Brookfield Primary Academy Newsletter
13th February 2026
Brookfield Primary Academy, Ridge Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM3 9LY
www.brookfieldprimary.com
Brookfield Primary Academy, Ridge Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM3 9LY
www.brookfieldprimary.com
What a busy final two weeks of this term we have had.
Firstly, well done to Yellow House for being awarded the most house points this term and hence being awarded to come to school in mufti today.
I am also pleased to share with you that Mrs Etherington had her baby boy, Archie, on Tuesday 10th February. I am sure you will join me in congratulating her and her family.
On Friday 6th February we celebrated the NSPCC's Number day with a range of amazing number activities and we thoroughly enjoyed dressing up all mathematical! Thank you to Mrs Patel for her continued enthusiasm for all things mathematical and arrnaging such great activities for the children to complete.
On Tuesday 10th February we had Nabhi come in and deliver an assembly all about Holi. We learned that Holi is a vibrant Hindu festival of colours. This year it is celebrated on March 4th and it marks the arrival of Spring.
Tuesday 10th February was also Safer Internet day with the theme 'Smart tech, safe choices - exploring the safe and responsible use of AI'. The pupils completed different activities teaching us how we can be safe online. Please ask them what they can remember about how to be safe online. Thank you to Mr Harvey and Mr Clements for helping to organise a successful day.
This week has also been Children's Mental Health Week. The theme of the week has been 'This is my place'. We have been looking at what we do that make the children feel they belong to our Brookfield family. We have also looked at how they belong to other groups too and how belonging to a group makes us feel. We have completed a range of activities and even practised some deep breathing and meditation in assembly. Thank you to Mrs England for helping to organise this week.
Our Year 5s had a wonderful day stepping back in time to have an immersive Ancient Greek day. Dressed in their finest garments, they have an action-packed day which included an immersive experience using the Now Press Play set as well as developing their culinary skills by making Tzaziki - delicious!
Finally, it has been wonderful to see our pupils who celebrate the Lunar New Year come in their traditional outfits and find out more about the Lunar New Year celebrations they will be enjoying for the Lunar New Year on Tuesday 17th February. We wish all our families who celebrate the Lunar New Year a prosperous and healthy New Year.
Date for your diary
Thinking Day/Founders Day - Monday 23rd February. If your child belongs to any of the guiding or scouting movements, they are invited to come to school dressed in the guiding/scouting uniform on Monday 23rd February.
World Book Day - Thursday 5th March. Your child is invited to come dressed as their favourite book character or in a pair of pyjamas. On this day we will also host a second hand book fair.
Parent Consultation Meetings will be held on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th March.
On Wednesday 4th to Friday 6th February, we participated in a Challenge Partners review. As many of you will know, this is an external review where we have Senior Leaders from others schools come and look at what we offer our pupils at Brookfield. I am pleased to share the review was incredibly positive and we retain the 'Leading' standard in all areas. I am also delighted to inform you that we were also awarded the Centre of Excellence for our work on Inclusion. I am sure you will join me in tanking and congratulating all the staff and pupils involved. I will share the report with you once I receive it.
PE Days
Please see our Spring Term PE days. Please ensure your child is in the correct PE uniform on their PE days (see below for details).
Year 3 Swim on a Wednesday at Cheam Fields.
Our new Reception and Key Stage 1 play apparatus has been funded through the money raised by the PTFA over the past few years.
The funds raised by the PTFA are instrumental in enhancing the learning environment for every child. From subsidising educational workshops and school trips to purchasing equipment for our outdoor spaces, these contributions directly impact the quality of our pupils' daily school lives.
At Brookfield Primary Academy, we are committed to providing our pupils with an enriched educational experience that extends beyond the classroom. While our staff work tirelessly to deliver high-quality teaching, it is often the additional resources - the "extras" - that spark much joy and curiosity. These are only made possible through the dedicated fundraising efforts of the Parents, Teachers, and Friends Association (PTFA).
