This week has been a vibrant blend of physical activity, digital exploration, and meaningful reflection. We kicked things off by focusing on our digital and emotional well-being through Safer Internet Day and Children’s Mental Health Week. These initiatives allowed our students to discuss the importance of staying secure online while learning practical strategies for maintaining a healthy mind. To complement these discussions, we hosted a fantastic Digital Discovery Day, where students had the opportunity to dive deep into new technologies, sparking curiosity and innovation across all year groups.

Our sports calendar has been exceptionally busy, showcasing the incredible talent and teamwork of our pupils. From the competitive energy of the HP vs. Hinchley Wood fixtures to the high-stakes U11 Girls Brentford FC Finals, our athletes represented the school with immense pride. We also saw fantastic participation in the Year 5 and 6 Judo and Hockey Festivals, as well as some high-energy matches at the Year 6 Elmbridge Dodgeball tournament. A special mention goes to our Year 3 and 4 gymnasts, who displayed grace and skill at the LEO Sports Gymnastics event this afternoon.

As we reach the end of this productive term, we would like to wish all our families a wonderful and restful half-term break. For those celebrating the Lunar New Year over the holiday, we wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year! For those of you embarking in the month of fasting, wishing our Muslim families a blessed month of Ramadan.  We would also like to send our best wishes to all members of our school community celebrating Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. Whether you spend Tuesday enjoying some delicious pancakes together or are observing the beginning of Lent next week, we hope it is a meaningful time of reflection and preparation for your family.

We are incredibly proud of everything the children have achieved so far this year and look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for Spring 2 on Monday 23rd February.

Coming soon! 

Train to teach with LEO Academy Trust!

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.

HALF TERM (16th February to 20th February)

Return to school - Monday 23rd February 

Chance to Shine Cricket sessions start - 24th February 

Year 6 Open Morning - 24th February 9 am

Year 1 Open Afternoon - 24th February 2.35 pm 

Year 3 Swimming stats - 25th February 

Year 5 Young Voices at O2 - 25th February 

PTA Year 2  Cake Sale -  27th February 

London Carers Festival - 2nd March 

International Women's Day at Fulham FC - 2nd March 

Year 3 Open Morning - 3rd March 9 am 

Year 5 Open Morning - 4th March 9 am 

Year 4 Open Morning - 4th March 2.35 pm 

Year 2 Open Afternoon - 4th March 2.35 pm 

World  Book Day - 5th March 

Boys Chelsea Finals - 9th March 

Year 6 Ski trip - 10th March 

Reception Open afternoon -10th March 2.35 pm

Parent Consultations - week commencing 16th March 

Year 5 residential - week commencing 23rd March 

Last  Day of term - 27th March (Finish at 1.30 pm)

OPAL resources 

Thank you for thinking of us! However, please note that we are not currently accepting any book donations. We are only seeking the following OPAL items at this time:

• Small World Play: Wow toys, Happy Land toys, and Dinosaurs.

• Loose Parts: Old Christmas decorations (baubles only—no glass please!).

• Kitchen/Outdoor Play: Sauce pans (no glass lids) and Ground Sheets or Tarpaulins.

Wrap Around Care Staff Member Vacancy

We are currently seeking an enthusiastic and reliable member of staff to join the Hurst Park Wrap Around Care team! This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to top up their hours and make a real difference in the lives of our children.

The role involves supervising activities, assisting with the service of breakfast and tea, and ensuring the safety and well-being of the children.

The available fixed hours are:

-Breakfast Club (Tuesday to Thursday): 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM

-After School Club (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday): 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

How to Apply

If you, or anyone you know, who would be perfect for this role, please share/apply via the official application link: [Link Here]

Celebrating achievements 

If your child has celebrated a sporting achievement and you would like them to be included in the newsletter, please let us know by completing this form. There is an option to attach photos/certificates if you would like but this is optional. 

Hurst Park Primary Academy is looking for volunteers to enhance children's learning. Volunteers are highly valued and appreciated by children and staff. In the past, volunteers have helped children with reading and maintaining the Library. Volunteers must complete a comprehensive induction programme, including a DBS check, and adhere to our Safeguarding procedures. Volunteering hours are flexible.  If you are interested in making a difference, please complete the Volunteer Registration form  to apply. Please note that volunteers will not be placed in their child's class.

Pennie (2T), Mollie H (3S) and Connie (5B)

4K achieved the highest attendance for last week.  Well done!

Year 2 Forest School 

North Surrey Against Domestic Abuse 

Young Carers 

At Hurst Park, we are aware that some of our pupils are young carers. A young carer is someone under 18 who is caring unpaid for someone at home who has an illness, a disability, or is affected by mental ill-health or alcohol/substance misuse.  They could also be a child who has a sibling with a disability. They often take on practical and/or emotional caring responsibilities that would normally be expected of an adult or miss out on things due to their siblings' needs. There are at least 800,000 young carers in the UK but many young people do not realise they are a young carer.

We know that young carers may need a little extra support to enjoy and do well at school. At Hurst Park, we are committed to ensuring that all pupils who are young carers are identified, and supported effectively. The school has a Family Support Worker and Emotional Literacy Support Assistants who can offer reassurance and emotional support and help engage with external services.

Surrey Young Carers are a fantastic organisation and support young carers through activities such as holiday clubs, youth clubs, 1:1 mentoring etc. For more information visit their website and register a young carer using this form. 

If you think your child might be a young carer, please let us know by filling in this google form.

If you do not feel comfortable doing this, or have any further questions, please contact Melissa Bailey (Family Support Worker) directly. Any information that is given will be treated sensitively and no information will be shared without your knowledge.

Keeping children and young people safe online

Using the internet has many benefits for children and young people. It is a great way for them to learn, keep in touch with friends and have fun by playing games or sharing images. However, there are risks when using the internet to be aware of, which include:

• Online grooming, exploitation or bullying by others online.

• Inappropriate content (such as nude, violent, or distressing images or words).

• Being asked to share personal information or images.

What you can do

If your child is starting to or already uses the internet, you may like to do the following.

• Talk to them about the possible risks of using the internet.

• Go online with them.

• Set rules about how your child uses the internet (such as how long and what sites they can go on).

• Set parental controls on your devices and internet (the Internet Matters Parental Controls page can help you with this).

• Check the content your child is viewing is appropriate for their age.

• If your child talks to someone online, make sure you know who they are.

• Check your child is aware of the risk of sharing images online and how to use reporting tools.

How to report concerns about content of children coming to harm online

If you are concerned a child has been groomed or harmed online you should contact the police on 999 immediately. An example of this may be if you believe a child is travelling to meet someone they have met online.

Children can also report any concerns to CEOP (the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre). Some children may prefer to do this if they are anxious about talking face to face with a parent or teacher.

Online bullying and abuse can also be reported to the police by calling 101 or visiting Surrey Police's online reporting platform.

Remove a nude image shared online

If you are under 18 and a nude image or video of you has been shared online, you can ask for it to be removed from the internet.

Report Remove help young people under 18 to confidentially report sexual images and videos of themselves and remove them from the internet. Childline counsellors are available to help you through this process.

Further advice

The sites below are useful places to get further advice on how to ensure children and young people get the most out of the internet while staying safe:

• NSPCC

• Internet Matters

• BBC Bitesize

• The Parent Handbook

Google Family Link

• For children with Android devices, Google Family Link is a great way for parents to set restrictions. Last week Internet Matters released a brand new YouTube video showing how to set up Google Family Link to customise content and screen time restrictions:
  
  Click to Set Up Google Family Link