Furze Platt Juniors 2024-25 Newsletter

Well it has been a very short term, especially with the lovely bank holidays added in, but there have been so many brilliant things happening at FPJS, which you will see as you read through our bumper newsletter of the term.

Thank you to all the parents who completed our survey before Easter which showed that parents are overwhelmingly happy with the provision we provide for your children, in all aspects of the survey! (Over 90% strongly agreed with each statement in the survey which we are incredibly proud of!). Thank you to every parent who took the time to respond to this as it really does help us to ascertain ways in which we can be even better- thank you for all the suggestions you have provided too- we will be looking at these in due course.

As we begin our final term of the school year, we are happy to announce the return of Mrs Barbosa, Assistant Head, who returned this week following her maternity leave. Mrs Barbosa will be working across the school to support with further staff development and curriculum enhancements.

We would also like to congratulate both Mr King, who got married to his beautiful wife, Chantal, over the Easter holidays (pictured) and to Miss Howard who is getting married tomorrow! Miss Howard will return as Mrs Bracey after the holidays!

Have a wonderful half term break- let's hope the great weather is kind to us!

Anna Clark & Mike Wallace

Head of School & Executive Head

Quick Links

Curriculum

Lunch Menu

Term Dates 24-25

Calendar

Who's who at FPJS

Website including housepoints update

Diary Dates for term 6

Monday 2nd June: Term 6 begins

(Y4 MTC check commences over the next 2 weeks)

Weds 4th June: Y5 to St Pirans- Space event (please provide a packed lunch)
Weds 4th June: Y6 Swimming water safety at Claire's Court (half of Y6- see Seesaw info)
Thurs 5th June: Y6 Silverstone trip
Mon 9th June: Y3 Roman Day
Weds 11th June: Y6 Swimming water safety at Claire's Court (half of Y6- see Seesaw info)
Thurs 12th June: Hexagon Choir area rehearsal - Courthouse school (walk from FPJS)
Mon 16th June: Y4 Longridge trip
Weds 18th June: Y2 Parents transition meeting 6pm
Fri 20th June: Sports Day- 9am-12pm
Tues 24th June: Y5 Fire safety talk
Weds 25th June: Hexagon Choir concert- 7pm- ticket information has been sent.
Fri 27th June: Reserve Sports Day
Sat 28th June: FPSA Summer Fair 11-3
Tues 1st- Weds 2nd July: FPSS taster days for Y6 entrants
Fri 11th July- Reports sent out today- via email
Mon 14th July: Y6 Play- dress rehearsals
Tues 15th July: Y6 Play- Orange cast performance 1 9.20am
Weds 16th July: Y6 Play- Purple cast performance 1 9.20am
Weds 16th July: Transition afternoon- new class visits
Weds 16th July: Y6 Play- Orange cast performance 2 6.30pm
Thurs 17th July: Y6 Play- Purple cast performance 2 6.30pm
Fri 18th-Sun 20th July: FPSA Summer Camp
Weds 23rd July: Y6 Leavers' assembly 9.10am
Weds 23rd July: End of term: 1.30pm finish

FPJS School News

Smartphone-free childhood initiative

As I have mentioned in previous newsletters, there is a growing sense of urgency among parents, educators, and child development experts about the need to delay children's access to smartphones until at least the age of 14. Last week, I met with Mr. Wallace and other senior leaders from RBWM to discuss this increasingly pressing issue.

Although children at FPJS are not permitted to use smartphones during the school day, we continue to see the effects that early access to these devices—and particularly to social media—can have on them. An increasing number of behavioural and emotional challenges we encounter are directly linked to the use of platforms like WhatsApp, Snapchat, and TikTok.

More and more children are navigating complex social situations online, often without the maturity or support needed to manage them. We have seen conflicts sparked by exclusion from group chats, anxiety caused by constant notifications, and emotional distress stemming from unkind messages or miscommunication. Social media can also place immense pressure on young people to present a certain image of themselves, which can affect their self-esteem and mental well-being.

