17th November

OUR SCHOOLS, OUR WORLD AT ANSON
We are delighted to announce that Anson is one of 20 pioneering schools in Brent to sign up to the Our Schools, Our World project.
The project uses the power of education to advance environmental literacy and social engagement with an aim of our whole community contributing to a more equitable and sustainable future. We will work with the pupils, the staff, community organisations and the council (as well as relevant partners) to promote a just and sustainable world where environmental and social
responsibility drive individual, institutional, and community choices. This newsletter launches that work.

WEEKLY RECAP by Mr Pile

There is no doubt that action is needed against climate change. As leader of a community that is
connected to all corners of the globe, I know that each of you will be aware of someone or something that has been impacted by the changes in our climate. The
current climate models predict we are on track for the Earth to heat up, on average, somewhere between
3°C and 4°C by the year 2100. To put that in context, our current Reception children will be in their 70s by this time and will have spent much of their lives adapting to serious changes in climate and witnessed the impact of increased heat and increased rainfall around the globe. We have joined the Our Schools,
Our World project as a commitment to looking at every
aspect of life at Anson against a number of criteria. We will now develop detailed and challenging action plans reflecting high aspirations to become a zero carbon school by 2030. This is the ambitious target set by Brent in 2021. It will involve curriculum development, the development of sustainable school systems, operations and resourcing, the engagement with community and the nurturing of a culture within the school which naturally supports care for oneself, care for others and care for the environment. Staff from the 20 schools spent three days last week attending training. Over the next few years we will work together as a whole school community to make a positive change for our children’s futures and I hope we will have your full support in this mission.

 

8th November

"Colour inside the Lines"

This week we launched our second Learning Behaviour of the year. Thanks to the purple crayon in The Day the Crayons Quit, we are focusing on Aspiration. 
The purple crayon is fed up with Duncan’s slapdash approach and begs him to try harder to colour inside the lines. In a special assembly 5 children shared their aspiration for this term and we discussed techniques to achieve our goals. Ask you child what goal they have set. 

Weekly Recap by Mr Pile

It was wonderful to see the children return to school this week after the Half Term holiday. 
It is also sad that some of our families have not returned. 
I wanted to use the newsletter this week to share with you my frustration at the current state of housing for some of our families. We have seen a large number of families moving out to Aylesbury, High Wycombe, Watford and Hemel Hempstead after being made homeless in no fault evictions. 
It hits each family very hard and we are frustrated that the system seems to hold very little regard for the impact of these evictions. In many cases families know the eviction is coming and are told not to do anything until they are actually made homeless. If they leave before they are considered to be making themselves intentionally homeless. It is a ludicrous situation for any family to experience. 
The good news is that the Local Authority then step in and find accommodation. However, this is very rarely in Brent. 
For anyone going through this scenario at the moment please reach out to myself and Miss Callaghan. We will do everything we can to support you with letters from the school and direct contact with our Educational Welfare Officer, Mr. Clarke. 
We know that worry about jobs, finances and well-being are all part of these experiences. We find it unacceptable for this to be the situation people are experiencing. 
While we have no power to overturn the decisions we will fight alongside you for a suitable outcome and protect your school place for as long as we can. 
I have raised my concerns with Brent and I sincerely hope that a solution is found for all our families and you are back with us very soon. 

2024 Winter Fair

The Winter Fair is taking place on Friday, 13th December between 3:30pm and 6:00pm at Anson.
Friends of Anson are busy preparing for the day and have asked me to let you know ways in which you can help in the lead up to the event. 
After the success of the Light Trail last year there will be another amazing trail to follow this year too. In order to make that happen we need donations of lights, inflatables and Christmas outdoor decorations. If you are able to lend something to Friends of Anson (it will be labelled and returned) or donate something forever to the cause we would love to hear from you. 
Friends of Anson are also beginning collections for the Winter Fair Tombola. If you would like to donate some festive biscuits, chocolates or selection boxes to the Fair they will go on to the very popular Tombola stall. 
There will be lots more information in the coming weeks so keep your eyes peeled for other opportunities. 

PYRAMUS & THISBE

The Anson Staff will be on stage this Christmas for a festive performance of Pyramus and Thisbe. 
The cast are rehearsing several times a week to bring this festive treat to the community. 
Tickets will be on sale soon at £4 per person for performances on the 17th and 18th December at 7pm. 

