Reception Year 1, 2 & 3 Christmas Performance - 9.15am and 2.15pm
Wednesday 10th December
Year 4, 5 & 6 Christmas performance at Chessington School - 6.30pm
Thursday 11th December
Year 1 Trip to Amy Woodgate Care Home
Friday 12th December
Choir singing at Chessington Garden Centre
ABM Christmas Lunch
Tuesday 16th December
Year 4 Ancient Greek Day
Year 5 Trip to the Rose Theatre, Cinderella
Wednesday 17th December
Last day of term (early finish)
Friday 19th December
Christmas break
Monday 22nd December to Friday 2nd January
Inset Day
Monday 5th January
Children return
Tuesday 6th January
Dear Parents and Carers,
As term rapidly reaches the final two weeks, the energy within the school is palpable! It's a hive of activity as we put the final touches on our spectacular Christmas performance. Yes, it's rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals! The children, from our youngest pupils to our oldest, have been working incredibly hard and dedicating a huge amount of time to learning their parts, songs, and staging. Please ensure your child is well-rested, as the final dress rehearsals are upon us! We cannot wait for you to see the fruits of their efforts.
Our talented school choir has been magnificent this week, representing Ellingham with pride at John Lewis in Kingston and The Star and Garter. They have shared their beautiful voices, bringing smiles and Christmas cheer to everyone who heard them. Thank you to all the staff and parent volunteers who helped make these outings possible. They still have two more visits next week!
It is with a mixture of sadness and immense gratitude that we announce the upcoming retirement of our much-loved Early Years Leader, Mrs Peters, at the end of this term.
Mrs Peters has been an invaluable member of the Ellingham community for 27 years, dedicating her entire career to nurturing and inspiring our youngest learners. Her passion for Early Years education, her warmth, and her commitment to creating a safe and stimulating environment have shaped the lives of literally hundreds of children who have passed through our doors. Her leadership has been instrumental in establishing the excellent Early Years provision we have here at Ellingham.
Beyond the classroom, Mrs Peters has been a pillar of our school community, always offering support and guidance to staff, parents, and children alike. She will be deeply missed by us all.
Have a wonderful, warm weekend.
Best wishes,
Margaret
Bookings close at midnight Friday 5th December. If you do not book a school Christmas lunch you will need to provide a packed lunch on the day.
Please book here
Please book your tickets here
Bookings close on Monday 8th December
Please book your tickets here
Bookings close on Monday 8th December
Margaret Johonnett
Headteacher
Thank you to everyone who came to our Winter Fair! It was a brilliant, festive afternoon and we loved seeing so many of our families there. A big thank you to the Friends of Education (FOE) for doing such an amazing job organizing everything. We’ll let you know how much was raised and what we’ll be buying for the school in our newsletter at the end of term. Thanks again for your support!
Artist of the Month- November - Banksy
There were some truly fantastic pieces of artwork entered this month, really showcasing the variety of talent and creativity we have here at Ellingham. Well done to all our winners.
Runners up: Fletcher, Regan and Sofia
Winners: Evelyn and Emilia
Special award: Dylan and Sofia B
We are incredibly proud of our Year 5 and 6 boys’ football team for their outstanding performance at the Kingston and Surrey Regional Premier League Primary Stars Tournament, hosted by Chelsea FC last Friday. Against tough opposition from across the region, the boys played with exceptional skill, determination, and teamwork. Their hard work on the pitch paid off as they battled their way through to the final. Finishing in a superb second place, they have officially qualified for the next round of the competition! A huge congratulations to the entire squad on this fantastic achievement. We look forward to cheering you on in the next stage!
Well done to 5S for winning this week’s TTRS battle and to Joseph in 5S for being the most valuable player in the school this week.
Don’t forget to take part in the new battle to help out your class.
Nursery have been decorating their home corner as part of their celebrations and exploring Christmas.
Year 1 had so much fun this week making cornflake cakes in English! The children wrote a list of things Miss Peart needed to get from the shop, then worked in groups to weigh out the ingredients, mix, stir and scoop and next week, will be writing instructions based on what they did. The hardest part was not licking the spoons and having to wait until home time to eat them. They tasted very yummy!
In science, Year 3 have been investigating what happens to our bodies when we exercise. They measured their resting heart rate and then compared this after exercises such as walking, running and star jumps. There were a lot of out of breath children (and adults) at the end!
Christmas has come early in Cherry Class as we transformed our home corner into Santa’s workshop. The children are now busy writing lists, wrapping presents, weighing parcels and providing a lot of festive cheer! Thank you to all the parents who donated items for our role play area - we are very grateful.
Final rehearsals are underway! Year 2 have been working really hard to remember their lines and perform loudly and clearly ready for our Christmas shows next week. Parents, you are in for a treat!
Last week, Year 4 had a fascinating and memorable trip to the National Portrait Gallery in London’s Trafalgar Square! The children were wonderfully engaged as they explored the gallery's collection of rare and historical portraits, learning about the important people depicted on the walls. A highlight of the day was when the children were given the chance to become artists themselves. They each chose their most captivating portrait and sat down to sketch it. Well done, Year 4, on a brilliant trip! The historical art pieces you created are fantastic. Thank you to all parents who helped make this trip a reality by giving up their time and sending in some fantastic pictures too. We are really grateful.
Year 5 have been investigating different animal life cycles this week and making comparisons between them. They looked at the similarities between birds and insects and then the differences between different types of animals such as mammals. They worked as a team to create their own life cycles of different animals.
Year 6 had a fantastic day at the Imperial War Museum in London last week! The children displayed impeccable behaviour and were excellent representatives of our school throughout the entire trip. We focused on the World War II exhibits, particularly the Blitz and the Home Front. We loved being able to enter a real Anderson shelter, as well as walk through trenches to see what life was like for the soldiers fighting on the front line. We also took time to look at the powerful World War I displays. Well done, Year 6! A special thank you goes to our helpers - Paula, Kelly and Serge - who helped to make the day such a success. We couldn't have done the trip without you.
The Mental Health Support Team (MHST) is an early intervention and prevention service that helps children and young people aged 5 to 18 in Kingston and Richmond schools with mild to moderate mental health difficulties like anxiety, low mood, and common behavioural issues.
The team consists of psychological professionals, including clinical leads, creative therapists, mental health practitioners, and education wellbeing practitioners.
This is the full safeguarding team in school. They are all trained to Level 3 and everyone in the school received the annual update of Safeguarding Level 2 training at INSET. If you are worried about a child, please let one of the team know.
Contact details: 020 8397 3864 or email: office@elp.rbksch.org to request a safeguarding call back. For pupil support, contact 020 8397 3864 or email: pupilsupport@elp.rbksch.org
Margaret Johonnett
Headteacher & Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
Jacqui Malherbe
Pupil Support & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
Sally Sephton
SENDCO & Designated Teacher (LAC/PLAC) Safeguarding Team Member
Esme Winn
Deputy Headteacher & Designated Safeguarding Team Member
Lorraine Davis
Pupil Support & Designated Safeguarding Team Member
Natalie Harris
Kirsty Ruthven
Designated Governors for Safeguarding and Child Protection
Please see the poster for an event Community Crime-Fighting : Royal Borough of Kingston to be held at the Guildhall on Monday 8th December 2025 doors opening at 18:00hrs.
If you would like to attend and meet the Management and have your say then either click on the link or scan the QR Code on the poster.