From the Head
What a wonderful final week of term it has been. The memories made at last week’s magical Beauty and the Beast production and our uplifting Presentation Evening will stay with us for a long time; both events truly captured the spirit of St Olave’s: joyful, ambitious and full of heart. This week, our Year 6 children have been enjoying their final days at school with all the tradition, laughter and tears that come with saying 'see you soon'. We are so proud of the young people they have become and know they will carry the values of St Olave’s with them, wherever they go.
Across the school, our children have flourished; from their academic achievements to the friendships they’ve made, the kindness they’ve shown and the confidence they’ve built. It has been a year of challenge, joy, creativity and growth.
As we head into the summer break, I want to thank you, our wonderful parents, for your continued trust and support, and for the generosity and encouragement you have shown in so many ways. I am also deeply grateful to the exceptional staff team at St Olave’s, who work with such dedication, care and brilliance every single day.
St Olave’s is more than just a school. It is a community built on warmth, strength and kindness. That community; this shared belief in what education can and should be, will continue to be our greatest success for generations to come.
Wishing you all a happy, peaceful and well-deserved summer. I look forward to seeing you all when the children return to school on Wednesday 3rd September.
Kind regards, Miss Holloway
Sporting Round Up
Girls' Kent Cricket Champions!
After qualifying to represent the borough of Greenwich for the Girls' Kent Cricket Finals tournament a few weeks ago, it was this week that the girls from Years 5 and 6 competed at Ashford Prep School.
There were 8 schools in total all representing their boroughs. The morning consisted of us competing in the group stages. Four teams competed and the top two teams from both group draws were to go through to the finals in the afternoon. We won all our matches through excellent batting, with a mixture of good running and powerful boundary hitting, and great fielding to restrict teams of runs. This meant that in the afternoon, St Olave's would compete for a Top 4 position.
Our momentum continued on into the afternoon as we carried on scoring boundaries regularly when we batted and held our catches when the opposition struggled to keep up with the run rate. St Olave's won all their games and ended the Kent Cricket Finals as overall Champions, picking up gold medals and the Kent Cricket trophy! Everyone at St Olave's is incredibly proud of how much hard work and dedication the girls have put into everything they do, and they absolutely deserve all the praise and success they have got! Well played girls!
Notices
Community Poppy Project
The Friends of Southwood Park are asking for donations of poppies for their tree cascade in the park ready for Remembrance in November. They have received hundreds of red hand crafted poppies, but are in need of some purple and white poppies. If you would like to crochet, knit, sew, or cut out felt poppies in these colours during the summer holidays, please bring them into school when we come back in September.
Parksfest
We will again have a stall at the Parksfest in Southwood Park on Sunday 14th September 2 - 5pm. There will also be the very popular dog show, entertainment and many other stalls.
Young Voices 2026!
We are very excited to be able to offer our Upper School children another opportunity to join the brilliant Young Voices choir of 2026. This event has fast become a highlight of the school year and provides the children with an opportunity to perform alongside choirs from schools across the country in a fantastic concert at the O2 Arena, featuring spectacular sound, lighting, and special guest performances. Our concert will be held on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026 and as Young Voices is celebrating its 30th anniversary, this concert is sure to be an unforgettable night! Rehearsals will start in September, so please look out for your year group’s Young Voices club offering.
Ms Tyler
FRSC Second hand Uniform Sale
We will be holding a second hand uniform sale in September and so will be accepting donations of unwanted uniform from 3rd - 12th September. Please remove name labels before donating clean, good quality items, thank you.
Nursery
So what has been the highlight of the year in Little Acorns?
Was it the trip to the theatre, the Wildlife Park or the farm?
Was it finding caterpillars, worms and ladybirds in the allotment?
Was it breaking a television into little pieces?!
Was it performing in our Christmas Nativity or Spring Concert?
Was it meeting lots of animals in Pet Club or being squirted by the hose in Water Club?!
Was it dressing up for VE Day, World Book Day or Super St O’s Day?
Well it was all of those things, plus all the fun and activities we have enjoyed every single day. The children have been endlessly creative and it has been such a joy to be able to follow their interests and see their engagement and learning every day.
Goodbye little Acorns, may you continue your wonderful journey of discovery as you move on to Reception!
Reception
WOW… and that’s a wrap!
We can’t believe how quickly this year has flown by, but they do say time flies when you're having fun! It has truly been an honour to watch each and every child in Reception grow into confident, curious, and mature learners.
From the classroom to the big city, we’ve packed in so much fun, learning, and adventure! We have had such an amazing year, with our trip to the local shops, exploring our community. Then came the thrill of catching a train all the way to London Bridge to see a magical theatre show! Back at school, the magic continued as we proudly performed our very own Christmas Nativity, complete with shining stars, singing angels, and plenty of proud smiles from start to finish. But the adventure didn’t stop there! We had a wild time at Wingham Wildlife Park, meeting all sorts of animals and learning so much about the natural world. Of course, we’ve had endless fun inside and outside the classroom, building, painting, problem-solving, exploring nature, and making friendships that have blossomed throughout the year. We also had a blast on Sports Day, taking part in exciting races and team activities that brought out our energy, enthusiasm, and fantastic team spirit!
What a joy it's been to share so many amazing memories together. Reception, you’ve been incredible, have a lovely Summer!
Year 1
Well here we are! Another school year has whizzed by and we are so incredibly proud of the children’s achievements and most of all their progression in all areas of school life. They are certainly ready for Year 2. We hope everyone has a lovely Summer, keep up the reading and I’m sure our paths will continue crossing in September!
