We now have a new website to purchase school uniform. This is a local company who have supplied Norbury Hall uniform for many years.

We encourage you to use this website Norburyhall.uniform4you.co.uk entering the password Shepley1

The stock we have in the school office can still be purchased via the school money app, however the stock is limited due to storage space. 

Please help Norbury Hall P.A.
Easyfundraising have a campaign for October where the PA gets £2 for every new sign up via the app.
 
Many thanks!
 
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/parentkind-app-eal/

​Dear Parents and Carers,
 
We have received the following communications from the online safety team at Stockport LA.  We regularly hold conversations with parents around this topic and unfortunately find ourselves in discussions with families when things go wrong online particularly for our older children.  There is a large amount of support available in the resources that have been shared with us and I want to share a small part of these with you in this correspondence.  I will continue to share more with you in newsletters across the year.
 
I have shared guidance here with you regarding social media.  I know a large number of our children access the apps that are mentioned here.  I would remind you that many of these apps have a recommended age of 13.  Whilst I understand there are many different ways to use these apps, I would encourage you to have conversations in your home regarding safe use if this is appropriate to your family situation.
 
Please be assured that online safety is an integral part of our PSHE curriculum across the year but this is obviously one area where working in partnership is key.
 
Find out how to keep your child safe online. Don’t forget that the Online Safety Hub is now live! You can access it for free here:

https://stockport.onlinesafetyhub.uk/  The Online Safety Hub is a brand-new online resource with lots of expert advice and guidance to help you manage your child's safety online as a parent. It includes information on the latest hot topics when it comes to keeping children safe, such as how to manage your child's screen time, understand the latest gaming platforms, what they mean for your child’s safety and lots more.
 
We’re also offering you as a parent, a free Qustodio account facilitating parental controls on any individual device and free premium access for 30 days. Gain more visibility on what’s going on in your child’s online world. Block dangerous content, introduce screen-free schedules, receive alerts for inappropriate content, keep tabs on their location and more. Follow the link to create your free account https://www.qustodio.com/en/30-days-school-special/?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=OSHub&utm_campaign=stockport

Navigating social media and gaming safely
https://stockport.onlinesafetyhub.uk/parent/articles/navigating-social-media-and-gaming-apps-safely
Supporting families to discuss how to keep their children safe online using our ABC model.

Safe Chat : The best messaging apps for children
https://stockport.onlinesafetyhub.uk/parent/articles/safe-chat-the-best-messaging-apps-for-children-1
A good place to start for messaging apps.

Snapchat
https://stockport.onlinesafetyhub.uk/parent/reviews/snapchat
Review of the snapchat platform
Information, advice and guidance for parents

Tiktok
https://stockport.onlinesafetyhub.uk/parent/reviews/tiktok  
Review of Tiktok
Information, advice and guidance for parents
 
Instagram
https://stockport.onlinesafetyhub.uk/parent/reviews/instagram
Review of instagram - Information, advice and guidance for parents
 
Discord
https://stockport.onlinesafetyhub.uk/parent/reviews/discord
Review of Discord - Information, advice and guidance for parents

The prevent duty - advice and support for parents
https://stockport.onlinesafetyhub.uk/parent/articles/the-prevent-duty-advice-and-support-for-parents
Information and advice relating to the prevent duty.

We have also been asked to share a current online safety concern.

A safeguarding issue has been identified regarding the Spy Dog, Spy Pups, and Spy Cats book series by Andrew Cope. A web address printed in these books is now under the control of another party and redirects to inappropriate content. The publisher, Puffin, is currently addressing the matter and confirms that the website is not associated with Puffin Group or the author, Andrew Cope. 

If your child owns any Spy Dog, Spy Cat, or Spy Pup books, please check for website links at the back of the books and ensure the sites cannot be accessed. The stories themselves remain safe to read; the concern relates only to the outdated link.
I trust this information is of use to you and your family.

Best wishes,
Becky Wood

Dear Parents and Carers,

The half term is racing away.  The children continue to settle in their classes and are really focused on their learning.  Thank you, as ever, for you continued support.

Mental Health Awareness Day
This Friday (10th October) is World Mental Health Awareness Day.  As previously shared with you, we would like the children to come wearing something yellow.  This can be a small splash of colour or head to toe in yellow!  We will be talking with the children, in an age appropriate way, about mental health during the day.

Parent / Teacher Consultations
We will shortly be sending you an email from ‘Parents Booking’ who are the online platform system we use to organise Parent / Teacher Consultations.  
This allows you to choose, book and edit the meetings scheduled with the class teacher. These will take place on;
Tuesday 4th November – 3:30pm - 7pm
Wednesday 5th November – AM (Nursery only)
Thursday 6th November – 3:30 pm – 6 pm
The log in screen is very simple and straightforward to use, no username or password is required. The platform is now live and will close on Friday 24th October at 12 noon.

Autumn Term—What Makes Our World Work?
Week Beginning: 6th October 2025

Dear Parents and Carers,
 
I can’t quite believe I am writing this newsletter in October already!
Last week, after reading the story of the Three Little Pigs, the children received a letter from Mummy Pig.  She said that her three little pigs have become too big for her house and set the children a challenge to build them a new house using different materials in the woods!  They were very excited and just loved building all kinds of structures with straw, sticks and bricks!
​
This week we will be…

• Continuing to explore different materials and building houses together as a team.
• Retelling the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears
• Introduce the five senses using narrative immersion and participation in the story 
• Exploring colour mixing with the paints.
• Looking at the sounds (phonemes):  g  o  c  k
• Talking about measure and patterns
• Practising our careful counting
•  Counting out sets of objects to match a numeral with 10

 
Dough Disco
Last week we started the fun of Dough Disco. This is something that we do most days and love! We have our own pot of playdough in the classroom and we choose a song to dance to and practise flattening, rolling and squeezing our playdough. Dough Disco helps us to strength the muscles in our hands, which in turn helps us with our pencil control and handwriting.

