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23rd October

HALF TERM ALREADY?

And just like that, it’s Half Term already!
It’s hard to believe how quickly the weeks have flown by but what a fantastic start to the year it has been at Anson! 
We have been delighted to see attendance improving, with more children coming to school ready to learn, and the focus, enthusiasm and determination shown in classrooms has been wonderful to see.
There has been plenty of fun along the way too! Our disco brought smiles, laughter and plenty of dancing to the movie soundtrack, while the children have continued to impress us with their energy, teamwork and performances at sporting events.
Just as importantly, we are grateful for the continued support of our families. Working together makes such a difference, helping us to create a school where every child can thrive. The attendance at Parents’ Evening showcased how understanding where your child is in their journey can help them make leaps forward in their learning and development. 
At Anson, our vision is for Happy, Confident and Creative children with a lifelong love of learning. The first half term has given us so many reasons to feel proud about our work towards that vision.

Thank you for being part of the Anson Family and try to enjoy the Half Term break. 
 

FRIENDS OF ANSON

Friends of Anson will be holding their Annual General Meeting on 24th November at 9:10am. 
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is an important date in the calendar for any charity. 
The AGM is an opportunity for the school PTA to celebrate its achievements, review fundraising activities and explain how the money raised has benefited the children and school. It provides a chance to elect committee members, welcome new volunteers, discuss future events and share ideas for the year ahead. The AGM also ensures transparency and accountability, giving parents and carers a voice in shaping the PTA’s work and strengthening its partnership with the school community. 

We would love to see as many parents as possible in attendance so please save the date. 
 

ATTENDANCE 

In a record breaking week 9 classes hit the target of 97%. 
This is incredible attendance and means more children are in class, learning and having a lot of fun. After Half Term let’s keep it up!

 

BOTTLE TOPS

Please save your bottle tops during Half Term. We are still collecting them and need around 10,000 to make our project really special.

 

LOST PROPERTY

Please make sure you check the lost property contents regularly. There are a lot of jumpers, jackets and hats in the bundles. These are given to charity at the end of each month if they are not claimed. 

 

COMMUNITY CORNER

It’s time to take a look at the festivals and special days coming up in the days while we are away celebrating Half Term:

31st October 
Samhain – Pagan Festival
Samhain is a Pagan festival marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. Celebrated around 31 October, it is a time to remember ancestors, reflect on the changing seasons and recognise the cycle of life, death and renewal. Traditions include lighting fires and gathering together.

1st November 
All Saints’ Day – Christianity
All Saints’ Day is celebrated on 1 November by many Christians. It honours all the saints, including those known and unknown, who lived lives of faith, kindness and goodness. Christians may attend church services, pray and remember the examples set by these special people, who inspire others to live generously and lovingly.

2nd November
All Souls’ Day – Christianity
All Souls’ Day is observed on 2 November by many Christians. It is a time to remember and pray for people who have died, including family members and friends. Christians may visit cemeteries, light candles, attend church services and share memories, celebrating the lives of loved ones and the special place they hold in their hearts.

We wish everyone at Anson a peaceful week. 
 

BREAKFAST SURVEY

At the moment Anson is not part of the FREE Breakfast Club initiative from the Government. 
This is largely due to the physical spaces available in the morning, funding and staffing of the scheme. 
However, we know that your voice matters and so we want you to get involved in an important piece of research to find out what our community needs. 
We are taking part in a national study about morning routines, breakfast and before school childcare. 
The survey, by Ipsos, could see you win £100 by telling them about your family’s morning routines.
To take the 5-10-minute survey click here.
Please complete the survey by 23rd October 2026. Your answers will help inform the national rollout of free breakfast clubs.
 
If completing the survey online does not work for you, please email 

UK-PA-BreakfastClubs@ipsosresearch.com 

 

WE RETURN TO SCHOOL ON TUESDAY 3rd NOVEMBER

 

16th October 

GOLD - WE DID IT

We are delighted to announce that Anson Primary School has been awarded the Gold Accreditation on the Travel for Life initiative. 
Schools are awarded a gold, silver or bronze accreditation depending on how many activities they deliver and the impact on car use and active travel. Many schools are already delivering lots of activities to support active travel as part of the curriculum, their Climate Action Plan and their Enrichment Programme. 
Mr Clargo has been instrumental in the changes and in capturing all the activities in order to get the recognition we deserve as part of the TfL Travel for Life programme?
Accreditation isn't just a badge, it's a way to show that the whole Anson community (parents, staff and pupils) are thinking about the value we place on a healthy, safe and empowering school environment. 
Thank you to everyone who has helped to make this happen. Look out for the large banner soon! 

 

EVERY PUPIL IS EQUAL

This week we continued our work for Black History Month with a look at one strand of our Anti-Racism Charter.
In assembly we focused on the idea that “all pupils have fair opportunities to achieve, progress and succeed.” 
We linked this concept to the Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963. This saw people from all over the west country city come together to boycott the buses for 4-months in protest at Black and Asian people not being allowed to work on the buses. 
The boycott led to the formation of the 1965 Race Relations Act which later became the 2010 Equality Act.
We spoke with the children about how all people should have the opportunity to succeed in life and not have barriers placed in their way.  

