Keep up to date with all the news happening in the school at the moment. Articles are added during the week. Parents are encouraged to check regularly. Our weekly newsletter, emailed directly to parents, summarises content for the week.

• Volunteering in School

  Thu 21 Oct 2021 Headteacher

  We are optimistic that in the new year 2022 things may continue further improve in relation to COVID 19  and we can look forward to welcoming back volunteers for in-school activities. 

   

  Parents who volunteer more than once in a 4-week period are in 'regulated activity' this means you will need an enhanced clearance from the disclosure and barring service (DBS) to work in school. If you have previously had a DBS check through school, this will need to be repeated due to a 'break in service' because of the pandemic.

   

  If your interested in volunteering please contact us and we can arrange for DBS to allow you to work in school in 2022 ( fingers crossed !)

   

• High School Applications

  Thu 21 Oct 2021 Headteacher

  Year 6 pupils will be transferring from Primary to High School in September 2022. The closing date for applications is Friday 31st October. Please remember to ensure your application is submitted.

• Plea for Information

  Wed 20 Oct 2021 Headteacher

  Many of you may have heard about the robbery which took place on Thursday 13th October in the Nelson Village area between the hours of 8pm and 9pm. Sadly it was the home of one of our pupils.

   

  Not only were items taken but the house was destroyed by the thieves. Family and police are asking anyone who may have been in the area and have any information to report it to the police.

• Parent Governor Vacancy

  Tue 19 Oct 2021 Headteacher

  The Governing Board is seeking nominations from parents to fill two vacancies of parent governor positions:  

   

  Governors each focus on different areas of responsibility.

  An interest in, or experience of:

  • public sector, corporate decision making and strategic thinking with an interest in championing disadvantaged pupils, or
  • project management, premises or resource management with a willingness to oversee governors own training and development, are especially welcome.
  • areas of linked interest are inter-changable with professional knowledge and skills in other sectors. 

   

  However, this should not stop any parent from applying if you have the wish and commitment to be a governor. Parent governors are appointed for a period of 4 years. 

   

  Why become a governor?

  The Governing Board provides support and challenge whilst setting the strategic direction of the school.  

   

  How much time will I need to give?

  All governors, including parent governors:

  • attend 3 full governing board meetings each year, held on Friday afternoon (1pm - 3pm)  
  • become a member of our Resources or teaching and learning committees which meet  times each year, typically held on a Wednesday morning
  • visit the school during the day, ideally once or twice a year, to gain first-hand knowledge of the school, usually for 1 hour. While visiting, governors usually work with a school leader focusing on their area of responsibility;
  • undertake training courses to improve own skills and knowledge about school governance;
  • meetings are either face-to-face or video conference call.

   

  More information

  Find out more about the role of a school governors and the skills required:

  • Governance skills
  • Arrange to talk to Miss Ramsay, Head teacher, for an informal chat.

  Every governor is not required to have competence in every skill.

   

  How to apply

  Parents can nominate themselves or another parent (if they are willing to be named):

  1. check you are eligible to nominate or be nominated as a Parent Governor.
  2. Telephone the school office for a nomination form;
  3. return the completed form to the school office by hand, pupil post or Royal Mail by Friday 25th  November

   

  If more than 2 nominations are received, then a ballot will be organised to select the new governors. The top 2 candidates by vote tally will take the vacancies with the third highest candidate taking up the vacancy in December. If there are only 2 nominations, then the December vacancy will be based on alphabetical order of the candidates' last name.

   

  Once appointed, all governors are subject to suitability and vetting checks, including providing an enhanced DBS certificate. 

• LOST PROPERTY

  Tue 19 Oct 2021 Admin

  Lost property will be outside the main entrance from 01/11/21. Please come along and check for any lost uniform, lunchboxes etc. If any items are left at the end of the school term these will be recycled.  

   

  All labelled items go back to your child's classroom. 

   

  A reminder to label your child`s uniform  & any other property please.

   

  Thank you

• Are you talking about netflix?

  Tue 19 Oct 2021 Headteacher

  Are your children talking about Netflix show, Squid Game?

  Take a look at the information below from National Online Safety.

   

  What is Squid Game?

  Netflix’s Squid Game is set to become the streaming service’s most successful show of all time, with huge numbers of viewers taking to social media to discuss each new episode. The South Korean thriller features some scenes of fairly brutal violence and is rated 15 by the BBFC. It follows a group of adults who compete to win innocent-looking playground games, but who are killed if they do not succeed at the tasks. 

   

  An unexpected success in terms of viewing figures, Squid Game’s popularity is beginning to spread across various online platforms. There has been a slew of content created – ranging from memes to apps – that convey the violence of the show, so it is important for parents, carers and educators to understand the basis of Squid Game and the potential risks to young people who might be exposed to it.

   

  What are the hazards for children?

  Squid Game’s 15 rating has not prevented clips and images from the show being uploaded onto social media sites such as TikTok, with the #SquidGame hashtag being viewed more than 22.8 billion times. There have been reports of children who have accounts on these platforms inadvertently viewing gory, explicit scenes from the programme, and parents and carers should be mindful of the prevalence of these uploads. 

   

  The popularity of the programme has also led to online challenges based on various scenes, which see people taking part in seemingly innocent children’s games. On the show, however, characters are executed if they fail in the game – and videos of people pretending to kill each other after competing in Squid Game-style contests are going viral on social media, where they are easily accessible to children.

   

  What is the Squid Game Challenge app?

  Squid Game Challenge (also known as K-Game Challenge) is an app for smartphones and tablets that has been released for Android and iOs, and the two systems differ significantly on their age ratings for the game. The iTunes Store rates the app as 12+ (advising of “mild/infrequent horror/fear themes”), while the PEGI rating for Android is just 3+, which means that very young children might be able to download and play the game even with parental controls activated on their device or through Google Play.

   

  The gameplay is frequently interrupted by pop-ups and ads (sometimes appearing while the user is rapidly tapping their screen while attempting to complete the challenge). This could easily lead to unwanted purchases or accidental visits to inappropriate sites beyond the app.

  What can trusted adults do?

  As a parent or carer, keep a watchful eye on the content that your children are viewing. Speak to them openly and chat about how they have been spending time on their devices; let them ask questions, too. Ensure that the parental controls are activated on your child’s device and that age-restricted child profiles are properly set up any on-demand services available through the family TV (such as Netflix, in this case) to prevent inappropriate content being streamed.

   

  If you see your child replicating the challenges from the show or hear them talking about scenes and characters from Squid Game, it would be a timely opportunity to discuss with them that the programme is not intended for children, that much of the content would be inappropriate for their age, and that the violence in the series is very realistic and often upsetting.

   

  Have you thought about joining National Online Safety?

  Sign up  and get instant access to hundreds of free information guides on the latest apps, games, devices, and online risks – including streaming services, age restrictions and how to set up parental controls on phones and tablets.