Newsletter

Start of the Academic Year 2026/2027

Tuesday 1st September – Inset Day Wednesday 2nd September – Children return to school (Years 1 to 6)

Report Feedback

We hope that you have found the school report for your child useful. Please do take the time to give your feedback/comments on the school report. A blank feedback form was emailed home for your use – however you can send feedback handwritten or typed and emailed to the school office – It does not have to be on the exact form. Staff take many hours writing the reports and reading the reports before they go home so feedback is much appreciated.

The KS2 Reading Challenge Return of Books

As we come to the end of the academic year teachers will no longer be issuing new Reading Challenge books. ALL Reading Challenge books should have been returned by TODAY. Please make sure that your child has returned their book. Please also have a good look at home and please return any other Reading Challenge books that you may have at home. After this point the Reading Challenge will be tidied up ready to start again in September.

Inter School Debate Challenge

Some of our Year 5 and Year 6 children took part in an inter school debate challenge with lots of other Barnet primary schools. The debate took place at Middlesex University. The motion was ‘Should city centres be pedestrianised?’ Holly Park had to argue ‘FOR’ the motion. The children did amazingly well and represented themselves and the school really well. Oscar in Y5 was voted ‘Star Speaker’ – one of only 4 children in the whole event. It was a wonderful opportunity for the children. Thank you to Mrs Mehtar for preparing the children for this event.

Junior Duke Celebration Event

The Junior Duke helps junior aged children to learn and practice a large variety of important life skills. It gives them the opportunity to learn new skills. The challenges are about Personal Development. This week we celebrated the achievements of 52 of our KS2 children who completed their awards. Well done to all of the children and parents for completing the challenges and for persevering through the year.

BRONZE

GOLD

PLATINUM

SILVER

Clubs for September 2026

Information about paid lunchtime and after school clubs run by external providers has been emailed out. Please do sign up as quickly as possible for September as places will be limited. A reminder to Year 2 parents that your child will be in Year 3 and will have a large range of new clubs now on offer A reminder to Reception parents that your child will be in Year 1 and will have a selection of clubs they can now do. There will be a Directory of clubs with details of sign up contacts sent out next week.

KS2 Stationery Equipment

As we did this year, we are asking KS2 children (Years 3,4,5 and 6) to bring in their own stationery equipment to use at school. This is what our other local primary schools do. The list of equipment is quite specific, and children will not be allowed to bring in anything of their choosing. There is a list with pictures at the end of the email.

Children will need:

A clear pencil case
2 HB pencils
40g glue stick
A 15cm clear plastic ruler
2 purple ballpoint pens
2 blue ballpoint pens

These will need to stay in school and will go home every half term so that equipment can be renewed

The PTA are making up complete pencil cases that parents can order and will be delivered to classes on the first day in September.

Instrumental Tuition at Holly Park Autumn Term 2026

If you wish your child to have instrumental tuition lessons at school next term please log into Barnet Education Arts Trust (beatrust.org.uk) where you will find all the details you need. Lessons are usually for children in next term’s Year 3 and above. However, we do offer violin and ‘cello lessons to next term’s Year 2 children, as well. The school does not enrol any children or take fees. Please observe BEAT’s deadlines for enrolment and fees.

Thank You

A huge thank you to Gemma Morgan who has been a governor at Holly Park for four and a half years. Gemma is stepping down from September due to greater work commitments. Gemma has been a wonderful governor and so supportive. She will be missed.

Holly Park Playgroup

In September we began running a Holly Park Playgroup in our school hall on a Wednesday morning from 9am to 10.30am The playgroup has been run by Miss Nichols and Mrs Puzey. The playgroup is for 0-5 year olds who are not yet in school. There has been lots of equipment for babies and toddlers to use and it is a great chance for parents and carers to come along and chat together. The playgroup has been open to our local community: parents, grandparents, carers, child minders, family friends and anyone living in our local community. Thanks to those who attended this year and please let your friends and families know that it will continue next year. Huge thanks to Miss Nichols and Mrs Puzey for running it but also to Miss Mornington, Mr King and Mrs Kastrati who have helped to set it up week after week. Thanks also to our Year 4 children who have come along each week and played with the toddlers. Do come along in September if you have a child of this age and please share the information with friends and family who live in the local area.

Barnet Summer Reading Challenge

Barnet Libraries are taking part in this year’s music-themed Summer Reading Challenge from the Reading Agency, delivered in partnership with Universal Music Group UK. The Read to the Beat! challenge is a great way to address children’s reading ‘dip’ over summer and build up literacy skills, and keep up the momentum of recreational reading over the summer holiday.