A growing body of research highlights the negative consequences of early access to smartphones, including increased rates of anxiety, sleep disruption, reduced concentration, and a decline in face-to-face social skills. For example, studies show that children who spend excessive time on their phones are more likely to report feelings of loneliness and low mood, and that screen time before bed can significantly interfere with sleep quality—something that is vital for growing minds and bodies.

We urge parents to consider delaying their child's access to smartphones and to engage in open conversations at home about responsible digital use. By working together, we can help ensure our children are given the healthiest possible environment in which to grow and thrive.

We will be writing with further information regarding this issue at FPJS, but if you have time, please do watch the following videos/presentation which give further information regarding the seriousness of the situation for our children.

You, along with many of our current parents, can also pledge to delay giving your child a smartphone until at least the age of 14, by clicking on here

Presentation regarding smartphone use

A compelling film that sums up the problem in 12 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Zhfd0jW7iY

A date for your diary: We will be holding a joint parents meeting with Courthouse school on 25th September to discuss this issue in more detail. Further info will be sent nearer the time.

FPJS Celebrates VE day

On Thursday, 8th May, FPJS dressed in red, white and blue and created special bunting to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE day. It was a chance to learn about the ending of the war in Europe, as Mrs Clark led a special assembly in which the word "bittersweet" was discussed with the children- a day with some quiet reflection of the sad nature of war, but also a day to celebrate victory. At lunchtime, the children enjoyed some 1940's big band style singing courtesy of Mr King, followed by a chance to dance together on the field to a range of party classics over the last 80 years! Thank you to Mr King and Mr Sawle giving up their lunch time to "entertain the troops!"

Y3/4 Skipping Workshops

Y3/4 enjoyed a fantastic fitness session on Friday 25th April where they had a chance to try out all kinds of skipping tricks, including bounce stepping, cross-overs and the boxer's skip. All our our younger classes showed excellent energy and enthusiasm for the session and the trainer, Tilly, was wowed by how amazing our children were to work with! Well done FPJS!

Y4 Hampton Court Palace

Year 4 had a fantastic time on their trip to Hampton Court Palace! The children thoroughly enjoyed investigating the life of King Henry VIII through fascinating artefacts and exploring the historic surroundings. They were especially interested in learning about the roles of King Henry’s court and council, bringing their history lessons to life in a memorable and exciting way.

Y3 Brazillian Workshops

On Friday 9th May all of Year 3 were lucky enough to have a visit from One Dance Creative who delievered a Brazilian Dance workshop as part of our South American topic. The children learned about carnival in Brazil and the different music and costumes used throughout the celebration. The children then learned some key dance steps and finally put all of these together to create a class dance. The children thoroughly enjoyed this experience and even had some props to wave and use at the end.

Y5 Maya Workshops

Year 5 had a wonderful time immersing themselves in the world of the Ancient Maya civilisation. We learnt about the different people in the Maya society and the world in which they lived. We explored how the Maya had a sophisticated system of counting, which was transcribed to show dates, calendars and stock counts. A particular highlight was exploring the rites of passage of the Ancient Maya which included a little on the human sacrifice process!

Fantastic new displays around school

Thank you to Mrs Sweeting for her finalised Pillars of Well-being mural which is now complete! The children have also been enjoying our new FPJS personalised history timeline outside Kite class as well as the map of our local area which can be found in the hall.

Stars of the week - Class Stars & PE Stars and Well dones!

Assemblies this term

Our first safety assembly was on water safety; including the sea, rivers and lakes.

For Sea safety, we talked about riptides and currents - recognising them and why they are dangerous, using inflatables at sea and the safety flag system to show where it is safer and where it is unsafe to swim.

For river safety we talked about our local river, the River Thames, and the potential hazards. These included safety around weirs, locks and the hidden dangers with jumping into rivers; a focus also discussed the danger of jumping into lakes when we cannot see what is beneath us.

