Headteacher Newsletter Issue 1
FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1: 15.9.23
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 has sent out a class newsletter, which informs you of the curriculum that is being taught this term.
Congratulations
We are excited to announce and introduce our Head Boy and Head Girl along with our Deputy Head Boy and Deputy Head Girl. These Year 6 children are school ambassadors and will be meeting with the school leadership team on a regular basis so we can share ideas and work on projects together for our school.
Congratulations to:
Head Boy – Toby
Head Girl – Ava
Deputy Head Girl – Luna
Deputy Head Boy – Luke
Meet the Teacher Evening – Tuesday 26th September
6.15 – 7pm: Reception Class only
7pm – 7.20pm and repeated at 7.30pm – 7.50pm: 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. 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.
MHST – Mental Health Support Team in Schools (Part of MIND in West Essex)
Clavering has been allocated a Mental health practitioner, Charlotte Buckingham; she will be working alongside staff one day each week, supporting the well-being of our school community.
The aim of the project is to support early intervention in mental health provision for children and young people through a range of targeted work including 1:1 support, one off workshops and group work. In primary schools the 1:1 work will be conducted with the parent/carers of the children referred for support. Groups/workshops may focus on the following areas: anxiety, friendship issues, transition to secondary school, emotional regulation, mental health awareness, staff training and staff consultation.
Charlotte and some of her Team members will be available on September 26th at our ‘Meet the teacher’ evening. Please feel free to go and have a chat.
Supervision of children
Teachers are on duty from 8.40am when the gate will open. NO CHILDREN will be supervised prior to this time and should not be on the premises. A member of staff will be present at the gate to take any messages for staff members. Children are to arrive 8.40 – 8.50 and go straight into class. Children will be collected at 3.20pm outside their classroom doors, as usual, at the end of the day and we are collecting children for buses and Willows from their classrooms and taking them to bus/Willows staff.
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. Please do not put the fruit snack in glass containers.
We would also like to take this opportunity to encourage a healthy balanced lunch box for those not taking a school lunch. Please remember we are a NO nuts school.
Harvest
Harvest will be celebrated during the week commencing 9th October. We normally ask families to bring in food donations. More information will be sent out soon.
Sickness
The school office should be notified on the first day of each absence before registration at 8.50am and this should be followed up in writing on the day of return.
If your child has been vomiting or had an upset stomach a 48 hour leave of absence from the last episode is required. For guidance on other illnesses please contact the School Office or refer to the document on the website in the ‘Attendance’ section – “Guidance on infection control in schools and other childcare settings”.
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
Please ensure that full kit is in school all week, including trainers and socks (especially if your child normally wears tights). Please also make sure the children have alternative clothes for any clubs that require it. 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 have a number of children in school with nut allergies, some very severe, so please ensure that you do not send nuts in any form into school as snacks or in your child’s lunch box including peanut butter or Nutella sandwiches. This also includes sesame which is in houmous. Thank you.
Pupil Attendance:
As I am sure you are aware, high pupil attendance is key for a child’s academic development and their wider wellbeing. The Department for Education (DfE) have recently released a new document in relation to attendance – ‘Working Together to Improve School Attendance’. It includes parents/carers legal responsibility and how absences affect pupils’ school experience and attainment. I note these key points below:
- “The law entitles every child of compulsory school age to an efficient, full-time education suitable to their age, aptitude, and any special educational need they may have. It is the legal responsibility of every parent to make sure their child receives that education either by attendance at a school or by education otherwise than at a school.
- Where parents decide to have their child registered at school, they have an additional legal duty to ensure their child attends that school regularly. This means their child must attend every day that the school is open, except in a small number of allowable circumstances such as being too ill to attend or being given permission for an absence in advance from the school.
- This is essential for pupils to get the most out of their school experience, including their attainment, wellbeing, and wider life chances. The pupils with the highest attainment at the end of key stage 2 and key stage 4 have higher rates of attendance over the key stage compared to those with the lowest attainment. At key stage 2, pupils not meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths had an overall absence rate of 4.7%, compared to 3.5% among those meeting the expected standard.”
At Clavering, we set an individual pupil attendance target of 97%. We appreciate that illness is unavoidable, and please note we are happy to support you, where we can, in the decision making around illness in order to help attendance. There is also NHS guidance for specific illnesses with this letter. However, where we have concerns surrounding your child’s attendance, we will contact you to explore how we can work in partnership to support, liaising with the Essex Local Authority Attendance Officer as needed.
In order to support you in monitoring your child’s attendance, as advised by the Local Authority Attendance Team, we will issue a letter to families where attendance is <95% each half term. This will start with letters reflecting attendance figures for last term. We have also included with this letter two useful documents – NHS guidance in illness and ‘Categorising Attendance and Learning Hours’ lost.
Please note that only exceptional circumstances warrant a leave of absence and it is extremely unlikely that we would grant a leave of absence for the purposes of a family holiday. In relation to unauthorised holidays specifically, our Attendance Policy does include the use of Fixed Penalty Notices so parents/carers may be at risk of receiving a fine in this situation. Any requests for leave of absence must be applied for at least 10 days in advance in writing and we will take into account the specific facts and circumstances, and relevant background context, behind the request.
Thank you for your support with this.
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.
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
Secondary school places for September 2024
From 12 September 2023 you can apply online for your child’s school place https://www.essex.gov.uk/apply-for-a-secondary-school-place
You must submit an application by the national closing date of 31 October 2023. Applications received after this date will be considered late and you may reduce your chance of being offered a place at your preferred school.
Primary (Reception) places for September 2024
From 6 November 2023 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 2024. 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.
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
15.9.23 Non-uniform day for Oliver – Sports Day Winners
26.9.23 Meet the Teacher event – all classes 7 – 7.20 repeated. 7.30 – 7.50pm, except
Reception class where there is one session 6.15 – 7.
6.10.23 Open Morning for potential new parents
16.10.23 Governor Focus Day
17.10.23 Parent Evening
19.10.23 Parent Evening
20.10.23 INSET day – school closed to pupils
14.11.23 Flu Vaccine
2.12.23 School Choir Spirit of Christmas event
13.12.23 KS1 dress rehearsal am, KS2 dress rehearsal, KS2 evening performance yrs 5 and 6
parents
14.12.23 Reception Nativity am, KS1 performance pm, KS2 evening performance yrs 3 and 4
parents
15.12.23 Tray Day
19.12.23 Christmas Lunch
20.12.23 End of term
ACHIEVEMENTS
STAR OF THE WEEK
Week ending 8th September 2023
Reception Zara – for fantastic model making
Year One Cameron – for answering lots of questions and for working very hard in Maths
Year Two Marnie – for fantastic enthusiasm and fluency in reading
Year Three Xander – for a fantastic first week at Clavering Primary School
Year Four Hattie – for starting her year with a big smile and a positive attitude
Year Five Ella – for persevering with her Maths work
Year Six Max H – for a positive and hardworking start to year 6
If you have any questions at any time then please feel free to make an appointment.
Have a good weekend.
Rosalind Allsop
Headteacher