CHPS Weekly Noticeboard

REMEMBER - All school events and news can be found on our school website -
https://www.castlehillprimary.net/events and https://www.castlehillprimary.net/news 

• Years 1 - 5 (both sites) - Meet the Teacher sessions will be on the following days, and please read the letter for all information Whole School Letters

  • 1. • Tuesday 22nd September - Year 1 (Rooksdown), Years 3 & 4 (Greenbank) 3:20 - 4:00pm

       • Thursday 24th September - Year 2, 3 & 4 (Rooksdown) and Year 5 (both sites) 3:20 - 4:00pm

• Year 3 - Farleigh Wallop Estate Trip is on Wednesday 23rd September. Please make your trip payment of £10.90 on Arbor by Friday 18th September.

• Year 4 - Roman Day is on Monday 28th September (Rooksdown) and Tuesday 29th September (Greenbank). Please make your trip payment of £6.95 on Arbor by Friday 25th September.

• Year 5 - Science Dome Day is on Thursday 17th September (Rooksdown) and Friday 18th September (Greenbank). Please make your trip payment of £6.20 on Arbor by Monday 14th September.

• Year 6 - Applications for children transferring to secondary school in September 2027 opened on 7th September 2026. Applications can be submitted online, or parents can request a paper application form in exceptional circumstances by emailing admissions.team@hants.gov.uk.  The application deadline is 31st October 2026.

• Whole School - Standard Collection Arrangements - Please let us know your child's collection arrangements by completing this form - https://forms.gle/n9rQF3GND2A7QWVu9 (complete 1 form per child). For last-minute collection changes on the day, please call or email the admin office before 2:45pm.

• Whole School - Year Group Trip Letters can be found under the relevant year groups on the website and will give parents all the information about the planned trips and events for the academic year - Year Group Letters

• Whole School - Autumn Attendance Letter is available under Whole School Letters on the school website; please read it.

• Whole School - New Prospective Parent Open Days - Parents of children starting Year R (Rooksdown) or Year 3 (Greenbank) in September 2027 can now book our open days. For more information on dates and times, and how to book a space, complete this Open Days Google Form

• 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. 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 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 is a new category covering pupils who do not qualify for Targeted FSM but 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 is available on the GOV.UK website: Free school meals: guidance for schools and local authorities - GOV.UK 

• Arbor is 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

• Road Safety - The term has only just started, and unfortunately we have already received worrying reports of dangerous parking and driving around the school grounds. Please make sure you drop off and pick up safely and do not let your child/ren get out of cars into the road. 

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

• Consultation on changes to the catchment area of The Vyne Community School - Further information, including the reasons for this consultation and details on how you can comment, can be found on the Hampshire County Council website at https://www.hants.gov.uk/aboutthecouncil/haveyoursay/consultations/vyne-community-school-basingstoke

• Families Newsletter - September/October Newsletter

• Chartwells Welcome Back Newsletter includes an important update about the expansion of Free School Meal eligibility, to help ensure eligible families don't miss out - Chartwells Newsletter

• Hampshire Kitchen Heroes - Beat the mid-week rush with meal planning - The kids are going back to school, and we’re back to our regular routines. To save time (and money!), take 10 minutes to plan your meals for the week ahead. There’s lots of information online to help you get started, including ready-made plans to suit your diet and budget. For more information: Hampshire Kitchen Heroes

• easyfundraising - You can raise free donations for Castle Hill Primary School every time you shop with retailers including eBay, Tesco and Just Eat, at no extra cost to you. Plus, sign up to support us today, and we could win a £250 donation prize:

https://join.easyfundraising.org.uk/castlehillsch/39CVHU/c2s/fDHVaHye/CE993/facebook/21

Or use the QR Code below to sign up! It's that simple to help raise funds for the school...