Newsletter
21st April 2023
Principal's Message:
Welcome back to the first week of Term 5.
This term brings with it the SATs for both Year 2 and Year 6. Both year groups (children and adults alike) have worked extraordinarily hard to prepare for these statutory assessments and we know that they will continue to work hard throughout them.
As you are well aware, there is so much more to school life than just assessments and so there are lots of other exciting opportunities to look forward to. Along with the rest of the nation, we will be celebrating the Coronation in true Langley fashion. A big thank you to Mrs Dunn and the PTFA for organising and supporting this event. Already, we have also had Year 5 visit Dover Castle on Wednesday. By all accounts, they represented the school in an exemplary way and all had a wonderful time.
You will have also noticed that our automated gates are now fully commissioned and therefore in use. We are so pleased that these are now in place as there has had to be a lot of work and liaison to make it possible. I can assure you that Mrs Jack and Mrs Dennison are over the moon with the new installation! The next stage in our plans to further evolve the school site is to move the fence line by the nursery doors to the edge of the school building by Year 2. This will provide further safety as it strengthens the school's secure line.
The last phase of the updates will see improved car park markings and signage which will create increased parking spaces, clear separation from staff parking to visitor/parent parking, more logical zebra crossings and better defined walkways for pedestrians. This will happen over the summer holiday. Until then, we really need to work together to reduce the number of cars in the car park. Increasingly, we have noticed more and more inconsiderate parking which is making our school site really unsafe for our children. We are receiving concerns from our community and stating that they observe near misses happening quite regularly. I therefore respectfully ask that you supervise your children closely at drop off and pick up, designated parking spaces are used, the drop off zone is not used for parking and walking to school is prioritised over using the car.
I will write to you in the new week regarding the teacher strikes that have been planned for 27th April and 2nd May but please be reassured that we will always prioritise remaining open for our pupils.
Have a lovely weekend.
Miss Brading
Office Reminders:
The original intercom system for the school, located by the pedestrian gate, is currently not working. It is understood that visitors can perhaps hear staff talking to them, but we are unable to hear you! Contractors are working hard to fix the issue but in the meantime, we would be grateful if could please use the new intercom located at the vehicle gates to alert staff of your arrival at the academy and the reason for your visit.
Thank you for your patience whilst this matter is resolved.
Contacting the class teachers:
If you have concerns that you would like to raise with the academy, please do so via the office email address which is contactus@langleyparkprimaryacademy.org.uk. Upon receipt, your email will be directed to the relevant member(s) of staff.
We respectfully ask that you address any concerns or issues with your child's class teacher in the first instance. If it remains unresolved then your concern will then be escalated to Mrs McRobb, Vice Principal. In the unlikely event that it continues to remain unresolved, it will be escalated to Miss Brading at that point.
We are also aware that some parents continue to email staff directly. In the event that this happens, staff have been asked to forward your email to the aforementioned email address to resume communication via the correct channels.
Whole School Attendance:
96.53%
Weekly Class Attendance Award:
Empire
99.58%
Key Dates:
Friday 28th April Year 2 Coffee and Conversation, 2.30pm
Monday 1st May Bank holiday, academy closed
Tuesday 2nd May Charity Tuesday
Wednesday 3rd May Year 3 Trip to Dover Museum
Monday 8th May Bank holiday, academy closed
Monday 15th May Nursery Walk to Aldi and Costa (all week)
Wednesday 24th May Nursery Stay and Play Session, 2.30pm
Thursday 25th May Reception Trip to Leeds Castle
Friday 26th May Last day of Term 5
Please note that these are confirmed dates but should we need to change any due to unforeseen circumstances, we will communicate this with you with as much notice as possible.
National Online Safety Guide
Have you ever read something online that has changed your perspective? Provided new information and made you look at an issue in a completely different light? Imagine if that kind of thing never happened; if everything you read on the internet simply reinforced what you thought to begin with and, what's more, confirmed that pretty much everyone else out there in cyberspace felt the same way.
Welcome to the world of online echo chambers, where one particular trail of thought is constantly repeated and never challenged. This lack of impartiality can be damaging if the opinion is an extreme one, and especially for younger people who are generally more inclined to believe it.
The below guide examines echo chambers - how they work, why they are potentially harmful to impressionable young internet users and what trusted adults need to know. We hope you find this useful.
