Newsletter

Autumn Term – December 2025

Message from the Headteacher

Welcome to our Autumn Term Newsletter. As we come to the end of a very busy and eventful term, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on all the wonderful things that have happened at Mapledown School.

A Warm Welcome to Our New Pupils and their Families

In September, we were delighted to welcome 14 new pupils to our school community. It has been a joy getting to know each of them and their families. Our new pupils have settled into secondary school life beautifully - embracing their new routines and making new friends along the way. We are so proud of how well they have integrated into their classes and the wider school environment.

A big thank you to all our new parents for working so closely with us during this transition, and to our existing parents for your continued support. Your partnership has been invaluable, especially during what turned out to be a challenging term at times.

Navigating Challenges Together

This term was disrupted by ongoing roadworks and demolition works around the school site. We were deeply disappointed to have to close the school for one day due to high pollution levels. However, we are pleased to report that all roadworks and demolition works are now complete, bringing much-needed relief and safety to our community. Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this period.

Celebrating Learning and Experiences
Our pupils have enjoyed a rich and varied programme of activities this term, in addition to working hard in all their lessons!

Railway200 Time Capsule Event: Earlier this term, we proudly took part in the 200th anniversary of the modern railway at Brent Cross Town. Our pupils attended a presentation at the Visitor Pavilion before joining the local community for a time capsule burial ceremony in Claremont Park. A special piece of art [a photo of Mapledown school with pupils’ and staff’s fingerprints] was placed inside the capsule, marking our contribution to history.
Black History Month: During the first half term, we celebrated Black History through engaging readings and creative art activities, helping pupils learn about and appreciate diverse cultures and contributions.
Music Magic with WeJam and SPEAR: We were thrilled to host WeJam, who provided an immersive rock star experience for our pupils. With real instruments and cutting-edge technology, every pupil became a musician by the end of the session! Additionally, the SPEAR organisation delivered two days of music workshops, giving all pupils the chance to explore rhythm, sound, and creativity.
Sporting Success: Our pupils participated in several sporting events, including the Multisports event at Hendon Leisure Centre and the Panathlon Xtend last month. A special congratulations to our Copthall cohort, who came second in the Barnet Schools’ Ten Pin Bowling competition —what an achievement!
Travel Training with TfL and Police: Although our planned visit had to be moved to Copthall due to the main site school closure, pupils there enjoyed an immersive session with a single-decker bus, supported by TfL representatives, ticket inspectors, and police officers. Pupils practised using Oyster cards, explored the bus space, and learned about safety and confidence when using public transport.
Community Engagement - Claremont Exploratory Park and Christmas Lights Switch on Ceremony: A fantastic day out was had by all at Claremont Exploratory Park. It was a lovely opportunity for our pupils to enjoy the outdoors. Thanks to the kindness of Related Argent and the Brent Cross team, our pupils were able to attend the festive switching on of the Christmas lights. The event featured a lively performance by a brass band, a visit from Santa and his elf, and delicious food for everyone.
Carols round the Tree - this week Jade and her Post-16 group organised a sing-along in the hall for the whole school, accompanied by Oded on the piano! Our Copthall pupils attended, and a few students from Clarion Lighthouse provision were also invited to join the festivities.

Farewell

On a more reflective note, we share the news that Sue O’Halloran, our esteemed Chair of Governors and Safeguarding Governor, has stepped down from her role and resigned from the Governing Board. Sue has been an incredible advocate for our school over the last 11 years, dedicating her time and care to ensure the very best for our pupils and staff. Her contributions have been invaluable, and she will be greatly missed.
Please join us in expressing our deepest gratitude to Sue and wishing her a happy and well-deserved retirement. We welcome Ajith Das Menon, our LA appointed and newly elected Chair of Governors and Safeguarding Governor.

We also wish good luck to Maria Pires, teacher in Falcon class, who will be starting her maternity leave in January. Lula Sejdiu will continue to lead the class in her absence.

