Toby Lane catering staff visit


Staff from Toby Lane Catering Unit visited school in March to offer samples from the new menu to parents.  The new menu is due to start after the Easter holidays.  The session was well attended and families had the chance to speak to catering staff regarding the ingredients and recipes used.   

​Sporting achievements

Pupils in years 5 & 6 attended Tower Hamlets Hockey, football and Gymnastics competitions with some some attaining first place.  All pupils had a great time.

​World Book Day
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Children were asked to come to school as their favourite book character OR choose 3 items that explain their book. (For example - red shoes, a Witches hat and a stuffed lion for The Wizard of OZ!) and we tried to guess the title. During the day each child had a chance to show their costume or props at our world book day parade.  All classes participated in a World Book Day assembly

​Theatre in Education workshop

To celebrate World Book Day, classes from Reception to Year 6 had a visit from ‘West-End in schools’, a company who provide theatre in education workshops held by professional West End Performers.
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By exploring children’s books through drama, children have the chance to experience storytelling first-hand. Using techniques drawn from a professional theatre, they will gain confidence alongside a new understanding of the characters and themes as they live and breathe the story.

Reception and Years 1 and 2 attended a workshop about ‘The Gruffalo’ and Key Stage 2 a workshop about ‘Boy at the Back of the Class'.

Year 3 at the Pantomime

Year 3 were invited by Pricewaterhouse Coopers to watch a pantomime at the Peacock Theatre.  They watched 'Babes in the Wood' followed by a sing-a-long.  Pupils were taken by coach and provided with a snack at the interval.  The whole afternoon was a great success.  

Chinese New Year

Pupils were offered a Chinese lunch today to celebrate Chinese New Year, the year of the Rabbit.  The menu consisted of BBQ Chicken Bao Bun, Vegetarian Chow Mein served with delicious sides of Asian Slaw, Sweetcorn and Carrots followed by an Orange Jelly with Mandarin segments.  Key Stage 1 pupils were entertained by Y6 pupils singing Chinese songs.

Elizabeth's last day

Pupils bid farewell to Elizabeth, our school cook, as she moves on from us to another school.  The pupils made leaving cards and sang to her at their Christmas lunch.


​Year 5 class creative activities

Year 5 made Angels, Christmas clay models, fabric designs & sewing in class this week.


​It's snowing at English Martyrs

Pupils enjoyed playing in the snow in the school playgrounds today.
Year Victorian day

Year 6 celebrated Victorian day by coming to school dress as poor and rich Victorian children.  The whole school day, from start to finish, was an experience they were glad they did not have to live through.

From a dark and dingy classroom to to eating scraps of food from the floor was all part of the experience.  The whole day was a great success.

Year 6 also went Carol singing at 'The Loom' (an old Victoria wool storage house) dressed in their Victorian clothes.
Year 5 carol singing

Pupils in year 5 were invited to sing carols at 125 Old Broad Street in the city.  The pupils sang standing around their Christmas tree enjoyed themselves and were delighted with their 'goodie' bag.  The children singing raised £160.


​Hosanna Rock

Pupils in years 1, 2 and 3 presented their Nativity Play 'Hosanna Rock' for their parents in school.  The friends and families were very impressed and the children loved performing.​


​Cricket

Congratulations to Years 5 & 6 cricketers who received the Silver medal in Tower Hamlets School Sport.
Athletics

Competitors in the Tower Hamlets Sportshall Athletics competition.
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​Fire - performed by Year 4

Year 4 presented songs from the musical ‘Fire’ to parents in school today.  The songs came from the Classical Roadshow they attended in Milton Court Concert Hall, in Barbican which they were invited to in October.  ‘Fire’ tells the dramatic story of the Great Fire of London (1666), through the words of Samuel Pepys (diarist) and Jane Birch (his sensible young housemaid).  They tell of the four days that changed London forever

​Anti-Bullying week

During Anti-Bullying week, pupils have been identifying who they could ‘reach out’ to if they felt unsafe.

​Pupils were also invited to wear odd socks to school to celebrate ‘we are all different’.
Stone Age workshop

Pupils in year 3 and year 4 enjoyed reliving some elements of the Stone Age this week when they participated in a Stone Age workshop.

​The children listened attentively and undertook Stone Age training with enthusiasm! They worked together as a large group and in smaller groups.
​The Daily Mile – The Road to Qatar
 
Pupils in Reception to Year 6 take part in the 'Daily Mile' throughout the week, but to encourage participation, we have designed a game called 'The Road to Qatar' to coincide with the World Cup.  A map of the world is on display in the school hall with a picture of animals which have been nominated to each class. This animals’ ‘journey’ will be tracked from London to Qatar using the miles run each week by their class.  The totals will be converted into percentages and displayed for all to see on the map which will stay on display to show their journey so far.  By the end of the tournament we get to see who arrives in Qatar first.  At the end of the world cup, the winning class will have a treat.  Classes are encouraged to compete with each other.   The 'Road to Qatar' was designed, explained and promoted to all pupils and staff by a parent governor.
Remembrance Assembly

Year 5 pupils presented the ‘Remembrance Assembly’ in the school hall on Friday 11th November to the whole school.

All parents were welcome and event was well attended.

Parents stayed for coffee following the assembly and looked at the wonderful display of 'trenches' the children had made at home and Poppies they made at school with the names of families members and friends lost in conflict on them.
Years 1 & 2 Maths Workshop

Parents of pupils in Years 1 & 2 were invited to attend a Maths Workshop in the school hall on Wednesday 9th November. This gave an insight into the way Maths is taught in school and how parents can support their children at home. The event was well attended with very positive feedback given.

