It has been a pleasure to welcome everyone back to school this week. Thank you for making sure that your children have returned to school looking smart and being ready to learn.

This week we have had welcomed lots of visitors into school - current parents, prospective parents, governors and visiting Headteachers. Having toured the school, they have commented on how happy and engaged your children are. They really do learn and achieve together! We are extremely proud of them.

It has been great see so many of you at our curriculum information sessions this week. We are always keen to work together to ensure that your children achieve and succeed and know that many of you value to the opportunity to come into school to find out more. For those of you who weren't able to attend, we will publish spring term year group curriculum overviews next week.

Please do not hesitate to contact your child's class teacher if you would like to further information regarding what your child will be learning about, or advice on how you can help at home.

Given the popularity of our Autumn Term events, we would like to host similar events this term.

Your feedback from last term's focus on Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation and the Smartphone Free Childhood agenda suggested that there may be an appetite for further discussion on this theme which includes an opportunity for families with children in the same year groups to discuss how they may come together to manage their child's access to technology and the on-line world together. We would be very happy to facilitate this.

We are also keen to host sessions on different themes. For example, our Behaviour Policy draws on the work of Paul Dix and his book When the Adults Change Everything Changes. His more recently published book When the Parents Change Everything Changes also shares valuable insights and advice. The follow summary from Penguin publishers will give you a feel of his perspective:

‘The principle at the heart of Paul Dix’s book is singularly powerful: that if we want to build a loving, resilient relationship with our children, we need to start with ourselves.’ Dr Tina Payne Bryson, co-author of The Whole-Brain Child

The culture of any home is determined by the parents. If you can remain unflappably calm in the face of every supermarket tantrum and sarcastic eye-roll, order will soon follow.

Here, bestselling author Paul Dix reveals how to turn even the most chaotic home into an oasis of calm – by focusing not on your children’s behaviour, but on your own. You will never need to raise your voice again.

‘An absolute game-changer . . . I laughed, nodded, winced a few times and most importantly felt inspired to make slow, incremental changes to how we do things in our house.’ Sarah Turner, aka The Unmumsy Mum

‘How simple techniques, and a different way of thinking, can change the entire atmosphere at home.’ iNews

Our school behaviour policy is available on our website and below. You will see how it links to the work of Paul Dix. We would also be very happy to discuss during a parent/carer event.

LINK TO BEHAVIOUR POLICY

LINK TO SURVEY

Our new catering contract with Dolce Ltd started this week and we are very pleased with the quality, quantity and taste of the food on offer.

The kitchen team have worked very hard, adapting to a new menu with far more choices available. They have had new recipes to learn as well as getting to grips with the new ordering system, so huge thanks to them.

Thank you to our families for fully engaging with the changes. 

It has been wonderful to hear that families are sitting together and choosing the lunch options at home.  We feel that this will provide parents and carers with a better opportunity to plan meals at home too, knowing what the children have eaten at lunch times.

The SchoolGrid website provides families with all of the nutritional values of the meals and an easy to follow recipe guide for any favourites. 

We would welcome your feedback, please email [email protected]
If you would like to, let us know what you think of the new system for ordering and any feedback from your children. One parent has already said that;

"Oscar is loving the new lunches by the way. He likes having more choice and was blown away by the salad bar he could select from at will. The choice of caterer seems to be a hit. Thank you for the efforts and negotiations that went into this."

Please remember that lunch payments need to be made via SchoolGrid and NOT parent pay. 

Accounts need to be in credit to be able to order, orders should be made from home.  The children are really enjoying chosing their meals with you.

If your child has a medically certified allergy and you wish to explore further options on the Dolce menu, you can email Sergie Fielding the Operations Manager: [email protected] for further information and she will be happy to discuss options with you.

Our new catering company, Dolce Ltd, are looking to appoint a Catering Assistant for term time only, 10 hours a week.

Full details are availble by emailing Sergie Fielding via email [email protected]