climbing, team building games and time to explore the grounds - play football, basketball, play on the play equipment, feed the horses and spot rabbits and chickens. The children had a great time and were engaged and interested to explore new environments and learn new things.  Well done to all the children.  Going away with the children on any trip is one of my favourite things to do, and I loved being with Y5 on this residential trip  A huge 'thank you' to the staff at Kench Hill, and also to our staff - Emma, Claire, Debi, Matt, Chris, Tom and Joseph, as well as parent volunteer, Jayde, and especially Sheyenne who organised the whole week!

The Y5 back in school also had lots to do this week!  They had lots of Art and PE sessions, had a 'Thames Explorer' workshop to learn more about the river in our city, and they also enjoyed playing a range of board and card games, before designing and making their own! There were some great efforts and will be in classes to be played during wet play and free time for the rest of term.

Today, we were also treated to 3 brilliant sharing assemblies -the children in all three classes, Yangtze, Annapurna and Mekong were brilliant. They had all learned their lines, and delivered them well, worked together, supported each other and entertained the parents and carers who came. Well done to them all, and thank you to all the parents who came in. Thank you also to the parents who came in to read in class in Y1 and Y2 today -this happens every Friday, so please try to pop in at 8.50am next week!

Also this week, we had a visit from an ex-pupil -Steve attended Millfields as a child, more than 50 years ago. Steve said he remembered Millfields with great fondness and he is hoping to visit again soon.

Remember, it is the long May bank holiday weekend, and school is also closed on Monday 6th May, so we will see you all back in school on Tuesday 7th May.

I hope the weather improves and that you have a good one.

Take care, and keep well. Jane

Welcome back to everyone! All the children are veryhappy to be back in school, they look well-rested and ready for the busy summer term!Yesterday, lots of staff attended Steve's funeral that took place in West London. It was a lovely celebration of his life: his family -parents, brothers, partner and son were so thankful and humbled that we all attended and were so moved by the lovely cards, comments and memories that we shared of Steve. The children and staff in school all remembered Steve too by holding a minute's silence that was impeccably observed.

We are all still very sad as a community and it will takesome time to really comprehend, and come to terms with what has happened and that Steve is no longer with us. We will, as we always do, support each other -children, staff and families, to get through this at allthe different stages that are to come. Thank you to everyone who contributed messages and donations to the charity of Steve's choice - we are still collecting if you would still like to make a contribution. There have been quite a few children upset again this week, which is only to be expected, and we are looking for ways to continue to support these children in the next few weeks. Please do let us know if you think your child might need any support with bereavement.

This week, teachers have been introducing the new learning for this term and there is a real buzz around the school about William Shakespeare! Each year-group is studying a different Shakespeare play or poem, and there has been a lot of great role play, brilliant orating, puppet making and fantastic character and setting descriptions. Some of the plays being read are Julius Caesar, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Midsummer Night's Dream and The Winter's Tale. The children in Y1 know lots of facts about Shakespeare too. He was born in Stratford upon Avon, he died on 23rd April in 1616, his plays were on stage at The Globe Theatre and lots more. There have already been some brilliant acting and drama sessions around the classrooms , so the children are really immersing themselves in the world of Shakespeare. I am looking forward to reading some of the children's rewrites of the plays and scripts in the next few weeks!

A reminder that the deadline for the RE Calendar competition 2024-25 is Friday 26th April. This year's Religion and World views theme is on 'Unity'. This theme aims to celebrate diversity and unity within the Hackney community. ALL entries (originals only) should be on A4 Landscape.

Some of our Y4 cyclists had a great day out on Hackney Marshes taking part in the 'Big RideOut'. This was a fun event that was competitive but not part of the Cycling League competition. The children from all schools, went on a big ride all together round the marshes and then took part in a cycling orienteering game where each team were challenged to find various check-points as quickly as they could before returning with stamped cards. The Millfields Team did really well - they had fantastic teamwork skills and excellent investigation and cycling skills too. Well done to Arthur, Gabriel, Dougal, Cormac, Vincent, Theo, Joely, Anayah, Bettina, Tova B, Tova H and Maia!

Finally, a big 'well done' to Eri, Safi, Rosie and Ellie who went to Swansea during the break to represent Hackney District U11 girls’ at the football festival. They had an amazing weekend with the squad of girls from across Hackney primary schools and they did really well against teams from across the south. No medals this time, but they had a fantastic time!

I hope the weather starts to improve over the weekend. Have a good one. Take care. Jane

Please click here for the final Inspection Report, following our recent ungraded OFSTED Inspection which took place on the 7th and 8th February 2024.

