Friday 17th July 2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
And so we come to the end of another academic year. Following last year’s fight to save our school, this has been a year of renewed hope, joyful learning and countless moments to celebrate. Every day has brought opportunities to discover, question, create and grow, reminding us that learning is about so much more than what happens in the classroom.
Over the past eleven months, new friendships have flourished, confidence has grown, and the children have developed their knowledge, skills and understanding across the curriculum. They have made meaningful connections in their learning, embraced new challenges with resilience, and grown not only academically, but also spiritually and emotionally. We are immensely proud of every one of our children – not only for what they have achieved, but for the kindness, courage and enthusiasm they bring to our school each day. They are remarkable individuals, they proudly display our school values and together they make our TEAM truly special.
This week we have been delighted to welcome the new members of staff who will be starting with us in September. I know that you will join me in welcoming them to our family when you meet them properly in the ‘Meet and Greet’ sessions taking place on the Monday and Wednesday of the first full week back in September.
As many of you will already know, we will continue with a small number of mixed-age classes next year, with Year One and Year Two becoming an additional mixed-age class from September. These classes have been carefully planned, taking into account the children’s ages, stages of development and learning needs. When organised thoughtfully, mixed-age classes provide rich opportunities for collaboration, independence and peer learning, benefiting children both socially and academically.
Like many schools across London, we continue to feel the impact of the falling birth rate, which has led to fewer school-aged children across our city. As our numbers grow again, it is our hope that we will once more be able to return to single year-group classes. In the meantime, we are confident that our carefully planned approach will ensure every child continues to thrive. If you have any questions, please do take a look at the attached Frequently Asked Questions or come and speak to either me or Mr Glackin-McColgan on the gate.
There are many encouraging signs for the future. We are working hard to share the wonderful things happening at St John’s with the wider community, and I am delighted that, this week alone, six new children have enrolled to start with us in September. Even more encouragingly, we have a full Reception class for the first time in several years. Families are finding us again, and that is something worth celebrating. Thank you to everyone who continues to recommend our school to friends, neighbours and colleagues – your support really does make a difference.
Of course, schools are always changing as families’ circumstances change. Some children move on to exciting scholarship opportunities, while others relocate with their families, and we wish each of them every success. There are, however, occasions when families choose to leave for reasons that perhaps could have been resolved had we been given the opportunity to work through them together.
I often describe St John’s as a family because that is genuinely what it feels like here on site everyday. Like every family, there are moments of great joy and times when things do not quite go to plan. There will be occasions when we get things wrong, when misunderstandings arise, or when worries need to be heard. What I believe makes our community special is our willingness to listen, to be honest with one another, and to work together in the best interests of every child.
Research consistently shows that changing schools can interrupt a child’s learning and wellbeing, even when the move is for positive reasons. That is why, if something is worrying you, I encourage you to come and talk to us. Whether it is your child’s class teacher, Mr Glackin-McColgan or me, we will always make time to listen, to answer questions and to work with you. Our shared goal is simple: to ensure every child enjoys the happiest, richest and most successful primary school experience possible.
Below is a summary of the learning that has taken place across the school this week.
