Latest Newsletter
Friday 6th November 2026
Dear Parents & Carers,
It’s lovely to be back for Autumn term 2 following our longer half term and hearing about all the lovely things the children have been doing. This week children have started new class books and topics and have been focusing their attention on History learning. Clubs have re-commenced as usual and Reception and Year 1 took part in ‘Germ Buster’ workshops, learning the importance of hygiene as part of their PSHE learning.
In Collective Worship we are continuing to look at our termly theme of The Sermon on the Mount; this week we’ve reflected upon ‘Money & Possessions’ and considered what life’s real treasures are and can be. We’ll continue to explore this theme next week with ‘Judging Others’.
Reception 2027-2028 Open Mornings – 09:30, Old Jamaica Road
A reminder of tours of our OJR site for a series of Open Mornings for existing and prospective parents of Reception children starting school in September 2027. Please spread the word to any parents you know, or join us yourselves, for these on one of the following mornings:
- Tuesday 17th November, 09:30 @ OJR;
- Tuesday 1st December, 09:30 @ OJR;
- Tuesday 5th January, 09:30 @ OJR.
These are also included on the attached dates letter.
Parents’ Evening Booking
Our Parents’ Evenings are approaching and will be held on Wednesday 18th November (EYFS/KS1) and Wednesday 25th November (KS2), both in the OJR Hall. Parent's Evening Consultation slots can be booked through our Arbor app as usual and are now live. Do let us know if there’s anything we can assist with regarding these.
Years 4-6 ‘Young Voices’ Concert at the O2 Arena
As per the e-mail sent earlier in the week, we're delighted to be taking part and performing again in the 'Young Voices' Concert at the O2 on Tuesday 2nd February 2027! Last year we took all children in Years 5&6, however this year we are inviting any child who wants to attend from Years 4-6. This will be on a first-come, first-served basis. To register your child, please follow this link which will take you to the parent page:
https://yvmusicroom.com/auth/parent/journey/welcome . Many people have already signed up so please do so to avoid disappointment. Please see attached flier and QR code for details on parent/audience booking and refer to previous e-mail for more information.
Remembrance Service – Wednesday 11th November in St. James’s Church, 10:45
Children from Year 1-6 will attend our Remembrance service in Church on Wednesday. All are welcome to attend this; do be mindful to be particularly prompt due to a 2-minute silence which will take place.
Children in Need Day – Friday 13th November
Remember next Friday is ‘Children in Need’ day and we always like to support this deserving cause as much as we can. Non-uniform/Pudsey-inspired outfits in exchange for a suggested donation of £1.00. We’ll also be having a talent show in school during the afternoon to mark this.
Wednesday ‘Toast’ After School Get Togethers in St. James’s Church
Please find a flier attached advertising weekly ‘Toast’ sessions at St. James’s Church during term-time. Pop along to church each Wednesday with your children to meet Katie, spend time with one another as a community and get to know the church team and each other. This will happen each Wednesday during term-time and promises a weekly hangout for children and parents.
Individual School Photo Day
You’ll have seen from the ‘dates for your diaries’ letters that children will be able to have their individual photos taken at both sites on Tuesday 10th November. All children will have an individual photo taken during school hours. If you have children who have a sibling/s at another site, you will be able to bring children to either site from 08:30 on the day. We won’t mind on this day if children are late to school to accommodate this. If your children have siblings at the same site, we can arrange for them to have photos together on the day. We cannot switch children between sites during the school day, this must be done by parents/carers before school from 08:30. Years 3 & 4 have PE on a Tuesday – please do send children in with full uniform on this day for their photos. We will allow trainers and PE lessons will be adapted accordingly since children will not be wearing PE kits. Photos will be able to view and purchase online and have delivered to your homes soon after.
Years 3-6 After-School Tennis Club – Spaces Available!
Our after-school tennis club, delivered by coaches from the National Tennis Association, is returning this half-term. The club is a fun and inclusive opportunity for children to develop their tennis skills, confidence and coordination through coaching, games, challenges and match play. No previous tennis experience is required and all equipment is provided. Please see the attached flier for full details, dates and times, or register directly using this link: St James After School Tennis Club - Register Now!
Southwark Flu Immunisation Parent/Carer Sessions
The South London Children and Young People's Community Immunisation Service is running two parent and carer information sessions, focusing on the children's flu vaccine. These sessions will take place on Tuesday 10th November, 13:00 - 14:00 and Thursday 19th November, 16:00 - 17:00. These sessions are designed for parents and carers of children and young people and will provide information about the annual flu vaccination programme. To book, or for more information, please find a separate attachment for each session with a QR code. You can also register for either webinar by completing this short form .
Road Safety Week – 15th-21st November 2026
During this week, please make every effort to WALK, SCOOT or CYCLE to school and nursery. If you usually come by car, please try and park away from school and WALK the remainder of the way. We are proud to once again be GOLD award holders for sustainable travel - thank you for your support in this. Our gold award will remain until August 2029. If you have to drive, please do note the 'School Streets' in place at KS2, Alexis St (no access to vehicles, unless residents, or blue badge holders, from 08:30-09:00 and 15:00-15:30). If you have a permit for this area, please do not park near the gates on Linsey Street, please try and park around the corner and walk to the gates. At Old Jamaica Road, please do not park in front of the gates, or on the yellow zig zag area, this is for the safety of all our children. Children in Reception will be given reflector badges and a fun activity sheet on Road Safety from TfL. All Year 3 have had Road Safety training where they learnt to cross roads safely. Cycle Confident Level 2 will be offered to Year 6 next summer and we hope to offer Level 1 for Years 3&4 children too.
Arbor App/Annual Request for Consents
As you know, we often send notifications to you through the Arbor app. They appear as unread messages on the left hand side of the screen on the home page. We would be grateful if you would ensure that your notifications are turned on on your device to ensure you don't miss any of these alerts. This week we have pushed out a notification asking you to update your preferences regarding the publication of your child/children's work or image. Please take a moment to update your consent wishes on the Arbor app. Your consent will enable us to continue to celebrate the wonderful work & achievements of all the children at St James'. This is done through our school website, instagram feed and occasionally by posting embedded links on our website from our private Vimeo account, showing videos of the children performing sports & drama. This is not an exclusive list but represents the main use of the images taken by staff in school on school-owned devices.
Safeguarding Reporting Tool
As an additional tool in our ongoing responsibility to "Keep Children Safe in Education", we have recently subscribed to a service from an existing supplier, CPOMS. This QR code allows anyone to anonymously and confidentially report a safeguarding concern to the Safeguarding Team at St James'. You will see posters around school displaying the code and it is also posted on our website under this link:
Link to Safeguarding\Who to contact if you are worried.
Please note that our advice remains the same if a child is in immediate danger - call 999 without delay.
Events for the coming week
PLEASE NOTE: Additonal PE Kit Day for children in Cezanne class on Monday and our individual photo day on Tuesday.
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Monday 9th November
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Tuesday 10th November |
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Wednesday 11th November |
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Thursday 12th November |
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Friday 13h November |
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Wishing you, along with our whole community, a super weekend!
God bless, from the St. James’ team.
