St James E-News
1st April 2022
Welcome to the St James Primary School's E-News, a weekly roundup of the latest goings on at the school.
Latest Headteachers Blog
Dear Parents,
Thank you to everyone who supported the PTA's Mother's Day Gifts sale last Friday, and we hope the lucky Mums receiving the gifts enjoyed them! The PTA are planning further events next term, including a summer fair, so look out for more details after the holidays.
Next term also sees the start of our collaboration with St Mary's Infant school and I have been finalising details with both schools. As you know, Mrs Jenkinson will be leading the school whilst I am at St Mary's and is going to have a non-teaching role for the summer term, with Mr Gardner teaching Y3 on Mondays and Tuesdays. Below is a timetable which shows when I will be in each school for the first few weeks. Initially, I will be spending a bit more time at St Mary's in order to get to know the children, staff and parents. After that, I will be splitting my time 60/40 in favour of St James.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon |
| Monday | St Mary's | St Mary's |
| Tuesday | St James | St Mary's |
| Wednesday | St Mary's | St James |
| Thursday | St James | St James |
| Friday | St Mary's | St James |
I can always be contacted in the usual ways, or please speak to Mrs Jenkinson who will also be happy to help. If there is anything confidential you wish to discuss, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me. The office can always help with passing on messages or emails, or arranging meetings.
I do hope you manage to have a happy, restful break and we look forward to seeing everyone back in school on Wednesday 20th April.
Valerie Elliott
School Notices
- Access To School After Easter - Access to school after the Easter break will return to just two gates, the front gate by Year 2 and the back gate. We will no longer be opening the carpark gate at either drop off or pick up.
- Warning About An Unsuitable Online Game - Dorset Police are warning parents about the online game, Poppy Playtime which features a sinister character called Huggy Wuggy and is available on platforms such as YouTube, Tic Tok and Roblox. Dorset Police warn that it contains disturbing content that is unfiltered due to there being no age rating. Please click here to read the full article so that you can take the recommended precautions.
- Lost Property - we have a huge amount of un-named or incorrectly named lost property in school. Items have been displayed all week until after drop off this morning. Any items left will be disposed of. It is our policy to return named items to children straightaway. We would be very grateful if you took the opportunity over the Easter holiday to ensure that every item your child brings into school is clearly named to avoid the mass of lost property going forward.
- Clubs Letter - The clubs letter is now on the Parent Portal. Please read it and complete the online form with your child's preferences, if any. Please be aware that the deadline for completion is during the school holiday.
- Plastic Bottle Tops Needed - Year 3 and Year 5 will be creating a bottle top art project in the summer term. Please would you collect any plastic bottle tops you have at home and bring them to school. They can be any colour, size or shape. There will be a collection point in the library.
- INSET Days - The INSET days for next year have been set and are entered on the school calendar. They are;
31st October 2022
10th February 2023
26th May 2023
- A Festival For Dogs! - DogFest is heading to Surrey on 7th and 8th May. The nation’s favourite dog friendly festival will be turning Loseley Park near Guildford into a dog and dog lovers paradise! The organisers are offering school families a 15% discount code, SCHOOL15. Please click here to book tickets.
- Additional Financial Support for Families - We are aware that some families may be experiencing additional financial challenges at the moment. If you are in this situation, we may be able to help you access some financial support. You can email our Home School Link Worker Helen Owen - hslw@st-james-elstead.surrey.sch.uk with regards to this.
- Drop in sessions with our Home School Link Worker, Helen Owen - The role of the Home School Link Worker (HSLW) is to support families with a range of issues at home or at school. 1:1 sessions are available on Wednesdays. To book an appointment, email Helen on hslw@st-james-elstead.surrey.sch.uk or ring the school office to request a call back.
Letters This Week
The following classes have had letters uploaded to the Parent Portal this week. Note: You will need to login to view this area.
