Livingstone Newsletter
November Week 4
Friday 28th November
Christmas Celebrations Begin - Advent Calendar Raffle!
Our Advent Calendar Raffle starts Monday 1st December and will run for 3 days.
Tickets: £1.00 each for prizes to win.
Special Offer:
In the spirit of Black Friday, we’re giving away a FREE ticket to:
- Any child who buys 3 tickets at once, OR
- Buys one ticket every day during the raffle period.
And don't forget ..............
Santa is coming on Thursday and Christmas Fair on Friday!
Get ready for a magical visit and festive fun!
IMPACT Meetings
A big thank you to all parents and carers who were able to attend the recent IMPACT meetings. These sessions provide a valuable opportunity to learn more about how phonics and reading comprehension are taught in our school.
We also want to express our gratitude to our wonderful teachers for their dedication and support in making these meetings so informative and engaging.
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’re delighted that parents and carers now have a clearer understanding of our teaching methods. Your involvement makes a real difference in supporting children’s learning at home and in school.
Here are the IMPACT presentations for each year group:
Year 1 Reading IMPACT Workshop
Year 2 Reading IMPACT Workshop
Year 3 Reading IMPACT Workshop
Year 4 Reading IMPACT Workshop
Times Tables Battle of the Bands Results
A huge well done to all of the children who have taken part and supported their classes.
The results are in...
Congratulations to our winning classes YEAR 4 and YEAR 6!!!!!
Also, a special mention for our MVPs from the competition and also our most improved players.
Year 3 - Mason, Bobby & Yashvi
Year 4- Holly, Ali & Matias
Year 5 - Sienna Madle, Zachias & Deni
Year 6 - Stefi, Dotty & Kevin
Thank you for all your support and we look forward to our next battle!
Nursery
This week in Nursery, our story focus this week has been The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming, and we have been discussing the changes we notice in nature during autumn. The children also created some lovely leaf artwork inspired by the story.
We have continued to enjoy role play in our Hairdressers/ Barbershop corner. The children have been very creative, experimenting with different hairstyles and makeup as they take on the roles of stylists and customers.
We have also been talking about our families and creating family portraits using buttons and early mark-making. It has been wonderful to see the children share who is special to them.
In Maths, we have been exploring repeated patterns using multilink cubes and talking about the colours we can see in our patterns.
We have started practising our Christmas song for the EYFS Christmas Songs Assembly in December, and the children are already very excited!
Talking Homework: Talk with your child about who is in your family, who lives in your house, and what makes your family special.
Reception
We have continued our learning about 'The Gruffalo' this week and the children have been inspired to make maps and use their phonics knowledge to label the sounds and words. We spoke a lot about animals in the woods and their homes, and in our own pond area we were looking for different things with Diane. We discovered mushrooms and spoke a lot about the changes from Autumn to Winter. We noticed the changes in the trees around us and in the classroom started to mix colours to paint leaves ready to decorate our Seasons Tree.
The children have been introduced to the songs that they will be singing for the EYFS Christmas Songs performance and are very excited to come back next week in a new month.. December! They are looking forward to the festivities and learning about the celebrations that happen next month.
Year 1
In Maths, we have been working on subtracting one-digit numbers. The children have been using concrete resources and drawing dienes, crossing off the ones to show how amounts are taken away. Please continue practising this at home. We have also been representing subtraction problems using part–whole models. In Phonics, we are continuing with the Read Write Inc scheme. Thank you to everyone who attended the Impact session on Tuesday. The children enjoyed showing you what they can do. Our foundation topic this week has been R.E., where we explored what we believe and what some Christians believe.
Homework
Page-32
This week's awards go to Grayson for always participating in class and being so enthusiastic about our lessons and Thea for her hard work in Phonics and improving her handwriting.
