Campsbourne Newsletter

As we head in to half term the children continue to work hard and there has been much to celebrate this week. We continued with our Black History Month workshops and this time the focus was on discrimination.  Classes worked together to role play scenarios on the theme of discrimination.  They tried hard to develop an understanding of what if feels like to be discriminated against which was a powerful way of highlighting this issue but more importantly what they could all do to stop it. They also listened to a poem by the wonderful Maya Angelou on the theme of discrimination which helped everyone to have a sense of what it felt like for her to be discriminated against through imagery and poetic language. Thank you to Elliott from Wisemoves for spending two days with us over recent weeks and helping us all to have a greater appreciation of  the impact and importance Black History has in our school. The week culminated in a special assembly on Friday afternoon where the children shared with the school community their learning about important figures from British Black history. Influential figures such as:

Claudia Jones – the founder of the Notting Hill Carnival
Norman Samuels – a courageous bus driver who lived in Bristol
Alison Bennison – an influential black female NHS nurse
Abiodun MacDonald Williams – a dual heritage coal miner from Newcastle
Elsie Owusu – the incredible architect
Dennis Morris – the brilliant photographer

It was brilliant to hear the children talk with passion and understanding about these truly incredible people who have helped to shape life for black people in Britain, thank you children.

The annual Poppy Appeal starts after half term and a selection of gifts and poppies are available to purchase through the Office. Please help to support this incredible important annual appeal which helps so many former service men and women. Your wonderful Harvest Festival donations were well received by Mother Clemency at a special assembly on Wednesday. She will distribute them to the most in need through the Hornsey Food Bank. School led initiatives of this nature help to raise our profile in the local community but ensures we deliver on our vision of being part of global community and taking care of each other.

DONT FORGET THAT THE CLOCKS GO BACK AN HOUR ON SUNDAY 26TH OCTOBER

STRUCTURED PLAY EQUIPMENT FOR KEY STAGE 1 (FINAL WEEK)– This is a plea for any unused toys that can be used by the children on our Key Stage 1 playground. Any small animal figures or dressing up costumes would be most gratefully received. We want to offer the children a range of activities to chose from during their leisure time and by giving them access to imaginative play it helps with this important part of their development. Any donation should be left at the school office marked for the attention of the EYFS and KS1 staff. Thank you in advance for your support with this initiative.

HARVEST CELEBRATION – Mother Clemency from the local Hornsey church St Mary with St George came to our Harvest Festival assembly on Wednesday which was led by some of our Year 6 children. They were well prepared by Jeannie who helped them to learn a poem about the importance and relevance of harvest which they shared with the whole school. Using a number of different words that can be found in the word harvest the real meaning of the festival struck a chord with everyone in the hall. Mother Clemency spoke to the children about the importance of taking care of our world to ensure that everyone has access to food and nourishment. It was a really lovely celebration for the school. Thank you to those families who made a donation to the festival.

SOFT START TO THE SCHOOL DAY – Starting in January we will be introducing a soft start to the school day. A soft start is a very effective way of ensuring a smooth and relatively calm start to the school day and avoids any potential accidents from happening on a very busy site. The main gates on Nightingale Lane will open at 8:40am and parents and carers of children in the upper building (Years 2 through to 6) should drop their child off at either door which leads in to the building. They will be greeted by a member of the Senior Leadership Team before making their way to class. Children in our Reception classes can be escorted on to the school the site and dropped off at their classroom but children in Year 1 must be dropped off at the gate which leads on to Eastfield Road. They will also be greeted by a member of the Senior Leadership Team and then make their way to  class. Both sets of gates will close at 8:55am. This notice will continue to be published in the weekly newsletter until the end of the term.

COMPUTER SCIENCE CLUB  (SECOND WEEK) – We are delighted to announce that we will be starting a new Computer Science Club at Campsbourne. This will begin on Friday 14th November between 3.30 – 4.30. If you are interested in joining, please do let Mr Mattocks know, as we only have 15 available spaces. In the club the children will be doing activities and puzzles that explore computer science without computers. They will be asking questions such as: If computers only know two numbers, how do they count? If you had ten guesses, could you find the prize hidden in one of 1000 boxes? How do secret codes work? Can you decrypt this? URYYB JBEYQ. This is a great opportunity for the children so please do sign up! Speak to Mr Mattocks for further details.

THIS WEEK’S LEARNING –

Year 4 spent the day at the William Morris Gallery, discovering the remarkable life and work of one of Britain’s most influential designers. The visit began with an artist- led printing workshop and we then explored the gallery itself. Moving through beautifully curated rooms filled with textiles, furniture and original sketches, the displays gave us a deeper understanding of Morris’ vision.

This week, 2 Hepworth explored small, medium, and big problems during circle time. We discussed how problems can feel different in size for different people, but what matters most is how we choose to deal with them. The children enjoyed creating their own scenario cards, which we will use in future circle times next half term to think about how to resolve different situations — either with adult support or independently.

Key Stage 1 also took part in a wonderful Black History Month workshop, featuring an immersive storytelling of Floella Benjamin’s inspiring story Coming to England. The children loved acting out key moments and reflecting on how Floella must have felt when moving to a new country. Year 2 are especially looking forward to revisiting this story again in the summer term as part of their history unit on the Windrush.

LATEST FROM THE HSA – AUCTION: Our 2025 Auction is LIVE! This is your chance to raise funds for our amazing kids and bag yourself some incredible prizes — let’s bring some extra JOY to all the children at Campsbourne! From Spurs tickets to local business vouchers, toys, and homemade bakes (yum!) — there’s something for everyone. And that’s just the start! A HUGE thank you to everyone who donated prizes — you’re amazing! Now… let the bidding wars begin! Auction closes 9 pm, Sunday 9th November (see attached poster).

https://www.jumblebee.co.uk/HSA

WINTER FAIR: Campsbourne School HSA Winter Fair – join us for a magical community event filled with light, love, and festive cheer — all while raising vital funds for our children and school! TICKETS NOW ON SALE!

Enjoy all your seasonal favourites:

Sparklers & s’more making
Fully stocked bar
Mega inflatables with Breezy Events
Makers’ market
Kids’ snack station
Festive crafting with Katy Fattuhi
Autumn Art Exhibition
Face painting & tattoos
Magic from Overthetop Kids
Festive singalong with Oliver Weeks
Delicious food stalls from Kinda Grind, Walthamstow Hot Dogs, KB’s Kitchen Delights & Intrepid Bakers
Plus a fabulous raffle!
NEW this year! Meet our miniature ponies — Sunny, Cookie & Brandy — dressed in antlers and tinsel! Children (under 50kg) can enjoy a 2-minute pony ride and a photo opportunity. £8 per child | 1 child = 1 ticket | Select a 15-minute time slot when booking.

Tickets £2 for adults, £1 for children over 2 and a Family Bundle for £5 includes 2×2 – free entry for children under 2yo. We can’t wait to celebrate with you and kick off the festive season in true Campsbourne style! (see attached poster).

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/hsacampsbourne/1897657

Winter Fair2025

Auction

ATTENDANCE – Well done to  2 MOORE in the Infants and 4 KAPOOR in the Juniors for registering the highest attendance for week ending 24th October 2025.

Have a lovely half term and see you all again on Monday 3rd November.

Kind Regards

Charles Soyka
Headteacher

In the news this week…