Year 5

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1 month ago
Posted on 23rd Sep 2026 by

Winter bugs, coughs and colds!

This time of the year, as we head toward winter and with children mixing again at school, always leads to a rise in illnesses such as colds and flu.  Here’s a few pointers on how to keep everyone healthy this autumn term:

  • Good hygiene habits – encourage your children to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and running water, use tissues (or the crook of the elbow) to catch coughs and sneezes, and let fresh air into your home. The e-bug resources for all ages can help you to explain and discuss hygiene habits, and why they are important, to your child.
  • Know when to keep your child at home – they can go to school with a minor cough or cold, but if they have a fever they should stay at home until it’s resolved and they feel better.  While testing for COVID isn’t generally necessary, if they do test positive, they should stay off school for 3 days after the day they took their test and return then, if well enough and no fever.  If they have diarrhoea and/or vomiting, they should stay off until 48 hours after the last episode.
  • Know the signs of common illnesses:
    • Scarlet fever – includes sore throat, fever, swollen neck glands, a bumpy rash on the chest and tummy with a sandpaper-like feel, flushed cheeks and ‘strawberry tongue’. If you suspect your child has scarlet fever, contact your local GP. Stay away from nursery or school until 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotics.
    • Measles  – like those for a cold (runny nose; a cough; sneezing; a high temperature; and red, sore, watery eyes), followed by white spots in the mouth a few days later, and by a rash on the face and body a few days after that. It’s very unlikely to be measles if your child has had both doses of the MMR/MMRV vaccine or they’ve had measles before. If your child has the symptoms of measles and has not had both doses of the MMR or MMRV vaccine, they should not attend school until 4 days after their rash started.
    • Chickenpox  – an itchy, spotty rash anywhere on the body.  There may also be a high temperature, aches and pains and a loss of appetite.
  • Ensure your child is up to date with vaccinations – vaccinations offer the best protection against childhood illnesses like measles, and general illnesses like flu.  Check you child’s red book or call your GP if unsure, and keep an eye out for consent forms for the flu vaccine from the school or NHS.

More detailed information is available here: https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2026/08/28/a-guide-to-keeping-kids-healthy-this-school-year-for-parents-and-carers/

 

If in doubt, call the school office on 01952 387720 for advice.

 

Kind regards

 

Health Protection Hub

 

 

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1 month ago
Posted on 23rd Sep 2026 by

Parent Governor

We are pleased to announce that David Shorter has been successful in renewing his role as Parent Governor following the recent process. David’s dedication and commitment to our school community have been invaluable, and we are delighted that he will continue to serve on the governing board for the next four years.

His new term of office will commence on the 20th December 2026.

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1 month ago
Posted on 22nd Sep 2026 by

🌟 Newdale Nursery Needs You! 🌟

Are you able to spare a little time each week to support our wonderful nursery children?

At Newdale Nursery, we are looking for friendly and reliable volunteers to help in our Mighty Oaks Room (3-4 year olds). Volunteering is a fantastic way to support young children, gain experience in an educational setting, and make a real difference to our nursery community.

🍎 Morning/Afternoon Snack Time Support Volunteer

Duties include:

  • Collecting fruit and vegetables from the central supply area.
  • Organising fruit into baskets and delivering them to tables.
  • Delivering cups and milk to tables.
  • Loading the dishwasher after snack time.
  • Supporting children with handwashing and safe lining up.

Times Available:

  • 9:00am – 9:30am daily
  • 1:45pm – 2:15pm daily

👩‍🍳 Cooking Support Volunteer

Duties include:

  • Supporting staff to collect cooking resources.
  • Gathering ingredients for activities.
  • Loading the dishwasher.
  • Cleaning tables after sessions.
  • Supporting children with handwashing and lining up safely.

Times Available:

  • Fridays: 9:30am – 10:30am
  • Fridays: 1:00pm – 1:45pm

Interested?

If you can give a little of your time and would like to support our nursery children, we would love to hear from you. Please complete the form below and hand into the main school office by Thursday 5th October.

Volunteer application form

Newdale school & nursery is committed to safeguarding all children, volunteer safer recruitment checks include online checks, interview, references and an enhanced DBS check.

Thank you for helping us make Newdale Nursery an amazing place to learn, play and grow! 💚

1 month ago
Posted on 21st Sep 2026 by

Reminder – Stay & Share a Story – Wednesday 23rd September

We are really looking forward to welcoming you to our Stay and Share a story session on Wednesday 23rd September at 2:45pm.

Please enter your child’s classroom through their usual drop-off/pick-up route:

Reception, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 5 – enter via the playground classroom doors

Year 1 and Miss Curtis’ class – enter via the decking area

Mr Jackson’s class – enter via the stairs by the Visitor Car Park

Playground gates will open at 2:45pm.

Due to limited space, we can only accommodate one parent/carer per child. Please confirm your attendance through ParentPay, so staff know how many parents to expect. The event will close on ParentPay at 9am on Wednesday 23rd September. 

For this event, the children will remain in their classrooms. If you have more than one child in school, you will be able to move between classrooms and spend time with each of them individually. The event is free to attend.

If Grandparents or different adults are attending and will be taking children home, please notify school of this via reading diaries. 

We look forward to seeing you, and the children are excited to share a story with you!

Newdale Team

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1 month ago
Posted on 18th Sep 2026 by

Curriculum Governors Involvement within school

The Curriculum Governors’ Committee met on 16 September 2026 and began the meeting with a tour of the school’s central Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision, led by the school SENDco. Governors recognised the importance of these spaces in supporting pupils’ individual needs and discussed opportunities to further enhance the provision. They suggested that the school explore potential partnerships with local businesses that may be willing to contribute funding towards future developments.

