It has been a fantastic start to the year in Year 3! The children have been settling into their new routines, embracing the challenges of Key Stage 2 and growing in confidence and independence. We are so proud of the positive attitudes they have shown towards their learning and enthusiasm they bring to the classroom each day.
In English, we have been exploring characters’ feelings and emotions through drama and freeze frames. The children have enjoyed stepping into the shoes of different characters, using their imagination and empathy to bring stories to life. They have used these experiences to create and write their own diary entries and narrative endings, developing their creativity and writing skills along the way. It has been wonderful to see their ideas flourish!
In maths, we have been focussing on place value and developing our understanding of numbers. The children have worked hard to recognise the value of digits, explore how numbers are made up and strengthen their mathematical understanding. They have been very successful in their learning and we are delighted with the progress they have made so far. Well done, Year 3!
Our geography learning has taken us deep beneath the Earth’s surface as we have been discovering the fascinating world of volcanoes and earthquakes. We have explored how and why they occur and have begun to understand the powerful forces that shape our planet. We are really looking forward to taking the children to the Natural History Museum on the last day of term for their exciting volcano workshop which will be a fantastic opportunity to bring our learning to life!
We would like to say a huge well done to all of the children who have been reading regularly at home! It is lovely to see so many children developing their reading habits and we are especially pleased that some children have already achieved their bronze and silver reading awards. Keep up the fantastic work! Remember, regular reading at home makes a real difference to your child’s confidence, fluency and enjoyment of books.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We are very proud of how well the children have settled into Year 3 and look forward to all of the exciting learning still to come!
In The Nest , we have been having lots of fun working in small groups and on our own to develop our part-whole model skills in maths. We have been using practical resources to help us understand how two parts can be combined to make a whole. We have also enjoyed reading stories, acting them out and building sentences using colourful semantics. Bucket time is always a favourite, helping us to develop our attention and listening skills while taking part in a range of fun fine and gross motor activities. In The Treehouse , we have been busy developing our fine and gross motor skills through mark-making activities and exploring different construction materials. We are working hard on our communication skills, using our communication boards to make choices and requests. We have also been practising our attention and listening skills during turn-taking games and group activities. One of our favourite parts of the day is imaginative play, where we love exploring our role-play kitchen and shop areas with our friends.
It has been a real pleasure getting to know your children as they settle into Year 1 routines – they are all absolutely wonderful and amazing! We would also like to take this opportunity to thank parents and carers for your continued support in helping your child at home to learn. Please continue reading with your child at least three times a week or ideally every day if you can. It is this valuable home-school partnership that ensures academic success and it is much appreciated! Thank you! What we have been learning Our topic this half term has been ‘Remarkable Me’, and we have been developing children’s knowledge and understanding of the human body. Children have been introduced to the concept of five senses that help them to find out about the world around them and link those senses to particular parts of the body. We really enjoyed exploring taste, touch, smell, sound and sight. For example, as part of our scientific learning, we had a food tasting event to understand the difference between bitter, sweet, sour and salty foods and classify those food groups. We also went on a learning walk outside to see, smell and touch everyday plant life. Finally, as part of our science unit, we explored touching a range of everyday materials to sort items into categories such as ‘soft’, ‘smooth’ or ‘hard’. In History, we have been developing our understanding of what the ‘past’ means. In Art, children have enjoyed learning about lines and shading. Our shared reading has been very enjoyable, and children particularly loved gaining a deeper understanding of the story ‘Where the Wild Things Are’. In Maths, children have been developing their counting and addition skills and writing numbers to ten and beyond. Finally, children have been working very hard in their writing and have produced some lovely work, including a List Poem and a character description. We have also been challenging ourselves to use upper and lower case letters correctly in our writing. Upcoming Learning Next half term, our topic will be ‘Winter News’, which explores the season of winter. In Science, we begin by looking at winter and its impact on British wildlife. We will explore how some animals and insects adapt to the cold, while others hibernate or migrate. In PSHE, our ‘Winter News’ topic will look at how to take care of our health by discovering which foods boost wellbeing in the winter months. Winter is also a time for reflection; just as wildlife experiences a scarcity of food, so do many humans. We will be discussing simple things we can do to help those in need. Finally, winter is the season that heralds the joys of Christmas. In RE, we will be learning about the story of Christmas and engaging in a range of festive activities, including getting ready for our Christmas Concert! As part of our Learning Wonders, we will also look at the festivals of Diwali and Bonfire Night. In English, children will learn to write short, well-constructed sentences, which they will then develop into longer sentences using varied sentence openers and descriptive vocabulary. In Maths, we will be focusing on subtraction, number bonds, and 2D and 3D shapes. It is going to be an amazing new half term and we cannot wait to see you all again!
