Athena Learning Hub • October 2026 Newsletter

ATHENA GODDESS

Wisdom leads the way

Athena, the goddess of wisdom and courage, now welcomes families into the October newsletter as a bright symbol of confident learning, careful thinking and creative ideas.

GROW YOUR CONFIDENCE

Little steps. Brilliant possibilities.

Choose one idea to try this week. Celebrate the effort, enjoy the discovery and keep building together.

KS2 | YOUR OCTOBER TOOLKIT

Read, pause, think. Read for 10–15 minutes. Predict what happens next and find a word or sentence that supports your idea.

Explain your maths. Practise a few multiplication facts, then explain a strategy: “I know 6 × 7 = 42, so 7 × 6 = 42.”

Say it before you write it. Rehearse one clear sentence aloud. Write it, then check the capital letter, punctuation and meaning.

Finish with a win. Name one thing you can do now and one question to bring to your tutor.

PARENTS | SUPPORT THAT HELPS

Keep it manageable. Agree a calm, regular practice time. Split a difficult task into small steps and take a break when needed.

Ask, then listen. Try “How did you work that out?” or “Which part helped you?” Give thinking time before offering a prompt.

Praise a specific effort. “You reread that sentence and corrected it” tells your child what worked.

Keep in touch. Tell the tutor what felt easy or tricky. Record any support given so the next lesson can target the right skill.

YOUR STUDY TOOLKIT

Make practice count

SPELLING SPOTLIGHT | NOTICE • BUILD • REMEMBER

1. Listen. Say the word clearly. Segment its sounds and match them to letters or letter groups; do not guess from its first letter.
2. Spot the pattern. Group words such as night, light, bright. Underline igh and practise reading the words.
3. Build the word. Notice meaningful parts: help → helpful → unhelpful. Explain what each part changes.
4. Retrieve and check. Look closely, cover, write from memory, then compare. Correct the tricky part and try again later.
5. Use it. Write a sentence with the word. Revisit a small set of words across the week.
Parent tip: Ask your child to explain the pattern. Practise three well-chosen words rather than a long list.

KS4 GCSE | MAKE EACH REVISION SESSION COUNT

Choose a clear target: “Solve equations with brackets” is more useful than “revise maths”. Use your own exam board, specification and tier.
Recall first: Close your notes and write what you remember. Check gaps, then make a few question-and-answer cards.
Practise exam questions: Read the command word and marks available. In English, support a point with a precise quotation and explain its effect. In maths, show each step and check the result.
Mark, repair, return: Use the relevant mark scheme, note why a mark was missed and redo the question. Revisit it a few days later.
Try a 25-minute routine: 5 minutes recall + 15 minutes questions + 5 minutes corrections. Take a break afterwards.
Parent tip: Help plan realistic sessions, offer to quiz from revision cards and protect time for sleep and rest.

KS2 DETECTIVE CHALLENGE

🧩 Can you find the missing book?

KS2 PUZZLE | THE MISSING HALLOWEEN BOOK

Solve the clues to reveal a four-letter word. It tells you where the missing book is hidden!
1. Calculate 7 × 3 − 9. Use A = 1, B = 2 ... Z = 26 to turn your answer into a letter.
2. Take the first letter of a word meaning “not closed”.
3. Unscramble XOF. Take the first letter of the animal’s name.
4. Take the first letter of the shape with three sides.
My secret word: ____ ____ ____ ____
Bonus: Write a sentence about finding a mysterious book there. Answers are at the end of this newsletter.

Reveal the secret word — after you have tried!

1. 7 × 3 − 9 = 12 → L.
2. Open → O.
3. XOF becomes FOX → F.
4. Triangle → T.
The book is hidden in the LOFT!

ATHENA'S HALLOWEEN POETRY COMPETITION

The night the pumpkins whispered…

Calling our younger learners in KS1 and KS2! Where will your imagination take you?

On Halloween, beneath the moon,
The pumpkins hummed a secret tune.
A silver owl swept past the gate,
And whispered, “Come — it’s getting late!”

YOUR CHALLENGE | ADD THREE MORE STANZAS

Keep the starter above and add three more stanzas (poem paragraphs), aiming for four lines in each. Give your poem a title.

Stanza 2: Where do you go? Describe what you can see or hear.
Stanza 3: Something surprising happens. Who or what do you meet?
Stanza 4: Bring the adventure to an imaginative ending.

Your poem can be funny, magical or gently spooky. Rhyming is optional. Try vivid words, a simile or sound words such as rustle, tap and whoosh. Read it aloud and improve one line.

Win a new reading adventure!

THE PRIZE | A NEW READING ADVENTURE

A reading book prize will be awarded for the most creative poem.
We will look for original ideas, vivid description and an imaginative ending. Spelling helps readers, but creativity is the heart of this challenge.

How to enter: Give your poem to your Athena tutor by 6 November 2026. Include your first name and school year. A parent or carer can also email it to athenalearninghub@outlook.com.
Closing date: Friday 6 November 2026.
Winner: Contacted through their parent or carer in November.
One entry per learner. Adults may help with reading or recording ideas; the poem’s ideas and words should be the child’s own.

Parent/carer: email your entry →

A BIGGER STAGE FOR YOUNG WRITERS

📻 BBC 500 Words

A national storytelling challenge with a radio heritage.

WRITE A STORY YOU WOULD LOVE TO READ

BBC 500 Words began on BBC Radio 2 and celebrates children’s storytelling. Create an original story of 500 words or fewer.

Who can enter? Children aged 5–11 living in the UK, in two age groups: 5–7 and 8–11. Check the official rules for eligibility and the age cut-off.

How to enter: A parent, carer or teacher submits the typed story using the BBC’s official online entry form. Visit the link below for the current entry window, deadline, prizes and full terms.

What to write: Invent an interesting character, give them a problem and decide how their adventure ends. Your story can be funny, mysterious or magical.

Visit the official BBC 500 Words page →

Check the official page for the current deadline, prizes and full rules. This story competition is entered separately from Athena’s Halloween poem competition.