St James E-News
13th May 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,
There is such a lot happening in school at the moment, many of our older children and staff are preparing for our summer production, The Lion King, we are busy planning our Platinum Jubilee celebrations which will take place on Thursday 26th May, there is still the Y6 residential visit to come after half term, and we have PTA events to look forward to. Our PTA would love to hear from parents willing to provide help with the events that are coming up, whether this is just for an hour during one event or more involvement. Please see the PTA News page, there is a link further on in this email, for more information.
Well done to the children that were taking their SATs this week, we are very proud of them all. Eagles are celebrating the end of SATs with a VE Day celebration. I know that Mrs Lambert and her team have planned an exciting day for them. Look out for pictures of their celebrations in our News Blogs next week.
Best wishes for a lovely weekend,
Valerie Elliott
School Notices
- PTA TREASURER NEEDED - Justin Radford writes; 'Due to unforeseen circumstances we will be moving away in September which means I will have to step down as Treasurer of the PTA. Although I’ve only been doing the role for barely a year, it’s been tremendously fulfilling. But, we NEED a replacement, the PTA can’t operate if it doesn’t have a Treasurer. Please contact me for further info at justindjr@gmail.com …..Your PTA needs you!'
- Nursery Consultation - St James Primary are now in Stage 2 of the Nursery Consultation. The consultation document on the Parent Portal contains a list of FAQs which parents may find helpful. We will hold an online public meeting for parents and any other interested parties to discuss the proposal and to hear the views that people have. As a public meeting, anyone who wishes to, may attend. The online event will be held on the 24 May 2022 at 17:00, there will be a short presentation followed by questions and answers. Please join on this link to share your views and ask questions. You do not need to have a child at the school to join the meeting.
- Platinum Jubilee Celebrations - we will be celebrating the Platinum Jubilee in school on Thursday 26th May, each class will be focusing on a decade from the past 70 years. Please come in to school at 2.55pm so that the children can sing their Jubilee song to you all.
- Cardboard Boxes Please - Y6 would be very grateful to receive cardboard boxes for the Paperboat Race.
- Scarlet Fever and Chicken Pox - We have a number of cases of chicken pox and one case of scarlet fever in school. Please continue to be vigilant for the signs and symptoms if your child is unwell. Please click here to learn more about the signs and symptoms of scarlet fever. If you or your child has scarlet fever, stay away from nursery, school or work for 24 hours after the 1st dose of antibiotics. Whilst the children are at home because they are unwell we don't expect them to work and will not be setting work for them to do.
- Elstead Is Watching You Signs - some of you may have noticed the signs that have been put up at the request of Elstead Parish Council. If you have any questions or comments about them please contact the Secretary to the Parish Council, Juliet Williams elsteadpc.clerk@gmail.com
- Elstead Paperboat Race 12 noon, Sunday 26th June at Elstead Moat - Elstead Paperboat Race is back! Please see the details, including rules, on our Advertising Hub and Parent Portal.
- Plastic Bottle Tops Still Needed - Year 3 and Year 5 will be creating a bottle top art project in the summer term. Please continue 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.
- 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
- Robins
- Selected children in KS2
- Whole school
PTA News
Please click on the link below to find out about activities planned for this term including the Children's Disco and Summer Fair.
News Blogs
Blog of the Week: Please click on the photograph below to see where Kestrels were staying during their residential visit and what they did.
Click below to view all the latest News Blogs:
Dates For Your Diary
View the school calendar for the latest information
School Meals
View this week's school menu
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.