Oracy Day Parents and carers are invited into class at 3pm on Thursday 3rd April, where pupils will share their debates and presentations with you, based on their humanities learning from this half term. This day allows children to showcase their ability to express ideas clearly, engage in discussions...
The Importance of Punctuality: Every Minute Counts!
At SJSJ, we believe that arriving on time sets the tone for a successful day of learning. School starts promptly at 8:55am, and it is essential that all children arrive on time, ready to learn.
Being punctual helps children settle into their routine, reduces classroom disruptions, and ensures they do not miss important instructions at the start of the day. Arriving late can affect not only their learning, but also their confidence and social interactions.
Did you Know:
Persistent lateness can lead to a referral being made to Hackney Education and a possible fine being issued.
Let’s work together to build good habits that will benefit our children for life. Please ensure your child arrives at school at 8:55am so they can start the day feeling prepared and focused. Thank you for your support!
We would like to kindly remind all families about the ongoing School Streets Initiative in place around our school. This initiative is designed to ensure the safety and well-being of our students as they arrive and leave school each day.
Why is the School Streets Initiative in place?
Please remember to avoid driving in the restricted zones during the specified hours. We truly appreciate your cooperation in helping us keep our school community safe and healthy!
Thank you for your understanding and support.
Thank you to everyone that came in clothes that make them feel happy. We had lots of costumes as well as some fantastic outfits.
We raised an amazing £188.00 for an amazing cause!
This week, we had the fantastic opportunity to take two teams from Year 3 and Year 4 to represent Hackney at the London Youth Games Festival – a truly special experience for our young athletes!
Our Year 3 & 4 mixed netball team began the day by engaging in a series of skill-based activities, learning key netball techniques that will support them as they move into Year 5’s P.E. curriculum. In the afternoon, they put their new skills to the test, competing against three other London boroughs and finishing with an impressive record of two wins and one loss. A special mention goes to Chizaram, who stepped up as the only Year 3 player from our school and showed incredible leadership by captaining the netball team throughout the day, an outstanding achievement!
Meanwhile, our Year 4 girls’ football team took part in a range of skill-building stations in the morning, partnering with players from other boroughs and demonstrating exceptional sportsmanship. In the afternoon, they played six matches, finishing with three wins, two draws, and one loss against Kensington, a fantastic achievement!
The London Youth Games provide a platform for young athletes across the capital to compete, and for many children, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent their borough. We are incredibly proud of how our pupils conducted themselves, not just through their performances, but in the way they embraced teamwork, respect, and determination.
Travelling to Redbridge Sports Centre to compete at this level was a brand-new experience for many of our players, and we hope it’s just the beginning of their sporting journey! This also marks the second year in a row that our school has proudly represented Hackney, following our Year 6 team’s participation in basketball last year.
A huge well done to all our players for their dedication, teamwork, and resilience. We can’t wait to see what’s next for our children!
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to each of you for attending Parents’ Evening on Wednesday. It was wonderful to see so many of you celebrating the progress and achievements your children have made this year. Your support and engagement play a vital role in their success, and it’s a pleasure to witness the growth and development of them with you.
Thank you for your continued partnership in nurturing and encouraging your child’s learning journey. Together, we are helping them reach their full potential!
During Parents’ Evening, we distributed questionnaires to gather valuable feedback from our parents. We would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the forms on the night. The response has been overwhelming, and we are pleased to share that the feedback has been incredibly positive. Your thoughts and suggestions are always appreciated and help us continue to improve our school community.
Some statistics we wanted to share with you include:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We want to thank you for your unfailing love. You love us in all moments of our lives especially when we make mistakes. Guide us and give us the wisdom needed to reflect the love and grace you have for us to others.
We sometimes make mistakes because we are not perfect, which means we may sometimes do unkind things to others. We pray that you help us restore our relationships with those that we have hurt or have hurt us.
Help us to heal Lord Jesus just as you have healed many. We want a heart that is as forgiving and compassionate as yours is.
Amen
Writing is a lifelong skill, allowing children to share thoughts, ideas and feelings. Children need hand-eye coordination and finger strength before learning to write.
During our Spring Term two topic ‘Farm Animals’, we focused on the book ‘What the Ladybird Heard’ by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks. Linking to one of the main characters in the story ‘the ladybird’, children drew a ladybird mini-beast by looking at the different features such as the antennae, eyes, six legs and spots.
