A Thames Adventure for Our LARP Students With City Cruises

We are delighted to share some wonderful news! Before Christmas, we entered into a Greenwich Giving charity competition, and to our delight, Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys LARP was chosen as the winner. The prize of six Family Passes for City Cruises meant we could give our LARP students a fantastic day out on the river. Ms Murphy, Head of the LARP Provision coordinated the trip and helped to plan a memorable day out.

On 24th March, that long-awaited day finally arrived.

Ten students and six members of staff set off together, catching the bus to Greenwich Pier before boarding the 10:30am City Cruise. The students were incredibly excited as we climbed to the top deck and took our seats for our journey along the Thames.

The views were spectacular. From the skyline of Canary Wharf to the Shard, the Gherkin, the London Eye, and the many bridges stretching across the river, the students were captivated. Our boat paused at Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament before looping back towards Greenwich, giving everyone time to take in the sights and enjoy the experience from start to finish.

There were enthusiastic waves to passing boats, plenty of cheerful shouts of “Ahoy!” and no shortage of photo opportunities. Students loved posing in front of the many iconic landmarks along the route, and we even had our lunch on the boat too.

A huge thank you to the staff who supported this trip – your presence made the experience so smooth and so special.

And of course, our heartfelt gratitude to Greenwich Giving for this generous prize. You gifted our students a day filled with excitement, discovery, and memories they’ll carry with them - such a fantastic opportunity. 

Watch now: 

We are delighted to share the latest edition of the PolyMAT Trust Newsletter (Issue 6) - a celebration of our people, our values, and the incredible work taking place across our schools this term.

This issue explores our Trust-wide theme of resilience, reflected in everything from our inaugural PolyMAT Conference, to the inspiring activities taking place in classrooms, to the achievements and community spirit shown across each of our schools.

This edition includes:

• Highlights from the first ever PolyMAT Conference, bringing together over 500 colleagues
• Insights from each headteacher on how resilience is lived and nurtured in their school
• Free support services and activities available to families over the spring break
• A celebration of our 200th YouTube video milestone
• Updates, achievements and stories from across our Poly Family

As always, this newsletter reflects the CARE and UNITY that sit at the heart of our Trust and drive our shared vision of Success for Everyone.

We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
Read the full Spring 2026 edition now

Whether you are looking for ways to keep the kids busy over the holidays, explore local culture, get creative, or enjoy the great outdoors, this list is packed with brilliant free options for families, young people and the community.

Dive in, plan your days, and share it with someone who loves a freebie! 

Greenwich

• Thrive Impact Youth Club in Thamesmead - Thamesmead
• Saturday Art Club | Royal Museums Greenwich
• Windrush Food Culture | National Maritime Museum
• Easter holidays 2026: workshops for kids at the Queen's House Greenwich
• Lesnes Abbey Easter Festival 2026 - Lesnes Abbey Woods
• FBM Ballet Class - Thamesmead
• Easter Kids Crafts - Royal Arsenal Easter Market | The Makers Nook
• Discovery Days: Spring Surprises | The Royal Parks
• Calendar - Young Greenwich Youth Services
• Family Trails and Backpacks at the Queen’s House - Self Guided Trail in Greenwich, Greenwich - Visit Greenwich
• Easter Trail 2026 | Bunnies in the Beds Go to Wonderland - Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust
• Preserve My Language, Protect My Culture: Language Classes
• Vegan Potluck Social
• Paper Egg Weaving
• Be a Bird

Bexley

• Bexleyheath’s Rabbit Run — Enjoy Bexleyheath
• Easter Egg Hunt | At Ruxley Manor Garden Centre Sidcup
• Easter Kids Crafts - Danson House Easter Market | The Makers Nook
• Online intermediate coding workshop for kids 7 to 11 | London Borough of Bexley
• Easter Egg Hunt and Games – Christ Church, Erith
• Bluewater Nature Trail