Governors then received an update on the school’s ongoing Stronger Foundations agenda. As part of this, leaders shared an end-of-year assessment grid, which demonstrated the progress made against the school’s stronger foundations priorities. Governors also learned about the targeted support provided for Key Stage 2 pupils who had not met the expected standard in the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, and the actions in place to close gaps in learning and improve outcomes.

The committee enjoyed meeting with six KS 2 pupils, who spoke confidently about their transition into a new year group. Pupils discussed the strong emphasis placed on relationship building and the explicit teaching of the school’s behaviour curriculum. Governors were able to clearly identify the positive impact of this work through the pupils’ comments and reflections.
Governors carefully reviewed the Annual Summary Report produced by the Independent School Improvement Partner and considered how its findings aligned with the priorities identified within this year’s School Development Plan.

Finally, governors received a comprehensive presentation from Mrs Shayes, the school’s Child in Care Lead. The committee was reassured by the depth of training, expertise and commitment demonstrated in this role, and by the robust systems in place to support children in care & previously looked after children effectively.

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1 month ago
Posted on 15th Sep 2026 by

Headlice

Dear Parents/Carers,

We would like to make you aware that we have had a number of reported cases of head lice in school.

If a member of staff notices either live lice or eggs (nits) in a child’s hair, we will inform parents/carers so that treatment can begin promptly and help prevent further spread to other children.

We kindly ask that you check your child’s hair regularly and carry out appropriate treatment if head lice are found. Continued checks are important, as re-infestation can occur. We know that effective treatment, regular combing, and tying long hair back can all help to reduce the spread of head lice.

Please remember that head lice are a common part of school life and can affect anyone. They are not a sign of poor hygiene, and there is no need for children or families to feel embarrassed if they are affected.

For further information, including pictures to help identify head lice and nits, as well as advice on treatment, please visit the NHS website:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/

Thank you for your support in helping us manage this issue and keep our school community healthy.

 

Kind regards,

School Office

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1 month ago
Posted on 11th Sep 2026 by

🌟🌟Achievement Assembly 🌟🌟

Friday 11th September 2026

This week, Years 5 and 6 were visited by Loudmouth Productions to identify safe and unsafe relationships. We were so impressed by their mature attitudes and participation. Class Dojo has also launched this week and the children have been so excited to start earning dojos. Lots of children, in all classes, have been awarded Dojos for following our behaviour code; showing they are ‘Ready’ to learn and being ‘Kind’ to their peers both in class and outside on the playground.

Achievers of the week:

Year 6 achievers: Olivia for a mature attitude to learning and being kind to others and Chikaima for her fabulous contributions to class discussions and always being ready to learn.

Year 5 achievers:  Mrs Haymour’s achiever was chosen for being ready to learn and engaging well in lessons. Amazing effort this week!  Zoey for always having the biggest smile on her face in class! She listens, works hard and loves to learn.

Year 4 achievers: Dola for being a helpful, kind member of the classroom and having an excellent start to Year 4. Rumana for always being a ready and responsible learner in all lessons. She is a great role model for all.

Year 3 achievers: Mrs Churm’s achiever was chosen for being incredibly kind to all those around her while also making sure she’s always ready to learn. Ava for always being ready to learn and working hard in all lessons and being respectful, safe and kind around school.

Year 2 achievers: Noah for showing resilience and being a role model to all of his friends. Oscar for always being ready for his learning and showing respect to the adults and children in his class.

Year 1 achievers: Aurora for always showing us she is ready to learn and being a kind, respectful member of the class. Azka for fantastic work in phonics and for always showing she is ready to learn and trying her best.

 

Attendance Winners  7th – 11th September 2026

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

Mrs Churm = 100%

Winner of Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6

Miss Curtis = 99.67%

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1 month ago
Posted on 11th Sep 2026 by

Safeguarding, Health & Safety Governor Involvement

The Health & Safety Governors met this week and began the meeting with an escorted tour of our SEND provision rooms. Mr McFarland explained the purpose of each room and the different resources available within these learning environments.

Following the tour, governors reviewed the new Use of Reasonable Force policy, along with the accompanying reporting documentation. They then considered the Local Authority Safeguarding Audit Report and discussed the next steps arising from its recommendations.

The RoSPA playground report was subsequently analysed, and discussions were held regarding site manager cover while the current postholder is absent on health grounds.

Governors also enjoyed carrying out a ‘spot check’ with a randomly selected member of staff. This time, the focus was on the Pastoral Manager, Mrs Byrne-Corbett. Governors were highly impressed with her knowledge and understanding when responding to some challenging questions posed by the Lead DSL.

Governors went on to approve several key policies before concluding the meeting by analysing the Summary Report prepared by the school’s SIP.

1 month ago
Posted on 10th Sep 2026 by

Reception to Year 6 Stay and Share a Story – Wednesday 23rd September 2026

We are really looking forward to welcoming you to our Stay and Share a story session on Wednesday 23rd September at 2:45pm.

Please enter your child’s classroom through their usual drop-off/pick-up route:

Reception, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 5 – enter via the playground classroom doors

Year 1 and Miss Curtis’ class – enter via the decking area

Mr Jackson’s class – enter via the stairs by the Visitor Car Park

Playground gates will open at 2:45pm.

Due to limited space, we can only accommodate one parent/carer per child. Please confirm your attendance through ParentPay, so staff know how many parents to expect.

For this event, the children will remain in their classrooms. If you have more than one child in school, you will be able to move between classrooms and spend time with each of them individually. The event is free to attend.

We look forward to seeing you, and the children are excited to share a story with you

Newdale Team