Newsletters

Newsletter 106 (02.09.2024) 

Swavesey Primary School Newsletter

Issue 106

 

 Easy fundraising here,

Amazon Wish List here and My School Fund via ESPO here.

Updates from Mrs Norden

We hope you have all had an enjoyable summer and there was some rest for you all at some point in amongst family adventures.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday morning, and below you will find lots of information to support your planning for the new academic year and this autumn term.

This term we will begin to see some changes brought about by considering the information gathered from our 'parent and carer survey' in the summer.   The first being that, whilst we will continue to send 'newsletters' weekly, there will be a fortnightly rotation. One week will be a simple administration and organisation update, with the second week being a fuller publication with more detailed news.  

In addition, the email with the 'newsletter' link will also provide an overview to support an easier understanding of the content and its relevance for you. Hopefully, these changes will support smoother access to information for all.

Next week we will also publish a set of FAQs from the 'parent and carer survey', which will answer questions raised and will highlight other changes we will be making.  I would like to again thank all those who engaged with the survey which supports development through partnership.

                                                                                                                               Anna-Claire Norden

Headteacher

School Year Diary Dates

We are waiting for the website admin team to upload our year of diary dates, which will hopefully be online shortly.  In the meantime, you can access our 24/25 Year calendar by clicking here.  Please note that these dates will only be changed if there becomes an operational necessity - last year we only made one change.  So please put them in your diary to support your planning.

There will remain a link to the diary date set in each week's newsletter, with updates of new dates added half-termly, which will be highlighted.

 

Autumn Term Information

4th September - Children's first day

Gate systems remain the same. Please remember the narrow side path around the side of the school and car park is a one-way system moving from the front to the rear of the school. We had quite a few people accessing it the wrong way towards the end of term which led to a couple of injuries and a few children becoming panicked when separated from adults.

For those needing to access both Reception classes, Swans, Owls, and Preschool using the front gate is the quickest route.  While all other classes can be accessed via the back gate more quickly.  If you should need to access front and back spaces, please start at the front and work your way round leaving by the rear gate.

Our Year 1/2 classrooms are all back in working order and so the children in Otters, Foxes and Squirrels can go straight to their new classroom outer door.

New to School 'Cuppa and a chat' at Drop off time

There will be an opportunity for our New Intake Reception parents/carers and any parents/carers who are new to our school this term or from the last few weeks of the summer term to join Mrs Norden, Mrs Poskitt and PTA members for a 'cuppa and a chat' after you have dropped your children off for their first day at school on 4th September.  After leaving them at the gate/door to go into class, please come round to the hall to join us.

PE days for Autumn Term 1 (first half term)

Children need to come to school in PE kit on PE days. Children should not wear jewellery to school except small stud earrings, but these must be removed for PE sessions to ensure safety rules are followed.

Reception (Rabbits and Mice) - Thursday and Friday

Yr1/2 Foxes and Squirrels - Monday and Wednesday

           Otters - Wednesday and Friday

Yr3/4 Badgers and Swans - Monday and Tuesday

           Kingfishers - Tuesday and Wednesday

Yr5/6 Ravens - Monday and Tuesday

           Swallows - Tuesday and Wednesday

           Owls - Tuesday and Thursday

Please note that there may be weeks when changes for operational reasons need to be made.  If this is the case, information will be sent out to those classes either in a separate email or using the newsletter the week before.

Uniform and all clothing - please ensure all clothing, bags and water bottles are named.  This enables us to ensure any lost property is returned and piles of unclaimed items do not build. 

Lost Property from Premier holiday club weeks - we have a bag of lost property from across the weeks.  If you know your child is missing something, please drop into school tomorrow between 12.45pm and 1.45pm or 3.15pm and 4pm when the office will be manned.  Or come to the office on Wednesday morning.

Bags and items from home - as children will not be changing at school for PE they should only need to bring lunch boxes, outdoor wear to school (e.g. coats), water bottles and reading/library and homework books.  Other items should not be brought to school (e.g pencil cases, own stationary and toys), and we ask that any bags for carrying items are as small as possible to support space in cloakrooms. 

On sport club days, if it is not a PE day, a PE kit will need to be brought for changing into.

Year 6 - Year 6s are allowed to walk home with written permission from parents.  If you are happy for your child to walk home, please  email the school office to confirm this, using 'Year 6 walking home' as your email subject.  Any child without permission will be expected to be collected by an adult.  Any permission from last term needs to be re-affirmed by email.

Please note that Year 5s still need to be collected. In the spring term the Year 5/6 team will undertake PSHE work with the Year 5s to support personal safety after which, if we assess they will be able to make safe choices, the option to walk home will become available.  We will write to you at this point.

Parent Information meetings - as advertised last term

Monday 9th Sept Year 5/6

Tuesday 10th Sept Yr3/4 

Wednesday 11th Sept Yr1/2

Thursday 12th Sept Reception

All start at 2.30pm - Please come to the front gate for access to school.  The gate will be opened at 2.25pm for a prompt start.  If you are unable to attend information will be sent out after all the meetings. 