| Early Years |
| We are so excited to make the most of our final week in Early Years. This week we have continued learning about different habitats and the animals that live in them. The children in our Reception class have created art work based on their favourite sea creature. The Nursery class has been exploring sea animals through sensory play, including a jelly bath, and they have been enjoying lots of stories about life under the sea. The children greatly enjoyed their visit to church for the Year Six Leavers’ Service and we wished them well for their next chapter. We have also welcomed new Early Years children with a special tea party. |
| Year One |
| It may have been the final week of term, but we have worked right up until the end in Year One! This week in Maths, we have been revisiting key learning from across the year, including counting, place value, repeated addition and shape. Through a range of practical and problem-solving activities, we have been building confidence and consolidating the skills they have worked so hard to develop throughout Year One. In English, we have been exploring poetry, enjoying reading and performing poems while thinking carefully about rhythm, rhyme and expressive language. We also had opportunities to create and share their own ideas through poetry. In RE, we have been looking back at our learning about Creation, reflecting on what we have discovered throughout the unit. In Science, we have been learning about how to care for animals in our environment. We have discussed the needs of different animals and explored simple ways we can help wildlife and show responsibility towards the living things that share our local environment. |
| Year Two |
| Year Two has been busy rounding up their learning this week, reflecting on all the wonderful progress they have made throughout the year. The children also enjoyed bringing their clay islands to life with bright colours and creative details, carefully painting the models they worked so hard to create. It has been a fantastic week filled with creativity, pride, and celebration of all they have achieved. |
| Year Three |
| Year Three has had a wonderful final week – It has been a fantastic year, and the children should be incredibly proud of all they have achieved through their hard work, perseverance and determination. This week, we reflected on and celebrated our learning by completing our final lessons across the curriculum before coming together for a special service to wish our Year Six pupils the very best as they begin their next chapter. It has been a pleasure to teach such an enthusiastic and hardworking class. Well done, Year Three. Enjoy a well-deserved summer break, and best of luck in Year Four! |
| Year Four-Five |
| In English, Year Four and Year Five pupils have completed their final piece of writing for the year: an incident report linked to our class text, ‘Oliver Twist’. The children identified the key events from the incident and recounted them using formal language, time adverbials, a range of punctuation, and embedded clauses to produce detailed, well-structured reports. We have been incredibly impressed with the progress they have made in their writing throughout the year. In Maths, Year Five pupils have successfully completed their topic on converting between different units of measurement, while Year Four pupils have finished their learning on angles. The children have worked hard all year, showing enthusiasm and determination across all areas of the curriculum. It has been a fantastic year of learning, and the children are now ready for a well-deserved summer holiday. We wish all our pupils and families a wonderful, relaxing break. Enjoy your summer holiday, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back in September, refreshed and ready for exciting new learning in their new year groups! |
| Year Six |
| As we come to say goodbye to our wonderful Year Six and their time here at St John’s it has been a very busy week, preparing for the Leaver’s Service and finishing off parts of their curriculum. We have spent time reflecting on their many years at the school, sharing treasured, amusing and nostalgic memories and recording them for the memory book and also to be shared at church. The children have achieved so much in their time here and have grown and matured into thoughtful, self-assured young people who will go on to many successes I’m sure. It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to teach Year Six and guide them through the past year and a half and I wish them all the best for the future. We look forward to celebrating this evening at the Year Six party! |
Head Teacher awards were presented to the following children in this week’s celebration assembly.
| EYFS | Lissabeth for being a fantastic role model in class this week and encouraging others to do their best.
Jairo for doing an excellent job of tidying up the classroom and always helping |
| Year One | Zarah, Ava, Aaleyah and Isaac-Praise for their growth over the year – they are focused, confident and assured learners who want to be the best they can be! |
| Year Two | Isabella for doing so well in PE games and always listening to instructions.
Ashraf for trying his best to independently write sentences using his phonic knowledge. |
| Year Three | Molly for using excellent techniques in her English work and growing in confidence with her learning. Keep it up!
Glory for producing excellent work in Maths during our statistics unit and showing great determination in every lesson. Well done! |
| Year Four & Year Five | All the children in Year Four and Five for consistently working hard, participating thoughtfully in our class discussions, and showing excellent teamwork by encouraging, supporting, and respecting one another. The determination, kindness, and willingness to learn together have created a wonderful classroom community that you should all be proud of. Keep up the fantastic effort and resilience. |
| Year Six | Tianna for her wonderful energy in the production rehearsal. She sang brilliantly, always in tune, beautiful harmony and confident jazzy flare.
Joseph for his exceptional dedication in rehearsing the production. He committed to singing, learning lines and acting with great flare! All of Year Six for their superb, brilliant performance of their production. They worked together as a team to produce such an entertaining show that the school and parents loved watching. |
The house point totals for this year are below – congratuilations to Franklin
| GARRISON | 1160 | AUGUSTINE | 1076 |
| FRANKLIN | 1325 | DICKENS | 1139 |
As we close another wonderful year, thank you for the trust you place in us every day. St John’s is a special place because of the children, families, staff and governors who make up our community. Together, we have much to celebrate and much to look forward to. I wish you all a restful, happy summer, and I cannot wait to welcome everyone back on Thursday 3rd September 2026 for another year of learning, laughter and growing together.
