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• Friday 15 May 2026 Well Done Year 6 A huge well done to Year 6, who have been taking part in national tests this week. Exams are not fun, but it has been a pleasure to see the children so well prepared and eager to take on the challenge. Throughout the whole week, and the preparations beforehand, the children were impeccably behaved and showed real commitment. All that remains now is the long wait until the results are through in July. #scholarly
• Friday 15 May 2026 Sports Stars of the Week Tour the GTEC Stadium On Monday afternoon, a group of very excited Sports Stars of the week arrived at the GTEC, home of Brentford FC, for a tour of the stadium. Accompanied by lifelong Bees supporters, Ms Whelan, and Mrs Ristic, the children were given a tour of the press room, the dressing rooms and even got to walk down the tunnel and onto the pitch! Highlights of the trip were sitting in the seat Cristiano Ronaldo used when visiting with Manchester United and having a picture taken with their favourite players shirt in the home dressing room. There were lots of interesting facts and figures to absorb and the children smashed the post tour quiz. It was a great trip and a pleasure to accompany the children. Thank you to Mr Bentley for organising.
• Friday 8 May 2026 Strandite receives 4th Plinth award at City Hall On Friday, Lily from 5R took a trip to City Hall to collect her award for the Fourth Plinth Schools Award 2026. Out of thousands of entries, Lily not only received a certificate and prize for her beautiful lino print, she was also handpicked alongside a few other artists for a special award from the head judge, author and illustrator Marion Deuchars. Lily's artwork will remain on display alongside the other winners at City Hall until mid-June. A huge achievement - well done, Lily!
• Saturday 28 March 2026 Primary Maths Challenge Bonus Round Success Lots of children across the school took part in the UKMT Junior Kangaroo last week. We are excited to discover how everyone has done, but while we are waiting, the results from the PMC bonus round have arrived. We had 6 children qualify after the initial round in November, which is impressive in itself. Very well done to Cary, Matty (Bronze), Ruaridh (Bronze), Kolka (Silver) and Ayrton (Silver). Special congratulations to Gaia, though, who was awarded a Gold Award!
• Saturday 28 March 2026 Orchestra Unwrapped On Monday, 23rd March, our 28-strong Y6 choir took part in the ‘Orchestra Unwrapped' event at the Royal Festival Hall. As well as listening to a variety of classical and popular pieces performed by the incredible London Philharmonia, our choir also got to perform alongside a number of other schools on a specially commissioned song entitled ‘I am Music'. It was a wonderful experience, and the choir conducted themselves as exemplary Strandites throughout the day.
• Saturday 28 March 2026 Fourth Plinth Art Competition Success A massive congratulations to Lily M in 5R, who has been awarded a prize in this year's Fourth Plinth Art Competition! Lily created a beautiful linocut print called ‘The Positive Sloth', inspired by the work of M C Escher and David Shrigley. Lily's art will go on display at City Hall on the 1st May, and there will be an awards ceremony for Lily to collect her prize. Huge well done, Lily!
• Friday 6 March 2026 Eco Committee Litter Pick On Wednesday, the Eco Committee (plus a couple of helpful extra volunteers!) went on a litter pick with Timegivers Charity around our local area. They showed fantastic engagement and enthusiasm, demonstrating a super understanding of why volunteering is important and why litter is harmful to our environment. A very big well done to Hugo, Romy, Sophie, Abena, Rose, Charlie, Kian, Oscar, Inigo, Delilah, Maddie, Tyler, Ivy, Lily and Alex!
