Hurst Park Primary: Hurst Road, Molesey, West Molesey KT8 1QS

Email: hpoffice@leoacademytrust.co.uk 

This week, Hurst Park has been a flurry of festive fun! Key Stage One delighted audiences with their heartwarming Nativity performances, showcasing their incredible talent and Christmas spirit. A huge thank you to everyone who supported our Cake Sale and Santa Run, raising vital funds for Princess Alice Hospice. Thursday saw the school transformed into a sea of colourful woollies for Christmas Jumper Day, followed by a Christmas Lunch enjoyed by all. We also enjoyed a fantastic 'Jamming Together' assembly this week, celebrating the musical talents of the children. Finally, we were pleased to welcome Mr Hedger, who met with our Learning Ambassadors to discuss their insightful ideas for positive changes within Hurst Park and the Trust. 

Remembering Mrs Kathy Barkway

It is with deep sadness that we inform our school community of the passing of Mrs Kathy Barkway earlier this week.  Some of you will remember Mrs Barkway as our inspirational and caring Headteacher from September 1997 to December 2008, touching the lives of countless children, families and staff. 

During her time at Hurst Park, Mrs Barkway’s passion for education was evident in everything she did, from fostering a love for the performing arts to creating rich opportunities for outdoor learning. She had a special gift for connecting with others, and under her leadership, Hurst Park developed strong links with local schools and promoted international connections.

Even after her retirement, Mrs Barkway continued to support the school in the most meaningful way—as a proud grandparent. Her unwavering dedication to Hurst Park was a testament to the deep love and commitment she had for our school family.

Mrs Barkway will be deeply missed by all who knew her. She leaves behind a legacy of dedication, enthusiasm and a genuine love for education that continues to inspire us today.

Our thoughts and condolences are with Mrs Barkway’s family and friends at this difficult time. We will always remember her with great fondness and gratitude for the immense impact she had on our school and its community. She will be dearly missed.

KS2 Christmas Carol Concert - Tuesday 17th December 2.30pm (change of date) 

DT Christmas Exhibition in the hall  - Wednesday 18th December 3-4.30pm

Christmas Party Mufti and Christmas Cards Day (Reception - Year 6) -  Thursday 19th December 

Nursery closed - Friday 20th December 

End of term - Friday 20th December Finish at 1.30pm (After school club will run until 4.15pm )

Road Safety

Yesterday we had a visit from Surrey County Council officers, during morning drop-off times. The purpose of this visit was to assess traffic flow by the drop off zone and pedestrian safety. The local county councillor and borough councillor also attended.  A report will be shared in the new year. 

Christmas Jumper Day and Christmas Lunch 

It’s beginning to look a lot like... Christmas Jumper Day! We rocked our festive knits, devoured a merry Christmas lunch and crowned the day with truly epic creative Christmas hats. 

A big thank you to our catering team for preparing and cooking a wonderful lunch! 

Jamming Together Assembly

Assembly vibes were off the charts yesterday with the school band bringing the festive jam! From epic solos to smooth harmonies, they had us clapping, stomping, and feeling the beat.

Santa Fun Run - 13th December 

Design and Technology Christmas Exhibition - Wednesday 18th December

We are very excited to be holding our Design and Technology exhibition from 3pm-4.30pm on Wednesday 18th December and look forward to welcoming families into school to celebrate the children's designs.

To ensure the event runs smoothly, at 3pm the side entrance to the hall by the office will be open just for the EYFS children and their families. From 3.20pm, the hall entrance at the top of the ramp will then be open for KS1 and KS2 children and families. Please wait until all teachers have sent the children to their parents before going up the ramp to the hall via the left hand double doors. The right hand double doors to the hall will be used as an exit, this is to ensure the hall does not get too busy and that everyone can enjoy the designs.

Lost property 

Don't forget there will be a lost property table in the main playground. Any unclaimed items will be donated to charity at the end of term.

Winter Mini Challenge

The Reading Agency will run the Winter Mini Challenge from 1 December 2024 to 20 February 2025 and will once again be an extension of the Summer Reading Challenge 2024 theme, Marvellous Makers. Join the seven characters as they have winter fun, sparking a love of reading, even in the most reluctant of readers.

What is the Winter Mini Challenge?

The Winter Mini Challenge is a free online-only, digital challenge which encourages children to keep up their reading habits over the winter months including the Christmas holidays. Participants sign up from 1 December through The Reading Agency's free-to-access website featuring rewards for reading and reviewing books. To take part, children simply read three or more books of their own choice and add them to their Challenge website profile. Reaching their online reading goal will unlock a limited-edition virtual badge and a special Winter Mini Challenge certificate to print off and keep. There are also lots of videos, fun games and activities children can play when they join the online Challenge.

Prize for every child reaching their goal!

