Headteacher Newsletter: Issue 1
Headteacher Newsletter: Issue 1 16.9.16
This is the first of our fortnightly newsletters for this academic year. Welcome again to the new term and it is very pleasing to see how well the children have settled into the new term.
We would like to welcome Jack Bridle and his family who joined class one this week.
Each class will be sending out a class newsletter. Each newsletter will inform you of the curriculum that is being taught this term and the trips that have been planned.
We would like to congratulate and thank Linda Docking for her 30 years of service to the school so far!! The school, during an impromptu assembly, awarded Mrs Docking some flowers from us all.
Class 6 walk
Year 6 enjoyed a beautiful morning for their class walk on Thursday. They practised their map reading skills and covered approximately 5 miles of the footpaths surrounding Clavering. They were able to observe changes in season reflected in nature along the hedgerows and in the farmers’ fields.
Parent Forum
There is a parent representative for each year group on the Parent Forum, working as a link between the head teacher and all parents in the school. Should you have any queries or suggestions that you would like to be discussed at the forum, which are linked to our agenda items, then please contact the representative for your year group, via the school office. Parents will be notified of the themes that are being explored at the meetings through the fortnightly newsletter or the class representative. The current members are:
- Year R Helen Casson
- Year 1 Alice Wilson, Dan Carter and Katherine Elphick
- Year 2 Sarah Birch
- Year 3 Lucy Hill
- Year 4 Sonja Phipps
- Year 5 Kym Elliston
- Year 6 Sophie Chalk and Jayne Hartley
Our first meeting for the year was earlier this week when we discussed further our plans for the outside space, provision for clubs, as well as our School Improvement areas for this academic year.
School Improvement Plan 2016 – 2017
The Parent Forum is a place for parents and the school to work together on around projects linked to the School Improvement Plan. Please see below for the areas we are looking for ideas from parents for this academic year. Should you have any suggestions that you would like to be discussed at the forum, linked to the areas below, then please contact the representative for your year group via the school office or directly.
- Raise attainment and progress in Writing across the school – particular focus on boys (including Phonics)
- Develop and embed the new school curriculum following amendments
- To develop the new assessment tool
- To improve further the rate of progress including gender imbalance, SEN and challenging the high attainers
- To embed assessment for learning
- To continue to develop our outside area in response to our Whole School Wish List from our Vision Day last year.
- Further development of multicultural awareness within Community Cohesion – visitors (classes/assemblies)
- Pupil voice to strengthen pupils’ emotional development
- To develop our after school clubs offer
- To make more explicit to parents our Whole School Behaviour Policy and transition arrangements
- To develop/review homework policy
- To develop an electronic payment system
- Attendance – reduce the number of unauthorised absences
We are looking for a second parent representative for Years 2, 3, 4 and 5. If you are able to attend a meeting once a term/half term and would be willing to be a representative then please contact the school office.
Friends of Clavering AGM
The Friends of Clavering Annual General Meeting took place this week to review the year and organise events for the next. The Friends raised around £11,000 for the school last year, which is an amazing achievement and an excellent source of funding for the school. Much of this went towards our Outside Area, Phonics and Mathematics resources for the pupils. Other funding has supported The Wider Opportunities provision.
On behalf of the school I would like to thank the Friends of Clavering and the parents that have contributed to this amount. Without this extra funding, alongside the cuts that are being made to school funding, we would not be able to maintain the high standards of education in the form that we currently provide.
A special thank you to Amanda Crabb and Rachel Betts, the Chair of Friends, and Felicity Cowler, the Treasurer. Amanda Crabb and Felicity Cowler are stepping down from their roles but will still have an active role on the committee. Dominic Crabb is taking over as Treasurer.
Meet the Teacher Evening – Wednesday 21st September
7 PM – 7.20 PM and repeated at 7.30 PM – 7.50 PM
The events will take place in each class room.
(We have repeated the session to accommodate families with more than one pupil in the school)
This is an opportunity for each teacher to share with you the class rules, routines and expectations as well as the curriculum coverage for the term. This is not an evening for individual consultation, which will take place at the end of October. There will be an opportunity for you to look at your child’s work during our termly ‘tray afternoon’ which will be held on Wednesday 7th December from 3.15 – 4.00pm.
