Headteacher Message

Hello all,

Another exceptionally busy Friday, so I will keep it short. Tomorrow we have an open day whereby prospective parents come into the school to have a look around, meet the staff and find out more about Darell School.  It is a big ask of the staff here, who work extremely hard, and I am so thankful that there will be seven members of staff in the building to help showcase what an excellent school Darell is. Their commitment to the school, even at the weekend, is commendable. It is effectively a competitive market out there in terms of attracting families to schools. The birth rate locally has dropped and there are fewer children in London and Richmond as a whole. Local schools used to have waiting lists to get in, but not many do any more. This means that, as a parent, you have the choice of where you want to send your child. I am very thankful that you have chosen to send your child here and am aware of the responsibility it puts on us to ensure your child has an excellent experience at Darell School. 

I stopped writing this email to go and say a big well done and thank you to three of our parents who had helped run the SEND parents coffee morning. It was really well attended and, from initial feedback, very useful. Schools are increasingly becoming community hubs and this is the direction of travel I would like for Darell. It is quite simple really; if we are helping parents, we are helping children. We are here to serve the community.  And on that lofty note I will end for today.

Have a great weekend.

Joe Porter

The Reading Corner

Welcome to our weekly section of the newsletter all about reading. Every week, we will share a question (or two) with you about the book your child is reading in school. Please use these questions to help you find out a little more about what your child has been reading in school and continue to develop their love of reading.

Wonder - In Odd Dog Out, how does the dog feel at the start of the book? How does she feel at the end? Can you explain why?

Peake - Which poem did you like best: 'Spots and Stripes' or 'Tap the Tree'? Explain your reasons.

Weir - What did the lion see when he was looking out for Iris?

Walker - Who did Leaf Man see on his adventure?

Newton - What did Claude and Sir Bobblysock have at the fancy café?

Thunberg - If you could ask Nen the Merman one question, what would it be?

Darwin - Would you like to live forever? Why or why not?

Attenborough - What did you enjoy the most about the poems we have read so far? Do you have a favourite poem?

Parks - What themes appear in Joseph Coelho’s poetry? What does he write about?