 

CHANGES TO THE START OF THE DAY

It’s our third and final warning that things are about to change with the start of day procedures after Half Term. 
From November, we will be running our Smart Start. This is a drive with the Education Welfare Service to get more children in class on time. As a reminder, the gates will continue to open at 8:45am. At 8:55am the school bell will ring and the gates will close. We will be sensitive to those immediately outside the school but any pupils not within reach of the school gate at this time will need to enter through the main entrance of the school. Next week sees the last few days before Half Term so, let’s make it to school for 8:55am and show everyone what a punctual school we are. 

 

ATTENDANCE

Eight classes hit the target of 97% attendance last week. 
Congratulations to Battersea who edged the Attendance award by just 0.4% beating Hampstead and Primrose who have the best average attendance this term. 

 

PARENTS' EVENING

Parents’ Evening will take place over two days. On Monday, 19th October there will be a session running from 3:40pm to 5:00pm. Then on Thursday, 22nd October the session will run from 3:40pm to 7:00pm. 

Bookings closed yesterday so here’s everything you need to know about Parents’ Evening.

Please only turn up if you have booked an appointment. The teachers prepare for each meeting with parents and cannot simply see people on the day. 
The event takes place in the school hall.
Parents should come to the main entrance by the hall and ensure they check in with Miss Callaghan. 
We try to stick to the times of your appointment as closely as possible so please try to arrive on time.
When the 10 minute timer is up you will need to leave the hall. If you need more time to discuss issues raised this can be arranged at a later date. 
The classrooms are open throughout the event. In the classrooms you can look at the children’s work. 

Parents’ Evening is always a great way to get an update about your child. This early in the year it gives you the chance to really support your child with their targets and work with the teacher. 

We hope you find the meetings valuable. 

 

PARENT GOVERNOR ELECTION

Nominations for the role of Parent Governor at Anson closed at 9.30am on Thursday, 15th October 2026. There are two vacancies on the Governing Body and we received 2 nominations. This means that there is no need to hold an election for the vacant positions. Therefore, Harry Petrushkin is re-elected to the Governing Body and Hifsa Mughal is newly elected to the Governing Body of Anson Primary School. Congratulations to them both. 

 

BREAKFAST

At the moment Anson is not part of the FREE Breakfast Club initiative from the Government. 
This is largely due to the physical spaces available in the morning, funding and staffing of the scheme. 
However, we know that your voice matters and so we want you to get involved in an important piece of research to find out what our community needs. 
We are taking part in a national study about morning routines, breakfast and before school childcare. 
The survey, by Ipsos, could see you win £100 by telling them about your family’s morning routines.
To take the 5-10-minute survey click here.
Please complete the survey by 23rd October 2026. Your answers will help inform the national rollout of free breakfast clubs.
 
If completing the survey online does not work for you, please email 

UK-PA-BreakfastClubs@ipsosresearch.com 

 

BOTTLE TOPS

Thank you for your continued donations to our Bottle Top project. 
This week Callum in Year 6 was the largest donor with a backpack full of different coloured tops. We also need to thank the Royal Free Hospital who are collecting their bottle tops from the catering team to support our project. 
We have begun to organise the bottle tops into bags of 100. There are 1,500 in the image below with the white tops yet to be sorted. Please keep them coming!

 

COMMUNITY CORNER 

Coming up next week in our local community:

Durga Puja and Dussehra (Hinduism)

Durga Puja celebrates Goddess Durga’s victory over the demon Mahishasura. Dussehra celebrates the victory of good over evil, often through the story of Lord Rama defeating Ravana. Both festivals remind Hindus to be brave, kind and fair, and to stand up for what is right.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Day (Sikhism)

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is the holy scripture of Sikhism. It teaches Sikhs to be honest, remember God, help others and treat everyone equally. Sikhs gather at the Gurdwara to pray, listen to hymns and celebrate its teachings, which encourage kindness, respect and sharing with everyone.

We wish everyone at Anson a peaceful week. 
 

