Settling in at School 21
We have had a fantastic start to the school year, and pupils are now settled into their routines. October brings a rich programme of events, including Harvest Festival, Culture Day, Food Sharing, Diwali and the Festival of Light concerts.
This month, we will also be marking World Mental Health Day on Friday 10 October. At 10:00 a.m., all pupils will take part in a 5-minute mindfulness activity, taking a moment to pause, be present, and focus their attention. We warmly invite families to join in at home or in the workplace at the same time, simply taking five minutes to be present and mindful.
We look forward to welcoming families to share in and celebrate the achievements of our pupils.
Don’t forget we are now on Instagram and Facebook so make sure you give our pages a follow to stay up to date with all things School 21!
Moray Dickson
School 21 Head
Don’t Miss Out!
- Festival of Light Concerts – Tickets go on Arbor (£3.50) after half-term; over 900 students performing!
- Harvest Festival – 7th October – Bring tinned/packet food for local food banks.
- Food Sharing – 16th October – Families invited to share a dish from your home country.
- Culture Day – 17th October – Wear national dress or flag colours; celebrate our vibrant, multicultural community.
- Whole School Attendance – 91.55%, proudly above the national average of 78.4%! Special congratulations to Lavender Class and 7D for the highest attendance in September
- Half-Term Break – 20 to 31 October – School closed for two weeks, a great opportunity for rest and family time.
Autumn Term: Calendar of Events
| Date | Year group | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 1st October | 7-11 | School photograph day for primary and secondary siblings and individual secondary pupilsSibling photos are from 08:30 Individual Secondary photos 09:10 onwards |
| Thursday 2nd October | R-6 | School photograph day for primary pupils and their primary siblingsIf your child has PE on photo day, please send them in their school uniform. |
| Tuesday 7th October | R-6 | Harvest festival food donation event – please bring items to school to donate |
| Tuesday 7th October | 10-13 | Careers Fair in New Hall 1:30-3:30pm |
| Tuesday 7th October | 13 | Biology trip. Learn at the Look Out Royal Parks, practical and ecology fieldwork |
| Wednesday 8th October | 12 | Hamlet trip, PM |
| Friday 10th October | R-13 | World Mental Health Day – 5 minutes mindfulness activity in class 10:00 am |
| Tuesday 14th October | 7 | Open Evening 4 – 6.30pm. Students leave school at 2.30pm |
| Wednesday 15th October | 10 | Jack Petchey ‘Youth Speaks Out’ workshop |
| Thursday 16th October | R-6 | Food Sharing, after school 3.30 – 4.30pm |
| Friday 17th October | R-11 | Culture Day. Children can wear colours of their flag or cultural dress to school |
| Monday 20th – Friday 31st October | R-12 | Half term break. School will be closed for two weeks. |
| Thursday 6th November | 12 &13 | Sixth form open evening Sixth form students leave school at 12.30pm |
| Tuesday 11th November | R-12 | Flu vaccinations catch up session |
| Friday 28th November | R-12 | School inset day. School is closed all day for staff training. |
| Tuesday 16th December | 11 | Parents evening |
| Thursday 4th December | 4.5,6 | Festival of Light concert 3-5pm |
| Thursday 11th December | 7,8,9 | Festival of Light concert. 6pm – 8.15pm. |
| Tuesday 16th December | R,1 | Festival of Light concert. 10.30-11.30am |
| Tuesday 16th December | 2,3 | Festival of Light concert. 3.15 – 4.30pm |
| Thursday 18th December | 10, 11, 12 13 | Festival of Light concert. 6pm – 8.15pm |
NEXT WEEK! School21 Y10 – Y13 careers fair:
School Achievements & Awards
Whole School Attendance: 91.55% – well above the national average (78.4%).
Congratulations to Lavender Class and 7D for achieving the highest attendance!
Certificates for 100% attendance will be awarded to pupils during assemblies.
Totally Thames Festival
15 Year 6 students performed to raise money for Water Aid. A huge thanks to students, staff, and parents involved!
Primary Great Big Scavenger Hunt
Congratulations to Teddy from Year 6, our winner of the Primary Great Big Scavenger Hunt! We’d also like to give a special recognition to Sadie from Year 4, last year’s champion, who will also be receiving her well-deserved prize. Both students have won a £10 Westfield voucher!
Festival of Light Concerts
Each year, over 900 students take part in our Festival of Light concerts, including every child from Reception to Year 9.
Every student plays an important role in this event, and we hope you can come and support them.
- Includes performances from extra music groups and GCSE/A-Level students.
- Tickets: £3.50 on Arbor after half-term.
