Headteacher Newsletter Issue 3
FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER ISSUE 3: 9.10.26
OFSTED
We were delighted to share with you our latest OFSTED report this week. It is a great achievement and we are very proud of the children and staff.
Year One Forest School
Year 1 had a fantastic time at forest school and we were so lucky that the sun was shining.
We climbed trees, searched for minibeasts, used conkers to make rainbows ribbons and even made a fancy dinner from leaves and mud.
We finished our session with a very fun and catchy song whilst enjoying a drink and a biscuit.
We are so excited to have lots of adventures again next week!
Parliament Elections
Last week, children standing as candidates for our Children’s Parliament delivered excellent speeches during assembly. On Monday 5th October, pupils from Years 1 to 6 took part in a democratic vote to elect our school representatives. We are delighted to announce that Jasper (Year 3) and Cameron (Year 4) have been elected as our school’s Children’s Parliament Representatives. We are confident they will represent the views of our pupils with enthusiasm and dedication. On Thursday 15th October, Jasper and Cameron will attend the Sir David Amess Children’s Parliament Inaugural Debate in the House of Commons. Thank you to all the candidates for their courage, effort and commitment throughout the election process.
Phonic Parent Workshop – Year one
There was a Year 1 Phonics workshop on Tuesday 6th October. During the session, we explained how phonics is taught in Year 1 and how parents and carers can support their child’s reading and writing development at home. We also discussed the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check. For those who were unable to attend, all information has been shared via ParentMail and Teams.
Year 6 Boys’ Football Event
Eight boys from year 6 represented Clavering at the football tournament on Wednesday this week. Although the children were cold and wet, they were resilient, team players who made us very proud.
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Matches:
Clavering 4 – 1 Bentfield Clavering 7 – 0 Birchanger Clavering 0 – 0 Henham & Ugley Final: The final went to penalties and Clavering won by 4 goals to 1. Therefore, Clavering came first place overall – Well Done! |
Thank you to Mr Snelling and Mrs Neal for supervising and coaching the team and to all the parents who supported with lifts.
Sport Ambassador Training
On Thursday 8th October, 4 sports ambassadors went to Elsenham Primary School to train. Firstly, we were told there were 4 challenges (reception, year 1 – year 2, year 3 – year 4 and year 5-year 6). First was dot to dot where we ran between 2 chairs, dotting them every time. Next was skipping. We had 60 seconds to do as many skips as we could. I did 25! Year 3-year 4 was figure of 8 where we had 60 seconds to run round a 1-meter loop in a figure of 8. Bodhi did 16! Finally, we threw a ball against a wall and caught it with the other hand from 1 meter. I did 35, Bodhi did 29. The last thing we did was learn how to set up a tournament.
Torben
New Governors
Our two new governors Jack Saxton and Claudia O’Farrell met with the Heads of School today for a tour of the school and lunch. This was their first official duty and they were excellent school representatives.
Harvest Food Collection at Clavering School
Thank you for your donations so far, any further harvest donations will need to be in school by next Wednesday 14th October when the food bank will be collecting. Each class is collecting different items for Uttlesford Food Bank:
| Reception | Noodles and Rice |
| Class 1 | Cooking Pasta and Pasta Sauces |
| Class 2 | Cereal and Oats |
| Class 3 | Tinned veg and fruit |
| Class 4 | UHT Milk |
| Class 5 | Long life juice and squash |
| Class 6 | Puddings and custard (long life) |
SAFEGUARDING – No Mobile Phones in School – updated DFE guidance and school policy
In line with new DFE guidance, mobile phones are not permitted in school. If a child needs a phone, as they are walking to and from school (years 5 and 6, as per our School Travel Plan) then it must be handed in to their class teacher upon arrival and collected before they leave school at the end of the day. Please note this has always been our policy, but it has now been released as an expectation by the DFE, which is active from September 2026.