 

9th October

ANTI RACISM CHARTER

At Anson, we want every member of our community to feel happy, confident and able to be themselves. 
We know that children cannot truly thrive if they experience racism, prejudice or discrimination – or if they see others being treated unfairly.
This year, we are continuing our work with Leeds Beckett University as part of our commitment to becoming an actively anti-racist school. Our Anti-Racist Charter sets out the values and behaviours that we expect across our whole community. It is not simply something for children to learn about in the classroom; it is a commitment for all of us.
That means pupils, staffparents, carers and Governors all have an important part to play.
Being anti-racist means more than simply saying that we are against racism. It means being prepared to notice it, challenge it and act when we see it. Sometimes that may mean speaking up when someone makes an inappropriate comment. It may mean questioning a stereotype, listening carefully to someone else's experience or making sure that everyone has a voice and feels included.
Our Charter also reminds us that promoting harmony is everyone's responsibility. We want our children to grow up understanding that our differences make our community stronger. At Anson, we celebrate the many languages, cultures, faiths, identities and experiences that make up our school family.
We want our pupils to have the confidence to use their voice when something is not right, while also developing the empathy and understanding to listen to others. We want adults to model the same behaviour.
Our vision is for “Happy, Confident and Creative children with a lifelong love of learning”. Creating an actively anti-racist school is an important part of achieving that vision. Happiness comes from knowing that you belong. Confidence comes from knowing that your voice matters. And creativity flourishes when people feel safe to be themselves and learn from one another.
Our Anti-Racist Charter is therefore a promise we make together: to challenge racism, to promote respect and understanding, and to make sure that every member of the Anson family can feel that they belong.
We all have a voice. We all have a responsibility. Together, we can make Anson an even happier, more confident and inclusive community.
 

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

This year, our Black History Month theme is “Honouring Our Communities” – a theme that feels particularly important to us at Anson.
Black History Month is often an opportunity to look back and learn about the achievements and contributions of Black people throughout history. These stories matter. They help us understand the world we live in today and introduce us to people whose courage, creativity and determination have helped to shape our society.
But history is not just something that happened in the past. Black history is being made every day, in our communities, our workplaces and our schools.
This year, we want to shine a light on Black people living and working in and around Cricklewood who make a difference to our everyday lives. They may not have statues or streets named after them, but they contribute to our community in countless ways – as teachers, artists, business owners, community leaders, trustees, carers, athletes, neighbours, volunteers and friends.
By celebrating these stories, we are helping children to recognise that history is not simply about famous people from the past. It is also about ordinary people doing extraordinary things every day. 
Their stories are part of our shared story.
This connects closely with our work on our Anti-Racist Charter and our partnership with Leeds Beckett University. Being actively anti-racist is not simply about learning about racism; it is about each of us taking responsibility for creating a community where everyone feels respected, valued and able to belong.
Our Anson community is wonderfully diverse, with many different languages, cultures, faiths and experiences represented. This diversity gives us an opportunity to learn from one another and to recognise the contribution that every person can make.
Honouring our communities means listening to people's stories, celebrating their contributions and making sure everyone has a voice.
We want our children to grow up with the confidence to challenge racism and prejudice, the empathy to understand experiences different from their own, and the belief that they too can make a positive difference.
Creating a happier, more confident and harmonious world is not someone else's job. It is all of our responsibility.
At Anson, we are stronger when we come together, celebrate one another and play our part.

PARENTS' EVENING

Booking for the Autumn Term Parents’ Evening is now open for Reception to Year 6. 
The event will take place over two days. On Monday, 19th October there will be a session running from 3:40pm to 5:00pm. Then on Thursday, 22nd October the session will run from 3:40pm to 7:00pm. 
Parents’ Evening is a great way to meet the teacher, hear how your child has settled in and any targets we have for your child. It’s also a time to look in the classroom and see some of their work.
Appointments last for no more than 10 minutes and are controlled by a large clock on the screen in the school hall. We ask the teachers to stick to the timings and arrange another time to chat if there are issues to discuss further.
To book your slot head to https://www.ansonprimaryschool.com/parents-evening-info - you will be prompted to log in by entering your email address and password. If you have not yet set your password (or forgotten it) you can request a password reset email by clicking ‘Forgot your password’. You should use the email address you have registered with the school. If you need support identifying this password please call the office. 
Please note that due to an issue with the platform Class 5H and both Reception classes do not appear in the main event. There are separate booking areas for those three classes. 

PUNCTUALITY

This is the second notice that changes are coming to the start of day procedures after Half Term. 
From November, we will be running our Smart Start. This is a drive with the Education Welfare Service to get more children in class on time. The gates will continue to open at 8:45am. At 8:55am the school bell will ring. At this point the gates will close. Any pupils not in school at this time will need to enter through the main entrance of the school.
Next week, we will begin to ring the bell at 8:55am. This will give you an audible sign that if you hear the bell on your way to school you need to adjust your timings before November comes. While we need to address punctuality we are keen to support families adjust over the next two weeks. 

BAKE SALE

The next Bake Sale is next Friday at 3:30pm in the main playground. As a reminder, £100 from every bake sale goes towards new books and resources for our school library. 

PARENT GOVERNORS

Are you interested in joining our Governing Body? If you would like to know more before committing yourself, you can speak to Mr Pile and he will answer any questions. We can also arrange for you to speak to an existing Parent Governor if you wish – just let us know. If you are interested please read the governor’s pack (here), which contains further information as well as the nomination form. Please return the completed nomination form via email to vacancy@anson.brent.sch.uk or by hand to the school office. This must be with us by no later than 9.30am on Thursday, 15th October 2026.  
If we receive more applications than there are vacancies, a secret ballot will be carried out. We will inform you closer to the time if we have to do this.
The Governors hope that you will consider becoming a Governor and joining us in ensuring that Anson remains one of the best schools in the area.
 

