Headteacher's Newsletter 22/09/2025

Dear Parents and Carers,
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As we move towards the start of a new month, I wanted to update you on a few matters.  The children continue to be very settled in school and are enjoying their new Quest – What Makes Our World Work?  Thank you to those of you who attended the Meet the Teacher event for years 1 – 6.  If you were unable to attend the presentations that were shared are on the school website.

School Attendance

For those of you who were with us this time last year, I wrote to you outlining new statutory guidance regarding attendance.  I am sure you will agree that attending school is important for every single one of our children at Norbury Hall.  We understand that children get poorly from time to time and need to be at home but we would encourage you to ensure that attendance at school is maximised.  The following information may help to guide your thinking.

Please be aware that there is no way of authorising a term time holiday.  These are now recorded as unauthorised absences which could lead to a penalty notice.  I am being asked for an increasing number of term time holidays.  As a school we do not currently issue penalty notices but this is a conversation I plan to revisit with our Local Governing Board this term. 

Safety at the start and end of the school day

The gates to school are opened at approximately 8:30 am and are closed again at around 9:05 am.  Please make sure you have left the site by this time.  If you are detained in the school building you will need to leave via the school office.  I would ask that conversations with teachers at the start of the day are brief as they have to start their teaching day.  They will always be willing to make an alternative time to talk if it is a longer conversation.  If you are late to school in the morning, please enter via the school office so that we can ensure your child receives their mark in the register. 

At the end of the day, the gates are opened at approximately 3 pm.  They will be closed at around 3:25 pm.  This is because we have after school clubs on site and need to ensure the children still inside the building are safe.  Again, please make sure you have left the site by this time.

The children are not allowed to play on the adventure playgrounds or tyre park at the start and end of the school day.  Please keep your children with you at all times before the doors open in the morning and after your children have been handed to you at the end of the school day.

School Fund

We ask for a voluntary donation to school fund on an annual basis.  We request a sum of £7.50 per family.  This will be added as a payment to school money.  This helps us buy additional resources for the children in their classrooms.

Parents’ Association

Thank you to those parents who attended the AGM of our Parents’ Association last week and thank you to those parents who have put themselves forward to form the core committee.  We are looking forward to another exciting year of fund raising – please see the diary below for events this term.  As well as attending events, an easy way to donate is to sign up to the Easy Fundraising website which brings funds directly to our Parents’ Association without any additional cost to you.  They are currently working in association with Tesco.  Please follow the link to be able to donate – https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/norburyhall/?utm_campaign=pmc&utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=social&utm_content=tesco-bff-wa1

The school disco on Thursday 23rd October, is for all children in the school.  This is a Glow Disco with UV lights.  We ask that the children wear a white T-shirt or top.  The Parents’ Association have UV paints and temporary tattoos for the children.  Children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are invited to come between 5:15 pm and 6:15 pm and children in Years 3 – 6 are welcome from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm.  Nursery parents are permitted to stay but we ask that all other parents drop their children off and collect them at the end – this is simply due to capacity within our school hall.  Plenty of school staff and members of the PA team are on hand to look after the children.  There is an unlimited supply of juice or biscuits for the children.  Sweets and other treats are available for the children to purchase.

At the end of the disco, please queue outside the main entrance.  We will sit the children down on the hall floor and then allow parents to come through and pick their children up, exiting through the rear entrance of the hall and back on to the school car park.  We have found this is the most efficient and safest way to match the children to their adults at the end of the event.

OPAL

In my last newsletter, I informed you about the Outdoor Play and Learning project we are taking part in.  We have our audit and first staff training session for this on Wednesday of this week.  As a result, we intend to get the children outside as much as possible even if it is wet.  Please can you make sure they come to school dressed for this with wellies and waterproofs. 
Thank you as ever for your continued support.
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Best wishes
Becky Wood

Key dates for your diary

Autumn TERM 2025
Tuesday 23rd September
Flu vaccinations for children in Reception – Year 6

Wednesday 1st October
School Photographs (individual and family groups)

Thursday 23rd October
PA disco

Friday 24th October
School finishes for the half term break

Monday 3rd November
INSET day – children not in school

Tuesday 4th November
Children return to school

Tuesday 4th November and
Thursday 6th November
Parent teacher meetings

Friday 28th November
PA Christmas Fair

Monday 22nd December
School finishes for the Christmas break

SPRING TERM 2025
Monday 5th January
Return to school