They applied their shape and pattern knowledge to draw and label their work.
Our very exciting new reading shed is a warm and inviting space, where children can curl up with a book during their playtime. This space is a quiet haven where creativity, curiosity, and a love of reading can flourish.
We are so excited to officially open it next Tuesday and for children to enjoy the world of stories during their playtime. Take a look…
A parent recently asked if they could make a voluntary contribution towards these larger structures for our playground. If parents or carers would like to do so, as a school, we would be incredibly grateful. We have a target of £2500 to raise to ensure we make a safe, durable investment with long-term benefits.
If you would like to make a donation, please follow the Just Giving link below or scan the QR code below to take you to the school’s Just Giving page. We would be incredibly grateful for any support.
We are excited to be developing a new water play area for our playgrounds for the summer months.
We are looking for donations of any water play equipment, including:
Water play tables
Buckets and watering cans
Floating toys (e.g. boats’ and ducks)
Funnels, tubes, and pipes
Scoops, ladles, and measuring cups
If you have any of the above items that you would be happy to donate, please bring them to the school office. Every contribution will help us create a fantastic, engaging space for the children to enjoy.
Thank you for your support.
Your support is truly invaluable, and the impact of your contribution will be enjoyed by our children for years to come. We are so grateful for your continued commitment to enhancing the educational experience of our children. Thank you again for all that you do to support our school!
A special mention to Karen, Anna and Anna-Joy for supporting the running of these stalls.
The PTA have also organised the annual Easter Egg Hunt for all classes and this will be taking place next Friday. We know how much the children love this activity and we look forward to seeing them enjoy it again. Thanks, in advance, to all of the PTA members who have dedicated time to organising, preparing for, and leading this event.
Ocean and Orlando were chosen to take part in showcasing their swimming skills at the London Aquatic Centre for BBC London Evening News on Wednesday.
They spoke about the importance of swimming being a life skill and water safety.
There has been a recent rise in the number of complaints regarding dog fouling on the pavements. Therefore we are writing to all residents to raise awareness of this issue and also to remind those that own dogs of their responsibilities.
Failing to remove dog fouling is an offence
A Constable, Police Community Support Officer or Council Enforcement Officer may issue a fixed penalty notice to anyone he or she believes has committed an offence under section 67 of the Anti- Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act. You will have 14 days to pay the fixed penalty of £100. If you pay the fixed penalty within the 14 days you will not be prosecuted.
Dog fouling is a nuisance and a health risk
As well as being against the law, dog fouling can also be a nuisance and a health risk to other residents. Dog faeces can carry worms that can cause serious eye infections in adults and children, and can potentially cause blindness.
Be a responsible dog owner – Bag it & bin it
Please be a responsible dog owner and clean up after your dog. Poop scoop bags are available from a wide range of sources, or you can reuse any plastic bag.
Once you have picked up and bagged the faeces it can be disposed of in any litter bin – remember “bag it and bin it”. Please do not dump these on the ground, in vegetation or hang poop bags on trees or fences.
Report incidents of dog fouling
Should you see dog fouling around the borough that hasn’t been cleared up, please report it using the Report a problem page on our website, https://reportaproblem.hackney.gov.uk/ or by using the Fix My Street app.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and, if you are a dog owner, thank you for being a responsible one.
Hackney Environmental Services
We are pleased to announce that the annual Hackney RE calendar competition has commenced for 2025-26. Last year, over 120 entries were received across the borough so thank you to all children who participated. The calendar is sent to every school in Hackney and is a celebration of Religion and Worldviews teaching and learning in our schools. It also includes important dates of upcoming religious festivals and secular commemorations which help us when planning assemblies and collective worship. It aims to support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development beyond the RE classroom.
All the artwork is selected through a borough-wide poster competition, which is open to all pupils across KS1-KS3 in Hackney Schools. This year’s Religion and Worldviews theme is on ‘Festivals and Celebrations’. The entries can show religious and secular festivals and celebrations to reflect Hackney’s diverse communities.