BREAKFAST

At the moment Anson is not part of the FREE Breakfast Club initiative from the Government. 
This is largely due to the physical spaces available in the morning, funding and staffing of the scheme. 
However, we know that your voice matters and so we want you to get involved in an important piece of research to find out what our community needs. 
We are taking part in a national study about morning routines, breakfast and before school childcare. 
The survey, by Ipsos, could see you win £100 by telling them about your family’s morning routines
To take the 5-10-minute survey click on the link in the newsletter.
Please complete the survey by 23rd October 2026. Your answers will help inform the national rollout of free breakfast clubs.
 
If completing the survey online does not work for you, please email 

UK-PA-BreakfastClubs@ipsosresearch.com 

FREE SCHOOL MEALS

Thank you to everyone who has returned their orange forms following the changes to Free School Meals. 
As you may be aware the Government has changed the qualification for Free School Meals so that households on Universal Credit with an income above £7,400 also qualify for the Expanded Programme. 
The reality is that for pupils in London there is no change right now because the Mayor of London currently funds Free School Meals. However, this may change, particularly with an election coming soon in London. If the funding is removed then all those families with an income above £7,400 (from Universal Credit) are likely to see their Free School Meals continue if they have made the application. This is where we can help. 
If you haven’t filled in the form or checked yourself for eligibility please do. We do not want our families to miss out in the future should any current funding come to an end. If you have any questions please speak to Miss Houlihan.
 

 

2nd October

Autumn Term Parents Evening

Bookings for the Autumn Term Parents’ Evening open on Monday 5th October. 
The event will take place over two days. On Monday, 19th October there will be a session running from 3:40pm to 5:00pm. Then on Thursday, 22nd October the session will run from 3:40pm to 7:00pm. 
Parents’ Evening is a great way to meet the teacher, hear how your child has settled in and any targets we have for your child. It’s also a time to look in the classroom and see some of their work.
Appointments last for no more than 10 minutes and are controlled by a large clock on the screen in the school hall. We ask the teachers to stick to the timings and arrange another time to chat if there are issues to discuss further.
To book your slot head to https://www.ansonprimaryschool.com/parents-evening-info - you will be prompted to log in by entering your email address and password. If you have not yet set your password (or forgotten it) you can request a password reset email by clicking ‘Forgot your password’. You should use the email address you have registered with the school. If you need support identifying this password please call the office. 

BOTTLE TOP UPDATE

This week Issa and Rim top the charts with an astounding amount of red bottle tops (plus lots of other colours too) 
Keep those bottle tops coming in every day so we can reach our target by Christmas. We are particularly keen to raise the number of red, orange and blue bottle tops in our collection so please keep an eye out for those colours.
Every bottle top will make a difference! 

LEGISLATION CHANGES

You may be aware that the legislation around sexual harassment in the workplace changes on the 30th October 2026. 
Employers must take “all reasonable steps” to actively prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Your employers should be addressing this issue in your workplace with risk assessments and policy updates so do please check with them.
At Anson, we are committed to protecting our staff against all forms of harassment and appreciate your ongoing support particularly during events and meetings at the school.  

NATIONAL EMERGENCY BRIEFING

Anson is hosting a screening of the National Emergency Briefing on Tuesday 6th October at 6:30pm
We are inviting all parents and members of the community to the event which will take place in the school hall. 
Members of Brent Council will be attending and we have also invited Dawn Butler MP as this film contains important messages about climate change and contains a call to action for our Government. 
The film is not recommended for children under the age of 16 so we will run a separate film for any children who attend. 
Sign up through the Gateway app and join the community in seeking ways to take practical steps to tackle climate change in the school and the wider community. 

SMART START - CHANGES TO PUNCTUALITY

This is the first notice that changes are coming to the start of day procedures after Half Term. 
In September, there were 169 recorded episodes of lateness where children entered the school after 9am. However, the number of pupils entering the school gates between 8:55am and 9:00am also numbers around 50 to 60 pupils per day. On Thursday this number reached 77 pupils. This means around half of each class are ready to learn at 9am when lessons begin and this is causing disruption to learning across the school. On Tuesday, just 16 children were present for the first music lesson of the day at 9am. 
From November, we will be running our Smart Start. This is a drive with the Education Welfare Service to get more children in class on time. The gates will open at 8:45am. At 8:55am the school bell will ring. At this point the gates will close. Any pupils not in school at this time will need to enter through the main entrance of the school. We want all children to arrive at school safely and on time so please arrange to leave five minutes earlier to ensure your child makes a Smart Start to the day. 

ATTENDANCE

Congratulations to Primrose Class who achieved 99% attendance last week. 
Just 5 out of 14 classes hit the target of 97% so please keep up the effort of sending your children to school - on time - every day.

