Achievement Assembly

Friday 20th March 2026 

As we come to the end of Week 5, it has been wonderful to enjoy some much‑needed sunshine. The children have loved spending time outdoors, making the most of our new play equipment and music. This week, Year 4 enjoyed a visit to Telford Minster and on Friday, the school was filled with red as we celebrated Red Nose Day. 

 

House Points 

This week, Wrekin have gained the most points with an impressive 326. Only 9 points behind is Wenlock with 315. Severn are in third place with 288 and finally Ironbridge are only 5 points behind with 283. Well done everyone! 

Achievers of the week: 

Year 6 achievers: George for some lovely gothic writing and using supports effectively to help. Cayden for being such a kind and helpful member in the classroom to both staff and peers alike.  

Year 5 achievers:  Lila for always being a fantastic learner and always giving 100% and making great progress this school year. Eliza for her amazing effort in all her work this week and finishing it off with a great Chance to Shine plan! Well done, Eliza!  

Year 4 achievers: Joshua for working really hard on his handwriting this week showing a fantastic attitude to his learning. Jake for encouraging a love of reading in others and representing Newdale brilliantly on our trip to the library.  

Year 3 achievers: Avash for super independent learning using word mats to support his writing and increased maturity during the school day. Kamila for doing two fantastic chance to shine pieces, well done you should be so proud.  

Year 2 achievers: May for always being ready to learn and trying her best to complete work independently. Nelly for amazing effort in maths this week. She has blown me away with her speedy recall of addition facts like number bonds to help her add big numbers! 

Year 1 achievers: Scarlett for improving her independence when working. Her writing is neat and she always tries her best. Cody for always working hard and giving 100% effort in all lessons.  

Year R achievers: Uzma Khaksar for showing excellent enthusiasm for learning and superb progress with her Maths. Kayla for her effort in listening skills and learning this week. 

 

Readers of the week – these children were entered into our weekly reading raffle: 

Year 6 readersCayden – for trying hard with his diary comments and handwriting. Mrs Arthur’s reader for increasing the amount she reads each week and writing entertaining comments in her diary. 

Year 5 readers: Hilal for making excellent progress in his reading and as a result, progressing up a book band. Parker – for excellent, detailed comments about his text and wonderful illustrations throughout his reading diary all week.  

Year 4 readers: Jomi for reading consistently and producing a great VIPERS response and predicting what will happen next in his book. Kira for a fantastic week of readers and a super VIPERS question. 

Year 3 readers: Lucy for consistent home reading. Miss Watson’s reader for always reading and giving great description and illustrations in her reading diary of the books she is reading.   

Year 2 readers: Bella for increasing her reading at home and trying so hard. Mrs King’s achiever for reading every week and leaving wonderful comments about the book he is reading.  

Year 1 readers: Merryn for reading every night this week and writing her own comments. Jadon for always doing a fabulous job of reading at home. 

Attendance Winners 16th – 20th March 2026

Winner of Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3

Miss Hill & Mrs King = 97.24%

Winner of Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6

Mrs Arthurs = 98.39%

 

Free Easter Activities

Free Easter holiday activities organised by the Lawley & Overdale Parish Council and Bournville Village Trust.

Activities will run from Monday 30 March to Friday 10 April and include boardroom gaming, magic shows, cooking sessions and creative crafts. Spaces are limited and booking will open when the programme launches on Friday 13 March via Children’s Holidays 2026 Lawley/Lightmoor/Overdale | Eventbrite.

There will also be a free Easter Trail on Tuesday 31 March (11am – 3pm) featuring an egg hunt and family friendly activities. No booking is required for the trail. Just come along and join the fun.

For more information, please email enquiries@lawleyoverdale.org.uk

Easter Raffle

This year’s Easter Raffle is now live on ParentPay.

Tickets are £1 each and must be purchased via ParentPay. Please ensure you buy all tickets you would like as only one transaction can be made.

The raffle will close on Tuesday 24th March at midday and the lucky winners will be drawn on Wednesday 25th March.

Good Luck everyone!

 

How Arbor Uses AI to Support Our School

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.

  1. 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]
  1. 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]

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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]

Newdale’s Got Talent – Reception – Y5

Newdale’s Got Talent Auditions is back on ParentPay to nominate your child to take part in the class auditions taking place tomorrow afternoon (Friday 13th March)

If your child would like to audition, please log on to ParentPay to nominate them. The deadline for nominating is Friday 13th March at 9am.

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