Cheam Common Infants' Academy
Cheam Common Infants' Academy
Weekly Newsletter
Weekly Newsletter
Embedded Files
Monday 23rd - 27th February 2026
Cheam Common Infants' Academy: Balmoral Road, Worcester Park, KT4 8SS
Email: ccioffice@leoacademytrust.co.uk https://www.cheamcommoninfants.com/
Message from the Principal
Message from the Principal
The children have returned after half term refreshed and ready to learn, which is perfect as we have a lot to cover in this short 5-week term. The week began with our annual safeguarding audit, conducted by Mrs Emma Dallimore, our Trust Safeguarding Lead. We also had a visit from Members of the Department for Education who met with myself and Mrs Woods to discuss the positive impact of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI). We run the NELI program in both Nursery and Reception to support the development of language acquisition for our youngest students. On Thursday, Miss King hosted her fourth Maths Teacher Research Group, helping a range of Sutton teachers to develop their maths practice. This is part of her role as a Maths Mastery Specialist, in partnership with the NCETM Maths Hub. https://www.ncetm.org.uk/maths-hubs/
On Friday, we were honoured to welcome Susan Acland-Hood (Permanent Secretary, Department for Education) and Emran Mian (Permanent Secretary, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology) to the Cheam Common Schools. We were excited to showcase our balanced approach to using technology to support children's learning in school. They were able to see first-hand how technology enhances learning at Cheam Common, supporting the children's development of foundational educational skills.
Sadly, we said goodbye to Mr Ives this week, who has been part of the Cheam Common PE coaching team since September. We wish him all the best in his new role as an HLTA at Carew Academy and look forward to hearing how he gets on. Due to this departure, we may need to change the days of some classes' PE slots, but we will inform you if this affects your child.
We are delighted to announce an exciting new development in our community links: the launch of our intergenerational reading scheme!
Starting next Tuesday, a selection of our children will visit the local church for 45 minutes to read to some of the older members of our community. Accompanied by myself, Mr. Raney, or both of us, the children will have a wonderful opportunity to share their current reading books, perform the 'Poem of the Week', and proudly showcase a piece of work they are particularly pleased with. This might include an artwork, a project from their wider curriculum books, or a piece of writing.
After a quick refreshment of water, squash, and a biscuit, the children will return to school. The benefits of intergenerational activities are well-established, and I eagerly anticipate watching our pupils develop their empathy, enhance their understanding of our older generations, and build the confidence to articulate and share their learning with others.
I am looking forward to seeing you all at parents evening this coming week. It will be a wonderful opportunity to share with you how well the children are progressing with their learning.
Mrs Hughes
Parent Workshops
Parent Workshops
Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
It was a privilege to welcome Susan Acland-Hood (Permanent Secretary, Department for Education) and Emran Mian (Permanent Secretary, Department for Scient, Innovation and Technology to Cheam Common on Friday 27th February. Their visit provided a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate how we are integrating technology and AI to enhance teaching and learning across both schools. At LEO we use technology thoughtfully - enhancing learning, supporting SEND and reducign staff workload. Following our feature in the Schools White Paper - Every Child Achieving and Thrivign we enjoyed sharing our balanced approach to the active use of technology in the classroom to support the children's learning.
World Book Day
World Book Day
We are delighted to announce that we will be celebrating World Book Day on Friday 6th March. This is a wonderful opportunity for our school community to come together and share our collective passion for reading.
To mark the occasion, we invite all children to come to school dressed as their favourite book character. Whether they choose a classic protagonist, a modern-day hero, or a character from a beloved picture book, we cannot wait to see their imaginative costumes. Please ensure outfits are practical and comfortable for a full day of school activities.
Secondhand Book Sale and Donations
Throughout the week, we are asking for children to bring in one (or more if they're feeling generous) secondhand books.
On Friday afternoon, we invite all families to look through our collection of secondhand books, and we will be operating a 'pay what you can' system for these books, with a recommended payment of 50p per book. This money will go into broadening our classroom libraries.
As ever, thank you for your support.
