Dear Parents and Carers, 

It has been another busy week! As autumn begins to arrive, the children have continued to embrace every opportunity on offer, whether learning outdoors, exploring new topics, developing friendships or taking part in exciting trips and sporting events. It has been a joy to see their enthusiasm, curiosity and kindness shining through in all that they do. 

The Year 4 and Year 5 Buddy Day was a great success. The morning began with pupils getting to know one another, sharing information about themselves and beginning to build new friendships. There was a wonderfully calm and thoughtful atmosphere throughout the day as the children worked together on a variety of activities. They explored our chalk grassland field in search of September flowers, constructed intricate dens for mice and tackled an obstacle course whilst transporting pots of water. It was lovely to see the children demonstrating such enthusiasm, teamwork and curiosity. They truly embodied our value of imagining the journey in another's footsteps as they collaborated, listened to one another and celebrated each other's ideas. We were incredibly proud of the kindness, maturity and cooperation shown by everyone involved. 

Inspired by their recent visit to Butser Ancient Farm, Year 4 then enjoyed an afternoon of experimental archaeology. Using sticks, flint and string, the children worked hard to create their own Stone Age tools. Although challenging at times, they approached the task with determination, creativity and excellent problem-solving skills. The results were impressive, and the activity provided a fantastic opportunity to deepen their understanding of life in prehistoric Britain. 

On Thursday afternoon, Kayleigh took ten Year 6 girls to the Guildfordians Girls' Rugby Festival at Stoke Park. The children had a fantastic afternoon, making new friends from other schools, learning new rugby skills and enthusiastically tackling a range of challenges. The tackle bags proved particularly popular! We are incredibly grateful to Guildford Rugby Club for hosting such an enjoyable event and to the parents who kindly provided transport. Opportunities like these help children develop confidence, resilience and teamwork whilst having great fun along the way. 

As always, thank you for your continued support in helping us maintain positive relationships with our local community. Over the past week, a number of residents from Semaphore Road, Addison Road, Pewley Bank and Addison Court have contacted the school regarding parking and behaviour at drop-off and pick-up times. We know that school runs can be busy and sometimes challenging, but we would be grateful if all parents, carers and anyone collecting children on your behalf could help us by parking considerately and showing courtesy to our neighbours. 

Please remember not to leave vehicle engines idling whilst waiting, avoid blocking driveways or access points, and ensure that buses can safely pass along routes serving the school. Particular care should be taken around Addison Court, where residents, carers and support staff require clear access at all times. For families using the Pewley site, please note that Pewley Bank is a private road, and we kindly ask everyone to respect local residents when parking nearby. Your support helps us preserve the strong and positive relationships we enjoy with our neighbours, and we are very grateful for it. 

A reminder to please check your child's Just To Let You Know! (JTLYK) published on the school’s website each Friday. These updates provide valuable information about current learning, upcoming events, requests for support and any equipment or preparation children may need for the week ahead. They are a wonderful way to stay connected to your child's learning journey. 

We are very much looking forward to welcoming you into school for Parent Teacher Meetings next week. These meetings are an important opportunity to discuss how your child has settled into the new school year and we can continue working together to support their progress. Please do arrive promptly, as appointments are tightly scheduled and teachers will be doing their best to keep to time throughout the evening. 

Finally, with chilly mornings and warm afternoons, our lost property collection has grown considerably! Any named items will be returned to their owners, but we still have a substantial number of unnamed belongings. These will be displayed during Parents' Evening, so please do take a moment to have a look. Any unclaimed items remaining at half term will be donated to second hand uniform sales or to charity. 

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support of the school. It has been a wonderful week filled with learning, friendship and adventure, and we look forward to another exciting week ahead. 

Best wishes, 

Vicky