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Congratulations to Eglantine, winner of the Great Drayton Park Bake-off 2025, with this fabulous fishy creation! Well done to all the bakers who submitted an entry to the competition at the summer fair - they were all delicious!

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Year 2/3 enjoyed a fabulous trip to the Transport museum enjoying all the interactive games on offer, with a stop off for a delicious packed lunch.

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A new initiative to brighten up the school ground is coming into fruition.

Over a course of several weeks parents and children have been helping the PTA by first selecting bulbs from the school shop and then planting then which everyone enjoyed. Now spring is here Everybody’s hard work has paid off producing glorious bursts of colour all over the school outside premises

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Fantastic effort for year 6 debate team reaching Future zone’s youth debating society semi finals with their convincing stance on Social media being banned for under 16’s

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Year 2/3 were given a talk explaining safety procedures and essential work the London Fire Brigade do to keep us all safe in the capital

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A brilliant turn out for Drayton Park’s first quiz night put together by Mary - The teachers naturally smashed it.

Look out for future quiz nights and test your general knowledge against the egg heads!

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EYFS and Year 1 exploring the vast new soft play refurbishment at Sobell Centre with obstacles, Slides and a maze of all kinds of fun

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Saturn class get to tune up their striking skills with training sessions from pro athletes at the Arsenal hub.

Come on you Reds!

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A wonderful opportunity to experience Creative Poetry during a cold January with Crackle from Artis Foundation. A fantastic programme introducing the performing arts to Year 5 pupils.

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16 x Laps = 1 mile! They must all  be so fit! 💯

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Thanks to Fun Active Playgrounds and London Marathon Drayton Park now boasts a wonderful new daily mile track to help encourage and reinforce the importance of exercise for health and wellbeing.

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Neptune Class enjoyed a special day exploring the sculptures and madcap designs of Jason Wisher Mills at the Welcome Collection

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Year 2/3 Had a brilliant trip to see Gruffalo’s Child situated off Upper Street for some winter fun.

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Kids and Parents getting stuck in planting bulbs from Roxanne’s Lovely Floral project to cheer up some of the access and drop off points at the school. Hoping they blossom beautifully in time for Spring!

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Collection’s curator speaking about the works

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Year 1 had an exciting trip to the local Estorick Collection in Highbury where they got explore the many beautiful artworks on display.

The collection specialises in Italian art and Italian Futurism. Well worth a visit

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For these lucky children the school runs an incentivised system called Marble treats.

Marbles are awarded to children for good behaviour and participating in learning.

The pupils that have the most maresget a treat and this term the outing was Ice Skating at Somerset House!

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Pelican Music held an assembly to encourage pupils to learn an instrument. The children who are already signed up to Pelican Music performed to their peers. Wonderful confidence building exercise for the children.

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An enriching tour an explanation about some of the paintings in the collection followed by workshops about feelings. Really lovely to see all the children so engaged and inspired.

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A major event on the DP calender is the annual week long trip to Cardfields where year 6 get to explore and do team building activities before they are promoted to secondary school. An essential trip in the development tool kit as they enter those teenage years

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Enormous, massive, huge thanks to Run Kids Run for putting on such an incredible event!

It was incredible - a properly brilliant feat of attitude and organisation

Enormous, massive, huge thanks to all of you who registered, turned out, ran like demons, sponsored yourselves and your friends, got friends and family to sponsor, and on and on

Drayton Park did good this Sunday morning!!!

And also a very profitable one for the school - your efforts (and those of the organisers) raised what looks like it'll become a five figure sum that's much needed by the school. It'll do a lot of good things that would otherwise be impossible

Thank You All!

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It's 9.30 and we're ready for the onslaught!

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We got the sign in table set up early this year. And very glad we did, because managing the queue of Drayton Park families signing in could have got a bit dicey without some serious organisation

What a truly amazing turnout; we had over 130 runners, which is quite incredible - especially given the forecast for thunderstorms mid race

A very special mention to Miss Hilton, who loves a sports event like nothing else!

Kudos, Chapeau, and Respect to all concerned!!!

