BPS Newsletter

• A big shout out to Mrs Bell, who had led on our Antibullying Charter Mark Award, and worked with our Antibullying Ambassadors in Year 5 and 6 and helped establish a kind, caring and positive ethos amongst our children with the work she's been doing on Antibullying. We are pleased to have been awarded the Silver Antibullying Charter Mark accreditation last week! Well done Byfleet - our values of Ready, Respectful, Safe really are shining through!

• Our new website has officially been launch - thanks to Mrs Scott in the admin team for her work on this.

• Well done to Year 6 for hosting the first class assembly of the year, around the important equality theme 'The Suffragettes'. The children did a wonderful job!

• The festive season has officially arrived at BPS! The Friends of BPS have sourced a gorgeous natural Christmas Nordic Fir tree, which has been beautifully decorated, ready for celebrating Christmas. It's been lovely listening to Reception and KS 1 children learning their lines and songs for their upcoming nativity. We have invited Kings Lodge Care Home residents to come along to the nativity and we all look forward to watching this soon. 

• Our final Open Day for prospective parents will be on Wednesday 4th December: If you have a child who is due to start school in 25/26, please register for a school tour here. Mrs Meyrick will be happy to show you around our wonderful school, BPS! 

• Last week the Year 6s enjoyed a friendly netball match after school, against the BPS staff! It was a nail-biting match, some excellent team work and a happy ending with a 7-7 draw and some delicious hot chocolate. Thanks to the children and families who joined in!

• Thank you for bearing with us whilst our gate buzzer has been out of action. We have invested in some new CCTV cameras and a video intercom system linked to the school pedestrian gate, which will be installed in the next few weeks. Please continue to call the number on the gate if you have not been buzzed in by staff. 

• Thank you for all the kind bottle donations for today's mufti day, which will go towards prizes for our Christmas Winter Fair on Friday 13th December 3.30 - 5.30. The Friends of BPS are looking for parent volunteers in each class to run a stall. The class reps will post a link on your class Whatsapp group shortly, for you to kindly sign up for a slot. We are always reliant on volunteers to enable these fun events to take place so we appreciate your support with this by spreading the load. 

• Last week, a safeguarding company came in to work with each class on Online Safety. See below for the Online Safety Parent/Carer virtual workshop that the school has paid for, to keep us all up to date with the threats of online safety and some top tips to help keep our children safe.

• Don't forget it's Tray Day on Monday 2nd December - please feel free to come along and visit your child's class and they'll show you their amazing learning!

• We are always looking for new opportunities for our children; this includes looking at ways of increasing our extra curricular activities after school. Staff-led clubs run across the year, however as a small school, this is limited. If there are any parents who wish to be more involved in running a club, please be in touch as we'd welcome any additional support to overcome this. 

• Just a remind - if you child attends any clubs hosted by BPS or any other provider, all children will be handed over to parents at the school gate. We kindly ask that parents/carers wait outside the school premises. Parents/carers of children attending Night Owls will be allowed on site to sign their children out of this provision, from the usual playground side gate next to The Hive.

• We are looking for an additional Parent Governor to join our Byfleet Primary School LAC (Local Advisory Committee). If you are interested in working strategically with the Headteacher and Governors and can spare a couple of hours each half term, then please reach out to Mrs Scott at info@byfleet.surrey.sch.uk to tender your interest.

• If you are interested in hiring our school hall, a classroom, our outdoor hive or swimming pool (summer term only for the pool) for an event you may have in mind, don't hesitate to speak to Mrs Scott in the office who will be able to share our pricing details. 

Year 2 had a very busy day last Friday, when they spent the day in Byfleet.  We began by meeting Jim at Byfleet Fire Station where we found out a bit about the building.  Jim very kindly came into school this week to tell us some more about the history of this beautiful, old building. Thanks Jim!  

Last Friday, we also visited Byfleet Community Library, where a large team of helpers, led by Susan, showed us around and helped us to do do a quiz all around the library.  Many of the children wanted to become members of this free, local library.  I know that the volunteers would welcome more members, so do pop along and join, if you would like to.  

