Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been lovely to see some sunshine this week: let’s hope that it is a sign of things to come!

Our children have been very busy over the last couple of weeks. Last week we had teams taking part in a gymnastics tournament where both our Key Stage 1 and 2 teams were placed third, which was a wonderful achievement. The children have also enjoyed taking part in football, netball and cross-country competitions. A team represented the school at The RE debate, and debated whether parents should choose the religion of their child and our school choir are busy preparing for a spring concert at Dudley Town Hall. Members of the School Council, enjoyed meeting our local MP and taking part in a Climate   It is lovely to see such enthusiasm for these extra-curricular events and we thank the staff who give up their time and energy to give the children these wonderful opportunities.

I hope that you all have a lovely weekend.

Kind regards

Mrs D Hudson

Headteacher

• We are aware of some pushing and shoving at the school gate first thing in the morning before it is opened. In such a narrow space, this could cause an injury and is upsetting for all those who are involved or witness it. We have spoken to the children in assembly today and reminded them of behaviour at the gate but would ask that parents who accompany their child to school and especially of those in Reception and Key Stage 1 maintain supervision of their child by having them walk or stand beside them, until they get into school.  Thank you for your help.

• Please can we ask that the parents of pupils in Key Stage 1, ensure that the children understand that they are not to play on the playground equipment before or after school.  We want pupils to come in calmly and ready to learn and being able to walk from the gates and line up while waiting to go into class in part of our routines to have a good start to the day. Pupils should not be on the equipment at the end of the day, when they are not supervised. Thank you for your support with this.

• Next week will have contractors on site repairing some of our outdoor equipment. Please be mindful of this.

From next week there is a change in legislation which means that organisations such as school as required to sort more of their waste for recycling. Whilst I am sure that we all applaud this move, it coincides with Dudley Council, who used to collect our bins, withdrawing this service for schools and a delay before our new provider can begin.

As from the beginning of April, the school will have a number of bins for specific waste.

This is going to mean a total change for pupils, staff and visitors. We have been advised that if bins are contaminated with the wrong waste, they may not be collected and if this is repeated, the school may be liable to a fine.

Clearly, there is much to do to ensure that we are all fully educated about these changes. The children have been spoken to in lessons and in assemblies and they are designing posters to share the messages. We would welcome your support by talking to your child about these changes.  Thank you. 

• Due to the changes in our approaches to managing waste in school, from next week, all children bringing a lunchbox into school, are required to bring their rubbish home, rather than being able to dispose of it in school.

• We have now received the report detailing the outcome of the parent satisfaction survey from our catering provider, AIP. We are due to meet with them before the end of term to discuss the matters raised. Along with staff in school, the school governors are taking an active interest in the catering provision and will be looking at the survey outcomes at their forthcoming meeting.

This Weeks attendance 

Whole School - 95.05%

Reception - 94.00%

Year 1 – 99.33%

Year 2 – 95.17%

Year 3 – 92.58%

Year 4 – 96.33%

Year 5 – 93.46%

Year 6 – 94.31%

Well done Year 1!

Towards the end of term we will be holding a number of Easter Events including our traditional Easter Assemblies.

• Thursday 10^thApril  2.00 p.m. – Key Stage 2 Easter Assembly in hall (This event will be ticketed to comply with fire regulations)
• Friday 11th April 9.00 a.m. – Reception and Key Stage 1 Easter Bonnet Parade on the playground – we look forward to seeing your creations!

For the KS2 assembly, one ticket per child will be issued in the first instance. Please return any unwanted tickets to school. If you require an additional ticket, please contact the school office.

In addition, Key Stage 2 children can enter our competition to decorate a hard boiled egg.  Please bring the eggs to the school on Wednesday 9th April and take them to the classroom. The eggs will then be taken to the Bungalow where they will be on display after school for children, parents and carers to see.

More information can be found about Easter bonnets and egg competition on our Easter leaflet here.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Mrs Hudson is the Designated Safeguarding Lead and any concerns should be shared with her or the Deputy Safeguarding Leads – Mrs Hadley and Ms Gledhill.  Where child protection concerns are raised, the school has a statutory duty to refer these concerns to children’s social care.

Being a parent is undoubtedly one of the most fulfilling roles you’ll ever undertake, but it does come with its own set of challenges. It’s absolutely normal to seek a bit of guidance and support along the way. ‘Dudley Parents’ is a locally based website which signposts parents and carers to a range of on-line and face to face courses and resources to support parenting. These include

• Triple P – Positive Parenting Programme

Specific courses relating to parenting children of different age groups and a programme for those who have children aged 6+ with anxiety. There is also a course to support separated or divorced parents.

• HENRY (Health, Exercise, Nutrition for the Really Young) - HENRY supports parents and carers to change family lifestyle habits and behaviours and provide a healthy start in life for their children
• HENRY Fuss Eating Workshop (aimed at families with children aged 6 months – 7 years)
• Courses to support Parents in Conflict, courses for expectant parents and courses specifically targeted at Dads.

Please have a look at the website for more details of these and other courses.

https://www.dudleyparents.co.uk/home

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