We appreciate that parents / carers are taking a really considered approach with children’s levels of wellness, in order to keep the school a healthy environment. We welcome calls from parents / carers to enquire as to whether they should send their children into school.

We have undertaken attendance monitoring and have identified where there are ongoing concerns over individual children’s attendance, where absence is above that which would be expected despite the current COVID circumstances. Learning Leaders will be making contact with parents / carers to discuss any emerging concerns. If you want to discuss your child’s attendance, please speak with your child’s class teacher who will be happy to meet with you.

Don’t forget that we plan to offer our support to Red Nose Day 2022 this Friday 18^th March. We are inviting children to ‘dress in red’ in celebration of the day, and make a contribution of 50p which will be donated to the charity. We hope to have a supply of red noses being provided to us in the run up to the day, and children will be able to buy these in school (while stocks last!) for £1.50 if they wish. See you in red on Red Nose Day 2022!

Thank-you for the vibrant and colourful World Book Day that we had the pleasure of sharing with your children last week. A parent has shared with us the brilliant suggestion that costumes used for the occasion that will be outgrown next year but still in decent condition could be passed to the school for safekeeping and made available early next year ahead of World Book Day. This would save money and the planet by virtue of reusing the items. We think that this is a great idea!

If this sounds like something that you’d like to do then feel free to drop off costumes that will no longer be worn at Reception, we’ll look after them and make them available to families next January.

World book day this year was one of the best ever! The day was really focused on our favourite books and the the characters found within them. The children loved being able to share their books with us and each other.

Year 2 have just come out of the most amazing workshop based on ‘Where the Wild things Are.’ run by Julia , from West End in Schools.

They are now story mapping the story so they can retell it and write about it later.

Year three took part in a workshop, led by West End in Schools, based upon Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The children recreated the story through dance and creativity. Once perfected the children performed their story to music.

Mr Hampton and Mrs Galling were thrilled to be greeted by Charlie, Alfie and Ronnie in Year One, each enthusiastically clutching their book about space. Before half term the children had been learning about rockets, astronauts, asteroids, planets and were keen to make their own books.

The boys used their phonics to read back their writing, Charlie had used full stops to demarcate his sentences. Ronnie decided he wanted to write another page about a rocket. Fantastic writing boys, you are writers!

On Tuesday this week, across Years 1 to 6, assemblies were held and learning took place around our recognition of Safer Internet Day. An important day in our school calendar every year, this time around the focus fell upon relationships that we have with others online; what online respect looks like; supporting children’s understanding around the need to be respectful online in the same way as we are face-to-face. Please feel free to talk to your child’s teacher, and of course your child, about what they have experienced.

Linked to internet safety, we have this week added information for parents on the ‘Keeping Your Children Safe Online’ page on the school website. The information focusses upon ‘Reddit’. If you have seen your children using or heard them talking about Reddit, this information will be invaluable. Just click on the ‘Safeguarding’ link on the school’s home page.

Following Government Guidance you will be aware that face coverings are no longer mandatory. However, people are still advised to wear face coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces, or when meeting strangers.

As mentioned above, this locality has seen an increase in COVID cases in recent weeks, with children and adults in school being effected.

We would ask that for the current period, in order to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID in school, all parents/carers and visitors entering the school building wear a face covering, this includes:

• When attending Time to Think;
• When attending meetings in school;
• When accessing the School Office / Reception.

If you do not have a face covering, you will be asked to put one on – the office has a supply of disposable face coverings.

If you are exempt from wearing a face covering:

• Alternative arrangements will be made for you to attend meetings in order to provide a safe space;
• If accessing the school office you will need to wait just inside the Hub door on the purple spot on the floor, in order that admin staff can deal with your query safely;
• You will not be able to attend Time to Think, at this time

Please speak with a member of school staff if you have any questions regarding these measures. As with all our COVID Risk Assessment measures, we will continue to keep them under review and update you of any changes. We would hope that we can move on from this restriction very soon – thanks for working with us in the meantime.

Every day we have groups of children from Foundation Stage moving between the Foundation Stage, Hub and Work to take part in their spirals language learning.

They move about with great care, consideration, really thinking about what is happening around them. They really do deserve an individual mention on the newsletter.