This week, we are focusing on the vital theme of Road Safety Week: Be Bright, Be Seen. We encourage all children to wear bright or reflective clothing, especially as the evenings draw in, to ensure they are easily visible to drivers. 

Tuesday included key staff training (Nurture UK) and valuable Year 4 Financial Literacy workshops. Additionally, the 'Elf Run' was highlighted in an assembly, with event details set to follow soon. A huge well done to all the children who spoke and sang beautifully in the 3L assembly on Thursday. 

Our sporting calendar was packed: on Monday, Year 3 and Year 4 students competed in a Boys and Girls football tournament, and our Girls B League team had a match. Tuesday saw our Boys B Team face Cranmere. Later in the week, we were proud to host the Boys Pokemon Cup, the PTA met on Wednesday, our Boys A Team played on Thursday, and the U11 Girls Surrey tournament took place on Friday afternoon.

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.

EYFS Christmas performances - Thursday 4th December 2.30 pm and Friday 5th December 9.15 am

Christmas Fayre - Saturday 6th December 

KS1 performances - Monday 8th December 2.15 pm and Tuesday 9th December 9am 

Christmas Jumper Day - Thursday 11th December 

KS2 Carols in the playground - Wednesday 17th December 

Nursery closed - Friday 19th December 

Last day of school  - Friday 19th December

Hurst Park Primary Academy PTA has their very own dedicated microsite on PTA Events, which acts as a central hub for all things PTA. Here you will find details of events we are hosting, where to buy tickets, how to volunteer as a helper, how to contact the PTA, and much more. Once registered, users can opt to receive bespoke communications on activities we are running, so you always know what's going on.  For more information, please click here. 

There is a PTA meeting on 19th November at 7.30pm. Click here for the link to the meeting and the agenda. 

PTA reminders: 

- Toy and book donations (ongoing)

- Reminder to buy grotto tickets (£5 per child), advanced tokens for the Fayre, and enter the front row ticket raffle for Early Years and KS1 shows on 12 November (3- 3:30pm) & 14 November (8:30-9am) in the playground

- 27th November at 7-9.30pm: Wreath making (only a few tickets available now)

- 28th November: Bottle donations (non-uniform)

- 5th December: Cake donations (normal uniform day, no nuts)

Wap Around Care on Friday 19th December 

Please note that on the last day of term, Friday, December 19th, the After School Club (ASC) will close early at 4:15 PM.

Please ensure that all children are collected promptly at or before this time.

Road Safety Week

Our Eco Team led a fantastic KS2 assembly for Road Safety Week, focusing on the message "Be Bright, Be Seen". They performed brilliantly, speaking clearly and choosing children to answer questions about staying visible to drivers. The team highlighted that while bright colours work best during the day , reflective gear is essential for safety at night.

Check for Reflectors! As the evenings get darker, please take a moment to check if your child’s school bag or coat has a reflective tag or strip. The Eco Team learned that while bright clothes work in the day, reflectors are essential for helping drivers see pedestrians at night. It is a simple step to help everyone stay safe and seen!

Attendance reminder 

Just to be reminded that if you take your children out of school without authority for 5 or more days (which do not have to be consecutive), then the following will apply:

1. If you have not incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children in a rolling 3 year period since 19 August 2024, then the penalty notice will be charged at the rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80.00 if paid within 21 days of receipt of the notice. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.

2. If you have incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children since 19 August 2024, the rolling 3 year period will be activated from the date of the first penalty notice and the second penalty notice will be charged at the flat rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. There will be no reduction for payment within 21 days. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.

3. If you have incurred 2 penalty notices relating to this child/children in the rolling 3 year period since the first penalty notice was issued, then you will NOT receive a third penalty notice – Surrey County Council will have no option but to consider a prosecution, per parent/carer per child, in the Magistrates Court under s 444 Education Act 1996. Surrey County Council is not responsible for authorising pupil absence and therefore cannot withdraw any Penalty Notice requests without the written permission of the Headteacher.

Please click here for the attendance policy. 

Updated Uniform Policy for September 2026

In light of the new government legislation—part of the forthcoming Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill—we are sharing an update on our school uniform policy, with changes fully effective from September 2026.

The primary aim of this new statutory guidance is to ensure school uniform remains affordable and offers the best value for money for all families. This legislation legally limits the number of compulsory branded items a school can require.

We are implementing adjustments to our uniform policy. This will result in a significant increase in the number of generic, unbranded uniform items that can be purchased from any high-street retailer or supermarket, offering our families greater flexibility and reducing overall expenses.

Please click here to see the updated policy. 

We are asking all parents and carers to please complete a quick baseline survey about school lunchtimes; your feedback is invaluable now as we are still in the planning stages to enhance play. In addition to your thoughts, we are also reaching out for some specific donations to boost our play activities: we'd be grateful for pieces of astro turf, any spare dressing up costumes, and various items suitable for the sand pit. Finally, we are planning to build an exciting mud kitchen, and if you know of anyone in the community with building or carpentry skills who might be able to help us with this project, please contact the school office via email. Your support, whether through feedback or donations, is crucial to the success of OPAL!

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): 7:15 AM – 8:45 AM

-After School Club (Monday to Thursday): 2:45 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.

Last week 3L achieved highest attendance. Well done.

Peony (2T), Jessie (4SM) and Jaden (5P)

Year 2 

Year 2 enjoyed a trip to Holly Lodge this week where they had the opportunity to experience what it was like to learn in a Victorian classroom taught by a Victorian teacher. Dressed up in costume as Victorian children, Year 2 practised their 'three Rs of reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic' whilst using slates to write their answers on and ensuring that they were sitting up straight at all times. Year 2 were shocked to learn that the boys and girls had to sit apart and whilst everyone had lots of fun we all agreed that we much prefer learning in the way we get to do normally! 

Year 3 Outdoor Learning 

Year 3 braved the cold today at Forest School!  They learned a brand-new skill — making sparks with flint and steel. Amazing focus, teamwork, and excitement as they watched their first sparks fly! 

Year 4 Financial Literacy 

Year 4 participated in an engaging "Money in Society" workshop delivered by Think Pieces, designed to help them build skills for making smart financial choices. The classes really enjoyed the session, particularly the interactive trading games where they negotiated with one another to learn how the barter system worked. During the workshop, they explored the history of money, tracing its evolution from early trading to the modern use of digital currency.

Year 5 Fire Safety 

Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed their recent Fire Safety Session, finding it both engaging and informative. They learned the critical importance of fire prevention in keeping everyone safe. The children also developed clear action plans detailing the correct steps to take if a fire were to occur, enhancing their awareness and preparedness for emergency situations. This session was a great success!

Nurturing Lunch Club

The Nurturing Lunch Club this week enjoyed a wonderful session focused on art and mark making, inspired by the beautiful colors of autumn.

The children were tasked with creating a piece of artwork based on leaves, utilizing a palette of traditional autumnal colors, such as oranges, greens and browns. They enthusiastically engaged with the activity, using brushes and paints to create various patterns and textures.

A key highlight of the session was the exemplary sharing and collaboration demonstrated by the group. The children worked together beautifully, taking turns with the shared paints and brushes without any prompting. This excellent teamwork resulted in vibrant artwork and a calm atmosphere throughout the club.

The final creations were a testament to their creativity and teamwork, capturing the essence of the season.

Sporting Fixtures

Fantastic day at the Y3/4 Boys & Girls annual Elmbridge football tournament! Both teams finished the event unbeaten, playing superbly, scoring great goals, and showing outstanding teamwork throughout. 

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.

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