Friday 6th March 2026

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This week's letter from Mrs Mayers...

Dear Parents and Carers

I would like to start by extending a huge thank you to our Year 3 and Year 4 pupils, as well as the many parents who joined us for our Family Mass. The children sang beautifully and were a credit to the school. 

Our World Book Day celebrations brought a fantastic sense of wonder to the hallways this week. From favourite storybook characters to cosy pyjamas, the school was buzzing with a love for reading. As part of our magical theme, each class has been busy researching and writing about a different mythical creature. We are currently compiling these into a whole school bestiary to showcase the children's incredible imagination and descriptive writing.

In addition to our literary adventures, we officially celebrated the grand opening of our new sandpit! This has been a top priority for the children as part of our Opal play journey, and it is wonderful to see them finally enjoying this new addition to the playground. You can find more details and photos of these events in the articles below.

Looking ahead, next week is Science Week, and we have an array of exciting experiments and activities planned to spark our pupils' curiosity. We also invite you to join us next Friday at 2pm for our Reconciliation Service in the church. This will be led by Year 3, and all parents are very welcome to attend as we gather together in reflection.

I wish you all a restful and happy weekend.

Warm regards

Hayley Mayers (Headteacher) 

Moments from our week

06 Mar 2026
Sandpit Grand Opening
The Sandpit is finally finished and we had our Grand Opening today! The children are delighted with this new addition to our playground
Read more
05 Mar 2026
World Book Day at SWOY
We had a magical World Book Day at SWOY this week. Each class focused on a different mythical creature and we are creating a whole school bestiary!
Read more
02 Mar 2026
ACE Card Competition Winners
Last month, we asked children to create their own design for our school ACE Award Cards. Here are the winning designs..
Read more
27 Feb 2026
Forest School Sessions
Nursery and Reception Take to the Woods!
Read more

Friday Club with Mrs Mayers

This week's Friday Club was... Melly, Lael, Milarn, Chase, Vin and Tyrese

Well done to all of you! You have been recognised for being ACE and for consistently going 'over and above'

Our Rights Respecting School Article of the Week is...

Article 29 - Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full.

It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures and the environment.

Our sign of the week has been...

In assembly this week we have been thinking about...

We have been thinking about transformation and our inner light. We thought about our individual gifts and talents and how we can share these our community. 

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Thumbnail for Instagram post created 17 hours ago
swoyschoolse23 View Post
What a spectacular World Book Day we had! The school was buzzing with a fantastic energy from start to finish, and seeing the children arrive with such big smiles made the day truly special. A huge well done to all our parents for the incredible effort put into those costumesthe creativity was off the charts! It was a joy to see books being read and shared throughout the day, and our teachers joined in the fun with some great costumes of their own. A special thank you goes to Ms. Webster, our English Lead, for her assembly and for all the hard work she put into today. #SWOY #Stwilliamofyork #Catholicprimaryschool #SE23 #SELondon #Lewisham #Foresthill #worldbookday
17 hours ago
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School Information / Reminders

New Maths Homework Platform

We are pleased to be launching White Rose Infinity as our new online maths homework platform.

Homework will consist of short, focused tasks linked directly to current classroom learning. The platform provides immediate feedback and is designed to strengthen fluency, deepen understanding and build confidence through small, manageable steps.

Further information, including login details, will be shared directly with parents and carers.

Opal Update - The Sandpit is Now OPEN

Our school playground has officially reached a sandy new milestone this week. After three weeks of anticipation, construction, and very curious glances through the safety fencing, we are thrilled to announce that our brand-new sandpit is finally open for business!

The grand opening marks a significant step in our ongoing Opal journey. We have developed our school Play Policy in collaboration with Opal and this can be found on our website here.  

As we continue to develop and enrich our play times, we have been listening closely to our most important consultants: the children. A large-scale sandpit was a top priority for our students, and seeing their faces as they finally stepped in to dig, build, and create made the wait entirely worth it.

This project would not have been possible without the incredible support of our school community. We would like to extend a massive thank you to our committed PTA, SWOYSA. Through their tireless fundraising efforts, they raised a phenomenal £5,000 to contribute toward the costs of the sandpit. Their dedication to improving the school environment is truly inspiring, and we are so grateful for their hard work.

We look forward to many years of creative, sandy adventures ahead!

Jpg of cartoon childrenRainbow Breakfast and After School       Club at SWOY

  • Drop off from 7.30am for Breakfast Club
  • Collect at either 4.15pm or 6pm for After-School Club

Book your place in advance! Our school office is unable to book spaces.

Email: Rainbow.ASC@hotmail.co.uk Text or Whatsapp: 0785 477 4096

Rainbow After School Clubs: Lego, Art and Multi-Sports

Rainbow will be launching 3 exciting after-school clubs from w/c 30th Feb until the Easter holidays.

Bookings will be for the duration of this period and will work out at £7 per session, payment is due at time of booking.

  • Mon - Multi-sports (Y2 - Y6 only)
  • Wed - Lego Club (Y4-Y6 only)
  • Thurs - Crafts (Y1-Y3 only)

Please book the classes directly with Rainbow, by emailing them on rainbow.asc@hotmail.co.uk

Dates for your diary...

Yr4 & Yr5 Trip to Centre of the Cell
All Day
09
March
Science Week
All Day
from 09 Mar until 13 Mar
09
March
Maths Parent Workshops (Calculations)
3:30pm
10
March
Wiggly Wild Workshops (Yr2 - 6)
All Day
11
March
Individual and sibling photos
All Day
12
March
School Photos (Individuals & Siblings)
All Day
12
March
Nursery Forest School
All Day
12
March
Yr3 Reconciliation Service
All Day
13
March

Local News / Events

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CELEBRATE WORLD BOOK DAY

AT MOON LANE BOOKS!
 

From Bunny Vs. Monkey to Pia's Pet Club, this year's World Book Day books are now available at Moon Lane. Stop by and exchange your £1 token for one of our fantastic books!

 We've also got a host of fun interactive events coming up to celebrate World Book Day, Holi and Lunar New Year!
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Beavers Logo

The Beaver Colony is the first and youngest section of the Scout Group. Beaver Scouts are young people aged between 6 and 8 years old.  For fun, friendship and activities that get you thinking as well as doing.

Our parish Scout Group meet on Thursday evenings (term time only) at Lewisham Scouts DHQ on St Germans Road.

We have a few spaces for new members who are turning 6 to join our Beaver Colony.  Check out our website http://www.12thforesthill.scoutsonline.co.uk/  and get on the waiting list now.

Adults - if you have a skill you could share with us, please get in touch.  We all love learning.  Could you be one of our volunteers with Beavers, Cubs or even our new Scout Troop we'd like to re-open in October?  Could you be a group Trustee?  Training and support provided.

Get in touch if you would like to find out more ahesketh@12thswoyscouts.org