Swimming Lessons and Top Up sessions for Year 4, 5 and 6 - Parents will receive an email from Mrs Turian this week detailing information linked to this and providing details for those children in these year groups who will be going swimming this half term.

 

Clubs for this term - Organisation for these will be completed in the next few days and information will then be sent out to parents and carers to book places.  Below details the clubs which will be available, but places in clubs cannot be booked until we have finalised organisation, so please be patient and wait for the details to be sent out in due course.

Clubs will start the week commencing 16th September with school staff led clubs finishing the week commencing 9th December.  We are waiting for Premier Sport to confirm their end dates.

Monday 330-415pm 3 / 4 Mixed Football with Mr Thomson (first half term) / Mr Jiggins (second half term)  

Monday 5/ 6  330-415pm   Year 5 / 6 Mixed Netball for FUN! With Miss Bennett (not for players attending  'NewBee' or 'WorkerBee' clubs)

Tuesday 8-835am 'NEWBEE' Netball Club BY INVITATION ONLY with Mrs Turian 

Tuesday 330-430pm  Year 1 and 2 PREMIER SPORT GYM club 

Wednesday 8-835am 'WORKER BEE' Netball Club -Last years Year 5 squad only

Wednesday 330-430pm Year 3-6 PREMIER SPORT GYM club

Thursday 330-415pm Year 5 / 6 MIXED football with Mr ONeill

Friday 8-830am YEAR 1-6 ONLY Golden Mile Club with Mrs Maloney

 

Recorder Clubs - Mirs Stevenson will be resuming recorder clubs the week commencing 16th September.

Monday at 12.30pm will be Year 6 players

Wednesday at 12.30pm will be Year 5 recorder players.

After half term Mrs Stevenson will start a beginners Year 4 group - details to follow.

School Meals

Please remember meals should be paid for in advance, not retrospectively. Schools are not obliged to provide a meal where there is a debt. School meals are free for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. 

We ask that meals are booked in advance and that you ensure your child knows what has been booked for them to avoid confusion at registration time. This also aids the caterers in reducing wastage – we are pleased to be able to offer pupils a choice of hot meal when they approach the counter at lunch, but we need to know the total number of hot meals in advance.

Please visit our lunches page on the school website for information from our catering supplier, particularly if your child has an allergy or an intolerance. 

Morning Snacks

Children in KS2 should bring their own healthy snacks for their morning break.  The government scheme only provides for Reception, Year 1 and 2.  As a healthy eating school, snacks should follow the guidelines in our healthy eating policy, which you can find by clicking here.  Thank you for supporting us with this.

Nut free school - As a nut free school please ensure there are no nut items/contents to packed lunches or morning snacks to support the health of those children and staff with this allergy.

PTA News - access their website page here for ways to support our fundraising

Second Hand Uniform Clothes - if you need any uniform items please see poster below for details.

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SEND, Safeguarding, Health and Wellbeing Links

SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) information can be accessed through our SEND website pages here

Safeguarding Information - please click here for our Safeguarding page especially should you have concerns relating to the safeguarding of our children and families.  Please click here to go directly to our Safeguarding policy.

Attendance Policy - please click here for the school's attendance policy. It is vitally important parents and carers are aware of their responsibilities and the formal processes for attendance matters.  The NHS have created a useful webpage to support decision making when children are unwell - you can click here for the link.

SEMH (Social Emotional Mental Health) resources for parents - Please click here to access an overview sheet with signposted resources for you to use at home to support your children.  The overview sheet can also be found at the bottom of the SEND page on our website here.  

H.A.Y Cambridgeshire Community Wellbeing support -  How Are You South Cambs? | Home (haysouthcambs.co.uk)

NHS Mental Health Services - www.keep-your-head.com and SHOUT - a new Text service on 85258 which provides real-time support to people of all ages who are struggling with their mental health (text the word HEAR to 85258).

Chat Health is a NHS confidential NHS service for help and advice. It’s safe and easy for you to speak to a qualified health professional. Just send a message, you don’t have to give your name. Discreet and quick. It only takes one message to start making a difference. You’ll get confidential advice from trained health staff in your area. Click here to access the site to start a web chat today.

To find out about Pupil premium and Free school meals, please visit our Pupil Premium page by clicking here. 

Click here to find the MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS from Jane Rogers, our Education Inclusion Family Advisor, and team. 

 Click here to access the Cambridgeshire Young Peoples Safer School's Newsletter

 

   

School Lunches

 Click here for School Meal information

Click here to find information on Clubs and wider community events.  The right-hand tabs access different groups/events.

Links to each Phase page under the Curriculum tab on our website.

                                Reception    Yr1/2    Yr3/4    Yr5/6

Access SCOPay Parent Information here and EYandP Fees and Funding Page here

Could you foster? 

At Nexus Fostering based in Lolworth, we’re looking for local people like you to become foster carers. By providing a loving and stable home environment, you can support the increasing number of children and young people in the local area who cannot live in their family homes. Not all children require long-term care. We also need foster carers for short-term placements, respite care, and to provide temporary homes to support young parents and their babies. So, if you have a spare room and are ready to change lives, please give us a call on 01223 903 503 or email Leanne on leannea@nexusfostering.co.uk.

Please access their poster here