Dear Families,
SATs week is here for our Year 6 children. They have approached this week with such positive attitudes and it’s been lovely to see their affirmations displayed in the hall – reminding them of the mindset needed to succeed. We’ve seen so much of our values on show already, particularly perseverance and responsibility, as the children give their best and show off all they have learnt over their time at SSQ. We are very proud of them.
In assembly this week, we focused on our value of compassion, thinking about what it means to truly listen to others. We explored how sometimes people don’t need us to fix things, but simply to notice, sit alongside them and help them feel understood. The children reflected on how they can show compassion in school – by including others, using kind words, encouraging one another and checking in when someone might need support .
Looking ahead, next week is the final week of this half term, and it’s a busy one! It is Mental Health Awareness Week, with the theme “Actions for yourself, someone else, all of us”. We will be exploring this through assemblies and class activities across the week. It is also Foundation Subject Week, where children will come off their usual timetable to focus on developing their skills across the wider curriculum.
Looking ahead to the half term break, Eid ul Adha will be taking place for many of our Muslim families. We would like to wish you Eid Mubarak when the day arrives and hope you have a joyful time celebrating with your families.
We will also be marking this together in school on Friday next week. All children are welcome to wear their special clothes for the day – this could be Eid clothes, cultural dress, or something that makes them feel good. There will be a celebratory lunch, along with in-class celebrations, including snacks and games, so that we can share in this important festival as a whole school community.
A reminder that we are still gathering responses for our ‘Why families choose Surrey Square’ survey. We are working with marketing specialists to think about how we share the SSQ story more widely and ensure families who would benefit from our school know about us.
- If you have a child currently in Reception – Year 6, please complete this survey
- If you have a child currently in Nursery, please complete this version
As a thank you, we will be running a second raffle prize draw for those who complete this survey. The deadline has been extended to Friday 15th May. We really value your input.
We also still have spaces available in our Reception classes for September 2026. If you know of any families new to the area who may be looking for a school place, please do spread the word – we would love to welcome them to our SSQ community.
Have a great weekend when it comes.
Matt
We will be holding a well-being coffee morning for parents and carers NEXT Tuesday 19th May, 9am in the pavilion. Look forward to seeing you then!
There is a workshop at 1st Place Family Hub on Wednesday 20th May 11am – 12.30pm on how to talk to your children about managing money and building good financial skills. See the flyer for more information:
Our friends at Spring Community Hub are starting a free two-session programme called “Empower and Thrive”. The sessions will be on Thursday 20th and Thursday 27th May, 9.30-11.30am at their base in 86-88 Vestry Road, SE5 8PQ. Please see the flyer below for more information.
Southwark Council are considering offering portable WiFi units for residents living in Temporary Accommodation, where WiFi isn’t already installed. There will be strict guidelines about who will be eligible for this – you must be on a low income and live in Temporary Accommodation provided by Southwark Council (not in accommodation that you rent privately from a landlord) and the council will carry out checks for each family. This accommodation could be in Southwark, or might be out-of-borough. Please let me know if you would be interested in finding out more.
Please keep an eye on this information page outlining information from me about various other issues that I can help with.
FI
NEWS – Community Cycleworks – Bikes for Families Offer
Our friends at Community Cycleworks run a “Bikes for Families” project. Refurbished bikes are available for parents and carers from SSQ to purchase, with prices ranging from £30 to £80.
If you are interested, please apply using this link.
NEWS – PE FAMILY DAYS – NEXT WEEK!
Join us for our first Parents PE Day(s) starting on week beginning Monday 18th May.
An email will be sent out confirming exact times for each class!
NEWS – Ukulele Magic at the Southbank Centre
Year 4 were the stars of the show last Friday when they performed at the world-famous Southbank Centre as part of the Southwark Music ukulele festival. After a long day of final preparations, the children performed at The Clore Ballroom to friends, family, and members of the public, accompanied by a live band. Thank you to all the families who were able to attend. We will try to share a recording of one of the songs as soon as possible.
NEWS – Year 5 partner with Farm Urban
Year 5 are working closely with Farm Urban on a sustainability project using aquaponics to create a closed, sustainable cycle. Aquaponics is a soil-free growing method that combines aquaculture, which is raising fish, with hydroponics, which is growing plants in water. In this system, fish waste provides nutrients for the plants, and the plants help clean the water. This means it uses around 90% less water than traditional growing methods and does not require chemical fertilisers.
As part of the project, we have a living wall in the pavilion that is growing lettuce for us to harvest each week.
Next to the wall is a shelving unit holding seedlings that will be moved onto the wall after the produce is harvested each week.
NEWS – SSq Open Mornings – NEXT WEEK
Do you know anyone looking for a Reception place at primary school? We still have a small number of places left in our Reception classes for this September. Do let them know about our open mornings coming up this summer! More information is here: https://surreysquareprimary.co.uk/admissions/#tour
Well done to all our Compassion Core Value champions from last week!
Well done to our OPAL Play Award Winner from last week:
Attendance from last week!
Well done to Nursery Woolf FT who had 98.96% attendance last week. Keep it up folks!
Please contact us daily if your child is off ill or for another reason.
Email [email protected] or phone 0207 7033049 (option 1)
MENU @SSq
Check out what’s on the menu – this week is week 1!
Key Dates for the rest of the academic year
Please note the new date for the SSq Festival which will be in collaboration with the Old Kent Road Family Zone’s Marketplace.
These are subject to change and we will endeavour to inform you of this as soon as possible.
Family Cinema in May Half Term and throughout Summer!
The Garden Cinema hosts family film screenings every Saturday & Sunday morning, and on weekdays during the school holidays. The screenings are 'Pay What You Can', which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. On Sundays the films are followed by free fun and creative activities for children. Upcoming films include Brave, WALL-E, James and the Giant Peach and How to Train Your Dragon.
Full Details: https://www.thegardencinema.co.uk/season/films-for-the-family
Musical Junior Summer School – Apply Now!
Dates: 27th-31st July 2026
Age: 8-13 years old
Venue: Hitherfield Primary School, Lambeth
Cost: free (£15 donation suggested if parents can)
Who is it for: any young person who would like to spend a week making friends, playing samba drums, steel pans, brass, woodwind or dancing and creating a performance in the end. No experience needed for pans, drums, dance.
Sign up: flyer attached and young people can also sign up here: Join Us | Kinetika Bloco
Local music festival in May – great variety of music on offer over a few days – some of which are FREE. More details here or the poster below.
Check out all the ongoing Community Notices here.
