Contact Details
Burnside Primary School and Nursery
- 01670736052
- admin@burnside.northumberland.sch.uk
Burnside Primary School and Nursery, Northumbrian Road, Cramlington, NE23 1XZ
October 2024 Round Ups
Friday 4th October 2024
Attendance Reminder
I would like to thank all our parents and carers for your invaluable contribution to our school attendance.
I am pleased to share that our overall attendance is commendable, and this achievement is a testament to the strong partnership we have built together.
Your dedication and understanding of the importance of good attendance have made a significant difference in the outcomes for our children. By ensuring that our students are present and engaged, we are collectively fostering an environment where they can thrive academically and personally.
Thank you once again for your continued support and cooperation. Together, we are making a positive impact on our children’s education and future.
As parents and carers, you are legally responsible for making sure your child gets a suitable fulltime education. For most parents, this will mean making sure your child is in school every day except when they are too ill to come to school.
In August this year the Department for Education updated their rules on term time absence including when to issue fines for non-attendance. These changes are designed to ensure that every child has the best possible chance to succeed and thrive in their educational journey.
Why Attendance Matters
Regular school attendance is crucial for your child’s academic success and overall well-being. Being in school every day helps children build strong foundations in their learning, develop social skills, and form lasting friendships.
Expectations
Strong Partnerships with Families: We are committed to working closely with you to understand and address any barriers to your child’s attendance. By building strong relationships and open communication, we can support your child’s needs effectively.
- Policies: These include guidelines on reporting absences by telephoning the school office, pressing option 1 and leaving a voicemail message. Completing the leaves of absence request and knowing the importance of punctuality.
- Support for All Pupils: We recognise that some children may face challenges that make regular attendance difficult. Whether due to physical or mental health issues, special educational needs, or other factors, we are here to provide the necessary support to help every child attend school regularly
- Data-Driven Approach: We will be regularly looking at attendance data to identify any patterns or issues. This helps us to provide targeted support where it’s needed most, ensuring no child is left behind
- Legal Interventions: Our primary goal is to support and encourage attendance and work in partnership with our families. There are legal measures in place for persistent absences. These include attendance contracts and, if necessary, penalty notices.
How You Can Help
- Stay Informed: Keep up to date with our school’s attendance policies and the DfE guidance.
- Communicate: Let us know if your child is facing any difficulties that might affect their attendance. We are here to help!
- Encourage: Foster a positive attitude towards school and learning at home. Your enthusiasm can make a big difference in your child’s outlook.
BBC 500 Words Writing Competition
Calling all budding authors...there is an exciting opportunity for all children aged 5-11 years old to enter the ‘500 Words’ Story Writing Competition organised by the BBC. This year, the two age categories will be for 5-7 year-olds and 8-11 year-olds.
Children of all abilities are encouraged to use their creativity and imagination to write a story they would love to read without the pressure of having to worry about spelling, punctuation and grammar.
There are fabulous prizes to be won, plus the opportunity for the children to share their wonderful creativity and imagination.
Your child’s teacher will talk to them about the competition at school, however, their entry should be written at home and submitted directly by you.
Entries can be submitted any time from now until the closing date, 9pm on Friday 8th November.
All details can be found at:
If your child does decide to enter, please also email a copy of their story to us. We would love to read their stories.
Check your child`s hair regularly for head lice.
To prevent the spread of head lice the NHS has produced these guidelines. Please could you regularly check your child's hair and ensure long hair is tied back.
Head lice and nits
Head lice and nits are very common in young children and their families. They don't have anything to do with dirty hair and are picked up by head-to-head contact.
How to get rid of head lice
You can treat head lice without seeing a GP.
Treat head lice as soon as you spot them.
You should check everyone in the house and start treating anyone who has head lice on the same day.
There's no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice.
Wet combing
Lice and nits can be removed by wet combing. You should try this method first.
You can buy a special fine-toothed comb (detection comb) online or from pharmacies to remove head lice and nits.
There may be instructions on the pack, but usually you:
wash hair with ordinary shampoo
apply lots of conditioner (any conditioner will do)
comb the whole head of hair, from the roots to the ends
It usually takes about 10 minutes to comb short hair, and 20 to 30 minutes for long, thick or curly hair.
Do wet combing on days 1, 5, 9 and 13 to catch any newly hatched head lice. Check again that everyone's hair is free of lice on day 17.
Medicated lotions and sprays
Ask your pharmacist for advice if you have tried wet combing for 17 days, but your child still has live head lice.
They may recommend using medicated lotions and sprays. These kill head lice in all types of hair, and you can buy them from pharmacies, supermarkets or online.
Head lice should die within a day. Some lotions and sprays come with a comb to remove dead lice and eggs.
Some treatments need to be repeated after a week to kill any newly hatched lice.
Check the pack to see if they're OK for you or your child and how to use them.
If lotions or sprays don't work, speak to your pharmacist about other treatments.
Some treatments aren't recommended because they're unlikely to work. For example:
- products containing permethrin
- head lice "repellents"
- electric combs for head lice
- tree and plant oil treatments, such as tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil and lavender oil herbal remedies
You can't prevent head lice
There's nothing you can do to prevent head lice.
You can help stop them spreading by wet or dry combing regularly to catch them early.
Do not use medicated lotions and sprays to prevent head lice. They can irritate the scalp.
There's no need for children to stay off school or to wash laundry on a hot wash.