Headteacher Newsletter Issue 19
FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER ISSUE 19: 17.7.26
As we reach the end of term and the academic year, I want to thank everyone for making it such a successful and productive one, the children for all their achievements, the staff for their relentless hard work and for all the support from the parents. The children have continued to embrace challenges in their learning and enjoy all the opportunities that they are offered.
We are very sad to say goodbye to our amazing year 6 and the families that leave with them. We wish you all the best for the future and hope you will keep in touch.
Leavers’ Assembly
Well done to our amazing year 6, Miss Morton and Mrs Martin for a fun, creative and excellent play as part of the Leavers’ Assembly yesterday. The school enjoyed watching it today. The tea party for parents part way through was very well received and was a great addition along with the year 6 movie at the end. A huge thank to the parents for the new picnic table and for all your support.
Message from the School Governors
As we come to the end of another school year, we must look back at the successes that the children have achieved, and these are exceptional. The academic achievements, as always speak for themselves, but on top of that the happy environment within the school has meant that the personal development of all the pupils has helped to lay the groundwork for them to achieve their goals in life.
It is known that the presentation of the SATS results have been delayed this year through no fault of the school but we have now received them and the details will be circulated to parents. However, despite these delays the results show that the school has achieved very good results, well above the national requirements and this is a marvellous testament predominately to the hard work of all the children but also to the efforts of the staff to make this happen.
Sadly, we have to say goodbye to Chris Peters. We would like to thank him for all his support as governor. He has been an asset to the team. We have recently appointed two new governors to the team, Jack Saxton, as a parent governor, following the recent parent election process and Claudia O’Farrell as a community governor. We are looking forward to working with them.
We now look forward to a new autumn term, current year six pupils will have moved on to their secondary education with all the hopes and challenges that brings to them and Clavering School will welcome a new cohort of children to begin their school journey. The staff and teachers will also face challenges in the coming months with the probability of an Ofsted Inspection. However, I am sure that the school will do its best to achieve the desired outcome but most importantly will ensure that the children and their families are supported to get the best.
In the meantime I would like to thank the staff and teachers at the school for all their efforts but most importantly the children and their families for making Clavering such a great school. Have a marvellous summer break and best wishes to all for the coming term.
Ray Gooding
Chair of Governors.
Staffing
Sadly, Mrs Tokeley will be leaving us at the end of term to join a school nearer to home, so that she can have more time with her daughter. We will miss her and would like to thank her for all her hard work over the last 10 years.
Mrs Webb, who has been a regular supply teacher with us for many years, teaching all year groups, will be leaving us at the end of the year now that she has moved house a substantial distance away. We wish her well and thank her for all her support.
Mrs Thomas will be finishing her role as one of our Forest School leaders. Dilys has been with us for many years as a parent, Learning Support Assistant and a Forest School Leader. Latterly she focused on the Forest School Leader role. She was one of our first leaders and who helped us to establish this provision for the children. We will miss her and wish her well.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Jenny Hemsley who has attained her Qualified Teacher Status after an intense year of study and excellent practice. She will be joining our teaching team in September and we are looking forward to working with her next year in this new role.
Year 5 trip to Harlow Outdoors
On 29th June, class five had a fantastic trip to Harlow Outdoor Centre. Throughout the day, they took part in kayaking, raft building and rock climbing, showing great enthusiasm, teamwork and resilience. We were particularly proud of how the children challenged themselves, supported one another and developed new skills. We had a lovely day and are looking forward to the residential in year 6!
Year 2 Visit to the Cambridge Museum of Technology
On 30th June, Year 2 had a fantastic day exploring how technology has changed over time at the Cambridge Museum of Technology as part of our History of Transport and Art topics.
We visited the impressive steam engine rooms and learned how rubbish used to be delivered, sorted and burned to create steam to power the engines that pumped waste away from the city. One of the children’s favourite facts was hearing about the crocodile that was accidentally delivered with a load of rubbish! We also toured an old-fashioned printing press and discovered how it made printing books, newspapers and magazines much faster than writing everything by hand. We even had the chance to use the printing press ourselves, which everyone really enjoyed.
