Newsletter

Thank You to the PTA Committee

What a fabulous year the PTA have had! With a selection of events across the year the PTA has raised approx. £9000 this academic year – a tremendous amount! Huge thanks to the committee, the volunteers and everybody who came and spent their money at events. Being a PTA committee member is a fabulous way to become more involved in the school community and children love to see their parents involved and helping in school. A few members of the committee are stepping down this year – Amy, Tom and Fahima have come to the end of their term of office. Amy’s daughter is leaving to go to secondary school. Tom and Fahima will still be involved in supporting events. For next year we have Julie as secretary and Laura and Bhavini as joint treasurers – elected at the AGM earlier this week. If you would like to be more involved, please do speak to one of them.

Start of the Academic Year 2025/2026

Monday 1st September – Inset Day
Tuesday 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.

KS2 School Debate Assembly

This week our Holly Park debate team (made up of Y5 and Y6 children) led a formal KS2 debate.

The motion was: This House believes that children should wear school uniform.

Before the debate began, the children voted for, against or abstained. The two teams of children then presented their arguments. There was then time for questions from the floor. The children then had the opportunity to vote again. The debate team had prepared excellent speeches. The result was that the majority of KS2 children believed that we should NOT have school uniform. However, the team who were arguing for school uniform, did manage to increase their votes– winning over some of those who had abstained or disagreed previously. Thanks to Mrs Mehtar who had prepared the children well for the debate. We look forward to the next one! Our debate team then went to Middlesex University on Tuesday and took part in an inter school debate event (with 14 other primary schools) where they took part in one pre-prepared debate and one unseen debate. It was a great day and they did very well.

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. Children can finish the current Reading Challenge book they have and then return it to the shelves. Once a child finishes their current Reading Challenge book they can either bring in a book from home to read or choose a book off the shelves in the classroom book corner. We need ALL Reading Challenge books returned by NEXT FRIDAY. Please make sure that your child has returned their book by then. 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.

Junior Choir

Our junior choir consisting of Y5 and Y6 children performed this week for their parents and other family members. It was a lovely event – especially as our music festival date was cancelled beyond our control. The children sang songs without music but with body percussion and African drums. They sang their beautiful song from the music festival and a selection of other songs they had chosen themselves. We were also treated to a song accompanied by ukuleles. The sound together was so lovely and there were also some beautiful solo performances. We will be sad to see our Y6 choir members leave and hope that they will join musical activity at their secondary schools. A huge thank you to Miss Halil who has rehearsed the choir so well and brings out lots of musical joy in the children. It was a hard job to resurrect enthusiasm after the festival was cancelled – but she did it!

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.

Clubs for September 2025

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

From September 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.

Children will need:

A clear pencil case
2 HB pencils
A 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

Holly Park Playgroup

In September we will be running a Holly Park Playgroup in our school hall on a Wednesday morning from 9am to 10.30am The playgroup will be run by Miss Nichols and Mrs Puzey – supported by Miss Mornington. The playgroup is for 0-5 year olds who are not yet in school. There will be lots for babies and toddlers to do and a chance for parents and carers to come along and chat together. The playgroup will be open to our local community: parents, grandparents, carers, child minders, family friends and anyone living in our local community. The Playgroup will begin on Wednesday 17th September. There will be a very small weekly fee. Do come along if you have a child of this age and please share the information with friends and family who live in the local area

Instrumental Tuition at Holly Park Autumn Term 2025

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.

Classes for 2025-26

Children and parents will find out the new classes and class teachers for next year on Friday 18th July. Children will be told at school and parents will find out via the newsletter and email.

Attendance

Whole school attendance for the week before half term was 92% Well done to Y1 Pine Class with the best attendance at 99%.

Dates

Monday 21st July Reception Assembly Performance at 9.30am
Monday 21st July Children to visit new classes and teachers
Monday 21st July Y6 Leavers’ Party 7pm – 9pm
Tuesday 22nd July Y6 Leavers’ ceremony at 9.30am
Tuesday 22nd July End of term at 1.30pm

There is facility to translate this newsletter and the whole school website at the bottom of the website home page.