TUESDAY 7th OCTOBER AT 9AM - Y4 FAMILY LEARNING - SCHOOL HALL - Year 4 families are welcome to join their child for a maths lesson.

THURSDAY 9TH OCTOBER AT 9.15AM - OPEN MORNING - Prospective parents of children starting school in September 2026 are welcome to come and look around the school. A short presentation from the headteacher will take place at 9.15am followed by a tour from our school councillors.

MONDAY 13TH OCTOBER - HARVEST DONATIONS PLEASE

TUESDAY 14th OCTOBER AT 9AM - Y3 FAMILY LEARNING - SCHOOL HALL - Year 3 families are welcome to join their child for a maths lesson.

THURSDAY 16TH OCTOBER - SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHER - Photos will be taken of individuals and siblings if they are also in Parkfield. If your child is in Year 1 or 2 and you would prefer to have a photograph of your child dressed in their school uniform, please send them into school wearing uniform with their PE kit in a bag ready to change into.

WEDNESDAY 22ND OCTOBER - 3.30 - 6.30PM - PARENT'S EVENING Families will soon be able to sign up on Arbor to speak to your child's class teacher and find out how they have settled into their new class. Please keep an eye out for a separate email which will give further details on how to sing up.

LOCAL INCIDENT

You will all be aware of the incident that took place yesterday at the synagogue at Heaton Park. Understandably, events like this can cause worry and concern within the community. Please be reassured that we have strong safeguarding systems in place at Parkfield. In situations such as this, schools are contacted directly by the appropriate authorities if there is considered to be any increased risk, along with advice on any further action required. The safety and wellbeing of our pupils and staff remains our highest priority. 

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD IS POORLY

If your child is unwell, please call the school office before 9am and speak directly with a member of our team – Miss Pritchard or Mrs Cummings. We don’t use an answerphone service, as speaking to someone in person means we can offer advice, confirm how long your child may need to stay off school, or even suggest they come in if we feel they’ll manage with support during the day. Quite often, our Parkfielders perk up once they’re in school and benefit from being around their friends and teachers. 

Please note that if your child is absent and we haven't been notified, we will contact you shortly after registers have been taken.

ATTENDANCE UPDATE

Our whole school attendance so far this academic year is 94.8%, which is below both our school target of 96% and the current national average. While this may not sound like a big difference, even a few days of absence can quickly add up and have a real impact on a child’s progress, confidence, and long-term outcomes.

Attending school every day really does matter. Children who are in school consistently not only achieve better academically but also build stronger friendships and develop the positive routines that help them succeed.

To put this into perspective, our school target of 96% attendance allows for no more than 7 days of absence across the whole year. Missing more than this can start to affect learning and make it harder for pupils to keep up. That said, our ambition is for all pupils to achieve above 96%, giving them the very best opportunity to thrive.

We know that illness and absence are sometimes unavoidable, but we hope that over the coming months we can work together to improve attendance and give every Parkfielder the very best chance to shine. Parents can support this by avoiding term-time holidays and, where possible, booking medical appointments outside of school hours. 

UPDATED WEBSITE
Our updated Parkfield website is now live! While all the familiar information and links remain, the site has been redesigned to be more responsive, meaning it adapts smoothly whether you’re browsing on a laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. A huge thank you to Mr Haughton, who has been working hard behind the scenes to make these changes. We’re confident the new site will make it easier for everyone to find the information they need.

LOCKDOWN DRILL

Earlier this term, as part of our ongoing safeguarding procedures, we had a whole school 'lockdown' drill. This involved the locking down of the school and pupils remaining in classes for a short period of time. The children were briefed beforehand and during the drill they reacted brilliantly - knowing what was expected of them and behaving calmy and sensibly throughout. 

TOYS, TEDDIES AND FIDGETS
A reminder that bringing toys, teddies, and fidgets are not allowed to be brought into school. These items can cause distractions and issues in class, so they are not permitted in school. Please support us by reminding your child to keep them at home. If a fidget is required to support focus in lessons, school will provide one as part of our learning support.

RECEPTION CLASS FOREST SCHOOL LESSONS 

Every Tuesday morning, reception class take part in Forest School sessions.  As the weather is getting wetter and colder please could you ensure your reception class child has a pair of wellies in school.  Please could you also label them with your child's name.

HEALTHY SNACKS
A quick reminder that any snacks brought into school should be healthy choices such as fruit, yoghurts, or other low-sugar options. Children in Key Stage 1 continue to receive free fruit during the day, and those in Key Stage 2 can visit our Tuck Shop at breaktime, where a range of healthy snacks are available from just 20p. Thank you for helping us promote positive eating habits across the school.

ATTENDANCE - A REMINDER ABOUT SCHOOL FINES FOR UNAUTHORISED ABSENCES

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. The image below gives a reminder as to the different levels of fines that can now be issued.

ARBOR - WE NOW HAVE 81% OF OUR PARENTS AND CARERS SIGNED UP!

Firstly, we'd like to thank you for you perseverence and patience with our new system - Arbor. The vast majority of parents and guardians have had no trouble logging in and using the app / website but there have been a few teething issues which we were expecting because it is a new. However, if you need any support with logging in, booking clubs and making payments, please contact the school office and Miss Pritchard and Mrs Cummings will be happy to help.

EASY FUNDRAISING - PLEASE SIGN UP, SPEND MONEY AND RAISE FUNDS FOR SCHOOL!

We want to let you know about a way you can support the school using an online platform called easyfundraising. It helps schools, causes and charities in the UK raise donations for FREE by simply shopping online.

They have partnered with over 7,000 brands including John Lewis & Partners, Argos, Iceland, Amazon, eBay and M&S who will give you and the school a donation every time you shop with them at no extra cost.

The brand pays easyfundraising a percentage of what the shopper spends and easyfundraising turn that into the donation that goes to the school

Over 190,000 causes and charities are using this at the moment and £56 million has been raised so far, so it really does work!

To sign up and help Parkfield raise money, please click here:  Easyfundraising  for Parkfield 

FREE SCHOOL MEALS, FREE HOLIDAY CLUBS AND FOOD VOUCHERS

Did you know that if you are entitled to free school meals you also get access to free holiday clubs and food vouchers during the holidays? To apply or if you're not sure if you are eligible, please  read the information and apply using the link here. School receives additional funding for those pupils that are entitled for free school meals and this much needed funding helps better support all Parkfielders. Even if your child is in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 or they're on packed lunch - please still apply. In addition, if there has been a change in your family circumstances (i.e. recently become unemployed) you may also be entitled to apply for Free School Meals.