Headteacher June News
Dear Parents and Carers
Year 6 Update
SATS: Huge congratulations to our Year 6 pupils on completing their SATs! They have worked incredibly hard throughout the year, and this photo truly captures the joy and relief of reaching this important milestone. We are so proud of the way they approached their first official exams—with resilience, focus, and a strong grasp of the subjects. Their confidence has grown so much, supported by the dedication of their teachers and support staff.
Now, their attention turns to the much-anticipated Year 6 production of Mary Poppins. We often receive requests from families in other year groups who would also like to enjoy the performance. With that in mind, we’re excited to announce a special Community Performance on Wednesday, 16th July in the afternoon.
Tickets are available at a cost of £10.00 each on ParentPay and programmes at £5.00 and all proceeds will go towards supporting the school. We hope to see many of you there!
This year, our children and staff have been working hard to further develop the Humanities curriculum, building subject knowledge and skills in exciting ways. During the week of 16th June, our theme was The Threads That Tie Us. In Geography, the children used virtual reality (VR) to deepen their understanding of the settings they’ve been exploring in History and Geography. Year 6 stepped into ancient Greek temples, while Year 3 climbed volcanoes — all enriching their learning journeys.
Thanks to the support of our parents, the children have also been exploring how understanding special places helps deepen their geographical knowledge. In PSHE, they have looked closely at the many communities and cultures within our school, coming together to create a phenomenal piece of collaborative artwork.
We can’t wait to welcome you to Exhibition Day on Friday 4th July, where we will celebrate the children’s work from Events Week and enjoy songs they have recorded for our new Tetherdown Album 25. We are also honoured that our MP, Catherine West, will be visiting the Exhibition to see the wonderful work your children have created. We look forward to celebrating with you!
East Finchley Festival Parade
A huge THANK YOU to all the amazing parents and children who joined our first East Finchley Festival Parade — the only school there! You sparked smiles, conversations and school pride!
Keep the Lights On Fund
We know that times are challenging for many families with the rising cost of living, and we truly appreciate all the support you already give our school community. Like every school across the country, we are facing significant budget cuts due to continued government austerity policies. While we welcome the government’s recent increase in teachers’ salaries to help address the teacher retention crisis, this increase is not fully funded, which puts even more strain on our already tight budget. Our annual budget for maintaining and running our school has dropped dramatically — from £50,000 in 2010 to just £8,000 in 2025 — barely enough to repaint classrooms or update toilets. Friends of Tetherdown (FoT) do an incredible job raising money for new resources, play areas and enriching the curriculum, but we have very limited funds to cover the essential upkeep of our buildings and facilities, which Friends of Tetherdown does not fund raise for.
This is why your help is so important. A growing number of parents already make regular donations by direct debit, and these contributions — no matter how small — add up to make a real difference. They help us repair and improve our spaces so our children can learn in a safe, well-maintained environment. Recently, this money was used to manage insect infestations – wasp hive and ants in the school.
If you are able to, please consider setting up a one-off or regular donation to support our school. Every contribution truly counts. Please click here to donate — and thank you so much for helping us keep our school the wonderful place it is.
Annie Ashraf
Headteacher
