Dear Families,

It’s been a very big week here at St John the Baptist as our Year 6 children have completed their KS2 SATs. As I said last week, these exams are just one moment in time—they do not define how brilliant, talented, and unique our children are, nor do they fully capture the tremendous progress they have made both inside and outside the classroom. We are so proud of how our students rose to the challenge.

Every single one of our Year 6 children impressed us with their mature, calm, and determined attitude. Some questions were particularly tricky, but they didn’t let that phase them. They tackled each paper with resilience, using their knowledge, strategies, and in some cases, sheer grit to work things out independently, which shows just as much about their growth mindset and readiness for what’s ahead.

This year, we were also visited by an external moderator from Hackney for two of the papers—something that happens to all schools periodically. He was hugely impressed, not only by our Year 6 pupils but by the entire school community. He commented on the calm and supportive atmosphere, thanks to the respect shown by pupils in other classes, and praised the way Year 6 approached the assessments with focus, organisation, and maturity. He even described our systems and practices as “impeccable”—a wonderful recognition of the dedication of our staff and the spirit of our pupils.

I want to give a special thank you to Donna, Collette, and the whole kitchen team for the fantastic breakfasts provided each morning. They certainly helped get the children’s brains ready for the day ahead.

We truly believe all our children have done brilliantly, and we look forward to receiving the results in July. Regardless of scores, they have already made us incredibly proud.

Warm regards,

Ms Toni Mason