FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER  ISSUE 7:                            26.1.24

We would like to welcome the Basmat family that have joined class 2, 4 and 6.

Miss Ullmann has now started her maternity leave.  We wish her well and are keeping in close contact with her.  Miss Crosby is teaching class 4 Monday – Wednesday and Mrs Webb Thursday – Friday.

Sports Hall Athletics

Miss Morton and Mrs Neal took twenty-five children from years 5 and 6 to JFAN last Wednesday. The children took part in a variety of field events such as vertical jump, chest push, speed bounce and many more. After the field events, we moved onto track. Due to the nature of the track events, everyone was able to watch each other take part; the Clavering spirit was loud and supportive! Overall, Clavering came second place, only ten points off the winner. Well done, Clavering! Thank you to Ella’s mum for coming along to support and for helping to get the children to the correct events.

Community Outreach Advisor Visiting Class 6

On Tuesday this week, Class 6 were very fortunate to have Tracey Proctor visit us from Reach Community Projects, based in Haverhill. Tracey is an advisor who works with adults in the local community through the Food Bank to help people with debt management, budgeting etc. Tracey also goes into schools visiting years 6, 11 and 13 to support pupils with money management. The class took part in budgeting activities, looking at costs of running a home and how a household can have unexpected costs occur. The children engaged with the session and offered up their experiences of earning money though chores and the differences between wants and needs.

Wider Ops Music

We are delighted to welcome back John Malam to teach whole class brass lessons to all the children in Key Stage Two.  The children have been learning to play trumpets, trombones and euphoniums.  There have been some delightful sounds coming from the hall on Thursday mornings so far.  We look forward to hearing the children’s progress!

Thank you to all the pupils and staff who help set the hall up for this and to the Friends of Clavering for helping to fund this great opportunity.

Congratulations!

We received a letter from Damian Hinds, the Minister for Schools, this week congratulating us on our “outstanding achievement in the 2023 Phonics Screening Check…with 95 per cent of pupils in Year 1 at Clavering Primary School meeting the expected standard in the check, your school is in the top 5 per cent of all primary schools in the country. I would like to thank you for your commitment and success in this vital area of a child’s early education and congratulate you, your staff and pupils again on all you have achieved”.

Bad weather

In the event of severe weather conditions and possible school closure, a notice will be placed on the school website.

Parents will be notified via our school website or the Essex County Council on the ‘Emergency School Closures’ page: https://www.essex.gov.uk/education-schools/schools/dates/pages/emergency-school-closures.aspx

Please note that when the school is open in bad weather a path will be cleared to enable you to gain access to the school, but care does still need to be taken.

Communication Chain

Just as a reminder, for the communication chain to be effective, it is important that phone calls are made as opposed to emails or texts, in order to ensure contact is made.  Normally the chain will be activated the morning of the school closure as the decision is made on the day, unless in exceptional circumstances, we know of the need in advance.  We will try to open the school where possible, hence the decision being made at the last minute, once we can assess the school site.  We will endeavour to give you as much notice as possible, but as you are aware, it takes some time for the communication to pass through.

Facebook can be used as a supplementary means of communication if requested to do so by a member of the leadership team, but this is not part of the school process.  ParentMail, the Communication Chain, the school website and the Essex link above are the school notifications.

Thank you again for your support with this process.

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.

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 our children.

Ooo000ooO

 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY  

26.1.24                        Sharing Assembly – Year 6 parents invited – 2.45pm

31.1.24                         Year 4 Tag rugby

6.2.24                          Reception class trip to Stansted

7.2.24                          KS1 multi-skills Festival

13.2.24                        Friends of Clavering sponsored pancake flip

19.2.24 – 23.2.24        Half Term

28.2.24                        Cross country final pm KS2

29.2.24                        Friends of Clavering Neon Disco

5.3.24                          Parents Evening

6.3.24                          Gym/Dance Show KS2

7.3.24                          Parents Evening

7.3.24                          World Book Day

8.3.24                          Sharing Assembly – Year 2 parents invited – 2.45pm

15.3.24                         Tray Day

21.3.24                        The Two Johns E-safety Sessions – children, staff and parents (8 – 9.30) online

28.3.24                        Friends of Clavering Easter Egg Hunt

28.3.24                         Last day of term

15.4.24                         INSET Day – school closed pupils

16.4.24                         Summer term begins

ACHIEVEMENTS

STAR OF THE WEEK 12.1.24

Reception        Bramwell – his fantastic and fluent reading in our Guided Reading this week.

Year One         Alex S– his excellent listening skills, class participation and enthusiasm towards learning.

Year Two         Oscar – fantastic consistent effort in all his work.

Year Three       Frankie – a great improvement in attitude, accuracy and effort towards his work.

Year Four        Phoebe R – always pushing herself in her learning and supporting others when they need help.

Year Five         Darcey – an excellent attitude to learning and trying her best in ALL lessons.

Year Six           Darcie – a positive attitude to learning this week.

STAR OF THE WEEK 19.1.24

Reception        Max – challenging himself in gymnastics.

Year One         Michaela – being a super polite and super helpful class member.

Year Two         Rollo – a great explanation of expanded noun phrases.

Year Three       Archie – super work on multiplication and division in Maths and a great improvement in the presentation of his work.

Year Four        Jake – being so welcoming and supportive towards our new pupil.

Year Five         Evie – excellent independent work, adding and subtracting fractions in Maths.

Year Six           Max S – consistent hard work and enjoying new challenges.

WRITER OF THE WEEK

Reception        Darcey trying really hard to write the letter V.

Year One         Alex R fantastic instruction writing on how to make a jam sandwich.

Year Two         Scarlett for great improvement in spelling and handwriting.

Year Three       Willa for a great RE recount.

Year Four        Cheyanna for great perseverance with handwriting.

Year Five         Millie for a fantastic monologue, writing in character.

Year Six           Illia for great writing in the style of David Almond.

If you have any questions at any time, please feel free to make an appointment.

Have a good weekend

Rosalind Allsop
Headteacher