Curriculum Development - Work-Related Learning (WRL), Careers, and Work Experience at Mapledown School

Last year…..
As part of our weekly Teacher’s Meetings last academic year, the vision for WRL was developed collaboratively and regularly revisited as it evolved. Staff worked together to collate the learning and life skills that would be embedded as a priority across WRL, e.g. developing fine motor skills, and also which skills were specific to different industries, e.g. what plants need to grow healthily. These ideas were collated as a starting point for our WRL curriculum. At a later meeting in July teachers shared if they had a particular passion/area of interest and were interested in leading a Post–16 WRL Group, or would prefer to lead a KS3/4 group which covers a broader range of areas. This led to 5 groups being organised for Post-16 pupils:

Gardening with Zelal [e.g. planting and growing, tending and watering the gardens and communal areas]
Selling clothes on Vinted with Ricky [e.g. collecting, laundering, repairing, photographing and promoting clothing, uploading and selling on Vinted]
Cooking / Catering with Presila [e.g. making lunches for staff to purchase, baking for visitors/coffee mornings]
Entertainment with Jade [e.g. the ’Meet and Greet’ team for Mapledown, put on parties and welcome guests. Bring the school together for social events]
Maintenance with Julio. [e.g. tending to Mapledown maintenance needs, assisting the caretaker with jobs, groundskeeping, cleaning].

Earlier this term…..
Pupils were taught about what WRL would involve, what they might be learning about and doing as part of the sessions. Pupils then voted for which group they would like to join. They had a first and second choice sticker. We were proud to allocate the majority of pupils with their first choice; only 3 pupils were allocated their second choice.

And now….
The whole school has given the WRL mornings a good go, both Key Stage 3/4 and Post-16 groups. Pupils and staff have been transitioning to their new group, supported by their communication systems and transition resources such as symbols/photos.
The new businesses have developed - the pupils worked together to choose a name, a logo, and devise a business plan. They have been busy all term!
Jade’s Maple Magic Creations group has been busy organising and promoting events at school, designing posters and signs, and they even got their very first paid job from an external agency who asked the group to make a poster advertising their Halloween party!
Julio’s Rooster Care Squad have been taking care of our grounds, maintaining them to ensure they are clean and tidy and installing posters and signs. They have also secured an external job, decorating a Christmas Tree at Brent Cross Town!
Zelal’s Green Club has been learning about the plants and flowers we grow in our school and working hard to clear our planters to prepare for new growth!
Ricky’s Fast Fashion Flips group have been collecting, sorting and selling clothes!
Presila’s Star Makers group has been learning all about hygiene, safety in the kitchen and have started making and selling delicious lunches to staff on Wednesdays!

Parents/Carers’ Workshops and Coffee Mornings

Thank you to those of you who were able to attend this term’s workshops and coffee mornings. As we are about to embark on a new term, we look forward to seeing you in school for our forthcoming workshops, designed to help you support your child and to share information, approaches and strategies we use in school.

Workshops will normally take place from 10:00am - 11:00am. More information will be sent about each workshop nearer the date. All workshops will take place at our main site, Claremont Road, Cricklewood, London NW2 1TR

In addition to running some training, we will continue to host “Drop-in” coffee mornings which will be facilitated by myself or another member of the Leadership Team. This will be an opportunity for you to meet other parents and have a chat, share experiences and ideas about how the school can support you.

Celebrating Generosity and New Accessible Gardens at Mapledown

Once again, we have been incredibly fortunate to benefit from the generosity of two amazing donors who have helped transform our outdoor spaces into inclusive, sensory-rich environments for all our pupils.

First, we want to honour the memory of Diana Colville, Mapledown’s beloved physiotherapist. Before her untimely passing, Diana fundraised tirelessly for our school. Over the Summer holidays, her wonderful family used those funds to create the most amazing accessible sensory garden. This beautiful space is now enjoyed daily by pupils and staff and lovingly maintained by our caretakers and Julio’s Rooster Care Squad. It is a lasting tribute to Diana’s dedication and care for our community.

In addition, we were approached by an anonymous donor who generously contributed £10,000 to help us create a wheelchair-accessible garden. While the project is not quite finished, we are excited to share that once complete, Zelal’s group will lead the planting, and all our wheelchair users will have the opportunity to take part in growing food and flowers. This will be a truly inclusive space where everyone can contribute and enjoy the benefits of gardening.

We can’t wait to celebrate with an official unveiling ceremony in the Spring — watch this space for more details!

Stars of the Term
We welcomed parents on 12 December to celebrate our Stars of the Term. The pupils who received their special certificates were:
Learning Zone 1: Carla, Olivia, Nour and Arif
Learning Zone 2: CJ, Andreas, Ivan, Drew, Bish and Kobi
Learning Zone 3: Samuel, Savannah and Susan
Learning Zone 4: Gabriel and Gui
Well done everyone!

Thank you once again to all our parents and carers for your unwavering support throughout this term. We look forward to an exciting and successful Spring term ahead!

Have a lovely and restful festive break, and see you all on Tuesday 6th January as Monday 5th January is a staff training day.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate.