Cheam Common Infants' Academy
Cheam Common Infants' Academy
Weekly Newsletter
Weekly Newsletter
Embedded Files
Monday 9th - 13th 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
I can’t believe we’re already halfway through the academic year despite feeling that January was the longest month ever. It has certainly been one of the wettest! It was wonderful to hear so many children excited about the upcoming half term break, with celebrations like Lunar New Year, Pancake Day, and the start of Ramadan. It was a pleasant change to stand on the gate at the end of the day on Friday and see a glimmer of blue sky, hearing that some children were even heading to the park.
The Spring term is always a period of significant growth in children's academic journey. After the Autumn Term’s focus on settling in, children begin to confidently apply all of their new learning. It was a joy to share the children's enthusiasm for learning with our recent Challenge Partners reviewers, and we look forward to showcasing our excellent practice to more visitors next half term. In the first week back, we will be welcoming into school the Department for Education (DfE) to discuss our NELI teaching programme, which significantly develops children's communication and language skills in our Early Years classrooms. We are also incredibly excited 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 on Friday. This is a significant opportunity to showcase our excellence in digital technology, curriculum, and inclusion across Cheam Common Junior and Infant Academies. It is wonderful to hear that our staff's expertise is also being recognised externally; we have been approached by another Sutton school (outside of LEO) to support them with their maths teaching, and Miss King is due to lead another maths Teaching and Research group. I am immensely proud of my staff for their willingness to share their expertise and support others, as well as the children, whose enthusiasm and excellent manners are always commented on by our visitors.
I know that the week will fly by but am hoping that everyone has the opportunity to spend some quality family time together be that in Worcester Park over the weekends or, if you are travelling further afield, I wish you safe travels.
See you on the 23rd February.
Mrs Hughes
Parent Workshops
Parent Workshops
Children's Mental Health Week
Children's Mental Health Week
This week, Mrs Hart led a special assembly for Children’s Mental Health Week.
The theme was ‘This is my Place.’
Mrs Hart helped the children think about the places where they feel safe and happy—whether that is at home, in the classroom, or with their friends. We talked about how we all belong at Cheam Common Infants' and how important it is to make sure everyone feels welcome and included.
It was a lovely way for the children to reflect on their well-being and the "places" that make them feel special!
Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year
On Friday the school buzzed with excitement as children were invited to celebrate Lunar New Year—specifically, the Year of the Horse—by coming to school dressed in traditional attire. This special day offered a wonderful opportunity for children to share their personal experiences of Lunar New Year celebrations at home, fostering a sense of community and cultural exchange. Throughout the day, engaging activities were held, allowing all the children to participate in marking this important event.
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!
Breakfast and After School Club: How to change, book or update
Breakfast and After School Club: How to change, book or update
Please email cciwac@leoacademytrust.co.uk or phone 07739360621.
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.
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 we have been enjoying the story Copycat, exploring themes of friendship and the fun of being inspired by others. The children have also been very excited to start Drawing Club! Our first challenge was to draw a cat, and we practised writing our names alongside our wonderful creations. We also loved learning all about the Lunar New Year. The children explored capacity using red coloured rice, listened carefully to the story of The Great Race, and even worked together to build their own Great Wall of China. We created beautiful collages using red, yellow and gold paper, and made pictures of our favourite animals from the Great Race, as well as the Jade Emperor. We are so proud of all the children’s hard work this half term. Wishing everyone a very happy and restful break!
Miss Alder, Mrs Badea and the Nursery Team
Reception
Reception have continued their exploration of famous musicians this week, focusing their ears on the legendary Louis Armstrong. After listening to his timeless classic, What a Wonderful World, the children let their imaginations soar. They created beautiful artwork inspired by the song, illustrating what their own "wonderful worlds" look like. To accompany their masterpieces, they wrote descriptive sentences sharing the people, places, and things that make their worlds so special. The children also enjoyed the natural world as part of their Forest School Lessons and enjoyed pretending to be birds and working as a team to build nests.
Our learning also took us around the globe as we explored the festivals of Lunar New Year and Ramadan. The children showed great curiosity and respect while finding out how different religions and cultures celebrate these significant times. It was wonderful to see them making connections and celebrating the diversity within our community.
We would like to say a huge congratulations to all the children for their incredible hard work and creativity this term. You have much to be proud of!
We wish all of our families a restful and happy half term holiday. We look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for more learning soon!
Mrs Woods and the EYFS Team
Year 1
Year 1
Yay, it is finally half term! The children have worked incredibly hard and as they are starting to feel quite tired, are definitely in need of a restful break. We have had a very busy week, beginning with a fantastic PE session on Tuesday where the children practiced their circuits, focusing on throwing, catching and balancing. We also marked Internet Safety Day On Tuesday, where the pupils were encouraged to talk openly about their online experiences to build a strong sense of digital awareness.
On Friday, it was wonderful to see the children dressed up for Lunar New Year, they looked amazing! They spoke so confidently about their own traditions and celebrations. Everyone learned how to draw horses to welcome in 'the Year of the horse.' In English, the children wrote clear instructions on how to plant a tree to support animals affected by deforestation. In Maths, the children explored "equation cycles," applying their knowledge of addition and subtraction to write and solve correct equations. We were incredibly proud of their success with this challenging concept! Finally, the children have completed various wider curriculum assessments in Geography, Science, and RE. They did a brilliant job recalling their learning from this half term and we couldn't be prouder of them. We hope you all have a lovely, relaxing half term!