Healthy Snacks
We would like to encourage all children to bring in a snack for break time. It is a long time between breakfast and lunch and a snack, as well as a drink of water, make a big difference to children’s concentration levels and ability to learn. As a healthy school we have agreed strict guidelines for the type of snack brought in, it must be fruit or vegetable in the form in which it grew (ie. nothing added, not stretchy or made into a bar and wrapped). This also helps to promote our eco school policies of reducing waste and packaging.
Each class will be taking part in a healthy eating project this half term to promote the bringing of a healthy snack for break time with competition for good snack eating in fruity teams. We would also like to take this opportunity to encourage a healthy balanced lunch box for those not taking a school lunch. Classes will be working on ideas for this in their food technology lessons this year.
NUT FREE SCHOOL
Please note that we are a nut free school. We have several children with allergic reactions and therefore children cannot bring nuts in their snacks or lunch boxes.
Thank you.
Harvest
During the week 10th – 14th October, we will be celebrating harvest in school. This year we will be collecting non-perishable foods for a local food bank. Please would you be kind enough to donate one or some of the following food items:
- Tea bags
- Instant coffee
- Biscuits
- Cereal
- Sugar (500g)
- Rice (500g)
- Pasta (500g)
- Tinned soup, baked beans, rice pudding etc
Could you please make sure that the items have a long use-by date?
Many thanks for your support with this good cause.
Mrs Course
Sharing Assemblies – an invitation!
We would like to invite our parents to attend one of your child’s Sharing Assemblies. The assemblies take place in the hall on a Friday afternoon and start at 2.45pm. Listed below are dates when your child’s class will be taking part in a Sharing Assembly. Please join us on this date:
Autumn Term:
Class 6 11th November
Class 4 25th November
Spring Term:
Class 1 date to be arranged
Class 2 date to be arranged
Summer Term:
Class Reception date to be arranged
Class 3 date to be arranged
Class 5 date to be arranged
A Note from Mrs Ford
At the beginning of the new school year, I would like to pass on my heartfelt thanks for the wonderful, ‘send off’ I was given at the end of the summer term. Those present at my tea party witnessed my genuine surprise and delight at seeing both past and present colleagues, parents and pupils and I was really touched to think of everything that went on behind the scenes to enable this to happen. In addition to this, I was treated like royalty (complete with a wheeled ‘throne’) in the last assembly of the term. A special well done to my class, who managed everything in secret!
Thank you so much for your good wishes and the generous and thoughtful gifts I received. Seated in my garden at my elegant bistro set, wearing my beautiful pearl ear rings, I raised a champagne toast to the school community and enjoyed, rather emotionally, reading the messages in the lovely cards from children, classes, staff and parents.
I knew my fond and proud association with Clavering Primary School over the past twenty-three years would be difficult to end, so I look forward to seeing you again in my new role as a supply teacher!
PE Clothing – a reminder
In compliance with health and safety regulations, earrings (including studs) must not be worn for any sport. Please make sure that children who wear earrings know how to remove them and have somewhere safe and clean to keep them during PE lessons. Thank you.
Application for leave of absence for term time holidays
We actively discourage pupils from taking time off during term time. Requests should be made via leave of absence forms, which are available from the main school office. All holiday leave will be unauthorised unless there are very exceptional circumstances. All requests for leave will be acknowledged. If the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken the case is more than likely, under the new guidance, to have to be referred to the Education Welfare Service who may issue a Penalty Notice for £120 (or £60 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each child taken out of school.
Guidance from the Local Authority:
“Leave of absence may only be granted by a person authorised in that behalf by the proprietor of the school. As from 1st September 2013, the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 amended Regulation 7 to prohibit the proprietor of a maintained school from granting leave of absence to a pupil, except where an advance application has been made by the parent with whom the pupil normally resides, and the proprietor considers that there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application.
Taking your child out of school during term time could be detrimental to your child’s educational progress. There is no entitlement to parents to take their child out of school during term time, however, you may apply to the school for leave of absence if you believe there are exceptional circumstances.
