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Headteacher Message

Hello all,

I hope you are well. This week, I was in the corridor upstairs and, once again, felt like Darell is a great place to be. Through the window, I could see an anxiety workshop taking place in the main hall with a number of our parents in attendance. This was organised by our lovely family support team and delivered by Purple Elephant Project, a children's mental health company. My family life has been significantly impacted by childhood anxiety, and the more we identify it and try to understand it, the better I hope outcomes will be for others. I want this school to be able to support you and your children beyond its physical boundaries, and this is just one element of doing so. Many of you are getting to know Belinda, our family support worker. Please get in touch with her if you would like support or advice regarding anything. Sometimes just having somebody neutral to chat to can help.

Where was I? I was in the corridor upstairs. I turned around, and in the international room, there was an inventor's workshop taking place. Children from Reception to Year 6 were exploring vortex rings and how they have been used by insects and humans to facilitate and aid flight. This workshop was paid for by the patent office and organised by one of our parents, who is a real-life inventor. It was organised chaos, but all the better for it!

As we head towards Easter, please make every effort to get your child into school. It really does make a difference to their learning.
We would like to wish Eid Mubarak to all of our staff and families who are celebrating today and in the upcoming days.

Enjoy the sunshine this weekend and see you all on Monday.

Joe Porter

Last week, we were lucky enough to have a performance from our resident violinist, Kyrah! If that wasn't special enough, she also invited Reed to join her on the piano.

Office Updates

As we approach the end of the term, please note that most of our after-school clubs have now wrapped up for the season.

However, there are two exceptions. The following clubs will have one final session next week:

Cooking Club
Football Club

All other clubs are now finished until next term.

We will be sending out a new clubs list next week for the summer term.

E-ACT The Oldham Academy North | Oldham On Friday, 27th March we will finish school at 1:15 PM. Please collect your child from their usual collection point in either the KS1 or KS2 playground.

If your child is in Year 5 or 6 and will be walking home alone, and does not yet have permission, you will need to grant permission for this on Arbor. You can do so by logging into your Arbor parent portal or by contacting the school office to inform us. Thank you!

Communications Sent Home

Selected pupils – Basketball Tournament
Selected pupils – Debate Mate Cup
Reception – Ducklings

Diary Dates

International colour day - Non uniform

from 09 Jan and on Friday each week until 21 Mar

20
March

Easter Bingo & Bake Sale

3:30pm – 4:30pm

25
March

Last Day of Spring Term - Early Finish

from 30 Mar until 10 Apr

Year 1 - Orleans House Gallery Trip

9:30am – 3:00pm

29
April

Thames Young Mariners - Yr 4

9:20am – 4:20pm

from 30 Apr until 01 May

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 the story of The Gingerbread Man, why does the gingerbread man stop at the river? ('He could not swim, and the river was wide') What would happen to him if he did jump in the water? (go soggy, break into little pieces, sink to the bottom) How else could he get across the river? (look for a boat, a bridge, a shallow place, find something to float across on)

Year 1 – How many oceans are there? Can you remember the names of the oceans of the world? What is the most interesting fact you have learnt about the oceans or the animals that live there?

Year 2 - Does your new class book (Zeraffa Giraffa) remind you of any other poems or stories? Which ones? Why?

Year 3 - Who do you think sent the goblin post? What do you think the letter inside says?

Year 4 - Can you think of an alternative title to the book, Gentle Giant.

Year 5 - ‘Secrets of a Sun King – Why are Tulip, her brother and her mother going to Egypt?

Year 6 - What can we magpie from Michael Morpurgo about how to write a good narrative? Does it help that animals play a major part in this book?

EYFS Star of the Week

Reception

Alteo- for living our school values of aspiration and responsibility. You always try your best, and you are helpful and kind.

KS1 Star of the Week

Year 1

Junior – for trying your best in your reading group this week and writing an excellent pet potato story. Well done, Junior!

Year 2

Melina - for your independently written historical recount of the Great Fire of London. You have successfully written in the past tense and used a wide range of vocabulary. Well done!

SRP 1

Callie - for using your talker at lunchtimes to tell us what you want to eat. Well done, Callie!

Nurture Star

Zayon - for your ever-increasing independence whilst constructing, playing and completing your work and for always being a kind friend

KS2 Star of the Week

SRP 2

Sirimi - for being more imaginative in her story writing.

Year 3

Callie-Grace - for being an ambitious and aspirational mathematician! You have shown your understanding using different representations (without being asked) and used your knowledge to help others. Well done, Callie-Grace!

Year 4

Reggie - for being kind and helpful in the classroom to the teacher and to others.

Year 5

Nikki - for taking responsibility for, and being aspirational in, her learning and choosing to spend some of her own time to make it the best that it can be.

Year 6

Sheila - for being a great role model and having a positive learning attitude across all subjects'

What's going on in the community?

Useful Links

darell.school

darell.richmond.sch.uk

Arbor Parent Portal - darell-primary.uk.arbor

School Uniform Shop – The Shoe Station

Newsletters

Newsletter 25 – Friday, 20th March 2026