We have had a very sad and subdued, and at times difficult week following the news of the passing of our dear colleague and friend, Steve. This news has come as a shock to our whole school community and we are all very, very sad to have lost one of the Millfields family. The love, support and compassion shown by all the staff and children, as well as parents, carers and the wider community has been remarkable.  As always , the Millfields community have come together as a family, united in their grief, while holding on to the memory of Steve –a kind, gentle, patient and dedicated colleague, caring and loving friend and such a very special person who will be greatly missed.

Steve's brother and partner visited this week and said they were 'truly bowled over by the sentiment shown towards Steve by all the staff' and said that the 'reaction from the children will be something that will stay with him for the rest of his life and something that Steve would have been so proud of'.  If the children would like to write, or make something for the Scrapbook for Steve's family, please take some time over Easter to do that and bring it to me on our return to school. We have started a book of condolences, so if you wish to write in there, please come to the office, and we also have a collection that will be donated to a charity/cause of his family's choice -collections on each gate and at the main reception.

We are all in the initial stages of grief but we know that this is going to be an ongoing process. We have already supported pupils, staff and parents, and will continue in the days, weeks and months to come, as appropriate. Thank you to all the parents who have shown their support through emails, cards, other messages and hugs. Thank you to the Educational Psychologists and other Officers from Hackney Education who have been brilliant in their support for the Millfields community.

Despite our collective sadness, classes continued with their routines and have thoroughly enjoyed STEAM -the 'World of Work' Week. We started the week with a special assembly. Nursery children learnt about different jobs including being a builder, a doctor, a shop-keeper, a postal worker and a police officer. They enjoyed dressing up and learning about what all the different people do in these jobs. Reception classes also learnt about jobs with nature -being a zoo-keeper, being a gardener, vet and farmer as well as enjoying a workshop visit from Nadia from Empathy Animals -the charity that we work with already in school. They also got to meet one of our empathy dogs, Peppi! Year 1 learnt about engineering jobs and took part in a workshop when they became an engineer today, and had a task to build a tower from different materials and decide which was best and why. Year 2 learnt about jobs in the emergency services, and enjoyed a visit from the local fire brigade with fire engine firefighters!

Year 3 got involved in the world of architecture and engineering and visited the national Architecture Association to learn more about these jobs. Year 4 enjoyed a visit from the Hackney Shed and learnt about being a scriptwriter, a performer, a lighting technician and set-designer. Year 5 learnt about ethical businesses and visited KPMG and Wilson Wright to learn more about how they operate. And finally Y6 spent the week in the 'Dragon's Den' world -designing and presenting a new product that they have created to staff at Here East (A dedicated campus for innovators, disruptors and visionaries!). Look out world for our future business successes!

It is always an amazing week for the children to think about what they might like to be in the future!  I am sure that your children will have been talking to you about the week, so please ask them lots of questions! Thank you to staff at Inspire and Lucy and Naomi who organised and managed the whole week seamlessly!

A massive 'THANK YOU' to everyone for dressing up today.  It was great to see staff and children dress as Superheroes or super powers to show support for Disability Awareness Day at Millfields!  Classes have had discussions and talked about differences and acceptance as part of Autism Awareness Week.  This is one of those days that makes Millfields so special!

Thank you also to our amazing Eco-Champs, led by Vicky, for the launch of the Eco Shop last Friday! It was very busy! They are learning lots about how to run a business and will be feeding back to me and the school community after Easter.

Happy Holi to those who celebrated on Monday. Best wishes to all those celebrating Passover and Easter. And Eid Mubarak to those celebrating Eid at the beginning of next month.

Finally, have a peaceful weekend and enjoy the break. Make sure you all cherish every moment with family and friends. Take care, Jane

It seems like a very busy and very long week, and I cannot believe that there is only one week left before the Easter break!

Firstly, thank you to all the many parents who met their child/ren's teacher during Parents Evenings this week. We hope you enjoyed the food on offer, and you were able to buy relevant phonics books, and buy an Easter Egg raffle ticket! Tickets for the raffle are still on sale -50p each or £2 for 5!  The winners will be drawn and announced via a text on Wednesday 27th March! The verbal and anecdotal feedback that we have received from families and teachers was very positive.

Please do note that there is lots of information on the school website, so please have a look! There is also a link to the Hackney Local Offer and also a Parents' Information Booklet with lots of FAQs. http://www.millfields.hackney.sch.uk/index.php?page=alias-10

Also, yesterday, one child from each class across the school also enjoyed a Hot Chocolate on the roof terrace with me as a treat for doing something in class or at home that the teacher considered to be 'over and above'!  We all enjoyed a chat, some delicious hot chocolate, popcorn and a mini chocolate egg! Well done to everyone!

