Christ The King News

This week began with a lovely and thoughtful assembly led by Mrs Lame, centred on the Gospel of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16a). The children reflected on God’s generous mercy and justice, learning that God loves every person equally and calls us not to compare ourselves with others but instead to celebrate the blessings and successes of those around us. The key message was clear: every person is treasured by God, and we are called to be welcoming, inclusive and generous in our words and actions.

Our enrichment clubs are now well underway and provide wonderful opportunities for children to explore new interests, develop talents and build confidence beyond the classroom. From lego and fitness in Key Stage 1, to jewellery making Key Stage 2, there is something for everyone to enjoy. These clubs are always eagerly anticipated by the children and would not be possible without the dedication, enthusiasm and hard work of our staff, who generously give their time to provide these valuable experiences each week.

We are encouraging all of our children to take part in The Big Future, a national survey led by the Children's Commissioner for England. The survey gives children and young people an opportunity to share their experiences, aspirations and views about the future, helping to shape national understanding of what matters most to them. It only takes a few minutes to complete, and we would be delighted for as many of our pupils as possible to contribute their voices. You can find the survey here: www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/TheBigFuture/

We will soon be moving into our Autumn/Winter lunch menu. Please see the menu below which will be introduced on a three week cycle from 2nd November.

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend.

Mr Lane

Please find attached your menu for Autumn-Winter which starts on 2nd November 2026.

Please also see the attachments below for information on allergies and intolerances.

Smoke-Free School Gates

At Christ the King, we are committed to providing a healthy and safe environment for all members of our community. We therefore ask all parents, carers and visitors not to smoke or vape at the school gates, on routes immediately outside the school, or whilst waiting to collect or drop off children.

Please help us to model healthy choices for our children and ensure that all pupils can enter and leave school free from exposure to smoke and vaping products.

Safety at the gates

We have received concerns about children running up and down the path outside the school gates particularly in the morning before school. As the entrance to the car park is particularly busy at drop-off and collection times, this can create a significant safety risk.

We kindly ask that children remain with their parent or carer at all times when arriving at and leaving school. Please ensure they stay close to you and do not run ahead, play on the path, or gather near the car park entrance.

We want every child to have a positive, calm and enjoyable start to the school day, and a safe end to it. By working together to ensure children are supervised and remain close to their adults, we can help create a welcoming and secure environment for all members of our school community.

Keeping our children healthy and in school is more important than ever as we approach the winter months. The Islington School Immunisation Team will be visiting our school on Monday 5th October to offer the annual flu vaccination to eligible pupils.

Vaccination helps protect children from flu and reduces the spread of infection to family members and the wider community. We encourage all parents and carers to take up this important opportunity.

To ensure your child can be vaccinated, please complete and return the consent form as soon as possible, following the instructions provided by the immunisation team. If you have not yet completed the form, please look out for the information sent home or contact the school office for support.

Let's work together to keep our school community healthy this winter.

Parents of children who wish for their children to make their First Holy Communion are invited to contact St Mellitus Parish directly as the preparation classes will be organised and delivered by the Parish this year.

Please click below for contact details.

We are encouraging all of our pupils to take part in The Big Future, a national survey led by the Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza.

This is a fantastic opportunity for children and young people to share their views, experiences and aspirations, helping to shape a national picture of childhood in England. The survey findings will be presented to Government, ensuring that children's voices are heard on the issues that matter most to them.

Thousands of children across the country have already taken part, but we would love to see more of our pupils represented. Every response helps make sure that the views of children in our community are included.

Parents and carers can support by encouraging their child to complete the survey at home. The survey is quick, accessible and gives children a valuable opportunity to have their say about their lives, their future and the world around them. Click the link below.

Thank you for helping us ensure that our children's voices are heard and that they have the opportunity to contribute to this important national conversation.

At Christ the King, we want every child to have the very best opportunity to succeed. One of the most significant factors in a child's educational achievement, wellbeing and social development is regular school attendance. For this reason, attendance continues to be a key priority for our school and for schools across the country.

The Government has placed a strong emphasis on improving school attendance through its statutory attendance guidance, Working Together to Improve School Attendance. This guidance expects schools, local authorities and families to work together to ensure that children attend school regularly and receive the support they need to overcome any barriers to attendance.

