2 months ago
Posted on 12th Mar 2026 by Elsa Wooldridge

A Gentle Reminder About Dogs at the School Gates (front and back)

We kindly ask parents and carers not to wait directly outside the school gates with their dogs, even if the dog is calm and well‑behaved.

While many children love animals, some pupils experience significant anxiety around dogs. For these children, even seeing a dog—no matter how friendly—can feel overwhelming before they have even stepped into school.

Thank you for your understanding

The Newdale Team

2 months ago
Posted on 12th Mar 2026 by Elsa Wooldridge

NSPCC- Supporting Children with their Technology use

As a school, we want to support you in helping your child use technology safely and appropriately at home. The NSPCC link below provides age‑specific guidance to help you understand what kind of device use is suitable and how to keep them safe online.

Children and technology: Age-appropriate usage advice | NSPCC

The link explains:

What types of technology and online activities are appropriate for under‑5s, under‑10s, pre‑teens and teens.
How to use tools like parental controls, supervised access, and child‑friendly apps to keep young children safe.
How to decide whether a child is ready for their own device, such as a first mobile phone.
How to continue ongoing conversations about online safety as children become more independent.

Should you need any further support or advice with this, please speak with your child’s class teacher.

2 months ago
Posted on 10th Mar 2026 by Elsa Wooldridge

Height & Weight Checks – Reception

Please see attached information regarding the National Childhood Measurement Programme for Reception children.

School nurses will be visiting Newdale on Thursday 16th April to complete the checks.

If you do not want your child to participate in the programme please return the withdrawal form that will be sent home today to school by Monday 13th April.

If you are happy for your child to take part, you do not need to do anything.

Please also see attached information regarding Eye screening for 4-5 year olds.

Thank you

NCMP Pre Measurement Leaflet for parents 2026

Eye screening letter for reception

2 months ago
Posted on 10th Mar 2026 by Elsa Wooldridge

Y4 EKO day – Wednesday 11th March

Y4 – EKO day tomorrow (Wednesday 11th March) Children need to come into school in their forest school clothes with their wellies in a bag. Thank you

2 months ago
Posted on 09th Mar 2026 by Elsa Wooldridge

World Book Day – Year 2

Year 2 had a wonderfully creative World Book Day, bringing together storytelling and imagination with a splash of maths. The children explored How Big Is a Million? by Anna Milbourne and Serena Riglietti. It’s a beautiful story that sparks curiosity about numbers, size and the world around us.

Inspired by the book’s sense of scale, the children were set a special challenge: to create their own artwork using exactly 100 pieces of tissue paper. This hands‑on task encouraged them to think carefully about counting, grouping, and arranging their materials, all while producing vibrant and thoughtful pieces of art.

To continue the fun, the children then turned their attention to their families. They had to imagine each member as an animal character. From busy bees to cheerful cheetahs, their creations were full of personality and charm.

The classrooms buzzed with excitement all day, and the children should feel incredibly proud of the imagination and effort they poured into their work and costumes. What a brilliant way to celebrate reading, numbers, and creativity all at once. Thank you to any grown ups who helped their children celebrate this day!

2 months ago
Posted on 06th Mar 2026 by Elsa Wooldridge

Y2 Staffing Update

Dear Parents/Carers,

Miss Hill will be sadly leaving Newdale at Easter. She has been a wonderful teacher and a valued member of our school community, and we know many children and families will miss her. We wish her every success in her next chapter.

To ensure a smooth transition, Mrs Morrow—an experienced and well‑known member of our team—will be teaching the Year 2 class on Mondays and Tuesdays. Mrs King will continue to teach from Wednesday to Friday. Mrs Morrow has already been spending time in the classroom getting to know the children, and the team is working closely together to make sure routines, learning and support remain consistent.

Kind Regards,

Miss Cook

2 months ago
Posted on 06th Mar 2026 by Elsa Wooldridge

🌟 Newdale’s Got Talent is Coming! 🌟

Get ready, Newdale… because the stage is set, the lights are waiting, and we are beyond excited to announce that Newdale’s Got Talent is officially returning!

This dazzling event is the perfect chance for our amazing children to shine and share their wonderful talents. Whether it’s telling hilarious jokes, playing the piano, showing off football tricks, dancing, singing or something totally unique—we can’t wait to see what they bring to the stage!

Please use ParentPay to nominate your child to take part in the class auditions for Newdale’s Got Talent which will take place on the following dates:

Reception – Year 5 – Friday 13th March 2026

Year 6 – Wednesday 11th March 2026 (please note, there will be no nature walk for Year 6 on this day)

Please confirm on ParentPay what talent/skill your child will be sharing and if they will be using any equipment/costume for their act.

All children who are nominated will take part in class auditions for their chance to progress to the next round.

More details regarding the semi finals and the grand final will be shared in the coming weeks.

We cannot WAIT to see the talent Newdale has to offer this year!

2 months ago
Posted on 06th Mar 2026 by Elsa Wooldridge

Comic Relief – Red Nose Day 2026

Newdale will once again be taking part in Red Nose Day on Friday 20th March 2026.

Children are invited to dress down for the day and wear red if they wish.

Parents/carers can donate using the following link

Comic Relief Nose Day 2026

Please see link below regarding how to purchase a red nose.

The Red Nose | Comic Relief

Please note that school will not be selling red noses.

Thank you for your support.

2 months ago
Posted on 06th Mar 2026 by Elsa Wooldridge

NHS Dental Spaces Available

2 months ago
Posted on 05th Mar 2026 by Elsa Wooldridge

World Book Day Magic at School!

What an amazing World Book Day we’ve had today! Our school was filled with colour, creativity, and excitement as children and staff arrived in their fantastic book and numbers-themed outfits. From heroic adventurers to whimsical storybook favourites, it was wonderful to see so many characters brought to life in our corridors.

Throughout the day, everyone took part in a range of fun, book‑related activities, celebrating the joy of reading and the power of imagination.

A huge highlight was our “Spudtacular” Potato Character Competition! The entries were incredibly inventive, and it was brilliant to see how creatively the children transformed their potatoes into beloved characters. In class, children voted for their favourite potato characters. Miss Cook and Miss Macfarlane then looked at all the entries as they decided which potato would gain first prize for each year group. Please see attachment to see our winners.

The overall year group winners have won a book token to buy a new book of their choice; second place runners up have received an edible Easter treat.

We also enjoyed a hugely successful Book Swap, with children eagerly choosing “new-to-them” stories to take home. It was fantastic to see so much excitement around sharing and discovering books.

Thank you to all the children, families and staff for the enthusiasm, effort and joy you brought to the day. Fun was had by children and staff alike, making this a World Book Day to remember!

Look out for more information about how we will be celebrating ‘Get Caught Reading Month’ in May. We will be asking for photographs of children reading in different places. We look forward to seeing some unusual entries!

Here’s to celebrating stories today and every day!

Miss Cook and Miss Macfarlane

Potat