PARENT GOVERNOR ELECTION

The Governing Body has a very important role in providing confident and strategic leadership, and creating robust accountability, oversight and assurance for the school’s educational and financial performance.  Anson’s Governing Body is made up of thirteen Governors and we meet 4 times a year as a full governing body. We also have two committees who meet once a term to focus on the curriculum, finance and staffing.  
We now have two parent Governor vacancies on the Governing Body so we are asking for nominations from you, our parents.  You will join a dedicated team of people who are all working to ensure that we can provide the best possible education for Anson’s children.
The role of a Governor often surprises parents. As a parent Governor you bring a parent perspective to discussions. You will need to undertake preparatory reading, attend and participate in meetings and you will be involved in making important decisions about the future of our school.  This means that you will have a major impact on the future of our children. It will also give you an insight into how complex it is to manage a school. 
Are you interested in joining our Governing Body? If you would like to know more before committing yourself, you can speak to Mr Pile and he will answer any questions. We can also arrange for you to speak to an existing Parent Governor if you wish – just let us know. 
If you are interested please read the governor’s pack (here), which contains further information as well as the nomination form. Please return the completed nomination form via email to vacancy@anson.brent.sch.uk or by hand to the school office. This must be with us by no later than 9.30am on Thursday, 15th October 2026.  
If we receive more applications than there are vacancies, a secret ballot will be carried out. We will inform you closer to the time if we have to do this.
The Governors hope that you will consider becoming a Governor and joining us in ensuring that Anson remains one of the best schools in the area.
 

BAKE SALE - Y1

Please can parents in Year One bake or buy delicious treats for our first Bake Sale of the school year on Friday 16th October. It will take place at 3:30pm in the playground. 

Secondary School Open Days next week:

Ark Elvin Academy:         Thursday 8th October - 5:00pm to 6:30pm
Kingsbury High School:     Tuesday 6th October - 9:15am
                Friday 9th October - 9:15am
Newman Catholic College:    Tuesday 6th October - 9:15am - 10:45am
                Wednesday 7th October - 9:15am - 10:45am
Preston Manor School:        Tuesday 6th October - 9:15am - 10:45am

 

COMMUNITY CORNER

It’s a quiet week this week with no major celebrations in the community. 

The Catholic Church will enjoy the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary as well as the Feast of Saint John Henry Newman.

We wish everyone a peaceful and blessed week. 

                

25th September

TIME TO ROAR

This week we began to tell the story of The Lion Inside.
In the opening pages, we meet two very different characters. The lion is strong, confident and independent, while the mouse feels small, insignificant and easily overlooked. At first glance, it seems obvious who has the loudest roar.
But as we explored the story in assembly, we began to think about where the lion’s confidence comes from. We decided that the lion knows who it is. It knows what it can do, understands its role and behaves like a lion should. In other words, the lion has found its identity – and its roar.
For many children at Anson, this is already true. They know what they are good at, they approach learning with confidence and they believe in themselves. They have discovered their roar through subjects, hobbies, talents and the skills they are developing. They know when to roar loudly, when to listen and when to let others have their turn.
But not everyone has found their roar just yet – and that is perfectly OK.
For some children, this term is about discovering what makes them roar with confidence. It is about developing an ‘I Can’ attitude, having a go when something feels difficult, learning from mistakes and using the people around them to help them grow.
Our aim by the end of this half term is for every child to have found a little more of their inner lion: to find their voice, take greater control of their learning and recognise that they are capable of more than they sometimes think.
We don't need everyone to roar in the same way. Every lion has its own roar.
Our job is to help every child discover theirs – because when children believe in themselves, they don't just find their roar… they start to roar.
 

MOVIE MOVERS DISCO

Tickets are on sale from Monday

 

YEAR ONE BAKE SALE

Friday 16th October - we are asking for all parents of pupils in Year 1 to "Bake of Buy" for the sale. 

 

TOP OF THE TOPS

This week Alfie (Y6) has once again been top of the tops at Anson with his bottle lid donations. 
Keep those bottle tops coming in every day so we can reach our target of 10,000 tops by Christmas. We are particularly keen to raise the number of red, orange and blue bottle tops in our collection so please keep an eye out for those colours. As I have said to many people this week I can’t share the reasons for the collection yet. Consider it bottle-top secret!

 

NATIONAL EMERGENCY BRIEFING

Anson is hosting a screening of the National Emergency Briefing on Tuesday 6th October at 6:30pm
We are inviting all parents and members of the community to the event which will take place in the school hall. Members of the Council will be attending and we have also invited Dawn Butler MP. The film focuses on the challenges of climate change and it is not recommended for children under the age of 16 so we will run a film for any children who attend. Sign up through the Gateway app. More details below. 