Our follow up safety assembly used the 'Network Rail Safety Education' resources to teach the children about how to stay around our rail network. This included railway crossings, dangers of trespassing and risk through electrical lines in our local area.

Our final safety assembly this term, and very topical given the weather we have had this term, was on sun safety.

This included the SMART sun safety code, from the NHS, (Spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm. Make sure you never burn. Aim to cover up with a hat, t-shirt and sunglasses. Remember children need to take extra care. Then use sunscreen of a minimum of SPF 30 (ideally a higher strength) and the danger of the invisible Ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Other assemblies have focussed on issues such as election of a new pope and the concept of paying kindness forward.

Star of the week Newsletter 9: 23rd May 2025

Well done to all our stars over the last few weeks:

Our stars are chosen from following the values of the school: Passion, Well-being and respect.

We also chose children who have made exceptional effort in their work or attitude to learning.

Thank You British Gas!

Huge thank you to Libby Y's mum (Y4) for securing a fantastic bid for £1500 towards play equipment for our school! The money will help us to provide equipment for the children to use as well as training our staff to initiate play sessions; modelling how to play using the equipment and setting up 'zones' of activities from role play to sports, to physical investigation and exploration of our conservation areas.

TT rock stars and Bedrock Learning

TT Rockstars- Fastest speed

Well done to our superstars below who are the fastest in their year currently

TT Rockstars- Most Progress

Well done to the following children for the most progress from January until now

Bedrock Learning- Most Progress

Well done the following children who have made the most progress so far this term.

Bedrock Learning- Most Time dedicated

Well done the following children who have devoted the most time to practising their bedrock learning skills so far this term.

Sports Update

Mini London Marathon at FPJS

Well done to all of the children who took part in the mini marathon and completed the course during Tuesday 22nd April- Friday 2nd May.

All the students did absolutely amazing taking part in the Mini London Marathon!

Every child completed at least nine laps — some even managed more! They had 40 minutes to run as many laps as they could, and their effort, determination, and energy were truly inspiring. Well done to everyone who took part!

Cross-Country at St Pirans

St Piran’s Annual Cross Country Competition – A Fantastic Effort!

On Thursday 1st May, twelve Year 4s and twelve Year 3s proudly represented Furze Platt Junior School at the annual St Piran’s Cross Country Competition.

Each runner completed two challenging laps of the course, covering a total distance of 1,500 metres. Every single pupil gave it their all, showing great determination, resilience, and sportsmanship throughout the event.

They were fantastic for representing Furze Platt, and I am incredibly proud of everyone who took part. Well done to all of you – a brilliant achievement!

Miss Gill

Tri-Golf Y3/4 Tournament

On Tuesday 28th we took two teams of nine children to Winter Hill Holf club for a Y3/4 Tri Golf competition. They had to complete 10 different golfing challenges, earning points on each challenge, with the top two teams securing a place at county finals. The children all did extremely well given the heat and the fact that some had never played golf before! One team scored 379 points and narrowly missed out on a finals place. However, the other team managed to score 454 points and came 2nd, meaning they will be representing the school at Braywick Leisure Centre at county finals in June. Well done to all children involved!

Mr King

Quad Kids

On Friday the 2nd and 16th May, we ran our FPJS Quadkids competitions. Quadkids is a 4 event competition: a sprint, a long run, a long jump and a howler throw. Each is measured and this correlates to a score table and then steps/levels achieved for the four disciplines. The highest overall score wins.

Year 5/6 pupils were either seeking personal bests or competing for a place in the school team which will attend the inter schools competition on Tuesday 20th May. 55 children came to the May 2nd event and there were some amazing and very close scores. All the top 10 children scored within the bronze to gold levels. As we have been given two team entries for the local event, the top 10 boys and girls will make up the A and B teams.