- If paying for a ticket is hard for your family, financial support available: [email protected]
Harvest Festival – 7th October
Harvest Festival is a time to say thank you for the food we have. It celebrates the food grown during the year and the people who help grow it. We are asking children to bring in tinned or packet food to give to a local food bank.
- Music assembly in primary school
- Bring tinned or packet food for local food banks.
World Mental Health Day – 10th October (10:00 am)
All pupils will take part in a 5-minute mindfulness activity, pausing to be present and focus their attention, supporting mental wellbeing across the school.
Food Sharing – 16th October (3:15 pm)
We warmly invite primary school families to join us in celebrating World Food Sharing Day by sharing a dish from your home country!
- £2 donation if not bringing food.
- Please label ingredients – nut-free school.
Proud to Be – Culture Day – 17th October (Whole School)
We are celebrating different cultures at our school with a Culture Day. Everyone can come to school wearing clothes from their culture or the colours of their country’s flag.
If you’re not sure what to wear or have any questions, please ask your class teacher or form tutor.
Culture Week Helpers Needed!
Culture Day is part of a special week where we will learn about and celebrate the many different cultures at School 21. We will also be learning about Black History Month.
We are looking for parents or family members who can help us make the week extra special. If you or someone you know can help, please email: [email protected]
Sister Act Musical Update
- Auditions for Years 7–13 complete; final cast to be announced soon.
- Volunteers needed for costume-making (lots of habits!) – email: [email protected]
Clubs & Wraparound Care
Breakfast and after school clubs
We want to do our best to support parents and families and so are pleased to offer childcare before and after school.
Breakfast club
Breakfast club is free for all students every day of the week. Children sign in at the main reception. Times are below.
| Day | Drop off time |
|---|---|
| Monday | 7.45am – 8:10am |
| Tuesday | 7.45am – 8:10am |
| Wednesday | 8:00am – 8:20am |
| Thursday | 7.45am – 8:10am |
| Friday | 7.45am – 8:10am |
After-School Clubs (Primary)
The sign-up period for after-school clubs has now closed.
However, a few clubs still have spaces available:
- Manga club can still be booked on Arbor.
- 10 Free places available for Mindfulness Club – Thursdays, 3:15–4:15pm. To book, please email [email protected]
- Karate club can be booked on Arbor. Primary students club is Friday 3.15 – 4.15 (enrol via Arbor), Secondary is Tuesday 3.30-4.30pm (message course instructor on 0770 907 4903).
| Primary After-School Clubs Timetable | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Guitar | Years 1 and 2 | Ends 1st December | |
| Monday | Football | Years 3 and 4 | Ends 1st December | |
| Tuesday | Drama | Years 1,2,3,43.15-4.15pm | Ends 2nd December | |
| Tuesday | Guitar | Years 5 and 6 3.15-4.15pm | Ends 2nd December | |
| Wednesday | Manga Art | Years 5,6,7,8,9,103.35pm – 4.35pm | Please go to Arbor to bookEnds 19th November | Available |
| Wednesday | Cantonese / Mandarin | Years 1,2,3,4,5,63.15-4pm | Ends 3rd December | |
| Wednesday | Girls football | Years 3,4,5,63.15-4.15pm | Ends 3rd December | |
| Wednesday | Guitar | Years 3 and 4 3.15-4.15pm | Ends 3rd December | |
| Thursday | Primary Choir | Years 1,2,3,4,5,63.15pm – 4.30pm | Ends 4th December | |
| Thursday | Boys Football | Years 5 and 6 3.15-4.15pm | Ends 4th December | |
| Thursday | Dance | Years 1,2,33.15-4.15pm | Ends 4th December | |
| Thursday | Mindfulness | Years 3,4,5,and 63.15-4.15pm | Ends 4th December | Available |
| Thursday | Manga art | Years 5,6,7,8,9,103.35pm – 4.35pm | Please go to Arbor to bookEnds 20th November | Available |
| Friday | Karate | Years 1-63.15 – 4.15pm | Ends 12th December | Available |
| Friday | Football | Years 1 and 2 3.15-4.15pm | Ends 12th December |
Lunchtime Clubs
As well as continued improvements to our outdoor spaces, we are pleased to offer a range of fitness sessions for both primary and secondary pupils during lunchtime. These sessions are led by dedicated staff and provide a fun and active way for students to stay fit. The timetable is below, please encourage your child to ask their form tutors for further information.
| Tuesday | Secondary badminton – Mr KiddSecondary fitness – Mr Bernard Secondary dance -Ms LunguPrimary dance (Yrs 1-4) – Ms Lungu |
|---|---|
| Wednesday | Secondary Fitness room – Mr Muscat Secondary Girls’ football – Ms Thorpe |
| Thursday | Secondary Cricket – Mr Muscat |
| Friday | Secondary Fitness room – Mr KiddSecondary Basketball – Mr Bernard Primary dance (Yrs 1-4) – Ms JosiePrimary dance (Yrs 5-6 ) – Ms Josie |
Primary and Secondary Music Clubs
PE timetable – Primary
| Year group | Days |
|---|---|
| Reception | Friday |
| Year one | Friday |
| Year two | Tuesday |
| Year three | Monday |
| Year four | Thursday |
| Year five | Wednesday & Thursday |
| Year six | Tuesday & Friday |
Reminder: Students to wear clearly labelled PE kits.