School Updates
School Updates
Easy Fundraising
Easy Fundraising
easyfundraising is a free UK charity cashback platform that allows users to raise money for a good cause by shopping online with partner retailers. When you shop through the easyfundraising website, app, or browser extension, retailers donate a percentage of your purchase to your chosen charity or good cause at no extra cost to you
Scan this QR code to sign up - at no cost to you!
Gate Times
Gate Times
Just a gentle reminder that universal breakfast club runs from 8.10-8.40 am at Cheam Common Infants. The Office reception area gate opens at 8.10 am and children are welcomed in through this entrance until 8.30am. At 8.30 am the main entrance gates on Kingsmead Road and the Nursery Gate on Balmoral Road open. These close at 8.40am so children can start their phonics lessons at 8.45am. This is different from the gates at the Junior School as their day runs from 8.45am to 3.15pm so their morning gates close at 8.45am.
🚗 Kingsmead Avenue 🚗
🚗 Kingsmead Avenue 🚗
A reminder that, although Sutton Safe Streets are in place on Kingsmead Avenue, the road is still open to those with a permit. We have seen an increase in children cycling on the road, or families walking up and down the road, and not noticing cars (which can be incredibly quiet now).
Please ensure that your children are being safe on the roads when travelling to and from school.
A Reminder: Being a Good Neighbour & Parking/Road Safety
A Reminder: Being a Good Neighbour & Parking/Road Safety
As we navigate the daily hustle of drop-off and pick-up, we want to ensure our school remains a positive and safe part of the local community. Lately, we have received a few concerns regarding traffic and parking in the streets surrounding the school.
To keep our students safe and maintain a great relationship with our neighbors, please keep the following in mind:
Respect Resident Access: Please avoid parking across or partially blocking private driveways. Even a "quick two-minute drop-off" can prevent a neighbor from getting to work or attending an appointment.
Prioritise Safety Over Speed: The areas around our gates get very busy. Please maintain a slow speed, stay off the pavements, and remain extra vigilant for small children who may be difficult to see between parked cars.
Visibility Matters: Parking too close to junctions or on yellow zig-zags reduces visibility for everyone, making it much harder for students to cross the road safely.
We know the school run can be stressful, but taking an extra minute to find a legal, safe parking space makes a world of difference for our children’s safety and our neighbors' peace of mind.
Thank you for your cooperation and for setting a great example for our students!
IMPORTANT
IMPORTANT
Changes to Wrap Around Care
Changes to Wrap Around Care
We are moving our Wrap Around Care bookings process to Childcare Bookings for Schools (CBfS). To secure your child’s place for the summer term (starting 14th April 2026), please register on the new system by 10th March 2026. Your current sessions for spring term 2 will remain booked with your school and Arbor will continue to invoice until 27th March 2026.
All outstanding Arbor balances need to be paid in full by 27th March 2026
Please carefully read the letter below for further information.
CCI & CCJ Parent Letter- Booking system launch
As CBfS will manage all aspects of bookings and payments any questions need to be sent directly to them.
CBfS Contact Details
CBfS Contact Phone Number: 01444 523335
CBfS email - enquiries@childcarebookings.co.uk
Email communication
Email communication
If you are emailing in with a message about your child, please include their name and class (ideally in the subject line). Collectively, this will save our office staff a huge amount of time.
Sutton School Nurse details
Sutton School Nurse details
School Nurse leaflet 5-11.pdfOT parent workshop taking place on 4th March at 1.00 pm . It will be virtual, and the link in the QR code on the flyer.
Labelled belongings
Labelled belongings
It would be appreciated if all children's belongings were labelled clearly with their name, especially jumpers, coats and water bottles. We have a lot of unnamed items in our lost property cupboard already.
Family Support Worker - referral form
Family Support Worker - referral form
If you would like to explore ways that our Family Support Worker could support your family, please complete this Google Form.
