Headteacher Newsletter Issue 15
FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER ISSUE 15: 16.5.25
Year 6 SATS
Well done to all the year 6 children for their resilience, growth mindset and hard work this week for the SATs. We are all very proud of them.
VE Day
On Thursday 8th May, we celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE Day. The children looked wonderful in their red, white and blue outfits. There were a number of special assemblies during the week that taught the children about the significance of this event. They listened to music from the era, including our assembly music – We’ll Meet Again sung by Dame Vera Lynn. Mrs Course shared with the school that her Grandpa became a fireman in Bristol during the war and John Betjeman, the poet, befriended the family. Then her Dad was born on top of a Morrison shelter in 1944! Mrs Rudkin told the children about the new poppy installation at the Tower of London and showed the children clay poppies that our school friends had made about ten years ago. Mollie in Reception shared some special images of her Great-Grandfather who travelled to Burma via South Africa during World War II. SO very special!
The Richards Family – Charity Walk
Last weekend, Chloe Richards, Natalie Clutterbuck and Alex Blundell walked 105km from Guys Hospital in London, to the Rosie Hospital at Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge, to raise money for the charity, Petals. Petals is the baby loss bereavement charity, who provide a specialist counselling service for parents who have suffered the devastating loss of a pregnancy or death of a baby. They were joined by more than 65 supporters and walkers along the way. The amount raised for Petals so far is £8,500 and they have received so much support from the school community.
Parking – a polite reminder
Just a polite reminder. Please park considerably no matter how short a time – do not block driveways or bus bays. Please also remember to use the one-way system on Vassars Field and do not turn round half-way down the road which causes unnecessary congestion and causes a potential unsafe situation for the children getting to school.
See description below –
“Please use the road and car park as designed: follow the circular route by travelling up the access road, passing the exit to the car park, and continuing around the loop to the car park entrance. You may then park in the car park or proceed to the designated drop off/pick-up bays. Please park only in the designated bays, following the prescribed route, and avoid crossing the road’s centre line. Additionally, the bays nearest to the entrance are reserved for school buses and minibuses; please do not park in these bays.”
Thank you for your support with this.
Smartphone Free Childhood
We know that many of our parents are interested in Smartphone Free Childhood – for those of you that are interested here are some useful links: A recent article from the New York Times about Smartphone Free Childhood, highlighting recent successes in the UK around delaying smartphone free ownership:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/world/europe/smartphone-ban-schools-uk-childhood.html
Alternative to smartphones: Smartphone Free Childhood have pulled together a list of suggested alternative phones to smartphones. Although they vary in price, there have been various new phones and other solutions coming onto the market recently, and new suggestions are often added: https://smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/alternatives
Following the recent Netflix drama ‘Adolescence’, here is a useful article that pulls together the various reasons why delaying smartphone ownership is necessary:
“In 2010, teens, parents, schools and even tech companies didn’t know that smartphones and social media had so many harmful effects. Now we do.”
Scopay App
As you are aware, Scopay is the system we use for the payment of school meals, trips and other school events. We want to make sure you are aware there is a Scopay app that can be downloaded which you may find more user friendly than the Scopay.com website. Please see instructions for downloading the app at the end of the newsletter.
Healthy Snacks – break time AND BEFORE CLUBS
We would like to encourage all children to bring in a snack for break time and before clubs. It is a long time between breakfast and lunch, as well as between lunch and dinner, especially if attending a club after school, 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.
Birthday Treats
In order to support children with allergies across the school and the inclusivity around this, we would ask you not to give children birthday sweets to share in school. Thank you for your support with this.
Creams/Lip balms/Suncream
Just a reminder that creams/lip balms etc. are not to be brought into school. If there is a genuine medical need for your child to have a moisturising product in school, can you please check the ingredient list for potential allergens and make the class teacher aware that your child has this item in school. If it has been prescribed by a doctor, please complete the relevant medical forms with the office. Suncream – it is that time of year again where children need to bring in suncream to apply at school. Please can you make sure your child has their name on their suncream, informs the class teacher that they have it in their bag and that you check the ingredients for potential allergens. Please can you remind your child that they must not share their suncream with other children. Thank you
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 and could add up to an ‘unauthorised’ absence.
Thank you.
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
5th May Bank Holiday
7th May KS1 striking and fielding festival
7th May Year 6 SATs and Residential Meeting 3.30pm
12th – 16th May KS2 SATs week
20th May Sports Day – am
21st May Governor Focus Morning
22nd May Years 3 and 4 Rapid Fire Cricket pm
23rd May Sharing Assembly – year 1 parents invited
26th – 30th May Half Term
2nd June INSET Day – school closed to pupils
4th June KS2 quad kids
2nd – 13th June Year 4 Multiplication Check Assessment window
6th June Year 6 Crucial Crew
9th – 13th June Year 1 Phonics Assessment window
13th June Friends of Clavering Fun Run
15th – 18th June Year 6 Residential
19th June Reception Induction morning
23rd – 27th June Year 6 transition week
25th June Open Morning
26th June KS2 athletics am
27th June JFAN year 6 transition
27th June Sharing Assembly – Reception parents invited – 2.45pm
30th June Tray Day
1st– 3rd July Work experience students
2nd July Year 4 trip to Duxford
3rd July Sharing Assembly – Year 3 parents invited – 2.45pm (please note this is a Thursday)
4th July Year 1 trip to Stansted Castle
4th July Friends of Clavering Summer Fayre
7th – 11th July Work experience student
9th July KS1 Athletics and EYFS am
10th July KS2 Sports Ambassadors
11th July Sharing Assembly – Year 4 parents invited – 2.45pm
14th July Class Swap 11 – 12
14th July French Day
17th July Year 2 trip to Aerozone
21st July Year 6 Leavers’ Assembly
22nd July Last day of term
ACHIEVEMENTS
STAR OF THE WEEK
Week ending 2nd May
Reception Charlotte – for her brilliant attitude to school and her learning
Year One Zara – for trying hard to use capital letters and full stops in her writing and reading more fluently
Year Two Quincey-Beau – for always trying her best, being helpful; and having a positive attitude
Year Three Nell – for including rich vocabulary in her setting description of London
Year Four Xander – for super effort in Maths this week when converting between improper fractions and mixed fractions
Year Five Amelia – for her continued enthusiasm in all areas and for growing in confidence
Year Six Ollie – for focus and continued progress in Maths
STAR OF THE WEEK
Week ending 9th May
Reception Finley – for creating and extending excellent patterns in Maths
Year One Jasper – for being a super sports person at the Striking and Fielding event
Year Two Peter – for great enthusiasm and engagement in geography and sharing interesting facts
Year Three Flora – for applying her own historical knowledge to her letter in the role of Anne Boleyn
Year Four Archie – for great effort, pace and understanding when writing direct speech in English
Year Five Cheyanna – for always trying her best in all areas of the curriculum
Year Six Ruby – for consistent hard work and focus in all lessons – amazing progress
If you have any questions at any time, please feel free to make an appointment.
Wishing you all a good weekend
Rosalind Allsop
Headteacher
