As this half term draws to a close, it is a privilege to share a summary of the outstanding progress and engagement demonstrated by all of our pupils.

The children have immersed themselves fully in a variety of fantastic learning opportunities across the curriculum. Our classrooms have been places of vibrant discovery, from sophisticated scientific investigations to engaging historical deep dives. We have seen outstanding development in literacy, with pupils confidently applying a broader range of vocabulary in their written work, and an increase in critical thinking skills within mathematics. 

As you know, a core aspect of our school’s ethos is the development of the LEO Explorer characteristics, and it has been truly inspiring to witness our pupils embodying these values daily. We have observed remarkable resilience in challenging tasks, curiosity that drives independent research, and collaboration during group projects. 

We have also started to engage in a range of rich enrichment activities this half term.   Pupils have benefited from a range of activities designed to broaden their horizons and develop community spirit. These have included engaging educational visits and a variety of sporting events promoting teamwork and physical well-being. 

Please ensure you look at our External Clubs and Opportunities page as it has details regarding some half term activities you may like to attend.

Goodbye Mrs Hellewell 

It is with a mixture of sadness and immense gratitude that we announce the departure of Mrs Hellewell, one of our long-serving and much-loved teaching assistants, as she embarks upon her retirement.

Mrs Hellewell has been an incredibly valued member of the Brookfield Primary Academy team for almost 15 years. Throughout her 14 years of service, she has provided outstanding support to countless pupils across the school, helping them to flourish both academically and personally. Her dedication, warmth, and commitment to the welfare and progress of the children have made a lasting and positive impact on our entire school community.

We sincerely thank Mrs Hellewell for her commitment and dedicated service to our pupils and to the school over the years. We wish her every success, happiness, and relaxation in her well-deserved retirement.

Good Luck Mrs Campbell

We also say goodbye this half term to Mrs Campbell as she commences her maternity leave. We are extremely excited for her and her family as they prepare to welcome a new member.  Our Nursery children will certainly miss her presence in the classroom and around the school,  but we are delighted for her at this special and significant time.

We wish Mrs Campbell the very best of luck and every possible happiness as she embarks on this wonderful new chapter with her growing family. We look forward to welcoming her and the baby for a visit soon.

Play Apparatus After School

This brief message is a reminder regarding the use of the school's play apparatus outside of the regular school day. The safety of every child at Brookfield Primary Academy is our highest priority, and we must ensure that all appropriate measures are in place to maintain a secure environment.

Please be advised that children are not permitted to play on the climbing frame at the end of the school day.  We kindly request your support with this.  Thank you.

LEO Mobile Phone Policy for Pupils

This policy is essential for maintaining a focused learning environment and supporting the safety of our pupils: 

• On School Grounds: To ensure a focused learning environment, pupils 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 pupils 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. (LEO Academy Trust holds no responsibility for loss or damage to the device whilst stored on the child's behalf).

• 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.

Year 4 & 5 School Council and Learning Ambassador trip to The Houses of Parliament

On Monday 13th October members of our Year 4 and 5 Pupil Leadership Groups had the distinct opportunity to visit the Houses of Parliament, an experience designed to deepen their understanding of our nation's democratic foundations. The visit included a presentation on the historical establishment of Parliament, offering valuable context on its enduring role in the United Kingdom. 

In addition, we were afforded an exploration of the interiors of both the House of Lords and the House of Commons, providing a fascinating and historical insight into the very heart of parliamentary proceedings. 

It was a fantastic day sparking both curiosity and ambition!

Year 1 Paddington Bear Day

On Thursday 16th October our Year 1s enjoyed a Beartastic Day dedicated to celebrating the beloved character, Paddington Bear. This immersive event saw the children engaging in a variety of activities centered around his famous adventures and love of marmalade sandwiches!

 The entire day was carefully designed to spark their creativity and pique their imagination, with the ultimate goal of inspiring them to become fantastic story writers themselves. 

