Welcome to Reception at Newdale!

Welcome to Newdale Primary School 2025.

We are all really looking forward to welcoming everyone into Reception for their first day of school, either for their morning or afternoon session on Tuesday. We know you will be so smart in your uniform and will have such a great time catching up with or making new friends.

Please find attached an information sheet. It shows you the staff working in our Reception team, along with a map for entry and exit details for your new classroom. We hope you find this helpful.

New 2025-2026 Transition KH

New 2025-2026 Transition GB updated

 

Please note, Forest School will not start week 1, so no kits needed this week. Further information to follow.

It might also be comforting to watch the virtual tours on the Reception page with your child prior to their first day, to remind them of what their lovely new classrooms will look like.

See you very soon,

The Reception Team

 

Finance and Personnel Governors Involvement

Finance and Personnel Governors met on Wednesday 16th July. They concluded their focus on PE by looking at the planning format and then talking to a group of Year 4 – 6 children about the offer. They were happy to hear the children talk so positively about the PE offer at Newdale.

Governors spent time looking at the finances for the school and nursery. They recognised the difficult balance between securing enough staff to support higher than usual numbers of special educational needs, against the income the school receives. They understand that systems across the setting will undoubtedly have to change in order to accommodate this need.

Reception’s End of Year Video 2025

The Reception children have been working on a ‘secret project’ over the last few days to put together a special video to celebrate the completion of their first year of school! We are so proud of the children and hope they will look back at this video in years to come.
Have a lovely summer everyone!

Love from The Reception Team xx

Careers Day at Newdale Primary School – A Fantastic Friday to Remember!

Careers Day 2025 Video

On Friday, Newdale Primary School held a fantastic whole school Careers Day, and what an inspiring day it was! We were incredibly lucky to welcome a wide range of volunteers from many different professions who gave up their time to talk to the children, provide exciting activities to take part in, and share their passion for their careers. The school was buzzing with excitement as pupils explored the endless possibilities for their futures.

A huge thank you goes out to all our wonderful volunteers who helped make Careers Day such a huge success. Staff and pupils alike had an amazing time, and the children left feeling inspired, motivated, and excited about all the possibilities their futures could hold. It truly was a day to remember!

Here’s who came to visit…

Paramedic Team – who gave students the chance to try on real paramedic gear and explore life-saving equipment.

Local Police officers– who brought a real police van, police car, equipment, goody bags and introduced PC Peeler, the police dog mascot.

Farmer Mark – who showed off his impressive blue tractor and a variety of fresh vegetables, giving pupils insight into life on the farm.

Smileworks Dentistry– A dentist and dental nurse who discussed their job roles, taught the children about oral health and handed out goody bags.

Gav from the RAF– who set up a thrilling assault course that got everyone active and thinking about physical challenges in the military.

An Art Therapist– who explained and showed the children how art can be used to explore emotions and well-being through creative expression.

Author Hannah Collins– who shared her book ‘Little Legs, Long Nose: A Day with Monty the Miniature Dachshund’ and talked about what it was like to write her own children’s book.

Kyle and Elliot Bennett (Ex-Professional Footballers)– who inspired pupils with stories from their careers and their work with their Football Academy.

Matt from Fire Cover– who explained the exciting world of fire safety on film and TV sets.

The ‘Xscape Now’ team– who engaged pupils with escape room-style puzzles that encouraged teamwork and problem-solving.

Please take a look at our careers day video and some of the many photographs from the day. I’m sure you will agree from all the smiling faces, what a memorable day it was!

Careers Day 2025 Video

Curriculum Governors Involvement

The Curriculum Governors met this week and thoroughly enjoyed listening to a group of Mighty Oaks Nursery children talk about their experience in setting. They also gained a detailed insight into the planning, the training, the team and the challenges from the Nursery teacher, Mrs Pablos. The Governors can clearly see that the dedication of staff is ensuring the provision is continuing to operate at a high level. They are keen to support the increasing number of SEND that is apparent in the setting.

The Governors also had a focus on the curriculum area of Geography. Year 1 children came to show off their books and talk about all they had been studying. Governors believe that talking to children and staff is the best way to be assured about quality of provision and they look forward to carrying out more of this next year.

Maternity News!

Dear Parents/Carers of Reception children,

There is something in the water at Newdale!!

Mrs Buckingham is very pleased to announce that she is expecting her first bundle of joy.

We all hope that Mrs Buckingham will continue teaching until October half term, at which point she will begin her maternity leave.

We all wish Mrs Buckingham and her family the very best of luck.

Miss Cook

Water Safety

With the weather warming up and the temptation to go for walks and play outdoors, often looking for spots to keep cool, the risks near water for children can increase.

We know how excited children get by the water but standing too close to the edge can be dangerous. Please look at the attached link with the SAFE message, to Stay Away From the Edge.

It’s never too early to start talking to your children about staying safe near water.

Talk to your children when you’re out and about near water, whether you’re walking or cycling, out on a trip to feed the ducks or look at the boats.

There is a fantastic video and song to help your child learn about water safety and even a downloadable free story book with lovely pictures.

For early years and primary infants: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/safety-on-our-waterways/water-safety-tips-for-parents

Water safety book

 

Safeguarding, Health & Safety Governors Involvement

The Health & Safeguarding committee met in school on Tuesday of this week. They spent a lot of time looking carefully at the policy and advice around Martyn’s Law linked to site security and terrorism. Governors observed a whole school and nursery drill that loosely replicated what a lock down would be. Governors look forward to hearing feedback from a professional who is going to assess the Newdale site and feedback any points for development linked to security. Governors carried out their regular ‘spot check’ of staff to reassure themselves that the staff at Newdale are well trained and confident in knowing what to do should any safeguarding issues arise.

French Day – Friday 4th July

We are excited to announce our upcoming whole-school French day which will be on Friday 4th July  for pupils from Nursery to Year 6. This event has been designed to immerse pupils in the French language and culture through fun and engaging activities.

 

Pupils can come into school dressed in red, white and blue or even create a costume inspired by a famous French landmark. Throughout the day there will be various activities for the children to participate with including, cooking, handball, pétanque, Farandole (a traditional Provence dance) and much more.

 

Learning a language goes beyond vocabulary- it opens minds, builds confidence and encourages global awareness. By celebrating France, we help children develop a deeper appreciation for diversity and strengthen their language skills in an enjoyable way.

 

There will also be the option to have a French themed dinner which consists of quiche, ratatouille, and chocolate mousse, alongside the normal fish and chips which will be served.

 

If you would like to make a voluntary contribution of £2.00 to support the resources on the day, please log into parent pay.

 

Thank you for your continued support.