If the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken, the case will be referred to the Education Welfare Service who may issue a Penalty Notice for £120 (or £60 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each child taken out of school.”
School Admissions – Primary and Secondary – Apply Now!!
To apply quickly and easily for primary and secondary school places go online to www.essex.gov.uk/admissions
For secondary applications – (children in year 6) apply between 5 September 2016 to 31 October 2016
For primary applications – (child born between 1 September 2012 and 31 August 2013) apply between 14 November 2016 to 15 January 2017
Free School Meals Funding
You can register for Free Schools Meals Funding if you meet the criteria below.
If you have a child in Key Stage One and are receiving the free meal which is part of the universal offer you could be missing out on this additional funding for the school, which will support your child with their learning, if you meet the criteria below. You have to apply for this funding. If you think you meet the criteria below then please follow the guidance below and contact the school office.
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
2nd September INSET
3rd September INSET
9th September Non uniform day for Wymarc (most house points Summer term)
16th September Non uniform day for Saville (most questionnaire responses) and Oliver (Sports Day winners).
21st September Meet the Teacher evening- repeated for siblings7 and then 7.30pm
30th September Macmillan Coffee Morning
3rd – 7th October Friendship Week
3rd – 7th October Book Fair
10th October E-safety for years 5 and 6 pupils, all class teacher and years 5 and 6 parents
13th October School Improvement Evening for staff and governors
13th October School Council Conference
14th October Halloween Disco – Friends of Clavering
18th October Parent Consultations 5 – 7pm
20th October Parent Consultations 3.30 – 5.30pm
21st October Non pupil day – INSET – Consortium Conference
8th November Bag2School – Friends of Clavering
11th November Sharing Assembly – an invitation for Year 6 parents
11th November Individual and family photographs
17th November Film Night – Friends of Clavering
25th November Sharing Assembly – an invitation for Year 4 parents
2nd December Christmas Fayre – Friends of Clavering
7th December Tray Day 3.15 – 4pm
14th December KS1 Dress Rehearsal am, KS2 Dress Rehearsal pm.
15th December Reception Nativity am, KS1 performance pm, KS2 performance eve
19th December Christmas Shopping Morning – Friends of Clavering
20th December Christmas Lunch
20th December Church Service
20th December Christmas Entertainment, Friends of Clavering
21st December Cross Country event am.
21st December End of term
5th January Spring Term begins
ACHIEVEMENTS
100% ATTENDANCE 2015 – 2016
(Please note that illness or medical appointments during school time are not classed as attendance. School trips, visits and sporting events are). Well done to:
Joseph Lawless, Alexander , Micah Windsor, Ted Betts, Rosie Cooper, Isla Lawton, Rebecca Langton, Daniel Liddle, Abigail , Imogen Allen, Bella Birch, Maya Parker, Georgie Collett, William Crabb, Patrick Neagu, Molly Pemberton, Sam Prentice, Mazie Wicks, Emer O’Keeffe, Beth Parker
REMINDERS:
- Swimming for this term is for year 2 and 3 on Mondays. Please make sure your payments are up to date, the cost is £5.00 per week, £65.00 per term. Please make cheques payable to Clavering Primary School.
- When it is raining heavily all the children walk to their classrooms through the main entrance. There will be a person on duty outside at the front of the school to take any messages and to guide the children. Please could parents leave their children at the main entrance/notice board area to avoid congestion in the entrance hall.
- Reception parents, at present, are escorting their children to Reception class, they need to do this when it is raining via the main entrance where they will need to sign in and collect a ‘visitor’ sticker before going through the school. They need to sign out via the main entrance once their children have been taken to class.
- When the weather is fine the usual routine applies. The children go on to the playground via the side gate and wait for the bell. There is a person on duty on the playground. There is also a person on the gate to take any messages from parents.
- Reception parents, at present, are escorting their children to Reception class via the side gate where they wait on the playground for the bell when Mrs Course or Mrs Berrett will meet the children.
If you have any questions at any time then please feel free to make an appointment
Have a good weekend
Rosalind Allsop
Headteacher