• Friday 6 March 2026 World Book Day The playgrounds and classrooms were alive yet again with our favourite characters from the world of children's literature to mark another brilliant World Book Day. From The Three Little Pigs to The Mad Hatter, our annual parade had it all, and the outfits once again showed off the impressive breadth of reading interest at Strand. Lots of children and adults at Strand also took the chance to dress up in their pyjamas, and pockets of ‘cosy reading' could be found across the school throughout the day. All had the chance to visit the Reading Cafe, where year groups mixed to share titles and recommendations while pouring over their favourite reads with a biscuit or two! This year's event was organised and managed by Mrs Jones and her team of reading ambassadors, who made innovations such as a reading scavenger hunt, which I'm sure will be a permanent feature in years to come. Isla and Diego spent several of their break times designing a the hunt. With help from Zarah and Innaya, t
• Friday 13 February 2026 PTA Wish List is Back! The PTA launched the new Wish List at Bingo and Pizza night last week. Infants and Juniors would love to enhance their outdoor environments - the playgrounds, the field and the Secret Garden - for Amazing Play, Every Day. You can choose if your donation goes to Infants, Juniors or both schools. Click here to donate.
• Friday 13 February 2026 Brentford Values Shine Again Joey, in Year 3, has amazed us with the progress that he has made with his reading since September. As proud, and devoted Brentford fans, Joey and Mrs Ristic decided to write to his favourite player Igor Thiago, to let him know the good news and to invite him to visit us. Brentford, who are well known for being a great community club, have contacted us to say Joey's letter will be passed on, but in the meantime, Joey has been invited on a complimentary tour of the stadium during half term. What a great way to celebrate Joey's progress #supportiveBees!
• Saturday 7 February 2026 OFSTED visit We were visited by OFSTED on Tuesday and Wednesday. The OFSTED team, led by Sam Johnson, HMI, left school on Wednesday, and we are returning to normal after the excitement of having three special visitors out and about in the school. The inspectors watched lessons, observed playtime and lunchtime, spoke to pupils in the lunch hall, met with our young leaders, spoke to pupils in year 5 and 6 as well as spending lots of time learning about the school from staff. The children (and staff!) were exemplary, showing off their fantastic skills and talents. The team were very complimentary - and so they should be about such a brilliant group of children – about the #spirited, #scholarly and #supportive Strandites they met. Thank you to all the parents who spared a moment to fill in the parent questionnaire, encouraged their children to do the same, spoke to the inspectors before a
• Friday 30 January 2026 Year 6 Big Answers This week we have had 3 Big Answers from Year 6. Each class has chosen to share their knowledge on the Ancient Maya, answering the question “Can the Maya be considered a civilisation if they practice human sacrifice?" Each class approached their angle from a slightly differing perspective, but all agreed that the Maya had all the features of a civilisation despite their somewhat gruesome practices. Sharing some intricate knowledge and showing fantastic confidence all three Big Answers totally fulfilled their brief! Thank you to the parents who came along to support their child in their last ever Strand assembly. Well done, all.
• Friday 30 January 2026 Inter House Quiz Final After the preliminary rounds, Blue were in 4th place with 67 points, Red in third with 68, Green in second with 69 and Yellow in 1st after scoring 70, but all that changed as the quiz got underway in the hall. There were some tense moments, but the children clearly showed they ‘knew more and remembered more' as they answered questions on topics they had covered during their time at Strand. There were some tricky questions – Do you know the capital of Honduras? And can you spell it? (Tegucigalpa). All teams were amazing, showing great confidence as they answered questions in front of the whole school. Special mentions to Evelyn, who stepped in at lunch time as Marid was ill, and to Lucien, whose answers went into such depth that Ms Woods gave out extra points! After 8 tense rounds, the final results were as follows:-
• Friday 23 January 2026 Year 5 and 6 Borough Football The Year 5/6 girls represented the school brilliantly at the Hounslow Schools Football Tournament last week, competing against 32 schools in a challenging event that featured an initial group stage followed by a second group stage for the final 16 teams. After progressing into this highly competitive phase and facing some fantastic opposition, the girls finished an impressive third in their group and ninth overall. Throughout the day, the team showed excellent teamwork, determination and sportsmanship, with some outstanding goals scored by Heidi and Leahna, and a strong, confident performance in goal from Isla. Tasneem impressed with her skill and composure on the ball, while Innaya and Romy worked tirelessly in defence to keep the team organised and resilient. In midfield, Zara and Kashni played key roles in linking the team, with intelligent passing and relentless effort. It was a fantastic day of football, and the girls' performance was one they should be very proud of.
