Parkfield Newsletters

Issue 3 - Friday 11th September 2026

Headteacher's Welcome

Dear Parkfield Families,

It has been another busy and positive week at Parkfield, with everyone now settling well into the new school year.

Our newest Parkfielders in Reception have enjoyed their first three full days in school and are already becoming more familiar with their new routines. It has been lovely to see them growing in confidence and enjoying their time at Parkfield.

Year 4 have also had an exciting week as they enjoyed their first swimming lessons. They represented Parkfield brilliantly and made a great start to this important part of their learning.

A big thank you to all the Reception family members who joined us for lunch this week. We hope you enjoyed sharing the experience with your child and getting a little taste of lunchtime at Parkfield!

You should also have received an email with information about your child’s new class. Please make sure you have a read, as it contains useful information about routines, expectations and learning for the year ahead.

Please continue to scroll down for this week’s news, updates and reminders.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Have a wonderful weekend!

Mr Kemp

UPCOMING EVENTS

MONDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER - BREAKFAST BOOSTER CLUB re-starts for Y6 pupils

TUESDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER @ 9.00AM - YEAR 1 FAMILY LEARNING - Family members are welcome to join their children in the hall for a session focussed on reading and Numbots.

TUESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER @ 9.00AM - YEAR 6 FAMILY LEARNING - Family members are welcome to join their children in the hall for a session focussed on reading.

THURSDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER @ 2PM - RECEPTION FAMILIES - MEET THE TEACHER Families are invited to join Mrs Taylor in the school hall for important information and updates about your child's first year at Parkfield.

TUESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER @ 9.00AM - YEAR 5 FAMILY LEARNING - Family members are welcome to join their children in the hall for a session focussed on reading.

LATEST NEWS

YEAR 6 HIGH SCHOOL APPLICATIONS

Year 6 parents can now apply for a secondary school by visiting the Rochdale admissions website: https://www.rochdale.gov.uk/school-admissions-appeals/apply-secondary-school-place

Please note that you have until the 31st October 2026 to apply for a place. The following local schools are having open evenings on the following dates and times:

Edgar Wood - Weds 16th September, 5.00pm - 8pm
St. Anne's Academy - Thurs 17th September, 5.30pm - 8pm
Dixon's Academy - Thurs 8th October Time: 5.00pm - 8.00pm
Cardinal Langley - Tuesday 29th September at 5:00pm. This is a catch-up information session aimed at parents and carers for anyone who missed the Open Evening in June.

PARKING

Please be mindful of our neighbours when parking before and after school. We have a had a few complaints from residents that our Parkfield families are parking outside driveways. We always suggest parking either at Aldi or Parkfield flats and walking.

GUITAR LESSONS

Please note that from next week Guitar lessons for our children in Y3, 4, 5 and 6 are moving to a Friday afternoon and not the usual Tuesday.

YEAR 6 FREE BREAKFAST BOOSTER CLUB

Our breakfast booster club starts this Monday 14th September at 8.15am. All year 6 pupils are welcome to come along and enjoy some maths booster sessions whilst having their breakfast. This club has proved a huge succes over the past few years supporting pupils prepare for their end of year SATS and high school. Enter via the usual hall entrance.

KS2 PICK UP ROUTINE

Please can family members that are collecting Y3 and 5 Parkfielders wait on the school yard

PUNTUALITY

We are seeing very few pupils arriving late to school - thanks for your support with this. A reminder that the routine is as follows:

8.30am - Pupils start to arrive and can line up on the playground.

8.45am - School doors open and staff collect children from the playground.

8.50am - Door close. Arrivals after this time are late and children will have to enter through the main entrance. They may be asked to sign into the main office as they may have missed registration.

9.15am - Children that arrive after 9.15am will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.

BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CLUB

Once you have registered on Arbor, you will be able to book Before and After school club via the Arbor app. If you are having any trouble logging in and booking sessions - please contact the school office and they will be happy to help.

FREE SCHOOL MEALS

If your circumstances have changed (for example, you may have been made redundant and are now in benefit of jobseekers allowance) you may be entitled to free school meals. More information and how to apply can be found here: https://www.rochdale.gov.uk/benefits-money/free-school-meals/2 . School receives additional funding for pupils entitled to free school meals so we always encourage you to apply.

SCHOOL MEALS PAYMENTS

Please note that from Year 3, children are not entitled to universal free school meals and as a result dinners will have to be paid for via School Gateway. School meals cost £2.95 per day (£14.75 per week). More information about our wonderful menu can be found here: https://www.parkfieldprimary.com/website/dinner-menus.html

CLASS DOJO

Would you like to see how well your child is doing at school? We award Dojo points for pupils that go 'above and beyond' in the classroom and these can be seen by parents if you download the app. We have over 75% of our families signed up already! If you click this link to set up a parent account we will then approve it. This access will provide you with the opportunity to see how many Dojo points your child has earnt and what for. Please note that we are only using the app for Dojo points, not messages or photos, therefore you do not need any of the subscription options you might be offered.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

A reminder that our families can choose whether their child attends in their usual uniform or their Parkfield PE kit each day.

We believe this flexibility will bring a number of positive benefits over the year, including:

• Increasing participation in physical activity
• Improving comfort and focus in class
• Supporting inclusion for girls and pupils with SEND

Those pupils that attend in non-school uniform will be provided with spare Parkfield uniform/PE kit for the day.

PARENT GOVERNOR VACANCY

Following a recent resignation, we have a vacancy for a Parent Governor to join our Governing Board.

