Each week in our whole school assembly we celebrate children's attendance by the winning class for that week receiving Paddington Bear to sit pride of place in their classroom. The class  with the highest attendance figure is rewarded with a class prize. 

The winning class for the last week was: 

Week of 9th February: Norway Class with 97.60% attendance

Whole school attendance :95 %

Week of 2nd February : Maldives class with 99.1% attendance

Whole school attendance : 95.1%

Our whole school target attendance for this academic year across all classes is 97%.

Information about holidays during term time can be found in our attendance policy HERE 

Leave of Absence Request form can be found in the main office or on our school website HERE. Please ask a member of our office staff if you require one. 

We are pleased to announce that children have now voted for a pet at Ardley Hill. The voting was extremely close but we are pleased to announce that we will soon be welcoming guinea pigs to our school! The children were so excited when we revealed this in assembly this morning. We now begin the preparations for welcoming them to our school. We will be sure to inform you once they arrive. This will include the opportunity to sign up to look after the guinea pigs at weekends, should you and your child wish to. More information will follow next half term! 

As we approach the holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on the evening of Tuesday 17th or Wednesday 18th February 2026, we want to ensure our school remains a supportive and inclusive environment for all our pupils.

Ramadan is a significant time of spiritual reflection, prayer, and fasting for our Muslim community. We recognize that this may impact the daily routines of some of our students, and we are committed to making adjustments to ensure their wellbeing and academic progress.

How We Can Support Your Child

To help our students observe Ramadan comfortably, the school will be providing the following:

• Quiet Spaces: We will have a designated "Quiet Room" available during lunch and break times. This is a space where students who are fasting can rest, read, or pray away from the busy dining hall.

• PE & Physical Activity: We understand that energy levels may fluctuate. PE teachers will offer lower-intensity options for fasting students to ensure they can participate safely without overexertion.

• Prayer Facilities: A private space will be made available for students who wish to perform their daily prayers during the school day.

• Awareness: Our staff have been briefed on the significance of Ramadan to better support students who may be experiencing tiredness or thirst, particularly toward the end of the school day.

Please Inform Us

To help us provide the best care, we kindly ask parents and carers to notify the school if your child will be participating in fasting (whether full days or part-days).

Knowing which students are fasting allows us to:

1. Monitor their wellbeing throughout the day.

2. Ensure they are not pressured to participate in food-based activities.

3. Adjust any specific internal assessments or rigorous physical tasks where possible.

Action Required: Please email us on ardley.hill@ardleyhill.org.uk by Sunday 15th February to let us know if your child will be observing Ramadan.

Eid-ul-Fitr 2026

We also anticipate that Eid-ul-Fitr will fall on or around Friday 20th March 2026. As a reminder, pupils are entitled to one day of authorised absence for religious observance to celebrate with their families. Please ensure you submit an absence request in advance so we can update our registers accordingly.

We wish all our families a peaceful and blessed month ahead. Ramadan Mubarak!

Below is everything you need to know about Free School Meals (FSM), how to apply, and the support available during half terms. 

How to Apply

Central Bedfordshire Council has streamlined the process. In many cases, if you receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support, your child may be automatically enrolled.

If you need to apply manually:

• By Phone: Call the Council’s FSM team on 0300 300 8306. This is often the quickest way to get an immediate decision.

• Online: Visit the Central Bedfordshire Council website to check eligibility or report changes.

• What you'll need: Have your National Insurance number and your child’s date of birth ready.

If your child receives benefit-related Free School Meals (FSM), you are eligible for supermarket vouchers during half-terms and main holidays. During Easter, Summer, and Christmas breaks, eligible families can access the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme. 

Our next cultural day will be on Friday 27th February where our focus will be Japan. 

What is Cultural day?

•A day where the children learn about the culture of a specific country.

•Is not just a ‘geography’ day.

•Children will be taught about an aspect of the country by each teacher in the Key Stage.

•We will avoid any countries that are the class names.

Activities include but are not limited to:

•Geographical features of the country (major cities, landmarks etc)

•History of the country.

•Sport created or played in that country.

•A fact file for that country.

•Trying/making/exploring food from that country.

•Fashion/clothing from that country.

We would like to remind parents that electric scooters and bikes are NOT to be ridden to school or on our school grounds. 

If your child does come to school on a scooter or bike (non electric) they will need to dismount once they arrive to school and be placed in one of our bike/scooter racks until the end of the day. 

We are delighted to announce our exciting plans for World Book Day this year. Ardley Hill Academy will be celebrating on Wednesday 4th March. We are very lucky to have children’s author Ray Star to read and provide workshops to all of the children across the school.

Events and activities to follow that week include:

·       Author workshops and readings with Ray Star.

·       Online activities with other authors associated with World Book Day.

·       Dress up –Fantasy dress up or pyjamas

·       Starting on 25th - 27th February, we will have the Scholastic Book Fair after school.

·       Peer Reading.

Thank you for your continued support,

Mary Foster

Assistant Headteacher, Reading Lead

We’re pleased to share that our school is taking part in the Young Mathematical Story Authors (YMSA) Competition this year. This international competition encourages children to combine maths and creativity by writing a short mathematical story picture book.

Children can take inspiration from well-known stories such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, which explores size and comparison, and create their own imaginative maths-based tales.

Thanks to the support of Oxford University Press, HarperCollins and Charlesbridge, the winner in each age category (4–7, 8–11 and 12–16 years) will receive a £100 cash prize.

Full details and entry information have been uploaded to your child’s Google Classroom.

All entries should be returned to class teachers by Friday 13th March.

We hope many children feel inspired to take part and enjoy this exciting opportunity.

It’s time to get creative and a little bit silly! We are excited to announce that we will be celebrating Comic Relief (Red Nose Day) on Friday 20th March.

This year’s theme is all about the power of laughter. The official slogan is "Take Yourself Funny for Money," encouraging us all to have a laugh at our own expense to raise vital funds for those facing poverty and injustice.

What’s New This Year?

Comic Relief has shaken things up for 2026!

• The "Design-Yer" Nose: For the first time ever, the official Red Noses are customisable! They have a paper-like finish so students can draw, stick, and craft their own unique look.

• Disney Collaboration: You may have seen the wonderful new range featuring Winnie the Pooh and friends. Whether it's a Pooh Bear T-shirt or an Eeyore-inspired accessory, the Hundred Acre Wood crew are out in force to support the cause!

👕 MUFTI DAY: FRIDAY 20TH MARCH

To celebrate, we are holding a school-wide Mufti Day. We are asking students to "Take Yourself Funny for Money" by wearing:

• Anything RED or Comic Relief themed.

• Winnie the Pooh or Disney-inspired clothing.

• Their custom-designed Red Noses!

• Anything that makes them look "funny for money"—the dafter, the better!

We are asking for a voluntary donation of £1.00 to support Comic Relief’s mission to provide essentials like food, shelter, and safety to those who need it most. Donations can be made via the link below:

(INSERT LINK)

⚽ LOCAL HERO: FROM THE KENILWORTH ROAD TO THE CLASSROOM

We are thrilled to share some extra inspiration this year. A local teacher—well known for his professional football career playing for Luton Town and now working right here in Milton Keynes—is an official Comic Relief Ambassador!

We’ll be sharing his journey with the students,to show that whether you're on the pitch or in the classroom, we can all pull together for a great cause. His story is a brilliant reminder of how community spirit and a bit of hard work can change the world.

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