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Years 3-6 Sports Day in Highbury Fields - June 2024

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Years 3-6 Sports Day in Highbury Fields - June 2024

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A fabulous sports day this year in Highbury Fields, where the painted track was rather longer than previously

Years 3 through 6 did amazingly, and thoroughly exploited balls, javelins, sacks and much of the other sports equipment that was bought with funds from Run Kids Run 2023 - THANK YOU RKR!

Enormous thanks to Jade in particular, and to all the teachers and families, who cheered on the kids at a very special event

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Nursery to Year 1 Sports Day - June 2024

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Nursery to Year 1 Sports Day - June 2024

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With last year's junior sports day taking part in a very wet playground, the level of competitiveness went a little overboard during the parents' race

No such issues this time around, and lots of the lovely sports equipment bought with funding from Run Kids Run made the event a bit more pro level. There's gotta be a professional sack race circuit?!?!

A shout out to Jade for putting it all together again and delivering a great time to all!

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This is an old radiator that's now luscious Drayton Park blue

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Upstairs Hall Has Been Painted!!!! - May 2024

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Upstairs Hall Has Been Painted!!!! - May 2024

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The upstairs hall was rather beyond tired. But now it's lovely and shiny and gorgeous

Money you've raised by running stalls at fairs, buying and selling raffle tickets, and al the rest is what's paid for it

"The Government - central or local - don't pay for this upkeep?!" you may ask. No, they don't.

We're almost there with painting classrooms and, now, the upstairs hall, that desperately needed it

We'll see what the future holds, but if we can keep up the fundraising, we should be able to channel more money into exciting nice-to-have projects moving forward

Thank you all!

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Upstairs Hall Repainted After Some Decades - May 2024

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Upstairs Hall Repainted After Some Decades - May 2024

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Just ahead of the Earth Class assembly on Boudicea and the Romans, the upstairs hall is a shiny blank canvas looking forward to being decorated

No doubt that decoration will inspire the characteristics of Boudica and the Iceni - Effort, Independence, Resilience, Teamwork and Ambition

Or are we thinking of another cohort?!

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Apparently there's no 5m+ pole vault in the mini Olympics...

Despite such ridiculous health and safety measures, our awesome Year 2 team had a fab experience. And they were faaassstt!!!

With huge thanks to Antoine, RKR, and all of you who've contributed!

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Year 3 and 4 Team at Islington Athletics Tournament

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Year 3 and 4 Team at Islington Athletics Tournament

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Fab stuff from our athletes, who placed 5th in the borough!

A particular, super shout out to M, as fastest Year 4 boy in Islington!!!

Hats off to Antoine making it happen, and to Run Kids Run organisers for the finding support!

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Islington Athletics Tournament Y3 and 4 June 2024

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Antoine trains Drayton Park Team. Antoine takes Drayton Park Team to sports tournament. Drayton Park Team wins medals

Huge thanks to AR Multisports and to Run Kids Run and their sponsors, without whom we wouldn't be able to do this!

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Year 5 and 6 Gymnastics Competition Spring 2024

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Year 5 and 6 Gymnastics Competition Spring 2024

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An amazing performance (of course) by the Drayton Park gymnasts

Thanks Antoine and Well Done Team!

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Stars Class kids have the best 'uniforms'

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Nursery Gets a New Interactive Whiteboard November 2023

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Nursery Gets a New Interactive Whiteboard November 2023

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A few years ago, money raised by parents and friends enabled Drayton's PTA to buy new interactive whiteboards for the primary school classrooms. Until now, our nursery continued to use their old version. It was fine, but it recently failed beyond economic repair

Now they have a new, improved, model - like the big kids have in the planet classrooms

We're told that they love it!

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Now Press Play Immersive  Audio Adventures - All Year!

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Now Press Play Immersive  Audio Adventures - All Year!

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Money that you all help to raise pays for an annual subscription for Now Press Play wireless headphones. There are various scenarios in which kids can, for instance explore a rainforest, or adventure in the stone age - immersed in the sounds around them

You'll see this pic of Jupiter class was taken after painting happened - nice and shiny!

As an added bonus, the headphones were used to create a silent disco at the winter fair!

https://nowpressplay.co.uk/

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Just the right balance of seriousness and fun!

