12/06/2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome Back!
As we head into our final half term of the academic year, there is already so much fantastic work happening across the school. It is always a busy time of year, but there is so much to look forward to!
๐ Celebrating Our Year 1 and Year 4 Superstars ๐
I want to start by saying a huge well done to both our Year 1 and Year 4 children for their amazing effort and resilience during their recent Phonics Screening Checks and Multiplication Tables Checks. They have done themselves incredibly proud! All results will be shared with you in your childโs end of year report.
A big well done must also go to all of our other children, who have returned after the half-term holiday with an excellent attitude to learning.
๐งฑ ๐ Year 5 Career and Culture Updates ๐ ๐งฑ
Year 5 have had an incredibly enriching couple of weeks. They continued their ongoing partnership with Robertson Construction, who visited school this week to further develop the childrenโs career awareness.
Year 5 also visited a synagogue in Newcastle to promote their SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) development and deepen their religious understanding of different faiths. I would like to use this opportunity to say a massive thank you to the Local Authority, who fully funded the transport for this trip through the Careers Transport Bursary (funded by the Dogger Bank Community Fund). This meant the entire trip was completely free, with no additional costs to parents, supporting our ongoing commitment to poverty-proofing the school day.
๐ซถ๐คWorld Empathy Day ๐ค๐ซถ
Today, we celebrated World Empathy Day across the academy. The children spent time in their classes celebrating this global event, participating in activities designed to help them understand, appreciate, and share the feelings of others.
๐ โค๏ธCommunity Book Pledge Success! โค๏ธ ๐
I am absolutely thrilled to announce that through our Community Book Pledge, we have raised over ยฃ1,000! Every penny of this money will go straight back into school to develop our reading areas, enriching them with high quality books that the children will love to read.
A special thank you must go to Mrs. Brunton for organising this fantastic initiative. We would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to our staff members who contributed, and to the following local businesses whose generous sponsorships made this possible:
The Therapy Suite , Lovabelle South Shields HQ, Baby Sensory South Tyneside, Little Love Bugs , Riverside Asbestos, CW Plastering, Wonder Sensory, JJB Prints,The Tasty Tavern Benalmadena, Purple Sugar Photography, Eufloria florist, and SB Printing.
โ
Weekly Attendance Update & Leave in Term Time โ
Our weekly attendance for this week is 94.5%. While this shows a steady effort, it remains just below our school target. Every single day at school counts toward your child's progress and social development.
As we approach the summer months, this is also a very important reminder that holidays during term time cannot be authorised. Taking children out of school disrupts their routines and causes them to miss vital end of year learning and transition activities. We appreciate your cooperation in planning family trips exclusively during the school holidays so we can keep our attendance strong.
๐ฑ Autumn Term Menus ๐ฑ
As we approach the summer, we are already busy preparing our school menus for the autumn term. We are designing fantastic, nutritious meals that we know the children will love. There will be further information to follow soon, so watch this space!
๐Online Safety: Safe Screen Swaps ๐
Current DfE guidance highlights the importance of "Safe Screen Swaps" specifically focusing on co-viewing over solo-scrolling.
Instead of letting children scroll through videos or games entirely on their own, try swapping just 15 minutes of that independent time for co-viewing or co-playing. Sitting together to watch a YouTube video as a family, playing their favourite game together, or asking questions about what they are seeing completely changes how a child's brain processes digital content. It sparks great conversations, allows you to spot any inappropriate content early, and turns screen time into safe, quality family time.
โผ๏ธ Upcoming Dates & Reminders โผ๏ธ
Please see the dates attached to this newsletter for all upcoming school events. A few key highlights include:
Year 1 Parent Assembly: We look forward to welcoming our Year 1 parents into school this Monday (15.6.26) for our special Year 1 assembly.
Sports Day: We are hoping for plenty of sunshine when we host our Sports Day on Wednesday 24th June. This will take place on the school field, weather permitting.
Art and Sports Week: We will be hosting our own dedicated Art and Sports week soon. Please keep an eye on our page for photos and updates showcasing your children's wonderful work.
Mobile Phones: In line with Department for Education (DfE) guidance, we kindly request that parents do not use mobile phones while inside the school building, particularly in areas where children are present. This is a vital safeguarding measure to ensure the privacy, dignity, and safety of all our pupils. Thank you for your full cooperation with this.
Thank you once again for your continued support and partnership.
Kind regards
Mr Irvine