Year 2
This week in Year 2, in Maths, we have begun our new unit about shapes. We have recognised the difference between 2- D and 3-D shapes and counted the sides and vertices of 2-D shapes. In English, we have worked very hard on our 'long write' where we had to retell the story of 'A Squash and a Squeeze'. We needed to include past tense, expanded noun phrases, time conjunctions and interesting verbs. In the afternoon, we completed our Geography unit about the Polar Regions: we used maps to describe geographical differences between the Polar Regions and the UK, and we also explored how Polar animals have adapted to their environment. On Friday, we started our RE unit with the Big Question, 'What is Real?' which provoked some very interesting discussions. The children worked in partners to decide if different things were real and not real.
Homework
English: pages 22 and 23.
Maths: pages 32, 33 and 34 (page 35 optional challenge)
The first achievement award goes to Esra for her fantastic presentation and organised way of working.
The second achievement award goes to Isabelle for her enthusiasm and dedication in all subjects, and fabulous work ethic.
Kingfisher 1
This week in Maths, we were learning all about fractions. The children took part in practical activities, finding quarters of objects, pictures, and quantities. They especially enjoyed making jam sandwiches and cutting them into equal parts to find quarters.
In English, we read If I Were a Dragon. The children joined in with interactive activities, imagining what they would do if they had a dragon. They also used colourful semantics to help them build sentences.
This weeks award goes to Ruvin for his good work in KF1.
Well done Ruvin!
Year 3
We were so impressed with the children’s letters inspired by the story The Day the Crayons Quit. Some of them actually made us laugh out loud! Well done for engaging the reader by using commands and rhetorical questions. In Maths, we continued with multiplication and division. Please continue to review your 2, 3, 5 and 20 times tables on TTRockstars. Our Christmas show rehearsals now include dancing, singing and acting . . . it’s all coming together!
Homework:
Year 3 Maths Practice Journal: p.36 - 37 (page 38 is optional)
English: Continue to practise your lines so that you know them off by heart. Do you know which scenes you are in and when to come on stage? Can you say your lines loudly, clearly and with expression?
Our first achievement award goes to Evan for his positive attitude and work ethic. Our second achievement award goes to Yasmin for her brilliantly funny letter. Well done you two!
Year 4
Year 4 have had a busy week. In English, the children will be rewriting Hercules and the man-eating lion to link with our History topic of Ancient Greece so have looked at a WAGOLL and written expanded noun phrases in preparation. In Maths, they have continued with multiplication and exploring factors..
In the afternoons, the children have finished Science so will now be experts on the ‘States of Matter’. They will be moving onto Art, next week.
Homework
Maths – pages 37 and 38
Reading – pages 20 and 21
As always daily reading and TTR practice, please.
Reminder – On Tuesday, we will be going to Chickenshed to see the Christmas Show. Please go on to Arbor to give permission if you haven’t already and ensure your child has a coat in school.
The children will be eating lunch at school as normal before we leave. As we are walking, Year 4 won’t be back at school until approximately 3:40pm. Please collect your child from the Y4 classroom as usual.
This week's achievement awards go to Arianna C for her imaginative expanded noun phrases in English, and Ali for his determination and resilience which helps him to complete his work to a high standard. Well done to you both!
Year 5
This week in Maths, the children ordered and compared fractions by finding common denominators. They showed excellent understanding.
In English, they enjoyed reading concrete poems (or shape poems) and collecting language about water and the sea ready for some poetry writing in a few weeks' time.
In Science, they learned how materials in a mixture can be separated with a hands-on experiment.
Reminder: swimming starts on Monday for 2 weeks. Your child needs either a costume or tight-fitting shorts, a towel and a swimming hat. We recommend they wear their costume under their uniform to save time getting changed, so underwear is needed too.
Homework due by Weds 3rd December 2025
Maths: pages 34 and 35 (fractions)
Reading: pages 28 and 29 (Up-hill)
Singing: practise the words to 'Deck the Halls'
This week's awards go to Lola for showing good understanding in Science, and to Lacey for her hard work in English. Well done, girls!
Year 6
This week in Year 6, we have begun our work on decimals in Maths, developing understanding of place value and how decimals relate to fractions.
In English, we have started exploring diary entries in preparation for our next piece of writing inspired by Cogheart by Peter Bunzl.