As previously shared, we currently do not have a PTFA which has meant that the annual Christmas Light Switch On event or present room did not occur last term. Other annual events (Easter raffle and Summer Fair) will also not be held this year unless we have some new members to run the PTFA.
I understand that our families lead incredibly busy lives, and the prospect of a formal commitment can feel daunting. However, I want to reassure you that we are looking to evolve how we operate.
By increasing the number of volunteers, we can distribute tasks more effectively, ensuring that the time required from any single individual is significantly reduced. Whether you can offer an hour to assist at an event or wish to take on a more active planning role, every contribution is valued.
For those who may be hesitant due to a lack of experience, please be assured that you will not be working in isolation. Our previous, experienced PTFA members have kindly offered to remain on hand to provide mentorship and advice. They are eager to share their knowledge and support new members as they transition into these roles, ensuring a smooth and collaborative handover.
We are a community that thrives when we work together, and I truly believe that with your help we can continue to provide wonderful memories for our children. Please email the office or speak to myself or Mrs Teixeira if you feel you would like to join our PTFA.
As you know, we are an inclusive school. Currently to help us develop our communication skills, we are beginning to learn Makaton. We have already learnt the sign for: We have now learnt the signs for 'to help', and winter/cold. We have learnt 'Good Morning' and 'Good Afternoon' as well as more.
Each week we are learning a different sign.
Please ask your child if they can remember any of them.
Is your child a budding artist?
Now in its eighth year, the Young Artists' Summer Show is a free, open submission exhibition for students aged 4–18 studying in the UK.
Artworks are judged by a panel of artists and arts professionals, with selected artworks displayed online and on-site at the Royal Academy of Arts.
If your child would like to enter, please get them to complete their artwork during half term and hand it to Mrs Grain in Crystal Class who will the submit it. You will need to provide a Title for your piece of art as well as a shart desciptiont about it. Please ensure all artwork is handed to Mrs Grain by Friday 27th February.
We had a fantastic time brainstorming ideas to make a real difference in how we look after our planet, right here at school. Our discussions focused on three key areas:
Litter Patrol: We talked about how to keep our school grounds and the local area tidy. We discussed the importance of using bins correctly and perhaps even organising a special tidy-up lunch time.
Making Our Grounds Eco-Friendly: We explored fun ideas for turning our school grounds into a haven for nature! This includes planting more flowers, setting up bug hotels, and finding ways to compost food waste.
Saving Water: We discussed simple but effective ways to save water around the school, like making sure taps are turned off properly and thinking about how we use water in our forest school.
After lots of brilliant ideas were shared, the eco-council and our sustainability team worked together to create this poster to spread the word about not littering!
Lunar New Year Celebration
Those who are born in the year of the Horse are said to be: confident, agreeable, and responsible, although they also tend to dislike being reined in by others.
Safer Internet Day
Tuesday 10th February was also Safer Internet day with the theme 'Smart tech, safe choices - exploring the safe and responsible use of AI'. This year we looked at the uses of AI and how we need to be very careful when we use AI. Some of our children had a go using LEGO to create their own AI Safety Bot while others had a go at creating their own safety poster.
Well done All.
Children's Mental Health Week
Mental Well-Being is incredibly important to us. While we support mental health every day of the year, we enjoy participating in children's mental health week and spending time thinking how we can support our pupils' mental health.
This week we have been completing activities to show children how they belong to the Brookfield Family.
We finished the week by looking at how we can make everyone feel like they b elong at Brookfield Primary. Can you ask your child to see if they can remember.
NSPCC Number Day
On Friday 6th February we celebrated the NSPCC's Number day. Children were encouraged to come to school dressed in a number-theme outfit. Throughout the day they completed a range of number-inspired activities aimed at developing their mathematical knowledge and understanding.
As well as having lots of fun learning maths, we raised over £170 for the NSPCC. Many thanks to all who donated.
Holi Assembly
🌈 A Riot of Color & Learning! 🌈
Our assembly hall was transformed as we celebrated the vibrant Hindu festival of Holi! We explored the "Festival of Colors," learning about the triumph of good over evil and the arrival of spring.
