Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. 

At De Hav this week, it has been lovely seeing the enthusiasm the children in Key Stage Two are adopting towards their afternoon lessons. On Tuesday, I was fortunate enough to spend some time in a Year Five science lesson where the children were answering the question: why do we have day and night? It was fantastic to get a sense of the children's understanding, as well as recognising that parts of the world sometimes have 24 hours of daylight and 24 hours of darkness at different times of the year. Additionally, in art lessons, many of the children have enjoyed producing colour wheels, an organisational tool which shows the relationships between primary, secondary and tertiary colours. It's excellent to see the children in Key Stage Two embracing the opportunities to learn from specialist teachers and subject leads and we look forward to seeing this model evolve as the year progresses. 

Also this week, Mrs. Walker, Ms. Gordon and I had the opportunity to attend a 'Meeting the Generational Need' conference. The discussions which took place were focusing on fostering a nurturing, respectful, and emotionally supportive environment for all children, something which we pride ourselves on here at De Havilland. This approach prioritises strong relationships, consistent boundaries, and a deep understanding of each child’s individual needs. By emphasising empathy, positive reinforcement, and restorative practices, we help children develop self-regulation, resilience, and a strong sense of belonging. Through this whole-school approach, we believe we are creating a culture where every child feels valued, supported, and empowered to make positive choices. This lays the groundwork for both personal and academic success. I would like to extend my thanks to our wonderful staff team who are committed to aligning their approach to behaviour management with this very latest research which gives our children the best chances both now and in later life. 

Next week at De Havilland, we look forward to marking World Mental Health Day. This provides us all with a valuable opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of looking after our mental and emotional wellbeing. I was delighted that Mrs. Clark was facilitating a workshop for parents / carers around how to support your child's mental health. Unfortunately, this has been postponed due to a lack of uptake and rescheduled for Monday 10th November at 2 pm. I would recommend parents / carers attend this event if you are available: we are fortunate to have someone of Mrs. Clark's calibre working at De Hav and I would really encourage opportunities of this nature to be maximised by our community. 

Wishing you all a very pleasant weekend,

Mr. Bostock