From the Head
As we reach the end of a full and demanding half term, I would like to pause to reflect on the many successes across our school community and to recognise the deep commitment, care and professionalism that underpin them every single day. This has been a term of exceptional achievement. Our 11+ outcomes have once again been outstanding, with our Year 6 children securing places, scholarships and offers from a range of highly regarded and competitive independent schools. These achievements do not happen by chance; they are the result of sustained hard work from the children, expert and highly dedicated teaching from our staff and the strong, trusting partnership we share with you as families. Final secondary school allocations, including grammar school places, will be confirmed at the beginning of March and we remain alongside our families to guide, support and celebrate each child through this important stage of their journey. Across the school, it has been wonderful to see our youngest children growing steadily in confidence as readers, developing secure phonics knowledge and, most importantly, a genuine love of books. This quiet, careful work in the Early Years is some of the most important we do. In sport, our Year 6 girls’ football team continue their remarkable run and remain undefeated in their league, showing teamwork, resilience and pride in representing the school - very much in the spirit of last year’s champions. We are also heartened by the strength of enquiries and registrations for September and beyond. In a changing educational landscape, our determination to remain a truly independent school, defined by small classes, high academic expectations and authentic pastoral care, matters deeply. What makes St Olave’s special is not only what we achieve, but how we care: the time given, the attention to each individual child and the unwavering belief that every child should feel known, supported and able to flourish. I am continually grateful for the dedication of our staff and for the trust you place in us as parents. Half term now offers a valuable moment to rest and reset before the energy of the spring term begins to unfold. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday 23rd February for another purposeful and exciting half term, with brighter days ahead and much to look forward to together. Kind regards, Miss Holloway
The week ahead...
Lunch Menu
Monthly Safeguarding Update
February – Supporting Children with SEND and Vulnerabilities
All children deserve to feel safe and heard. For children with additional needs, communication can sometimes be a barrier. If you ever notice changes in your child’s mood or behaviour, however small, please share with us - early conversations make a big difference.
Focus on School Values
As we finish the half term, we’re drawing together all the work we’ve done on our value of Commitment, reminding children that showing commitment often means putting others first, doing what’s right, and sticking to good habits, even when they feel inconvenient. In this week's assembly, we shared Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña; a beautifully written and illustrated story about a boy and his Nana riding the bus across town. Through quiet moments and simple conversations, the book gently explores gratitude, empathy and the richness of ordinary life, all framed through the lens of doing good for others. Our manner of the week is: “Offer up your seat to older people on public transport even if you are REALLY tired.” This one helps children understand the importance of noticing others’ needs, thinking beyond themselves, and learning that small sacrifices are often signs of great character. We are grateful for your support at home, especially in reinforcing that real strength comes from kindness and care. A lovely companion story to share is The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires, which offers another reflection on perseverance and quiet courage.
This week at St Olave's
Rights Day 3 On Tuesday we held our third Rights Day, in connection with Safer Internet Day 2026 to spotlight one of the most important issues shaping young people’s lives - Artificial Intelligence (AI). Introduced in assembly by our Year 6 Rights Ambassadors the activities aimed to explore:
- How AI systems use data
- Why consent and privacy matter online
- How to question and critically evaluate AI-generated content
- Ways to use AI responsibly, creatively, and safely
By building awareness and digital confidence, we are aiming to empower young people to navigate an AI-driven world safely, respectfully, and with their rights at the centre.
Litter pick
This week, our Community MPs undertook a litter pick around New Eltham. They collected a staggering 3 bags of rubbish from the streets in our local area but they were delighted that they didn't find any litter in Southwood Park.
Notices
Shoe collection We are collecting shoes, football boots and trainers for a local charity. If your child has outgrown their footwear and it is still in good condition, please hand them to Mrs Farrell. Thank you.
Sporting Round Up
Years 3 & 4 Football Tournament Monday saw our Years 3 and 4 travel to Glebe FC to play a friendly tournament of football. Our Year 4 boys played two games losing both 4-3 and 4-1. Our Year 3 boys also played two games losing 2-1 and winning 7-2. Our Year 4 girls won 1-0, drew 1-1, and lost 2-1. Well done everyone on a fantastic afternoon of football!
