Mobile phones in school

Schools must now be phone-free environments.  We have always been phone-free, but we have launched a new mobile phone policy this September to ensure we comply with the new guidance.  You can read this policy on our website here.

We recognise some children may need to bring a mobile phone with them to school. As before, these must be turned off in school and handed into the office first thing in the morning.  The phone can then be picked up at the end of the day.   No children need the phone with them during the day.   

We are now asking parents to complete a form to confirm that they allow their child to bring a phone to school with them, and that their child knows they need to bring their phone to the office as soon as they arrive.  If this form has not been completed and a child is found with a phone at school, the phone will be confiscated and the parent/carer will need to collect the phone from the school office themselves, we will not return it to the child.  

If you would like your child to bring a phone with them to school please complete the form we've sent along with this newsletter and return it to the office as soon as possible.  Copies are also available from reception.

All children

• Please remember to send your child to school with a coat.   The children will be outside for playtime even if it is damp and chilly.  The weather is very changeable and even if is sunny when they come in to school it may be raining by lunchtime so they do need a coat with them everyday.

• All children come to school with a water bottle and this should be filled with water rather than squash.   

Foundation

• Please bring your children in through the black gates at 8.40am. Mrs Bird will meet them at the wooden gate, just outside the classroom. Please collect your child at 3.25pm from the wooden gate 

• Acorns will be starting their History unit next week.  Please send in either a physical or digital baby photo we can use to try to guess who is who and look at how the children have changed.  Please send in the photo by Wednesday so the children can look at them on Thursday and Friday.

Year 1 & 2

• Please remember to send your child with their book bag and reading book everyday.

• Year 1 & 2 are looking at holidays as part of their history topic.  Please send your child to school with a photograph of them on holiday, it doesn't matter whether this is in the UK or abroad, on a beach or in a city - wherever they may have been recently.   If you have an old photo of yourself on holiday, or even a grandparent on holiday we'd really like to see these too as we'll be looking to the past as part of the topic.   We can copy photos in school if you don't want to send your child with the original.  

Year 3 & 4

• All children in Years 3 and 4 will start swimming lessons from Tuesday 15th Sept onwards.  If you have not completed the consent form please do so asap using this link swimming consent 

Year 5 & 6 

• Year 6 Leavers Hoodies can be ordered via   https://www.leavershoodies.com/high-ash-school-leavers-2027   All orders need to be placed by end of the 11th September.  

• The seconday transfer test is next week - the practice test is on Tuesday morning (8th) and the actual test on Thursday morning (10th).  If you do not wish your child to sit the test they can be withdrawn but this must be done in writing.  Please email the office asap if you wish to withdraw your child office@highashschool.co.uk

• Year 5 & 6 have morning break at 11.15am and lunch at 12.45pm.  Some of the children have been quite hungry during the moring.  The children can bring in a snack from home for break time, maybe fruit for example or a cereal bar.  Any items from home must be nut free and we ask that bars do not contain chocolate or other confectionary.  We also ask that children do not bring bags of crisps as a break-time snack.  

Diary dates for the 2026/27

• Our annual dates are available on the website for you to plan the year ahead.  Please click here