Year 2
And all of a sudden, it was over! We have had a wonderful Year 2 and are so very proud of all the children, they have worked so hard, had plenty of fun and made excellent progress along the way.
With highlights scattered throughout the year—from visits to Watergate, dressing up as superheroes, and hapazome printing, to a trip to Duxford, becoming authors, and an afternoon of cricket—we are all excited to see what Year 3 brings for this fabulous group of children. Even this week, our learning has continued with some excellent history projects on The Wright Brothers and Amelia Earhart!
We would like to thank you all for your unwavering support throughout the year and hope you all have a fabulous summer break, full of both adventure and rest!
Year 3
Here we are at the end of Year 3! We have had a great deal of fun this year and are amazed by the progress each child has made. This week, we spent some quality time together reflecting on our year and all of our learning. To celebrate a successful year (and a brilliant Presentation Evening), we took a trip to Fairy Hill Park, where we played on all the swings together to our hearts' content!
We looked to the future too this year as we wrote letters to our new teachers full of our thoughts about Year 4 and drew them pictures about our hopes and dreams. This demonstrated our creativity and ambition that will continue to grow into the next academic year and beyond.
On behalf of all the Year 3 team, we want to thank you for all your support this academic year. We wish you a great summer and plenty of rest before returning in September!
Year 4
We are so proud of the progress and achievements that the children have made this year and feel confident that they are prepared and ready for their move to Year 5. It has been a transformative year for many of the children; growing in maturity, resilience and independence. We have some fabulous memories of dressing as Romans for our Kent Life trip, singing at the O2 with Young Voices, challenging ourselves in Danbury, celebrating VE Day, as well as school concerts, author visits and sports fixtures. The children have worked really hard and should feel proud of their efforts. On behalf of the Year 4 team, we wish you a great summer and look forward to seeing you back in September.
Year 5
We are incredibly proud of all of the children for their outstanding commitment and hard work they’ve shown this year in preparing for their 11+ exams. The resilience, determination and consistent approach to their learning has impressed us and the children have all taken this on with maturity and focus. We definitely feel like we have some Year 6s ahead of us already!
As we head into the summer holidays, it is important to take the time to rest and recharge - the children have earned it! However, we also encourage to maintain that momentum by practising little and often so everything stays fresh. We look forward to seeing most of you at ETAP and are already excited for everything that the next school year will bring! Well done, Year 5!
Year 6
"Home is where the heart is"
What a week it’s been! A week full of joy, laughter, hugs, sugar highs, and heartfelt goodbyes – a perfect end to an unforgettable journey at St Olave’s.
We began with a top secret trip to Chessington World of Adventures on Monday – and what an adventure it was! From conquering the twists and turns of The Vampire Ride and Dragon’s Fury to drifting along the Gruffalo River Ride, Year 6 made memories that will last a lifetime. They loved every second – squealing on the rides, roaming around with their friends, and spending their pocket money on sweets and slushies. Pure joy!
Tuesday brought a different kind of thrill: the legendary Teachers vs Year 6 Dodgeball Match. As expected from this competitive cohort, the game was fast, furious, and fiercely fun! Balls flew in every direction, teachers dodged for their lives, and the children whooped with delight when they managed to take one of us out. But despite their determination, the teachers clinched victory with an 11–7 win. (We’ll take that as a retirement gift, thank you very much.)
On Wednesday evening, the children returned for their Leavers’ Disco, dressed to impress and ready to dance the night away. From choreographed routines to impromptu handstands, from chanting boys to heartfelt group hugs – the evening was bursting with energy and emotion. They feasted on pizza, chicken tenders, chips, Oreo doughnuts, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Soleros, and sweets to take home – a sweet night in every sense of the word. As tradition goes, Miss Holloway invited the oldest and youngest in the year to cut the cake – a proud moment this year for Rosie and Reggie.
Thursday morning was another special moment, as the children were invited to a final brunch with Miss Holloway. Gathered together for one last treat, they tucked into fancy brunch bites lovingly prepared by our chef, while Miss Holloway read the inspiring 'Oh, the Places You’ll Go' to send them on their way. It was a warm, reflective moment – filled with smiles, soft laughter, and a few misty eyes.
In the afternoon, we came together for the much-anticipated Leavers’ Assembly. The children spoke beautifully – confidently sharing stories, gratitude, and memories from their time at St Olave’s. Their final rendition of The Power of Love had us beaming with pride. But it was the final song that truly tugged at our hearts:
"Home should be where the heart is... I found home. You’re my home. Stay with me."
St Olave’s has truly been a second home for this special group of children. Their bond, their care for one another, and their zest for life has made this year a joy. We have loved them all as though they were our own. We’ve felt their triumphs, their tears, and their joy – and we’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. So from us, with all our love and admiration – thank you for choosing St Olave’s. You will always be part of our family.
See you soon,
Mrs McNamara and Ms Howard
Music
What a fantastic year of music it has been! All of the children in the school have taken part in performances throughout the year, whether it be our formal concerts, plays or playing informally in assemblies or class lessons. The confidence of the children continues to grow and it has been wonderful to see them flourish and enjoy music and performances this year.
What a fabulous way to end our year of music with the Year 6 and Upper School musical production of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ last week. There are no limits to what our children can do! Their singing, dancing and acting was outstanding, and all of us were so proud to watch them perform on the stage.
Many thanks for supporting your children with their music during the year, whether it be learning an instrument, lyrics for concerts or musical dances. It is very much appreciated. Wishing you all a wonderful summer break!