Free School Meal (FSM) Checker – SIGNIFICANT CHANGES

It used to be that some of our families were entitled to Pupil Premium funding for their children. From September everything is changing. From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, the Department for Education (DfE) is delivering an expansion to FSM eligibility to include all pupils from households in receipt of Universal Credit. There will then be 2 categories of FSM: · Targeted FSM, which continues to be based on the existing £7,400 income threshold · Expanded FSM, which will apply to meals only, covering pupils who do not qualify for Targeted FSM, but who are in households in receipt of Universal Credit Following the expansion of FSM, ONLY pupils eligible for Targeted FSM will be eligible for any support in school the same as the old Pupil Premium. Pupils who become eligible for FSM through the new Expanded FSM category will not attract pupil premium funding. There is a website where parents can check their own eligibility and the results are sent to the school. We would urge ALL parents who feel that their child could be eligible to use this link and to check. *You need to do separate applications for each child https://fsm.lgfl.net/

Big Holly Park Appeal

Today we have officially agreed our next big fundraising project. We are raising funds for a brand-new large screen in the school hall with a new and more appropriate sound system. Our current equipment is over 15 years old and doesn’t always work – and when it does it is very faint and difficult to see. The sound system itself is also very complex and not at all easy to use. All of this causes huge amounts of stress for staff as there is never any guarantee that it will work and lessons can be of poorer quality if the equipment fails. All children (and parents who attend meetings) will benefit from a new system – something more modern. We are looking to replace the old projector and pull down screen with a very large LED screen – something similar to what we have in classrooms and that will be large and bright and easily seen. We will start a crowd funder in September along with some other ideas that we have. This is a community project with PTA, governor and staff involvement. We need to raise approx. £25,000 All money raised at the summer fair this weekend will go towards this new Big Holly Park Appeal – so please do come along and support the fair on Sunday from 12-3pm.

PTA Summer Fair – Sunday 12th July

Please come along on Sunday and support the PTA Fair. Even better if you can volunteer to run a stall for some of the time. Many hands make light work. The fair is a fabulous community event – children love to be at the fair. The more people – the better the event.

KS2 Equipment

A reminder that as last year, we are asking all children in KS2 from September to bring in their own pencil cases. The pencil cases MUST be clear and the pencil case must only contain the required equipment.

Attendance

Whole school attendance for the last week was 92% Well done to Year 3 Willow Class with the best attendance at 100%.

Dates

Monday 13th July Y6 show week
Monday 13th July Children to visit new classes and teachers
Wednesday 15th July Y6 Careers Fair
Thursday 16th July Reception Assembly Performance at 9.30am
Thursday 16th July Y6 Leavers’ Party 7pm – 9pm
Friday 17th July Y6 Leavers’ ceremony at 9.30am
Friday 17th July End of term at 1.30pm
Monday 20th July Inset Day
School starts again on Wednesday 2nd September

New Classes for 2025-26

Early Years Foundation Stage

Nursery: Miss Wood, Miss Mornington

Reception Palm Class: Miss Yianakki, Mrs Moore, Miss Klanga

Key Stage One

Year 1 Pine Class: Mrs Nichols. Chestnut Class: Mrs Fitzpatrick

Year 2 Elm Class: Mr Turner (teaching this year’s Pine Class). Rowan Class: Mrs Mir (teaching this year’s Chestnut Class)

Key Stage Two

Year 3 Hazel Class: Mr Bourne. Willow Class: Mrs Mehtar

Year 4 Mulberry Class: Mrs Zane & Miss Mountford (teaching this year’s Willow Class). Sycamore Class: Mrs Osbourne (teaching this year’s Hazel Class)

Year 5 Maple Class: Mr Carini. Juniper Class: Mrs Gaskell & Mrs Smith (Miss Biggs until Nov 26)

Year 6 Beech Class: Miss Sampson (teaching this year’s Maple Class). Cedar Class: Mr Llewellyn (teaching this year’s Juniper Class).

Meet Holly Bear

Meet Holly Bear – our new school mascot is Holly Bear. Holly Bear supports children with belonging to Holly Park.

A little bit about Holly Bear.

I love the colour red because it is the colour of our school uniform. I love learning new things. I enjoy stories, singing and having fun with my friends. I am respectful, resilient, kind and inquisitive.

Holly Bear is a great memento to buy for children leaving Nursery and going to another school. Holly Bear is a great memento to buy for Year 6 children leaving Holly Park. Holly Bear is a great gift for any child at Holly Park.