• Friday 23 January 2026 Year 3 parents/carers invite to share your child's work We have all been amazed with the progress, stamina and enjoyment each Year 3 class has shown when writing this term. You are welcome to pop into your child's class to talk to them about what they are learning and to share their writing on Monday, 26th January, between 8:40 - 9:10. If you cannot make this slot, please feel free to drop in any day after school.
• Friday 19 December 2025 Cracking Concert It was lovely to see so many of you joining us at Gunnersbury Baptist Church for this year's concerts. The concerts opened this year with the drummers playing Djole, packed with powerful djembe rhythms and beautiful vocals. We do hope you enjoyed the fantastic singing, which included some very intricate part-singing from all year groups. There was also one of Mr Bonner's trademark mash-ups with Home and No Woman No Cry. The whole school songs raised the roof with a full range of musical techniques on display, from the dynamics of Only Remembered to the beautiful delivery of Fix You. However, the children were, as ever, the stars of the show; singing beautifully and delivering their lines with confidence and clarity. Special mention, and a huge thank you, to Geoff Bonner, who worked to prepare the drummers and played on the day, and Gill Coulton, who liaised with the Gunnersbury team to make sure everything ran smoothly, and to Gantisha and Abena who designed the cover for the programme
• Friday 12 December 2025 Signing Up for Free School Meals = Extra Funding to School Whilst school meals are free to all at the moment, the school benefits from extra funding generated by the number of children eligible for free school meals. Equally families in receipt of Free School meals have access to funded holiday activities and vouchers to spend at high street supermarkets for holiday periods.
• Monday 24 November 2025 Otis Surgery Fundraiser For nearly a decade, Otis, our beloved therapy dog, has been a source of unwavering comfort for our children within The Swan Centre, at Strand on the Green Junior School in Chiswick. In a world that often feels confusing and overwhelming for our autistic children, Otis is a sanctuary - a fluffy friend, whose presence makes everyone feel safe. He massively helps to reduce anxiety and stress for our children (and staff!!) Sadly, Otis has recently ruptured his cruciate ligament in his back leg. He is in a lot of pain, and the injury is making his work with our children nearly impossible. This is heartbreaking for all of us here in the centre. Otis requires complex, costly surgery and extensive physiotherapy. We are trying to raise at least £4,000 to go towards this. Any donation would be hugely, hugely appreciated - even the price of a coffee (or a London pint!!). Otis has helped so many of our children over his years with us, and we would love to give back to him and get the ca
• Monday 24 November 2025 Strand Retain Year 3/4 Girls Borough Football Title Last Monday, Strand's Year 3/4 girls' football team competed against 16 different schools across the borough. Strand made an amazing start to the tournament with Savannah scoring 5 goals in the first game! Her scoring streak continued throughout the group stages with an impressive 10 goals scored. Our strength was not just in attack our defensive display was just as impressive! Eve and Carmen were rock solid in defence, helping Drey rebut any attack. We then moved into the knockout stages, where our composure continued. We confidentially won 1-0 with a fantastic goal from Evie. That confidence remained in the final, where we faced Springwell. With tensions running high, the girls played amazing football with careful passing, breaking through their defence. Evie and Savannah are keeping their goalscoring record going by scoring a goal each, winning the borough title for Strand! A massive well done to Drey, Eve, Carmen, Sophie, Evie, Savannah, Alba, Pheonix, and Asma.
• Monday 24 November 2025 Primary Maths Challenge Lots of pupils from Years 4, 5 and 6 took part in the Primary Maths Challenge this week. Well done to everyone, including the intrepid group from Year 4, for their determination and resilience tackling some very tricky questions. Amongst many superb performances, special mention must go to Cary, Ruaridh and Leahna from Year 5 and Ayrton, Gaia, Kolka, Matty, Hugo, Dylan, Henry and Vladi from Year 6 who all earned a Gold award. We are waiting for news tofind out how many of them have qualified for the bonus round in February.
