We hope you all had a restful half-term break. It’s been wonderful to welcome our children back to school this week, and we’ve had a busy and exciting start to the new half-term.
Over the holiday, our site team were hard at work overseeing a number of improvements to our school environment. We now have new windows installed in the dinner hall, a fresh floor and carpet in our KS1 corridor and an upgraded wet area in our Reception classrooms. You may have noticed that roofing work is continuing on our KS2 building – this is progressing well and is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
We began the week with all staff coming together for our initial OPAL training. OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) is a long-term project aimed at enriching play opportunities for our children. There was a real sense of excitement among staff and we’re looking forward to sharing more with you as the initiative develops. A special thank you to Sarah Lowe, one of our Parent Governors, for joining us for this important training session.
We were thrilled to welcome our children back to school this week following the half-term break and what a lively start it was! As the gates opened on Tuesday morning, families were greeted with a special Shake Up Wake Up session on the playground. Children and families joined together for a fun and energising movement session, setting a positive tone for the half-term ahead.
This week, we’ve also been reflecting on the theme of remembrance as we approach Remembrance Day. The Royal British Legion has kindly provided us with a range of remembrance merchandise, available for purchase, with all proceeds going directly to them.
Today, our Reception classrooms were buzzing with excitement as families joined us for our Phonics Stay and Play sessions. These sessions gave families a wonderful opportunity to see how we teach early reading skills through phonics. It was fantastic to see families getting involved, supporting their children and gaining insight into how phonics is taught in school. Thank you to everyone who came along.
We also today completed another successful lockdown policy drill. From start to finish, the drill lasted approximately six minutes.
During the exercise, myself, Miss Dale and Mr Maton conducted a thorough sweep of the school, both internally and externally. We were unable to see or access any of the children throughout the drill, which is exactly what we aim for in such scenarios. The response from staff and pupils was calm, swift, and highly efficient.
We continue to carry out these drills to ensure the safety and preparedness of everyone in our school community. Thank you for your continued support.
Our after-school clubs have started with great enthusiasm! If your child isn’t currently in a club, you can add them to a waiting list via the MCAS app.
You should have received a separate communication yesterday regarding our upcoming Family Engagement Evening. This includes all the details you need to make a booking via the MCAS app.
Looking ahead to next week, we’ll be marking Anti-Bullying Week and Children in Need. Please refer to the separate communications already sent for further information on how we’ll be celebrating and supporting these important causes.