1st place - Freya 229

2nd place - Bea 206

3rd place - Skye 200

4th place - Lucy 197

5th place - Megan 196

6th place - Millie 194

7th place Macey 192

8th place - Lexi P 169

8th place - Katie 169

10th place -Lila 168

Boys:

1st place - Jack Jo 248

2nd place - Aidan H 225

3rd place - Lorenzo P 220

3rd place - Henry B 220

5th place - Jamie P 209

6th place - Finlay R 208

7th place - Max C 204

8th place - Nikhil C 199

9th place - Srihan G 198

10th place - Yusuf S 197

On 16th May, a further 40 children from year 3/4 attended their own event. It was very windy for howler throwing although there were some great throws. The top 3 girls and boys will receive medals and all pupils receive a certificate with their personal scores and level of achievement.

1st place - Sebastian B 188

2nd place - Isaac S 187

3rd place - Ethan P 165

1st place - Maya D-J 160

2nd place - Emilie Y 143

3rd place - Poppy B 135

It is brilliant to have had one quarter of the school taking part in thes 2 competitions! Well done to all the children who took part!

Mrs Tisshaw and Miss Gill

Inter-school Quad Kids Y5/6

On Tuesday 20th May, we took our top scoring 20 pupils from our FPJS quadkids competition to Newlands Girls School for the local inter school competition. It was very hot! We had A and B teams, but in the usual format the 20 were randomly spread across 16 different groups - so you were not necessarily with friends. Our pupils were outstanding with their efforts and I saw some brilliant 600m runs with people battling to the finish using every last bit of mental and physical strength. Literally every second and centimetre counts in quadkids, and points are by team, so there was a lot to focus on in the closing moments. Our teams supported each other really well and came first and fourth. This means the A team will go to county finals in July. Here are some of their achievements - each is out of 80 other pupils

SPRINT: Freya 10.7s 1st, Lila and Bea 10.9s 2nd, Millie and Skye 11.3s 3rd

600m: Bea 2m 03s 1st

HOWLER: Aidan 38.4m 2nd, Findlay 37.1m 3rd, Macey 25.6m 3rd, 25.1 Skye 4th

STANDING LONG JUMP: Jack 192cm 3rd, Megan 200cm 2nd, Macey 192cm 4th

This competition is nerve racking and tough. A huge well done to all who competed!

Mrs Tisshaw

Panathlon competition

In Eton’s new state-of-the-art Sports and Aquatics Centre, our Year 6 Panathlon team competed against eight other county schools in an inspiring, multi-skills carousel of activities. Each station tested the team's ability to work together to earn points toward a final total.

There were some ingenious games, such as a parachute challenge where balls were flipped into the air and, while timed, the team had to collect and sort them into coloured boxes as quickly as possible—an excellent test of speed and teamwork. Other events included table tennis football, new age kurling, target bean bag throws, skittles, and basketball.

The games ran throughout the morning and demanded a great deal of concentration and energy. Furze Platt Junior School's team were absolutely thrilled to take first place! Each pupil received a medal, and the school was awarded a trophy and a framed certificate.

It was a proud and well-earned moment. A massive well done to the team—Theo, Adam, Louise, Zachary, Aayan, Cora, Imogen, and Sophia—for bringing it all home!

Cricket Skills Y4

On Thursday 8th May, 31 year 4 pupils took part in the Mixed Dynamos Cricket Skills Festival at Pinkneys Green Cricket Club. Forming 2 teams, they had a wonderful morning of sporting fun playing different cricket games to improve their batting, bowling and fielding skills. The festival was run by Berkshire Cricket coaches, and young leaders, who all did a fantastic job of encouraging and supporting the children to develop. It was a nice surprise to see former pupils, Hadar and Isabelle C, once participants, now helping to lead and continue the Furze Platt community spirit as sports leaders. Thank you, too, to Mrs Lotherington who gave up her morning to help out.

