CHPS Weekly Noticeboard

• Whole School - Potential Summer Club: Unfortunately, we do not currently have sufficient numbers signed up to make this viable. We understand that this was a late offering and that many parents have already made their childcare plans. We will leave the booking open until Monday 13th July and make a final decision on whether any of the weeks (w/c 27th July, 3rd August, 10th August, and 17th August) can be offered. The club will be available for a full day, from 8:00 to 17:00. The cost will be £30 per day. Children will need to bring a packed lunch; other small snacks and drinks will be provided. If this is something that you think you would be interested in, please book on via Arbor by Monday 13th July at 12:00 noon. We will update parents with a final decision on Monday. 

• Year 6 Leavers Assembly - Well, it’s nearly here – the end of your child’s time at primary school! As I’m sure you’ll agree, this year seems to have flown by! On Friday 17th July, at 9:15am (Rooksdown parents) and 2:00 pm (Greenbank parents), we would like to invite you to attend our leavers’ assembly. The children will be doing a mini-performance and this will be followed by an awards ceremony where children will be recognised for their achievements this year.

We very much hope you can attend to celebrate your fantastic children and their time with us. To give us an idea of numbers, could you please indicate on the Google form whether you will be attending and how many spaces you require (maximum of 2 people due to limited space). https://forms.gle/QNxGFvpqqTLQ3ejD7 (please note, you may need to copy and paste this link into a new web browser). We look forward to seeing you there from the Year 6 team.

• Year 6 Treat Day Letter -We have exciting activities planned for Year 6 on Wednesday 15th July. For more information, the Treat Day letter can be found here - Year Group Letters

• Year 6 RSE Letters - The Year 6 teams will be discussing these topics over the next few weeks of term. Please read the letters here - Year Group Letters

• ScoPay Account Balances - We have 8 school days left until the end of term, can you please ensure that your account is topped up to a maximum of £22.00 (£2.75/meal) to ensure your child's Scopay account is not left in credit at the end of the school year?  If you think your child's Scopay account will be in credit and you require a refund, can you please email the following information to admin@chjs.net by Tuesday 21st July:

  • • Bank Name:

    • Bank Account Number:

    • Sort Code:

    • Current address and email address

If we do not receive a refund request from you by the end of term any monies left on your child's Scopay account at the end of term will automatically go into the school fundraising account to be used towards future events and trips.

• Extension of Free School Meal Eligibility, from September 2026 - From the start of the 2026/27 school year, the Department for Education (DfE) will extend FSM entitlement to all children from households receiving Universal Credit. Any families in receipt of Universal Credit who have not previously applied for FSM are asked to apply via the Hampshire portal, preferably before the end of the Summer term to ensure that their eligibility is confirmed in time for September. Going forward, there will be 2 categories of benefits-based free school meals: 

1. Targeted FSM, which continues to be based on the existing threshold, covering pupils who are in households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less. Pupils eligible for Targeted FSM will receive Pupil Premium funding. 

2. Expanded FSM, a new category covering pupils who do not qualify for targeted FSM, but who are in households receiving Universal Credit. Pupils eligible for Expanded FSM will not receive Pupil Premium funding.

Applying for Free School Meals

• Applications for Free School Meals should be submitted using the following link: Free school meals | Education and learning | Hampshire County Council

Please note that any applications made before September 2026 will be assessed against the current eligibility thresholds, but will later be rechecked against the new thresholds ahead of the new academic year. Full guidance on existing criteria can be found on the GOV.UK website: Free school meals: guidance for schools and local authorities - GOV.UK 

• Arbor are making it easier for parents to pay by card. Whether you are topping up an account, purchasing an item from the school shop, or paying for a trip, you can now enter and save your card details and pay with Apple or Google Pay on your desktop. To learn more, visit - Improvements to card payments in Arbor

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

• The HAF programme is a really important part of our support to low-income families over the summer break and is a childcare lifeline for many. This summer, over 200 HAF schemes will be running across Hampshire, offering a wide range of fun activities alongside nutritious meals for children and young people. In the there have been surplus places which is hard to believe, so we do want to make sure those eligible take advantage of the activities.

Bookings opened on 22 June, and we are keen to ensure that all eligible families are aware of and able to access these opportunities. For summer 2026, there is a new central booking system, making it much easier for families to find and book activities. The system includes built-in eligibility checking, so parents and carers no longer need to use previously issued HAF codes. New schemes are also being added regularly in the run-up to the holidays. 

Families in our area can visit a direct booking site (copied below) to: Find local holiday clubs, Book places, Join waiting lists where sessions are full.

Funded by the Department for Education, the HAF programme enables local authorities to provide free healthy food and enriching activities during school holidays for children who receive benefit-related FSM.

Further information is available via the FAQs:
Hampshire Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) frequently asked questions | Health and social care | Hampshire County Council

If there are any queries, the HAF team can be contacted at: connect4communities@hants.gov.uk (please include FAO HAF in the subject line). Families in Basingstoke and Deane can visit the Basingstoke and Deane HAF Booking Site to find local schemes, book places or add their names to the waiting list or you can forward the attached flyer to your families.

• Celebrate the end of term by raising £3 for Castle Hill Primary School for FREE - Click on the link below before 17th July to install the easyfundraising app. Once you have it, become a supporter and we get a £3 bonus!! Then simply open the app whenever you are shopping on your phone (from groceries to insurance) - the retailer you shop with will give us a cashback donation, at no extra cost to you. Thank you! Click here....

• Summer Reading Challenge is a FREE holiday activity for children. It's all about reading for fun, aiming to improve children's reading skills and confidence. The Challenge runs every year throughout the summer holidays, and all children aged 4-11 are welcome to take part. Children can read anything they like (really - anything!) and collect free rewards for their reading. You can sign-up at your local library or online - https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/about-the-challenge

• FREE August Adventures - August Adventures is back this summer, bringing free, family-friendly activities to parks across the borough. The events, organised by Love Basingstoke and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, aim to keep children aged 3 to 13 entertained over the summer. Families can enjoy everything from hands-on crafts and music workshops to sports, games and discos. Whether it’s building, drumming, dancing or trying something completely new, there’s something for all ages to get involved in. Visit - August Adventures Info