Reflecting on Such a Positive September
Dear Parents and Carers
I write to you following an incredibly positive start to our school year. Your children have faced this year with impressive levels of enthusiasm and excellent levels of behaviour. It is fair to say that Kingsham is buzzing with achievement and aspiration for the learning ahead.
We ask you to please read all of the information in the newsletter as there is so much that we want to communicate in our second newsletter of the year. As always, if you have any questions or queries, please speak to your child’s class teacher in the first instance. Mr Williams and I are always available on the school gate should you wish to speak to us.
New Staff
Mrs Dawn Hanlon has made a huge impact since she joined as our new Finance and HR Officer. Her positivity and passion for working in a school environment has been a pleasure to welcome into the school.
We also welcome Mrs Nicola O’Leary who will begin as a Teaching Assistant in Pear class.
Keeping in Touch
Follow us on Social Media:
Facebook – KingshamPrimary
X - @KingshamPrimary
Instagram - @KingshamPrimary
Speaking and Listening
One of our key priorities this year, as a school, is to improve the quality of children’s speaking and listening. We live in a changing world where the way we communicate with each other is evolving fast. Hopefully, your children will be talking to you about the encouragement they have received to answer in full sentences, justify their answers with ‘because’ or ‘so that’ and have a go at pronouncing tricky words.
We are also asking parents and carers for help with this. Please can we encourage you to support your children’s speech by not using mobile phones at pick-up and drop off. This means that children have a chance to speak to you directly about their day ahead or the day that they have just had.
We will be posting questions on Instagram, Facebook and X throughout the year that you could ask your children about the day that they have had to provoke as much quality talk from your children as possible.
Homework
At Kingsham, we make our expectations of homework very simple to ensure the maximum impact for the children. There are two elements to children’s homework:
Reading
We ask you to – Read to your child, Read with your child and listen to them read at least five times a week. Please complete the reading record so that we know what reading activities you have been doing with your child.
Maths – Number Bonds and Times Tables
The children work towards their number bond and times table bands throughout their time at Kingsham Primary School. We ask all of our families to support their children by supporting their practice at home.
All children have access to NUMBOTS and TT ROCKSTARS to support with this. If your children cannot access these programmes, please speak to the class teacher who can support with login details or with cards to help the children learn if that is preferable for you.
Year 6 – Kingswood Residential
I would like to say a huge thank you to the staff who attended the Year 6 residential with the children last week. Having spoken to the staff and the children (and seen the photos) it is clear that the trip was an enormous success.
I am looking forward to seeing the children demonstrate all of the team-building skills and resilience that they refined during their week away. Well done to the children for making it such a success.
Attendance
Attendance is another of our key priorities this year. The research is very clear that excellent attendance helps to support excellent pupil outcomes. Please support us with this mission by ensuring your child’s attendance is excellent. We aim for every child to have 100% attendance (which you can check on the Arbor App). We consider anything over 96% to be excellent attendance.
I am unable to authorise any holiday during term time as all families are expected to arrange this during the school holidays.
If your child is not well enough to attend school, please contact the school office.
PTA Meeting
The PTA would like me to repeat their invitation to their meeting on Monday 2nd October at 3:05pm for an hour:
Hello,
Whether you're returning for the new year, or starting fresh this term, the Kingsham PTA sends a warm welcome.
All parents, guardians and teachers are members of the PTA, and we'd love to see more people getting involved this year, to help put the cherry on the Kingsham cake.
The PTA committee meets a few times throughout the year to plan fun events for all generations. We rely on input for ideas, and willing helpers to run the events. In turn, this means we have funds for SATS breakfasts, the leavers party, books for leavers, as well as the big ticket items that add richness to the school.
This year, several of the committee have moved on, so we're looking for new attendees. If you can help, please come along to our first meeting of the year on October 2nd, straight after school in the hall.
Thanks, the PTA
After-school Clubs
We have completed our first week of after-school clubs. Thank you to everyone for signing up for the clubs using Arbor. Please let us know if you are having any trouble signing up for them using the Arbor App.
I am sure you will join me in thanking the staff who are giving up their time to run an excellent range of clubs for our children.
Arbor
Thank you to everyone who has downloaded the Arbor App and is using it for clubs and trips as well as to look up your child’s attendance. We now have 90% of parents who have logged on and used it. If it is causing you any problems, please contact the office so that we can support you with it.
Dates for the rest of the term
2nd October – PTA annual general meeting (All invited)
5th October – Year 1 and 2 Marwell Zoo trip
12th October – School Photographs
13th October - Just One Tree Day (dress in green)
19th October – Healthy Child Programme visit for Year 6
23rd – 27th October – Half Term
30th October – NHS flu vaccinations (date rearranged from 5th October)
31st October – Bag2School Collection
2nd November – Parent/Carer Consultation - 15:30 – 18:30
7th November – Parent/Carer Consultation - 15:30 – 18:00
14th November – Open Afternoon to new parents and carers – 13:30 – 15:30
17th November – INSET Day (School is closed to pupils)
Have a fabulous weekend and best wishes
Mr Lee Dallinger