After lunch, everyone became rocket engineers, building and testing their own paper rockets using a powerful air pump. It was great fun watching them shoot high into the sky! We all had a brilliant day, learned lots of interesting facts and represented the school brilliantly.
Forest School Year 3
Year 3 spent a wonderful afternoon at Forest School this week. The class really enjoyed building dens, using ropes to make swings, enjoyed relaxing in the hammock and climbing trees.
Years 3 and 4 Cricket Final
Year 3 and 4 competed in the final 16 of the rapid fire cricket. They played at Saffron Walden Cricket ground – all the children were fantastic. Overall we had great games, very close results and finished eleventh. Well done to everyone who took part. Thank you to Mrs Nash and Mrs Elliston for facilitating this event.
Forest School Family Picnic – Reception
We had a very special last session at Forest School last week. The children were joined but their younger siblings, parents and grandparents for a picnic. Then the Running Rabbits showed their families around the wood. Thank you all for coming it was wonderful!
Music Concert
I had the privilege of bringing Reception class to watch the music concert this week. The hall was packed to the rafters with excited performers and an enthusiastic audience.
There is absolutely nothing that matches the sound of children’s voices! We were treated to wonderful choir singing, solos, actions and fun! Then we heard solo singers, pianists and even soloists accompanying themselves! WOW!!! The talent on display made us hugely proud and we will definitely being seeing some of these stars on the stage in the future.
A huge thank you to the parents for coming and to Mrs Thomas and Mrs Middleton for all your hard work
Awards were given to:
Isaac – best piano player
Cecily – most improved piano player
Luna – best singer
Willa – most improved singer
Arthur – best choir member
Liza – most improved at choir
Laura – contribution to music
Kitty and Amelia – choir leaders
Year 1 Colchester Castle
We really enjoyed our day. We looked at all the different parts of the castle. Highlights include the prison in the basement where witches were imprisoned, the spiral staircase which stopped enemies ascending easily and the toilets! We also saw some Roman shields and a deep well for collecting water. Fun facts include hanging clothes in the toilet to help stop moths due to the smell and the dunking chair which was a punishment. Thanks especially to all our helpers.
Friends of Clavering Summer Fayre and Fun Run
We have had two very successful Friends of Clavering events recently, our school fete and the Fun Run. Thank you to all the parents that attended and sponsored the children. A huge thank you to the Friends of Clavering team, including Anna Gawthorpe, former Chair, who supported us at the fete. I would also like to take this opportunity to say an amazing thank you to Jenny Hemsley for Chairing the Friends of Clavering this year alongside her teacher training! She has worked tirelessly with her team to raise money and organise the events.
Reports and Tray Day
Your child’s annual school report will be shared with you today. This is in addition to the new Interim Report that was circulated earlier in the year. I hope you find them useful and an informative summary of your child’s progress during the current academic year, as well as information as to how they are performing against the national expectations.
Thank you to all the parents that attended Tray Day. As you can see the children have worked very hard this year.
2026 KS2 SATs Results
As you are probably aware there was a national delay on the SATs results. They were released yesterday. The children did very well and we are very proud of them all for their personal achievements. Like many schools there are a couple of papers that need remarking due to inaccuracies, but that said the results are still strong:
(22 children, each child 4.5%)
Reading: 86% at the expected level, with remark 91% (National 75%). Greater Depth 41%
GPS (Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling): 86% at the expected level, with remark 91% (National 74%). Greater Depth 41%
Writing: 86% at the expected level (National 73%). Greater depth 18%
Maths: 91% at the expected level (National 75%). Greater depth 23%
Combined (Reading/Writing/Maths) 82%, with remark 86% (National 63%)
Inclusion Coffee Morning
Thank you to all the parents that attended our Inclusion Coffee Morning last week. Lily from the MHST team talked about her work in the school and parents were able to network. Julia Mackintosh, our SEN governor was also present along with myself. We have made plans to build on our discussion around The Zones of Regulation for the children and involving parents next term. Please see a note from Lily and her team below.
Learning Plan Meetings
Thank you to all the parents that were able to meet with myself and the class teacher to discuss their child’s Learning Plan. We will be making contact with the families that were not able to attend.