Dear Parent/Carer,
We truly understand how challenging it is for parents and carers to stay on top of the ever-evolving changes in technology, gaming, social media, and the online world. Recognising this rapid rate of change and both the opportunities and the challenges it can present, our goal is to support you by engaging and upskilling as many parents and carers as we can, ensuring your children's continued online safety at home.
We are continuing the work of the LEO Parent/Carer Online Safety Working Party, established last term. The Working Party aims to identify further ways we can support you in understanding the online risks children face and the safety measures that can be implemented to minimise these risks.
To effectively plan support, we are sending out this Online Safety Survey and would greatly value your input to help us tailor this to the needs of our community. Please take a couple of minutes to complete this form honestly. Please note you are not required to put any names. Your input is invaluable in shaping our support for LEO families moving forward.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have more than one child, please complete the form with your youngest child in mind. There will be a section at the end to capture any differences for older children.
Kind Regards,
Mrs. Dallimore
Trust Safeguarding Lead
ROBLOX
We have been made aware that Roblox is now requesting children to scan their face in order to provide age estimation to help improve security features.
While Roblox cannot be accessed on school devices, we would like to remind you of the importance of ensuring you have the appropriate parental controls on your personal devices to safeguard your children while they are online.
Please see below several websites and a guide to help you implement the correct parental controls on your devices.
https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/apps-and-platforms/online-gaming/roblox/
https://about.roblox.com/age-estimation
https://parentzone.org.uk/article/roblox
Please find attached our Local Offer leaflet. This leaflet provides guidance on accessing the Local Offer, which includes a wide range of resources and information for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), aged 0–25. Our website is designed to be accessible and can be easily adapted into multiple languages, ensuring that information is available to everyone.
Polish:
Proszę znaleźć w załączniku naszą ulotkę dotyczącą Local Offer. Ulotka zawiera wskazówki, jak uzyskać dostęp do Local Offer, które obejmuje szeroki zakres zasobów i informacji dla dzieci, młodzieży oraz młodych dorosłych w wieku od 0 do 25 lat ze specjalnymi potrzebami edukacyjnymi i niepełnosprawnościami (SEND). Nasza strona internetowa jest zaprojektowana tak, aby była dostępna i może być łatwo dostosowana do wielu języków, co zapewnia dostępność informacji dla wszystkich.
Urdu:
براہ کرم منسلک لوکل آفر کا لیف لیٹ دیکھیں۔ یہ لیف لیٹ آپ کو لوکل آفر تک رسائی حاصل کرنے کے بارے میں رہنمائی فراہم کرتا ہے، جس میں 0 سے 25 سال کی عمر کے بچوں، نوجوانوں اور نوجوان بالغوں کے لیے خصوصی تعلیمی ضروریات اور معذوری (SEND) سے متعلق وسیع وسائل اور معلومات شامل ہیں۔ ہماری ویب سائٹ کو اس طرح ڈیزائن کیا گیا ہے کہ یہ قابل رسائی ہو اور آسانی سے متعدد زبانوں میں ڈھالی جا سکے، تاکہ ہر کسی کے لیے معلومات دستیاب ہوں۔
Tamil:
தயவுசெய்து இணைக்கப்பட்டுள்ள Local Offer விளக்கக் கையேட்டை பார்க்கவும். இந்த கையேடு Local Offer-ஐ அணுகுவதற்கான வழிகாட்டுதலை வழங்குகிறது, இதில் 0 முதல் 25 வயது வரை உள்ள சிறப்பு கல்வி தேவைகள் மற்றும் மாற்றுத்திறனாளிகளுக்கான (SEND) பல்வேறு வளங்கள் மற்றும் தகவல்கள் அடங்கியுள்ளன. எங்கள் இணையதளம் அனைவருக்கும் அணுகக்கூடியதாக வடிவமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது மற்றும் பல மொழிகளில் எளிதாக மாற்றிக்கொள்ள முடியும், இதனால் தகவல்கள் அனைவருக்கும் கிடைக்கின்றன.