In D&T, the children have been busy interviewing pupils in Reception to better understand the wants and needs of their user. This research supported their task of designing an automatic nightlight to help children feel safe and calm at night. They have now designed and created their nightlights producing some outstanding final pieces.
Homework:
Arithmetic: Pages 30 and 31
Reading: Pages 14, 15 and 16
This week's awards go to Ryan and Zak for their excellent work in D&T. Well done!
Kingfisher 2
This week in Maths we have learning about division. We have looked at the formal method and solving word problems. We have drawn dienes and other images to help up with our understanding.
In English we have written exciting superhero stories. We have tried to include adjectives and adverbs. We impressed everyone with our creative ideas and enthusiasm.
This week's award goes to Sergio for great independence in using colourful semantics in his superhero writing. Well done Sergio!
Livingstone Mixed League Teams show grit at Powerleague competition
We were thrilled to take two teams of Year 5 and Year 6 boys and girls to the recent Powerleague football competition at Compton Secondary School. The event was packed with excitement and showcased some incredibly talented young footballers.
The Livingstone Reds displayed true determination as they faced off against some very large primary schools, including two four-form entry schools. Unfazed by the challenge, they won their opening game against Goldbeaters with a superb finish from Zach after a perfectly timed through ball from Eli. The remaining matches were close and hard-fought, with standout performances from Soroyian in goal and Ellis, who played brilliantly despite being unwell earlier in the week.
The Livingstone Blues had a tournament full of 'what might have been.' They dominated their match against Watling Park, where Elsie scored the winning goal, but despite strong performances and conceding only two goals in the entire group stage, they were unlucky not to progress further.
Both teams showed true Livingstone heart and spirit throughout the competition. Mr Madle and Mr Thomas were incredibly proud of every player. Well done, Reds and Blues!
DECEMBER 2025
Monday 1st:
- Advent Calendar Raffle
- Year 5 swimming begins, every day for two weeks (1st - 12th Dec)
Tuesday 2nd:
- Advent Calendar Raffle
- Years 3/4 trip to Chickenshed Theatre - PM
Wednesday 3rd:
- Advent Calendar Raffle
- Year 3 Christmas singing at The Spires, High Barnet - PM
- Years 5/6 Girls Football Match vs Alma 3:30pm
Thursday 4th:
- 🎅 Santa visiting Livingstone!
- Year 2 Infant Music Festival Assembly 9am (Year 2 parents/carers invited to watch)
- Non-Uniform Day (Nur, Rec, Years 1 + 2 please send in sweets donations. Years 3, 4, 5 + 6 please send in alcohol donations)
Friday 5th:
- Non-Uniform Day (please send in donations of good condition/new unwanted toys and cakes with no nuts)
- 🎄PTA Christmas Fair - starts 3:15pm
Monday 8th:
- Reception Trip to Arts Depot - PM
Wednesday 10th:
- Selected Years 1/2 Sports Festival at Stone X Stadium - PM
- Years 5/6 Netball Match vs St Catherines - 3:30pm
Thursday 11th:
- Years 1, 2 and 3 Christmas Show 'I'm Gonna Shine' - 10:30am (ticket only / babies and young children)
- Years 5/6 Mixed League Football Match vs Christ Church - 3:30pm
Friday 12th:
- Activity Clubs finish for Autumn Term
Monday 15th:
- MC Grammar Book Signing and Assembly - AM
- Years 1, 2 and 3 Christmas Show 'I'm Gonna Shine' - 13:30pm (ticket only / no babies/young children please)
Tuesday 16th:
- Years 1, 2 and 3 Christmas Show 'I'm Gonna Shine' - 09:00am (ticket only / no babies/young children please)
- Christmas Dinner Day
- Christmas Jumper Day
Wednesday 17th:
- Nursery and Reception Christmas Songs to Parents/Carers 2:45pm
Thursday 18th:
- Nursery and Reception Christmas Songs to Parents/Carers 9:00am
Friday 19th:
- End of Term - School finishes at 2:00pm (No Cabin Club)
Use this link to visit our School Calendar 25/26 for further dates