Mr Martin's Message

• Parking - Regretfully, we have to remind our parents again about parking around the school campuses. We are still receiving complaints from local businesses and residents about the dangerous and inconsiderate parking/driving around Rooksdown and Winklebury. Please can we ask that you be more considerate of our local community when dropping off and picking up from school. Thank you.

• Chartwells is our new food catering supplier. Following a comprehensive procurement process, Hampshire has appointed Chartwells as the new provider of education catering services across the county. Since being awarded the contract, Chartwells will lead the Regional and Operational team that will transfer from HCC to deliver school meal catering services across Hampshire from Monday, 5th January 2026 (the first day of Spring 1 term). "At Chartwells, we believe that the key to fuelling young minds comes from understanding both what pupils need and what they enjoy, which is why we’re so passionate about serving nutritious and delicious food that pupils love to eat." 

There will be no change to how you order a meal; it will continue to happen in our current system, Scopay. You will need to order a meal by midnight the day before, and orders cannot be placed on the morning the meal is required. We are also pleased to confirm that the new price per meal will be £2.75/meal and £13.75/week, representing a significant reduction on the current Hampshire Education Catering price of £3.20/meal.

The new menu can be found on our school website here: https://www.castlehillprimary.net/finance/school-meals.  

For more information on Chartwells, visit: https://loveschoolmeals.co.uk/ and/or click on the Chartwells logo below.

What has Been happening in School?

Year R "The Big Little Nativity"

Rooksdown Year 3 & 4 "Hay Presto" Performance

The stage came alive this week as our Year 3 and 4 students performed their production of 'Hay Presto'. After weeks of devoted practice, line-learning, and rehearsing, the hard work truly paid off.

The performance was nothing short of a smashing success, filled with catchy songs and confident acting. We are bursting with pride at the hard work and dedication displayed by every student. Thank you to everyone who came to support our rising stars!

 We want to extend our heartfelt thank you to our parent community. We know that learning lines and organising costumes takes time and effort at home. Thank you for ensuring the children arrived ready to shine. Your support is, as always, greatly appreciated!  

Greenbank Year 3 & 4 "Bethlehem B&B" Performance

Greenbank Sensory Garden

In true Castle Hill style, it has taken a team effort to turn part of our grounds, which were in need of serious TLC, into a fabulous Sensory Space for all our children to enjoy.  There are still a few bits to complete, but as these photos show, it is turning into a wonderful outdoor area.  We all know how beneficial being outdoors is, so we are thoroughly excited to see this part of our school develop.

Christmas Lunches

Thank you to everyone involved in making our Christmas lunches so fun and festive. The children loved being served by their teachers!

RHS School Gardening Awards

We are very proud to share that, through our Little Wildling and Outdoor Explorer sessions this term, our children have achieved the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Level 1 Award.

This award encourages children to explore gardening and develop a love for nature. During our sessions, the children talked about why plants are important and enjoyed getting their hands dirty, with our whole-school bulb planting playing a big part in earning this award.

There are five levels to work towards, and the children are very excited to continue their gardening journey and complete the remaining awards throughout the academic year.

Year 6 Bikeability

Year 6 Rooksdown -

"When we came back from half term, we had the exciting opportunity to take part in Bikeability. It was a really fun activity which helped us to be safe cycling on the roads. We were taught new skills by different adults from the Bikeability team. At the beginning of the week, we were taught how to do a safe bike check before we started riding and then given different drills to practice on the playground. We were then given a different set of skills (needed for cycling on the road) to try on the playground before going out onto the roads of Rooksdown. I would definitely recommend this activity to anyone as it has made me a better rider and more aware of my surroundings while out on my bike." written by Egor Z

Year 6 Greenbank -

"I thought Bikeability was an amazing experience, and I would love to do it again. First of all, the people that helped us with riding our bikes were really nice and would help you if needed. They would also check your bike to see if it was okay to ride on the road. We went on some hills, and it was tiring but still really fun,  we learnt a lot!" - by Emilian 

"During Bikeability, we learnt so many new skills, like indicating, u-turns, junctions and so much more! It was really fun and exciting to be outside on our bikes. Everyone was having such a great time (even in the rain). The instructors were very kind, and we are all super grateful. They helped us all feel confident on the road; that was the best part. We all wish we could do it all over again. Thank you for giving us this opportunity - it was brilliant!" - by Lorelei

Strictly School Dancing Showcase

We were thrilled to welcome SSD dance school, showcasing a few of their talented dancers, to the world of dance. Their performances were full of energy, skill, and passion, an inspiring glimpse into the dedication behind their training.