 

NATIONAL CHILD MEASUREMENT PROGRAMME

This week the school received the results of the National Child Measurement Programme for children in Reception and Year 6. 
Across England, over 99% of eligible schools take part in the NCMP each year. The programme data (covering 2022 to 2025) shows that the prevalence of obesity in children in Reception (aged 4 to 5) and Year 6 (age 10 to 11) is unacceptably high across the country. 
So, the programme engages parents by sharing their child’s measurements with them and prompting healthy lifestyle advice and support. 
As a school we take proactive whole school action to improve health and educational outcomes. This includes lunchtime activities, programmes like Healthy Movers and increased club opportunities. We also teach pupils about the benefits of being physically active, eating healthily and having good oral health through our curriculum. 
As the winter approaches encouraging physical activity in all weathers is critical to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 
The data currently shows that the proportion of children who were overweight or living with obesity at Anson (2022-2025) in Reception was 19% (22% in England) while in Year 6 the percentage was 36% (36% in England).

 

ATTENDANCE - WEEK BEGINNING 14th SEPTEMBER

Congratulations to Regent’s Class who achieved 100% attendance last week. 
A total of 6 classes hit the target of 97% too. this is great so please ensure that you continue this excellent start to the school year. 

 

COMMUNITY CORNER
 

Coming up next week in our local community:

The celebrations for members of the Jewish community continue as we enter the month of October.  

2nd - Shemini Atzeret is a Jewish festival marking the end of Sukkot, celebrating togetherness, reflection and the special relationship between God and the Jewish people.

3rd - Simchat Torah is a Jewish festival celebrating the Torah, marking the completion of its yearly reading cycle and beginning it again with joy, dancing and singing.

As always, we come together to wish everyone in the community celebrating their religion and culture much joy and happiness. 

 

18th September 2026

TRY TRY TRY

This second full week of term has seen the children settle into the routines of school life after the long summer break. 
We began the week with the launch of The Lion Inside, our Book of the Year at Anson.
The story tells the tale of a mouse who finds that confidence comes from within and so we talked about how you build confidence while you are at school. 
It all stems from giving things a go. 
We asked the children to share their experiences of learning to ride a bike. Many of them shared that when they first tried to ride the bike they fell off, lost balance or rode into a bush! 
We reminded the children that when you learn to ride a bike your don’t just get on it and pedal away. It takes several tries, several fails and lots of resilience to build your confidence on that bike. 
However, as long as we don’t give up we do eventually succeed. This is an increase in skill and confidence.  Of course, it’s the same with reading, mathematics, art, drama, PE and every other subject at school: if we try and we fail that’s ok. 
At home, we encourage you to share the same message: we learn from our mistakes. It’s ok to make those mistakes as long as we learn something, make a change and try, try and try again.

FRIENDS OF ANSON MOVIE MOVERS

The first Friends of Anson event for the school year will be the Movie Movers Disco.  
On Friday 9th October children are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite film character as we come together to celebrate the movies. 
Tickets will be available soon on the School Gateway app and cost £3.50 per child. This will include entry as well as refreshments during the disco. On the day, children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will head straight from their classrooms to the disco at 3:30pm and parents can collect them from the hall at 4:30pm. Due to safeguarding procedures parents are unable to stay.
At 5:00pm the children in Key Stage Two (Y3-6) return to school for their disco. Again, parents are unable to stay at the event unless they are part of the Friends of Anson team of volunteers.
There will be lots of games, dancing and fun to be had by all so book your tickets as soon as you can. 

PARENT MEETING INFORMATION

The Parent Meeting information is all live on the parent page of the website. 
Information regarding PE Days and other information has been shared by teachers on SeeSaw for pupils in Year 1 to Year 6. However, here is a handy table with the information for each of those year groups. When changes are made the teachers will inform you on Seesaw. 

	Y1	Y2	Y3	Y4	Y5	Y6
PE Days	Indoor: Wed Outdoor: Fri	Indoor:  2R: Mon 2H: Wed Outdoor: Thurs	Indoor: Tues Outdoor: Mon	Indoor: Mon Outdoor: Tues Swim: Thurs	Indoor: Thurs Outdoor 5K on Wed 5H on Fri	Indoor: 6P: Mon 6H: Wed Outdoor: Fri
Homework	Set on Friday and due in on Friday	Set on Friday and due in on Friday	Set on a Monday	Maths set and due on Thursday	Optional Google Class Work	Set throughout the week and increasing through the year
Other	Daily Reading Phonics Mathematics	Daily Reading Phonics	Daily Reading  TT Rockstars for at least 10 minutes each	Daily Reading 50 mins TT Rockstars	Daily Reading 20 mins TT Rockstars	Daily Reading (30 mins) 20 mins TT Rockstars
Book Swaps	Changed on a Monday and Thursday	Changed on a Monday	Monday (3A) and Thurs (3M)	Everyday as pupils require	Banded Books: Tuesday and everyday for other readers	Banded Books: Thursday and everyday for other readers
Spelling Tests	n/a	Friday	Monday	4B: Thursday 4V: Friday	Wednesday	6P: Wed 6H: Friday

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Secondary schools across the UK are opening their doors to parents of pupils in Year 6. Dates are above for Hampstead while you can scan the QR code for St. Claudine’s. There are also activities for all primary pupils on offer at Hampstead. Contact them for more information. See below for more Open Events. See the newsletter for links and details. 

