Headteacher Newsletter Issue 10
FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER ISSUE 10: 10.2.23
Dear Parents
DFE National Professional Qualification Congratulations
Congratulations to Miss Morton for passing her NPQ in Leading Teaching Development. This is an amazing achievement alongside her day to day leadership and class responsibilities.
Students
Best wishes and thank you to Miss Pavey and Miss Cho who have just completed a teacher training placement with us, from Cambridge University. We wish them both well for the rest of their studies.
Road Safety – Reception and Year 5
Reception class had a visit from Emma, a Road Safety Officer. She discussed the importance of staying next to our grown up and holding their hand when crossing the road and FOUR important steps needed to cross the road safely. When we get to the side of the road we need to STOP, LOOK, LISTEN and THINK. Only cross at the traffic lights when the green man is showing. We also discussed SAFE places to play – at home, in our gardens and playgrounds, NOT on the roadside. She also discussed the importance of wearing seatbelts and not taking them off until our adult tells us to and the use of car seats. All the children took home a road safety booklet. This was very useful for our learning about transport.
A big Thank you to the parents who attended.
Year 5 were able to accompany Emma to monitor traffic and road safety in the local area.
Tag Rugby year 3
Class 3 had a fantastic morning at JFAN for the Tag Ruby tournament. All teams played fantastically! We were particularly proud of the sportsmanship demonstrated by all Clavering players. We would like to congratulate the Clavering A team for coming 2nd overall, qualifying for the final at Carver Barracks at the beginning of March.
Multiskills – Key Stage 1
On Wednesday classes 1 and 2 visited JFAN to take part in a Multiskills afternoon with 4 other schools. They practiced skills like balancing, throwing and catching as well as skills that were new to some of them such as dribbling with a hockey stick and hula-hooping. The children had a great afternoon!
Sports Hall Athletics Final
On Thursday, some of our pupils in class 5 and 6 took part in the Sports Hall Athletics event at Lord Butler. After finishing 1st in the first round, the children did amazingly finishing 3rd overall. Well done to you all.
Music concert
We celebrated the range and amazing talent of some of our musical pupils this week and last. We enjoyed two concerts, the first with performers in Years 4, 5 and 6 and the second with performers from Years 1, 2 and 3. We could not be more proud of all the children who performed. They had all practised hard and inspired the audience with wonderful music. It is important to give the children an opportunity to perform music to an audience whether it be to their classmates or others in the school. We were certainly treated to some terrific talent. The children played the piano, drums, violin, guitar and sang too! We are amazed by the courage they showed and how talented they are. All the children who shared their talents received a special certificate for their efforts and we now know that some of the younger children are keen to take up musical instrument lessons. A special thank you to Tilly for bringing her electric drum kit into school, Darcey for standing in to play a duet at the last minute (very professional) and to Toby for playing us out of the hall at the end. You just can’t beat live music. Well done everyone – even our amazing audience.
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Children’s Mental Health week and Safer Internet Day
This week, we have been inspired by the themes ‘Let’s Connect’ and ‘Want to talk about it’. On Thursday, children within the school were mixed randomly into six groups, giving them opportunities to connect with others. In those groups, we discussed the importance of having healthy connections (to family, friends and others), and how these connections can support our mental health and our sense of wellbeing. We made links to the positive uses of the internet, how we can use the internet safely, and the importance of ‘talking’ to a trusted adult if things go wrong. The children in each group were encouraged to work together to produce a short song/poem conveying the messages of connection and talking.
Class 3 had a lovely Relax Kids session with Mrs Birch. We learnt the 7 steps of relaxation and linked these to the theme of Children’s Mental Health week ‘connection’. “I feel relaxed, I feel brave, I feel happy!” – Kitty. “I felt amazing and happy and calm.” – Jake “I feel happy, energetic and thankful.” – Minty.