School Lunches
School Lunches
Spring Term - Themed Lunches
Spring Term - Themed Lunches
Our next theme day will be on 5th March - World Book Day
Weekly School and Sporting News Stories
Weekly School and Sporting News Stories
Early Years
Early Years
Nursery
This week in Nursery, the children enjoyed the story Toby and the Tricky Things, which sparked lots of wonderful discussions about feelings and problem-solving. In Drawing Club, they continued practising their mark-making skills by drawing elephants and writing their names. As part of our learning, we also explored science books about animals, with a special focus on bears and their habitats. The children painted amazing pictures of their favourite types of bears and shared a variety of animal-themed stories and nursery rhymes, making our learning both fun and engaging!
Miss Alder, Mrs Badea and the Nursery Team
Reception
It has been an action-packed first back week in Reception as the children dived into the world of real-life heroes.
Inspired by our focus book, Superhero Like You by Dr Ranj, the children have been exploring the incredible jobs people do in our community to keep us safe and healthy. The classroom was buzzing as children designed their own superhero puppets using lolly sticks, made superhero masks and painted vibrant pictures of their favorite heroes. The children also drew wonderful portraits of Dr Ranj and practiced their phonics by writing descriptive sentences about him. In numeracy, we’ve been mastering the "5 and a bit" method to build and understand numbers 6 through 10. With the arrival of some slightly warmer weather and some flowers in bloom, the children also used their artistic skills to paint some beautiful spring pictures. The children have really enjoyed their first wee back and it has been wonderful to see the children recognizing that you don’t need a cape to be a hero—sometimes, you just need a helping hand!
Mrs Woods and the EYFS Team
Year 1
Year 1
Welcome back! We hope you all had a wonderful half-term break. It has been a "fin-tastic" first week in Year 1 as the children dived into our new English book, 'Shark Lady'. They have been fascinated by the life of the significant scientist Eugenie Clark and have produced some wonderful writing based on their own shark research. In Maths, we have been mastering our number bonds to 10, with the children confidently using mathematical language to explain how these sums are commutative. Our new Science topic on animals is also off to a flying start; the children have been busy acting as young zoologists to classify mammals and identify carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores. To top it all off, we began our Design Technology project by exploring the mechanisms of pop-up books to see how the pictures move. What a fun and busy start to the new term!
Mrs MP and the Year 1 Team
Year 2
Year 2
This week, we had great fun in our geography lesson developing our map skills. The children were fascinated by the way the 3D world is represented on 2D maps. By exploring atlases and globes, they learned how to identify and label the seven continents. The highlight was their beautiful rendition of the ‘Continents Song’, which tunefully reinforced their learning!
We began to read ‘Ossiri and the Bala Mengro’, a tale of a resilient little girl whose determination and love unexpectedly calmed a ferocious ogre. We started by writing sentences describing the characters’ emotions using a range of conjunctions and interesting adjectives.
In Maths, we continued to learn about how the two times table is related to halving and doubling. The children now have a clear understanding that if one factor is two, the other factor will be half of the product; they are now able to apply this knowledge to solve related word problems.
In Art, we explored the work of two expressive artists and analysed how they use colours and mark-making to create beautiful works of art. The children experimented using watercolours with different brush strokes to recreate the work of expressive painters Charlie French and Marela Zacarías.
We have also been developing our research and oracy skills in Science this week. Working in groups, the Year 2 pupils researched different habitats using Thinglink and then shared what they had learned by giving presentations to the rest of the class.
What a fantastic first week back!
Mrs Harris and the Year 2 Team
Birthday celebrations
Birthday celebrations
Polite reminder...
As you know, we are a healthy school and therefore ask if your child would like to celebrate their birthday, they donate a book to a library instead of bringing treats. This also ensures there are no concerns over allergies.
We will share any photos of children and their birthday books here every week!
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday
⭐️ School Achievements ⭐️
⭐️ School Achievements ⭐️
🐝 Weekly 3 Bees Certificate 🐝
⭐️ Star of the Week ⭐️
This week's Explorer Value is 'Resilient'.