SSD is home to several high-achieving dancers, many of whom have competed at the national level and beyond. Their visit gave our pupils a chance to see what’s possible with commitment and creativity, and introduced the exciting opportunities available through their club.

If you are interested in your child trying a free taster session, visit here for more information - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/news/2025-12-11-strictly-school-of-dance-new-beginners-class

Rocksteady Concerts

ManMade

ManMade 2026 is a project run by ZoieLogic. It offers both personal and creative development for students, helping them build confidence, wellbeing and teamwork, while at the same time shifting stereotypes about boys and dance in an accessible environment that is 100% focused on learning, connection, self-expression and fun! 

In November, some KS2 boys began their workshops to take part in 'ManMade 2026'. The boys are working towards a performance at the Mayflower in Southampton. They showed incredible confidence, collaboration and creativity when working with ZoieLogic to create their own dance piece. Over the next few months, we will be adding to this dance piece, ready for performance day.

Well done to anyone who has taken part so far, you are all incredible. There are posters at both sites about this fantastic opportunity.

Art Day

What an exciting and creative day we’ve had at school! Our annual Art Day was a huge success, and this year’s theme, architecture, really inspired our young artists. The children looked closely at the work of different artists and architects, discovering how buildings can be both functional and beautiful.

Children produced impressive 2D artwork, experimenting with drawing, painting and collage to create their own imaginative buildings and landscapes. They also had the opportunity to bring their ideas to life in 3D, using recycled materials and cardboard to design models of houses and towers.

It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm, creativity and teamwork. Every class showcased something unique, and the children were incredibly proud of their creations. The variety of shapes, colours and textures on display truly highlighted how architecture can inspire artistic expression.

Attendance

Attendance Updates

Thank you for working with us to improve attendance at Castle Hill Primary this year. Our overall attendance is 95% (nationally, 94%). Our persistent absences (those pupils below 90%, equivalent to missing half a day a week) are down to 10% (versus 16% nationally). 

Our pupils with good attendance are making good progress throughout the school, and we look forward to seeing them attend every day in the new term. Thank you again for sending your pupils regularly to school so we can teach and develop them into better learners and future citizens.

Our target for this year is 96% or over; last year’s attendance was 95.23%. 

Our current percentage is 96.21%.

The classes with the best attendance this half term are:

Rooksdown

KS1 – Year 2 Miss Bagshaw = 97.13%

KS2 – Year 6 Mrs Finn = 97.84%

Greenbank

Year 3 Miss Edwards = 99.01%

Here is a useful link to the NHS website, which might help you decide if your child is too ill for school - 

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

Sports Reports & Team Photos

GB Shooting Stars

The newly formed Shooting Stars girls' football club has given these girls the opportunity to develop their footballing skills whilst having fun with new friends.  This Friday after-school club is run by Mr Moria, for more information, email: Mr Moria

RD Skipping Competition

RD Multi Skills Event

RD Boys Football vs Marnel

RD Girls Football vs Marnell

RD Girls Football Match vs Bishopswood

RD Netball Team

Trips & Workshops

We have been planning exciting trips and workshops across all year groups this academic year. These trips are intended to complement and reinforce learning on key curriculum topics. We are aware of the financial challenges everyone is currently facing, so to help with budgeting, we have set an annual maximum of £40 per child, and, where possible, lower than that. 

Trip amounts are calculated assuming every child participates and contributes to ensuring we have raised sufficient funds. Please remember that the school reserves the right to cancel or postpone the trip or workshop if there are insufficient voluntary contributions. 

We hope this is helpful to you in your financial planning. We are looking forward to some exciting experiences. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. 

Year 3 Church Trip

Year 4 Christmas In A Box

Members of The Church of the Good Shepherd came into school to teach us about the Christmas story. We visited multiple activity tables to learn about the people in the Christmas story. Then, after every story, we did some fun crafting. We really enjoyed it!