Entries:
Please note that ALL entries (originals only) should be:
If entries do contain some text, please check words have the correct spelling before submission. The closing date is Friday 28th March 2025 and all entries should be sent to:
RE Calendar Competition
Claire Ramalli
School Improvement Team
Hackney Education
Hackney Service Centre
1 Hillman Street
London
E8 1DY
Would you like to train to become a teacher? We are pleased to announce that a small number of paid Post-Graduate Teaching Apprenticeships will be available starting September 2025 within several Primary Advantage schools. All candidates must have a degree at 2:2 or above and GCSE passes in English, Maths and Science, by the time the training starts, plus experience of working in schools or strong transferrable skills from another career. Applications must be made via the DFE Apply for Teacher Training portal, and our apprenticeship vacancies will appear there from Monday 10 March, until 8am on Monday 24 March. Please search for Primary Advantage on the DFE site above and submit your application during those dates if you would like to apply.
You can find out more about our apprenticeship programme on the Primary Advantage website here, or please contact Sandra on 020 7254 1010 (option 5) or email palearning@primaryadvantage.hackney.sch.uk with any queries.
Mr Watson is our school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead.
If Mr Watson is not available, you can always speak to one of our school’s Deputy Safeguarding Leads:
| Name | Class | Reason |
| Elisha | Year 1 | For a fantastic start at SJSJ! |
| Asiya, Asmin, Dajanae, Jaxon, Jeremiah and Ramisa | Year 2 | For fantastic recognition of odd and even numbers |
| Elijah | Year 2 | For showing such resilience whilst going through a difficult time. |
| Nicholas | Year 2 | For excellent progress and effort with spellings. |
| Sofia | Year 2 | For fantastic use of similes in writing. |
| Aalayna | Year 3 | For always challenging herself in all areas and succeeding in completing tasks with great pride and quality. |
| Aidan | Year 3 | For incredible progress in maths and always being a shining star! |
| Aria-Rose, Fatimah, Ishaq, Logan, Nico, Ocean and Valentina | Year 3 | For amazing effort in writing lessons, writing with ambitious vocabulary choices and using a range of grammar concepts. |
| Ahria, Anoushka, Etan, Maya, Umut and Valentina | Year 4 | For an amazing adventure narrative using excellent adjectives. |
| Ayaz | Year 5 | Being reflective of his actions. |
| Beatrice | Year 5 | For being a shining star and helping out. |
| Neemasusan | Year 5 | For always making a conscience effort. |
| Thiago | Year 5 | For making an effort in class. |
| Anna | Year 5 | For excellent focus in grammar. |
| Hawwaa | Year 5 | For always contributing excellently in lessons. |
| Sparrow | Year 5 | For going above and beyond in writing. |
| Aazalie, Alicia, Amaya, Ammischaddai, Amaya, Braymil, David, Imogen, Jake, Julia, Krystal, Kyla and Valentina R | Various |
For respecting Article 23 – a child with a disability has the right to live a full and decent life with dignity, and as far as possible, independence, and to play an active part in their community.
|
This week, we looked at the question ‘How does Jesus’ journey to the cross offer signs of hope for a Christian?’ We recapped the story of Easter and explored our key words for today: forgiveness, salvation and hope. Each group were assigned a Station of......
This week in Year 5, as part of our writing cycle, we have been working towards writing a newspaper report following Percy Jackson’s car crash, after an incident with the Minotaur. This is all based around our writing key text, “Percy Jackson” by Rick Riordan.......
This week in Year 4, we have really enjoyed our computing lessons, where we have learnt a variety of digital skills that will really support us in our future. We’ve been learning how to code; exploring patterns and using different commands to create a variety......
In Spanish this week, Year 3 were learning about body parts. They then drew their own monster and named the body parts in Spanish. Look at their focus…...
During Science week, the children thought about what liquids would attract insects. We created a cave using a box and used string to mimic a web. Then the children soaked the string in different liquids and threw the scrunched up paper into the cave. The......
This week our highlight in Year 1 was visiting the Hackney School of Food. This connected with our STEAM project this half term about food preparation. Many children have never used the tools like graters, peeler, and knives and it was inspiring to see them......
This week in Reception, we have continued to immerse ourselves in our new literacy text – The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis. We have been exploring the kind of habitat that Bog Baby was found in and thinking about what other wildlife might like to......
This week in maths, Nursery focused on identifying and exploring 2D shapes. Linked to our new literacy core text ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, children used a range of 2D shapes to recreate the caterpillar. They used circles for the face, eyes and body and rectangles......