Mrs MP and the Year 1 Team
Year 2
Year 2
Year 2 children learned how to conduct fair testing in science this week. They planned an experiment to identify whether metal, paper, fabric, or plastic would be the most suitable material for a raincoat. To ensure accurate results, all test conditions remained the same except for the material being tested. The children thoroughly enjoyed making predictions based on material properties, using pipettes to apply water, and recording their findings. They ultimately concluded that plastic is the most suitable material for a raincoat.
Safer Internet Day was celebrated on Tuesday, providing an excellent opportunity to remind the children about staying safe online. Year 2 focused on voice assistants; they discussed how these devices may sound friendly, but they are not actually "friends" and have limits to how they can help us. Please take this moment to remind your children that if they ever see something online that makes them feel uncomfortable, they should always talk to a trusted adult.
In maths, we explored doubling and its relationship to the 2x table. The children used Dienes blocks and bar models to demonstrate their understanding that doubling a number yields the same result as multiplying it by 2.
The children reflected on our recent trip to Brooklands by writing recounts. They used ambitious vocabulary, expanded noun phrases, a range of conjunctions, and time adverbials. They were incredibly proud of their work!
The Year 2 team would like to thank you all again for your support over this half-term. We wish you a very restful break.
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 'Forward-Thinking'.
🐝 Nursery 🐝
Cygnets - Isha
Ducklings - Tate
🐝 Reception 🐝
Badgers - Isabelle
Foxes - Eann
Hedgehogs - Aiden
Squirrels - Rayan
⭐️ Nursery ⭐️
Cygnets - Nikhil
Ducklings - Hudson
⭐️ Reception ⭐️
Badgers - Suraya
Foxes - Mugil
Hedgehogs - Thomas
Squirrels - Maya
🐝 Year 1 🐝
Finches - Dylan
Robins - Vihana
Sparrows - Hannan
Wrens - Penny
🐝 Year 2 🐝
Eagles - Clay
Falcons - Freddie
Kestrels - Robin
Owls - Millie W
⭐️ Year 1 ⭐️
Finches - Inaaya
Robins - Sacha
Sparrows - Peter
Wrens - Evie
⭐️ Year 2 ⭐️
Eagles - Harvir
Falcons - Ollie
Kestrels - Leia
Owls - Hannah
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!
Giacomo (Badger) was awarded the trophy for best footballer player of the week... He is so proud of his achievement!
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 📢
Before the half term break and as part of our mid-year review, letters will be sent to families of children with attendance below 90% (the threshold for persistent absence). These are routine administrative reminders to help you keep track of your child’s time in school. 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 Parent Consultations after half-term. 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!
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
Friday 13th February: honouring Lunar New Year children can choose to dress in traditional clothing if they are celebrating this.
Monday 16th - Friday 20th February: Half term
Monday 23rd February: in recognition of 100 years of World Thinking Day children who are members of Rainbows, Brownies, Cubs and Scouts have permission to wear their uniform to school this day
Thursday 26th February: School Discos -
YEAR 1, 2 & 3 - DISCOS SOLD OUT
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 (more information to follow - the children will be invited to dress up on this day)
Tuesday 10th March: Toms Talking Reptiles (Year 1)
Friday 13th March: Quiz Night
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.
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!
Sutton Dyslexia Association
Sutton Dyslexia Association
The next meeting of Sutton Dyslexia Association will be via zoom. It is a 2 Part course for parents, entitled "How to help your child with Dyslexia"
Monday 26th January 2026, 8-9 pm.
The first session deals with the experience of dyslexia for child and parent and how to give support.
The second session is looking at reading, spelling, and writing, and how to help. It also looks at the school structure and the exam process.
The course will be led by Louise Selby, who is a teacher with a level 7 specialist qualification in teaching and assessing learners with specific learning difficulties and dyslexia. She has written a program called Morph Mastery.
If you would like to join the meeting, please send your first name, surname and email address to
admin@suttondyslexia.org
You will be sent access details the morning of the meeting , so that you can join the talk from 7.45 pm.
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
Mental Health and Wellbeing Update
Local Activities and Events - General Information
Local Activities and Events - General Information
Grab a FREE Trial This January!
Give your child the chance to shine with singing, dancing, and acting sessions that build confidence, spark creativity, and help them make amazing new friends! Perfect for ages 3–18.
Our classes are currently full with a waiting list — secure your FREE January trial before spaces go!
Join us at either location:
Manor Park Primary School – Fridays at 5:30 PM
Sutton High School – Saturdays at 10:00 AM
200+ families attend weekly
Over 100 five-star Google reviews (the highest-rated performing arts school in Sutton)
Confidence through performing arts
Spaces are limited – don’t miss out!
Claim your FREE TRIAL today: www.theartshousegroup.com
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
Follow CCI on Instagram
Find us on Instagram: CCI_academy
Report abuse