Summer Term Newsletter #37

10th July 2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

The week started on a positive note as we showcased our use of assessment to another Hertfordshire school. Mr Bristow gave a tour of the school and delivered an in-depth presentation of our processes and how they have been implemented. The feedback from our Primary Director who accompanied the visit was incredibly positive. On the topic of excellence, Lanchester has been selected as a case study by The Engagement Platform (TEP) who help us conduct termly surveys of staff and pupils. Our data has improved consistently over the last two years resulting in one of the strongest improving schools in the country.

The learning in school has been action-packed with lots of great enrichment: Y2/3 enjoyed a VR workshop about animals and a trip to Cassiobury Park; a select team competed in a geography quiz at Watford Girls Grammar School coming second (well done to all and thank you to Mr Kinsella!); Y6 have been over at West Herts College rehearsing in their theatre; Y5 ventured over to Elstree Screen Arts Academy to tour an exhibition and complete a workshop. Lastly, we all enjoyed a positive transition day (the first of three) as we prepare ourselves for the transition to the next stage of our learning journeys.

Values: We considered courage and the words of Rosa Parks: 'I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear.' - Rosa Parks. Courage has many forms and looks different for everyone, but a sense of determination and direction can be really useful, particularly with tricky new learning concepts in school. Next week, our value is appreciation: "Around us, life bursts with miracles—a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower." Thich Nhat Hanh

Votes for Schools: Is it easy to be Prime Minister? Apparently not according to 85% of the children. Most came to this conclusion due to the challenges of trying to please so many different people with limited resources. Next week we consider 'Should school trips be used as a reward?'

Free School Meals: The government is changing the criteria around free school meals for September. All children in households receiving Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals, regardless of earnings. A letter with more information has been sent to you with the link to this weel's newsletter. Applications for free school meals are made through the county website available here.

Great British Summer Savings: From 25th June until 1 September, the Government is supporting families with the cost of the summer by reducing VAT from 20% to 5% on a host of restaurants, attractions and tickets for children. This is also combined with free bus travel during August for children between 5 and 15 years of age. You can find out how to benefit from this locally by using the Summer Savings website available here.

There's only one place to be this weekend and that is LanchestFest!! I hope to see you all there browsing stalls, sampling refreshments and enjoying the entertainment. It promises to be a wonderful family day.

Best wishes,

Mr. Matt Morey - Headteacher

Upcoming Dates...

Sat 11th July - LanchestFest, 12-5pm

The iconic festival returns for a second year of excitement and entertainment!

Thu 16th July - Transition Session #2

Rec - Y5 spend a second morning with their teacher for next year.

Tue 21st July - Transition Session #3

Rec - Y5 complete their transition work with their teacher for next year.

Wed 22nd July - End of Term, 1.15pm

The school year ends and the summer holiday begins.

School calendar

Attendance

Whole-school attendance this week has been a pleasing 96.1%. Excellent attendance is vital for successful learning. Our curriculum is sequenced and builds knowledge cumulatively, so any absence can hinder their learning journey. Be sure to get your child into school every day. Congratulations to Colombo who have retained the top spot this week with an excellent 99.5%

Class Attendance Summary:

1. Colombo 99.5%

2. Tokyo 97.9%

3. Cairo 97.8%

4. Rio 97.8%

5. Rome 97.5%

6. Jakarta 96.4%

7. Cusco 96.3%

8. Kingston 96.1%

9. New York 94.9%

10. London 94.2%

11. Kampala 87.4%

Values Champions

This week has been full of children making excellent choices and working on our school values. The children listed below have been chosen for their outstanding efforts! They were ready to learn, respectful of the environment and their peers and they were resilient and worked hard throughout. Well done, everyone!

Year R:

London - Isaac

Year 1:

Rome - Jorgie

Year 2:

Colombo - Derin

Jakarta - Joshua

Tokyo - Holliday

Year 4:

Cairo - Natan

Kampala - Yacine

Year 5:

Cusco - Aiden

Rio - Victoria

Year 6:

Kingston - Avery & Abigail

New York - Ania

House Points

Children’s attitude to learning has been recognised through the collection of dojo points, which are then totalled as house points across the school. Every child continues to show their commitment to being Ready, Respectful and Resilient, earning points for their house. Each half term the points are reset and a new competition begins. Well done to Alhazen who hold a sizeable lead going into the penultimate week. Can anyone catch them?!

Here’s how the points stand:

1st: Alhazen with 3256 points (+411)

2nd: Carver with 2853 points (+491)

3rd: Curie with 2806 points (+436)

4th: Sharman with 2792 points (+457)

Let’s keep up the great work and continue to support each other as we aim for the top!