For the second year in a row, Surrey Libraries will be offering fabulous prizes to Winter Mini Challenge participants who:

• Complete the Challenge online

• Bring their certificate into the library (either digitally or printed)

• Are a member of Surrey Libraries (or sign up when they visit with their certificate)

Visit your Surrey Library to pick up a free Winter Mini Challenge bookmark! This includes a Quick Response (QR) code which can be scanned on a smartphone or tablet for instant access to the Winter Mini Challenge sign-up page. Pick up your books too to start reading, or if you prefer, you can also download eBook, eAudiobook and eComics, all reading counts!

Please note that the following Community Partnered Libraries are not taking part in promoting the Winter Mini Challenge in their branch and therefore will not offering the bookmark and a prize to children completing their goal:

• Bramley

• Byfleet

• New Haw

• Tattenhams

• Virginia Water

Train to teach with LEO Academy Trust!

Please support us! 

We are thrilled to announce that our application to Tesco Stronger Starts for the "Sustainable Growing" project has been approved! This means our project will be part of a customer vote in Tesco stores from early October 2024 to mid-January 2025. The project with the most votes in our region will receive £1,500!

We would love your support in spreading the word and encouraging friends and family to vote for our project at the following Tesco stores: 

2017 Addlestone Extra Large unit KT15 2AS

2449 East Molesey Small unit KT8 0HP

3399 West Molesey Large unit KT8 1SE

3481 Queens Rd Wybrdge Exp Small unit KT13 9UJ

4356 Chertsey Exp Small unit KT16 8DX

4490 Hersham Molesy Rd Exp Small unit KT12 3PU

4761 Esher High St Exp Small unit KT10 9QY

6738 Walton Hersham Rd Exp Small unit KT12 1RR

Every purchase at these stores earns a token that can be used to vote.

Together, let's make a difference and empower our children to embrace sustainable practices!

Thank you for your continued support.

ASDA Rewards for Schools 

To support our school, please click here  More information below or on the ASDA website. 

Amazon Wishlist

We have updated the Amazon Wishlist with books that we would like to have in each class for storytime. You may view the list of items by following this link. Once purchased, these items will be delivered directly to school and opened with the children – what a great treat! If you would like to purchase a Wishlist present and gift a book to the school, please follow the link, add to your basket and buy. Please deliver directly to the school using the school address Hurst Park Primary School, 438 Hurst Road, West Molesey, KT8 1QS indicating year group.   Thank you so much for all your support and generosity.  

Birthdays 

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.

Year 2 

In Year 2 the children have enjoyed learning about schools in the past in their History lessons. They have spent their lessons comparing school life between the 1900s, 1960s and now; discussing similarities and differences. They have used a variety of sources including photos, drawings, diaries, the trip to Holly Lodge and interviewing people who went to school in different decades to support their knowledge and understanding in this topic. In this week's lesson the children decided which decade they would have preferred to have gone to school and gave reasons for their choices.

Key Stage 1 Nativity 

KS1 Nativity performances this week were magical! Angelic singing, superb acting and crystal-clear narration! Our little stars looked AMAZING in their costumes! A beautiful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas!

Year 3 Forest School 

Year 3 wrapped up the year in the cosiest way at Forest School! Gathered around a campfire, we roasted marshmallows and sipped on hot chocolate. A magical end to a wonderful term!

Year 3 History 

The children have been busy fact finding about Stonehenge this week to link with our history topic on Prehistory. They have pulled their facts together to write a non-chronological report  thinking about key features such as a title, sub-headings and pictures. 

Sporting fixtures 

Online Parenting Courses - Family Lives 

Being a parent has never been easy. There are no manuals for it, and previous generations may not be able to provide the insight you're looking for. The family unit is more dispersed than ever, with some families existing hundreds of miles from what may be called a 'core unit'. The rapid pace of societal change in the UK rapidly outstrips the knowledge of the immediate past. The result is that many parents may find themselves lost in a maelstrom of contradictory advice. For adults, time has never been more compacted. Family Lives has produced a series of online parenting courses, to make this challenge a little easier. If interested please follow the link below: 

https://www.familylives.org.uk/how-we-can-help/online-parenting-courses

Family Lives offers a confidential and free* helpline service for families in England and Wales (previously known as Parentline). They can be contacted on 0808 800 2222 for emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life. Their website is also a rich source of useful support and advice.

(* Free from landlines and most mobiles) 

Evelate Eleven 

Elevate Eleven tutors children in small groups (6-7 in a group) from school years 4-6 (ages 8-11) . For more information, please email info@elevateeleven.com.

Justplay Music School is looking for new band mates and instrumental recruits for our fun, confidence building music lessons at HurstPark school! One to one Drums, Piano, Guitar, and Bass are all available during the school day as well as our lunchtime clubs, Jamming Together. Take part in our concerts and recording opportunities and discover your child's passion for music. We also have a Rock Band camp in half term!