Christ The King News

As we settle well into the busyness of the new term, it has been wonderful to see how quickly the children have returned to routines and established a calm, purposeful atmosphere across the school. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all parents who attended our Meet the Teacher sessions this week. These were very well attended and provided a valuable opportunity to meet staff in your children's classrooms, see the learning environment and gain an insight into some of the exciting work taking place. More formal parent-teacher meetings will follow later in the term, but these early opportunities are so important in helping us build strong relationships and establish effective communication between home and school.

You may have noticed the scaffolding around our chimney and that part of the fencing outside the KS1 area has been temporarily fenced off. These measures are in place while we carry out essential work to replace our school boilers. The project was originally scheduled to be completed during the summer holidays; however, unfortunately, there were delays beyond our control. This is a substantial piece of work, involving the removal of the old boilers from the basement before the installation of new, more efficient systems.

We appreciate that the scaffolding and temporary fencing may be inconvenient, but please be assured that all appropriate safety measures are in place. The work is progressing well and is expected to be completed soon, well in advance of the colder winter months.

I am delighted to share that the beautiful mural now displayed outside our school chapel has been generously donated by Blessed Sacrament School, which sadly closed a few years ago. It is a stunning piece of artwork and I encourage everyone to take a moment to visit and admire it. We hope it will be enjoyed by our children and families for many years to come. We will look after it carefully and cherish it as a lasting reminder of our shared faith and community.

Finally, thank you for your continued support with attendance. We are working hard to achieve both Islington and national attendance targets so that every child has the very best opportunities to succeed. Your partnership and commitment make a real difference, and we are grateful for all that you do.

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend.

Mr Lane

There will be a meeting for the parent of our current Year 6 children- I’m sure you are aware that your child will be transferring to secondary school next September (2027).

To help and support you with this process, there will be a meeting for parents at our Sister school- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary school, on Monday 28th September 2026 at 6:00pm. This meeting will take place in the main building on Georges Road. It is essential that you attend as important information will be shared. Children are unable to attend, so please arrange childcare.

On the evening, we will be distributing important information from Westminster Diocese, Islington Council and individual schools. We will explain what you need to do about priest reference forms when applying for places in Catholic schools.

Several secondary schools are holding open days and evenings this term, and we would encourage you to visit them. Most secondary schools have information about their open days on their websites.

The application process for secondary school places opens shortly and closes on 31st October 2026. Attending this meeting will help ensure that you understand the application process and the timelines involved.

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting on Monday 28th September at 6:00pm.

At Christ the King, we greatly value the strong partnership between home and school and believe that children achieve their best when families and staff work together. We are committed to open communication, mutual respect and supporting every child to thrive both academically and personally.

We encourage parents and carers to raise any concerns through the appropriate channels, beginning with their child's class teacher wherever possible. To support this process, we have attached our Parent Code of Conduct 2026-27, which outlines our shared expectations for respectful interactions within our school community, along with a helpful flowchart showing who to contact for different concerns.

We kindly remind all members of our community that respectful and courteous communication is expected at all times. Any aggressive, threatening or abusive behaviour towards staff, pupils, parents or visitors will not be tolerated.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us maintain a safe, welcoming and positive environment where all children can flourish.

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.

As part of our annual review of pupil records, we are asking parents and carers to ensure the school is informed of any medical conditions, diagnoses, allergies or health needs their child may have. Having accurate and up-to-date information helps us to keep all children safe and respond appropriately should the need arise.

If your child's medical information has changed, or if there is a condition the school may not be aware of, please contact the school as soon as possible. This includes allergies, particularly food allergies, so that appropriate support and safety measures can be put in place.

Please note that this request does not apply to pupils who already have medication stored in school- as these plans are in place. It also does not apply to temporary medications such as antibiotics, which are covered by separate procedures.

Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a safe and caring environment for all pupils.

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.

Thank you for your continued support in promoting good attendance across the school.

Our attendance so far this academic year is 92.1%, which is below our target and needs to improve.

Regular attendance is vital for children's learning, wellbeing and progress, and every school day counts.

We are closely monitoring attendance across all year groups and will continue to work with families to support improvements where needed. By ensuring that children arrive at school every day and on time, you are helping them to make the most of every learning opportunity.

Thank you for working in partnership with us to improve attendance and achieve the best outcomes for all our pupils.

Music Education Islington (MEI) is inviting children and young people aged 4 to 18 to join its network of after-school Music Centres across the borough. Designed for all abilities, from complete beginners to advanced players, the centres offer a range of opportunities to learn, perform and develop musical skills.

Students can explore over 20 instruments through courses including Music Explorers (Reception and Year 1), Introduction to Music (Years 2-3), Musical Pathways (Year 4+), Jazz and Beyond (Year 4+), and Individual Instrumental Lessons (Year 3+). Lessons take place at locations in North, Central and South Islington during term time. The nearest centre to CTK is right next door at AMSI!

Participants benefit from expert tuition, ensemble playing, performance opportunities and access to instrument hire. Financial support and bursary places are available for eligible families, helping ensure that every child has the chance to make music.

Music Education Islington is a unique partnership between Islington Council and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, delivering high-quality music education for young people across the borough. For more information and to sign up, contact MusicEducation.Islington@gsmd.ac.uk or visit the MEI website.

Our library sessions begin next week, and we are excited to help children discover and enjoy many wonderful books.

Please remind your child to return borrowed books on time. This helps ensure that everyone has the opportunity to read the books they would like to borrow.

Library books are shared by all our children, so please help your child keep them safe and in good condition. Many books were not returned last academic year, and we would love to keep our shelves full of exciting stories and information for everyone to enjoy.

A £5 charge applies to books that are lost or damaged. If a book is accidentally damaged, please speak to the librarian. We understand that accidents can happen and will be happy to discuss an appropriate solution.

Thank you for helping us look after our library books and support every child's love of reading! 📖

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

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

Yoadan- Hunger to Achieve for

-for always being Ready, Respectful and Safe throughout her school day.

St Nicholas- Reception

Mikel – For being safe and responsible

-thank you for being such an amazing role model to your peers and consistently showing our school rules of being ready, respectful and safe independently. You are a superstar!

St Therese- Year 1

Jasmine - 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

Alice- The Power of Me ,

-for taking a huge step in her learning journey by bravely communicating her ideas in History.

St Margaret- Reception, Year 1/2

Aiden- Power of Me

doing really well settling in and learning all our class routines

St Martin- Year 3

Molly - Hunger to Achieve

-for amazing dedication in her Maths work on place value.

St Bernadette- Year 4/5

Samanda - curiosity and wonder

-when we were creating our solar systems. Samanda demonstrated great teamwork to produce an amazing solar system model and worked hard to remember the names of the planets.

St Josephine- Year 4/5

Kavaysha ~ Community Unity

-for warmly welcoming the St Margaret’s children to their new playground. She helped them feel safe, introduced them to new games, and ensured they felt included and supported throughout playtime.

St Maximillian- Year 4/5

Mary ~ Curiosity and Wonder

-during our Science lesson, she created a fantastic solar system model, showcasing her creativity and impressive knowledge of the planets. Well done, Mary, on your wonderful work!

St Carlo- Year 6

Aaron- Curiosity and Wonder

Aaron has been incredibly focused in our science lessons and asks lots of questions regarding Mars. He is eager to find out more. Here is an example question - “How many days does it take to travel there from Earth?”

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

22/08/26- boys football match (after school)

24/09/26- boys football

25/09/26- EYFS/KS1 drama workshops

29/09/26- girls football match (after school)

30/09/26- Adopt a Chef- Year 3

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

05/10/26- flu vaccinations

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?”

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