Year 2 - All About Weather

Our Year 2s had a wonderful time immersing themselves in the wonderful world of changing weather this week.  Putting on their wireless headphones, they became fully immersed in a Now Press Play expereicne all about changes in weather!

Black History Month

This month, in recognition of Black History Month, our pupils have been engaged in detailed research to discover and learn about the lives and exceptional accomplishments of numerous significant figures. This work is integral to our curriculum, allowing the children to explore the profound contributions that Black individuals have made throughout history and continue to make to our world. 

The pupils have thoroughly enjoyed investigating these inspiring stories of achievement and resilience, which is invaluable in broadening their knowledge and promoting a greater understanding of global history. 

 Diwali

We hope that all our families who celebrated Diwali, the festival of light, had a truly wonderful joyous and prosperous time.

Our children had lots of fun learning about Diwali.  Year 3 read the story of Rama and Sita and decorated diyas to celebrate their return, bringing light into our school!

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

9 Month Old + Nursery

We are very pleased to inform you that we are now accepting applications for our 9 Month old + nursery - Diamond class.  

Please click here to complete the application form.  

Look out for the date of our Diamond Nursery Open Morning in November.  

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 

Important Safeguarding Notice: Children's "Spy" book

We want to make you aware of a recent issue affecting some popular children’s books by Andrew Cope, including the Spy Dogs, Spy Cats, and Spy Pups series.

Some editions of these books include a printed web address at the back. This link used to go to the author’s website, but the domain is no longer under his control. It has since been taken over by another party and now leads to inappropriate adult content.

The publisher, Puffin, has paused sales and distribution of the books and is working with schools, libraries, and retailers to remove copies from circulation. They have stressed that the website has no connection to the author or publisher.

What this means for you:

• If your child has any Spy Dog, Spy Cat or Spy Pups books at home, please check the back for website links and make sure they do not try to visit the site.

• It is safe for children to continue reading the stories themselves — the concern is only with the outdated link.

• We recommend talking with your child about the importance of not following web addresses in books without checking with an adult first.

We will continue to share updates from the publisher as more information becomes available.

Most pharmacies in England are now providing the Pharmacy First service.

This free NHS service allows you or your child to get quick access to healthcare advice for the following seven conditions:

Earache (aged 1 to 17 years)

Impetigo (aged 1 year and over)

Infected insect bites (aged 1 year and over)

Shingles (aged 18 years and over)

Sinusitis (aged 12 years and over)

Sore throats (aged 5 years and over)

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women (aged 16 to 64 years)

If you or your child has symptoms that suggest you may have one of these conditions, you can walk into a pharmacy and be offered a consultation with a pharmacist in a private consultation room. Some pharmacies also offer the service remotely as a video consultation.

Your GP surgery may also electronically refer you or your child to a pharmacy of your choice for the service.

The pharmacist will provide advice and, if clinically necessary, a prescription medicine to treat the condition (the normal NHS prescription charge rules apply to people aged 16 and over).

An electronic message will be sent to the GP surgery so they can update their records.

If the pharmacist can’t treat you or your child, they will direct you to your GP surgery or another health professional.

If you or your child have symptoms that suggest you have one of the above conditions, why not give the Pharmacy First service a try?

Find out more by watching the Pharmacy First animation or visiting nhs.uk/thinkpharmacyfirst

Tuesday 4th November to Tuesday 11th November: Poppies on sale for the Royal British Legion.  Donations for poppies, a minimum of £1 for other merchandise.

Monday 10th November: Odd Sock Day - We will be marking the start of Anti-Bullying Week by asking children to wear odd socks to school to demonstrate our message of inclusion.

Friday 14th November: Children in Need Mufti - We invite children to come to school in Mufti to raise money for the Children in Need charities. A 'QR code will be shared for donations'.  

Please click here to access all of our Autumn 2 Dates

PARKING

Safe and Courteous Parking During Pick-Up/Drop-Off

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.

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 first visit will be on Wednesday 3rd December!

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.

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. 

Please..........help your child:

• 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

Please..........help us:

• 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

Please..........help raise funds:

• 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