Headteacher Newsletter Issue 6
FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER ISSUE 6: 25.11.22
Dear Parents
Extra Bank Holiday
In light of the announcement of His Majesty’s coronation on Saturday 6th May 2023, an additional bank holiday has been announced on Monday 8th May. Settings that are normally closed on a bank holiday should close on this day. This will include schools and colleges. The Standards and Testing Agency updated us to day to say that the KS2 SATs that week will just start a day later ie the Tuesday and finish on the Friday.
Forest School
Reception
Reception, Class 1 and Class 4 have been enjoying the forest this term watching the seasons change and enjoying some amazing outdoor learning. The area of the wood that we use has been moved to allow the old part to recover so there have been many opportunities to explore new parts of the wood. Thank you to class 4 who moved lots of old branches so the younger children could build dens. Class 4 have been walking to and from Snail Wood on Tuesdays and Class 1 and Reception have been going on Friday mornings. The children have been amazing at working together, looking for bugs and watching and discussing the seasonal changes.
Thank you to Mrs Berrett, Mrs Thomas and Mrs Elliston for leading our session and of course, to Mr Cook for welcoming us to his wonderful garden!
Year 1
Last week class 1 enjoyed their first forest school session. The weather was lovely and sunny for their morning and they enjoyed building dens, and finding snails. We can’t wait to go back next week!
Year 4
Year 4 have really enjoyed their first 2 weeks in forest school. We have experienced all kinds of weather but this has not stopped us from appreciating the sounds of nature, creating our new forest school names, building dens, climbing trees and some of us have even created our own woodland homes and orchestra!
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Year 3
Class 3 had a great Ancient Egyptian Day. All children (and adults) came to school dressed as Egyptians, everyone looked fantastic! We spent the morning moving between different stations creating Egyptian crafts this included mummification, painting tiles and writing our names in hieroglyphics. In the afternoon we were split into groups. Each group rehearsed a performance of an Egyptian tale. We then came together for a banquet where we performed to the Pharaoh (Harry) and his Queen (Evie). Thank you to all parent helpers for making the day possible.
Scootfit
KS1
On Thursday, Reception, Class 1 and 2 took part in scootfit sessions with a coach from the Uttlesford School Sports Partnership. They learnt how to stay safe when scooting near the road, how to stop with and without using the back break, steering, and dodging techniques. The children listened really well and had a great time!
Children in need
Thank you for all your fantastic support for this event. The children had a fun day and looked fabulous with their crazy hair styles. We raised a whopping £171.
Piano competition
A number of our pupils who have piano lessons with Mrs Thomas at school, have entered the Saffron Walden Music Festival piano competition and will be competing in different age groups on Saturday at Saffron Hall. What an amazing venue to perform in! We wish the following Clavering competitors the very best of luck and hope they enjoy playing in such outstanding acoustics:
Y6 – Anna
Y4 – Poppy, Darcey and Alexa
Y3 – Elise
Dodgeball
On Wednesday 16th November, Class 6 took part in a Dodgeball tournament at JFAN against other local schools. Everyone played well demonstrating good skills and sportsmanship. We had four different teams playing in 4 groups: Team A came 4th, Team B came 1st, Team C came 1st and Team D came 5th in their respective group. Thank you to Mrs Rotheram and Mrs Hall for helping. Well done Class 6 we were very proud of all of you!
COVID and Flu
Unfortunately we are getting cases of COVID in school. Even though there is no requirement now to test or isolate we are recommending medical advice with a known positive case of 5 days isolation for adults and 3 for children in order to reduce the spread.
The UKHSA and the NHS are encouraging everyone who is eligible to book their Covid-19 and flu vaccines as they are the best defence against both viruses. Flu has started circulating at low levels, mainly in children and younger people at the moment.
School Admissions – Primary and Secondary – Apply Now!!
To apply quickly and easily for primary and secondary school places go online to https://www.essex.gov.uk/admissions-to-essex-schools-for-the-next-school-year
Primary and junior school places for September 2023
From 7 November 2022 you can apply online for your child’s school place https://www.essex.gov.uk/apply-for-a-primary-school-place
You must submit an application by the national closing date of 15 January 2023. Applications received after this date are considered late and will reduce your chance of being offered a place at your preferred schools.
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.
Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guarantee element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
How to apply –
https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals
Mobile Phones
This is a gentle reminder not to use mobile phones whilst on the school site.
This is part of our safe-guarding policy for all of our children.
Ooo000ooO
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
29.11.22 Audley End Train Trip
30.11.22 Sports Hall Athletics yrs 3/4 pm
2.12.22 Flu Immunisation
3.12.22 Spirit of Christmas Concert – School Choir event
8.12.22 The Snowman – KS1 at Saffron Hall
12.12.22 Tray Day
14.12.22 KS2 dress rehearsal am, KS1 dress rehearsal, KS2 evening performance
yrs 5 and 6 Parents
15.12.22 Reception Nativity am, KS1 performance pm, KS2 evening performance yrs
3 and 4 Parents
19.12.22 Friends of Clavering Christmas Shopping Morning
20.12.22 Church Service
20.12.22 Christmas lunch
20.12.22 End of term
5.1.23 New Spring term begins
ACHIEVEMENTS
STAR OF THE WEEK
Week ending 11th November
Reception Poppy – for being the most wonderful helper all the time in class
Year One Nell – for great work decoding and applying sounds in phonics
Year Two Isobel – for always having a positive attitude to her learning
Year Three Beebee – for her excellent effort with her handwriting this week
Year Four George – for making positive choices in his learning and being more focussed in class
Year Five Teddy – for his motivation and determination to achieve, particularly in Maths
Year Six Matilda S – for her excellent homework and extra research
Week ending 18th November
Reception Bertie – for his fantastic “can do” attitude in PE
Year One Cruz – for great ideas when using verbs for different animals
Year Two Barney – for working hard and having a positive attitude to learning
Year Three Sophie – for putting in extra effort to challenge herself with her learning and demonstrating a lovely act of kindness to a member of the class
Year Four Ollie – for showing excellent knowledge of his time tables and finding patterns to remember them
Year Five Max H – for great independent work in Maths and Science this week
Year Six Amelie – for her good sportsmanship at Dodgeball
WRITER OF THE WEEK –
11.11.22
R Daisy for excellent sentence writing
1 Jude for his super rhyming poem
2 Isaac for his Kennings Poem homework
3 Jake for great alliteration in his expanded noun phrases
4 Rory for his beautiful poem
5 Illia for his wonderful story writing showing character emotions
6 Taylor/Sidney for their thoughtful war poem
18.11.22
R Naomi for writing an excellent owl fact
1 Frankie-Mae for super sentence writing, including verbs.
2 Fraser for excellent independent information writing.
3 Tilly for writing a superb set of instructions.
4 Frankie for a beautiful winter scene description.
5 Isaac for super writing in extended sentences.
6 Will for his excellent World War 1 homework poem
If you have any questions at any time then please feel free to make an appointment.
Have a good weekend.
Rosalind Allsop
Headteacher