Year 4 children have been very creative this week as they have been designing, making and evaluating biscuits as part of their DT work. The children had a very specific brief of who the biscuits were for, the conformity of the biscuit in size and quality, the taste and the packaging. Members of SLT really enjoyed visiting the classes to judge the creations. Well done Y4 children!

You know us at Millfields, the final week is another busy one!  It's STEAM Week - there will be lots of science, technology and design workshops and projects taking place on Monday - Thursday, as well as visitors to the school and trips out into the world of work!  You will receive an email with details of where your children are going to visit and on what day! Today the children completed a pre-STEAM Week questionnaire, and next week we launch STEAM Week with a special assembly. Please talk to your children about what they have been doing.

On the last day of term -Thursday 28th March, it is a non-uniform day so please start thinking about that Superheroes outfit as it is SuperHero Day, when we will celebrate all our super powers.  So please think about dressing up as your favourite superhero/power -homemade costumes encouraged, and help raise money for our Disability Awareness Day -all proceeds to the national Autistic Society.

Remember the last day of the Spring term is Thursday 28th March at the usual times -3.20pm/3.30pm. There are also after-school clubs as usual.

Have a lovely weekend! Take care, keep well, and stay safe.

Jane

On Monday, we wished our Muslim families Ramadan Mubarak, as they entered as they enter a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Only childrenin Y5 and Y6 whose parents have also given them written permission, are allowed to fast in school time.

Today, the school playground and corridors were filled with chatter and laughter as the whole school celebrated Comic Relief -Red Nose Day, as well as St Patrick's Day! The children and staff were dressed either in red, and some in green, and some in both, and there were lots of red noses on show! We have sold more than 500 rednoses, and have at least 3 golden noses at Millfields (these are apparently very rare) and also raised lots of money from on-the-gate donations. Thank you, as always, to the Millfields community - all the money will be going towards Comic Relief charities!

On Wednesday some of our children from Y3 and Y4, and 2 ARP children took part in a Hackney Sports Festival. They all played football, took part in relay races, coordination games, activity trails and lots more. They had a fantastic time and were so well behaved! Well done to Hugo, Theo, Yahya, Tolayo, Ahrianna, Gabriella, Bernie and Myles. Also, thank you to Izaac, Adele and June for going with them and encouraging them to have a go!

Yesterday some of our Cycling Team from Y5 and Y6 took part in the 6th Hackney Cycling League event at the Olympic Velodrome. The whole team did so well, and we came back with 4 gold medals and 2 silver, as well as lots of other high finish times, that means everyone contributed to the overall total points that keeps us at the top of the league! Well-done to all the children who took part and continue to make cycling so successful at Millfields. Thank you to Nishie and also to Kamari's mum, Chantelle, who helped out on the day!

Mekong Class visited the Hackney School of Food yesterday and made some delicious Spanish paella as part of their Geography work in school on Spain. Also around school, Y1 children dressed up as their favourite Nursery Rhyme characters yesterday - they all looked great and could tell me all about the  characters that they were dressed up as. It was also great to see Nile Class doing a yoga session yesterday to make them calm and focussed ready for the next lesson.

A big thank you to both Nursery Classes who had their Class Sharing Assemblies today. It issuch a big ask for our youngest children to stand up in front of family and friends and speakand sing so beautifully - they all did so well! Thanks to all the parents and carers who attended. Well done Lea and Thames!

Next week is Parents Evening on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th March. If you have not yet signed up to see your child's teacher, please do so before 8:00pm on Monday 18th March via your SCOpay account. The actual meetings will be in person in your child's classroom or middle hall. During Parents' Evening, you will be able to buy some delicious food from the school kitchen, and also buy a raffle ticket (50p each - cash) for our annual Easter Egg Raffle!

Lots of parents have been asking, but we are still waiting for the final Ofsted Report to be published and will send this out to you as soon as it is available.

On another note, please make sure you get your empty containers ready for our 'Eco Fill Up Friday' launch next week - Friday 22nd March! Lots of products including washing up liquid, handwash, soaps, fabric wash and body wash! Look out for more information via email and text next week.

Finally, 'Happy Sikh New Year' for yesterday to all our Sikh families, and Happy St Patrick's Day on Sunday 17th March to all of the Millfields Irish community.

Have a lovely weekend, resting and relaxing. Take care, keep well and stay safe. Jane