After our picnic lunch at the library, we set off to walk to St Mary's Church, where Bernice told us all about the different parts of the church as well as what a typical service is like.  The children behaved impeccably all day and were a real credit to Byfleet Primary. Thanks to Mrs Allen, Mrs Castleman and Mrs McCormick, for giving up their time to make the trip happen. 

Action for Nature – Make a Splash!

Ponds can be home to an interesting range of wildlife, and even a small one made from a suitable container can attract animals including damsel and dragonflies, frogs and newts.

Any pond can become a feeding ground for birds, hedgehogs and bats - the best natural garden pest controllers - and your pond needn’t be big.
A washing-up bowl, a large plant pot, or a disused sink could all be repurposed as ponds, providing you make sure creatures can get in and out.

If you don’t have your own outdoor space at home, why not help the environment by watching what you wash away?

Some of our favourite washing-up liquids and cleaning products can be harmful to wildlife with long-lasting effects. Brands like Ecover, Method, Bio-D and some supermarket own-brands have good products made from natural and environmentally-friendly ingredients.
Using eco-friendly detergents in your clothes wash is also a great way to watch what you’re putting into rivers and seas, keeping water clean for wildlife.

We are excited to be hosting an in school Christmas fair this year on Friday 13th December. We will have a fun filled afternoon from 3.15 to 5pm where we will host our Santa's Grotto, music, games, gifts and treats! Come along for some festive fun.

Tickets available via www.pta-events.co.uk/fbps 

The school has arranged self-paced parents session which is available from today, 15th November.

Session title: Online Safety Primary Parents

Date of access: November 15th 2024 - December 12th 2024 09:00

Session duration: 0.5 hour/s

Joining instructions:

Please find below the links to provide immediate access to the sessions. Once the attendee’s details are entered, the session will start immediately:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7550012539498949725

Important information:

• The session is 1 hour in duration, without breaks.

• Attendees must register and log on INDIVIDUALLY to be registered as attending the training.

• All forms of digital devices can be used to access the sessions. 

Just to remind parents/carers that if they take their children out of school without authority for 5 or more days (which do not have to be consecutive), they will be liable to receive a penalty notice. The issue of a Penalty Notice will also be actioned where a pupil has incurred 7 or more unauthorised sessions during the preceding 6 school weeks. These also included 'lates' after the register has closed. 

**Changes to the National framework for Penalty Notices came into force for Penalty Notice Fines on 19th August 2024**

• First offence within a 3 year rolling period will incur a charge of £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days, Increasing to £160 per parent, per child if paid within 28 days.

• Second offence within a 3 year rolling period will incur a flat rate of £160 per parent, per child if paid within 28 days. 

• The third time an offence is committed within a 3 year rolling period for term time leave or irregular attendance the case will be presented straight to the Magistrates Court. 

Please view our Attendance Policy here for further information.

Update on support available for children and young people with autism or ADHD 

Mental Health Support Teams – Parental Support for CYP who may have autism or ADHD needs

Parents and carers can now book support sessions at their child’s school. This five-week programme helps identify and understand children’s needs early, with practical strategies to support them both at home and in school.

To learn more, please contact your local primary mental health team lead, who can be found here: Mindworks Surrey - Primary Mental Health Teams.

Neurodivsersity Advice for Parents Padlet:

https://padlet.com/NDAdvisors/nd-advice-for-parents-carers-a810b8dy57wyrnx 

Best wishes

Miss Oliver
Inclusion Lead and SENDCO

We have an exciting after school club that will commence on Monday, 4th November (after the half term break)  Mia's School of Dance.  There will be two classes available :

• Mondays at 3:15pm to 4:15pm (starting 4th November) for Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and    Year 3

• Tuesdays at 3:15pm to 4:15pm (starting 5th November) for Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6

Mia is very excited about this new club and if you would like to book your child onto the club please book via info@miasschoolofdance.com