Families are strongly encouraged to choose a non-smart (call/text) phone if a device is needed. The school is looking to join the Saffron Walden schools in becoming a Smartphone Free School due to the risks to mental health, sleep, attention, exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, and reduced play/social interaction among children. Families are encouraged to delay social media access until legal ages and to consider non-internet ‘retro’ phones if contact is essential for travel.
Staff, Parents, Governors and visitors can only use mobile phone(s) and other devices with camera functions in designated areas and never in front of the pupils. When not in a designated area, phones must be switched off and out of sight. Any exception must be pre-arranged.
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”.
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 2027
From 12 September 2026 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 2026. 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 2027
From 9 November 2026 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 2027. 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 Update – Criteria Change from September 2026
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.
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.
Please click on the link below to apply via Essex County Council.
Free school meals: Apply for free school meals | Essex County Council
Free October Half Term Clubs with Essex ActivAte Will Soon be Live to Book
Essex ActivAte half term programmes provide free, fun and engaging activities for eligible children and young people during the October half term break. From sports and crafts to outdoor adventures and more, there are plenty of opportunities to stay active, make friends and try something new, alongside receiving nutritious meals and snacks.
Spaces are limited and can be booked directly with local clubs when they go live, with no HolidayActivities voucher code or referral required.
To find a club near you, visit the Find Your Active Activity Finder on the Active Essex website. Simply select ‘Programmes’ to view the upcoming half term activities, enter your local area, and book directly with the club using the contact details provided.
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
7th October Year 6 boys’ Football
8th October Sport Ambassador training am
13th October Harvest
14th October KS2 Cross Country
20th October Parents Evening
21st October Year 3 Egyptian Day
21st October Years 5 and 6 Dodgeball pm
21st October Parents Evening
23rd October Friends of Clavering Break The Rules Day
26th Oct – 30th Oct Half term
2nd November INSET day – school closed to pupils
4th November Years 5 and 6 Tag Rugby am
5th November Open Morning
9th November Flu Vaccine
9th, 11th and 23rd November SEN Learning Plan Meetings
11th November School Council Memorial visit
11th November Years 3 and 4 Dodgeball pm
12th November The Two Johns E-safety sessions for pupils, staff and parents
20th November Sharing Assembly – Year 6 parents invited
13th November Children in Need
24th November Tray Day
25th November Years 3 and 4 Sports Hall Athletics pm
1st December Year 5 Parliament Trip
7th December Governor Focus Morning
14th December Friends of Clavering Christmas Shopping Morning
15th December KS2 dress rehearsal am, KS1 dress rehearsal, KS2 evening performance yrs and 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
18th December End of Term
ACHIEVEMENTS
STAR OF THE WEEK
Week ending 25th September 2026
Reception Esme – for brilliant effort with her letter formation
Year One Oscar – for always being a fantastic role model
Year Two Hudson – for amazing effort in all areas, particularly challenging himself in Maths
Year Three Izzy – for amazing positivity, creativity and independence
Year Four Alex – for using prepositions, fronted adverbials and expanded noun phrases to enhance his descriptive writing
Year Five Eva – for fantastic effort and determination across all subjects this week
Year Six Bodhi – for excellent attitude to learning and being an amazing PE Ambassador when working with pre-school
Week ending 2nd October 2026
Reception Huxley – for great enthusiasm to learn and for being a very helpful class member
Year One Anastasia – for trying her best and doing fantastic writing in English
Year Two Finley – for fantastic effort and contributions in class this week
Year Three Grace – for challenging herself, being a great role model
Year Four Alex C – for excellent engagement in all lessons and independently offering well thought out, clear answers in class
Year Five Tilly – for consistently working hard and focus in all lessons this week, while being a great role model for younger children
Year Six Jacob – for a fantastic start to Year 6 – focused and working hard in all the curriculum
If you have any questions at any time then please feel free to make an appointment.
Have a good weekend.
Rosalind Allsop
Headteacher
