The Curriculum Governors met on 24th March. They spent time speaking with KS2 girls about Life Learning and were heartened to hear that pupils feel safe in school and have a strong sense of belonging at Newdale. Governors then heard an update from the ‘Stronger Foundations’ Associate Governor, who reported on policy developments and monitoring carried out this term.

They also worked with the Maths Lead, talking to KS2 pupils about their maths learning, and were pleased to see clear progress over time. Governors are keen to follow how the focus on ‘STEM Sentences’ develops over the summer term.

They were further reassured by feedback from recent external monitoring undertaken by the School Improvement Partner and two Partnership Heads. All external visitors recognised the calm, respectful learning environments across the school and the strong drive to support inclusion.

Governors who are part of the Finance and Personnel Committee met on 23 March 2026. They spent considerable time analysing the staff wellbeing audit results and identifying any actions required in response to the findings. Governors were very pleased to note that both teaching and support staff feel happy and safe working at Newdale.

The committee reviewed the draft staffing structure for the next academic year and agreed that the inclusion agenda should drive staffing decisions. Governors also approved a budget of £3–£5k to support the development of the newly established SEND provision for the coming year.

At Newdale, we use the Arbor Management Information System (MIS) to help manage pupil information securely and efficiently. Arbor now includes optional AI‑powered tools that help staff complete tasks more quickly — such as data analysis, drafting messages, or finding information inside the system.

Below explains clearly how AI processes data, where it goes, and how Arbor keeps your child’s information safe.

1. Your Child’s Data Remains Protected

Arbor confirms that any student or staff data processed by Arbor AI is not stored, not retained, and not used to train AI models. [support.ar…cation.com]

Only the minimum information required to complete a specific task is processed.

2. How the AI Process Works

When a member of staff uses an AI feature in Arbor:

1. Arbor checks permissions
   Arbor first checks what information the staff member is allowed to access within the MIS. [support.ar…cation.com]
2. Only necessary data is sent for processing
   Arbor sends only the data needed for that specific task to the AI model (for example, attendance numbers for a summary). [platform.s…areone.com]
3. AI produces a result
   The AI generates an output — such as a summary, draft message, or data insight — and sends it straight back into Arbor MIS.
4. Data does NOT leave Arbor systems permanently
   Arbor operates within UK‑hosted environments and maintains strict agreements to ensure data is handled securely and legally. [platform.s…areone.com]

3. Fully Compliant With UK Data Protection Laws

Arbor states that all AI features comply fully with:

• UK GDPR
• Data Protection Act 2018
• Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR)

This ensures data is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently. [support.ar…cation.com]

4. No AI Decisions Affect Students Automatically

AI in Arbor is used only as a support tool.
It helps staff by providing suggestions, summaries, or draft information.

All decisions affecting students — including attendance, safeguarding, behaviour, or academic matters — are always made by school staff, not by AI.

5. What AI in Arbor Can Do

Examples of helpful tasks Arbor AI supports include:

• Drafting messages for staff to review
• Creating quick summaries about attendance or learning
• Helping staff find information quickly
• Offering guidance when setting up school processes
  [platform.s…areone.com]

These tools save staff time so they can focus more on children and learning.

6. What AI in Arbor Does Not Do

• It does not make decisions about children
• It does not store or keep copies of your child’s information
• It does not use school data to train external AI systems
  [support.ar…cation.com]

The Finance and Personnel Governors met on 9th February. They listened to a data update from the assessment lead and then focused in particular on Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) eligible pupil data. They were reassured that PPG children have a strong focus this year through targeted interventions and pastoral support.

The Governors examined this year’s budget closely, along with the year‑end predictions for next year. They discussed the ongoing pressures created by the high number of pupils with complex needs and the impact this continues to have on the budget.

They also reviewed the proposed staffing structure for next year and were satisfied that it reflects what the school can afford while remaining aligned with the needs of the school.

The Health and Safeguarding governors met last week and spent a lot of time looking at the important topic of E safety. They received an update from our E safety lead which included hearing about our filtering and monitoring systems, our E Safety risk assessment and AI usage. They then went onto to interview a group of Year 6 pupils. They were impressed with the knowledge these children had in how to stay safe online.

The Governors also looked at our first aid procedures and checked our staff Single Central Record (SCR). They concluded the meeting by feeding back from their previous parent voice session linked to safeguarding. They plan to repeat this session in order to gain more feedback.

Newdale has been part of Easy fundraising since September and has already raised an amazing £99.11—all through everyday online shopping. This is a fantastic start, but with more families involved, we can boost this total even further.

Did you know that every time you shop online—whether it’s your weekly groceries or your next holiday—you could be generating free donations for Newdale Primary School & Nursery? Over 8,000 retailers are ready to give back, including eBay, Argos, John Lewis & Partners, ASOS, Booking.com and M&S. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, and every penny makes a difference.

🛒 How it works

1. Click this link: Support Newdale Primary on Easyfundraising
2. Create your account (it only takes a minute).
3. Start your online shopping through Easyfundraising and choose from thousands of retailers such as Tesco, M&S, John Lewis, Amazon, eBay, Argos and many more.
4. Each time you shop, the retailer sends a free donation to Newdale Primary School.

It really is that simple—no catch, no extra cost.

📈 Why join?

• Help fund school trips, visits and valuable resources.

• Turn your usual online shopping into meaningful support.

• The more people who sign up, the more our school benefits.

👉 Sign up today and support Newdale: Click here to join Easyfundraising

Together, we can raise vital funds for our children’s learning and experiences—just by doing the shopping we already do.

Dog fouling continues to be an issue in parts of our local area, and we are working closely with the Parish Council to help keep our community clean and safe for everyone.

To support this, free dog waste bags are now available for parents/ carers to collect from the school office. By making bags more accessible, we hope to reach a wider area of the Parish and encourage responsible dog ownership.

Thank you for helping us keep our paths, play areas, and walkways pleasant for all in our community.