Dear families,
We hope you had a lovely weekend. How fantastic to see so much sun! It really feels like spring is here!
Year 6 had a brilliant week at PGL last week. They represented the school and their families so well – being role models of the core values throughout. So many of them showed their bravery as they climbed Jacob’s Ladder or jumped and swung on the trapeze. I was lucky enough to join them on Friday and they were certainly buzzing about their week. They’ve definitely created life-long memories. A HUGE thank you to all the adults who went along to make this happen for the children – it certainly is above and beyond. So our thanks goes to: Finn, Nick, Kelly, Megan and Netra. I’m sure everyone slept very well at the weekend! Check out some of their photos below.
We’re looking forward to welcoming many of you to our Community Evening/Iftar on Tuesday where we can break the fast together and also taste a pancake or two! Remember it starts at 5pm.
Don’t forget World Book day on Thursday 6th March. We look forward to seeing the children’s costume but please don’t go to any extra expense to buy or make anything.
Have a great week!
Matt
I am available in school from Monday to Wednesday – do get in touch (fcarrick-davies@ssq.org.uk) if you have any questions in the meantime.
We have a housing expert coming in once a month, specialising in supporting people in Temporary Accommodation. If you would like an appointment for the next drop-in session in April, please let me know asap, so I can give you the self-referral form to complete.
If you have No Recourse to Public Funds and I don’t already know about it, please let me know by emailing me as there may be some additional support we can help you with.
There are lots of free courses available at the Thomas Carlton Centre in Peckham – more info here.
For information about local employment opportunities and support in job-seeking, see https://southwarkworks.com/ and https://www.pecan.org.uk/employment-support/
If you are interested in English classes, here is information about our friends at English for Action
Please keep an eye on my information page outlining advice from me about various issues that may concern you plus many opportunities that are available to you and your family here in Southwark.
Upcoming Events:
Community Evening TODAY!
Join us THIS TUESDAY 4th March at 5pm and let’s celebrate our wonderful community together! Please come along – we are very lucky to have Mother Ellen, Iman Kazeem and Fi (among other special guests) to share about fasting Ramadan, Lent and the School of Sanctuary. We will have a chance to share breaking the fast 'Iftar' with our community, share some pancakes and more in the Pavilion after. We will have the two reception rooms available for prayer for those who require it. If you wish to contribute food to the evening, please make sure you list all the ingredients and remember we are a nut-free school. Looking forward to seeing you there!
World Book Day is just around the corner, and we are so excited to celebrate the joy of reading with the children on Thursday, 6th March! We have planned a fun-filled day of author visits, competitions, and exciting activities designed to help children engage with different authors, story types, and the magic of books.
Dress-Up Reminder
As part of the celebration, we invite all children to dress up as their favourite book character—a tradition we love to see every year! Whether they choose to be the BFG, The Hungry Caterpillar, Matilda, Katniss Everdeen, or another beloved character, we encourage creativity and imagination. Where possible, we kindly ask families to use items from home to create costumes rather than purchasing new ones.
What to Expect next Thursday
- Stay and Read – in class 8.45-9.15am – families will have the opportunity to join their children in class to read to or with them.
- Inspiring Author Visits – Children will have the chance to connect with authors and learn about storytelling first hand.
- Exciting Competitions – Fun challenges will encourage children to explore books in new ways.
- Creative Activities – A range of book-themed tasks to engage and inspire young readers.
World Book Day is always a special event, and we can’t wait to see the children immersed in stories, dressed as their favourite characters, and enjoying a day dedicated to books!
Thank you for your support in making this event a success. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Trips and Experiences
Year 2 were lucky enough to visit the London Archives where they got to look at documents from the 17th Century and explore what they tell us about the Great Fire of London. The children all enjoyed their visit and can’t wait to share their learning as part of their history project.
Year 6 had a great week of outdoor activities at PGL. Conquering fears and making memories, they all had a great time and we thank all the staff who gave up their time to make this amazing trip happen.
The Year 6 children who didn’t attend PGL had a great week of work experience at school and went on some local trips including bowling at the O2 and a visit to the NOW Gallery in Greenwich. The children were excited to see the socks they had sewed and seeing some of their friends on display.
You can still visit this wonderful exhibition for free until the end of March by clicking this link.
Ramadan is here!
We know this is a special time for Muslims in our community. Although it is not obligatory for children to fast at this time, we know that some children do fast and would like to support them! Children fasting may opt out of PE and would need to bring an emergency snack just in case fasting gets too much for them. We do encourage children to drink water throughout the day.
Please read our Ramadan Policy here!
Year 5/6 Permission Slip will be given out by class teachers on request. We only encourage part of the day fasting for younger children, for a permission slip please request one at the office. Please be clear when your child will be attempting fasting.
Click here to see a copy of the form.
Also included here is an option to opt out of singing assembly as a few children expressed a wish to do so last year.
All our best wishes and persevering wishes to anyone fasting!!
SSQ TEAM
We’re extremely proud of the community projects that are children carry out, tackling a real-world problem that affects them and coming up with creative ways of making a difference and becoming a real change maker. Look out for details of the culmination of these projects in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, take a look at this wonderful video that documents our Community Project story so far, created by the wonderful Superkind whose resources we use each year.
Key Dates for the rest of the year
Please see our updated Key Dates summary for the rest of 2025
Look out for all the OKRFZ dates including an extra one in May!
Attendance last week – well done Year 6!
Well done to Year 6 Wiltshire and John Baptiste Class who had 100% attendance last week!
Well done folks and keep it up!
Please contact us daily if your child is off ill or for another reason.
Email attendance@ssq.org.uk or phone 0207 7033049 (option 1)
NEXT WEEK’S MENU!
Latest Community News
By simply shopping at a local Tesco and voting using their blue token system you can make a difference at SSq and help Edible Rotherhithe who provide so many amazing opportunities for our young gardeners. They have the chance to get more funding to help teach pupils how to prepare a healthy salad using ingredients grown in our outdoor polytunnel. You can vote until the end of March in these stores: Old Kent Road, The Cut, London Bridge High St, Blackfriars Circus, Tabard Square Tower Bridge Rd, Borough Rd, Gt Suffolk St, Tooley Street or Borough New Kt Rd.
Southwark Council want to hear the experiences of women and girls in Southwark, to understand how safe you feel living, working and travelling in our borough. Click here to take their short survey.
