Today was our farewell to Sam Ashton as she leaves Dunalley, after 24 years, to embark on a new chapter in her life running a cafe. Fortunately, all of the SATs breakfasts she has served over the years may have been of some use! Sam's roles have been varied as she started as a class TP before taking on the family support role. The list of things she has contributed to is vast from supporting learning, pastoral trips, going on residentials, running the pantry, a friendly face on the door and an ear at the end of a phone, to name but a few.

Throughout her time here, Sam has supported so many children, their families and staff too. Her advice, practical help and if needed a shoulder to cry on have been appreciated by all. We will all truly miss her at Dunalley and the huge contribution she has made to our school and wider community.

Our whole school assembly this morning was a celebration of that contribution. The children presented her with a book of their fond memories, their personal thanks and lots of lovely photos and drawings. A special celebratory plate that was created by the children was also given and staff and children shared some special memories.

Thank you to all of the Dunalley community for their generous contributions towards Sam's leaving gift and to all of the families who shared their well wishes, cards and gifts today. 

Best of luck with your new adventures, Sam, from all at Dunalley. We will miss you.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to our PTFA who have funded our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) accreditation for the next two years.

Our OPAL initiative is such an important part of the school day for all our children as play offers numerous benefits, including enhanced physical activity, improved mental well-being, and increased social and emotional development. It also supports cognitive development, resilience, and a positive play ethos.

Your generosity at the PTFA events ensures that they are able to fund things for the school which the school budget would not be able to, thank you. 

We believe that improving attendance is everyone’s business and that providing a calm, orderly, safe and supportive environment where all pupils want to be and are keen and ready to learn is the foundation of securing good attendance. 

We expect pupils to be in school for every session of the school day and for every day that the school is open.

Over the next few weeks, school will be a hive of activity and we hope you will ensure your child is part of the learning and fun everyday, unless they are too unwell to be in school.

We work to the requirements of the working together to improve school attendance from the Department for Education (DfE), and follow guidance from Gloucestershire County Council with all our attendance recording. 

We are committed to fairness for all of our families in relation to lateness and the code allocated with regards to the reason for absence in order to monitor attendance information daily and analyse trends weekly.

We ask that all families replicate this commitment to fairness and truthfully report the reason for absence.  Recently we have had reason to believe that some families have not made this choice or considered the wider implications for the school community and their children, especially when children have been asked to lie to a trusted adult about their absence.  

The Government and GCC's commitment to fairness enables schools to mark attendance codes as they believe to be true and marks can be changed if information comes to light when an absence has been reported incorrectly.  These changes can be made for reasons that include:

- the child(ren) return to school with a sun tan

- the child(ren) inform staff that they have going / been away

- a child's friend informs staff that their friend is on holiday

- the absence form submitted electronically indicates location

- international ring tone when a family is called

- holiday social media posts from families

If these changes are made, it is then for the family to prove the children were off for the original reason stated.  

As a school we must consider requesting Gloucestershire County Council issue a fine to parents for the unauthorised absence of their child from school, where the child is of compulsory school age and the national threshold has been met.  Notices to Improve and Fixed Penalty Notices are issued in accordance with the Local Authority Penalty Notice Code of Conduct available here.

In the light of fairness all unauthorised holidays are recorded as a G Code and Penalty Notices for an unauthorised holiday will be requested for all families that meet the 10 in 10 threshold - 10 sessions (5 days) recorded as G code in 10 weeks.  These are not schools rules but are non-negotiable best practice from the DfE and GCC.

Information for parents/carers

• 'Improving attendance is everyone’s business’, and it is important that we, as your child’s school, work together in partnership with you, your family, your child, and the wider community.
• Any holiday-related absence taken that includes 10 sessions (5 days) in 10 weeks, may result in a Penalty Notice.
• The penalty amount is £160 (reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days for the first offence). If a parent receives a second penalty notice within a rolling three-year period (following 1^st September 2024) the fine is £160 and there is no option to pay the fine at a reduced rate.
• Both parents with parental responsibility, and adults residing with the child, including for example, stepparents who have day-to-day responsibility for the child, may be fined, and this applies to each child who is absent.
• If a Penalty Notice is not paid within the time limits set out in the letter to the parent, the Local Authority may proceed the case to court.
• Nationally, Headteachers are: not permitted to approve term-time holidays except in genuinely exceptional circumstances, and are to consider each application for a leave of absence individually before making our decision.
• The law clearly expects Headteachers to enforce these penalties strictly. 
• Parents/carers do not have the right to take children out of school for a holiday during term time. Any requests are considered on an individual basis following guidelines issued by the DfE and LA.
• Holiday absences will not be authorised if they are not considered to meet exceptional circumstances.
• If a pupil goes on holiday without permission, the absence will be classed as unauthorised. Absence will also be unauthorised if a child does not return to school on the agreed date. Unauthorised absence could result in referral to the LA to begin legal proceedings.

Year 2 went on a terrific trip to Twigworth to ‘Nature In Art’. before the end of term.

This trip is always a favourite with the children and adults! The main focus was learning how to weave with wool – it’s not an easy skill to master, but the children did really well! They also had a wonderful time in the sun (this year!) sketching a range of amazing sculptures, having lunch under a golden eagle, looking around the galleries, meeting an incredible artist in residence and creating marbled paper using shaving foam!

It’s well worth a visit in summer holidays! Thank you to the adult volunteers who joined us, your help was invaluable.

Evesham Road (A435) between Cheltenham Racecourse Roundabout and Bishop's Cleeve Roundabout will be CLOSED from 2nd June.

You can follow the link below which will provide you with further information.

The road closure is to take place from the 2nd June to the 8th September.