- Penguins
- Kestrels
- Whole school
Covid-19 Information
Please remember; if your child has Covid-19 symptoms please do not send your them to school - Please immediately arrange a PCR test for your child and inform the school office as soon as possible. Please do not send your child to school at least until you receive the test result and not before they are well.
In the light of the recent Government announcement the following guidance from Surrey LEA takes effect from Thursday 24th February;
- Pupils/Students and staff should attend if they are well
- Pupils/Students and staff should stay at home if they are unwell – schools/settings should refuse entry to those that are symptomatic or unwell
- Have a PCR test if you have COVID-19 symptoms and stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you test positive for at least 5 full days and then continue to follow the guidance (tests will remain available until the end of March 2022)
- Get vaccinated
- Let fresh air in if meeting indoors, or meet outside
- Wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, especially where coming into contact with people you do not usually meet and when rates of transmission are high
- Wash your hands and follow advice to “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it”
Weekend Results: It is very important that you continue to notify us of Covid-19 test results over the weekend by using the email address below.
results@st-james-elstead.surrey.sch.uk
Safeguarding Information
Keeping our children safe is a partnership between school and home, so if we have any worries or concerns about your child we will always speak to you first to see what we can do to help. If you would like to speak to a member of staff, in confidence, about a safeguarding concern about a child at St James Primary, or seek help or advice, please contact either Mr McArthur or Mrs Elliott via the office, they are the school’s Senior Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL).
If you would like to speak directly to Surrey Children’s Safeguarding Services, their contact details are 0300 470 9100  cspa@surreycc.gov.uk
There is also plenty of support and advice that parents, carers and families can access for further help and we’ve listed the main ones below.
Helen Owen, our Home/School Link Worker, can signpost to further agencies who can support with a range of issues including financial hardship, housing issues or offer practical support with problems at school.
The Surrey Family Information Service offer a free impartial information and signposting service on all aspects of family life for parents, including parenting advice and courses. https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/children/families
Mental Health
The Surrey website Mindworks offers a huge amount of advice for young adults and parents on a range of mental health issues.
https://www.mindworks-surrey.org/
Online Safety
The NSPCC website contains information and advice on many safeguarding issues, including keeping your child safe online. Information includes talking to your child about online safety, looking after your child’s online wellbeing and how to set up and manage parental controls.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety
School Policy on Granting Leave of Absence
Absences will be authorised for illness, and parents are requested not to send their child to school when they are unwell. Apart from illness, absence will be authorised for medical appointments; attendance at religious festivals; visits to other schools at the age of transfer or when moving; and for exceptional circumstances.
Absence will not be authorised for such reasons as looking after others at home, visiting friends or relatives, birthday treats or shopping trips. Unauthorised absence is also recorded if the child arrives after the close of registration at 9.15am unless for exceptional reasons. Parents are requested to arrange medical appointments out of school hours whenever possible.
Parents should be aware that due to the pressure on the curriculum, absences may mean that children miss vital learning activities that will not be repeated.
Family Holidays
There is a clear link between attendance at school and good progress.
Children do not have a right to be withdrawn from school for holidays. School holiday dates are published a year in advance and parents should arrange their family holidays during these times. If an absence in term time is unavoidable, an Absence Authorisation form must be completed well in advance to gain prior authorisation. Forms are available from the school office and website.
On submission of the form, the Headteacher will decide whether or not to authorise the absence having considered:
· the child’s record of attendance
· the ability of the child to catch up the work that they have missed
· the reason why they are taking the time off during term time
· the timing of the holiday, ensuring that it would not prevent the child from taking any important examinations or assessments.
Leave may be requested in advance for attendance at religious festivals, visits to other schools at the age of transfer and for exceptional circumstances. Please note that Year 6 will not be granted leave of absence during the Key Stage 2 Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) week.
The Headteacher reserves the right to issue parents with a Penalty Notice for unauthorised absence This can include parents who take their children on holiday during term time without getting authorisation from the school. The penalty is £60, rising to £120 if not paid within 28 days.
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