Mr Martin's Message

Dear Parents and Friends of Castle Hill,

Another classically busy and highly productive half term is now under our belt. One change you may have noticed is the implementation of the co-headship plan we shared with you last year. We are pleased to say that this is now fully in place and running successfully at both schools.

Despite the fifty-plus years of joint experience that Ms Willmouth and I have between us, including twenty-two years working together at Castle Hill, Ms Willmouth still willingly undertook an intense and rigorous selection process. This included presentations and focused discussions around leadership for the three-day-a-week Executive Headteacher role. She received unanimous backing from both the county and the Board of Governors and we, as a school, are thrilled with this outcome. Should you wish to congratulate her, I am sure she would be delighted to hear from you. 

Personally, I firmly believe that two heads are better than one. This model also allows me additional time to work voluntarily with the Hampshire Charity Youth Options, supporting young people at the other end of their educational journey beyond primary school and spend more quality time with my family.

I wish you and your family a splendid half term.

From Mr Martin, Ms Willmouth and the CHPS team.

• Year R Dress-up Day on Wednesday 4th March - The theme for the day is: "When I Grow Up..." We are inviting all children to come to school dressed as what they would like to be when they are older. Whether they see themselves as a future astronaut, a firefighter, a creative artist, or a veterinarian, we cannot wait to see their ambitions come to life! Please ensure that costumes are safe for play and that footwear is suitable for a normal school day.

• World Book Day Friday 6th March - After half term, it's World Book Day! The children may dress up as their favourite book character, if they wish, or come to school wearing a plain-coloured top, which other children may sign with their book recommendations. We would appreciate a voluntary contribution of £1, which can be paid on Arbor or in cash and given to your child’s class teacher on the day. The money raised will be put towards the libraries at both sites  - WBD Letter 2026

• Year 5 Stubbington Residential - We can now confirm that the week of Monday 14th September to Friday 18th September 2026  has been secured for the Stubbington Residential. All information and the payment plan can be found in this letter - Year 5 Group Letters. Stubbington open day information can be found here (14th March & 11th July) - https://www.hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/stubbingtonstudycentre/opendays

• Online Safety Reminder - As a school, we operate a no-smartphone policy and cannot manage issues arising from your child’s use of devices outside school. We do, however, talk to children about online etiquette and bullying through PSHE and computing lessons, and we ask that parents reinforce this at home. We strongly recommend monitoring your child’s internet use and ensuring they avoid age-inappropriate apps. If problems arise, children should remove themselves from harmful groups and block anyone causing harm. Please note that apps such as WhatsApp and Snapchat have a minimum age of 13.

• Long Hair - As per our School Uniform Policy, for safety, avoidance of head lice and hygiene reasons, please ensure that long hair (over shoulder length) is tied up for school. We are having to remind children daily to tie up their hair and often have to provide hairbands. 

• Rooksdown Year 6 Yearbooks - For the Year 6 Yearbooks, Mrs Moore and Mrs Finn are asking parents to send in a Year R photo of their child/ren (even if your child attended another school at the time). Please send photos to this email address: yearbook@chjs.net, deadline is Friday 27th March. Thank you.

• Lunchtime Supervisor vacancy - if you would like to join our Greenbank lunchtime team, please find the vacancy details here

• New School Crossing Patrol Officer - We are still recruiting an SCPO for Winklebury Way. For more information regarding the vacancy, please visit - Job Vacancy

What has Been happening in School?

Year 4 Anglo Saxon Day

This week, we held our very own Anglo-Saxon Day, and it was a huge success! Some children came dressed in fantastic Anglo-Saxon-inspired outfits, helping to bring the period to life. Throughout the day, all pupils learned about how the Angles, Saxons and Jutes came to Britain, explored how Anglo-Saxon society was structured, and discovered what daily life was really like.

The children got hands-on by creating their own Anglo-Saxon houses and learning about key aspects of everyday life, including food, religion and leisure time. To finish the day, everyone had great fun having a go at some Anglo-Saxon dancing, which was a definite highlight!

Rooksdown Student Senate

Our wonderful student senate have come together to ask our latest question: What games or activities could we get to improve our wet play and lunchtimes? We met and brainstormed some ideas for them to bring back to their classrooms! Each class then voted for their top three games. Our amazing fundraising friends have raised £50 per classroom for us to be able to do this - thank you all!

ManMade Costumes

The Year 3, 4 and 5 boys at Rooksdown had great fun creating their ManMade costumes. They used acrylic paint on cloth to design bold patterns and details, transforming recycled and everyday materials into eye-catching outfits - there is a sneak peek to their performance... The project showcased their creativity, teamwork and pride in their finished designs.

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 95%.

The classes with the best attendance this half term are:

Rooksdown

KS1 – Year 2 Miss Hopkins = 97.47%

KS2 – Year 5 Miss Cripps = 96.49%

Greenbank

Year 3 Miss Edwards = 96.92%

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/

CHPS have won an FFT National Attendance Award

These awards recognise the hard work and dedication of staff, pupils, parents and carers in achieving excellent attendance.

