The iRock Christmas concert was a resounding success at Belswains Primary School, filling the halls with festive cheer and familiar tunes. We were thrilled to witness performances from five talented bands who played their hearts out to an enthusiastic audience of fans, friends, and family.

Each band brought their unique flair to the stage, performing beloved songs that had everyone tapping their feet and singing along. The energy in the room was electric, and the dedication and talent of our young musicians truly shone through.

As we embark on a new term, I wanted to take a moment to share some staffing updates at Belswains Primary School. Our dedicated team continues to strive for excellence, and we are excited to announce several changes that will enhance our school's leadership and support structures.

Promotions and New Roles

• Mrs. R Attanasio has been successfully promoted from Assistant Headteacher to Deputy Headteacher. With her extensive experience and dedication, we are confident that Mrs. Attanasio will continue to make a significant impact on our school community.

• Mrs. N Jones will take on the role of SEND Coordinator for three days a week. Her passion for supporting students with special educational needs and disabilities will be a tremendous asset to our inclusive learning environment. We will be holding two meet and greet sessions on Friday 10th January, for any parents who would like to come and have a informal chat with our new SEND lead. Please come to the front office for 08.45 or 14.45. 

Returning Staff

• Miss S Pawson will be returning from maternity leave this January. We look forward to welcoming her back and benefiting from her expertise and commitment to our pupils' education.

New Team Members

• Mrs. S Freedman will be joining our office team on a temporary basis, covering for Miss Osborne during her maternity leave. We are excited to have Mrs. S Freedman on board and appreciate her support during this time.

Farewell

• We bid farewell to Mrs. L Russell and Ms. E Ellis, who are leaving the Belswains team. We thank them for their hard work and dedication and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

We are confident that these updates will further strengthen our school's ability to provide an excellent education for all our pupils. Thank you for your continued support and engagement with our school community.

We are excited to share some news regarding our school menu. Two years ago, we introduced a Halal option on Wednesdays, allowing pupils to enjoy a Halal chicken roast. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we're pleased to announce that we will be expanding our Halal offerings.

Starting January 2025, in addition to our existing vegetarian, jacket potato, and baguette options, we will be introducing a Halal meal choice on a second day each week. Here’s what you can expect:

• Week 1  Monday: Halal Chicken Grill

Wednesday: Halal Chicken Roast

• Week 2 - Wednesday: Halal Chicken Roast

Thursday: Halal Beef Burger

• Week 3 - Monday: Halal Chicken Sausage

Wednesday: Halal Chicken Roast

Pupils will order in the morning in their class. We believe that offering a diverse menu is important to meet the needs of our pupils and ensure that everyone has access to meals that align with their dietary preferences and cultural practices. We hope these new options will continue to make lunchtime enjoyable for all our students.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to welcoming these new additions to our school menu!

Reception Applications 

The deadline for on time Reception applications to start September 2025 is 15th January 2025. Please contact the office on admin@belswains.herts.sch.uk if you would like to come and see all the amazing things we do at Belswains Primary school. 

Nut Free School 

Please be reminded that we are a nut free school. For those families that may not have allergies in their households, this includes Nutella and Pesto. Whilst your child may not have allergies, we encourage socialising over lunchtime, so our pupils sit with their friends while eating in the Bistro. However, we have several pupils with severe allergies, requiring the use of Epi-Pens, so it is of upmost importance that we all adhere to a nut free environment. 

Afterschool Clubs

We still have some spaces available on our Spring term afterschool clubs. Please log onto Arbor to book. The deadline to sign up for clubs is Sunday 5th January at 18.00. 

Arbor

It is extremely important that you keep your child's details up to date on Arbor, this includes any medical conditions, contact numbers and addresses. Please could we ask that you log in and check if all the information you have provided is still up to date over the summer. Any changes can be made directly on Arbor. 

Safeguarding

We wanted to remind you about our pedestrian gates opening policy for pick-up times at Belswains Primary School. The pedestrian gates will be opened at 15:10. This timing is deliberate and allows parents and carers a full 5 minutes to walk to their child's classroom. The reasons for keeping our gates closed until this time are as follows:

• Site Security We prioritise the safety and security of our pupils and staff.

• Uninterrupted Learning Lessons and educational activities are conducted outside until 15:10. As you can imagine, the presence of parents and younger siblings can be exciting and potentially distracting during lesson time.

We sincerely appreciate your ongoing cooperation and understanding in helping us maintain a secure and conducive learning environment.

A reminder also that due to lighting, the Great Elms entrance will be locked daily from 16.30 during the Autumn/Winter months. Collection from Good Shepherd club will be via the Barnfield entrance until 18.00.