Dear Parents and Carers,

It was great to see many of you at our Open Evening yesterday and hear your positive comments about the children’s reports and the progress that they have made.

It was also wonderful to see so many of you at our Summer Fayre on Saturday. Huge thanks go to all the RFA Team, who had spent weeks preparing for the event: it was amazing! It was the first major event to be run by the new committee and volunteers and it was very positively received. Thank you for all your donations prior to the event and coming along and supporting the stalls and games on the day. We are delighted to tell you that a magnificent total of £1753.88 was raised!

The run up to the end of the year is always a hectic time in school with many wonderful events. In the next couple of weeks we have our productions, shorts and shades, transition morning and afternoons and Ridge Has Talent: lots of enjoyable activities as we approach the end of the year. I look forward to sharing them with you.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Kind regards

Mrs D Hudson

Headteacher

Monday 1^st September and Tuesday 2^nd September will both be INSET Days. 

School will open for children on Wednesday 3^rd September. As usual, the gates will open at 08:35, classroom doors will open at 08:40 and registration will be at 08:45.

Looking ahead to September, in addition to Mrs Hudson’s retirement there are some changes to the staffing at The Ridge.

Good Bye

Mrs Rouse will be leaving after 10 years working at The Ridge. During that time she has taught in both Key Stage 1 and 2 and from Year 1 to Year 6. Most recently, she has been our Music Subject Leader, sharing her passion for music with children across the school.  A well respected and skilled teacher, we offer our thanks for all that she has contributed to the life of The Ridge. We shall miss her and wish her well in the future.

Our SENCo, Mrs McGivney will also be leaving us. Following what was initially a short term arrangement, Mrs McGivney has been with us for two years and her work has been highly valued by staff, parents and pupils alike. As well as relocating to Herefordshire, Mrs McGivney has been commissioned to write a book. We look forward to seeing her in print and in the meantime, we wish her every happiness in her new life in the country.

Mrs Phillips- Roden will be stepping down form her lunchtime post but will remain within the school family continuing her role in OSCAR Club. We thank her for all the care she has given to the children over countless lunchtimes. 

Hello 

We welcome Mrs Alex Thomas, who has been appointed to the post vacated by Mrs Rouse. Mrs Thomas is an experienced teacher who will be working with Mrs Hemus to share the teaching of Year 4. We look forward to her joining us.

Before half term, we interviewed for a newly created post of Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for SEND. Unfortunately we did not make an appointment. The recruitment of a new SENCo will now be handed over to the new Headteacher. In the meantime we have been able to make a temporary appointment and further details will follow, once all the recruitment checks have been completed.

Over the past two days, governors have been interviewing candidates to be the new Headteacher at The Ridge. Further information about this appointment will be shared shortly.

Third time lucky! The re-scheduled Amble Ramble will take place on the morning of Thursday 10^th July.

Also on Thursday 12^th July we have our annual Shorts and Shades Picnic. The children will already be dressed for the Amble Ramble but can don a pair of shades for the afternoon. The event starts at 2.15 p.m. when parents and carers are welcome to join us on the field. Bring along a chair and a small picnic for yourself and your child and enjoy a relaxed hour or so. Children whose family are unable to attend can also bring a picnic but please don’t go overboard! It is only a short time after the children have had lunch! On a practical note it would be helpful if you could bring a bag to take home your own rubbish – thank you.

This event is an annual fundraiser and this year we will be supporting Mrs Hudson’s chosen charity, The Alzheimer's Society.  We recognise that the children will be collecting their sponsorship money from the delayed Amble Ramble, so please don’t feel any pressure to contribute.

Ridge Roots is a parent-led support group dedicated to families of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). Our aim is to create a welcoming and understanding community where parents and carers can connect, share experiences, and offer mutual support. Through regular meet ups, discussions, and activities, Ridge Roots provides a safe space to access valuable resources, exchange practical advice, and build lasting friendships with others who truly understand the unique challenges and joys of raising a child with SEN. Whether you’re seeking guidance or simply someone to talk to, Ridge Roots is here for you.

Please see the attached for further information.

On June 11th, Mr Lamb took our team of young aspiring Year 6 female cricketers to the Dudley Schools Cricket Competition at Halesowen Cricket Club. Our Girls progressed through the group stages and faced a very well organised Glynne team in the final, to which we came runners up.

Little did we know, that as we had placed in the top two teams, we had gained access to the exclusive Worcestershire Country Cricket Finals, at New Road!

On Monday 30^th June, Mr Lamb and his squad of big hitters took the field of play once again, where this time the level of standard had increased dramatically. We were up against the best school teams in the whole county. But this didn't seem to affect our girl's confidence, with them cruising through the group stages, unbeaten. Scoring over 230 runs in only three games.

Once again, our girls in yellow had made it through the final, which at county level is an amazing achievement in itself. However, our opponent this time was an extremely well drilled side from Stourport called Lickhill, who were also unbeaten in their journey to the final.

We played exceptionally well and took two wickets, but that wasn't enough to compete against the sheer quality of Lickhill, who deservedly beat us 97 - 74.

We were still very much upbeat though in The Ridge camp, as we played some fantastic cricket throughout the day, and had the wonderful opportunity and experience to visit and play on a professional cricket ground.

Mr Lamb was over the moon with what the girls had achieved and is extremely proud of all of the girls.

Please see below some action shots from the day........

This Weeks attendance 

Whole School - 96.81%

Reception - 95.33%

Year 1 – 98.53%

Year 2 – 98.00%

Year 3 – 96.13%

Year 4 – 97.99%

Year 5 – 93.46%

Year 6 – 97.98%

Well done Year 1!

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 Mrs Morley.  Where child protection concerns are raised, the school has a statutory duty to refer these concerns to children’s social care.

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