Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope this newsletter finds you well.

I was fortunate to accompany a group of visiting student teachers on a tour of De Havilland this week, and it was a real pleasure to showcase our school at its absolute best. In every classroom, we saw dynamic teaching and focused, engaged children. A special shout-out goes to the children in Ash and Apple classes, who transitioned from their classrooms to the lunch hall so smoothly and beautifully. We were also treated to a wonderful welcome in the Nursery, where there was a lovely display of pumpkins and autumnal leaves, as well as a somewhat charming scarecrow! This was perfect timing on the first day that it felt like autumn had truly arrived! Needless to say, as a Luton fan, the colour orange always has a place in my heart.

Talking of dynamism, I am sure many of you will be aware that music has taken centre stage at De Havilland so far this half-term! Mrs Johnson has worked hard to ensure there is a range of music provision across the school, including more regular, focused singing assemblies and a new school choir. The response from the children has been brilliant, and what a time to start, with Christmas not too far away and the annual Young Voices show in the new year. Mrs Johnson described this week's rehearsal as 'bubbly with excitement, but we channelled that into singing and dancing.' That is what we like to hear!

Elsewhere this week, we officially marked the start of Black History Month with two assemblies for Years 1-6, where we explored the core themes of identity, representation, and belonging. Across the school, each year group will be learning about individuals whose remarkable achievements have helped build a fairer, more inclusive world. Looking ahead, I hope that within our own school community we are nurturing future heroes and young people who will go on to accomplish incredible things and help address the ongoing inequalities in our wider society.

I wish you all a very pleasant weekend and look forward to seeing the children on Monday.

Mr Bostock

Headteacher