Byfleet Primary Newsletter

• What a show! Well done to our Year 6s for bravely being the first class to showcase their learning in their Class Assembly today! 

• Thank you to the families that took their children to last night's Byfleet Village light turn on. It was lovely to see so many BPS children represent us and take part in the choir! Thanks to Miss Vallins, our music lead, for organising this event. What an amazing event filled with festive spirit. Well done to all the children who sang beautifully accompanied by the Ukulele band, We are very proud of you all. What a fantastic start to our festive celebrations. 

• It was great to see our BPS Friends hosting a chocolate stall at last night's light turn on event - thank you for all the kind chocolate donations as part of last week's mufti day! Your help really does make a difference!

• This week's Anti-bullying Week has highlighted how caring and kind our children at BPS are. Read more about the exciting actitivies we got up to, helping our children remember how to use STOP (Start Telling Other People) so that we can eradicate bullying! Big shout out to our Anti-bullying Ambassadors in Year 5, Mrs Sharkey, Senora Wyatt and Mrs Bell for organising these activities!

• Children in Year 2 and year 5 had a thrilling visit from the Fire Brigade, in conjunction with Surrey, to learn about Fire Safety this week. Year 2 also enjoyed their trip to Byfleet Victoria Fire Station this week!

• Thanks for all the wonderful Harvest food donations made as part of our Harvest Festival collection. We know Woking Food Bank will be delighted to receive these goods to help out our local community.

• Thank you to the parents who joined our Friends of Byfleet AGM last week! We are extremely grateful for all the help and support our parents give us so it was lovely to see some new faces. Remember, anyone can join our BPS Friends group, even if you can only commit to helping out for a few hours a year! Reach out to Miss Summers (Year 1 TA) if you are interested in joining...

• Year 3, 4 and 5 enjoyed a heart-felt theatre show last week, about the importance of Resilience, called 'The Space between my Head and Heart'. 

• We still have a few spaces left in Reception, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 6. Please spread the word to any new potential families who wish to join our wonderful school. 

• Reminder to all parents to please ensure that they pre-book their children's lunch via Scopay (Scopay parent help guide ). From Monday, 6th November, if a child has not ordered a hot dinner on the day, parents will be required to bring in a healthy packed lunch by 11:30am (this applies to all year groups).   

• Just a reminder: we are reliant on our families giving up some of their time to volunteer when trips take place. This week we struggled to find two parents who could accompany the Year 2s on a local walk. We are grateful that two parents saved the days at the last minute, as without this help, many enrichments would not be able to take place. Everyone's help is always appreciated.

• As the grass is becoming boggy along the new fence by the Year 6 classroom, we ask that you encourage your child to walk on the concrete pathway and refrain from allowing your child to run on the wet grass to the entrance gate at drop off/collection time. Thanks for helping us keep our classroom carpets clean!

Well done to the following children for being recognised for doing something brilliant this fortnight......

Last year our wonderful Rainbow Reception children, who are now in Year 1, painted some beautiful portraits of our new King. Miss Vallins sent these to Buckingham Palace to show our new King how talented our BPS artists are. 

We were delighted to have received a royal response from King Charles and Camilla. 

Well done Year 1s!

This week Year 2 enjoyed a visit from Natasha, a fire officer. We learnt more about the great fire of London and how the fire service started. Children enjoyed learning about the tools fire fighters used and the equipment their fire engine contains. 

Year 2 found out more about the jobs of a fire officer:

• dealing with fires

• to rescue people and animals 

• dealing with floods

• rescuing people in road traffic collisions and keeping everyone else safe

We were able to order the events of a fire and what they should do if they saw a fire, we repeated the message "Get out, stay out, call 999!" Children also practised calling the fire service and children were encouraged children to learn their address or street name. 

Last Thursday Year 5 took part in a fire safety session led by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service. As part of their prevention work, they visit schools to teach children and young people key fire safety skills. 

In the session, we covered:

o The Fiery 5 – common fire hazards at home

o The importance of working smoke alarms

o Fire Escape Plans – how to prepare to escape a fire

o Stop, Drop and Roll for clothing fires

How you can keep your family safe from fire:

In addition to discussing today’s session with your child, there are steps that you can take to ensure your family is safe from fire and prepared in case of an emergency.

Common fire hazards at home include:

• cookers / ovens

• candles and fireplaces

• matches and lighters

• electrical items

• barbecues / bonfires

Smoke alarms save lives

It is essential to have working smoke alarms in the home. We recommend having at least one per floor of the home, attached to the ceiling near the main exit routes, e.g. in the hallway. It is best to test your smoke alarm batteries weekly, and we have suggested your child schedules a time for this.

Making a Fire Escape Plan 

Making a fire escape plan and practising it with your family means that everyone will be prepared in case of an emergency. Please help your child complete their fire escape plan worksheet and discuss how you would exit safely from each part of the house in case of a fire. Assign a designated safe meeting place outside and agree on a plan of what to do if you can’t escape. Encourage your child to learn their address in case they need to call 999.

Monthly Attendance winners:

September    98.85%      Year 2                  October     99.34%       Year 2

We hope Year 2 enjoy sitting on the benches during assembly as their reward.

Who will be November's winning class with the highest attendance?

Please ensure that breakfast and after school club bookings are made 48 hours in advance. The Rainbows Club will not be able to accept late bookings i.e. on the day as staff cover is allocated in advance as well as group activities that are arranged for those pupils making use of this facility. 

Pupil Premium is additional funding given to schools for pupils who have been registered as being entitled to Free School Meals (FSM) at any point in the last 6 years. Schools receive this funding to support their eligible pupils and narrow the attainment gap between them and their peers.  

If you are unsure if you qualify, complete the form and return it to Byfleet Primary and we will work with Surrey to check your eligibility.

Other Pupil Premiums are available to the school if parents or guardians meet the criteria. 

Free School Meals can be provided to pupils if parents/guardians meet the eligibility.

We urge you to complete this form even if your child does not take a school meal.

For any queries, please contact the school office via info@byfleet.surrey.sch.uk.

Lego Legends runs after school clubs at Byfleet Primary - if you are interested in enrolling your child, please liaise directly with the company.

Courses for Parents - Support to Understand Young People's Needs

There are a range of fully funded (Free) CACHE accredited Level 2 qualifications available to help better understand some key issues around young people's mental health and wellbeing, along with a range of other qualifications that may help with developing careers.

Please see below information on structure, criteria and how to express interest:

Course Information/Structure:

- Online E Learning Platform.

- Have a full 6-20 weeks to complete the course

- Assigned your own login details, can log in and out when you please

- Assigned your own tutor who will support you throughout and mark your work

- No Exams or Essays. All Q&A based. 

- Can complete as many as you would like, just one at a time. 

- Gain a Level 2 awarded certificate upon completion (GCSE Grade C equivalent)

Minimum Requirements to access the course:

- Aged 19 or above

- Not currently on a Government funded course (inc Apprenticeships) 

- Has been in EU/UK for the past 3 years

Subjects Available:

• Understanding Autism 

• Neuroscience In The Early Years (0-7)

• Understanding Children and Young Peoples Mental Health 

• Distressed Behaviour In Children 

• Adverse Childhood Experiences 

• Counselling 

• Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties (ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia)

More Subjects Available: theaimgroup.co.uk/courses 

If you wish to find out more, please complete the following link and they'll be able to give you a call and talk you through how it works: 

theaimgroup.co.uk/booking-form/001Q5000003exAR 

If you would like a phone call regarding these Free Online Courses, please make contact with the following details:

sofie.rogers@theaimgroup.co.uk - 020 3923 4014