Class News

This week in Reception

This week, in Reception, we have been learning about healthy eating. The children have enjoyed tasting different fruits and writing words to describe them. They have written shopping lists and have ended the week by making their own fruit kebabs. We incorporated maths into this activity where some of the children created repeating patterns with their fruit kebabs.

This week in Year 1

This week, Year 1 completed our year-long 'Adopt a Tree' project. The children observed and drew the same tree in our playground during each season, tracking how it changed throughout the year. They enjoyed comparing their drawings and discussing the seasonal changes they noticed, developing their observation skills and understanding of the natural world.

This week in Year 2 / 3

This week has been a busy and exciting one in Year 2/3! At the beginning of the week, the children enjoyed a fascinating immersive Virtual Reality (VR) Animal Kingdom Workshop. This high-tech experience brought science to life, allowing the children to safely get up close to some of the world's most fascinating creatures while learning about different animals and their habitats. We ended the week with a wonderful trip to Cassiobury Park as part of our Science topic, 'Plants', and our Art topic, 'Beautiful Botanicals'. The children walked all the way to the park and took part in an engaging session led by the Cassiobury Park Educational Hub. They explored the natural environment, discovered interesting facts about plants and wildlife, and had a fantastic time learning outdoors. It was a brilliant way to end a fun-filled week of learning.

This week in Year 4

In Year 4, the children have been incredibly busy and should be very proud of their hard work. They have successfully completed their independent persuasive letters on topics of their own choice, showing fantastic effort and writing some truly brilliant arguments. In Maths, our focus has turned to geometry as we explore the properties of quadrilaterals, identify various polygons, and find lines of symmetry across different shapes. It was also wonderful for the children to meet their new teacher this week, sparking lots of excitement as they look ahead to all the brilliant adventures waiting for them in Year 5.

This week in Year 5

This week, Year 5 had the pleasure of visiting Elstree Screen Arts Academy. The children were mesmerised by the incredible artwork on display in the exhibition. They also had the opportunity to participate in a workshop where they worked to design their own personal magazines. The Year 5 team were very impressed with the children’s display of passion and manners towards the staff at the school.

This week in Year 6

Year 6 took an exciting step this week by attending their first transition day at their upcoming secondary schools. In addition to experiencing a taste of secondary life, both classes visited West Herts College to rehearse for next week's grand performance, practising hard on a real stage to ensure the show is a spectacular success.

Friends of Lanchester

LanchestFest

It’s tomorrow! After a lot of planning, we’re really excited that LanchestFest 2026 is here. It’s even better that England are through to the next round and we can enjoy the build up to the game together!

We’ve got an afternoon full of fun, music, performances, food, drink and games. We’ve got amazing stalls and activities this year including free circus workshops, stilt walkers, pony walks, hair braiding, festival face glitter, henna tattoos and much more.

Our main stage has a whole range of fun performances.

12pm - Tiger Jazz

1pm - Joe Farry

2pm - B Dance

2:15pm - Big Mama Funk

3pm - Indrahanush Kids Academy Dance

3:30pm - Stagecoach

3:45pm - LanchestFest World Cup Party

4:30pm - LanchestFestkids disco

All the kids disco songs have been chosen by the classes so expect an eclectic range of songs! With bubbles, dancing and glitter fun, we can’t wait to see the dance moves!

Watford Fringe event

Mitch Benn is Asking Elvis

The King is back! Mitch Benn resurrects Elvis from BBC Radio 2's legendary "Steve Wright in the Afternoon" show, to answer hunks of burning questions about life, death, cheeseburgers and everything in between... including the story of how Mitch managed to be possibly the most popular thing on the most popular show on British radio for over ten years, without anyone ever knowing it was him.

If YOU have a question for Elvis, go to: www.mitchbenn.com/asking-elvis

Thankyouverymuch...

Book tickets here: https://watfringe.co.uk/events/mitch-benn-asking-elvis/

Recommended age: 14+

Volunteers

We are still in need of volunteers, especially in the later slots. Please get in touch if you can help.

Raffle tickets

More raffle tickets are available on the day. Please make sure all stubs and money are given to us at the beginning of the fair if you haven’t returned them already.

Donations

Please drop off any cakes and bakes in the morning. No nuts please.

A massive thank you to everyone who has supported us, it’s been a huge effort from everyone involved. Look forward to seeing you all tomorrow!

Dates for your diary

Saturday 11th July - LanchestFest

Friday 17th July - End of term Stay and Play

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friendsoflanchester or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendsoflanchester/ or contact us by email: friendsoflanchester@gmail.com

Thanks for your support!

Friends of Lanchester committee - Tracey Bravo, Lawrence Brown, Louise Brown, Helen Gibson, Chloé Harper and Laura Robson

On Behalf of 'Friends of Lanchester CFS'

Registered Charity 1161580