Fundraising Penalty Shootout

The children took part in a school fundraising shootout on Friday 8th July.  Prizes were awarded for 1st place, 2nd place and most funds raised for each class.  A football was given to ‘best team player’ in each class. 

​Thank you for your support in this event.  The money raised will go towards the renovation of the KS1 playground.

​Platinum Jubilee celebration
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Today English Martyrs school celebrated Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee.  Pupils arrived at school wearing red, white & blue and watched old footage of the coronation in assembly before being treated to our own version of the coronation when a pupil from Year 6 was elected queen for the day.  She took to the role well by visiting her subjects in their classes and kept the school running smoothly by working from Miss Nugent’s office.  Parents and friends were invited into school in the afternoon to look at the art gallery in the school hall.  The children then celebrated in the afternoon with a picnic with their families followed by a concert and a variety of activities in the playground.
 
We thank Fr Alex, Fr Ray and Mrs Simon, our music teacher, for bringing faith and musicality to a wonderful afternoon and our families for making the afternoon a great success.
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​Learning about Islam

At English Martyrs, we celebrated Eid.  The children learned about the Five pillars of Islam: Profession of Faith (shahada), Prayer (salat), Alms (zakat), Fasting (sawm) and Pilgrimage (hajj).  They listened to prayers read out in Arabic as well as the meditative ‘call to prayer’.  Some children gave presentations about the month of Ramadan.
 
Children learned that for Muslims, it is a special time to show their commitment to God and take care of the poor.  
 
This assembly reinforced our British Value of respect and tolerance.


​Easter Bonnet design competition

Pupils were invited to design an Easter Bonnet to wear to school today.  Prizes were awarded for the best and most unusual designed bonnets.  Winning designs were all given an Easter egg.  Congratulations all!

​Easter Egg Hunt
 
The school councillors prepared the Easter Egg Hunt which took place in the playground today.  Thank you to all friends and parents of English Martyrs school for their generous donation of Easter eggs.

​Year 6 lunchtime partners

Pupils in Year 6 elected to become Reading and Maths partners for Year 2 pupils.  They give up their lunchtime play on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to help in the Year 2 class with the support of Mrs Paterson.

"We love being teachers, it has improved my confidence."  Terence Y6

"My Y6 tutor explains what I need to do to help me answer the questions."  Jenna Y2 
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​RE Ambassadors Ukraine Coffee Afternoon

Fr Ray and our RE Ambassadors organised coffee afternoons to raise funds for the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal through DEC - Disaster Emergency Committee.  Parents from all classes were invited to bake or donate goods and to join us on 23rd and 30th March in the school for this important event.  Funds raised amounted to £458.23.


Shadwell Responds
 
Since the start of the pandemic, over two years ago, St George’s Pool has been closed.  Many of our parents and children have expressed how much they miss swimming at the pool. The council ran a consultation to collect views on whether St George’s should be redeveloped or knocked down with a new pool built at John Orwell Leisure Centre.
 
Fr Ray asked if the school would like to be involved in the consultation.  As a school, we want to show that our children care about local access to swimming by creating an art installation out of children’s handprints in the shape of the River Thames. 
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On 18th March, our PE Coordinator Mrs Paterson and Playground Ambassadors visited St George in the East Church to meet children from other schools and to celebrate the decision to maintain a swimming pool in Shadwell.  This event was attended by Cllr Sabina Akhtar who was impressed by all the work submitted.  The work involved giving a one-word answer to ‘how does the pool staying in Shadwell make you feel’.  These words were them placed on the Thames river drawing.  All children were asked to design what they would like the new leisure centre to look like. 

Eco Warriors Book Sale

The school Eco Warriors arranged a book sale for Friday 18th March to raise funds for a bug hotel in a small area of the school gardens.

Donations of good quality children’s books were brought to school for the sale which was held in the Key Stage 2 playground before and after school.  Books were priced at 50p to £1. The sale was well attended by pupils and parents and raised a total of £107 so far.

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​World Book Day

Pupils and staff were invited to dress as their favourite book character or author on Thursday 3rd March.  The children paraded in the hall and were given first and second prizes for the best-dressed and most original outfits.

Well done to all for the great effort to bring your favourite book characters to school for the day!
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​Bowling for Tower Hamlets

​The Tower Hamlets Schools Sport Network works collaboratively with local schools and partners to support the development of PE, physical activity and sport within schools in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Six Year 4 & Year 5 pupils attended the 10 Pin Bowling Challenge at All Stars in Stratford and were so proud to be awarded Silver medals for their efforts. Well done!
Blue Hands for St George’s Pool

A display which feature the 'blue hands' made by pupils in our school, will be on show at St George’s Pool from Wednesday 22nd. Fr Ray will attend to meet the councillors and has invited families to attend.  
Y5 & Y6 Football

Girls and boys from Y5 & Y6 attended the Tower Hamlets football tournament in Mile End Park

​Headteacher for the day

One of our Year 1 pupils was 'acting headteacher for the day', a prize he won in the Christmas raffle. His special job for the day was to place Baby Jesus into Mary's hands at our assembly. 

​Miss O'Dea's Retirement

​Miss O’Dea has been a dedicated and inspirational teacher and leader of the English department. The library is certainly her legacy, she has ensured that books are central to learning in every classroom and her energy and enthusiasm for Literacy will be her legacy.

​Sports Day 2021 photograph gallery