Dear Families,
I can’t quite believe we’ve reached the end of another school year… and what a fantastic year it has been! It has been filled with learning, laughter, achievement and so many wonderful memories, and I couldn’t be prouder of our amazing school community.
This final week has been especially busy, with our fantastic Summer Fayre, Celebration Assembly and the Year 6 Leavers’ events. Thank you to everyone who supported the Summer Fayre and joined us to celebrate another successful year.
Our Year 6 children have been an exceptional group, and we are incredibly proud of all they have achieved. We wish them every success as they begin their exciting journey into secondary school.
As we finish the year, I would like to thank all of our families for your continued support and partnership. My thanks also go to our dedicated staff, LAB members, governors and volunteers, whose hard work and commitment help make our school such a happy and successful place to learn.
A reminder that children in Years 1–6 return to school on Thursday 3rd September, with our EYFS children beginning their return from Monday 7th September.
At the end of this newsletter, you’ll also find details of a range of free and low-cost activities taking place over the summer holidays. We hope you’ll be able to make the most of these opportunities and enjoy a fun-filled summer together.
Have a wonderful, safe and relaxing summer break. We look forward to welcoming you all back in September.
Warm regards,
Ms Toni Mason
This week, our Year 6 children received their SATs results, and we are incredibly proud of everything they have achieved.
This cohort has worked exceptionally hard throughout the year, showing resilience, determination and a real commitment to doing their very best. Their results are a reflection of that effort, and we are delighted to share some of their fantastic achievements.
We are also incredibly proud to have been recognised as being in the 82nd percentile nationally, placing our school amongst the highest-performing primary schools in the country.
| Measure | Our School | National |
|---|---|---|
| Reading, Writing & Maths (Expected Standard) | 73% | 62% |
| Reading, Writing & Maths (Higher Standard) | 16% | 8% |
| Reading (Expected Standard) | 78% | 75% |
| Reading (Higher Standard) | 32% | Not published nationally |
| Writing (Expected Standard) | 76% | 72% |
| Writing (Greater Depth) | 22% | Not published nationally |
| Mathematics (Expected Standard) | 81% | 74% |
| Mathematics (Higher Standard) | 27% | Not published nationally |
| Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling (Expected Standard) | 73% | 72% |
| Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling (Higher Standard) | 35% | Not published nationally |
These results are a testament to the hard work of our pupils, the dedication of our staff and the continued support of our families. We are incredibly proud of what this wonderful group of children has accomplished.
Alongside celebrating the whole cohort’s success, we also recognised four pupils whose exceptional attainment stood out across the year group.
🏅 Reading: Ali
🏅 Mathematics: Derick
🏅 Writing: Milla
🏅 Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling (GPS): Josiah
These children achieved exceptionally highly in their respective subjects, and we were delighted to recognise their outstanding academic success.
However, Year 6 is about so much more than SATs. While we are incredibly proud of these academic achievements, we are equally proud of the kindness, resilience, teamwork, perseverance and positive attitudes shown by every member of the class. They have been fantastic role models for the younger children in our school and have embraced every opportunity with enthusiasm and maturity.
With this in mind, we were also delighted to present our Outstanding Achievement Awards to pupils who have made a truly special contribution to our school community. These awards celebrate qualities that cannot be measured by a test score: kindness, determination, leadership, resilience and making a positive difference to those around them.
Outstanding Achievement Award Recipients
Desdina – Excellence Award
Desdina has consistently demonstrated excellence in learning, outstanding progress and an exemplary attitude to school life. As a prefect and ambassador for our school, she has led by example, representing St John the Baptist with pride, integrity and maturity.
Essey – Excellence Award
Essey has shown exceptional determination, quiet leadership and unwavering kindness throughout the year. His calm, dependable nature and willingness to support others have made him a wonderful role model and a valued member of our school community.
Namil – Excellence Award
Namil brings positivity to every day, greeting everyone with a smile and approaching every challenge with enthusiasm and respect. His kindness, excellent attitude to learning and friendship towards others have made him a pleasure to teach and an outstanding example to his peers.
Chioma – Excellence Award
Chioma has made phenomenal academic progress, growing in confidence and enthusiasm throughout the year. Her resilience, perseverance and commitment to learning, combined with her calm, respectful and caring nature, have made her success truly inspiring.
John – Excellence Award
John has brought humour, energy and joy to school every day while making excellent academic progress. His enthusiasm, leadership and willingness to encourage and inspire others have made him a fantastic ambassador for his class and our school.
Congratulations to all of our award winners. We are immensely proud of your achievements and thank you for the positive impact you have had on St John the Baptist. We wish you every success and happiness as you begin the next stage of your education.
St John the Baptist has had another phenomenal year playing chess in school, online and in tournaments against other Hackney primary schools. Today, Aisha was presented with a special prize to celebrate the hard work she has put in this year. Aisha has played in every match and recently won a silver medal at ChessFest held in Manchester Square Gardens a few weeks back for scoring 12 points in the tournament. I am sure she will continue to grow as a player and I look forward to seeing her lead from the front in Year 6.
On Tuesday, we held our Summer Fayre, which was another fantastic community event that brought together families, friends and staff from across the SJB community. It was wonderful to see so many people enjoying the stalls, games, entertainment and the chance to spend time together.
A huge thank you to everyone who came along and helped make the event such a success. A special thanks to the parents who helped set up on the lead up. We loved seeing our school community come together, and we hope you all had a fantastic time too.
Please enjoy a few photos from the event.
Last night, our Year 6 pupils enjoyed a wonderful barbecue and disco. It was a fantastic opportunity to come together, celebrate everything they have achieved, and mark the end of their time at primary school. Everyone had a brilliant evening, making special memories with friends and staff.
Please enjoy some photos from the event.
Following Sensei Steve’s visit to school this week, we wanted to share details of some exciting opportunities available over the summer.
For children moving into Year 7, a Year 7 Prep Course has been designed to help build confidence before starting secondary school. The course focuses on resilience, self-discipline, respect, communication skills and strategies for managing the new challenges that secondary school can bring.
There is also a Summer Martial Arts Camp taking place during the holidays. The camp offers children a fun and active way to spend part of their summer while developing confidence, focus, teamwork and new friendships in a supportive environment.
As a special offer for our school community, any child who contacts the Academy before 1st September and mentions they were referred by our school will receive two weeks of free training.
If you would like to find out more about either opportunity, please contact the Academy directly.
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