Attendance is also an area that is scrutinised closely by Ofsted during inspections. Inspectors consider not only a school's attendance figures, but also the actions schools are taking to improve attendance and support families where concerns arise.

Our local authority are now publishing weekly attendance data for every school in Islington and ranking schools according to their attendance. The attendance data across Islington shows that, whilst attendance has improved compared to previous years, there is still significant work to do.

According to the latest borough attendance report, primary attendance across Islington currently stands at 94.1%, with 19.4% of pupils classed as persistently absent (missing 10% or more of school sessions).

Currently, Christ the King's overall attendance is 93.0%, compared to the Islington average of 94.1%. We also have a higher number of pupils who are persistently absent, meaning they miss 10% or more of the school year. This places us below where we want to be and makes improving attendance a key priority for the school.

While statistics are important, our primary concern is the impact that absence has on children. Missing school means missing vital learning, friendships, routines, enrichment opportunities and moments that cannot easily be replicated later. Even occasional absences can add up over time and make it harder for children to keep pace with their learning.

We recognise that every family's circumstances are different and that there can sometimes be genuine reasons why a child struggles to attend school. Our aim is not to penalise families, but to work alongside them. We want to be as supportive as possible and will always seek to understand any barriers that may be affecting attendance, whether these relate to health, anxiety, family circumstances or other challenges.

You may notice a greater focus on attendance across the school. This may include:

• More regular communication regarding attendance levels.
• Earlier conversations with families where attendance begins to decline.
• Celebration of strong and improved attendance.
• Meetings and support plans for pupils whose attendance causes concern.
• Close working with the local authority and other external agencies where appropriate.

We ask all parents and carers to support us by:

• Ensuring children attend school every day unless they are genuinely too unwell to do so.
• Arranging medical appointments outside school hours whenever possible.
• Avoiding holidays during term time.
• Informing the school promptly if your child is unable to attend.

By working together, we can improve attendance, maximise learning opportunities and ensure that every child at Christ the King has the best possible chance to thrive.

Thank you for your continued support.

Our parents are a vital part of our school community, and we'd love for you to share your experience with us.

Please click the link below to complete a short parent testimonial. A testimonial is simply a few comments about what you and your child enjoy about our school, and how your experience has been.

Your feedback helps us celebrate the wonderful things happening in our community and gives prospective families a genuine insight into school life.

Thank you for taking a few moments to share your thoughts and support our school! 🌟

Click below to submit your testimonial:

All children who are attending a maintained nursery of a primary school in Islington from the age of three are entitled to a free school meal, even if you are currently working and are not in receipt of any benefits.

You must register to receive this service using the citizen’s portal which is on the Free School Meals Page of Islington Council’s website, link shown below:

https://www.islington.gov.uk/children-and-families/help-with-childcare-and-family-costs/free-school-meals-and-uniform-grant

We enjoyed an amazing music performance assembly by Hoard from front Row Music this morning. Howard taught us about chords and notes and how they blend together. If you are interested in your child having music lessons, please see the information below.

Each Friday in our Celebration Assembly, we proudly award Special Mention Certificates to children who have demonstrated one of our 5 Keys and gone above and beyond in living out our school values.

These children are recognised for their exceptional effort, positive attitude, kindness, resilience, or contribution to our school community.

As a special reward, certificate recipients are invited to attend Hot Chocolate Club with Miss Brady, where they can celebrate their achievement and enjoy some well-deserved recognition.

We are incredibly proud of all the children who consistently strive to be their very best and set such a wonderful example for others. Congratulations to all of our Special Mention winners! 🎉

Well done for unlocking one of our 5 Keys and showing what it means to go above and beyond! ✨

St Francis- Nursery

For Adam, Curiosity and wonder. Making new friends and settling into Nursery so well.

St Nicholas- Reception

Ayla – Being Safe & Responsible

Well done for all of your excellent choices this week, you have been a role model and a leader to our new friends, and we are very proud of you!

St Therese- Year 1

Isaiah for Curiosity and Wonder.

You asked thoughtful questions and shared lots of answers during our RE lessons. Well done!

Jasmine for the Power of Me. You have shown excellent learning this week. You can use adjectives to describe characters from a story and you have produced a lovely piece of artwork based on the Creation Story. Well done!

St Patrick- Year 2

Elon - Hunger to achieve.