🐝 Nursery 🐝
Cygnets - Theo
Ducklings - Darcey
🐝 Reception 🐝
Badgers - Evie
Foxes - Vedant
Hedgehogs - Robbie
Squirrels - Lily
⭐️ Nursery ⭐️
Cygnets - Grace
Ducklings - Asher
⭐️ Reception ⭐️
Badgers - Cayden
Foxes - Aaron
Hedgehogs -Isla
Squirrels - Gunav
🐝 Year 1 🐝
Finches - Neve
Robins - Evie
Sparrows - Harvey
Wrens - Jensen
🐝 Year 2 🐝
Eagles - Lucas
Falcons - Lea
Kestrels - Yan Yan
Owls - Annabel
⭐️ Year 1 ⭐️
Finches - Seb
Robins - Aiza
Sparrows - Milo
Wrens - Matilda
⭐️ Year 2 ⭐️
Eagles - Lucy
Falcons - Alexandra
Kestrels - Aarvi
Owls - Lily
Out of school achievements
Out of school achievements
If you would like to share your child's achievements outside of school with us, we'd love to hear them! Please complete this short form to tell us all about it!
Amazing Achievement for Summer - Level 3 in her swimming - well done!
Maya completed her 21st parkrun, her marathon!
Spring 1 Curriculum Newsletters and Home Learning
Spring 1 Curriculum Newsletters and Home Learning
Important information
Important information
Communication
To help us assist you more efficiently when you email the school office, we kindly request that you include your child's class along with their name in your correspondence.
While we know all our students very well, having the class information readily available helps us to quickly identify your child and address your queries without any delay or guesswork.
For example, please consider writing: "Regarding [Child's Full Name], [Class, e.g., Year R - Squirrels]" in the subject line or at the beginning of your email.
Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated and will help us continue to provide the best possible support to you and your children.
Thank you for your understanding.
Moving address
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 ccioffice@leoacademytrust.co.uk if your details need updating. Alternatively you can update them using the Arbor App.
Reporting Attendance
Reporting Attendance
We ask that you use one of the Google Forms below to report absence.
Request for Exceptional Absence form in advance for future appointments and exception absence.
Cheam Common Infants' Absence Form for sickness and same day medical appointments.
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:
You can also log same-day absences for your children directly through the Parent Portal or Arbor App. Simply navigate to the Attendance section, click "Log Absence," and fill in the details. You can adjust the start and end times if it is not a full-day absence. Once submitted, school staff will review and either approve or reject the request. You will see approved absences in the Attendance tab.
Please note, this feature is only for same-day absences; for any extended or future absences, please continue to complete and submit the request for exceptional absence. We will also continue to use the same day absence google form. If you need to change an unapproved absence request, you will need to delete it and create a new one, as editing is not possible. Once an absence is approved, it cannot be deleted through the app, so you will need to contact the school for any further modifications
Attendance Update 📢
You can check your child's current marks anytime via the Arbor app.
Class teachers will be available to discuss attainment and "catch-up" support for any gaps caused by absence during the Parent Consultations next week.
Please remember that persistent absence or 10+ sessions of lateness can result in Local Authority fines. We look forward to working together to support your child’s progress!
Appointments
We ask for your continued support in ensuring our students get the most out of every single school day. While we understand that some specialist or emergency medical visits are unavoidable, we are seeing an increasing number of students being collected mid-day for routine check-ups. In line with our attendance policy, please try to book non routine appointments outside of school hours. Where an appointment is booked during school hours we ask that you provide written confirmation of the appointment.
Why this helps:
Learning: Every missed hour makes it harder for students to keep up with new lessons.
Focus: Mid-day departures disrupt the entire class.
Staffing: Frequent collections create extra administrative work for our team, pulling teachers and office staff away from their duties.
DFE resources
Supporting School Attendance: A Role for All Healthcare Practitioners
Education Hub Blog: Reducing the spread of illness this winter: Seven steps to healthier schools and higher school attendance – a helpful blog for parents and staff.
NHS Guidance for Parents: Is my child too ill for school? – a useful resource to help parents decide when children should stay at home.
Preventing and Controlling Infections Guidance: Includes advice on vaccination, ventilation, and good respiratory hygiene.