Mental Health Specialist Team.
Lily has been an asset to our school this year and will be greatly missed. Please see a note from her team and herself below, along with future plans with her successor…
Hello parents,
As we approach the end of the school year, I am writing to share some mixed news with our community. Our Educational Mental Health Practitioner, Lily, from the Mental Health Support Team (MHST), will be leaving Clavering Primary School at the end of the summer term to take on an exciting new opportunity.
Over the past year, Lily has provided vital early intervention support, helping students across our entire community learn how to safely navigate their feelings and wellbeing.
Over the last year, Lily has successfully delivered multiple interventions within the school:
- Year 1 ‘Emotion Explorers’ Group: Whole-class sessions focusing on managing big emotions using the Zones of Regulation framework.
- Year 5 ‘Looking After Your Wellbeing’ Group: Whole-class workshops teaching students how to boost their mental health using the NHS’s 5 Ways to Wellbeing.
- 1:1 Parental Support: Empowering parents with guided self-help strategies to support children experiencing anxiety or challenging behaviour.
- Whole-School Assemblies: Termly sessions embedding the Zones of Regulation language across all year groups.
- School-Wide Audit: Evaluating and refining how we implement the Zones of Regulation to ensure lasting impact.
- SEN Parent Coffee Mornings: Termly drop-ins providing a supportive, collaborative space for families of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
Please rest assured that student wellbeing remains our absolute priority. We are already working closely with the MHST to ensure a smooth transition and look forward to welcoming a new practitioner to the Clavering team for the upcoming Autumn term.
Message from Lily:
“I want to thank the Clavering School Community for making we feel so welcome over the past two years. I am incredibly sad to be leaving the school, and it has been a privilege to work alongside such wonderful children, families and staff. I am proud of everything we have achieved as a school in terms of the promoting the zones of regulation framework and supporting the overall wellbeing of pupils. I know that this great work will continue next year. I wish everyone a lovely summer and all the best for the future”.
Class structure for 2025 – 2026
Mrs Tokeley will be sadly leaving us at the end of term to work in a school nearer to home.
We are delighted to announce that Mrs Hemsley will be joining us from September following her very successful teacher training course last year.
Miss Battrick will be returning from her maternity leave in September.
Miss Ullmann will return from her maternity leave at the end of February. Mrs Clutterbuck is covering.
Please see below the class structure for the next academic year.
| Year group | Class teacher | Learning Support Assistant |
| Reception | Mrs Course | Mrs Berrett
Mrs H Snelling PPA Mrs Herd and Mrs Berrett |
| Class One (Year One)
|
Mrs Yildiz (Monday – Wednesday)
Miss Battrick (Wednesday – Friday) |
Mrs H Snelling
Mrs Neal PPA Mr Snelling and Miss Battrick |
| Class Two (Year Two)
|
Miss Hagger | Mrs Gowar
Mrs H Snelling PPA Mr Snelling and Mrs Elliston |
| Class Three (Year Three)
|
Mrs Hemsley
|
Ms Nash
Mrs Elliston PPA Mr Snelling and Mrs Elliston |
| Class Four (Year Four)
|
Mrs Rudkin (Monday)
Miss Ullmann (Tuesday – Friday)
(Mrs Clutterbuck is covering the maternity leave for Miss Ullmann until the end of February) |
Ms Nash
Mrs Martin Mrs Elliston Mrs Thomas PPA Mr Snelling and Mrs Elliston |
| Class Five (Year Five)
|
Mrs Bond | Mrs Elliston
PPA Mr Snelling and Miss Battrick |
| Class Six (Year Six)
|
Miss Morton
|
Mrs Martin
Mrs Neal Mr Snelling PPA Mr Snelling and Mrs Elliston |
The children met their new teachers during our Class Swap event on Monday 13th July.
Work Experience
We thoroughly enjoyed having three further past pupils for formal work experience. They were a great support to the classes they were in and it was good to see them back with us.
We are sorry we could not accommodate the past pupils that requested to visit next week. We had a lot of requests. To make it fair we kept it to just our work experience students due to capacity, but please ask us again as we thoroughly enjoy seeing and spending time with you all
Summer reading challenge
Last week, Stephanie from Saffron Walden Library came in to speak to the school about the Summer Reading Challenge.
