Dear parents

As we wrap up this school year, I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible year we've had at Grange Park Primary School.  It has filled with memorable moments and significant achievements, both academically and in our pupils personal growth. From the the rainy Summer Fayre (which didn't put any of us off) to the residentials the KS2 children have experienced and from the fun- filled sports day to those wonderful concerts and class assemblies, we've had a year to remember.

Our children excel at Grange Park as they all show such remarkable dedication, kindness, and support for one another. I couldn't be prouder of their achievements.  

Thank you to the parents who have generously contributed to our voluntary donations to support education here. There is no fixed amount, donations are entirely discretionary and any amount is sincerely appreciated. Simply log onto Parentmail - Shop - Voluntary donations to school to donate to the school. 

Just a reminder, we will no longer be using Parentmail from September. Therefore, if you haven't done so already please make sure you are able to log onto Arbor, our new communication platform for parents.  

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff for their hard work and commitment for making Grange Park the best school it could be.  A special thank you goes out to the GPPSA and all the parents who have volunteered for the great events this year.   

As we close this chapter, we must also say goodbye to some of our children, parents, and staff. To our Year 6 children, wow your Year 6 Production was truly spectacular! Remember just like Alice, to always stay curious, to seek out new adventures and to believe in the impossible! Best wishes as you transition to secondary school.  For those moving to new schools, we hope you continue to enjoy learning and growing. To the parents who are leaving our community, thank you for your support over the years. And to the staff members embarking on new journeys, we wish you all the very best in your future endeavors.

Thank you all for making this year truly special. I am grateful to be part of such a wonderful community, and I look forward to welcoming everyone back on Wednesday 4 September.  Have a relaxing and enjoyable summer!

With warmest regards,

Tijen Hassan

Headteacher

Please click here to view term dates for 2024 - 2025

We are pleased to be inviting parents to ‘Meet The Teacher’. This will be held in the round hall with the whole year group team.  The presentation will also include some time to join your children in the classroom to see what work they have been doing in the first days of their new year group. This is an opportunity for you to meet your child’s new teacher, the other staff in the year group as well as finding out about key information and dates for your child’s class.  Please see details below:

At Grange Park Primary School, we are committed to providing the best possible education to all our pupils. One of the most crucial factors in ensuring the success of our pupils is regular attendance. We understand that illnesses and unexpected circumstances can sometimes keep children away from school. However, we cannot stress enough how important it is for pupils to attend school consistently. Each day at Grange Park is filled with valuable learning opportunities, from engaging lessons and collaborative projects to enriching extracurricular activities. When pupils miss school, they miss out on these experiences, which can impact their academic progress and overall development. Research shows that regular attendance is directly linked to better educational outcomes. Pupils who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve higher grades, develop better social skills, and build a strong foundation for future success. At Grange Park, we have seen firsthand how consistent attendance can make a significant difference in a child's educational journey. We celebrate the dedication of our pupils and their families who prioritise attendance and understand its importance. Your commitment helps us to maintain a vibrant and dynamic learning community where every child has the opportunity to excel. We are incredibly proud of the progress our pupils make each day and the enthusiasm they bring to their learning. To support our pupils in achieving the best possible outcomes, we encourage families to:

1. Promote Good Health: Encourage healthy habits at home, such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, and sufficient sleep, to help prevent illnesses that can lead to absences.

2. Schedule Appointments Wisely: Whenever possible, schedule medical and dental appointments outside of school hours to minimise disruptions to your child's learning.

3. Communicate with Us: If your child must be absent, please inform the school as soon as possible and provide a reason. This helps us to support your child's return to school and catch up on any missed work.

4. Foster a Positive Attitude Towards School: Reinforce the importance of education and attendance by discussing the exciting activities and subjects your child is learning about. Show interest in their school experiences and celebrate their achievements.

By working together, we can ensure that our pupils make the most of their time at Grange Park Primary School. Let’s continue to champion the importance of attendance and celebrate the collective effort of our wonderful school community. Every day counts!

A massive well done to our ‘Always Stars’. ‘Always Star’ children are children who ALWAYS show that they follow the Big 3, they are ALWAYS respectful, resilient and show responsibility and they ALWAYS try their very best, taking on new challenges with a growth mindset and never giving  up.  Here are the Always Stars’ for the last half term.