Home Learning and Handwriting
At school we use the handwriting policy of Penpals. This a great resource that supports our children right through school. Your child is practising letter formation in school through explicit teaching and in phonics.  Each week your child will be sent home some reinforcing practice of handwriting linked to the sounds they are learning.  Please return the plastic folder and the completed activity in their reading bags each week by Wednesday please.
 
Star of the day
We now have ‘Star of the day’ each day in class. Children will each take it in turns to be praised on something we have seen that day and receive a certificate. For the next day, the Star of the Day will get to be at the front of the line and sit on a chair at carpet times. 
 
World Mental Health Day
To support and acknowledge World Mental Health Day this Friday (10th October) we ask that the children come to school in their school uniform, but wearing a splash of yellow.
 
Packed lunches and nut-based products
As we have some children in school with nut allergies, please can we mindful of not including nuts or nut-based products in packed lunches or in snacks.
 
Please do not hesitate to speak/email a member of staff if you have any questions.
​
Thank you so much,
The Reception Team

What is this?
The Christmas card project is an annual design project where the children create their own Christmas design, which is then professionally printed onto cards, wrapping paper, mugs and more! The school receive a commission for every order received. 

What do I need to do?
You will have received an order form in your child's bag. They need to create a design that will be stuck to the blank page on the back. Once done, you need to follow the instructions on the front to set up your order on the website. 

There is a step by step guide on the order form to help you - but please make sure you use the reference number on your order form only, as these are unique to you.

Orders must be placed before the form is returned to school to ensure your products are sent for free back to school, and that we receive a commission from your order.

What next?
Once you've made your order, the design form needs to be returned to school, before
Friday 3rd October. The order forms will be collected by Cauliflower and processed together. Any forms not received by this time will delay your order and you may be required to pay P&P.

This is a lovely project that allows you to send personalised Christmas cards and gifts from your children, and also helps the school!

If you have any further questions, please email us on [email protected]

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are pleased to let you know that on Friday 10th October, our school will be supporting Mental Health Awareness day, with a focus on Young Minds.

This is a special day to help children understand the importance of looking after their mental health and to encourage positive well-being. We will be having age-appropriate discussions and activities in school to raise awareness and support emotional wellbeing.

To mark the occasion, we are inviting all pupils to come to school in full school uniform, but with a touch of yellow - this could be an accessory like a hairband, socks, a badge or even a yellow t-shirt under their school jumper. Yellow is the colour chosen by Young Minds to symbolise hope, happiness, and support for mental health awareness.

Please note: There is no donation required.

Here are some useful links where you can find further information regarding Mental Health Awareness Day and ways to support your child/children:
World Mental Health Day 2025 | Mental Health Foundation
YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People | YoungMinds

Thank you for your continued support, in helping our children grow in confidence, resilience and kindness.
​
Kind Regards,
Sara Turner
Mental Health Lead 

Autumn Term—What Makes Our World Work?
Week Beginning: 22nd September 2025

Dear Parents and Carers,
 
An exciting week ahead for our little learners as they learn and play in their learning environments, which they are now more familiar with! 
 
This week we will be…

Continuing to talk about families and where they live. Please send in your family photo if you have not already done so.

Reading stories about families e.g. Owl Babies and retelling the story together.
Drawing pictures and labelling, ‘Who is in our family?’  ‘Where do I live?’
Exploring different materials in our construction area and building houses together.
Creating our own junk models, using different resources including using scissors
Looking at the sounds (phonemes):  i, n, m, d.

Tricky words to learn by sight (these cannot be sounded out) I  go  no  to  the  into
Matching, sorting and comparing objects
 
Bug Club

Bug Club is a brilliant online resource we have in school and you’ll find your child’s login for Bug Club stuck in the front of your child’s reading record book. Please do let us know if you are having any issues logging on.

Last week, we allocated 6 books without words for your child to share with you and to enjoy collecting the rewards through the little bugs.
​
We allocate new books on there each week (by Friday), in addition to the reading books that come home. Children can apply their phonic knowledge and practise further at home online.
To access please visit:
https://www.activelearnprimary.co.uk/loginc=0 

Labelling

Please can you ensure that clothing is well labelled.  This will include hats, scarves, coats and jumpers.  Many thanks.  PE starts this week!

Please do not hesitate to speak/email a member of staff if you have any questions.

Thank you so much,
The Reception Team

Dear Parents and Carers,
​
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.
​
Best wishes
Becky Wood

Each year the children are invited to put themselves forward to be our next class councillors. A Norbury Hall councillor is a pupil, elected by their classmates to represent their views and help improve the school community.

Every class in school from Year 2 and upwards will have two school councillors. We try to do this as fairly as possible, whilst still allowing the opportunity for anyone who wants to take part to do so.

Pupils interested should put together a short presentation, no longer than 3 minutes, explaining why they would make a great councillor.  This could be a poster, poem, a song or speech.

If your child is interested, this needs to be completed by Monday 29th September 2025. All children interested will then be given the opportunity to share their presentation, in class to their peers during the week. As a class, the children will then fairly vote.
​
They will be voted for in class and two new school councillors will be elected.
The meetings for our new school council will always be held during the school day.

Last year the councillors took part in various different projects, raised money for our chosen charities and supported the PA.

I would like to wish all those interested the best of luck. If your child is unsuccessful this year, they have an opportunity to put themselves forward again next year.

Many thanks,
Sian Murphy