Issue 36 - Friday 24th June 2022
Headteacher's Welcome
Dear Parents and Carers,
Earlier this week we welcomed our new intake of Reception pupils into school for their first experience at Parkfield. It was lovely to see excited and eager pupils ready to join us and take their first steps as Parkfielders. I'm looking forward to meeting the class again in September.
Over the past three days I accompanied the Y6 class for three action packed days and two late nights at their Y6 residential in Blackpool. The whole experience was wonderful and will be remembered for many years to come by all involved. The Y6 were brilliantly behaved for the entire residential and were a credit to the school. Miss Howard, Mrs Jeffrey and myself were all very proud of each and every one of them. Please keep an eye on our twitter feed as hundreds of photos were taken and will soon be available.
Year 3 and 4 also had a couple of wonderful experiences this week with Mr Haughton as they had their Edventure days learning about St Lucia and the Aztecs. Again, please keep an eye on our twitter feed and our photo album page on the website.
Thanks for your continued support - have a wonderful weekend.
Mr Kemp
LATEST NEWS
SPORTS DAY will return next Friday, 1st July at 1:30pm (weather-permitting!) and parents are welcome to come along to watch their children competing in a variety of fun races.
Children should come to school dressed in their house colours: red for Assheton, blue for Archers, yellow for Bamford and green for Wood.
They will be racing for points for their house, with the final winner being announced at the end after the parent/teacher race which we encourage people to join in with. See the diagram below for the layout of the school field and KS2 playground.
We'll put chairs out for parents to sit and watch on, although you're welcome to bring along your own as we only have a limited number.
The usual photography rule applies - you're welcome to take photos for your own personal use but please don't share them on social media.
At the end of the day, all children will be taken back inside school then dismissed from their usual door.
SUMMER IS HERE!
We reminded Parkfielders how to keep safe in the sun during an assembly earlier this week. Please help out by applying sun cream in the morning, sending them in with a hat and a water bottle. If you require a new water bottle these are available from the office at a cost of £1.00.
REMINDER - PARENTS AND CARERS OBSERVING AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS
Following a review of our safeguarding practices we have decided that it would be better for both pupils and staff if parents and carers no longer observed the after school extra curricular clubs. One reason is that we can easily dismiss all pupils at the same time from the main entrance. Also, we have found the behaviour of some pupils to deteriorate when other adults are around which has lead to a less enjoyable experience for those involved. We appreciate this may cause some inconvenience but hope you understand the reasoning behind this decision. Parents and carers will still be more than welcome to attend matches as your support at these events is very much appreciated.
EARLY BIRDS AND BUSY BEES - SEPTEMBER BOOKINGS
You will have recieved an email with information regarding booking for Early Birds and Busy Bees for September onwards. You'll be pleased to know that the governors have agreed to simplify the pricing structure and reduce the cost of Early Birds to £1.50 per session for all pupils (7.30am - 8.45am). Busy Bees will continue to cost £8 per session (3.15 - 5.30pm). To access the booking form you can also click here: https://forms.gle/uakBD8oUrJTweFfN7
YEAR 5 & 6 BREAKFAST BOOSTER
What a great response we have had to our breakfast club - thank you. Pupils can attend for FREE from 8.15am and in addition to breakfast, they will be accessing a range of online resources to support their learning in maths and reading. The club will help prepare our Y6's for high school and our Y5's for the Y6 curriculum.
SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION
Mrs Whalen is our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) supported by Mr Kemp and Miss Steele (Deputy DSL). If you have any concerns about the needs or welfare of a pupil, please don't hesitate to contact the school. We all share a responsibility to our pupils safety and wellbeing.
As a school our promise is: We will listen, we will support and we will take action.
ATTENDANCE and PUNCTUALITY
As you are all aware, school attendance and punctuality is one of Parkfields priorities and I have been thrilled with the support that parents have been giving with regards to improving their children’s attendance.
Our school target is 96%. We are currently below this target and we need your continued support to ensure that we meet this mark.
Persistent Absence
Persistent absence is defined by the Government as attendance below 90%. This equates to 19 days or more of absence a year or 100+ lessons missed. If a child’s attendance drops below 90% this could lead to them becoming a safeguarding concern. This could also result in the authority taking legal action against parents, resulting in a fine or court appearance. Over the next few weeks I will be making contact by letter with the families of children whose attendance is below 90% to invite you into school for a discussion about how we can support you to improve your child’s attendance.
Thank you so much to all the families who have been working hard to ensure children’s attendance and punctuality is high. Establishing early good habits really will make a positive difference to their lives. The link between attendance and achievement cannot be over stated. Your child will achieve better if they are in school every day. Only in very exceptional circumstances should a child be absent from school. Please ring the school office no later than 8.30am to report an absence.
Punctuality
Please get your child to school on time. Poor punctuality can lead to your child…
Feeling embarrassed in front of their friends
Missing the beginning of vital lessons making them fall behind
Missing important instructions for the rest of the school day
At Parkfield children are to line up before school and doors open at 8.45am. They close at 8.50am.
If you arrive after 8.50am you will have to come through the school office.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Dogs are not permitted in the school playground.
If driving, park further away from the school and walk to reduce congestion and the possiblity of any serious accidents.
Unfortunately, Parents and Carers are not allowed to drop off and pick up from the school car park at any time.
Children are not allowed on the play equipment before and after school. Please keep them off.