• Sunday 9 November 2025 Anti-bullying Week 2024: Use Your Power for Good Anti-Bullying Week takes place next week. This year's theme is 'Use your Power for Good'. Each class will be having discussions about what bullying means to us, how we can stop bullying by calling it out and being upstanders. Each year group will explore this theme throughout the week, and on Friday 14th, we will have BLUE (Be Lovely and Understanding to Everybody) day, where everybody can wear blue mufti to show our commitment to anti-bullying every day at Strand. Odd socks can also be worn on Friday (they don't have to be blue!) to celebrate that we are all different but all equal.
• Sunday 9 November 2025 Year 2 Meeting and Open Morning We are holding our Open Morning on Wednesday, 12th November, with tours and a meeting for prospective Year 2 parents. Current parents are welcome to visit to see the school in action between 9:00 and 10:30 and be given a tour by your children. We are looking forward to seeing you if you can come along.
• Saturday 25 October 2025 Quiz Night - 14th November Last year we resurrected Quiz Night and, by popular demand, it's back.
• Saturday 25 October 2025 Secondary Transfer Deadline – 31 October 2025 The deadline for secondary transfer applications is fast approaching. Submitting a late application greatly reduces the chance of a child getting a place at one of their preferred schools. Late applications will only be processed after the first allocation of places to on-time applicants on 2 March 2026 - make sure you get yours in on time to avoid unnecessary complications.
• Saturday 25 October 2025 Feed the Birds Last year, Year 6 took part in a competition run by the Strand on the Green Association to raise awareness about what foods are suitable to feed the birds on the river. The whole year group designed posters with different birds that can be found there, but there were only seven lucky winners. Last Friday, Isla, Matty, Salem, Kolka, Ellie, Atousa and Vladi were all invited for the unveiling of their posters. If you're stuck for what to feed the birds, their fantastic posters are displayed along the towpath to help you!
• Friday 10 October 2025 Raise Money with Easy Fundraising If you haven't signed up to easyfundraising yet, please join and raise free donations for the school every time you shop online with over 7000 brands. Click here to raise funds for school or scan the QR code on the right.
• Friday 10 October 2025 Healthier Together – NHS-Approved Online Advice Hounslow have launched a new website for families. Hounslow Healthier Together is a trusted
• Friday 3 October 2025 Online author visit for Year 3 Last Friday, Year 3 were delighted to have the opportunity to share in an online author visit from Abiola Bello. She captured her audience's attention immediately when she shared that she wrote her first story at 8 and her first book at 12! After being introduced to one of her novels 'Wild Magic', which is set in Africa and tells the exciting tale about a legendary black lion, she passed on her inspirations and asked the audience for questions. Jesse 3R had enquired what was Abiola's favourite book and she explained that she loved the Harry Potter series and any books with superheroes and magic. Another exciting scoop was that she has written a series of books with Marcus Rashford, 'The Breakfast Club Adventures', which are inspired by Rashford's own childhood experiences and focus on teamwork and friendship (something that we are also focusing on in Year 3 and is certainly a good recommendation for next book choices).
• Friday 3 October 2025 Year 4 Pedestrian Training Road safety specialists visited this week to provide pedestrian skills training for Year 4. The children participated with enthusiasm and learnt essential road safety skills that will make them safer pedestrians. Training was completed with experienced instructors on the pavements and roads around the school. The training reminded the children of Stop, Look and Listen, and included:
• Friday 26 September 2025 Strand Food Bank Collection Needs Your Help Our local foodbank in Brentford who we work with is desperate for donations. They need anything that's non-perishable eg. cereals, baby food, pasta, rice, sugar, milk, pudding (eg rice pudding or custard), tinned fruit and veg, pasta sauces, tinned tomatoes, tinned meat/fish, tea/coffee, biscuits. Any toiletries like shampoo/conditioner, body wash, toothbrush/paste, sanitary products and nappies (of all sizes) would be much appreciated.

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