Castle Hill Primary School

Mr Martin's Message

• INSET Day Friday 25th October, school is closed to children, school reopens on Monday 4th November

• The deadline for Year 7 applications is midnight on Thursday 31st October for all Year 6 pupils 

• Year R (Rooksdown) & Year 3 (Greenbank) Main Round Admissions open on Friday 1st November and the deadline is Wednesday 15th January 2025

• After the October half term, there is a NEW school meal menu. The picnic option will be replaced with either jacket potato or pasta choices. Please ensure that school meals are pre-booked and paid for via Scopay in advance. Orders need to be placed the night before. The menus can be found here: https://www.castlehillprimary.net/finance/school-meals

• HCC is recruiting to find School Crossing Patrol Officers at Greenbank and Rooksdown. The vacancy can be found on our vacancy page - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/job-vacancies

• Teacher Vacancies - We are looking to recruit two part-time teachers (0.6 and 0.8). The details and application forms can be found on our vacancy page -  https://www.castlehillprimary.net/job-vacancies

• School Hardship Fund - We know that within our school community, some families may be struggling financially. We would like to make you aware that we have access to some funding for certain situations to help those in need. We use the mufti-day donations and other school events to keep our school hardship fund topped up. If you would like to talk privately to a member of our team, please email admin@chjs.net. If you would still like to contribute you can make an online donation via ScoPay

What has Been happening in School?

Apple Picking at Greenbank

The year 6's helped with apple picking as it was their last chance to pick from the apple trees around the school. Each class received a tray of apples for the children to snack on.

Bulb Planting (both sites)

Thank you so much for all of the generous bulb donations, we were fortunate to have enough for each child to plant roughly at least 3 bulbs each. This year, at Rooksdown, we chose to target our new and developing sensory garden. We look forward to seeing all of the bulbs popping up in one area which we think will make a bigger impact as well as promoting biodiversity in that area. The children had a great time planting their bulbs and it was lovely to see so many family members there to support too. 

Outdoor Explorers @ Greenbank

What a fantastic half-term it has been at Greenbank. All the children have been exceptional and embraced all weathers - we have had everything from sunshine to torrential rain! The provision has been put in place to allow all children to play and have exposure to the outside world.

The children have played in the mud kitchen, climbed trees, built dens, sharpened sticks & had multiple goes in the hammock swing. 

It has been a pleasure to introduce Outdoor Explorers to Greenbank and I look forward to coming back after Christmas! 

Choir Club

Our Castle Hill Choir Club took part in the Basingstoke Gang Show at The Anvil Theatre earlier this month. We are so proud of how well they represented the school. It was commented on by multiple people how polite, well mannered and smart they were. The children performed on stage for three songs, including some incredible solos, as well as taking part in the finale songs from the choir stalls. The children were resilient and confident and we cannot wait to take part again next year. Well done to everyone who took part. A few more photos can be found here: https://www.castlehillprimary.net/photo-galleries/choir-club-at-the-anvil

Attendance

Attendance Updates

Thank you for working with us to improve attendance at Castle Hill Primary this year. Our overall attendance is 95% (nationally it is 94%). Our persistent absences (those pupils who are 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 September. Thank you again for sending your pupils regularly to school so that we can teach and develop them to be better learners and citizens of the future.

Our target for this year is 96% or over, and last year’s attendance was 95.2%. 

Our current percentage is 96.17%. Well done!

The classes with the best attendance this half term are:

Rooksdown

RD Y2 CS 98.3%

RD Y5 NH/NG 98.1%

Greenbank

GB Y3 OE 98%

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

Tag Rugby vs Sherborne St John

The team played longer than expected because they were doing so well and enjoying the match. There were so many tries, we lost count of the score! Well done to:

Captains-  Luca and Jynelle

Team- Leo T, Charlie, Danny, Max, Isla N, Daisy, Poppy, Kenya, Lily and Joseph

We also received a lovely comment from the Sherborne teacher who said, "I was really impressed with Castle Hill. You've got a great team there 👍. Do they have house points or anything? I'd like to give them some!! Really polite, mature attitude and really focused".

Holiday Camps / Clubs

Challenger Sports Extra Curricular Autumn 2 letter (Rooksdown) - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/clubs/extra-curricular-clubs-rooksdown

Challenger Sports Extra Curricular Autumn 2 letter (Greenbank) - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/clubs/extra-curricular-clubs-greenbank

SCL October Holiday Club @ Rooksdown - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/news/2024-09-09-scl-half-term-holiday-club

ISIS October Holiday Club - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/news/2024-09-18-isis-october-half-term-holiday-club

MAGNA October Holiday Camp - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/news/2024-10-08-magna-october-holiday-camp

GOL! October Holiday Club  - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/news/2024-09-30-gol-october-half-term-holiday-club

In other News.....