This year’s Summer Reading Challenge, Read to the Beat, encourages children to discover the exciting connection between stories and music, showing how both can spark creativity and imagination. The challenge features illustrations by award-winning author and illustrator Harry Woodgate.
The challenge runs in all Essex libraries and mobile libraries from 18th July to 5th September.
Children can collect six stickers over the summer by reading books and sharing what they’ve read, or by completing fun related activities. Once all six stickers are collected, they will receive a certificate and medal.
Children can choose any library books to read, including fiction, non-fiction, picture books and books shared with parents or carers. There is also a special version of the challenge designed for children under four years old.
Questionnaires
Thank you all for responding to the parent questionnaire. We will analyse the responses and share the findings with you next term. Actions will also inform our School Improvement Plan.
Dinner money reminder
Please ensure you have settled your accounts up to the end of the summer term, in particular those parents of children in Year 6. Thank you.
Cloverleaf Wraparound Club
Cloverleaf Wraparound has been a highly successful addition to the school. Children have provided very positive feedback, sharing how much they enjoy the wide range of activities on offer. We are fortunate to be able to utilise all our school facilities, including the forest area, allotments, playground, hall and library, ensuring that children have access to varied, engaging and enriching experiences both before and after the school day.
We have also been able to provide freshly prepared, nutritious meals, planned and cooked by Sarah, our School Catering Manager. These meals are fully integrated with our school meal provision, supporting a healthy and balanced diet from breakfast through to tea.
Building on the success of our wraparound provision, we have also extended our offer to include a holiday camp.
Monday 24th – Sports and activities day – a variety of team games and fun competitions with Matt Snelling
Tuesday 25th – Environmental day – gardening, allotments, nature activities
Wednesday 26th – Arts and Crafts day – painting, collage, crafts
The cost is £35.00 per day per child, and lease bring drinks, snacks and a packed lunch
There are a few places left for this so please let the office know as soon as possible if you would like your child/children to attend
School Absences – sickness and holidays
Following Local Authority guidance, we will be contacting families on a daily basis, even if we have been told there is sickness. Following the same guidance, if it is believed that the family are actually on holiday and not sick then this will need to be actioned as an unauthorised absence. Fines may follow.
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.
From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will be entitled to receive a free school meal. There will no longer be an income threshold of £7400 for the purposes of free school meals.
Your child may, therefore, be eligible for free school meals if you receive certain benefits. In addition, eligibility may provide the school with extra funding (Pupil Premium) to support your child through initiatives such as additional teaching, tuition, or extracurricular activities.
The information provided will be used to assess eligibility for free school meals and may be shared with relevant Council departments to help identify other support you may be entitled to.
If you think you may qualify for free school meals, please click on the link and complete the requested information. Free school meals: Apply for free school meals | Essex County Council Eligibility will be reviewed annually.
Please note, children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically receive free school meals, regardless of the earnings or benefit status of their household. However, we encourage you to still apply for benefits-based free school meals as, if eligible, the school could receive additional funding.
Free school meals: Apply for free school meals | Essex County Council
Mobile Phones
This is a gentle reminder not to use mobile phones whilst on the school site. This is part of our safeguarding policy for all our children.
Ooo000ooO
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
17th July last day of term
20th July INSET day – school closed to pupils
1st September INSET day – school closed to pupils
4th September Non uniform day for house point and sports day winners
17th September Meet the Teacher Meet the Teacher 7 – 7.30 repeated. 7.30 – 8pm Rec one session 6.15 – 7.
1st October Governor Focus morning
20th October Parent Evening 3.40pm
31st October Parent Evening 3.40pm+
26th Oct – 30th Oct Half term
2nd November INSET day – school closed to pupils
9th November Vaccine
12th November The Two Johns E-safety sessions for pupils, staff and parents
24th November Tray Day
15th December KS2 dress rehearsal am, KS1 dress rehearsal, KS2 evening performance yrs 3 and 4 parents 6-7pm
16th December Christmas Lunch
17th December Reception Nativity am, KS1 performance pm, KS2 evening performance yrs 5 and 6 parents 6-7pm
ACHIEVEMENTS
STAR OF THE WEEK
Week ending 10th July
Reception Grace – for her fantastic effort at Sports Day and in the Fun Run
Year One Heath – for writing his story to go with his story plan
Year Two Sonny – for great ideas and imaginative vocabulary this week in English
Year Three Fletcher – for a brilliant first week at Clavering
Year Four Annabelle – for fantastic effort in all subjects this week
Year Five Emily – for fantastic contributions to our History project.