Year 5 Netball On Tuesday our Year 5 girls competed against Bromley High School at netball. The girls were fantastic working together as a team to move the ball around the court well. We won the fixture 3-0. Well played girls!
Years 3 & 4 Football Friendly On Wednesday, Years 3 and 4 participated in a friendly football fixture at Babington House playing fields. We came up against two very strong opponents and lost both games. We will learn from this opportunity and move on to the next fixture.
Nursery
Another busy week of learning and creativity comes to an end in Little Acorns. In the creation station ‘love was in the air’ as the children explored different media to make Valentine’s cards and heart decorations. They have taken them home for their families and we hope you like them.
Elsewhere in the classroom the children have been making dens using blankets, pegs and all our chairs and tables. Once built, the children turned their dens into homes for babies, a fire station and even a school for baddies!
All the recent rain has turned our mud kitchen into an even muddier kitchen and our children have been busy transporting some barkchip from the allotment to spread on the ground. We used wheelbarrows, a trolley and even a shopping basket on wheels to transport the bark and the children have done a great job!
Reception
Kung Hei Fat Choi! This week in Reception, the children have been learning about Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) and the celebrations linked to this festival. In Drawing Club, we focused on The Story of the Great Race. The children retold the story, drew the different animals and discussed why they finished in a particular order. We also explored themes such as determination and teamwork. The children found out which Chinese Zodiac animal they are and learned about some of the characteristics associated with each one. They made their own lanterns and worked together to create a large lion’s head. As a class, we then used it to perform a simple lion dance. With Valentine’s Day approaching, the children also focused on kindness and friendship. Each child made a card for a friend in Reception, wrote a message inside and shared a compliment when giving it. This helped reinforce the importance of using kind words and thinking about others. We also continued learning about subitising through a range of games. The children have been very confident in quickly recognising quantities without counting and have impressed us with their growing number knowledge. Their enthusiasm and understanding of numbers have really shone through this week. We hope you all have a lovely half term and enjoy some well deserved rest and fun. We look forward to seeing your half term adventures shared on Tapestry!
Year 1
We are thrilled to share that the children have had a fantastic end to the half term. They have worked incredibly hard, and we are so impressed by all the progress they have made. We are sure you have noticed this at home too! In Maths, the children have been learning to double amounts and use their near double knowledge to solve number sentences. They have also used their number bond knowledge to subtract an amount and to find the difference between amounts. It has been wonderful to see them apply their learning so confidently in different activities. In English, we have begun our unit on poetry. The children have been exploring the features of poems and using expression in their voices when reading aloud. They have also analysed the language used in poems and thought about what synonyms could be used for different adjectives to make their writing more interesting. In Science, the children have completed their topic all about materials. They have been investigating the properties of different materials and thinking carefully about what each material would be best used for in day-to-day life. It has been fantastic to see their curiosity and reasoning skills developing. In PSHE, the children have been learning about online safety as part of our Rights Respecting Learning. They were fantastic at identifying what information is and isn’t appropriate to share online or with new people, showing great awareness and responsibility. It has been wonderful to watch their enthusiasm for learning, their confidence growing, and their teamwork in the classroom. Every child has contributed to making this half term a successful and enjoyable one. We wish you all a lovely, restful half term and look forward to hearing about all the fun the children get up to.
Year 2
Another busy week to round off our half-term in Year 2 and we have been working hard as usual! In English we finished writing short stories inspired by ‘The Princess and the Peas’. The stories truly reflect the effort and progress all the children have made since September, displaying many skills to describe and keep their plot moving. Perhaps they can give you a detailed re-telling of their story one evening this week! In maths, we focused on the skill of division. We started by understanding exactly what division is and discovered two methods - grouping and sharing. We explored ways we can divide by using repeated addition just like in multiplication! We then applied our understanding of multiplying and dividing to the two times tables and built our fluency. Please make sure you are continuing to practice these throughout the half-term, especially the division side to keep this new skill fresh! In History this week we continued our study of monarchs. We travelled back in time to learn about the remarkable life of Queen Elizabeth 1. We were able to learn much about the impact of her rule by studying a very famous painting, The Armada Portrait. The children enjoyed spotting details in the painting and were fascinated to learn about the Queen’s victory against The Spanish Armada in 1588. We were introduced to Queen Victoria and enjoyed finding out about how children’s lives were different to our lives today. The children found it very shocking that they would have been made to work instead of going to school if they didn’t have enough money!
