July 2023

End of Year Messages from Mr Clarke-Castello

Today marks the day we close our doors for the end of another year.  It’s been a truly remarkable year at Lea Forest as we end on such a high with so many successes and celebrations to look back on. 

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank all of the children, parents, staff and wider community for all of your belief and support. As always, I was unapologetic in setting high expectations in September, but with everyone’s hard work, these have been well and truly exceeded. One of our biggest achievements this academic year was receiving our Ofsted OUTSTANDING grade. We never rest on our laurels at Lea Forest and despite so many successes, we have plans that are even bigger and better than ever for 2023/24.  

The end of a school year is also a time to say goodbye to our Year 6 children.  We have thoroughly enjoyed watching the children grow and mature into the individuals they are today. They leave us with the confidence, knowledge and skills to be able to continue their path to find their remarkable.  They have had a wonderful last few weeks with a trip to Drayton Manor, their wonderful production of The Lion King and their Graduation event.  I’m sure these memories will remain with them for many years to come.  We also need to say goodbye to some members of staff who are leaving us today.  I’m sure you will all join me in wishing the best of luck to Mrs Hicklin and Miss Cotter.

I look forward to welcoming all of the children in Years 1-6 back to school on Monday 4 September 2023. I’m also excited to meet our new children who will be joining Nursery and Reception.

Wishing you all a wonderful summer break!

Dame Rachel de Souza has said the return to school in September is ‘critical’ for ‘getting pupils into school and settled into the school routine’.

Pupils who miss the second, third and fourth day of a new term are likely to have a significantly higher overall absence rate than their peers, according to new analysis from the children’s commissioner, Rachel de Souza.

And pupils with an unauthorised absence on any day in the first week of term had an overall unauthorised absence rate of 25 per cent.  This was compared to an overall unauthorised absence rate of 2 per cent for pupils who didn’t miss any sessions in the first week. 

Dame Rachel de Souza has produced a new report highlighting the importance of the return to school as “critical” for “getting pupils into school and settled into the school routine”.

In the report, Back into school: New insights into school absence, an analysis of around 32,000 pupils suggested that children who are absent for the second, third and fourth day of a new term are predicted an overall absence of around 43 per cent (or 30 days) across the term.

And, while the study found that Fridays were the most common day for pupils to miss school, the analysis revealed that those that miss school mid-week are more likely to be “habitually absent”.

The data was taken from three multi-academy trusts (MATs) from across the country and with primary, secondary and all-through schools. 

The study also found that pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) and those with pupil premium were more likely to have a higher level of absence overall than their peers.

Biodegradable – something that can break down into tiny parts that become part of the earth again

Carbon dioxide – a greenhouse gas that is found in all living things; it is also released into the air when fuels like coal and petrol are burned

Climate change – the term used to explain how the earth is getting warmer, because of too much greenhouse gas in the atmosphere; this is mostly caused by too much carbon dioxide (CO2)

Compost – turning things like food scraps and dead leaves into fertiliser for new plants by letting it all decompose into a kind of dirt that’s full of vitamins plants love 

Conservation -  means ways to keep the planet clean so we can protect parts of it that are already in good condition, and help parts still in need.

Eco-friendly – something that is good for the environment

Greenhouse gas – a type of gas in the atmosphere that keeps the earth warm

Pollution – when something makes part of the environment dirty and dangerous for living things. 

As the academic year draws to a close, that can only mean one thing: An end-of-year review and highlights from the 39 VoteTopics discussed since September 2022. 

Voters have considered whether they remember the headlines from the last 12 months and have reflected on the impact of their weekly votes on the wider conversation. Our discussion this week was: 

“Is it easy to remember the news?” 

Thank you to everyone that came along to cheer the children for our sports day events. 

Early Years

1st = Ash (2450)

2nd = Holly (1400)

3rd = Bramble (1360)

4th = Oak (1160)

Key Stage 1:

1st  = Holly (3000)

2nd = Bramble (2790)

3rd = Oak (2490)

4th = Ash (2440)

Years 3 and 4:

1st = Ash (1170)

2nd Holly = (800)

3rd = Bramble (750)

3rdd =Oak (750)

Years 5 and 6:

1st = Bramble (2250)

2nd = Holly (1500)

3rd = Oak (1450)

4th = Ash (1650)

OVERALL RESULTS 

At Lea Forest we aim to develop our pupils’ character through the growth of relationships that define us as humans. Through our curriculum, we develop a set of competencies (behaviours) which enable each and every one of our pupils to lead a remarkable life. These competencies can be found on the Character Curriculum page of the LFP Website. In addition to the tasks provided by individual class teachers, a ‘Character Curriculum Challenge’ will be set fortnightly on the newsletter.