Learning at Home – Primary
| Homework | Uploaded to Seesaw each Friday (Maths, English, Spelling). |
|---|---|
| Times Tables Practice | 5 minutes/day on TTRS; In June, Year 4 will take the Multiplication Tables Check. |
| Reading | Weekly library visits and Accelerated Reader (AR) quizzes. Login: child’s name + first initial of surname. Password: school21 |
If you have any issues accessing it, please contact your child’s class teacher for login support.
Uniform
Wear uniforms with pride; donate pre-loved uniforms to the school office.
Label everything: uniform, water bottles, rain coats.
For reference here is a link to our uniform requirements https://school21.org.uk/uniform
Allergies & Healthy Habits
Allergies: We are a nut-free school. Any snacks brought into school should be healthy and not contain nuts.
Healthy breakfast at home: We encourage families to provide children with a healthy breakfast, such as wholegrain cereal, fruit, yoghurt, or eggs. A balanced breakfast helps children to have energy, stay focused, and be ready to learn.
Absence Reporting
Call 020 8262 2121 or email [email protected] before 8:30am if your child is unwell.
Opportunities to Get Involved – We Need Your Help!
Tesco Stronger Start – Vote for School 21!
Help us raise up to £1,500 for playground improvements, just by shopping at Tesco!
How to Vote
- Shop at one of the stores below.
- Collect a blue token at checkout (no need to buy a bag!).
- Drop it in the School 21 box.
Every token counts – thank you!
| Store name | Postcode |
|---|---|
| Tesco Express | E16 2BS |
| Plaistow Road Express | E15 3JB |
| Upton Park Express | E13 9AP |
| Olympic Park Express | E20 3AY |
| Manor Park Express | E12 5JY |
| Maryland Leytonstone Road Express | E15 1JA |
| Stratford Express | E15 4EH |
| London Royal Victoria Dock Express | E16 1BL |
| Stratford High Street Express | E15 2NE |
| Green Gate Barking Road Express | E13 9EZ |
Football Donations
Size 4–7 astro turf boots needed – bring to school office or email [email protected]
Culture Week Helpers
Culture Day is part of a special week where we will learn about and celebrate the many different cultures at School 21. We will also be learning about Black History Month.
We are looking for parents or family members who can help us make the week extra special. If you or someone you know can help, please email: [email protected]
Learning Across School 21
Pupils in school and beyond: learning, exploring and achieving!
Here are just a few highlights:
Year 2 visited Stratford Station, gathering new vocabulary for their next writing task. Year 4 explored different Oracy groups, developing speaking and listening skills. Year 5 began the year with their annual welcome-back trip to Chessington Park, enjoying a day of activities and community building. Meanwhile, Year 12 G&P students rose to their first Harkness debate, with 12B impressing, Inayah as chair, and Muna and Bilal summarising brilliantly.
October Half-Term Fun!
Half-term is fast approaching, and we’re pleased to share two exciting options for primary-age children. Please note that booking is essential as spaces are limited.
October Half-Term Playscheme (ages 7–11)
Mon 27 – Fri 31 Oct, 10:00–15:00
Terence Brown Arc, Hermit Road Park, Bethell Avenue, E16 4JT
What’s on: Sports, adventure play, outdoor games, workshops, arts & crafts
Note: First come, first served; due to staffing levels these sessions aren’t suitable for children requiring additional support at this time.
Book at: [email protected]
Woodland Warriors – Forest School (ages 5–11)
Mon 27 – Fri 31 Oct, 11:00–15:00
Kevin Jenkins OBE Outdoor Learning Centre (next to Glyn Hopkin Abbey Hub, 6 Gay Road, E15 2RN)
What’s on: Nature crafts, games, shelter building, campfire cooking & free play
Note: First come, first served; due to staffing levels these sessions aren’t suitable for children requiring additional support at this time.
Contact: [email protected]
Don’t forget we are a Healthy Schools Bronze Award winner: This recognises our commitment to healthy eating, physical activity, and wellbeing.