A–Z of managing Infectious Diseases: Practical guidance on managing specific illnesses.
Spring Term Dates
Spring Term Dates
Please find below all the key dates and times for the Autumn Term.
PTA events are shown in this colour. Please see below for more details.
New dates
Monday 2nd March: Eat them to Defeat Them week
Tuesday 3rd and Thursday 5th March: CCI Parent Consultation Evenings
Friday 6th March: World Book Day
Tuesday 10th March: Toms Talking Reptiles (Year 1)
Friday 13th March: Quiz Night - SOLD OUT
Thursday 19th March: Rocksteady Concert (timings to be confirmed)
Thursday 19th March or Friday 20th March: Eid Celebration
Friday 27th March - last day of Spring Term: 2.00 pm finish
Monday 30th March - Friday 10th April : Easter Break
Monday 13th April: Inset Day
Tuesday 14th April: First day of Summer Term
Tuesday 30th June: Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Sports Day
Friends of Cheam Common - Updates
Friends of Cheam Common - Updates
The Friends of Cheam Common now has Facebook group, where you can follow any updates on upcoming events or how you can get involved.
Quiz Night - SOLD OUT
Quiz Night - SOLD OUT
Krispy Creme Sale
Krispy Creme Sale
Friday 20th March
Friday 20th March
Summer Fair
Summer Fair
Request
Request
Secondhand Uniform
Secondhand Uniform
A gentle reminder, please only donate the items listed below.
Logo jumper
Logo cardigan
Logo fleece
Logo waterproof jacket
Logo PE tshirt
Logo polo shirts
Junior PE black quarter zip top
Ties
Red PE shorts
Please do not donate, shirts, or grey uniform items; we have very limited storage space and we can’t store those items currently. We will let you know when we are able to accept these items again.
Thank you so much for supporting the second hand uniform sale on Friday. We are delighted that good quality school uniform can be reused and help families.
Going forward, we need to reduce the uniform service that we offer unfortunately. We will no longer be taking uniform email requests for the foreseeable future. The uniform service has expanded immensely with donations and requests over the past year. Whilst it has been absolutely wonderful to offer this service to the school community; sadly, we don't have the volunteers to sustain the huge amount of time this service requires.
However, we are very happy to still offer a termly uniform sale, where we'll have plenty of uniform on offer to stock up for the term ahead.
Please leave donations at either the Infants’ or Junior’s office.
We hope you understand the decision we've had to take, and we thank you, as always, for your continued support.
SEND & Inclusion Updates
Click the image above for further information!
Keeping Safe Online
DIGI Safe - Keeping Children Safe Online
DIGI Safe - Keeping Children Safe Online
LGFL have launched a wonderfully informative and practical website full of resources to help keep children safe online. With videos, informative guides and top tips, there is lots to explore to help keep your child safe whilst online. To visit, click here.
Family Support
Family Support Workers
Please click here to access our Family Support Workers portal with lots of information and resources to support you.
Primary Parents - NHS Wellbeing Workshops
Primary Parents - NHS Wellbeing Workshops
The Education Wellbeing Service March webinars for Primary
We have the Supporting common child anxieties and worries including around exams on 24th and 26th March 2026
The SWLSTG Education Wellbeing Service is offering lunchtime and evening parent Webinars across the year to help support your child’s wellbeing and mental health.
You can sign up to any of their free webinars by copying these URL’s:
Early Years:
Primary Years:
Mental Health and Wellbeing Update
Local Activities and Events - General Information
Local Activities and Events - General Information
Future term dates
Future term dates
Keep up to date with Cheam Common Infants and LEO Academy social media pages!
Keep up to date with Cheam Common Infants and LEO Academy social media pages!
Follow CCI on X
Follow CCI on X
Follow LEO on X
Follow LEO on X
Keep up to date with all the news, events & opportunities from across @LEOacademies
Follow CCI on Facebook
Follow CCI on Facebook
Find us on Facebook: cheamcommoninfants
Find us on Facebook: cheamcommoninfants
Follow CCI on Instagram
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Find us on Instagram: CCI_academy
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