On this occasion, we would like you to take part in the ‘Stormbreak Challenge’, which develops resilience, self care, relationships and self-worth (see the ‘Stormbreak Website’ for further information). Remember to ask a trusted adult to create a free account first and send pictures of you completing this Summer Challenges to Mr Croxon or your class teacher (either on Class Dojo or Twitter) and the best ones will be evidenced in the ‘Character Curriculum (evidence) Book’ for your class and could even win you a prize! 

Welcome to our ‘Online Safety Tip of The Week’. On each newsletter, we will provide you with some useful hints, tips, guides and fact sheets from the National Online Safety (NOS) website that you as parents and carers will be able to use to help keep your child safe whilst online.

This week's free online safety guide focuses on Amigo. Amigo, which has a recommended age rating of 18+, is a social platform which purports to connect strangers from different countries around the world using built-in translation software. Focussing heavily on one-to-one chat, video calls and live streams, Amigo encourages its users to build up online relationships and unlock exclusive features such as private video and audio calls: essentially, the more you chat, the more features become available, thus it is definitely not recommended for children!

Online safety

This week our safeguarding focus is on online safety. Children have access to a multitude of information at their fingertips.They live in a world where knowing how to operate in the digital world is just as important as knowing how to be vigilant and safe in public. In school, we carry out lots of work on online safety throughout the curriculum and the children are always reminded about the key messages around privacy and not sharing information. As parents please ensure that any devices that the children have access to at home have parental controls installed and that you are aware of what the children are accessing and who they are talking to. It is good advice to ask them to use their devices in the same room as you so that you are present and able to support if they find themselves in an uncomfortable situation.

For more information please visit:

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/parental-controls/ 

WOW! What a week full of excitement and with just one week left, we are very close to the end of the school year.  We’ve been really busy in school with even more trips, visitors, events and competitions all taking place.  We’ve also been focusing on transition and preparing our children for September.  

Year 6 SATS Results

We are really proud of our Year 6 children who completed their SATS tests in May. This week, the results were released and we are delighted to report that our standards remain well above national figures. A HUGE well done to our children and staff.

Class Arrangements for 2023/24

On Tuesday, we had a practice run for September where all of the children had the opportunity to spend the morning in their new classrooms with their new teachers and teaching assistants.  There was a great buzz throughout the morning with everyone on their best behaviour and making their best first impressions! I did write to you all with details of class arrangements for September; these details can also be found here.  

Staff Changes

It’s that time of year where we are welcoming new members of staff and I’m delighted to share that we have appointed some excellent additions to the team for September.  We will also be preparing to say goodbye to Mrs Hicklin and Miss Cotter who are moving on to pastures new.  I’m sure you will join me in wishing them all the best of luck for the future and will ensure their last few weeks with us are enjoyable.   

Reports & Open Parents Evening

On Tuesday 18 July we will be handing out school reports during our ‘Open Parents’ Evening’ (3:30pm-5:00pm).  You can also use this time as an opportunity to meet your child’s new class teacher and see where their classroom will be in September. We do not send out appointments for this event, it is much more informal, giving you a chance to thank class teachers and teaching assistants. If you are planning to attend later on, please ensure this is BEFORE 4:50pm.

Child of the Year - Awards Assembly

We will be holding our ‘Child of the Year’ assembly on Friday 21 July at 9am. For those pupils selected as ‘Child of the Year’ from each class, parents/carers will be invited to join in with the celebrations, so look out for your invites and please try to keep this a secret from

Summer Safety

As the school summer holidays approach, we have some tips for staying safe and healthy while you enjoy yourselves.

Being safe in the sun 

It is fun to be outside in the sun, but too much sun can cause problems. The sun’s rays can damage skin and dehydration can cause children to become unwell. Put on suncream and wear a hat. Stay in the shade during the hottest part of the day and drink plenty of water to stay safe. 

Being safe near water

Swimming and playing in the sea or a swimming pool is fun but can also be hazardous if you are not careful. Some sea creatures can sting, water may be dirty and make you ill if swallowed, water can get deep very quickly and there may be strong currents that are not obvious. Make sure there is always an adult present when you are in the water and always swim at a safe depth.

Welcome to our ‘Online Safety Tip of The Week’. On each newsletter, we will provide you with some useful hints, tips, guides and fact sheets from the National Online Safety (NOS) website that you as parents and carers will be able to use to help keep your child safe whilst online.