The Dynamos festival links with the Berkshire Cricket program which aims to inspire young people through cricket. https://berkshirecricket.org/

Follow the link to find more information about All Stars and Dynamos Cricket Intro opportunities in our local area. There are courses run at Furze Platt Senior School through the summer holidays: All Stars cricket (age 5 - 8 years olds) - https://berkshirecricket.org/all-stars-and-dynamos-summer-holiday-camps/, and Dynamos Cricket (age 8 - 11 year olds) - https://berkshirecricket.org/dynamos-cricket-intros/

We are fortunate in our area that there are many local clubs who welcome young people, so if your children are interested, why not try one out?

Year Group Updates

Year 3 News

What a wonderful and exciting term we have had in Year 3. The children have worked so hard this term as well as having some exciting events such as skipping workshops and Brazilian Dance.

In English the children have been working on adventure stories which they have planned out and then written with a focus on adjectives, sentence structure, speech and adverbs.

In maths, the children have been looking at mass and capacity as well as time. We have focused on time to the nearest 5 and 1 minute intervals as well as am and pm. We have also looked adding money and giving change.

In science our topic is Rocks. The children have sorted and grouped a variety of rocks as well as investigated the types of rocks these are. They also discussed how soil is made and how it is used.

In geography our topic is 'South America'. The children have looked at the different countries in South America as well as where these are located on the map. The children then discussed the human and physical features.

In music we have been learning samba with Mr King. The children have enjoyed using a variety of instruments and playing in time to the music.

In French the children have learned the story of 'Little Red Riding Hood' and learned the key character names and body parts in French.

We are really looking forward to the last term in Year 3 and hope you all have a wonderful May half term.

Mrs Barry- Y3 Team Leader

Year 3- What are we learning?

Ask your child the following questions to see what they have learnt over the last few weeks!:

What are the physical features in South America?

How many minutes are in 1 hour? 2hours? a day?

What are the main steps to success needed when writing speech?

Our current reads we are enjoying in Y3...

The hunt for the golden scarab - MG Leonard

George's Marvellous Medicine - Roald Dahl

The Creakers - Tom Fletcher

Year 4 News

What a busy half-term we’ve had in Year 4! The children have been working hard across so many areas of the curriculum, and we are incredibly proud of their effort and dedication.

In writing, the children produced fantastic persuasive letters to President Subianto, urging him to stop deforestation in Indonesia. They carefully considered how to write as environmental experts, using both formal and emotive language to strengthen their arguments.

In maths, we’ve covered decimals and money, and are now beginning our unit on time. The children have shown great resilience, especially as telling time can often be a tricky concept to grasp.

Our reading lessons have taken us on a journey around the world as we explored cities from across the globe. We’ve linked this learning to our history and geography topics, all while building the children’s understanding of key vocabulary.

In history, the children have worked hard to learn about the Tudor dynasty, comparing the reigns and impact of different Tudor monarchs.

In science, we’ve been building on the children’s prior knowledge of the water cycle to deepen their understanding of the different states of matter. They particularly enjoyed acting out how particles move when changing from liquid to solid, solid to liquid, and liquid to gas.

We’ve also been so impressed by the children’s commitment to learning their times tables this term. Looking ahead, they will be completing their Multiplication Tables Check during the first two weeks of June.

Wishing you all a lovely (and hopefully sunny) half-term break!

Mrs Batchelor – Year 4 Team Leader

Year 4 - What are we learning?

Ask your child the following questions to see what they have learned over the last few weeks:

What punctuation must you use when writing a dialogue?
How many minutes are in an hour? How many seconds are in a minute?
How would you describe King Henry VIII's reign?

Our current reads we are enjoying in Y4...

A History of the World in 25 Cities

By Andrew Donkin

The Glorious Race of Magical Beasts

By Alex Bell

Shadow Fox

By Carlie Sorosiak

Year 5 News

The year 5s have been very busy these last few weeks with their learning.

In writing they have written some fabulous poems inspired by a performance poet – Adisa - showcasing fabulous use of figurative language to express thoughts and emotions. They have also been writing a balanced argument, making sure to include arguments for and against to answer the question: should children under the age of 15 use social media?

