Byfleet Primary Newsletter

• Welcome back to school. We have a short but busy term ahead this Spring. As the weather remains so cold, please remember to send your children in with suitable warm coat.

• The DfE have officially released our SATs data - please read below about our terrific successes. We are proud to be the highest-achieving school in our area.

• We continue to be very grateful to our brilliant parents who make up our BPS Friends group, who are always working quietly behind the scenes to plan and organise key fundraiser events. We are delighted to have fund raised £2600 in the Autumn term, which is the highest amount raised over the past 3 years. The next Friends meeting takes place on Wednesday 17th January. If you are keen to get involved, email Jan or Becca on friendsofbyfleetprimary@gmail.com for further details. 

• Thank you to all parents who are pre-ordering their child's lunch.  This has really helped the school office team as well as Chartwells catering.  We only have a few pupils, where the school lunches are still not being pre-ordered.  As a reminder, if a school lunch is not pre-ordered for your child for the particular day, you will receive a phone call from the school office to bring in a healthy packed lunch by 11:30am. 

At the end of last term the DfE published the SATs results for all primary schools in the country. 

This allows schools and parents to compare each school’s academic outcomes in comparison with others.

We are delighted to announce that BPS in the top 10% nationally out of 22,102 schools.

This is a remarkable achievement and testament to the hard work of both pupils and staff.

We are pleased to also have exceed the local (Surrey) and national (England) averages, which you can see below.

Well done team BPS and brilliant children!

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

We'd love to get as many of our families involved with our Midweek Maths series........from ExpertEd.

ExpertEdLive is a cross-sector partnership between leading universities, independent schools and MATs aiming to provide educational enrichment and opportunity which is accessible to all children. 

This is for the whole family! 

Mrs Meyrick would love it if you could tweet @byfleetprimary on Twitter (X) if you're taking part so we can give you a shout out. 

• Feb 28, 2024 07:00 PM

• Mar 6, 2024 07:00 PM

• Mar 13, 2024 07:00 PM

• Mar 20, 2024 07:00 PM

Within the last 2 terms of Reception we have been busy learning our phase 2 and 3 graphemes, and beginning to use our phonics knowledge to write.

Below you will see some of our amazing examples of writing in Reception. We write using whiteboards & pens, sand and our fingers, in our writing books with handwriting lines, chunky chalks on the floor, on our inside chalkboard easel using special chalk pebbles and also we are beginning to incorporate writing into our drawing club lessons. Haven't we been busy! 

Writing doesn't always have to be sitting at a table, with a pencil & paper... being imaginative makes it fun! The children in Reception are eager to grab a clipboard and explore the outside area making lists and tallies of different things they see. We are loving the enthusiasm Reception. 

When encouraging drawing and writing at home, please ensure that your child is using the correct tri-pod pencil grip. We sing a special song in Reception where our thumb and index finger becomes a 'pinchy crab' who comes along and 'snips' our pencil, followed by a pencil flip (landing into the correct tri-pod pencil grip position). This encourages more accurate writing but also a grip that is comfortable. Reception will be bringing home the supporting resources for correct pencil grip/modelling at home this week. Practice makes perfect, so keep it up! 

Gender Questioning Children guidance

The Department for Education recently published non-statutory guidance for schools and colleges on how best to support pupils questioning their gender in schools and colleges. I would like to share this information with you so that you are kept updated.

The focus of the guidance is to provide practical advice for schools to help them make decisions regarding children who are questioning their gender, in a way that prioritises safeguarding, and parents' central role in their children's lives. 

This is draft guidance for consultation and so the Department for Education would like to encourage schools and parents to engage with the consultation process, which will run for 12 weeks until 12 March 2024.

To take part in the consultation, click here.

Parent First Approach is at the core of the new DfE non statutory guidance. Read more about it here.

Autumn 100% Attendance Winners!

Reception: Taym  Evana  Olivia (3) 

Year 1: Reuel  Erin  Nathan  Alisha  Izu  Evie  Emily  Louis (8)

Year 2: Eva  Frankie-Lee  Ralph  Edward  Ryan  Luna  Freddie  Lucas  Poppy  Aurora  Sienna  Willow  Peggy  Holly-May  Tom (15)

Year 3: Ayesha  Rachel  Eleanor  Aston  Amelie P  Oscar  Muskan  (7)

Year 4: Shanzay  Faith  Dalia  Dominik  James  Andrew   Isabelle  Darren  (8)

Year 5: Poppy  Theo  Rose  Connor  Carter  (5)

Year 6: Florrie  Johal  Katie  Matthew Mc  Keke (5)

Taekwondo lessons are available via our externally run club London TKD on Mondays from 3:20pm to 4:20pm in the school hall.  Bookings can be made via their website : www.london-tkd.co.uk/get-started.

Here are the links to Ultimate Coaching's half term camps coming up in February 2024:

Monday 12th  February (Football) https://ultimate-coaching.classforkids.io/camp/325

Tuesday 13th  February (Multi Sports) https://ultimate-coaching.classforkids.io/camp/326

A member of the Woking School Nursing Team is available on the 1st Wednesday of every month between 9.30am and 11.30am (including holidays) at the Child Health Drop-In at Eastwood Leisure Centre,  Albert Drive, Sheerwater, Woking GU21 5RF. 

2024 dates are : 7 Feb, 6 Mar, 3 Apr, 1 May, 5 Jun, 3 Jul, 7 Aug, 4 Sep, 2 Oct, 6 Nov, 4 Dec.

A member of the team will be available to answer questions and give advice, information on topics including early toileting, sleep, behaviour, healthy diet, dental care, school readiness, NCMP heights & weights, mental health, eating disorders, minor illnesses, internet safety and much more.  They can also help with referrals to other services.

Just drop-in, no appointment necessary, there is a soft play area if you have a younger child and space to sit and have a coffee.  Free parking at the venue.

Money is on all our minds right now.  

Would you benefit from knowing how to build and balance a household budget; structure your finances using a system proven to work; and find ways to save more and get the most out of your spare cash?

Join a free CAP Money Management Course being run by King’s Church Walton, on 23rd and 30th January (with an optional session on 6th February) at Bell Farm School, KT12 5NB. 

For more information visit www.capuk.org/trymoneycoaching, email teaguepr@btinternet.com or simply book your place at https://refresh.capmoney.org/join-course/65786eaa6d975feff50a3abc