For showing a fantastic attitude to learning. Elon always works hard and gives her best effort, even when the work is tricky. She has been especially successful in English, where she has produced some excellent writing.

Harley for Community Unity.

Harley has shown wonderful kindness and consideration towards others, inviting children to join in on the playground and taking the time to ask how others are feeling in the classroom.

St Margaret- Reception, Year 1/2

Anaiah - Community and unity

For building positive friendships in class and being a good friend to her peers.

Skylar - curiosity and wonder

for showing an interest in the changing world around us during the Autumn months.

St Martin- Year 3

Nati (Power of Me) for always setting a wonderful example to others

Michael (Hunger to Achieve) for writing a wonderful start to his Approaching Threat narrative based on The Iron Man

St Bernadette- Year 4/5

Keyla- Power of Me

for making a thoughtful poster on stewardship in her own time!

Louisa -hunger to achieve

by working really hard in reading and English this week. I have been so impressed with her focus and dedication in producing some beautiful writing.

St Josephine- Year 4/5

Halima has shown Community Unity this week, and every week, by consistently demonstrating kindness towards others. She is always well-mannered, treats everyone with respect, and makes sure that everyone is included in activities and friendships.

Georgia has been showing the Power of Me by challenging herself in writing. She worked hard to create an imaginative exploration narrative about a journey to the Moon, demonstrating creativity, perseverance, and a willingness to push herself beyond her comfort zone.

St Maximillian- Year 4/5

Tatianna - the Power of Me

for completing a stunning piece of RE work in her book. She used her knowledge of Genesis to demonstrate her understanding of the story of Abraham and Isaac, showing great thought and effort in her learning.

St Carlo- Year 6

Yaro - Safe and responsible

Yaro is a role model to his peers consistently. He demonstrates Ready, Respectful and Safe everyday! He always tries his best and is focused in lessons.

Angel - Community Unity.

Angel has been helping her partner and other children with their learning without prompting from an adult. Well done Angel.

Children return to school for 2026-27 academic year- Wednesday 2nd September 2026.

02/10/26- Black History Month event - year 3, Reception trip

05/10/26- flu vaccinations

07/10/260 Adopt a chef morning- Year 3, Year 5/6 girl's football

08/10/26- Parent Coffee Morning

13/10/26- EYFS drumming workshop

16/10/26- Fluoride Varnish- Nursery-Year 2, Year 5 trip- Arsenal

20/10/260 Boy's football

26-30th October - HALF TERM

02/11/26- INSET day- school closed

Each week, we share the Wednesday Word with parents. The aim of the Wednesday Word to help children grow their vocabulary and spark meaningful conversations at home about the weekly Gospel. It’s a simple but powerful way to make talking about the Gospel and the things Jesus said and did and how we can relate this to our own lives in a fun and interactive way.

How can parents use the Wednesday Word?

• Talk about the meaning: Ask your child what they think the word means, then explore it together.
• Use it in conversation: Challenge each other to use the word naturally during the day.
• Create together: Draw a picture, write a sentence, or make up a short story using the word.
• Connect to experiences: Ask questions like, “When have you felt this word?” or “Where might you see this word in action?”

Your child has been taking part in free tennis sessions at school this term, delivered by Give It Your Max.

Who we are
Give It Your Max is a UK children's charity that has been using tennis to enhance the lives of children for over 20 years. We deliver free sessions in schools across the country, helping children build confidence, friendships and a love of being active.

A free tennis racket for your child

Through our Unloved & Unwanted programme, we collect donated tennis rackets, then clean, re-grip and re-string them before giving them, free of charge, to children in our sessions. It means your child can keep playing and practising at home too.

To make sure your child receives a racket that is the right size for them, please complete this short questionnaire. It takes just a couple of minutes.

Questionnaire link: Give It Your Max Questionnaire - Autumn 2026 – Fill in form

Please complete by: Friday 13th November (6 Weeks away)

Rackets will be sent directly to your home, or to their school upon request.

Thank you, and we hope your child enjoys their tennis this term.

Warm wishes,

The Give It Your Max team

Please note:

• Monday 2nd November is an INSET day and school will be closed for all children

Follow us over there to see how we celebrate our children at Christ the King, every day!

Click on the picture to go to our page or follow us at @ctk_islington