Fundraising Friends NEWS!

• A Christmas Book for every child: Every child received a special book gift, fostering a love of reading and creating cherished memories.

• Year 6 End-of-Year Treat Day: £1000 was contributed to a fantastic send-off for our year 6 students, marking their achievements with a memorable celebration.

• Secret Garden Transformation: Artificial grass and a chalkboard brought this magical space to life, providing a stimulating and inviting outdoor environment for learning and play.

• A Fabulous Book Nook: This dedicated reading corner offers a cosy haven for students to explore the wonders of literature.

• Summer Club Support: £500 went towards the summer club, ensuring a fun and engaging experience for our children during the holidays.

The Fundraising Friends play a vital role in enriching the school experience for our children.  However, to continue this amazing work, we need your help!

Unfortunately, after the disco, we need to pause fundraising events due to a lack of volunteers. To ensure the success of our future activities, we're actively seeking a new Chair and Vice Chair to lead the Fundraising Friends at Greenbank. If you are passionate about making a difference for our students, and have some time to contribute, we would love to hear from you.

Let's work together to build on this success!  Please email Miss Jones at gbff@chjs.net if you are interested in volunteering.

eSafety

Esafety Tips for Mobile Phones: A Parent's Guide

As children increasingly rely on mobile phones for communication, learning, and entertainment, it's crucial to ensure their safety online. Here are some key esafety tips based on the latest Ofcom guidance:

1. Age-appropriate devices and content: Choose mobile phones that suit your child's age and development. Consider features like parental controls, which allow you to restrict access to certain apps, websites, and content. Regularly review your child's online activity and discuss the importance of responsible digital citizenship.

2. Open communication and education: Encourage open dialogue about online safety and the potential risks involved. Discuss the importance of privacy, the dangers of sharing personal information, and the consequences of cyberbullying. Educate your child about online strangers and the importance of verifying their identity.

3. Set clear boundaries and expectations: Establish clear rules and guidelines for mobile phone usage, including screen time limits and appropriate content. Discuss the importance of respecting others online and avoiding harmful or offensive behavior. Monitor your child's online activity and intervene if necessary to address any concerns.

According to Ofcom's recent report, a significant number of children have access to mobile phones at a young age. For instance, 9 in 10 children own a mobile phone by the time they reach the age of 11. This highlights the importance of early education and guidance on online safety.

Trips & Workshops

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

Trip amounts are calculated assuming that every child takes part and makes a contribution to ensure we have raised sufficient funds. Please note, that should there be insufficient voluntary contributions the school reserves the right to cancel or postpone the trip or workshop. 

We hope that this is helpful for your financial planning. We are looking forward to some exciting experiences. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries. 

Year 4 Roman Day

Year 4 had a very exciting visitor, Marcus the Roman! We learned all about the Roman's journey to Britain. There were a lot of Roman artefacts to explore, including coins, combs, jewellery and arrow tips. Children had the chance to play games and make mosaics. In the afternoon, the children learned Roman battle formations with shields.

Year 2 Hinduism Workshop

On Tuesday, Year 2 had a Hinduism workshop. We had an introduction to Hinduism, explored some different resources and listened to some stories. We got to learn about some Hindu Gods and Goddesses. We had a fab time!

Year 6 Stubbington Residential

How can we even describe how fun Stubbington Study Center was? Firstly, it was exciting to find out who was in our dorms and to have a sleepover every night. Secondly, we had fun at the beach; finding shells and building sand-castles. We enjoyed every minute of Stubbington and we loved everything we did: fire making, Stubby Fox, Earthquake and the evening Monster Hunt. We definitely recommend going to Stubbington as we had a brilliant time. 

By Reuben C and Jynelle H - Year 6 Greenbank

Year 1 Hampshire Fire Talk

Thank you to the Hampshire Fire Service for providing the Year 1's with vital information. They used catchy songs, interactive games and useful videos to teach the children the importance of their jobs. We learnt what was safe and not safe, what the fire people do in emergencies and what we should do incase of an emergency. We even dressed up the teachers!!!!

Top tips:

• Parents, did you know you should check your fire alarms once a week! 

• Children should know their addresses incase of an emergency. 

• "Get out, stay out, call 999"

Year 4 Dental Hygienist visit

On Thursday, 26th September, Year 4 Rooksdown had a special visit from Dental Hygienist Jodie Perrett. As part of their Science topic on teeth, Jodie gave a fun and informative talk about the importance of looking after their teeth and practicing good dental hygiene. She shared useful tips on how to brush properly and explained why healthy teeth are so important. Each student received a sticker and a mirror tool to help them check if they are brushing correctly. The children thoroughly enjoyed the session and left excited to take care of their smiles!  

Our School