In reading, they have discovered some wonderful poetry. They have studied some poems by a variety of poets, including Karl Nova and Maya Angelou.

In maths, hey have learned about shape and space, covering topics such as plotting coordinates, translation, measuring angles, symmetry and reflection.

In science, they have been looking at the reproduction of plants and the lifecycles of a variety of different animals.

In history and art they have been studying the Maya civilisation. Within this, they have learnt about the architecture of the time and drawn some brilliant 3D temples using 2-point perspective and used bright, bold colours to paint their own Mayan landscapes. They have now also co9nstructed their own Mayan Temples using cardboard.

In Music, they have enjoyed using Garageband to create their own Hip Hop track, adding in all the instruments and their own voice to sing lyrics they have written themselves.

All in all, year 5 have been brilliant and have truly shown our value of passion throughout the curriculum!

Miss Scott & Mrs Slyfield, Y5 Team Leaders

Year 5- What are we learning?

Ask your child the following questions to see what they have learnt over the last few weeks:

Who invaded the Maya?
What is asexual reproduction in plants?
Can you name any examples of figurative language that we used in our poems?

Our current reads we are enjoying in Y5...

Year 6 News

It’s been a term filled with perseverance, and achievement in Year 6. They have worked exceptionally hard, approaching SATs with positivity and giving their all in every test—showing real resilience and focus. To celebrate we had a whole year group afternoon of rounders which was very enjoyable and won by Danes!

They have been very excited about the launch of our school production, The Wrong Way Round. They have already shown great enthusiasm for the characters which has been shown in the amount of children auditioning for roles and we can already tell this show is going to be a memorable one!

In maths, the children have enjoyed designing their own theme park were they have had to think about profit, loss, and smart business decisions. In English, we've explored speech writing through an animated video based on rock, paper, scissors.

Our book talk and history lessons have focused on the theme Black and British, exploring the experiences of Black individuals from Roman times to the present day.

Although the final half term will fly by, there’s still so much to look forward to: our oscars celebration, the business project, a trip to Silverstone, making pizzas, and of course our school production!

Wishing you all a restful half term—we can’t wait to welcome you back for the exciting final chapter of Year 6!

Miss Morales, Y6 Team Leader

Year 6- What are we learning?

Ask your child the following questions to see what they have learnt over the last few weeks!:

Who was Lillian Bader?
What makes effective speech in a story?
If an electric circuit is not working, what may be the fault?

Our current reads we are enjoying in Y6...

Celebrating Art at FPJS

It has been wonderful to see the amazing art that children have been producing this term at FPJS!

In year 5, children have been studying Mayan art and architecture. They have drawn some 3D temples using 2- point perspective, used a Mayan colour palette to paint a landscape and constructed some of their own temples using cardboard and glue, which will be further decorated next term.

Here are just a few examples.

School Council/Eco at FPJS

We’ve been buzzing with activity this term and are thrilled to share some of the exciting things going on around school!

First up — have you spotted our brand new Wildlife Information Boards? These are now up around the school grounds and are full of fun facts about the birds, bugs, and plants that share our space. Take a moment to have a look next time you’re outside — you might learn something new!

A huge thank you to all the brilliant children who have been out litter picking. Your efforts are making a real difference in keeping our school looking lovely. However, we’re still seeing far too many crisp packets and chocolate bar wrappers lying around. These single-use plastics are tricky to recycle and often end up as litter.

As a school, we’re continuing to focus on reducing single-use plastic. Please remember to bring snacks in reusable containers whenever you can — small swaps make a big impact!

We’ve also been thinking about how we can make school events greener. We’ve written to the FPSA with some eco-friendly ideas for the Summer Fair, including a suggestion to use plant-based compostable cups instead of plastic ones.

It was fantastic to see plastic bottles and popcorn wrappers being collected for recycling at the recent school discos — well done everyone who helped make that happen!

After half term, we’ll be turning our attention to energy use in school. We’re planning a new project to check which equipment is being left on standby and find ways to reduce energy waste. Watch this space for updates!

