Holy Trinity

Last year pupils in Year 3 and 5 were involved in a project to re-present monuments to cultural icons in Camden.  They worked with two contemporary artists to create artistic responses to the monument to Virginia Woolf.

Their work is now on display in the gallery at Swiss Cottage Library until 22nd February.  The exhibition is free, so please do pop in to see the pupils’ work and to listen to their thoughts using the headphones in the gallery.

Work by groups from The Winch are also on display and includes contributions from at least one of our lovely parents!

At Holy Trinity we pride ourselves on a strong reading culture that develops a life-long love of books in our pupils.  The pupils’ enthusiasm for stories was very evident last night at our ‘Bedtime Stories’ event.  Every year this event reminds us how important storytelling and sharing books is to our young readers.

We hope that parents found Ms Dillon’s tips on supporting their child’s reading helpful.  It was great to see so many of you watching the presentation.

Thank you to all the staff who helped to make this an enjoyable event.

You may notice a new face at Holy Trinity.  Ms Dilley will be working with us on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  She will be focussing on raising attendance.

I am sure you will join me in welcoming her to our school.

Happy new year to all our families!  We hope that you all enjoyed the holidays are ready for the spring term.

At the beginning of each term, we revisit our vision with the pupils, so that they are ready to raise their aspirations, reach their potential and learn to live well together.  Pupils can only achieve these goals if they attend school regularly.

This week the Government launched a new campaign to combat poor school attendance called Moments Matter, Attendance Counts.

The link between attendance and attainment is clear:
• In 2018/19, just 40% of persistently absent (PA) children in KS2 achieved expected KS2
standards, compared with 84% of pupils who were regular attenders.

But attendance is important for more than just attainment:
• Regular school attendance can facilitate positive peer relationships, which is a protective factor for mental health and wellbeing.

I would like to start by thanking the parents and carers who ensure that their children are in school regularly.  We have seen an increase in the number of pupils with 100% attendance, which is fabulous!

However, attendance at Holy Trinity is currently an issue with almost 20% of pupils persistently absent. This means that one in five pupils has been doing the equivalent of a four day week since the beginning of term!  For this reason, the attendance team at Camden Learning has allocated a School Inclusion Support Officer to the school to support us in improving attendance for these pupils.  If you have received a communication from us regarding your child’s attendance, you should expect to be the focus of this work.

If you are unsure if your child is too ill for school, please follow the link below and use the NHS guidelines:

Is my child to ill for school? NHS Guidelines

Parents can also support their children’s education and the school by taking holidays and visiting family abroad during the holidays.  There are 175 days a year that pupils do not have to attend school and these should be used for these purposes.

Thank you for your support in helping our pupils to reach their potential this term.

Ms Lil and Mrs Littlewood serving some very happy pupils from Fantastic House.

Well done to Fantastic House for winning this term’s House Party!  Our Fantastic pupils earned the most house points and were treated to hot chocolate with an array of toppings and Christmas cookies.

Just a reminder about services at Lighthouse London this Christmas.  Do pop along if you want to find out what it is like to attend our church.

Year 5 pupils sang carols to the elderly at an Age Concern event.  Pupils experienced how they could bring joy to others at Christmas through their singing.

“When I saw the elderly people smiling, I felt loved,” said one pupil.

A herd of reindeer arrived for Christmas dinner, as the pupils learned how to take pleasure in sharing a special meal with friends.

Pupils’ prayers and poems captured their gratitude for what they have and their wishes for those less fortunate at the Christmas Service at Lighthouse London.

Just reminder that parents are welcome to come to the Christmas Service tomorrow at 2.30pm.  The service will be held at Lighthouse London, our church, on Finchley Road/