Please see the links below for further information: https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2023/parents-and-carers https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2023/top-tips-for-parents-and-carers
INSET Dates for the academic year 2023 – 2024
Schools allocate five non-pupil days for staff training:
Monday 4th September 2023,
Friday 20th October 2023,
Monday 15th April 2024,
Monday 3rd June 2024,
Monday 1st July 2024
Lateness
School starts at 8.50 a.m. We have noticed several children are consistently arriving late for school – ‘late’ is defined by not being within the school gates by 8.50 a.m. Please make every effort to be at school on time and if you know that your journey will be disrupted by road works, do allow time for this.
Please note that lateness is recorded on a per pupil basis.
Thank you.
Application for leave of absence for term time holidays
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.”
Please note occasional days for birthdays and treats cannot be authorised 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.
Cost of Living Support
We know that there are families across Essex who are currently struggling with the rise in the cost of living. Colleagues have pulled together a special newsletter which gives information on some of the support they may be eligible for. Please share onwards with parents and carers. You can also find out more about cost of living support on the Cost of Living web hub.
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
10th February Sharing Assembly – year 2 parents invited
13th – 17th February Half Term
W/b 27th February Book Week
8th March Parent Evenings – 4.20 – 6.40pm
9th March Parent Evenings – 3.40 – 6.30pm
14th March Disco
21st March Year 5 River Study at Daws Hall
24th March Sharing Assembly – year 5 parents invited TBC
27th March Tray Day
30th March Easter Fayre
31st March Easter Egg Hunt
31st March End of term
ACHIEVEMENTS
STAR OF THE WEEK
Week ending 27th January
Reception Naomi – for her brilliant dancing for our Chinese New Year parade
Year One Jude – for fantastic imaginative ideas when writing instructions
Year Two Delilah – for a fantastic attitude to her Maths learning
Year Three Elise – for fantastic effort in all lessons and being a supportive learning partner
Year Four Mollie – for sharing her chemistry knowledge in our lesson about solids, liquids and gases
Year Five Luna – for being a kind, patient and supportive friend
Year Six Samuel – for improved effort and focus in making the content of his writing detailed
HEADTEACHER’S AWARD
For children who have achieved their personal best:
Reception
Freddie – for his outstanding contributions in lessons and for his excellent writing
Quincey – for outstanding progress with her handwriting
Year One
Rollo – for improved focus and understanding in maths
Jakob- for great improvement in his writing, particularly spelling and punctuation
Year Two
Thomas – for fantastic progress in reading, writing and maths
Delilah – for a positive attitude to all learning and making good progress in writing and reading
Year Three
Minty- improved independence in learning
Alastair- working hard to improve the speed of his work
Year Four
Oscar – for showing a real interest in his learning and working so well with his classmates
Evie- for showing more confidence in her learning in class and also in her piano performance in front of the school
Year Five
Toby – careful application of learning
Clara – huge improvement in presentation and focus on learning objectives
Year Six
Hadley – for her great improvement in focus and achievement in her work.
Matilde – for always doing her best and for her mature attitude towards learning.
Cartoon Attitude Learning Awards
We have our super-hero learning behaviours, which the children created in their house groups during a Friendship Week. This term the children worked hard on resilience, championed by “Resileroo”. Two children from each class were nominated for a special award and will enjoy a hot chocolate treat with Miss Allsop.
Reception: Poppy and Luca
Class 1: Alfie and Annabelle
Class 2: Buddy and Jasmine
Class 3: Eve and Elise
Class 4: Toben and Ruby
Class 5: Morgan and Tommy
Class 6: Taylor and Emma
WRITER OF THE WEEK – 27.1.23
R Freddie
1 Thea
2 Archie
3 Harry
4 Darcey
5 Max H
6 Anna
KITCHEN AWARD
Eleanor – for helping to stack the cups without being asked.
If you have any questions at any time then please feel free to make an appointment.
Have a great half term
Rosalind Allsop
Headteacher