Eco Tip of the Week: Turn off lights when you leave a room — it’s a small habit that can save a lot of energy over time!

Together, we’re making a difference!

Mrs Sweatman and the Eco team

FPSA Update

Junior Discos

Over 240 children (two thirds of the Junior School) came to one of the 2 discos last Thursday as DJ's King and Sawle were back in action. The 1979 song that keeps on giving, 'Y.M.C.A.', was sang in fine voice by children and teachers alike and the 1997 hit 'Freed from Desire' also was very popular. Thank you to all the Juniors staff who stayed behind after school to give the children a fun time at the discos which have raised ~£1,800 for FPJS.

Bingo Night

Our very first bingo night took place on the 2nd May in the Juniors hall and what a fabulous evening it turned out to be. 'Bingo Bob' was the wonderful host and there were 8 games of bingo - 3 traditional and 5 music bingo games. Prizes included Jump Start Jonny towels, Rebellion gift pack, vouchers for Saints café, Presto, Roald Dahl Story Museum, Maidenhead mini-golf and two jackpot prizes of £50 and £100 respectively. Mrs Connell from the Infants was one of the winners!

The event has raised ~£800 for the schools, thank you to everyone who attended and/or had an Oakwood Estates board up. We are very grateful to Oakwood Estates for their 2nd sponsorship of 2025. Bingo Night will definitely return!

Happy Bags

Thank you to everyone who donated a filled happy bag last week, this has raised another £117 for the schools.

Summer Fair - Saturday 28th June

The summer fair is back! Lots of fun for all the family. Please save the date for our biggest event of the year. More information will be coming out after half term. If you know of a company or organisation that would be willing to donate a raffle or silent auction prize, please get in touch at fpsa.ebox@gmail.com.

Early bird stall volunteer opportunities for helping out at the fair are now open and we need your help! Please can you help out for just 1 hour of your time at the fair? To sign up, please follow the link: https://volunteersignup.org/EQXY3.

Thank you to everyone who signed up to have an Oakwood Estates board outside their house advertising the summer fair, we had over 65 boards in the end.

Davies Caravans for hire/rent

Davies Caravans are a local, family run business who have 3 modern caravans available to rent. One is based on the Isle of Wight on Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park and has use of a private beach. The other two are based in Dorset, on Oakdene Forest Park.

If you choose to book with them, they will give the FPSA £10 for each weekend break and £20 for longer breaks. Please see the following Facebook link: www.facebook.com/daviescaravans

Personalised name label stickers

We have an updated discount code for buying school uniform labels and labels for water bottles etc. from the 'Easy2Name' company. Simply order from the following site: https://www.easy2name.com/stickeasy, quote code 'FR-FPIS-72' and not only will you will get free delivery, the FPSA will receive 20% of the order value. These labels will help the schools return mislaid uniform and will help cut down on the lost property.

Windsor & Maidenhead Community Lottery

This is a weekly lottery that raises money for good causes in the Royal Borough including the FPSA. Tickets for the lottery cost just £1 and from that 60p goes to good causes including 50p to the FPSA. Each ticket has a 1 in 50 chance to win a prize each week with a top prize of £25,000!

So please sign up and buy a weekly ticket or two using the following link: https://www.windsorandmaidenheadcommunitylottery.co.uk/support/furze-platt-schools-association

SEND updates for parents

May 2025.pdf

GEMS DATES for MANAGING ANXIETY AND SENSORY PROCESSING WORKSHOPS

We are please to announce we have just released new dates for our Managing Anxiety and Sensory Processing workshops.

Managing Anxiety

Hosted by The Autism Group:

What to do when worries take over. Looking at what causes anxiety & some tried & tested strategies to tackle it.

AUTISM or DUAL SUPPORT

For parents & carers of primary & secondary school aged children.

Online:.

Tuesday 8th July 2025.

