Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to the Summer Term’s update. Whilst the Spring Holiday now seems distant memory, I hope you had an enjoyable break with your families, and wish those who celebrate a belated happy Easter and Eid. Thanks go to the BPFA and our wonderful volunteers for their after school event on 19 April to mark Eid. The food was delicious, and the event was a valuable expression of our school community’s cohesion.
In these extremely challenging times for school budgets, we are ever-grateful for the BPFA’s fundraising work, which is explained below. The graph shows clearly the results of the Association’s excellent work on behalf of the school’s children, and the recent planting around the school is a visible result. If you have donations for the BPFA International Day on 7 June, please take them to the School Office.
The Summer Term is very busy, so to keep you well informed, this Newsletter will focus on upcoming dates for your diaries. There are statutory assessments in the EYFS, Year 1, Year 4, Year 6 and for some children in Year 2 for which children need to be in school every day on time. Tracy Sherry, our Attendance Officer, has written to you to explain the support we offer parents and carers to ensure children come to school on time every day and what attendance percentages mean. Pupil attendance should be 96%+; 95% is a cause for concern and 90% is persistent absence. I have included a copy in this edition in case you missed it. I am pleased to welcome our new Music Teacher, Reece Evans, who has been working with us for the last week and has been getting to know the children, noting their confidence and enthusiasm, which is encouraging.
Finally, thanks go to Year 2, who made a profit of £135 for UNICEF from their enterprising Keyring Sale, to Dr Rebecca Thom, a kidney transplant doctor and parent who shared information about her work with the children in a Friday assembly and to the parents and carers who came to Anna Newbold’s Art History Club Exhibition on 26 April. The children were justly proud of their excellent work, and were keen to explain how they made it.
There are plenty of trips and visits coming up, including to art galleries, that support and enrich children’s learning across the curriculum. Thank you as always for your support with these; we cannot offer them without your help.
With best wishes for a peaceful and enjoyable fortnight ahead.
Susannah Bellingham, Head Teacher