SUNSETTERS & SUNRISERS
If you need to book, change or update staff regarding anything to do with wrap around care, please use the following contact details:
Telephone: 07762411746
Email: bfwac@leoacademytrust.co.uk
DONATIONS
With the colder weather, we would be most grateful if you could supply your child with a box of tissues for their classroom.
We would also be very grateful for any donations of trainers for our Nursery and Reception children please.
Thank you in advance for your support
Applications for Primary Initial Teacher Training (ITT) for September 2026 are OPEN.
LEO Academy Trust works in partnership with the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) to deliver our school-centred ITT programme.
Be in the classroom from day one: Our programme offers fully immersive training.
Highly Supportive: You will be fully supported with weekly central training and dedicated mentoring.
High-Quality Programme: Benefit from the NIoT's educational excellence right here, locally.
Express your interest here and we will send you further details on this exciting opportunity.
We are passionate about keeping our pupils safe. We regularly remind children to speak out if they feel unsafe.
While we do watch the PANTS video with the children to remind them how to keep safe, we would recommend you too take time to watch it with your child.
While we encourage as many pupils as possible to ride and scoot to school, can we please ask that children only WALK their scooters and bikes when on the school premises. This means they need to dismount BEFORE entering either the front or back gate. We have almost had several accidents this week and want to ensure everyone is safe.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Ensuring the safety of our pupils is our top priority. This includes maintaining a smooth and safe environment for pick-up and drop-off times.
The school has never, and will never, advise parking in a way that obstructs residents' driveways on Ridge Road, or anywhere else in the neighborhood. We understand the convenience of pulling right up, but it's crucial to park legally and considerately.
We kindly ask all parents and guardians to be mindful of the following during pick-up and drop-off:
Park safely and with due care.
Respect our neighbours and local residents. This includes not parking across driveways at any time.
If parking is limited, consider carpooling or using alternative transportation options when possible.
To further ensure safety and a smooth flow of traffic, we've requested additional police patrols during pick-up and drop-off times.
We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our school community safe and considerate of our neighbours.
The school uniform policy contributes to a positive and inclusive learning environment. We rely on parents' and guardians' support in ensuring their children wear the correct uniform.
Click here for the LEO Academy Trust Uniform Policy
Brookfield Primary Academy - Appendix 1
We thank you in advance, for your support in paying for any trips, after school sessions or clubs on Arbor promptly. Please let the office know if you require help to access the payment pages.
On School Grounds:
To ensure a focused learning environment, students are not permitted to use their personal mobile phones on school grounds or during lessons at LEO Academy Trust schools. This policy has a single exception for documented medical needs.
Storage and Use
For students who travel alone and carry a phone (at their parents' discretion), devices must be turned off upon entering school grounds and remain off until they exit the school gates. All such phones will be securely stored by the school upon arrival and returned at the end of the school day.
Parental Considerations
We advise parents and guardians to consider providing their children with less expensive devices for safety reasons. While these devices still allow for calls and texts, they can mitigate some of the wider risks associated with more costly phones. We recognise that the ultimate decision regarding device choice rests with the parents.
Online Safety Education
LEO Academy Trust prioritises online safety. Our curriculum, parent workshops, and communications consistently highlight the dangers of unsupervised online access, particularly concerning social media. We also offer regular training and support for parents on online safety practices and managing parental controls on a variety of devices.
We are extremely excited to announce that our new Behaviour reward activity each term will be at Family Fun Zone at St Nicholas Shopping Centre in Sutton. Family Fun Zone are allowing us to visit them for FREE! Our next visit is on Wednesday 18th March.
Reporting Absences
There is no longer an option to report a child’s absence via telephone. We ask that you use the google forms below to report absence. They are also available to complete on our website using the parent tab.
We do not authorise holidays during term time. If your child is going to be off school due to an exceptional circumstance, then please complete this form:
Request for Exceptional Absence in advance for future appointments and exception absence.
Brookfield Primary Academy Absence Form for sickness and same day medical appointments.
GATES
In the morning, ALL gates open at 8:30am and Shut at 8:45am when school starts for all children. If you arrive after this time, please take your child to the office.