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Year 5 and 6 Girls Football Team October 2023

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Year 5 and 6 Girls Football Team October 2023

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Another week, another competition for a Drayton Park football team. Coached by Antoine, the girls overcame initial nerves to achieve two wins

Thanks to AR Multisports and everyone who's raised the money for the PTA through Run Kids Run, that enables us to support the sports teams!

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A rare sight of a couple of pairs of football boots that aren't bright colours!

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Year 5 and 6 Boys Football Team September 2023

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Year 5 and 6 Boys Football Team September 2023

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The first competition of the season for Drayton Park's sports teams

Two wins and a draw for the year 5/6 boys saw them qualify for the final at Market Rd - well done them!

Super massive thanks to Run Kids Run and their supporters for enabling the PTA to cover the cost of getting the teams to this and the other (15 or so) sports competitions that'll happen this year

And huge thanks to Antoine for all the training!

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There's a pool table and table football and so on back at the house, but most of Cardfields week is spent doing things like this, for the first time for many

BMX, archery and canoeing are all Olympic sports - maybe don't hold your breath just yet, but you never know...

Thank you Run Kids Run and everyone who's raised money to help the PTA offer a little support for this trip!

https://cardfields.co.uk/

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Two wheels are good at Cardfields, as is their bumpy BMX pump track - one of the many, hugely varied, activities the kids get to enjoy during their week away

Overheard whilst getting off the coach "I've never spent so much time outside!"

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A few minutes earlier, this was just a small pile of sticks

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As well as wild walks, canoeing, making art from nature and building shelters in the woods, Year 6 MADE FIRE!

These outward bound activities just aren't a regular things for most kids growing up in Islington - the annual trip offers an amazing experience to kick off the children's final year at primary school, encouraging independence, teamwork and (for most) joy in being outside

Money you raise for the PTA contributes to making the trip  as good as it is - thank you all, with a super special mention to the amazing organisers and donors of Run Kids Run

https://runkidsrun.org/

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Moon, Sun and Venus Classes Decorated Summer 2023

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Moon, Sun and Venus Classes Decorated Summer 2023

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Thanks to everyone's efforts to make the summer fair a joyous and profitable event, we were able to pay to have three more classes decorated over the summer holiday

Early Years Moon, Sun and Venus are now nicer places to learn and to teach - look at the difference from the previous pic that showed the new Moon rug in a room that was crying out for fresh paint

Fine work everyone!

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Each child can find the right spot to sit

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Look back through these pictures to the Moon Class pizza party in December 2022 and you'll see that life in Moon wasn't always as colourful or comfortable. This rug replaced the boring looking and, apparently, very itchy old one. Possibly not obvious in this picture(!) is the fact that the designated spots encourage the children to stay in their own space during carpet time and help them to focus on the task at hand.

It's not a huge thing, but by buying raffle tickets and sponsoring runs, you're paying for little things that enhance the school's environment for children and teachers. Thank you!

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The Lion King Year 6 Summer Show July 2023

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The Lion King Year 6 Summer Show July 2023

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The Year 6 Summer Show 2023 was an amazing performance of The Lion King, which was made all the more fabulous by the professional coordination, funded by money you all raised for the PTA. Thank you everyone who contributed, and thank you Year 6!

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Moon Class once again sold the most tickets for the summer fair raffle. That's a 100% winning record since the class competition started. Well done Moon (and Moon parents and families and friends and colleagues and so on) and thank you all!

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While Moon Class sold the most summer fair raffle tickets, some of the classes have many fewer children. In the interests of making the fair fair, Mars class also won some Italian (ish) fare with their very own pizza party for selling the most tickets per child. Well done them!

If you look really hard in the background, you may be able to spot the fact that Mars hasn't yet received a fresh coat of paint. There's lots more to do!

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Putting it away on Number 2 - I wonder if it went in

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Marble Treats at Shoreditch Balls July 2023

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Marble Treats at Shoreditch Balls July 2023

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The Marble Treat experience at the end of the summer term 2023 was at Shoreditch Balls crazy golf - thank you sooo much for hosting our kids. They absolutely loved it!