Young Shakespeare Company Performance

On Monday, 1st December, we had the privilege of being visited by the Young Shakespeare Company, who delivered a fantastic performance of one of Shakespeare's tragedies: Macbeth. The children in Year 5 and 6 absolutely loved how the cast got them involved in telling the story by asking them to create atmospherics using their voices and to play different characters throughout the play. The children enjoyed learning the story of Macbeth and couldn't stop discussing the play afterwards, once back in class. It is definitely something they will remember and has sparked an interest in learning more about Shakespeare.

Year 1 Geography Walk - Exploring Rooksdown

Year 1 had a fantastic time on our recent geography walk around the local area of Rooksdown! Over the past few weeks, the children have been learning all about places in their community, simple directions, and common map symbols. They were very excited to create their own maps, take them with them and carefully tick off each feature as they spotted it in real life.

The children represented our school brilliantly - they were curious, enthusiastic, and wonderfully well-behaved throughout the walk. A huge thank you to all the volunteers who joined us and helped make the trip safe, smooth, and enjoyable. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Well done, Year 1 geographers! 🌟

In other News.....

Fundraising Friends NEWS!

eSafety

With Christmas just around the corner, many of our children are excitedly adding tablets, consoles, smartwatches, and video games to their wish lists. While these gifts open up a world of fun and learning, they also bring new challenges for keeping our children safe online.

To ensure your digital Christmas runs smoothly (and safely!), here are my top tips for parents and carers this festive season.

1. Set Up Before You Wrap Up

The most important piece of advice I can give is this: Do not wait until Christmas morning to set up a new device.

Updates, downloads, and parental control configurations can take hours. If you unbox the device now, get it connected to the Wi-Fi, run the updates, and apply the safety settings before re-wrapping it, you achieve two things:

• The device is ready to play immediately (avoiding a disappointed child staring at a loading bar).

• You have calmly established the safety boundaries without the pressure of an excited child hovering over your shoulder.

2. Check the PEGI Ratings

Just like films, games come with age ratings. A game rated PEGI 18 is not suitable for a primary school child, regardless of how much "everyone else is playing it."

• Look for the PEGI icons on the box or digital store.

• Check Common Sense Media for detailed reviews written by parents and teachers to see why a game has a certain rating (e.g., violence, language, or gambling mechanics).

3. The "Chat" Factor

Many modern games (Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft) are social. The biggest risk for primary-aged children is often not the game itself, but who they are talking to.

• Check the privacy settings immediately.

• We recommend setting chat to "Friends Only" or turning it off entirely for younger children.

• Remind your child that online "friends" should only be people they know in real life.

4. Agree on "Digital Downtime"

It is easy to get lost in a screen on Boxing Day. Try to agree on some boundaries before the gifts are opened. Perhaps the dinner table is a device-free zone, or screens go off an hour before bed. This helps everyone balance their new tech with quality family time.

Key Takeaway: The best parental control is an open conversation. Ask your child to show you their new game, play it with them, and ask them what they would do if something online made them feel worried or upset.

Useful Resources

If you are struggling to find the settings on a Switch, Xbox, iPad, or PlayStation, visit Internet Matters (internetmatters.org). They have incredible step-by-step guides for almost every device and app available.

This term, we have joined with the London Grid for Learning and are now able to offer new resources to support your children's online safety at home.

There many different resources available that are updated all year long. 

Some highlights include:

• Gen AI: The Harms Landscape - a prerecorded webinar about new generative AI tools 

• Online Tutoring Guidance - information about finding a tutor and how to ensure they act safely

• Safe Settings for Devices - information for different types of devices and how you can keep children safe using them

• Screentime Guidance - information about how to regulate children's time online

Busy THINGS RESOURCES

During this term, we have introduced several year groups to the fantastic website BusyThings, which we now have access to. If your child would like to access BusyThings during the Christmas period, they can use the details below to access the website. At present, we use a shared login system, but we will move to named accounts later in the year for Key Stage 2 pupils (Years 3 and up).

Holiday Camps / Clubs

Christmas Holiday Club posters - 

• ACE Kids (formerly SCL Active) will not be running the holiday camp at CHPS Rooksdown this Christmas. The nearest holiday camps that we will be running over this holiday are at Fairfields Primary School and Old Basing Infant School - https://ace-kids.co.uk/. They are offering a discount code SGHols10, which will give parents 10% off their bookings at both schools

• MAGNA will be running their 'Winter Fun' holiday camps at Hatch Warren and Four Lanes School. See posters below for more information on how to book - MAGNA poster

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