St John’s Hoxton 200 Year Anniversary Service

We were absolutely delighted to be part of the celebrations marking 200 years of St John’s Hoxton at both last Saturday’s Summer Fair and Tuesday evening’s special commemorative service. It was a truly wonderful occasion celebrating the incredible impact that St John’s Church has had, not only on our school, but on the whole Hoxton community over the past two centuries.

We were especially proud of our Year 5 and Year 6 volunteers, who came together to form a special St John the Baptist School Choir for the event. Their performance was simply outstanding and was met with sustained applause from the congregation. We received countless compliments afterwards, including from the Bishop of Hackney, who told us it was “the best school choir I have ever seen”.  This is high praise indeed from someone who has seen many school choirs perform!

The service was attended by many distinguished guests, including parents from our school community. We were also honoured to perform in front of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, who was seated in the front row. Before the service began, three of our pupils (Chioma, Milla and John) had the privilege of welcoming His Royal Highness to the occasion. Afterwards, several more of our children were able to exchange a few words with him, as you can see from the (slightly blurry!) photographs below.

If you would like to watch the service, the link is below. It is well worth watching, but if you’re short on time, be sure to skip to 1 hour 23 minutes, where you’ll find the highlight of the evening – our fantastic school choir.

Click me to view service

Happy viewing!

School Community Dates & Events

Summer Term – 2nd Half

Helping Children Stay Safe Online

The internet offers amazing opportunities for learning, creativity and staying connected, but it can also expose children to inappropriate images, harmful content and unwanted contact. Social media and video platforms use algorithms that quickly suggest more and more content, which can sometimes lead children towards material that is not suitable for their age.

One of the simplest and most effective steps parents can take is to switch on parental controls. These can help filter inappropriate content, manage screen time, restrict purchases and provide a safer online experience across devices and home broadband. They are not a substitute for conversations and supervision, but they are an important first line of defence.

We also encourage families to:

• Talk regularly with your child about what they do online.
• Ask them to show you their favourite games, apps and websites.
• Encourage them to tell a trusted adult if they see anything that worries or upsets them.
• Review privacy settings and parental controls regularly as children grow and technology changes.

For more information, practical advice and step-by-step guides to setting up parental controls, visit the UK Safer Internet Centre’s Parents and Carers Hub:
https://saferinternet.org.uk/guide-and-resource/parents-and-carers

You can also find specific guidance on parental controls here:
https://saferinternet.org.uk/online-issue/parental-controls

Next Week’s Lunch Menu

Please see School Uniform Order Deadlines for Brigade:

 KEY SUMMER DEADLINE DATES –  Order early to avoid the Back to School rush!

  Parents Direct (Home Delivery) – Order by Friday 17th July for delivery before the new September term.

Web: www.brigade.uk.com

Summer Activities – Hackney

Charity Mud Run

Windrush Generations Festival 2026

In the news over the past week…