Newsletter
Friday 21st April 2023
Message from Miss Emson
Welcome back to the start of the summer term - although summer isn't quite here yet and we've seen a very mixed week with the weather! That being said, it is important children do have coats in school because of unpredictability. We have cram packed summer term which will see us completing the SATS with year 6 and year 2 and we'll be celebrating the coronation as well. Please look carefully at the dates that are coming up as well.
Can I take this opportunity to remind you regarding holidays. 10 school days off will only give a child 95% across the year and the government expectation is for all children to be at least 96%. It is paramount that the children attend school and appointments where possible are made after school.
We are really pleased with our overall attendance this week in school and are looking forward to a term with few illnesses as we have the winter colds out of the way.
As ever, enjoy your weekend - let's hope it brightens a little.
Emma Emson
Principal
Mrs Watson – Keegan H
Mrs Pollard – Gabriel B
Mrs Brown – Scarlett S
Miss O'Neill – Mason B
Miss Baxter – Oliver M
Mrs Cox – Harley-Jack M
Mrs Wood – Ronnie T
Mrs Bradley – Hayden K
Mr Roberts – Connor T
Mrs Martin - Oscar F
Mr Baxter - Billy K
The children have been invited to apply for a role as a reading ambassador. The successful children will meet with Mrs Wood at least twice every half term to discuss how we can encourage everyone to read more for enjoyment. Reading ambassadors will also be on the weekly rota to volunteer in the library; improving the space for everyone. The job will require children to promote reading for enjoyment across the school. They will also contribute to our reading newsletter and Twitter page, and create displays in the library that review and recommend books. Once we have our expert team of Reading Ambassadors in place they may have other ideas to offer too. Any children who wish to apply need to complete an application form and give it Mrs Wood on Monday 24th April.
All pupils are expected to read three times a week. This table shows the percentage of children in each class who have read three times this week at home. Keep on reading everyone.
Please note that the school will be closed on Friday 16th June for a Harbour Learning Trust Training Day. This is one of the five planned training days for the school year.
We had a fantastic time at the end of last term celebrating Easter. We had some amazing entires to our Easter bonnet competition and to our egg designing competition.
We visited St Micheal's Church On Thursday 30th March for an Easter celebration. The children sang beautifully, read the Easter story, prayers and poems. We were joined by Reverend Jenny Camm. We were very proud of the children and had a lovely celebration.
This week the children have come back to an awesome surprise. We have got new playground markings on our play ground. We hope the children are enjoying playing with them.
This week Ian Bland the poet has given us an extra workshop for some children who missed his poetry workshop when he came to school.
The children really loved the workshop .
Pupil Voice Survey Result
92 % of our pupils know who to talk to if they have a problem.
Pupil Premium is funding which comes into school and supports us to give the children a better education. Pupil Premium children are entitled to free school meals. It also helps schools to provide additional learning support, book bags and water bottles to pupils, reduced trip costs and many other benefits. We want to support our families to apply to receive this wherever possible. Thanks to the families that completed the eligibility checklist at the recent parents evening which resulted in some parents being surprised that they were in fact eligible. If you have not done this already, could you please follow the link below. This is important for every child in school including the children that receive universal free school meals, as you could be missing out on other benefits too such as food vouchers.
https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/sims
Term Dates for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years can now be found on the school website.
For more information about safeguarding, please visit the Safeguarding page on the school website.
https://gca.harbourlearningtrust.com/our-academy/safeguarding/
At the beginning and end of the day a number of cars and vans stop on the yellow lines in front of the school. This puts our pupils at risk and is against the law. We ask that parents stop parking in front of the school on the yellow lines.
The local road safety team will be conducting unannounced visits to school at the beginning and end of the day, in the near future, and will be issuing fines to cars that they see stopping on the zig zag yellow lines.
Please monitor your child's online activity. We are always learning about internet safety in school but we often see pupils who use the internet in an unsafe way. Most social media apps have an age restriction of over 13 and some over 16 but we see many of our children have social media apps, e.g. Twitter, Snapchat, What's App, Instagram. No child at primary school should have one of these apps. Twitter is for parents of pupils to use to find out what the pupils have been learning.
Uniform
Some children are coming to school not dressed in uniform, especially wearing trainers. Below are our expectations for uniform.
SWEATSHIRT: Logo sweatshirt or a plain red sweatshirt or cardigan.
SKIRT/TROUSERS: Black or dark grey skirts/pinafore or trousers/shorts/ red check summer dress
SHIRT White polo shirts underneath sweatshirts. No red shirts please.
SHOES: Black flat school shoes – no trainers.
PE KIT
● Plain white t shirt / black shorts/ Plimsolls or trainers for inside P.E.
● Trainers for outdoor games.
● Jogging bottoms or dark coloured track suits may be worn in cold weather. (Please make sure your child has outdoor PE kit as they will be doing PE outside, in the cold, unless it is raining)
Please note very large bows and other large hair accessories are not to be worn in school.
Digital watches and Analogue watches only allowed in school – No Smart watches or Fitbits please.
Earrings
Whilst earrings (studs) can be worn to school, it is important that they are removed on PE days. If your child can remove them on their own, this can be done at school, however, children cannot wear earrings or any other jewelry for PE. Adults cannot remove them for the children. If your child cannot take them out independently, we ask that they are not worn on PE days. Please speak to the school office if you are having difficulty affording school uniform. We will be happy to help if we can.
Attendance
Please be aware that if your child does not attend school for 3 days we may complete a home visit as a welfare check even if you have telephoned the school. If we do not hear from you on the first day of absence we may also complete a home visit.
Attendance and lateness impacts on your child's learning and achievement. Please read this chart to see the impact of non-attendance.
Parents who take pupils out of school for unauthorised holidays will be fined in accordance with guidance from the Department for Education.
Class Attendance
The table below shows class attendance. Attendance above 95% is classed as good attendance.
What have we been learning this week?
To find out what the children have been learning, please follow our school Twitter Pages.
https://twitter.com/PrimaryGreat
Great Coates Primary School
gcaenquiries@harbourlearningtrust.com
01472 808608
We are part of Harbour Learning Trust.
Our school motto is Success and Happiness for Every Child.
We inspire greatness in every child and to equip them with the academic achievements, life skills and personal attributes to lead happy, safe, successful lives.