Parent Governors play an important role in the life of Parkfield, helping to support and challenge school leaders, contribute to key decisions and ensure the school continues to provide the best possible education for all our Parkfielders. You do not need any previous experience of being a governor – just an interest in our school and a willingness to get involved.

The role involves attending a number of meetings across the school year, as well as opportunities to visit school and learn more about different aspects of school life.

If you are a parent or carer of a child at Parkfield and would be interested in finding out more or putting yourself forward, please contact Mr Kemp at mkemp@parkfield.rochdale.sch.uk

Deadline for expressions of interest: 12:00pm on Friday 25th September.

PREVIOUS NEWS AND REMINDERS

Please note that you can use the links on the left (if viewing on a computer) or the top of this page (if viewing on a phone/tablet) to look back at previous news and messages that have been shared in previous newsletters.

LUNCH TIME AND AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS ⚽🎾🏃

We have a number of After School Clubs beginning next week. If your child has gained a place you will have received an email to confirm this.

Please always check the newsletter to make sure your child's club is on the following week as they are sometimes cancelled due to Middleton Schools Sports fixtures.

Monday 14th September - Year 3 & 4 Multi Sports

Tuesday 15th September - Cookery Club

Thursday 17th September - Year 4, 5 & 6 Cross Country Club (Lunchtime)

Thursday 17th September - Year 4, 5 & 6 Netball Club

MEET OUR PARKFIELD STAFF/GOVERNORS

Mrs Taylor (Reception Teacher)

Mrs Taylor is our Reception teacher and has been part of the Parkfield family for over 22 years. During her time at Parkfield, she has taught in most year groups across the school, but her heart has always been in the Early Years. She is passionate about helping children develop confidence, curiosity and a love of learning as they begin their school journey.

Over the years, Mrs Taylor has taught generations of Parkfield families. Having taught many brothers and sisters, she now has the privilege of teaching the children of some of her former pupils, creating special connections with families across the years.

Mrs Taylor lives in Rochdale with her husband, Lee, and their four-year-old son, William. As both a teacher and a parent of a young child, she understands just how important those first school experiences are.

In her spare time, Mrs Taylor enjoys reformer Pilates, reading and spending time with her family. Her favourite children's author is Julia Donaldson, and she loves sharing stories with her class to inspire a lifelong love of reading. Her favourite part of teaching Reception is watching the children grow in confidence and independence throughout the year and celebrating all of their incredible achievements along the way.

ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY⏰

Current Whole School Attendance: 95.3% (96% Target)

Attendance (This week)

Reception: 99%

Year 1: 99.2%

Year 2: 96.9%

Year 3: 97.4%

Year 4: 94.8%

Year 5: 91.2%

Year 6: 97.3%

Whole School: 96.5%

Number of lates this week: 15

A reminder that classes that achieve at least 96% attendance (no more than 6 days of absence across a class) get a reward on their attendance ladder!

Attendance Recognition

This year children can be awarded with either a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze certificate of attendance in recognition of meeting our school target of 96%. We will regularly update you on how well your child is doing.

Platinum: 100% attendance (0 days absent)
Gold: 98% attendance or above (3 days absent)
Silver: 97% attendance or above (5 days absent)
Bronze: 96% attendance or above (6 days absent)

Holidays in term time

Please note that, in line with the school policy, fines will be issued to families that go on a term time holiday where children miss 5 consecutive full days. Currently the fine is £160 per child per parent which equates to a £640 fine for a two parent family with two children. This is reduced to £320 if paid within 21days. If you are going on holiday due to exceptional circumstances, please speak to the headteacher as a fine may not have to be issued. More information an be found on our attendance policy found here.

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 and will certainly lead to them doing less well than their peers.

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.

Arrivals after 8.50am are to sign in at the main office and anyone arriving after 9.15am are marked as an unauthorised absence for the morning session.

Medicines

Our overall school attendance is steadily increasing and one reason is due to many of our families taking up the school offer of bringing a bottle of Calpol in for their child if they are feeling slightly under the weather. The medicine can then be administered by school staff if your child needs it throughout the day. We do find that many of our Parkfielders show that true resilience when they arrive in school and get through their day with very little support. However, if your child is too poorly to stay in school, we will contact home so that they can be collected.

Newsletter Slides

SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION

Mrs Smith is our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) supported by Mr Kemp, Mrs Clawson and Mrs Edyvean. 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.

More information can be found on the school website here: https://www.parkfieldprimary.com/website/safeguarding-and-child-protection.html

HEALTH and SAFETY

STAY SAFE REMINDERS

If your child is attending Early Birds, please walk down the path and through the KS1 yard - it may take a few more seconds but it's much safer than walking through the busy car park. If the hall door is ever closed, simply ring the bell for assistance.

Dogs are not permitted in the school playground.
If driving, park further away from the school and walk to reduce congestion and the possibility of any serious accidents.
Unfortunately, Parents and Carers are not allowed to drop off and pick up from the school car park between 8.30am and 4.00pm.
Children are not allowed on the play equipment before and after school. Please keep them off.

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

5 WAYS TO WELLBEING

At Parkfield we promote the 5 ways to Wellbeing which can help children and adults to achieve a more positive lifestyle.

#THRIVE offer a local service for children and young people aged up to 19 years who are experiencing health and wellbeing issues such as feeling stressed, worried or not enjoying things. #Thrive can also provide advice and support to parents, carers and anyone that works with a child or young person. You can find out more information about the service by clicking here: https://www.penninecare.nhs.uk/thrive

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