FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER  ISSUE 1:                             13.9.19

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.

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.

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 or any whole school ideas, 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 vacancy and vacancy
• Year 1  Sam Lawton  and Katherine Elphick
• Year 2 Victoria Moore and Nienke Van de sande
• Year 3 Davinia Skinner and Elizabeth Warr
• Year 4 Fiona Phillip and Sonja Phipps
• Year 5 Sarah Birch  and Laura Donlon
• Year 6 Lucy Hill and Lisa Davidson

Our first meeting for the year was earlier this week when we discussed further, our plans for the year.

School Improvement Plan 2019 – 2020
The Parent Forum is a place for parents and the school to work together on projects linked to the School Improvement Plan or any suggested whole school ideas that might be suitable. Please see below the areas we are looking for ideas from parents for this academic year, which are linked to our School Improvement Plan.  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.

• To continue to raise attainment and progress in writing across the school – particular focus on boys (including phonics and spelling)

• To continue to improve further the rate of progress including gender imbalance, SEN and challenging the high attainers
• To embed assessment for learning (pupils’ owning their learning)
• To continue to develop our outside area, especially EYFS.
• Further development of multicultural awareness within Community Cohesion – visitors (classes/assemblies)
• Further develop pupil voice to strengthen pupils’ emotional development.
• To continue to develop our after school clubs offer
• To make more explicit to parents our behaviour policy and pupil progress information/communication systems
• To extend our electronic payment system
• To renew our Enhance Healthy Schools Award
• To review and develop our curriculum in light of government changes
• Attendance – reduce the number of unauthorised absences

We are looking for two representatives for Reception class.  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.

Parental Consent

To enable us to communicate with parents under GDPR, we are required to obtain your consent to forward (via our parentmail system) emails about after school clubs, communications from the Friends of Clavering and any other school community information. If you are happy to receive this information there is no need for any further action. If this is something you do not wish to receive, then please contact the school office.  If we have not had a response from you by the 30^thSeptember, we will assume you are happy to receive these communications. You will have the opportunity to update your consent each year when we send out the pupil update form

Meet the Teacher Evening – Wednesday 18^thSeptember

Wednesday 18^thSeptember

6.15 – 7pm – Mr Roberts Principal from JFAN to speak to parents of years 5 and 6 in the hall

Meet the Teacher sessions (in classrooms) –

6.15 – 7pm: Reception Class only

7.00 PM – 7.20 PM and repeated at 7.30 PM – 7.50 PM: Years groups 1 – 6

(We have repeated the session to accommodate families with more than one pupil in the school)

These evening sessions are for parents to attend without their children and will take place on Wednesday 18^thSeptember. Please go to your child’s class where the teacher will talk about the rules, routines and expectations of the class as well as the curriculum coverage.  This is not an evening for individual consultation, which will take place in October.  There will be an opportunity for your child to accompany you during our termly ‘tray afternoon’, which is an opportunity for you to look at your child’s work with them. The next one is to be held on Monday 16^thDecember from 3.15 – 4.15pm.

Food hygiene award

We are pleased to announce that we have been awarded a five star rating for food hygiene in our kitchen. This was renewed in September 2019 after a formal inspection against the required hygiene standards.

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.

HARVEST

During the week commencing 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

E-safety

Last week, as part of our school e-safety policy, we sent out some e-safety rules that we would like you to discuss with your child.  We will reinforce these messages in school. Please return the slip that is attached to the e-safety letter once you have been able to discuss the rules with your child.  Thank you

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.

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.

Application for leave of absence for term time holidays

The number of unauthorised absences is still increasing – it has DOUBLED in the last three years and it is increasing!! The figure was 15.85% in 2015 – 2016.  28.48% in 2016 – 2017.  32.45%  in 2017 – 2018 and 34% in 2018 – 2019.  This is a concern and needs to be reduced.

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 noentitlement 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.”

Please note occasional days for birthdays and treats cannot be authorized and cheaper prices cannot be considered to be a valid reason. No leave of absence will be granted during our assessment weeks or the first week of the Autumn term. Medical appointments, if at all possible should be made outside school hours.  Siblings of children attending medical appointments should remain in school.

School Admissions – Primary and Secondary – Apply Now!!

To apply quickly and easily for primary and secondary school places go online tohttp://www.essex.gov.uk/Education-Schools/Schools/Admissions/Pages/Apply-Online.aspx

For secondary applications – (children in year 6) apply from 12 September 2019

https://www.essex.gov.uk/apply-for-a-secondary-school-place

For primary applications – (child born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016) You can apply for a primary (Reception) place from Monday 11^thNovember 2019.

https://www.essex.gov.uk/apply-for-a-primary-school-place

Applications can be made online via www.essex.gov.uk/admissions

Ooo000ooO

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

13^thSeptember                    Non uniform day Saville – House Points

18^th September                    Meet the Teacher   – Duncan Roberts, JFAN Principal talking to years 5 and 6 parents 6.15 – 7pm.

Meet the Teacher sessions – Reception 6.15 – 7pm.  Years 1 – 6 repeated sessions

7 – 7.30 or 7.30 – 8pm

20^thSeptember                    Non uniform day Saville for the most questionnaire responses. Oliver – Sports Day

winners

27^thSeptember – 4^thOctoberBook Fair

27^thSeptember                    MacMillan Coffee Morning

3^rdOctober                         School Council Conference

1^st  – 4^thOctober                  Bikeability for year 6

7^thand 11^thOctober             Bikeability for year 6

16^thOctober                       Cross Country Event years 2 – 6 at JFAN

17^thOctober                       School Improvement Evening for staff and Governors

23^rdOctober                       Parent Evening 5 – 7.30pm

24^thOctober                       Parent Evening 3.30 – 6pm

7^thNovember                      Skootfit years Reception, 1 and  2

7^thNovember                      School Photos

22^nd  November                   Open morning for new parents

2^ndDecember                      Flu Vaccine

3^rdDecember                      Reception Class visit Santa at Audley End

11^th December                     Christmas Performance dress rehearsals and evening performance for years 5 and 6 parents

12^thDecember                     Christmas Performances – Reception, KS1 and KS2 (years 3 and 4 parents)

16^thDecember                     Tray Day 3.15 – 4.15pm

17^thDecember                     Church Service

18^thDecember                     Christmas Lunch

REMINDERS:

• SWIMMING, Year 3 will have a term of swimming instruction in the Autumn and Year 2 in the Spring.  If your child is fit to attend school then they are fit to go swimming, unless a medical note is provided.  Swimming will commence Monday September 9th for 13 weeks. Swimming costs £6.75  per session.  This can be paid termly – £79.00   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