While there are plenty of options for adult drinks, Carol tells us that the kids didn't spend too much time at the 19th hole

https://www.shoreditchballs.com/

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Marble Treats July 2023 Shoreditch Balls

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"No thank you, I won't have an ice cream", said nobody in Earth Class

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Earth Class 'Best Attendance' Reward July 2023

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Earth Class 'Best Attendance' Reward July 2023

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Earth Class had the best attendance record of any class in the school this year, setting a splendidly high benchmark

Well done to them on a brilliant achievement (maybe their parents should also have had a reward?!), and hope the ice creams were utterly delicious!

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Earth Class Ice Creams in the Park July 2023

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Do you think Drayton's success might have been helped by having five runners in the 4 x 100m relay?

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The Drayton Park Athletics team prepped by Antoine, and ready to take on the world in Finsbury Park

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Miss Kapoor and Miss MacIntosh get soaked. Again!

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So many people - parents, teachers, children, raffle prize donors - gave so much time and energy to make sure that Summer Fair 2023 was a really glorious, community-enhancing day. The atmosphere was properly fabulous, with great food, drinks and music, alongside the brilliant games. The BBQ sold out once again, while families brought amazing salads to accompany it. There were families due to join Drayton in September, who will hopefully feel a bit more at home on their first days at the school

We also raised somewhere in the region of £6,000, through raffle ticket sales (mainly in advance), people buying tokens to spend on games, buying plants and the aforementioned BBQ and bar

So raise a glass of Pimms and look forward to the Summer 2024 edition!

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Calling the raffle took a little while as there were so many ridiculously amazing prizes!

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It was deemed necessary for teachers (who actually have some authority) to manage the bouncy castles this year

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Lots of people big and small having a lovely afternoon in the playground

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Run Kids Run in Highbury Fields is amazing; we're one of about 20 Islington Primary schools that takes part. About 70 Drayton Park children signed up for the run in 2023, from Reception and Moon, right up to year 6. It was so much fun!

Parents, kids and families really pushed the (life)boat out in seeking sponsorship - including giftaid, we raised over £5,000!!!

Other than enjoying the day itself, the best part is that the amazing organisers will match that amount. Details pending at time of writing, but the event should deliver a quantity of money that enables us to do great things for the school

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It may not look like it, but that bit's uphill

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Some small people who've just run 5 km, received their medals, and still have the energy to shout about it

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Honestly, they're perfectly comfortable like that

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If it weren't for those medalling kids...

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The Drayton Park gymnastics team did brilliantly at this tournament. They're trained and taken by Antoine, who volunteers his time, while the PTA contributes to the cost

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Is it the cost or the hassle that makes vinyl records more fun?

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Hifi and Records for the Library June 2023

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Hifi and Records for the Library June 2023

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The library's getting nicer and nicer - fine work Miss Hilton! - and now benefits from a proper hifi and the start of a record collection

All donated by Audio Gold in Crouch End, who've also been providing PA systems for the fairs, as well as raffle prizes - Thank you!

https://audiogold.co.uk/

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Safe, Comforting and Encouraging Expression

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Drayton Park's Nurture Room is now a much, much nicer - and more nurturing space than it was previously

A safe space where children can go (supervised) when a change from crowded classes would be of benefit

All thanks to you all supporting the PTA, so the PTA can support the school in supporting the children

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They didn't just look at the screen the whole time

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Marble Treats at Rowans Bowling April 2023

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Marble Treats at Rowans Bowling April 2023

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The end of spring term marble treat adventure took a group of kids to local stalwart Rowans in Finsbury Park. Rowans have consistently been supportive of the school donating raffle prizes and, in this case, giving us heavily discounted tickets, with the balance paid for by the PTA

https://rowans.co.uk/

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Thanks to the generosity of parents, families, sponsors, donors and the brilliance of the organisers of Run Kids Run, the PTA was able to furnish the school with fresh sports equipment to cover any ball game you might imagine, as well as lots of other sports and games. We took delivery of boxes and boxes of great kit, some of which is shown here

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Let Me Hear You Make Some Noise Drayton Park!