In the afternoon, ALL gates open at 3:10pm and close at 3:30pm. If you arrive after this time, please collect your child from the office.
We thank you for your cooperation with this.
If you have moved address, it is imperative that you inform the school office as soon as you have moved. It is a requirement that the school has up to date details particularly in case of an emergency.
Please email the school office bfoffice@leoacademytrust.co.uk if your details need updating. Alternatively you can update them using the Arbor App.
DONATIONS
We would be most grateful if you could supply a box of tissues for your child's class, if you are able to.
We would be very grateful for any donations of age 3/4 uniform, underwear and plimsolls for early years.
Thank you for your cooperation.
If your child has an illness that requires them to take medication during school hours (e.g. antibiotics, cough medicine, creams etc.), you must fill in a Medicine Permission form. This can be found on our website under the Parents tab. Hard copies are also available on the carousel in the school office reception area.
This form, and the medication, must be brought to the school office on the morning that the medication is due to start. The school office staff will administer the medication at the times stated on the form by the parent/carer. You can collect the medication at the end of the school day, or at the end of the illness.
Please do not send any medicine into class with your child, this includes sore throat lozenges.
If we do not have a Medical Permission form, we will not be able to administer medication to your child.
Please can we ask you and your child to read through and confirm the Brookfield Primary Academy's Home School Agreement. The Home School Agreement is a document that outlines what expectations you can have of the school, what expectations we have of our parents/carers and what expectations we have of our pupils.
Also, as part of GDPR, at the end of every academic year, we are required to check that the data we hold for your child on Arbor is up to date and correct. Please can we ask you to log into the Arbor app and click on your child's face (top left hand side of the screen), this will bring up their details. Please scroll down and check if the information is correct, if you need to make any changes this can be done via the app and will be automatically sent to the office admin team to approve.
Also, please can we ask you to check the parental consents for your child, if any of the consents are incorrect or you wish to add or amend anything please let us know, via email bfoffice@leoacademytrust.co.uk and we can make the necessary changes.
If we do not hear from you we will accept that the data/consents we hold are correct.
Please refer to our website for our policies: https://www.brookfieldprimary.com/707/policies-and-statements
We pride ourselves on offering our children varied and exciting experiences and activities that help to support their learning of the curriculum. The School Fund will allow us to provide additional activities across all year groups.
We have a voluntary school fund donation of £10 a term / £30 a year per child or £40 for a family if there are siblings at the school. Parents can pay for School Fund online via our Arbor payment system, go to Accounts - School Fund - Top Up Account.
We would like to thank you for your support.
Regularly listen to your child(ren) read
Encourage your child(ren) to complete their homework / Doodle Activities / Timetable Rockstars
Ask your child about their day and talk about the amazing things they have learned
Talk positively to your child(ren) about school and their progress / praise their achievements
Speak to your child(ren)'s class teacher or a member of the Senior Leadership Team if you have any concerns regarding your child(ren)
Avoid taking your child(ren) out of school during the school day / term time for appointments and holidays
Drop your child(ren) off to school on time and in the correct uniform / collect your child(ren) on time / if you drive to collect your child(ren), ensure that you park safely respecting our neighbours and local businesses
Carefully read all communications to ensure that they are fully understood and actioned (if required)
Promptly report your child(ren)'s absence via the online form
Ensure you pay for school meals / trips / events on time via Arbor
If using extended services provided by school - Breakfast & Afterschool club, keep your account in credit
If you have a child in nursery who attends additional sessions , ensure you keep their account in credit
Update your personal information via the Arbor App if there are any changes
Contribute towards the School Fund
Consider taking part in the LEO lottery
Purchase online items via the Easy Fundraising App (if applicable)
Support the PTFA in attending events / or even better support the PTFA in helping to organise events
If you have any enquiries whether general or specifically for your child's class teacher or Year Group lead please email the school office: bfoffice@leoacademytrust.co.uk.
Please note we will aim to respond as soon as possible and within 5 working days.