BOTTLE TOPS

Please keep the tops trickling in. We are doing really well. We’ll  update numbers next week but top of the bottle tops chart this week is Alfie in Year 6! 

CLUBS

Clubs will begin on Monday! 
For those of you who are new to Anson Clubs please note that all clubs run from, 3:30pm to 4:30pm and take place on the school site. 
At the end of the club time please collect your child promptly from the main entrance of the school as staff need to begin their own journeys home. 
If children are not collected on time they will be placed into KidzClub at your own expense.

ATTENDANCE

Someone (Mr Pile) pushed the button too quickly last week. 
So here is a more accurate update on the attendance for the week beginning Monday 7th September. Well done to Highbury who topped attendance by 0.3% from Mapesbury. See the newsletter for the graph. 

COMMUNITY CORNER

Coming up next week in our local community:

22nd - Islam: Gyarvi Sharif commemorates the death anniversary of Abdul Qadir Jilani, a revered Sufi saint.

23rd - Paganism: Autumn Equinox A pagan tradition celebrating day and night balance.
25th - Judaism: Sukkot - Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, celebrating harvest and the wilderness journey.
26th - Hinduism: Mahalaya marks the beginning of Navratri, invoking Goddess Durga.

As always, we come together to wish everyone in the community celebrating their religion and culture much joy and happiness. 

 

11.09.26

FAMILY SUPPORT IS OUT THERE

Brent Best Start Family Hubs support your family from the moment you know you’re expecting, through pregnancy and birth, until your child is 18 years old.
The hubs work with voluntary, community sector providers, health and council teams to bring families a wide range of services and activities. 
For children at Anson families can access stay and play sessions, speech and language support, fun fitness, family cooking, sports, arts, crafts and health and wellbeing support. 
There are dedicated Dad sessions and lots of advice around debt management, legal issues, hosing, employment and much more. 
Our local hub is the 

Three Trees Best Start Family Hub
Tiverton Road
Kensal Rise
NW10 3HL

tel: 020 8937 3892
The activity programme is available online or from the hub and are updated termly. You can find the full Best Start Family Hub timetable in multiple languages by visiting:

www.brent.gov.uk/fasmilyhubs 

Family Hubs are a great way to get the support you need and have fun along the way with the whole family. 

THE ANSON BOTTLE TOP COLLECTION: 10,000 TARGET

We need your help for an ambitious project taking place later in the academic year. 
We are looking for every member of the community to collect, wash and donate plastic bottle tops to Anson Primary School. 
We would love for you to donate as many bottle tops as humanly possible between September and January. 
While we won’t share the reason for this collection yet - rest assured it is for a very exciting initiative beginning in 2027. 
We estimate that we will need more than 10,000 bottle tops to achieve our goal so don’t recycle those bottle tops at home - save them and send them in to Anson. 

We can do this together! 

PARENT MEETINGS FOR THE 2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR

Thank you to those parents in Reception and Year One who came along to our parent meetings this week. 
Don’t worry if you couldn’t make it as we will be sharing the resources online next week. 
On Monday 14th September at 7pm we will host an online meeting for Year 2 to Year 6. This is to try and reach as many parents as possible and to prevent many of you needing to sit through 2 or 3 meetings with the same content. 
The link should have been in the email sent home to parents this afternoon. 
Please note that our Zoom account allows for 100 people to enter the meeting. If you can’t get in don’t worry as we will be recording the meeting. 

ATTENDANCE - WEEK BEGINNING 7th SEPTEMBER

Seven classes managed to hit our target of 97% this week.   
This is a really great start to the term with all but one of the classes exceeding the average attendance from last year. Let’s keep it up! 

LEARNING AT HOME

Learning is a partnership. Schools, families and agencies all have a role to play in helping every child thrive.
At Anson, we developed Help at Home to show how simple activities at home can support the learning behaviours we develop at school. Our 50 activities include playing games, visiting the park, cooking together and much more.
You’re probably doing most of them already, but take a look at see if you can Help at Home.

PHONE FREE

Please remember that we are a mobile phone free site at Anson Primary School. 
The use of mobile phones in the school is also prohibited for parents. Signs are in place reminding parents that they must not use their mobile phone on site and especially during times when they are collecting their children from the school. 
This is to ensure children are escorted safely off site and to model adult behaviours to children which reinforce our online safety messages. 

COMMUNITY CORNER

Coming up next week in our local community:

Ganesh Chaturthi: Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu festival celebrating Lord Ganesha, the god of wisdom, new beginnings and good fortune. Families and communities create colourful statues, share prayers, music and food, and enjoy celebrations together. At the end, the statue is traditionally carried in a procession and placed in water.