We’re delighted to let you know that our school has won two awards for the Autumn term 2025/2026: 

• Top 25% of all FFT Primary Schools in England

• Top 25% of similar FFT Primary Schools in England

Congratulations, this is a fantastic achievement!

Sports Reports & Team Photos

Rooksdown Football Update

We have had an exciting year of football with both our Year 5 & 6 boys and girls teams taking part in multiple matches and showing true commitment and team spirit. Although neither team progressed through to the next round, every player gave their best in each game, demonstrating great enthusiasm, resilience and sportsmanship throughout the season. We are incredibly proud of their efforts, the improvements they have made, and the positive attitude they brought to every match. Well done to all the boys and girls for representing the school with pride!

Cross-Country Meet

Aubrey B (Yr4 GB) and Aluna D (Yr4 GB) really enjoyed representing CHPS at the Hampshire Primary School Cross-country event on Tuesday. Aubrey placed 57th and Aluna placed 62nd (out of an estimated 100 children in the Year 3/4 race). They battled through mud, wind and rain, but had constant smiles on their faces. Well done girls for being so resilient through a challenging race.

Greenbank Boys Football

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 5 Greek Day

We had an exciting Ancient Greek Day at Castle Hill, where Theo visited to teach us all about life in Ancient Greece. The children discovered what daily life was like for the Greeks, explored their traditions, and had the chance to try out traditional Greek games. They also experienced what it was like to be part of a Greek army, giving them a real sense of history in a fun and interactive way.

The day finished with our very own mini-Olympics, where every child had the opportunity to take part in a variety of games and challenges, just like the athletes of ancient times. It was a fantastic, hands-on learning experience, and the children were engaged, enthusiastic, and full of energy throughout. Everyone had a wonderful time while learning so much about this fascinating period of history!

Year 5 Gordon Brown Activity Centre

Year 5 had an amazing day at the Gordon Brown Centre, throwing themselves into every activity with enthusiasm, curiosity, and teamwork. From making s’mores while learning about fire safety, to tackling the trim trail with resilience and problem-solving, the children showed confidence and determination at every challenge. They loved the archery session, practicing focus and precision, and meeting the centre’s animals gave them a wonderful hands-on opportunity to show care and empathy.

It was fantastic to see the children supporting one another, working together, and challenging themselves throughout the day. They showed real curiosity, cooperation, and independence, making the most of every experience. Everyone had a memorable and rewarding day, and we cannot wait to take them back for another adventure in the future!

Year 3 Dino Dome

We were thrilled to have the Dino Dome come to CHPS, along with lots of fossils and ancient artefacts to send us back in time to a period when dinosaurs existed on planet Earth! In the dome, we were able to see the amazing constellations but also explore the Earth when dinosaurs were roaming. We learnt many facts about the dinosaurs and those who discovered their fossils many years later. Linked with our History learning, we discovered more about the story of Mary Anning, including how important her finds were to our understanding of this extinct species and her significance as a female scientist. 

M&M Productions Pantomime

We were delighted to welcome the Robin Hood pantomime into school for a fantastic performance that had everyone laughing, singing, and shouting the classic panto line… “Oh no you didn’t"! The children thoroughly enjoyed the lively characters, catchy songs, and plenty of audience interaction, making it a truly memorable experience for all.

A huge thank you to our parents for their continued support with fundraising, which helps make special events like this possible. We would also like to extend our thanks to Fundraising Friends RD for organising the event, and to the GB school team for their support in helping everything run smoothly. We are very grateful to everyone involved for giving our pupils such an enjoyable and exciting experience!

Skipping Workshop

We had a fantastic Skipping Day at school, with every class taking part. Throughout the day, pupils learned a range of new skipping skills, developing their coordination, fitness and confidence. Each class then had the opportunity to perform a short showcase, individual children proudly demonstrating what they had learned. The day was full of energy, teamwork and smiles, and it was wonderful to see everyone enjoying being active together.

In other News.....

Fundraising Friends NEWS!

eSafety

Last term, we 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 half term, 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

February Holiday Club posters - 

• ACE Kids Half Term Holiday Camp - They are offering 15% discount with the code ACEHOLIDAY! (see poster below) - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/news/2026-01-15-ace-kids-february-half-term-15-discount

• MAGNA February Holiday Camp - As part of the February Holiday Camp, MAGNA is also running the HAF programme, which allows benefit-related free school meal children to access 5 free days of camp (08:45-16:30) with a free hot lunch. Parents can sign up through a specific link found here -  MAGNA February Holiday Camp

• ISIS February Half Term HAF Flyer - February Holiday Camp

• ActiveMe 360 February Holiday Camp - These are running at Chalk Ridge and Manor Field Schools - Posters

• GOL! Half Term Holiday Camp - February GOL! Poster

• GOL! Girls Only February Football Camp - Poster

Our School