On 23rd September 2026, our Year 11 GCSE Drama students enjoyed an exciting theatre trip to the Adelphi Theatre in London to watch Mischief’s The Comedy About Spies. This 1960s spy comedy was performed in the farce style with physical humour, slapstick, mistaken identities and comic timing. The trip provided valuable inspiration for their GCSE Drama studies, allowing them to see professional performance techniques in action while enjoying a thoroughly entertaining theatrical experience.
We are incredibly proud of our students for coming together to organise and run a charity bake sale in support of Bone Cancer research, held in memory of our former pupil, Florio. The students showed fantastic teamwork, compassion and dedication, putting so much care and effort into baking a delicious selection of cookies, brownies and cakes, as well as serving their fellow students so professionally during lunchtime. Their enthusiasm, hard work and willingness to give their time to such a meaningful cause was truly inspiring and reflects the very best of our school community. Thanks to their efforts and the generosity of everyone who supported the event, we are delighted to share that an amazing £220.30 was raised. We would like to congratulate and thank all the students involved for making the bake sale such a success and for helping us honour Florio’s memory in such a thoughtful way.
This term, Year 4 have been learning about the fascinating civilisation of Ancient Egypt and the process of mummification. To bring their learning to life, the children recreated this ancient practice using tomatoes! They scooped out the insides to represent the removal of organs, filled them with natron salt to help preserve them, and carefully wrapped them in bandages. This hands-on activity helped the children remember the gory details of this fascinating historical process!
Year 2 have enjoyed an exciting start to the year with lots of hands-on learning across the curriculum. In Geography, we have been learning about compass directions and using compasses to identify wind direction. In Music, we have been exploring rhythm and finding the beat using our bodies through clapping, tapping and movement activities. Our Science lessons have seen us investigating microhabitats around the school and identifying the living things that can be found there. In Maths, we have been developing our arithmetic skills and learning a range of strategies to help us solve multiplication calculations with confidence. We are very proud of the enthusiasm and curiosity the children have shown throughout the term!
On Monday 21st September, Year 7 pupils across all three sites attended a theatre production that addressed an important health topic for young people. The Arc Theatre's Not So Sweet – Vaping Awareness and Healthy Options brought the dangers of vaping to life in a way that textbooks simply can't. Designed specifically for Year 7, the production didn't just lecture our pupils about risks and addiction – it sparked genuine conversations about peer pressure, critical thinking, and knowing when to ask for help. The production team were genuinely impressed by what they saw at Robert Clack. Our Year 7s didn't just sit quietly – they engaged. They asked thoughtful questions, they contributed to lively discussions, and most importantly, they listened. Many expressed that they now have a much clearer understanding of: The genuine dangers of vaping How addiction works Why making informed choices matters Where to turn if they need support This session forms part of our comprehensive PSHE Education programme, which helps equip our young people with the knowledge and resilience they need to navigate the challenges they'll face both in and beyond school. Well done to Year 7 for their excellent engagement and mature approach to this important topic.