This week's free online safety guide focuses on Cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin) is software enabling the exchange and storage of digital ‘coins’ representing financial value. To monitor who earns which coins, platforms save an online record of every transaction, called a ‘ledger’ or ‘blockchain’. This is secured by cryptography: a set of methods for protecting sensitive information. As cryptocurrency becomes a more established part of digital life, young people are bound to encounter it, so it is vital that they understand the risks. 

Children always seem to end up with more toys than they can play with, many of which end up at the bottom of a basket or cupboard feeling lost and unwanted - Remember Toy Story? 

Old and unused toys and games can all be resold to help raise funds for children's charities or for your children to spend on something else. 

Ask your kids to sort out toys that they no longer want or have never played with. Donate them to a charity shop or hold a drive sale where they can be sold to the local community. Your child makes some money and you gain some space back at home. It’s a win, win situation.

Our children in Nursery visited Twycross Zoo on Wednesday. During their visit they enjoyed exploring the zoo and seeing all of the different animals.  They were fascinated by the giraffes and many of the children commented on how tall they were.  They then visited the penguins and some of the children were lucky enough to see a feeding session.  After a rest and a picnic, the children visited the Gruffalo Discovery Land and the butterflies.  The butterflies were a highlight of the day as the children loved seeing them fluttering about.  Our children had a remarkable time and  were so tired that many of them fell asleep on the way back!

Drayton Manor - Monday 17th July: We are really looking forward to our reward trip to Drayton Manor. We will be leaving school at 9:15 am promptly and after a fun-filled day will return to school at approximately 5:30pm. Watch Class Dojo for more information closer to the time.

Lion King Performance - Wednesday 19th July: As you are aware, Year 6 are busy rehearsing our production of The Lion King and we cannot wait to share it with you! Doors will open at 6:00pm. It will be a ticket only event, limited to 3 per family. Further details to follow.

After a busy day of sporting fun on the field the results have been counted and the sports day results are:

Ash House =  7710

Bramble House =  7150

Holly House = 6700

Oak House = 5850

Well done to all our children for taking part and a huge congratulations to our remarkable ‘Ash House’

Skip single use plastic for lunches

In a market that favours convenience, there are a lot of single-packaged food and drinks that can make it easy for you or your kids to pack lunches for school. While going plastic-free might require more time and effort, it will ultimately contribute to a cleaner future for your children. 

Try buying foods in bulk and separating them out into smaller containers at the beginning of the week. Invite your kids to participate as an opportunity for a family activity and teach your kids the importance of reducing global plastic waste. 

This week our  safeguarding focus is on parental substance abuse. This is defined by the NSPCC as the long-term misuse of drugs and/or alcohol by a parent or carer. Parents and carers who misuse substances can have chaotic, unpredictable lifestyles and may struggle to recognise and meet their children’s needs.

Living in a household where a parent or carer misuses substances doesn’t mean a child will experience abuse, but it does make it more difficult for parents to provide safe and loving care. This can lead to abuse or neglect. Parents and carers who misuse drugs or alcohol may also turn to crime to fund their dependency.

There are many agencies that can help including your GP who can refer to local organisations. For more information visit: 

https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/children-and-families-at-risk/parental-substance-misuse 

Welcome to our ‘Online Safety Tip of The Week’. On each newsletter, we will provide you with some useful hints, tips, guides and fact sheets from the National Online Safety (NOS) website that you as parents and carers will be able to use to help keep your child safe whilst online.

This week's free online safety guide focuses on LiveMe. LiveMe is a streaming video app that lets you watch live streams and broadcast your own live videos to anyone interested. The service, which is aimed at young adults aged 17+, has amassed more than sixty million global users and streams around 300,000 hours of footage a day. The app aims to give creators a “platform to reach a wide audience and share their talents and passions directly with their fans”. Users can buy virtual coins and gifts and send these to broadcasters who create content “they love”, which can be redeemed for real money.

Graduation Event - Thursday 13th July: Get your glad rags at the ready! Parents are invited to join us to celebrate the children’s successes over the year.  A presentation will take place and the children will each receive an award, there will be photo opportunities and BBQ food for everyone to enjoy!

Drayton Manor - Monday 17th July: We are really looking forward to our reward trip to Drayton Manor. We will be leaving school at 9:15 am promptly and after a fun-filled day will return to school at approximately 5:30pm. Watch Class Dojo for more information closer to the time.

Lion King Performance - Wednesday 19th July: As you are aware, Year 6 are busy rehearsing our production of The Lion King and we cannot wait to share it with you! Doors will open at 6:00pm. It will be a ticket only event, limited to 3 per family. Further details to follow.