Dear Families and Friends,

For those eagle-eyed among you, you may have spotted two mysterious characters at the bottom of last week’s email. If they swooped by unnoticed, here they are again. Did you guess what they were about?

This week, the children met these characters properly, and we'd like to introduce them to you as well. They represent the way we think and learn at St Bart’s, and from now on, your children will be seeing them in all sorts of contexts as we explore the art of thoughtful learning.

So, what is this "thinking about thinking" all about? We have made a short video for families, which we would be delighted for you to watch. Simply click on the picture below:

Watch the family video

You can also view the video that many of the children have already enjoyed by clicking this next picture:

Watch the children’s video

Whatever their age, we encourage all our children to become true “Brain Bosses”! This helps them not just in lessons, but in all of life’s challenges. Through these ideas, they’ll learn how to think critically, spot bias, regulate their emotions, make wise choices, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Who knows, perhaps we’re raising future “brain engines,” ready to steam ahead in all they do!

At the end of Friday, I challenged the children to remember and share what they had learned this week. Please help keep this spirit chugging along by asking them what they remember, and perhaps watching the videos together again this weekend. Let’s see who’s on the right track when Monday morning arrives!

Today, Saturday 27th September 2025, marks a wonderful milestone: the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the railway! You may have seen news coverage about the historic ‘Stockton to Darlington Railway’. Many of these reports mention George Stephenson sending his son, Robert, to "a school in Long Benton". As our children know, that very school was St Bart’s! It’s amazing to ponder the impact our pupils might have on the world. Perhaps the next world-changer is already among us!

Finally, a quick heads-up: disco tickets will be on sale later in the week. Keep your eyes peeled for posters and further information coming soon. We’re not just training Brain Bosses… we might also discover some dancing stars on the horizon!

Wishing all of our families a restful weekend full of blessings.

Yours sincerely,
Mr Restall & The St Bart’s Team