We have had a fabulous half-term, full of progress and fun in our learning. We hope you have a restful time together next week and we look forward to seeing all the children again for the second half of the Spring term.
Year 3
This half term, Year 3 have grown in confidence in independent writing and have produced quality creative writing that they should be proud of. This week, we completed our topic on instructional writing and wrote humorous instructions on how to look after a pet dragon. The children showed creativity and humour and produced concise and clear, detailed instructions, working hard to include well-punctuated time adverbials and powerful adverbs. In maths, we have been learning to recognise and compare equivalent measurements using metres, centimetres and millimetres. We explored how 1 metre is equal to 100 centimetres and how 1 centimetre is equal to 10 millimetres. Using rulers and metre sticks, we carefully measured objects around the classroom and confidently compared different lengths. For example, we discovered that 200 cm is the same as 2 m and that 50 mm is the same as 5 cm. The children showed great determination when converting between units and explaining their reasoning clearly.
To conclude our topic on the History of Childhood, we explored diseases and historic remedies from the past. We were amazed to learn that, long ago, people used unusual treatments such as herbal mixtures, leeches and even peculiar potions to try to cure illnesses. We thoughtfully compared these remedies with modern medicine and discussed how many illnesses, such as measles or the flu, still exist today but are now treated much more safely and effectively. The children recognised similarities between past and present illnesses, while also understanding how medical knowledge and technology have improved over time. It was wonderful to see them asking thoughtful questions and reflecting on how healthcare has changed.
Overall, Year 3 have continued to shine this half term and show wonderful enthusiasm and creativity across their learning. We are extremely proud of them and look forward to seeing them continue to flourish next half term.
Year 4
We began the week with a fun and practical cooking lesson, where the children learned how to create a colourful rainbow wrap. They carefully used knives to prepare and cut the vegetables safely, showing great responsibility and enthusiasm. Many children were excited to try making their wraps again at home - we hope you get to sample one soon! In English, the children used their research on their chosen carnivorous rainforest plant to write a non-chronological report. They worked incredibly hard to include technical language, write with formality, and use conjunctions and a range of punctuation accurately. It has been fantastic to see their confidence grow in structuring informative writing. In Maths, we completed our unit on perimeter. The children learned how to calculate the perimeter of regular and irregular polygons, as well as rectilinear shapes. They particularly enjoyed the challenge of finding missing lengths and discovering the names of 10-, 11-, and 12-sided shapes - ask them if they can remember what they are called! In Art, the children completed their stunning close-up drawings of rainforest animals. The final effects were incredible, and we were so impressed with the detail, shading, and care they put into their work. On Tuesday, the children completed their swimming lessons for the year. It has been wonderful to see the progress they have made week by week - their confidence and skill in the water have grown tremendously. Tuesday was also Rights Day and Safer Internet Day. This year’s focus was on the benefits and drawbacks of AI. As a generation who will undoubtedly grow up alongside this technology, it is so important that the children develop a thoughtful and balanced understanding of it. They engaged in some very mature and insightful discussions. Finally, thank you so much for all your support this half term with homework and for everything you do to support your children’s learning. We truly appreciate it. Wishing you all a wonderful and restful break. Can you believe half the year is already finished?!
Year 5
Can you believe we are already half way through the year!? As we approach half term, we’d just like to say how proud we are of all of the children and how hard they have been working. Monday kicked off with a bang for Rowan class who spend the afternoon jumping, tumbling and swinging at their Gymnastics Plus afternoon. They displayed excellent perseverance and resilience, all edging out of their comfort zone from time to time. Birch Class is in for a treat after half term! We’ve had enormous ‘fizzle’ in English this week, using the Jabberwocky as our inspiration, we created our own nonsense poetry. Trying to find the balance between fun and nonsense whilst also telling a story to be understood in the way intended, was a bit of a challenge, but we enjoyed every aspect and have the makings of some excellent poems. This will continue after half term, so please encourage further reading of nonsense verse over the break. Maths was an eclectic mix of essential skills but with a focus on reading and understanding the question properly before trying to tackle it, along with ensuring we are checking our answers once done. From the four operations to translation and algebra to statistics, we have enjoyed honing our skills. We thoroughly enjoyed our Rights Day on Tuesday. Linked to Safer Internet Day and the ever evolving world of Artificial Intelligence, we realised just how often AI is used in daily life and how many of our online actions contribute to AI not only getting smarter but also getting to know us better. We enjoyed comparing real photos with AI generated photos and picked up some tips to help us spot these in the future. We also looked at case studies where AI is being used in communities, healthcare and entertainment to decide how we felt about this and the impact it could have on children’s rights. A quick thank you to all who were able to attend our Swanage meeting on Thursday, and for returning forms and paperwork so quickly. We are very much looking forward to it! We hope you all have a wonderful half term - see you in a week!
