Caring Curious Courageous

Enabling all children to learn and grow

Dear families,

I hope you had a lovely break.

We recently held our very first Careers Day at The Vineyard, and it was a fantastic success. A huge thank you to all the families—and their friends—who came in to speak with the children about such a wide range of exciting careers. Professions shared included architect, journalist, photographer, lawyer, actor, and programmer, to name just a few. The children found the event incredibly inspiring, and we’re very grateful for your involvement.

I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you of our upcoming mobile phone policy:

From September 2025, no child will be allowed to bring a smartphone onto the school site. The only exception will be for children in Years 5 and 6 who walk to and from school independently. In these cases, they may bring a basic "brick" phone—one that cannot access the internet.

This policy also applies to smartwatches and GPS tracking devices with communication functions, which will not be permitted on school grounds.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to all the families who have contributed towards closing the gap in school lunch funding. So far, we’ve received payments for 189 children, raising a fantastic £6,615—this is truly amazing and will make a big difference to our lunch budget. If you would still like to contribute, the payment option remains available on your School Money account.

Thank you for your continued support.

Warm regards,

Frances

Frances Bracegirdle

Headteacher - headteacher@vineyard.richmond.sch.uk

Teaching and Learning at The Vineyard

Please find your child's learning bulletin here:

Reception     Year 1     Year 2     Year 3     Year 4     Year 5     Year 6

These bulletins outline the topics your child will be studying this half-term and highlight the key learning objectives. We highly encourage families to print it out, if possible, and display it at home where you can easily refer to and discuss it together. 

If a particular topic sparks your child's interest, consider visiting the local library or using the school library to explore more books on the subject. You will find ideas for activities, books and trips, linked to the learning, towards the end of each learning bulletin. Engaging in pre-learning with your child at home is a wonderful way to help them build confidence and a deeper understanding of their learning. 

If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's class teacher via the year group inbox. 

Ms Reilly and Mrs Dempster 

Assistant Headteachers for Teaching & Learning

NSPCC's Number Day 2025 - the 25th anniversary! 

On Friday 13th June, we are inviting children to come to school dressed in maths-themed outfits. In the afternoon, they will enjoy a range of fun, off-timetable maths games and activities to celebrate the power and joy of numbers.

We are encouraging families to make a voluntary contribution to support the NSPCC’s vital work. Donations can be made easily via the following link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/vineyard-school-1736086342298?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL&utm_campaign=015

Music Instrument Bursaries - September 2025

I am very happy to announce that thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Friends of the Vineyard, we are able to offer bursaries for music instrument tuition, commencing in September. This financial support also applies to Rocksteady and Richmond Music Trust lessons. 

If you find the cost of lessons to be a financial stretch, or you have not applied because the cost is prohibitive, please email music@vineyard.richmond.sch.uk in the first instance, including the child's name, instrument and (if already taking lessons) name of teacher. We will share details of the application process with you.

TotallyRAD piano lessons - Notice of termination

We have terminated our contract with TotallyRAD and their last lessons will take place in July. If your child is currently taking lessons with RAD and you wish to discuss alternative options for September, please email music@. You should also terminate your contracts individually, now, to avoid being charged for lessons your child did not take.

Artist from Careers Day holding London show later this month

James Johnston, veteran musician-turned-artist, joined our Careers Fair for Years 5 and 6, where children quizzed him about how he got into art, why his studio is so messy, how much his paintings sell for and - his favourite question of the afternoon - how one goes about painting an emotion.

James started painting in order to make the most of the endless hotel downtime when touring with alternative rock luminary, PJ Harvey. He started painting small-scale, postcard-sized pictures in his hotel. He challenged himself to produce one painting per day. Over time, interest has grown in his work, and he has enjoyed several shows in the UK and internationally. 

James’s figurative paintings contain his signature dark humour and moody colourways. He has a private view on Tuesday 17th June at the Fitzrovia Gallery, Whitfield Street and his art is available via his Instagram account, jamesfjohnston