Last week, our school held an exciting Talents and Interests Science Assembly that left all our young scientists buzzing with curiosity and enthusiasm! The highlight of the assembly was a fascinating experiment where children predicted and observed how three different liquids, each with a different density, would mix together. We encourage all our pupils to keep experimenting, exploring, and most importantly, asking questions. Science is all about discovering the world around us, and we can’t wait to see what our young learners will explore next! Have a look at the names of our pupils who have shared their talents and interests with us:

Grange Park’s School Parliament has had yet another incredibly busy year. They have been involved in campaigning and promoting safer travel to and from school, you can find more information about what they have done on our previous Newsround ups.  Recently, some of the MPs met with local Councillor O’Halloran, who visited our school and walked the length of Worlds End Lane with us. We were looking to see if there is sufficient signage, whether parking is an issue and we were observing the speed that cars travel along Worlds End Lane. Councillor O'Halloran noted that  “The main points impressed upon me on this walk is that many motorists are neither aware of the 20 mph zone nor the three schools in close proximity and the frequency of the unlawful parking by parents on double yellows, on roundabouts and elsewhere.” and had said that he will support us in arranging a meeting with the local council in the new academic year.

In addition to this, School Parliament have, have supported various charity events throughout the year, organising activities and initiatives to support the fundraising and they have supported the wellbeing of pupils by organising events during Children’s Mental Health and Mental Health awareness week and suggesting new and improved ‘Acts of Kindness’. Well done School Parliament! What a tremendous impact you have had on Grange Park this year. Thank you for all of your hard work and we wish our MPs the best of luck as they move on to pastures new. Here are some final thoughts from our MPs…

Millie  - have enjoyed going on the Brakes Kid Walk and introducing the ‘Road Safety’ poster competition. It was great to get people involved and spread awareness.

Hana - I have enjoyed helping with the road safety campaign, meeting other children in other schools and helping to choose the winners of the competition.

Andre - I’ve enjoyed everything, knowing I’ve made a difference and I’m satisfied with that.

Kacey - The only time you ever fail is if you never try and I’m so happy I got to be an MP eventually.

Sophia - I enjoyed helping with ‘Children’s Mental Health and Mental Health Awareness’ weeks. It’s a really important topic and everyone should know how to look after their mental health as well as their physical health.

Vassos - I enjoyed taking part in the police talk and checking peoples speed.

Helin - I enjoyed using the different police equipment and making a difference

Cameron - Knowing that I have been helping people and making a difference has been amazing.

We hope you enjoyed our recent enrichment club ‘Showcases’ where the children were able to show all of the wonderful things they have been engaging with whilst at our after school enrichment clubs. 

In the autumn term we have a range of exciting internal enrichment clubs available after school for your child/ren to sign up to. If you missed the recent letter regarding clubs,  it is linked here. There are still spaces available in:

This half term, we introduced fabric, tarpaulin and clips to the playgrounds as well as large LEGO in Reception and KS1 and small LEGO for KS2. The children had an absolute blast exploring and playing with these new loose parts on the playground. Their creativity soared as they built imaginative structures, designed colourful fabric forts, and invented countless games, making every moment filled with joy and laughter. We will be introducing more loose parts next half term and are excited to continue enhancing our playgrounds and providing even more exciting opportunities for enriching our playtimes. We are still seeking donations, specifically donations of lengths of decking, planks of  scaffolding boards (free from nails and rough edges), guttering, piping and tubing. See the poster below.

For the final hurrah of Year 6, the children enjoyed a range of exciting activities. First, they dazzled us with a wonderful production of "Alice in Wonderland." Many hours of hard work went into this incredible show, resulting in exceptional performances from the cast and outstanding contributions from the prop handlers, lighting, and sound crews.

Following this, they celebrated their leavers' party on the field. The festivities began with a delightful meal and then transitioned to the field, where they had a blast with various inflatables, received their yearbooks, and, of course, played football! As the children leave Grange Park, I hope they move forward in their educational journeys with a sense of pride in their achievements, gratitude for their time at our school, and optimism about their future endeavours. We will truly miss our Year 6 pupils and hope they come back to visit us one day. By being kind, resilient, hardworking, and respectful, they will surely go far. All the best from the staff at Grange Park, who have been with you on this journey and look forward to hearing about your future successes.

National Framework for Penalty Notices for school absence

We are taking this opportunity to inform parents of some important changes the Department for Education is introducing regarding school attendance and the issuing of penalty notices when children are absent from school.

A new National Framework for Penalty Notices is being introduced. The new regulations will come into effect from the 19th of August 2024. The aim is to improve consistency in the use of penalty notices across England.

What is a penalty notice?