Year 6
What a fantastic last week of half term Year 6 have had, and we are half way through the year! This week we have been exploring the use of AI and how it can help us in our everyday lives, but most importantly how we need to be vigilant in the outputs we receive. This discussion led to an interesting outcome where a tiger was able to enter the house through a catflap (we may need to polish our descriptions of a house cat!). In maths we have begun our new topic of fractions, decimals and percentages and are drawing on previous knowledge from maths topics covered this year already. Year 6 have impressed us with their ability to link their prior knowledge to new learning and have shown great enthusiasm and resilience in their problem-solving tasks. This week the children have written very mature and impactful balanced arguments exploring the idea that ordinary people have the power to fight injustices. Drawing on evidence from texts we have studied and historical figures to support their arguments, they have shown great intellect, critical thinking and excellent debate skills. We are so impressed with how well the children were able to form both sides of the argument and to see different viewpoints. Watch out world, the Year 6s of St Olave’s are this generation's new debaters and leaders! We wish you all a lovely and restful half term break and cannot wait to see what the next half of this year will bring!
Outdoor Learning
The weather has started to feel a little more Spring-like this week and the daffodils are already starting to flower. The younger children continued to dig over the new beds which will be in our new cage. There was a new delivery of bark chippings, so we have been able to move them to form the new paths around the raised beds. The older children were continuing their project work and hopefully we will be able to start to work in the allotment after half term. Please remember to bring wellington boots to leave at school for their sessions each week as it is very muddy at the moment.
Languages
Nursery and Reception worked really hard this week, revising the family vocabulary and playing many games to test what they remembered. The children are extremely confident and pronounce the words very well! Year 1 also revised the words for family members and practised their writing skills, trying really hard to remember the spellings. As both Valentine's Day and Pancake Day are fast approaching, and falling during the half term break, this week Year 2 and Upper School children explored some of the traditional uses and costumes in French and Spanish speaking countries. We talked about famous Carnival celebrations, such as the Venice Carnival and Rio de Janeiro’s one and the meaning of Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent. The children had a few tasks to complete in their lessons: they coloured some masks following instructions in their target language, they did a crossword on Valentine's Day key words, and they challenged themselves by filling the gaps of a pancake recipe in the target language. Upper School children enjoyed using dictionaries to complete some of their tasks. In Latin, Year 6 children revised adverbs and imperatives, via a picture story that took us to the Roman baths: with a jump into the past, we understood the purpose of Roman baths and the use of their different rooms, trying to make comparisons with the modern spas.
Design & Technology and Computing
Quiz of the week, ask your child if they can explain what the words in bold mean. Year 3 Electrical Posters Pupils in Year 3 added switches and battery packs to their circuits and added extra features to their posters to make them more attractive.
Year 4 Pavilion Structures This week Year 4 designed final ideas for their 3D structure and started to mark out the materials needed to make their pavilions.
Year 5 Bridges In Year 5, pupils measured, marked out and started cutting the pieces required to construct their wooden bridges. Pupils were taught how to cut safely and accurately whilst using junior hacksaws and bench hooks. Year 6 Electric car Year 6 pupils wrote their specifications for the project taking into consideration aspects such as the form, function, environment and materials required to make the project. Computing highlights Year 2 reviewed their learning with a quiz about algorithms. Year 3 pupils reviewed their learning with a quiz about e-mailing and Year 4 pupils reviewed their learning about weather forecasting. Year 5 pupils learned how to add up binary numbers. Year 6 practiced using AI as a tool to generate ideas and provide suggestions that can be applied to making presentations.