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 Friday 17th July 2026

Dear Families,

What a week it has been. What a term it has been. And what an incredible ten years it has been in my journey through education.

It has been an immense privilege to serve as a teacher, senior leader and, most recently, Headteacher of our wonderful school. Judith Kerr Primary School, its children and its community will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I am incredibly proud of all that we have achieved together over the past decade.

As we say farewell to our Year 6 pupils, massive congratulations for their exceptional SATs outcomes. And as they demonstrated so beautifully at yesterday’s graduation ceremony, this is only one part of their story. They are an extraordinarily talented, creative and ambitious group of young people, and I know they will go on to achieve great things; we will miss them dearly. A huge well done and thank you to the Year 6 team - Ms Rosa, Ms Lauren and Ms Donna, and all those who have worked with them over the years. 

Finally, thank you for your generosity, kindness and support—not just over the past week, but throughout my time at Judith Kerr. Thank you, too, for the incredibly thoughtful cards, messages, gifts and hugs. Your warmth and generosity is greatly appreciated.

Please know that I will be watching from afar with genuine pride as the school continues to flourish and grow. 

So, until next time… Tschüss, até breve, farewell.

Schönen Sommer! Have a wonderful summer.

Mr Patrick 

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From the ACC

Farewell Mr Patrick….

There is no doubt that JKPS carries Mr Patrick’s legacy at its very heart. His decade of dedicated service has left a lasting imprint on the school’s language provision, music, culture, ethos, and community.

As JKPS’ Modern Foreign Languages Lead, Mr Patrick nurtured the school’s partnership with the Goethe-Institut and oversaw the highly valued German Intern programme, creating rich opportunities for pupils to engage with language and culture beyond the classroom. One proud moment came in December, when the First Lady of Germany visited the school. The choir sang beautifully in German, captivating guests from the German Embassy, the Foreign Office, Buckingham Palace, and the Department for Education.

The visit showcased JKPS at its very best. In the library, surrounded by bilingual books and artwork created and curated with the community, the First Lady read to the children in German. It was a vibrant celebration of language, culture, and learning—everything that Mr Patrick championed throughout his time at the school.

The occasion perfectly reflected his approach to education: children were at the centre of everything. They sang, performed, conversed, played, and later captured their experiences in the Mog Chronicle. Despite the high-profile nature of the visit, the JKPS community responded with its characteristic confidence, warmth, and charm, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended. This multi-layered celebration of learning, culture, and community was a fitting testament to Mr Patrick’s vision and leadership. We will miss you Patrick- forever you will be our Lee Scoresby on world book day/ Sloth and Spider-Man at the masked singer, in your element playing guitar and singing with JKPS children.

From all of us, to you and your family, we wish you every happiness in Portugal. Boa Sorte!

Friends Corner

We hope everyone has had a great year at JKPS!

The Friends are incredibly grateful to everyone for all their support, and all that we have achieved together. We send our special thanks to Mr Patrick for all he has spearheaded during his time at the school, and we wish him and his family safe travels and the best of luck on their new adventure.

Across the year we have organised Welcome Drinks, Oktoberfest, St Martin's, St Nik's, Tea Towels (twice), Christmas and Summer Cards, Gingerbread Workshops, Wreath Making Workshops, a Kids & Tech Workshop, First Aid Workshops, Kaffee und Kuchen, Summer Festival, supported Sports Day, run the bar at Masked Teachers, Fun Day and pre-loved uniform sales.

For every event tables need to be moved, supplies bought, sign ups circulated and risk assessments completed: nothing happens without a huge amount of hard work.

Thank you to everyone who has lifted a table, done a shift at the bar, circulated a message, washed a cup (or 100), asked for raffle prizes (and donated raffle prizes), baked cakes, made waffles, hosted estate agent boards, and so much more. None of it could be done without the range of brilliant volunteers. With this week's special thanks to the Fun Day team led by Ioana Mul wrapping up the year.

We have sent round a full summer update from the FoJKPS Committee and we're delighted to share that over the year we have raised more than £40k and just as (or more) importantly invested £25k in various school driven projects that ensures every child benefits.

Planning

The Friends are also in full swing for the Autumn Term from Oktoberfest to St Nik’s:

   📅 Dates are below – we ask every family to plan to do at least one thing at Oktoberfest, and one other activity across the year

    💪 If there is an event you are interested in running, joining the Friends committee, or something else please always get in touch (FoJKPS@gmail.com) - with the focus on raising funds for the MUGA we are particularly interested in anyone who wants to run a sporting event.

We want to make it as easy as possible to get involved. We are setting the dates as far ahead as possible, and will create organising whatsapp Groups for each event. But if you have any questions please get in touch.

LinkedIn Group

We have also started a LinkedIn Group for the Friends of JKPS so we can see the skills and experience in our community as we work as the Friends to support JKPS. Please join here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13226102/

 

Forward Look:

🎊 9th September (7:30pm) - Parent Welcome (Back) Drinks in West 16th: Everyone welcome

🍻 19th September – Oktoberfest

🏮 13th November - St Martin Lantern Walk

🎄 5th December - St Nikolaus Tag Fair and Festivities

Key Dates

Key dates coming up:

Autumn Term INSET Day (staff only)                                      Tuesday, 1st September

Start of Autumn Term for children Years 1-6           Wednesday, 2nd September

*Reception and Nursery - please refer to separate communications

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