A penalty notice allows parents to pay a one-off fine without the matter being referred to court.

The national framework includes:

• A single consistent national threshold for when a penalty notice must be considered of ten sessions (usually equivalent to five school days) for any unauthorised absence within a rolling ten school week period. The 10-week period may span different terms or school years. For example, two sessions of unauthorised absence in the summer term and a further eight during the autumn term.   

• An increase to the rate of a penalty notice from £120 to £160 if paid within 28 days and £60 to £80 if paid within 21 days. If a second penalty notice is issued to the same parent for the same child within a rolling three-year period, the notice will be charged at the higher rate of £160 with no option for this second offence to be discharged at £80.

• A national limit of two penalty notices that can be issued to a parent for the same child within a rolling three-year period, so at the 3rd (or subsequent) offence(s) another tool must be considered (such as prosecution or other attendance legal interventions).

This means that if you have applied for a leave of absence to take place from September 2024 and the school has not agreed to authorise it, you may receive a penalty notice at the level prescribed by the new framework.

Please be aware that new legislation does not allow schools to authorise any holidays in term time or authorise leave retrospectively.

Please also bare in mind the initiatives that are available year round:

• School lotto:  www.yourschoollottery.co.uk/lottery/school/grange-park-primary-school-association 

• Donate page - http://easydonate.org/HTDT007

Our little Acorns have had great fun learning lots of new parachute games. They have been learning to work together in order to make the parachute move in different ways, taking turns to swap places and listening carefully to instructions.

Reception have been taking part in an egg-citing egg drop experiment! The challenge was to create a jacket for an egg, so that when it was dropped it didn’t crack. Using their collaboration skills the children set to work making their designs. The materials included play-dough, bubble wrap, tin foil and more. The children then tested out their jackets and carefully inspected the eggs to see if there were any cracks.

In Year 1, students have been making exciting space art inspired by Peter Thorpe and Jackson Pollock. They use fun techniques like flicking paint to create colourful backgrounds. On top of these backgrounds, they add rockets and planets in the foreground. 

‘I liked making the background using different techniques’ - Gabriella - Grasshopper                                                          

‘I liked blending the chalks to make my rocket’ - Andreas- Ladybird

This week in geography, we worked in groups to create a model of a coastal area. We first reflected on our previous knowledge of coastal features and then identified various features including sand, sea, rocks, cliffs, shore etc. We then worked together to recreate a 3D model of the seaside using natural materials such as sand, pebbles and shells.

Year 3 embarked on a fascinating journey through Ancient Egypt during our Portals to the Past workshop. The workshop offered a treasure trove of historical knowledge and captivating facts about Egyptian Gods and Goddesses; their diverse roles and significance in ancient Egyptian culture. We also discovered intriguing stories about the Pharaohs and their divine counterparts, gaining a deeper understanding of the beliefs and traditions that shaped this ancient society. Raphael said: “I enjoyed learning all the information and I learnt how mummification works and the process of how the brain gets taken out.” Emilia: “I learnt how Pharaohs treated their servants and how they mummified the dead people.”

This term, Year 5 pupils have been hard at work in their Design and Technology (D&T) lessons, creating their very own Ferris wheels. Using a combination of lollipop sticks, glue guns, dowels, and saws, they skilfully constructed these miniature marvels. Creating our own Ferris wheels was a rewarding experience that combined creativity, engineering, and craftsmanship. It allowed us to see the practical application of theoretical concepts and develop a deeper appreciation for the intricacies involved in mechanical design and construction. This hands-on project has not only enriched our understanding of woodworking and mechanics but also fostered skills that will be valuable in future endeavours.

Skills Developed

Woodworking: Pupils gained practical experience in measuring, cutting, and assembling materials. Using tools like saws and glue guns safely and effectively was an important part of the process.

Mechanical Understanding: Building a rotating structure helped pupils understand the mechanics of axles and bearings, and how to create systems that allow for smooth movement.

Problem-Solving: Throughout the project, students encountered challenges that required critical thinking and troubleshooting to overcome, such as ensuring balance and stability.

Teamwork and Collaboration: The project required effective communication and cooperation, as pupils worked in teams to share ideas and distribute tasks.

Reflection

This project has been a fantastic display of ingenuity and craftsmanship. The pupils' efforts have resulted in a collection of unique and beautifully crafted Ferris wheels, showcasing their hard work and dedication. The experience has been incredibly enriching, providing valuable insights into the world of design and technology while also fostering a sense of pride and accomplishment in their work.