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£10,000 Musical Instrument Grant April 2023

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£10,000 Musical Instrument Grant April 2023

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In the spring of 2023, the PTA worked with the school, and the heroic Miss MacIntosh in particular, towards a successful application for a grant for instruments from Restore The Music

In April, the school took receipt of £10,000 worth of brand new (not at all broken or missing parts, or worn out!) musical instruments. You can see some of them in the picture, but there are also violins and classical guitars, a nice electric piano, and just wait until the outdoor instruments get installed

Some of us found this very exciting indeed!

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Restore The Music Instrument Grant April 2023

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Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury Classes AFTER Decoration January 2023

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Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury Classes AFTER Decoration January 2023

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Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury classes were chosen to be the first three rooms to receive a makeover during the school holidays. We - and the children, and the teachers - think they're much nicer now. Although one child did propose that, in Highbury, we really should have gone with red and white, rather than blue...

It's an expensive process, so will need to happen a little bit at a time.

Everyone who managed stalls at fairs; joined the Drayton Run Kids Run team; donated raffle prizes; bought raffle tickets; sponsored children running; drank Pimms, or ate a burger at the summer fair, and all the rest that sent funds in the direction of the PTA, has contributed to these classes becoming so much nicer and more conducive to learning.

Thank you all!

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Another sports competition with Antoine - part of the indoor athletics season

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Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury Classes AFTER Decoration January 2023

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Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury Classes AFTER Decoration January 2023

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Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury Classes AFTER Decoration January 2023

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Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury Classes AFTER Decoration January 2023

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If you've seen the film, you know that dodgeball's a serious business. Here, Antoine imparts tactical wisdom to the Drayton Park team

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Marble Treats are a little reward for children in different classes who've shown consistently positive behaviours through the term. These treats are paid for by the PTA. In December 2022, they were taken ice skating at Somerset House

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Marble Treats December 2022 Ice Skating Somerset House

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They were over the Moon about their pizza party

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The class competition to sell the most raffle tickets for the Winter Fair. Their prize was a pizza party. Please note the old, boring, super-itchy black rug, and check back for a similar picture in July 2023!

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Pizza Party Moon Class Raffle Reward Winter 2022

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Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury Classes BEFORE Decoration December 2022

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Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury Classes BEFORE Decoration December 2022

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This is how Mercury, Saturn and Jupiter classes looked before the Christmas holidays in December 2022. Our school has finite money and has to choose between different things, constantly prioritising how to allocate resources in order to best help children to learn, to be kind and to be happy

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Well that's a pretty serious table of raffle prizes!

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The Winter Fair 2022 was fab. Huge fun was had with lots of games organised by the classes, teachers and parents. Local businesses were ridiculously generous in donating raffle prizes and we broke records with the number of tickets that got sold - total fundraising from the fair topped £5,000 thanks to everyone's energy and generosity. Special thanks to the amazing https://wheelytots.com/ for donating a brand new bike!

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The PTA bought some proper sports kit. First outings are football tournaments with AR Multisports
https://www.instagram.com/armultisports

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Year 3 and 4 boys model the new school sports kit

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Cardfields isn't just about being outdoors - inside activities included screen printing

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Cardfields September 2022 Screen Printing

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Cardfields September 2022 Marshmallow Fire

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Forest Shelter - not sure if it's watertight quite yet

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Cardfields September 2022 Forest Shelter

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Canoe please give me a hand with that paddle?

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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They were quite civilised before the sugar kicked in

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Waffles at Dezeos on Holloway Rd were a popular choice of reward for the prefects who'd done such a great job through the year
https://dezeos.co.uk/

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Longbows at the ready to reenact Robin Hood. Or maybe the Battle of Agincourt?

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Each Year 6 cohort gets to spend a weekend away, outside London, doing fun things. Money raised though the PTA helps to make this happen
https://cardfields.co.uk/

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You can't stop the beat of Year 6 Leavers 2022

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Year 6 put on a glorious performance of Hairspray. A real life, pro-level, super guru helped them make it great. The PTA covered the cost of this

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What a joyous day, made so amazing by all of the parents, children, teachers and local businesses who gave us their time, energy, skill and fabulous prizes for the raffle. Thank you all!

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That's quite a lot of small and less small people running in a park!

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Fab event, great fun, and a big fundraiser. Thank you so much https://runkidsrun.org/