Kind regards
Mrs Warland
Head Teacher
Mixed-Age Classes – Frequently Asked Questions
At St John’s, every decision we make begins with one simple question: “What is in the best interests of our children?” Our class organisation is no exception.
Mixed-age classes are a well-established feature of many successful primary schools and, when carefully planned, provide children with rich opportunities to learn, collaborate and grow alongside one another. They encourage independence, resilience, leadership and teamwork, while ensuring that every child continues to receive teaching that is tailored to their individual needs and stage of learning.
As with all aspects of school life, our class structure is reviewed regularly to ensure it continues to meet the needs of our children and our school community. We know that parents may have questions, and we hope the information below provides reassurance about how mixed-age classes work and the many positive opportunities they can offer.
As always, if you would like to discuss your child’s individual circumstances, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We value our partnership with families and are always happy to talk things through.
1. Why do schools have mixed-age classes?
Mixed-age classes are common in many primary schools across the country. They are often created when year groups are of different sizes, enabling schools to organise classes that provide the best possible learning environment while making effective use of staffing and resources.
At St John’s, every decision about class organisation is made with children’s learning, wellbeing and development at the centre. We carefully consider class sizes, friendships, age and stage of development before making any changes.
2. Is this a permanent arrangement?
No. Class structures are reviewed every year as part of our planning process. As pupil numbers change and grow, classes may be reorganised. Our aim is always to provide the best possible learning experience for every child.
3. Will my child receive the same quality of education?
Absolutely.
Children in mixed-age classes follow the National Curriculum for their own year group and are taught according to their individual learning needs. Research shows that children in well-planned mixed-age classes make progress comparable to those in single-age classes.
Our teachers carefully plan lessons so that every child is appropriately supported, challenged and inspired to achieve their very best.
4. How does teaching work in a mixed-age class?
Our teachers are experienced in planning for children with different needs and abilities. Lessons are carefully structured to ensure that:
- every child is taught the objectives for their own year group;
- learning is appropriately differentiated and adapted;
- children work in a variety of groupings depending on the lesson and learning task;
- everyone is challenged and supported to make excellent progress.
Children already learn alongside classmates working at different levels every day, and mixed-age classes build naturally on this approach.
5. Will my child be held back or expected to do work that is too difficult?
No.
Every child learns at their own pace, regardless of the class they are in. Teachers know each child’s strengths and next steps and adapt learning accordingly. Some lessons may be taught together where appropriate, while others will be planned specifically for each year group.
Our focus is always on ensuring every child is challenged, supported and able to flourish.
6. What are the benefits of a mixed-age class?
Mixed-age classes offer many advantages, including opportunities for children to:
- learn from one another through collaboration and discussion;
- develop confidence by sharing ideas and supporting others;
- build independence, resilience and responsibility;
- strengthen friendships across year groups;
- develop leadership skills, empathy and positive role-modelling.
Many children thrive in mixed-age environments, where they benefit from a strong sense of community and shared learning.
7. Do staff have experience teaching mixed-age classes?
Yes.
Our teaching staff have experience of working successfully with mixed-age classes, and both Mrs Warland (Head Teacher) and Mr Glackin-McColgan (Deputy Head Teacher) have significant leadership experience in schools where mixed-age classes are an established part of school life.
We are confident that our staff have the knowledge, experience and expertise to ensure every child continues to receive an excellent education.
8. How will the school know if the arrangement is working?
We continually monitor children’s progress, wellbeing and engagement throughout the year. This includes regular assessment, lesson observations and ongoing discussions between staff.
As always, if we identify that a child needs additional support or challenge, we will respond quickly to ensure they continue to thrive.
9. Who can I speak to if I have any questions?
We understand that you may have questions about your child’s class.
Please don’t hesitate to speak to your child’s class teacher in the first instance, or contact Mrs Warland via the school office if you would like to discuss your child’s individual circumstances in more detail. We are always happy to talk things through and work together to support every child.
- Will my child still be with their friends?
When organising classes, we carefully consider children’s friendships, confidence and social wellbeing alongside academic needs. We work hard to ensure that children feel happy, secure and settled in their new class. Our staff know the children well and support them carefully during any transition.
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