Samvatsari: This is the final and holiest day of the annual Jain festival Paryushana dedicated entirely to forgiveness, repentance, and spiritual purification is celebrated on the final day of the Paryushan festival to seek and grant universal forgiveness for any harm caused to all living beings.

Yom Kippur: Yom Kippur fast day is the holiest day of the year, when Jewish people are closest to God and to the essence of their souls. Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement,”.

As always, we come together to wish everyone in the community celebrating their religion and culture much joy and happiness. 

CLUBS

Clubs will begin in the week of the 21st September. 
The clubs will be run by the team at DFY as well as members of staff at Anson. 
You can book the DFY Clubs directly with them using the link in the email sent earlier in the week while Clubs run by staff need to be selected using a different link. Places will be allocated next week. 

The clubs are:

Skateboarding (R to Y6)
Football (Y1 to Y3)
Kickboxing (Y2 to Y6)
Basketball (Y1 to Y6)
Gymnastics (Y1 to Y6)

Chess (Y3 to Y6)
Baking (Y1 to Y3)
Film Club (Y1 and Y2)
Crochet Club (Y3 to Y6)
Football (Y4 to Y6)
Spanish (Y1 and Y2)
Forest School (Reception)
Lego (Y3, 4 and 5)

Please make selections by Tuesday.

28.08.26

WELCOME BACK

I hope that this newsletter finds you well after what has been an exceptionally dry summer. 
Hopefully this means you have been able to spend large amounts of time outside enjoying the summer sun.
The holiday has been quiet at Anson with less works than last year. Essential electrical and maintenance jobs have been completed. We have a year of exciting opportunities and experiences for the children and lots of opportunities for you to get involved in as parents too. 
We look forward to connecting with all of you over the next few weeks. 

 

BOOK OF THE YEAR: THE LION INSIDE

As many of you will know we are a school with 6 key Learning Behaviours. 
The Learning Behaviours help the children understand how we learn. They include collaboration, resilience, risk-taking, aspiration, thinking and independence. 
Every year we encourage and develop those behaviours in our lessons, our activities and events. This year we will be using The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright and Jim Field as our Book of the Year. The story will help us share each Learning Behaviour and what we can learn from the events in the story. 

 

PARENT MEETINGS FOR THE 2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR

This September we are inviting all parents to meetings to find out about the coming academic year. 
If you are an established parent you may notice a few differences to our Parent Meetings. 
On Thursday 10th September at 9am we will host our Reception Parent Meeting in the school hall. This is a chance to meet the teachers and find out more about your child’s first year of formal education. 
On Friday 11th September at 9am parents from Year 1 are invited to join the class teachers to find out more about the opportunities for their children and the statutory assessments which take place in June. Then on Monday 14th September at 7pm we will host an online meeting for Year 2 to Year 6. This is to try and reach as many parents as possible and to prevent many of you needing to sit through 2 or 3 meetings with the same content. Details will be published very soon. 

10.09.26: Reception at 9am

11.09.26: Year 1 at 9am

14.09.26: Year 2-6 online

 

WHERE DO I GO AT THE END OF THE DAY?

The new year can be confusing as the children move to different places in the school. 
At the end of the school day you’ll need to know where to go to pick up your child.  So here is your guide:

Reception
All Reception children should be collected from the Dining Room doors in the main playground. 

1Q (Miss Gray)
The children will be dismissed from the small room by the Dining Room. 

Please wait near the bike shelter. 

1R (Miss Figueira)
The children will be dismissed through the playground at the rear of their class. Please wait by the orange gate. 

Year Two & Three & Six
The children will be brought out to the playground where they will line up. 
Please wait near the playground gate or neighbouring flats and the teachers will release your child to you. 

Year Four
The children will be dismissed from their classroom. Please wait under the blue sail. 

Year Five
The children will be dismissed from their classroom. Please wait by the outdoor stage. 

If you have any questions Mr Pile and Miss Callaghan will be on the playground to direct you to the correct location. 

 

THE ANSON BOTTLE TOP COLLECTION

We need your help for an ambitious project taking place later in the academic year. 
We are looking for every member of the community to collect, wash and donate plastic bottle tops to Anson Primary School. 
We would love for you to donate as many white, red, blue and orange bottle tops as humanly possible between September and January. 
While we won’t share the reason for this collection yet - rest assured it is for a very exciting initiative beginning in 2027. 
So, don’t recycle those bottle tops at home, save them and send them in to Anson. 

 

A FEW FINAL THOUGHTS THIS SUMMER

I am currently in my 26th year at Anson and the start of the new school year still gives me the same exciting feeling that it did back in 2001.
It will be a delight to see all the children coming back through the gates and reconnecting with them. It will be equally special to see our families coming together after weeks apart. 
The Anson community is a very special one and together we will all ensure this year is one where the children feel happy, safe, confident and in the best position to thrive.