BAKE FOR BOOKS

The next Bake Sale in on Friday 15th November at 3:30pm

 

Q&A - Anti Bullying Week

What is Anti Bullying Week?
Anti-Bullying week is a time where children learn about kindness and respect. This year the theme is ‘Choose Respect’. This has come about following consultation with teachers and pupils by the Anti-Bullying Alliance which coordinates Anti-Bullying Week every year in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

How are the NSPCC involved?
Speak out Stay safe is a safeguarding programme for children aged 5 to 11 years old. It is available to all primary schools in the UK and Channel Islands. It helps children understand:

abuse in all its forms and how to recognise the signs of abuse
that abuse is never a child’s fault and they have the right to be safe
where to get help and the sources of help available to them.

What will the children do?
Dream The Speak out Stay safe programme contains:

virtual assemblies for children aged 5-7 and 7-11.
lesson plans with engaging activities and resources to help reinforce and embed key messages 

What happens after Anti-Bullying Week?
We hope the messages in Anti-Bullying Week will encourage more children to feel confident about reporting things to trusted adults if they occur. This can be on the playground, in clubs they attend or at home. 

We also hope all children show even more respect to everyone around them - a true strength of Anson Primary School. 

 

31st October

"The first half of the Autumn Half Term ended with the 3rd Friends of Anson Halloween Spectacular on Friday. 
It was a magical night with children from across the school dressing up in some pretty scary outfits. Many took part in dancing, musical zombies, ghost smash and treated themselves to food, drink and gifts on the night. Entering our third year of Friends of Anson should mean that the events are beginning to be familiar fixtures to the Anson calendar. This year we certainly saw more children attending the disco and
it made for a special end to the term."

 

Weekly Recap:

The Halloween Disco was a wonderful way to end the half term. 
One of the most important elements of our school is the way in which the community pull together. It was never more evident than in the way parents transformed the hall and dining room into a party zone on Friday. With familiar faces all involved alongside  some of our newer parents Friends of Anson continues to grow. Such collaboration has been our focus with the children too with each pupil gaining their first badge last week as we continue to celebrate ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’ - our book of the year.
Collaboration is critical and on Thursday over 90% of parents attended Parents’ Evening. The event was held earlier than in previous years so that you could meet the teachers, get earlier feedback for your children and understanding how you can support your child to make progress. It was lovely to see so many of you on the night. Indeed, it is lovely to see so many of you every day connected with the school and our wider work. 
This Half Term will be just as busy and I look forward to welcoming you to our events 
throughout the winter.  

 

Anson Jackets

We know that some of the community were in favour of a school uniform. 
While the Governing Body will not be implementing a uniform at Anson, we are going to be reintroducing the option for parents to purchase the Anson jacket if they wish to do so. 
This high quality jacket comes in a variety of sizes and will be embroidered with the Anson logo. 
Parents are welcome to come into the office to see the quality of the jacket and try on the samples to get the correct size before placing their order. 
The cost is £25 per jacket. 
Orders will be placed through the School Gateway app.

Save the Date

We are delighted to announce that the Anson Staff will be performing Pyramus and Thisbe on the evenings of the 17th and 18th December. 
The show is taken from the play within the play in Shakespeare’s: A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Rehearsals are already underway and more details about the event will be revealed soon. 
 

Remembrance Day

Every morning in the playground next week we will be selling poppies and other items for Remembrance Day. All items are a donation with a suggested price of £1 per item. 

 

Anson is Number One

And now for some great TT Rockstars news. 
Following our success in the month of September, I am very proud of the children for maintaining our rank as the number one school in the local area on TT Rockstars in October. 

 

Football for Girls

In exciting news DFY have launched a FREE football sessions for girls starting on Friday 1st Nov at Harris Lowe Academy. 

Please see the attached flier for details or visit the website at https://www.dfy.org.uk/dfy-academy-girls

 

Q&A: Dream School

What is Dream School?
Dream School is an Anson podcast which airs each week on podcasting platforms.

What happens in Dream School?
Each week a pupil sits down with the Dream School Headteacher to discuss the school of their dreams. 
The children suggest a uniform, school subjects such as the arts, history and sport and they describe their dream playground, lunch menu and school trips.

Why does it exist?
Dream School is one way we gather pupil voice and opinions about our school. 
By having these conversations we are able to make some quick fixes to our school and also add their ideas and opinions into our long term planning. It has become a very important part of our work. 
How long does a podcast last?
It really depends on what the children have to say. The shorter podcasts last around 30 minutes, but the longest is over 50 minutes in length?

How can I listen?
The podcasts contribute to our slots on Anson Radio throughout the week. However, the easiest way to listen is through Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 

What are the plans for the future?
We have a number of children lined up for the rest of the term. However, we have a few special episodes lined up and are always looking for people in the public eye to give us some time on the podcast too.