Fraser B – for great creativity when designing his Biome Weave in Art
Year Six Dougray – for always being kind, caring and polite to everyone
HEADTEACHER’S AWARD
For children who have achieved their personal best:
Reception
Darcy – progress in all areas and great observation and thought out answers
Matilda – for working hard all the time and good progress in reading.
Year One
Ella – for making fantastic progress in your reading and writing. All you hard work is paying off!
Ethan – for being polite and always happy to help out with jobs. Well done, Ethan!
Year Two
Vihana – for always having a positive attitude to learning and engaging enthusiastically in all lessons.
Vihana is an exemplary role model and should be very proud of all of her achievements this year!
Colin – for his improving presentation, thoughtful ideas and determination to complete every task.
Year Three
Myles-Fantastic improvement and effort in his reading!
Fabian- Fantastic effort in producing his best writing!
Year Four
Laura – outstanding effort, academic progress, and positive contribution to classroom learning.
Ollie – fantastic progress and effort throughout the year particularly in Maths and English.
Year Five
Fraser B for fantastic improvement in his Maths work and always showing determination to challenge himself!
Lila for always trying her best in all areas and demonstrating particular resilience in Maths.
Year Six
Jake – for consistent progress across the year with particular focus on content of writing.
Esmee – for working incredibly hard all year, making excellent progress and for being an amazing role model
Cartoon Attitude Learning Awards
We have our super-hero learning behaviours, which the children created in their house groups during friendship week last year. This term the children worked hard on creativity, championed by “Cre-elephant”. Two children from each class were nominated for a special award and will enjoy a hot chocolate treat with Miss Allsop.
Reception: Zephy and Alexi
Class 1: Charlotte and Maeve N
Class 2: Olivia and Miles
Class 3: George and Chantelle
Class 4: Eva and Annabelle
Class 5: Willa and Hugo
Class 6: Elise and Hattie
CLUBS
After School Clubs will start the week beginning 7th September unless stated.
| Monday | |
| Football Club | Year 4,5,6 3.20 – 4.20 |
| Drama Club STING Will start 14th September | Year 1-6 3.20 – 4.20 |
| Tuesday | |
| Football club | Year 1-3 3.20 – 4.20 |
| Art Club | Year 4 – 6 3.20 – 4.20 |
| Wednesday | |
| Rounders club | Years 3 – 6 3.20 – 4.20 |
| Choir | Year 2 – 6 3.20 – 4.20 |
| Thursday | |
| Dodgeball Club | Year 4,5,6 3.20 – 4.20 |
| Tennis Club | Year 1 – 3 3.20 – 4.20 |
| Art Club | Years 1 – 3 3.20 – 4.20 |
| Friday | |
| Netball club | Years 3 – 6 3.20 – 4.20 |
| Golf Club | Years 2 – 6 3.20 – 4.20 |
MUSIC TUITION
Mrs Thomas will continue with piano and singing lessons in September, starting the week of the 7th September.
SWIMMING
Swimming lessons will commence on Monday 7th September for Year 2. A letter will be sent separately with further information.
Healthy and Safety notice regarding the wearing of earrings during PE
Just as a reminder, The Primary Code states that all jewellery is to be removed for PE lessons and taping over earrings is not allowed. This means that if pupils cannot take their earrings out they will have to sit out of PE until a time that they can be removed. Schools have to comply with this guidance.
If your child is about to have their ears pierced it is advisable for it to take place over the summer so that the earrings can be removed for PE ready for the start of the Autumn term.
If you have any questions at any time, please feel free to make an appointment.
Wishing you all a great Summer holiday and we look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 2nd September
Rosalind Allsop
Headteacher