London

• SPRING FAMILY FUN DAY 4 April – Phoenix Garden
• Architecture Explorers: Family Trail | Southbank Centre
• Our Freedom: Then and Now | Southbank Centre
• Simmer Down: Good Friday Family Special | Southbank Centre
• Relaxed Sessions: Inspiring Exhibitions | Southbank Centre
• Community Quilting: A Family Workshop | Southbank Centre
• Print your own tea towel | London Museum
• Packaging design workshop | London Museum
• Anansi goes to lunch – storytelling | London Museum
• Paint with food | London Museum
• Tasty tropical loaves | London Museum
• Faith Events: Easter Tree of Life - Canary Wharf
• The Elephant Trail | Battersea Power Station
• LEGO® Easter Fun | Battersea Power Station
• Colour, Doodle, Draw | Battersea Power Station
• Where Can I Find A Playground In Central London? Try This Map | Londonist
• Design Club (11-14): Spring Holiday - Workshop at Young V&A · V&A
• Family Design Challenge - Workshop at Young V&A · V&A
• Drop-in Design: Wiggly Weaving - Drop-in at V&A South Kensington · V&A
• Family Activity: Micro to Macro! - Drop-in at Young V&A · V&A
• Tate Draw at Tate Britain | Tate
• Story Space Read Aloud: Dean Atta | Tate Britain
• Easter Extravaganza Tickets, Saturday, Apr 4 from 11 am to 5 pm | Eventbrite
• Easter Weekender at Camden Market - Saturday 4th! Tickets, Saturday, Apr 4 from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm | Eventbrite
• The Roden Centre for Creative Learning: The Welcome space, our dedicated space for families | Events | National Gallery, London

SEND Inclusive

• SEND-ability - Thamesmead
• The Javan Coker Foundation Easter Adventures 2026 | Royal Borough of Greenwich
• Divine Buzz Wheel of Easter – Afternoon session | Royal Borough of Greenwich
• SEND Play - Feb-June 2026 - Drop-in at Young V&A · V&A
• SENDivate's Easter Egg Hunt – Afternoon | Royal Borough of Greenwich
• Learning Disability Disco Night

Throughout the visit, students will participate in a variety of organised cultural and educational activities designed to enrich their understanding of Spanish life and support their language learning.

Planned activities are:

• Madrid City Walking Tour – Guided exploration of Madrid’s historic centre and major landmarks.
•  Museo del Prado – View masterpieces by famous Spanish artists Velázquez and Goya.
• Madrid Royal Palace – Explore Spain’s grand royal residence and learn royal history.
•  Mercado de San Miguel – Discover traditional Spanish foods in a historic market.
•  Flamenco Performance – Experience traditional Spanish music, dance and cultural performance.
•  Parque de Atracciones Theme Park – Enjoy rides and attractions at Madrid’s famous theme park.
• Parque del Retiro – Relax in Madrid’s historic park with gardens and monuments.

In addition to these visits, students will be encouraged to practise their Spanish in real-life situations throughout the trip, helping to build confidence in communication and cultural understanding.

The educational benefits for this visit are to support students’ learning by:

• Developing confidence using Spanish in authentic situations.
•  Increasing cultural awareness and understanding of Spain.
• Supporting classroom learning through real-world experiences.
• Encouraging independence, teamwork and responsibility.

All activities will be supervised by school staff, and students will be expected to maintain high standards of behaviour throughout the visit.

The total cost of the trip is £650. This includes travel, accommodation, breakfast, dinner, planned activities and supervision.

Further details, including payment, travel arrangements, accommodation information and a detailed itinerary will follow in due course.

Please ask your son to collect a letter from Miss Kamberaj if he is interested in going on this trip.

Yours sincerely,

Miss A Kamberaj

MFL Teacher (Head of Languages)

We are thrilled to share some incredible news from KS3 Geography!

Earlier this school year, our KS3 students participated in the UK Polar Network’s Antarctica Flag Project. This fantastic initiative invites young people to learn about Antarctica – a continent dedicated to peaceful scientific collaboration – and to design flags inspired by its unique environment, wildlife, and global significance.

The aims of the project were to:

• Teach students about Antarctica as a place where nations collaborate and share scientific research to peacefully manage 10% of the Earth.
• Encourage the creation of flag designs for Antarctica that reflect students’ interests and inspiration.
• Connect classroom learning with scientists and educators currently working in Antarctica.

As part of the project, selected student-designed flags are taken all the way to Antarctica by real scientists working in the field.

Our students submitted 30 creative and thoughtful entries, and we are delighted to announce that one of our designs, created by Xyle in Year 8, was chosen to represent Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys in Antarctica.

Our winning flag has officially travelled to Seymour Island, located in the Weddell Sea! The flag was carried by Floortje Van Den Heuvel, a Cloud Physicist with the British Antarctic Survey, who photographed it on location – complete with emperor penguins in the background.

Alongside the photographs, we received an official certificate confirming the journey:

• Location: Seymour Island, Weddell Sea
• Latitude: 64.17°S
• Longitude: 56.45°W
• Flag bearer: Floortje Van Den Heuvel, Cloud Physicist
• Signed by:

This is an extraordinary achievement for our students, and we want to extend a huge congratulations to all entrants for their creativity and enthusiasm. Their work highlights not only artistic talent but also a growing understanding of global citizenship and environmental stewardship.