${item_alt_tag}$

Headteacher Message

Hello all,

It has been a long time, and it is great to be back at school. The best thing about this job is interacting with your children, it has been so lovely to see them all again. I have just returned from the park with a group of children who have been rewarded for their excellent behaviour at playtimes. It was a mixed group. What was amazing was to see how well they all got on with one another. Two Year 5 boys took it upon themselves to look after a Reception child and every single one of them was great company throughout.

We are all very proud of our football team who represented us at the borough event this week. I heard tales of tremendous team spirit and stoic defending. They all returned with beaming smiles. Coincidently, I have just received a visitor who used to attend the school. He came to bring me a picture of the school football team he used to play in. He is 78 years old.

He was the captain of this team and is the smaller child holding the ball. We had a great conversation, and I am so pleased he felt the pull from his past and shared this valuable history with us. Look carefully at those smiles. They have been passed down the generations and your children share their positivity. Have a lovely weekend with your precious families.

Joe Porter

Office Updates

^{Christmas Cracker Donations}

We are asking for Christmas cracker donations for our festive lunch being held on Wednesday 17th December. If you can, please bring any donations to the front office. Thank you.

Communications Sent Home

Whole School – Chickenpox advice letter
Non-uniform day & the Darell Santa Dash
Nursery Headlice letter

What's going on in the community?

Darell at Kew Sparkle

Join us on Friday 5 December for this year’s wonderful Kew Sparkle Community event.

Held in Kew Village, the festivities will begin a little earlier this year at 4.00 p.m. with a special ‘Nutcracker’ themed performance by the Richmond Dance Collective on the main stage.

Your school choir will perform at 17.10pm and we would love you to come along and cheer on your friends.

As ever, there will be some fabulous craft and food stalls, street entertainment, rides for the children and Santa will be in his Grotto at Trindles Store. Plus the lovely farm animals are returning this year too.

This year the Grotto will be trialling a new queuing system, make sure you purchase your wristband before joining the Grotto queue. Wristbands will be sold from the stand outside The Shoe Station.

This year’s Charity is Small Steps – a fantastic local organisation supporting children with physical disabilities.

We hope to see you there.

P.S. Don’t forget, we will also have a Kew Sparkle School Jumper Day on Friday 5th December! All donations go towards the village lights.

www.kewsparkle.org

Diary Dates

Year 5 & 6 Swimming

9:15am – 10:45am

from 12 Sep and on Friday each week until 13 Dec

28
November

Y1 - Richmond Museum Trip

9:00am – 3:00pm

02
December

Y6 National Archives Trip

12:30pm – 3:30pm

02
December

Choir Performing at the Avenue Club, St Lukes Church

12:30pm – 2:00pm

03
December

Non Uniform day - Raising money for "Kew Village Lights"

from 12 Sep and on Friday each week until 13 Dec

05
December

Reception, Year 1 & Year 2 Performance "The Nativity"

2:00pm – 3:00pm

09
December

SRP - Panto Trip "Cinderella"

12:30pm – 3:30pm

10
December

Non Uniform Day / Christmas Jumper Day

8:30am – 3:30pm

11
December

KS2 Christams Performance "Christmas Through the Ages"

3:00pm – 3:00pm

11
December

The Reading Corner

Welcome to our weekly section of the newsletter all about reading. Every week, we will share a question (or two) with you about the book your child is reading in school. Please use these questions to help you find out a little more about what your child has been reading in school and continue to develop their love of reading.

Reception - In 'Lulu Gets a Cat,' what does Lulu do to take ‘excellent care’ of Makeda? (feeds her, gives her fresh water, cuddles and plays with her) Do all pets need the same care? (some pets need lots of exercise; some pets, like snakes and chameleons, need a warm light)

Year 1 – In our story 'Little Goose's Autumn', who or what is the 'monster in the sky'? (a flock of birds) Do you think they are Little Goose's family? Why or why not? Where do you think they are going?

Year 2 - How did the main character change in the story ‘The Bear and the Piano’?

Year 3 - What three words would you use to describe the girl from the story? Why?

Year 5 - ‘Treason’ – What is William’s new job at Hampton Court Palace?

Year 6 - How does the start of Goodnight Mr Tom compare to the start of Letters from the Lighthouse? What is similar? What is different?

SRP 2 - Can you think of a hero and villain in a story you know well.

EYFS Star of the Week

Reception

Coco - for showing great enjoyment every day in Reception.Your energy helps make our class a good place to be!

KS1 Star of the Week

Year 1

Maraki – for living our value of responsibility at tidy-up time. Every day, you have tidied tables, swept up and put resources back in the right places. Thank you and well done, Maraki!

Year 2

Sofiia - for your accurate use of key vocabulary during your verbal mathematical reasoning. You have demonstrated great mathematical fluency and oracy skills. Keep it up!

SRP 1

Hakim - for fantastic writing in your phonics sessions, Well done Hakim!

Nurture Star

Junior - for his excellent concentration and attitude towards practicing his handwriting. Well done Junior!

KS2 Star of the Week

SRP 2

Dineo - for using her IPAD well to participate in a science lesson.

Year 3

Skylar – for her fantastic energy, enthusiasm and performance skills during our rehearsals…and for being a responsible and aspirational learner at home! It has been lovely to see your home learning! Well done, Skylar!

Year 4

Tanya - for the kindness she shows her classmates each and every day. From helping to tidy other tables, to words of encouragement. Truly an example of the best that we can be.

Year 5

Aaliyah - for focusing on her joined handwriting and being an ambitious learner at home.

Year 6

Maja - for her commitment to all her learning and signing so confidently in our rehearsals that I learnt how to sing "Santa is Coming to Town" from you. Thank you!

Useful Links

darell.school

darell.richmond.sch.uk

Arbor Parent Portal - darell-primary.uk.arbor

School Uniform Shop - The Shoe Station

Newsletters

Newsletter 12 – Friday, 28th November 2025