10am - 12pm

Booking link : https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-anxiety-tickets-1036681110107?aff=oddtdtcreator

Sensory Processing

Hosted by Parenting Special Children:

Understanding sensory processing, sensory overload, sensory seeking behaviour, strategies to support & how to manage sensory arousal.

AUTISM and or ADHD

For Parents & carers of primary & secondary school aged children.

Online:

Wednesday 4th June.

7 - 8.30pm

Booking link : https://parentingspecialchildren.co.uk/events/sensory-processing-workshop-berkshire-east-jun-2025/

We still have lots of space available on the following workshops and courses.

Autism Course

A 3-week course

Hosted by Parenting Special children:

Session 1: Introduction to Autism, what is Autism, Myths and facts & Assessment overview.

Session 2: Autism and Behaviour, becoming a detective, Sensory differences, Anxiety, Sleep.

Session 3: Autism and Building a Support Toolkit, Communication, Visuals and routines, Identifying and supporting emotions, De-escalation and low arousal.

AUTISM SUPPORT

For parents & carers of children up to the age of 18.

Online:

Thursday 8th, 15th & 22nd May 2025.

7 - 9pm

Booking link : https://parentingspecialchildren.co.uk/events/autism-course-berkshire-east-may-2025/

Adolescence

Hosted by The Autism Group:

Understanding & responding to the challenges & changes for parenting & caring for autistic teenagers.

AUTISM or DUAL SUPPORT

For parents & carers of secondary school aged children - Age 11 plus.

Online:

Wednesday 2nd July 2025.

10am - 12pm

Booking link : https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/adolescence-tickets-1036674420097?aff=oddtdtcreator

Sleep - Autism & ADHD

Hosted by Parenting Special Children:

The workshop will cover: Children’s sleep cycles and sleep needs, The reasons behind night settling and night waking, Strategies to feel less stressed when sleep training, new parenting strategies for settling your child to sleep, and staying asleep.

AUTISM and or ADHD

For Parents & carers of pre school, primary & secondary school aged children.

Online:

Tuesday 17th June 2025.

7 - 9pm

Booking link : https://parentingspecialchildren.co.uk/events/sleep-autism-and-adhd-berkshire-east-june-2025/

Safeguarding information for parents

Here are some great links which show what we do in school to keep children safe.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/681b42043f1c73824ee3e4f0/Children_and_young_person_guide_to_working_together_to_safeguard_children.pdf

Useful Information For Parents

JUNIORS TRY PADEL FOR FREE!

Kids’ Taster Sessions at Padel Maidenhead

Sunday 1st June

Fun | Active | Social | FREE

Let your child experience the world’s fastest-growing sport in the world – padel!

Whether they’ve played before on holiday or will be playing for the very first time, this is the perfect way to introduce them to a sport that’s easy to play, yet hard to master.

Session Times:

9:00am–10:00am — Ages 5–7 - Sign up here: Signup! Junior Taster Session (5 to 7 year olds) https://app.playtomic.io/lesson_class/6a68de62-a0f8-406e-9402-0bf40ac2757a?utm_campaign=share&utm_source=app_ios

10:00am –11:00am — Ages 8–11 Sign up here: https://app.playtomic.io/lesson_class/8c18ef91-a6ee-4c88-8f35-eb39fb0c4343?utm_source=app_ios&utm_campaign=share

11:00am –12:00pm — Ages 12+ Sign up here: https://app.playtomic.io/lesson_class/8c18ef91-a6ee-4c88-8f35-eb39fb0c4343?utm_campaign=share&utm_source=app_ios

14:30pm – 16:00pm — Ages 14+ Sign up here: https://app.playtomic.io/lesson_class/f2fb2795-daae-46d4-bf46-7f5e7d0c8511?utm_source=app_ios&utm_campaign=share

FREE session. FREE coaching. ALL equipment provided!

No experience necessary – just turn up and play.

Location: Padel Maidenhead, Padel Pavillion, Maidenhead, SL6 1BN

Limited spaces available – Book now!

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