Year 12s took their first art and photography trip this year, heading up London. Students walked Embankment learning about the architecture and history before heading to the Royal Collage of Surgeons' Hunterian Museum. Students photographed both dry and wet preserved specimens for their coursework on Memento Mori to capture how glass distorts light.
The Year 5 boys' and girls' teams made history this half term by taking part in the Primary School's first-ever competitive football matches. Mr Connolly and Ms Gladden accompanied the children to Goals Dagenham to play against St Vincent's. While neither team achieved the result they had hoped for, with both matches ending in defeat, staff and parents were extremely impressed by the perseverance and determination shown throughout. All of the children demonstrated outstanding respect, teamwork and fair play during their matches. In the girls' game, the team did not have the luxury of any substitutes and therefore played the entire match without a break. They worked tirelessly throughout, creating several opportunities but were unable to find the back of the net. The boys scored three excellent goals, even taking a 1-0 lead at one stage, and produced some exciting attacking football throughout the game. The boys have three more group matches to play before Christmas and have been taking part in weekly training sessions with Mr Connolly. The girls will have a number of friendly fixtures organised later in the year to help build their confidence and gain further match experience. Once these are arranged, Mr McConkey and Ms Gladden will support them with their training. We hope that next half term will bring our first victories for both the girls' and boys' teams!
We are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated and supportive alumni community. Once again, our former pupils played a vital role in helping our students gain valuable workplace experience, securing high-quality placements for 14 Year 12 students across a range of industries. Three students completed placements at King's College Hospital, thanks to former pupil Karandeep Sahota. Opportunities in medicine are notoriously difficult to secure, making these placements particularly valuable. Reflecting on the experience, Ore (Year 12) said: "On 3 July, I attended a life-changing hospital work experience placement. It was an exciting opportunity that provided a real insight into the world of healthcare. From shadowing doctors and observing their interactions with the wider healthcare team to seeing multidisciplinary teams working together, I felt privileged to be part of such a professional environment. The experience strengthened my ambition to pursue a career in medicine and confirmed that this is the field where I see my future." We extend our sincere thanks to Karandeep and his colleagues at King's College Hospital for their generosity and support. The insurance and real estate sectors also proved popular, with students undertaking placements at Tokio Kiln Marine Insurance, Intact Insurance, Kadans, and Bellrock. We are grateful to former pupils Anish Vara, George Hilliard, Charlton Omo-Edoh, and Katie Nelson for making these opportunities possible. Jessie (Year 12) reflected on her placement in the real estate sector: "My work experience provided an invaluable insight into the real estate industry and the wide range of career opportunities available within the sector. Throughout the week, I developed a greater understanding of the different roles and professions involved and gained a clearer perspective on potential future career pathways." Four students were also placed at Shell thanks to former pupil Gary Cohen. Shahriyah (Year 12) said: "The work experience with Shell was a fantastic opportunity which allowed me and the other students to gain an insight into working life in central London, while also learning how technology is utilised within the industry. We explored core principles of artificial intelligence and took part in a prompt engineering and 'vibe coding' workshop. The placement also included talks from apprentices and graduates who shared their experiences and provided valuable career advice. It was a privilege to be part of such an inspiring and informative week." Finally, through our partnership with Future First, three students participated in an exceptional programme with public affairs and communications consultancy DRD Partnership. The experience included a visit to Parliament, a day at leading law firm Mishcon de Reya, and a final day at the Royal Courts of Justice. Reflecting on the programme, Syeda (Year 12) said: "One of my favourite parts of the programme was the session with Mishcon de Reya LLP. I found myself completely immersed in the tasks and discussions, and speaking with a group of inspirational women working within the firm reinforced my interest in pursuing a career in law." These opportunities highlight the tremendous impact that our alumni community continues to have on current students. By sharing their time, expertise, and professional networks, our former pupils are helping to inspire the next generation and provide invaluable insights into a wide range of career paths. We are extremely grateful for their continued support.